A nanosecond later, Amelia found herself in Flamel Manor.
She let herself into the living room where Nicolas Flamel was sitting on a white Ashley furniture sofa and sipping from a can of Bud Light.
As he heard Amelia's footsteps, Nicolas looked up.
"Who are you?" Nicolas asked Amelia.
"My name is Amelia Bones, " explained Amelia, "You aren't in any trouble, but I am the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I need to ask: what do you know about the third floor corridor at Hogwarts?"
"Nothing, " answered Nicolas in a confused voice.
"That's what I was afraid of, " said Amelia seriously, "Dumbledore told me a minute ago that an issue surrounding the third floor corridor at Hogwarts was between you and him."
"I know what's up, " said Nicolas urgently, "You see, I have a Sorcerer's Stone. That's how I've been able to live so long, 665 as of now. I'd been storing the stone in a vault at Gringotts and taking it out when I needed to drink more elixir to extend my life. Albus warned me that the Sorcerer's Stone was at risk of being stolen and advised me to have it moved from Gringotts. There was in fact an attempted robbery of the vault I had kept the stone a few hours after the stone was moved from the vault. But Albus promised he would keep my Sorcerer's Stone safe. "
"Well, " replied Amelia, "I have reason to believe Dumbledore is manipulating the life of Harry Potter. While Dumbledore was at my house, I received an owl from Patrick and Patricia Patil, the parents of Hogwarts students Parvati and Padma Patil, about an owl they received from their daughters. The long and the short of it is that Dumbledore told the students during the Welcoming Feast that "The third floor corridor on the right side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."
"If I had heard an announcement like that when I was a Hogwarts student, the FIRST thing I'd have done would've been to go check out that corridor, " admitted Nicolas.
"Exactly, " said Amelia, "We know about the rebellious and curious sides of kids. It is my belief that Dumbledore is trying to manipulate the life of Harry Potter."
"You believe Albus has set up what he hopes is in essence a test for Harry?" asked Nicolas slowly.
"That is my view, " said Amelia matter of factly, "I believe Albus has set up a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer's Stone in an attempt to test Harry. I did not know any Sorcerer's Stones actually existed until what you told me just now, but the clues are starting to fit."
"Do you believe Harry will go after the stone?" Nicolas asked Amelia.
"Harry isn't at Hogwarts anymore, " said Amelia proudly, "Owing to concerns about incompetent teachers, inadequate curriculum,, bullies allowed to run wild unpunished, danger, and our views on what Dumbledore may be up to, my friend Heather Abbott and I have pulled my niece Susan, her daughter Hannah, as well two close friends of Susan and Hannah, Harry, and a muggleborn girl named Amy Alworth from Hogwarts. Heather is housing and teaching them. We knew that if the kids were pulled from Hogwarts that Dumbledore would suspect me and not her. That's why Dumbledore visited me. When I showed him the Patils letter, he just told me that the third floor corridor at Hogwarts was between you and him."
"But, " said Nicolas as an uncomfortable truth dawned on him, "Harry Potter just started Hogwarts this year. If Albus wanted to set up a challenge for Harry, the obstacles would have to be ones that eleven year olds could overcome, yet some still may be dangerous. Every student still at Hogwarts is in danger. Amelia, would you be willing to escort me to Hogwarts? I know the stone can't go back to Gringotts, but I'm going to take it back and look after it myself. My friendship with Albus is history. From this nanosecond forward, I will no longer call Dumbledore by his first name. He doesn't deserve that kind of respect."
"Why don't you finish your Bud Light and then I can set up the empty can as a portkey?" suggested Amelia.
After Nicolas had finished the last sip of Bud Light, Amelia pointed her wand at the empty can and cried "Portus!" Nicolas and Amelia then each placed a hand on the portkey and were off to Hogwarts.
When Nicolas and Amelia found the third floor corridor locked, Amelia pointed her wand the door and cried "Alohomora!" and the door opened.
Nicolas and Amelia then found themselves facing a huge blue dog with three heads.
"A Cerberus, " observed Nicolas, "We've got to sing it to sleep."
Nicolas then sang the first few lines of The Yellow Rose of Texas and the dog was soon asleep.
"So, let me get this straight, " said Amelia in a disgusted voice, "All anyone had to do was use the first year unlocking spell that students learn early in their first year and then they found themselves face to face with a Cerberus?"
"I know, right?" said Nicolas shakily, "That monster could have killed any student at any time. Fuck Dumbledore."
Nicolas and Amelia saw that the Cerberus was standing on a trap door and they moved it's paws.
"Before we go, " sad Amelia, "I'm going to stun that dog in case any student comes across it. That way it won't wake up until it's unstunned. "
And Amelia stunned the dog before going through the trap door with Nicolas.
As they expected, Nicolas and Amelia found themselves obstacles that were all too overcomeable: Devil's Snare that could be killed with a simple "Lumos" charm, a key that could easily be summoned or caught, a troll that was all too easy to knock out, and a chess game that could be beaten by any competent player.
However, the final obstacle they found was that the stone was buried inside a mirror. Nicolas looked in the mirror and felt clueless as to how to get the stone out. But when Amelia stepped in front of the mirror the stone deposited itself into her right hand pocket.
"OOH!" said Nicolas suddenly, "Dumbledore bewitched the mirror so that only a person who wanted to find the stone but not use it would able to get it!"
"I think you're right!" agreed Amelia.
"That means the stone was probably safer than I thought, as most people would be going after the Sorcerer's Stone with intent of using it. But that doesn't excuse or justify the danger that Dumbledore has put all the students in, and it doesn't justify his manipulation," declared Nicolas.
"I hope to deal with Albus sooner rather than later, " said Amelia, handing the Sorcerer's Stone back to Nicolas.
"Thank you, Amelia, " said Nicolas, "I'm going to look after the stone myself from now on."