THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR
They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in
the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore
lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.
“We’ll just have to —” Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang
across the hall.
“What are you three doing inside?”
It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
“We want to see Professor Dumbledore,” said Hermione, rather
bravely, Harry and Ron thought.
“See Professor Dumbledore?” Professor McGonagall repeated, as
though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. “Why?”
Harry swallowed — now what?
“It’s sort of secret,” he said, but he wished at once he hadn’t, be-
cause Professor McGonagall’s nostrils flared.
“Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,” she said coldly.
“He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew
off for London at once.”
“He’s gone?” said Harry frantically. “Now?”
“Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has
many demands on his time —”
“But this is important.”
“Something you have to say is more important than the Min-
istry of Magic, Potter?”
“Look,” said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, “Pro-
fessor — it’s about the Sorcerer’s Stone —”
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn’t that.
The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn’t
pick them up.
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