ot maake it from you. i

  arrived io prevent that, although y very well

  on your own, i must say.

  ”you got hermiones owl?”

  ”we must have idair. no sooner had i readon

  than it became e that the place i should be was the one

  i had just left. i arrived just io pull quirrell off you.”

  ”it was you.”

  ”i feared i might be too late.”

  ”you nearly were, i t have kept him off the stone much

  longer --”

  ”one, boy, you -- the effort involved nearly killed

  you. for oerrible moment there, i was afraid it had. as for

  the sto has beeroyed.”

  ”destroyed?” said harry blankly. ”but your friend -- nicolas

  flamel --”

  ”oh, you know about nicolas?” said dumbledore, sounding quite

  delighted. ”you did do the thing properly, didnt you? well, nicolas

  and i have had a little d agreed its all for the best.”

  ”but that means he and his wife will die, wont they?”

  ”they have eored to set their affairs in order

  ahey will die.”

  dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on harrys face.

  ”to one as young as you, im sure it seems io

  nid pere really is like goier a very,

  very long day. after all, to the well-anized mih is but

  the ure. you ko such a

  w. as muey and life as you t! the two

  things most human beings would choose above all -- the trouble is,

  humans do have a knack of g precisely those things that are

  worst for them.” harry lay there, lost for words. dumbledore hummed

  a little ahe g.

  ”sir?” said harry. ”ive been thinking... sir -- even if the

  stones gone, vol-, i mean, you-know- who --”

  ”call him voldemort, harry. always use the proper name for

  things.