Chapter 65: A Letter of Unknown Origin

"Harry, if you are observant enough, you may recognize this writing style. Yes, it was I who sent you the Invisibility Cloak."

Harry's eyes widened, his heart hammering against his ribs. He devoured the words on the parchment, desperate to know who had sent him such an impossibly precious Christmas gift.

"I know you may view the cloak as a tool for mischief, for breaking school rules. But its purpose is far greater. An Invisibility Cloak can be used to do many more important things.

I have recently received intelligence that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching assistant, Quirinus Quirrell, has been bewitched by the Dark Lord. He is attempting to help him steal the object that is so closely guarded within the castle's forbidden corridor. Quirrell now has the power to break through its protections. Therefore, I hope you will don your Invisibility Cloak, enter the forbidden area, secure the object yourself, and stop Quirrell and the Dark Lord before it is too late."

Harry stared at the letter, a wave of cold dread washing over him. The parchment trembled in his hand.

"Are you going to move, Harry?" Ron's voice broke through his trance. "If not, I'm calling it a forfeit!"

"Who has time for chess right now?!" Harry yelled, his voice tight with panic. "Quirrell could be stealing the Philosopher's Stone as we speak!"

"What?" Ron stood up and placed a hand on Harry's forehead. "Quirrell? That stuttering coward wants to steal the Stone? Harry, are you alright? Is this about losing the match, or is it the end-of-term exams? Maybe we should go get some fresh air."

"I'm fine! Someone sent me a letter!" Harry retorted, shoving the parchment at him.

"Ron, his stutter, his cowardiceit's all an act!" Hermione suddenly shot up from behind her fortress of books. She snatched the letter from Harry's hand, her eyes blazing with righteous fury. "If he can fake being some weak, pathetic creep to hide his true nature, then he can certainly fake being a coward to make the professors underestimate him!"

Harry and Ron exchanged a nervous glance, taken aback by her vehemence. As a strong-willed, modern witch, Hermione had a visceral disdain for Quirrell's creepy behavior and was instantly convinced by the letter's claims.

"But this letter isn't even signed," Ron pointed out, leaning over Hermione's shoulder to read. "It could be a prank. And why tell you, a first-year, instead of going straight to Dumbledore?"

"If it's a prank, why would they send me the Invisibility Cloak?" Harry argued. "Maybe... maybe whoever sent it thinks that since I defeated Voldemort once, I can do it again." His voice trailed off, his shoulders slumping. "But they don't know the truth. I'm just a slacker who's probably going to fail his exams..."

"Don't say that, Harry," Hermione said, her tone softening. "In any case, the best thing to do is give this to Professor Dumbledore. He'll know how to handle it."

Harry thought for a moment, then nodded, his resolve hardening.

Having made their decision, the trio immediately ran into a problem: none of them knew where Dumbledore's office was. So, Hermione suggested their next best option.

"What are you three doing here?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking up from a mountain of ungraded essays, her quill poised mid-air.

Harry and Ron swallowed hard, praying she wouldn't spot their own abysmal essays in the pile.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said calmly.

"You want to see Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall repeated, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Is there some matter you cannot bring to me?"

Harry froze, his mind blank. "It's... it's a secret," he blurted out, and immediately wished he could take the words back. Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared, a clear sign of her rising irritation.

"Professor Dumbledore left for London ten minutes ago," she said, her voice clipped and cold. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic."

"He's gone?" Harry cried, his heart sinking. "Now? At a time like this?"

"Professor Dumbledore is a very important wizard, Harry. His time is precious—"

"But this is important!" Harry interrupted.

"More important than the Ministry of Magic?" she asked, her tone dripping with ice.

"Professor, it's about the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry blurted out, all caution thrown to the wind.

The smooth, rhythmic scratching of McGonagall's quill came to an abrupt halt. "How," she asked, her voice dangerously quiet, "do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Someone sent Harry a letter," Hermione interjected smoothly, subtly omitting their own investigation. "It says that Professor Quirrell is trying to steal the Stone. We have to let Professor Dumbledore know." She gestured for Harry to hand over the letter.

McGonagall looked at the three of them, her expression a mixture of astonishment and suspicion, before taking the parchment and beginning to read.

None of them noticed the faint shimmer of magic that passed over the letter as it changed hands. In that instant, the elegant handwriting shifted, and the words themselves rearranged. The part about the Invisibility Cloak vanished, leaving only a brief, vague mention of Quirrell and the Dark Lord.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," McGonagall said, her skepticism growing. The handwriting was now unfamiliar, and she didn't trust the letter's authenticity. "I do not know how you children discovered the Stone, but rest assured, it is under the strongest protections. It cannot be stolen."

"But Professor—" Harry began.

"Potter, do not be taken in by pranks," she said, her gaze returning to the essays on her desk. "I am aware of the unpleasant rumors about Professor Quirrell. I do not approve of his behavior, but that is no reason to believe this nonsense."

The trio stubbornly held their ground. Finding that they had no intention of leaving, Professor McGonagall looked up again with a weary sigh. "When the Headmaster returns, I will inform him of your concerns. Is that acceptable?"

Realizing they had hit a wall, the three students nodded helplessly and trudged out of her office.

"Quirrell is going to make his move today!" Hermione said the moment the door closed behind them. "It's the only explanation for why Dumbledore would be called away so suddenly!"

"But Dumbledore's gone, and McGonagall won't listen!" Ron said, his voice filled with frustration. "What do we do?"

Harry stopped, his eyes filled with a new determination. He grabbed Ron and Hermione by the arms and started walking purposefully in the opposite direction.

"Come on," he said. "We're going to find Professor Dracula."

(End of Chapter)

***

(End of Chapter)

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