Chapter 1066: A One-Sided Beating
Chapter 1066: A One-Sided Beating
Hearing someone knocking at his door, Hagrid paused in his work, a puzzled expression on his face. He got up and walked over to the entrance, moving aside the excited Fang, who was eagerly scratching at the door. Opening the wooden door, he beheld a familiar figure standing outside and greeted him with a smile. "Albert, come on in. It's been a while since your last visit."
Fang enthusiastically wagged his tail, attempting to pounce onto Albert, his tongue hanging out as if ready to lick Albert's cheeks. However, a gentle pat on his head by Albert subdued him.
"Hagrid, it's time for you to leave!" Albert said without looking up, his words freezing the smile on Hagrid's face.
"What's wrong?" Hagrid slowed down as he was about to pour tea for Albert, tilting his head to look at the young man scratching Fang's head. "Did something happen?"
Hagrid was well aware that Albert would not say such a thing without good reason. Something unpleasant must have occurred, prompting his visit to deliver a warning.
"Umbridge's patience is likely wearing thin. You should be aware that after she ousted Dumbledore, your situation and that of Professor Faken became rather precarious," Albert explained.
"Is that so?" Hagrid mumbled as he poured a cup of hot tea for Albert. "That old hag! Ever since I returned, she's been looking for an opportunity to get rid of me."
"Faken's situation is slightly better than yours. At least Umbridge won't target him for now. But if you don't leave soon..." Albert trailed off, leaving the implication hanging.
"What will happen if I don't leave?" Hagrid asked curiously.
"Then you might find yourself spending the next few months in Azkaban," Albert replied bluntly. He offered a dog treat to Fang, who had been patiently waiting for one, and then looked up at Hagrid, who now appeared anxious. "Umbridge and Fudge have been obsessed with finding out where Dumbledore is hiding, even more so than capturing the escaped Death Eaters. They believe that you know Dumbledore's whereabouts."
Hagrid's eyes widened in disbelief. "They want to force me to reveal Dumbledore's location?"
"Yes, more or less," Albert confirmed, glancing at his pocket watch.
"What are those idiots thinking?" Hagrid scoffed. "Do they really think I would betray Dumbledore?"
"They suspect anyone who has a close relationship with Dumbledore, including you, Professor McGonagall, and Potter," Albert said, noticing Hagrid's changing emotions and offering some comfort. "Compared to Potter, you should be more concerned about yourself. Potter is smarter and can take care of himself. Umbridge, however, detests and even 'hates' any 'half-breeds,' and by that, I mean you, Lupin, and Faken. She considers you dangerous. Given her track record, from drafting the 'Anti-Werewolf Legislation' in 1993 to her conduct as a professor, don't expect any leniency. With a little Veritaserum, she could easily pry open your mouth, regardless of the harm it might cause you."
Hagrid opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to respond.
Albert continued, ignoring Hagrid's defeated expression, "Not long ago, Nearly Headless Nick informed me that Umbridge wants Cornelius Fudge to sign an educational decree to expel Peeves. I believe some wizards in the past may have tried to get rid of Peeves, but they failed."
"I heard Peeves has been causing trouble for Umbridge," Hagrid said, his mood seeming to improve as he spoke of the mischievous poltergeist.
Indeed, witnessing Umbridge's misfortune seemed to bring joy to many.
"Don't get your hopes up too soon, Hagrid," Albert warned, raising an eyebrow. "While Umbridge's attempt to expel Peeves may be doomed to failure, her recruitment of a group of Aurors is not solely aimed at Peeves. She wouldn't mind having those Aurors help her sweep away other inconveniences at Hogwarts, making it easier for her to control the school."
Albert snapped his pocket watch shut and pulled out a bag from his robe pocket, placing it on the table in front of Hagrid. "You have a quarter of an hour. Take this and your wand, and leave before the Aurors from the Ministry arrive. Believe me, if they surround you, you won't even have a chance to run."
After casting a spell to erase any traces of his visit, Albert paused at the doorway and added, "Remember to bring your umbrella. I assume you don't want the Aurors to discover your secret. Don't hesitate to use magic; they won't know. And you'd better hurry up."
