AlCl3 and water

While reading Clayden's (et al) Organic Chemistry I stumbled upon a reaction on page 120 that I just fail to wrap my brain around. It describes a reaction of AlCl3 with water and states that, quote, "Eventually alumina (Al2O3) is formed."


Here's the said reaction
[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uOL91.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uOL91.png)


Now...
I was trying to understand what the intermediates are between the AlCl3H2O and Al2O3 and the best I can do (and bear with me, I might be wrong) is an idea that the negative [Al]- can transfer an electron to Cl which then deprotonates the [H2O]+ group leaving HCl as a by-product. Repeat the cycle three times and I get Al(OH)3 with an empty π orbital as in the starting aluminium chloride. I guess maybe it can be hydrolysed further to give a [Al(OH)4]- ion but then what?


To add to my confusion a quick scout on google tells me that AlCl3 can decompose into Al2O3 but it requires a lot of heat, well above the boiling point of water, which is nowhere mentioned in the textbook. Besides if I'm correct that HCl is a by-product here, then from what I understand it would quickly react with Al2O3 in presence of heat to form AlCl3 again, eventually reaching some sort of equilibrium.


All in all I would appreciate some help in understanding what's going on here.


