Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 197 Main Quest

"What are you saying, Professor Darkholm?"

Professor McGonagall took the letter with a puzzled look, and frowned after reading it.

"Oh, okay." She understood. "There's been some misunderstanding."

She glanced at the students who were gradually leaving the classroom. "I happen to have some questions about the fourth-floor corridor that I'd like to ask for your opinion on. However, this isn't the place to discuss this. Let's go to my office."

The two professors left, and Hermione emerged from under the stairs, her face full of confusion.

Is Hagrid connected to the Gringotts robbery?

What's going on in the fourth-floor corridor?

However, with flight lessons about to begin, she had no choice but to compose herself and prepare to go downstairs for class.

……

Meanwhile, in Professor McGonagall's office.

This is a study-like room on the second floor, with a glass window overlooking the Quidditch pitch. At this moment, dozens of freshmen are standing outside, making a ruckus, preparing for their first flying lesson.

"Professor McGonagall, can you explain now?"

"Of course, Murphy." McGonagall nodded and handed the letter back to Murphy. "Actually, Headmaster Dumbledore already explained it to the Aurors, but this matter is highly classified, and the Auror handling the case may not know the details yet."

"Oh?"

"In fact, it all comes down to the Philosopher's Stone..."

McGonagall explained the whole thing: Nicolas Flamel discovered that someone was after his Philosopher's Stone, so he consulted with his friend Dumbledore and entrusted the Philosopher's Stone to Dumbledore for safekeeping.

During the summer holidays, Dumbledore sent Hagrid to Gringotts Vault 713 to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone and bring it back to Hogwarts. Subsequently, a robbery occurred at Gringotts, but the robbers did not steal anything.

"The Philosopher's Stone..." Murphy pretended to ponder for a moment, "So, Hagrid was ordered to retrieve something. It has nothing to do with the robbery. Then what's this so-called extremely serious file?"

"Ah, that was a long time ago, about... fifty years ago," Professor McGonagall said. "Back then, Hagrid was accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, resulting in the death of a student..."

"Of course, Dumbledore vouched for Hagrid's innocence. If you've ever met Hagrid, you'll know that although he looks very rough... he's a very gentle person."

Murphy seemed relieved. "I see. You're right. I've been talking to Hagrid a lot lately. I like him a lot, and I don't really believe he could do anything terrible."

"The fourth-floor corridor you mentioned earlier...?"

"To protect the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore asked several professors to set a trap behind the trapdoor in the fourth-floor corridor. If you have time, you can also set a puzzle."

"So, that's why the fourth-floor corridor is a restricted area?" Murphy frowned. "To protect the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Yes."

"Those traps must be dangerous, right?" Murphy asked, "especially for the students?"

"Yes, that's why students are forbidden from going there."

Why do this?

"What?" Professor McGonagall didn't understand what he meant.

"Hogwarts isn't a bank or a vault; it's a school. Why would a school protect the Philosopher's Stone?" Murphy questioned, "Even at the risk of harming the students?"

"While I greatly admire Headmaster Dumbledore, I do not agree with his approach."

"I don't think it's appropriate for children to take risks for the principal's personal commitments."

"This..." Professor McGonagall was stunned.

Why is it that everything my former student says always seems so reasonable, leaving me unable to refute it...?

But after thinking about it, she felt that Murphy's words were a bit of an exaggeration.

"Professor Dumbledore asked the professors for help on a personal basis; he didn't use his position as headmaster to order everyone to protect the Philosopher's Stone," McGonagall said. "Besides, that corridor has long been abandoned."

"Oh, well, of course," Murphy didn't press further. "I'm sorry, Professor. I'm not questioning you or Professor Dumbledore. It's just that as a member of the Board of Trustees, it's my duty to consider the students' needs more."

Murphy was curious about what Dumbledore would do if these words reached him.

If he truly puts the students' interests first, he should remove the corridor decorations, or at least make some changes.

But if he doesn't do that, then it's enough to prove that he has other plans and considerations for the students—or rather, for Harry.

This point must be confirmed.

Because it directly represents two different purposes of Dumbledore's: whether it was simply to protect the Philosopher's Stone, or to test Harry.

If it's the latter, then the script regarding Harry's part of the story can't be changed much.

The person who goes to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone must be Harry Potter.

If that were changed, he would have to confront Dumbledore directly.

……

Meanwhile, just as the young wizards began their lesson, Neville flew into the sky and broke his arm. Mrs. Hooch had to take him to the infirmary first.

"Oh my God, poor Neville." Hermione dared not touch the broom again.

"Perhaps we should look into the kind of flight Dean was talking about." Tom frowned as he looked at the broom on the ground; he didn't really like it either.

Today, Gryffindor and Slytherin students are having class together, so Tom and Harry are sitting next to Hermione.

Harry was eager to try, but Madam Hooch had just given them a stern warning not to touch the broom, so he could only sigh and stand obediently in place.

"What do you guys think is in the fourth-floor hallway?" Hermione suddenly asked.

"Isn't that a restricted area?" Harry asked.

"Why do you want to know this?" Tom asked.

Because I'm curious!

Judging from the two professors' mysterious demeanor, there must be some secret in the fourth-floor corridor.

"Hey, look what this is?!"

Suddenly, a voice drew everyone's attention: Malfoy held up a memory orb.

……

In the office.

Murphy has left, saying before he left that he would consider adding more traps.

Professor McGonagall was deep in thought.

She never questioned Dumbledore's decision, nor did she ever think there was anything wrong with placing the Philosopher's Stone at the school.

But now that I think about it, haven't we been neglecting the interests of the students too much?

This Murphy is truly a unique child. He always asks questions from unexpected angles and can always see things that others cannot.

Perhaps we should ask Dumbledore why he wanted to keep the Philosopher's Stone at the school?

Professor McGonagall pondered for so long that she almost missed the good show outside the window.

She was jolted out of her reverie when Harry Potter made a brilliant sudden stop just as he was about to crash into her window and caught the Memory Orb.

"Harry Potter?"

Looking at the small ball in the other person's hand, an idea popped into her mind: This child should become a Seeker!

As for first graders not being allowed to play Quidditch?

Oh, there are always exceptions.

Suddenly, she understood what Dumbledore had done.

Teaching is a job, that's true, but professors also have their own lives. If they always put the students' interests first, they might lose their own lives.

For students, Hogwarts is a school. But for many professors, it is their home.

As the headmaster, Dumbledore was responsible not only for the students but also for the professors.

This is something Murphy might find hard to understand.

……

Just as Harry and Malfoy were arguing, Tom suddenly sensed something.

Seeing that everyone was looking at Harry, he turned around and took out his notebook from his pocket.

Main Quest: Uncover the secrets of the fourth-floor corridor.

"Mission objective: Find out what's hidden in the fourth-floor corridor."

"Quest Reward: Magic Power Boost. Flight Spell."

(End of this chapter)