"Remember, they can always find an excuse to throw you in prison. Don't expect any mercy," Albert said without lingering further, as he didn't want to give Hagrid false hope. His new task was to help Hagrid escape capture, and while the reward was modest, the task itself was relatively easy to accomplish.
"Damn... this is terrible!" Hagrid exclaimed.
Hagrid snapped his gaze back to the bag on the table, picked it up, and stuffed it into his coat pocket. He also grabbed the umbrella from the corner and, accompanied by Fang, hurriedly left his hunting lodge.
If it weren't for Grawp, Hagrid would have wanted to leave Hogwarts temporarily a long time ago. He knew that Umbridge had been looking for an opportunity to fire him in front of the entire student body.
However, if he left the school now, what would happen to the hapless Grawp?
Albert's arrival made Hagrid realize the severity of the situation. Knowing Albert's character, he must have foreseen something unpleasant, prompting him to urge Hagrid to leave as soon as possible.
In fact, not long after Hagrid left, Umbridge arrived at the hunting lodge with a group of Aurors in tow.
Umbridge intended to use this opportunity to deal with Hagrid once and for all. She had always believed that the big man was hiding something unsavory.
"He's not here."
Drick looked through the window and observed that the hunting lodge was empty.
The Aurors exchanged glances and used an unlocking spell to open Hagrid's door, revealing an empty room. Gardwyn reached out and touched the teapot on the table, offering his assessment. "Perhaps he went out for something."
"No, I think he might have known we were coming. Maybe someone leaked the information." One of the Aurors pointed to a piece of parchment on the table. On it was written: I know you want the Aurors to catch me, but I won't give you the chance. – Hagrid.
Of course, the note had been left by Albert, both as a taunt to Umbridge and to stir up her anger.
"Damn it... Hagrid must know where Dumbledore is hiding!" Umbridge growled, tearing the parchment to shreds. She spun around to face Gardwyn Robards. "Can you track him down?"
"Yes," Gardwyn replied, glancing at Umbridge. "But it will be time-consuming and may not be successful. It's best not to get your hopes up too high."
"Don't worry, ma'am. Hagrid can't use magic, so we'll definitely be able to find and capture him," another Auror assured her.
Drick was about to pound his chest in assurance.
"Don't forget his lineage, Drick." Gardwyn glanced at his colleague and reminded him, "You'd better bring more people, and don't expect Hagrid to meekly surrender. Just knock him out and bring him back."
"Of course, leave it to me, ma'am. I guarantee I will send Hagrid to Azkaban," Drick vowed.
"Hagrid is only a suspect, not a convicted criminal. Exercise restraint until we determine his guilt," Gardwyn cautioned with a furrowed brow.
Umbridge lifted an eyebrow at Gardwyn but remained silent.
Half of the Aurors, led by Drick, set out to pursue Hagrid, while the remaining group accompanied Umbridge into the castle to deal with Peeves, the poltergeist. Determined to avoid past mistakes, Umbridge personally oversaw this operation.
If Albert Anderson dared to interfere, she would show him that a Duelling Champion was nothing to be feared.
However, Umbridge was unaware that her every move inside Hogwarts was being watched by Albert.
A quarter of an hour ago, Albert, who was attending a Transfiguration class, suddenly felt a slight warmth emanating from the cord on his wrist.
The cord was adorned with several gems of various styles, each possessing unique purposes, including one that served as an emergency communication tool with himself.
Indeed, with the use of a Time-Turner, it was best to avoid physical encounters but exchanging messages was still feasible.
When the gem on his wrist cord activated, it signaled that something had occurred.
Albert immediately grasped the situation through the use of the Marauder's Map.
He witnessed Umbridge leading a group of Aurors into Hagrid's hunting lodge, only to find that Hagrid had already departed.
As for the new task, it indicated that Umbridge would dispatch people to apprehend Hagrid.
Albert was not at all concerned about Hagrid being captured, as he was confident in his ability to assist Hagrid in dealing with those pesky pursuers.
Perhaps, they would be wiped out as soon as they left Hogwarts.
