"What's going on, Professor Darkholme?"
Professor McGonagall took the letter in confusion. After reading it, she frowned.
"Oh, all right." She understood. "There seems to have been some misunderstanding."
She glanced at the students gradually leaving the classroom. "As it happens, I also have a few matters concerning the Third Floor Corridor that I'd like to ask your opinion on. But this isn't the place to discuss them. Let's go to my office."
The two professors left. Hermione Granger crawled out from beneath the stairs, her face full of confusion.
Hagrid was connected to the Gringotts robbery?
And what was going on with the Third Floor Corridor?
But flying class was about to begin, so she could only compose herself and head downstairs for class.
Meanwhile, in Professor McGonagall's office.
It was a study-like room on the second floor, with a glass window overlooking the Quidditch pitch. Outside, dozens of new students stood in a noisy crowd, ready for their first flying lesson.
"Professor McGonagall, can you explain now?"
"Of course, Murphy." McGonagall nodded and returned the letter to him. "Dumbledore has already explained this to the Aurors, but the matter is highly classified. The Auror handling the case may not know the full details yet."
"Oh?"
"In fact, it all concerns the Philosopher's Stone..."
McGonagall explained everything. Nicolas Flamel had discovered that someone was after his Philosopher's Stone, so he discussed it with his friend Dumbledore and entrusted the Stone to him for safekeeping.
During the summer, Dumbledore had sent Hagrid to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone from Vault 713 at Gringotts and bring it back to Hogwarts. The Gringotts robbery had happened afterward, but the culprit had not taken anything.
"The Philosopher's Stone..." Murphy pretended to ponder for a moment. "So Hagrid was acting under orders to retrieve