In fact, as Drick and his team tracked Hagrid's trail using a Tracking Charm, they indeed encountered trouble.
One could say that right after they exited Hogwarts, they suffered a shameful ambush.
Without any warning, two red lights suddenly appeared, and the two Aurors at the back were immediately struck down by spells.
"Damn it, we're under attack! Sevitch and Williamson are down!" Tonks shouted as she heard the sound of her comrades falling.
She had been contemplating how to buy Hagrid some time, but now it seemed unnecessary. Just then, someone had ambushed them from behind while they were completely off guard.
It was swift and silent, without any forewarning.
"Where's the enemy? I can't see anyone."
After two of their companions were unexpectedly taken down, the Aurors, who had been intently tracking Hagrid, had no choice but to halt their pursuit and heighten their vigilance, anticipating attacks from any direction.
Albert refrained from attempting another ambush and instead discreetly observed the Aurors' capabilities.
In the face of the sudden ambush, they swiftly formed a defensive formation, utilizing their collective strength to resist potential attacks from all sides. This displayed their disciplined training, but that was the extent of their prowess.
"The enemy is invisible! Force him out!" Drick shouted as he waved his wand, "Homomorphous Revealo!"
Several Revealing Charms swept through the area, and a vague human figure appeared from thin air.
"There he is! I see him!"
Someone shouted, and a Disarming Charm flew toward the figure.
"Don't underestimate me."
The Auror blocked two consecutive Disarming Charms but was directly hit by a third Stunning Spell, causing him to lose consciousness and collapse.
The Aurors couldn't discern the assailant's appearance; they only caught a glimpse of a very blurry human silhouette.
Drick was baffled as to why the Homomorphous Revealo didn't fully expose the enemy, but he had no time to ponder such questions. The enemy seemed unconcerned about being exposed and was already launching another assault.
The Aurors' spells missed their target, and the figure in front of them vanished without a trace.
"He's using Disillusionment! He's nearby!"
"I see him! He's on the left!"
"He disappeared again!"
"Damn it, who is this guy?!"
As their attacks were effortlessly blocked by the assailant, a sense of frustration and powerlessness filled Drick's heart.
The assailant skillfully deflected their spells, including Stunning Spells, Disarming Charms, and Shield Charms. He seamlessly combined them with Disillusionment, effortlessly blocking the Aurors' attacks and seizing opportunities to disarm their wands or render them unconscious. It was as if he were toying with them like a cat playing with mice.
"Damn it, damn it!"
As Drick watched his colleagues fall one by one, leaving only himself, he felt ashamed and humiliated.
He knew he was no match for the assailant.
And he was well aware that he needed more backup.
So, Drick decided to seek reinforcements. If he were knocked out here, they would become the laughingstock of the entire wizarding world.
Before using the Disillusionment Charm to escape, Drick waved his wand to create a defensive barrier, buying himself some time.
However, in just an instant, Drick was astonished to find his defensive barrier shattered. A spell struck his chest with incredible speed, leaving him no chance to escape via Disillusionment.
"You bloody..."
Drick was hit by a Stunning Spell and fell heavily to the ground, losing consciousness.
"They're even worse than I expected. Could it be because of the ambush?"
Albert soon dismissed this idea. Perhaps the ambush played a role, but the Aurors were not combat specialists. While they might be more skilled than most wizards, they still fell short when compared to participants in the Duelling Tournament, who often relied more on individual prowess.
At the very least, they demonstrated decent capabilities in responding to sudden situations.
Albert swept his eyes over the group of unconscious Aurors one last time before disappearing from the scene using Disillusionment. He needed to find a place to remove his disguise and return to Hogwarts.
As for Hagrid, the Aurors wouldn't be able to locate him anytime soon.
The rest would unfold inside the castle, but that was a matter for another time, or perhaps another him.
After reappearing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Albert waved his wand to dispel his disguise, transforming his hair, appearance, and clothing. Under the cover of a Disillusionment Charm, he made his way toward Hagrid's hunting lodge, where he would wait for this incident to blow over.
(End of Chapter)
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