Chapter 1263: Being Cruel to Yourself
Chapter 1263: Being Cruel to Yourself
At the entrance of Hogwarts, Hagrid stood, clutching his pocket watch and eyeing the time.
Not long ago, he had received a letter from Albert, who mentioned that he would be visiting Hogwarts and wanted to drop by to see him.
This piece of news had both surprised and delighted Hagrid, prompting him to eagerly await his old friend.
Upon hearing the crack of Apparition, Hagrid immediately craned his neck to look around, but still didn't spot Albert.
"Good afternoon, Hagrid!"
A gentle voice suddenly sounded from beside him, causing Hagrid to whirl around. He found Albert appearing unexpectedly at his side, waving and greeting him with a smile.
"You nearly scared me there," Hagrid complained, but he still smiled and gave Albert a hug.
"Sorry, I needed to make sure no one was ambushing me," Albert explained helplessly. "You know, both the Death Eaters and Voldemort are after me now, so I have to be cautious."
Although he said so, Albert didn't actually take the matter too seriously. It was more of an instinctive vigilance.
In the current dire situation, it was necessary to maintain a constant state of alertness.
"Don't worry, Hogwarts is safe," Hagrid assured, instinctively about to pat his chest, but he quickly realized something and changed his words. "At least, it's safe for now."
Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts had become as unsafe as the rest of Britain.
"You don't seem to be doing too well these days," Albert remarked as he glanced at the repaired iron gate and the winged boar statues on either side, walking alongside Hagrid into the school.
At this time of day, Hogwarts would usually be in session, and the place wouldn't feel so desolate.
"How did you know?" Hagrid asked in surprise.
"We've known each other for several years now. I can tell when something's bothering you," Albert said with a smile.
"Aragog passed away, and I buried him in the pumpkin patch," Hagrid said, his mood turning somber as he spoke of this.
"Considering the lifespan of an Acromantula, Aragog lived a very long life," Albert consoled. "You can't hold them to human standards."
"You're right," Hagrid said, adjusting his mood and tilting his head to ask Albert about his reason for coming to the school. "By the way, what made you think of coming to Hogwarts?"
"I came to see Professor McGonagall, and I also brought a document for her to keep safe," Albert didn't intend to hide anything from Hagrid. After all, it wasn't a big deal, at least not to him.
"What document?" Hagrid asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It's the birth records of Muggle-born wizards from 1985 to 1997," Albert replied.
"What use is that?"
Hagrid was even more confused, unsure of Albert's intentions.
"To give those kids a helping hand. If we don't make extra backups, Voldemort will surely destroy these records once he controls the Ministry of Magic. Then, it will be very troublesome for Muggle-born students born during this period to enroll, and they might even miss the opportunity to attend Hogwarts," Albert explained.
"Missing out on Hogwarts would be a great regret for those children," Hagrid agreed.
"Voldemort controlling the Ministry of Magic?" Hagrid's voice rose with concern.
"It's only natural, isn't it? Voldemort and the Death Eaters have always wanted to do that, they're just biding their time. But it won't be long now," Albert said as if he were stating an obvious fact, his calm tone surprising.
"They will succeed eventually. Scrimgeour is not Dumbledore; he can't possibly stop Voldemort, especially with the Ministry of Magic in such turmoil. Its collapse is only a matter of time," Albert continued.
"Speaking of which, it seems like you haven't attended the Order of the Phoenix meetings in a while," Albert added, sounding quite certain.
"Even if I went, I wouldn't be of much help. If they really need me, Professor McGonagall will let me know," Hagrid said, scratching his head. Indeed, there wasn't much he could contribute, so he usually didn't go to the headquarters of the Order to avoid causing more trouble. After all, Hagrid was too easy to track, and he didn't know how to counter such tracking, making it easy to expose the location of the headquarters.
"By the way, Hagrid..." Albert suddenly said.
"What is it?"
"It's time for you to accept reality," Albert looked at Hagrid seriously.
"Accept what?" Hagrid asked, perplexed.
"The matter with the Acromantulas. After Aragog's death, the other spiders don't welcome you anymore, right?" Albert prompted.
"After Aragog's death, the other spiders indeed didn't let me near their webs," Hagrid admitted after a moment of silence, feeling sad.
"Hagrid, you made a big mistake," Albert said.
"What?"
"You took it for granted. Those Acromantulas only refrained from harming you because of Aragog's orders!" Albert turned to look at Hagrid, who had slowed his steps. "They don't share the same bond with you as they did with Aragog, whom you knew for over fifty years."
"But they are Aragog's children," Hagrid argued.
"Times have changed, Hagrid. It's no longer Aragog's era," Albert paused, issuing a warning. "Unless you befriend the new leader of those Acromantulas and form a deep bond with them, you're nothing more than a tasty meal that wandered into their lair."
"I dare say you probably don't even know who the new leader of those Acromantulas is, let alone befriend them!"
Hagrid opened his mouth, at a loss for words.
Indeed, he didn't know who the new leader of the Acromantulas was.
No, to be precise, aside from Aragog and his mate, Hagrid didn't know any of the other spiders.
Aragog had too many descendants.
"Those Acromantulas will soon be swayed by the Death Eaters," Albert glanced at Hagrid and continued, "and they will pose a threat to the lives of Hogwarts students."
"But they live in the Forbidden Forest," Hagrid argued weakly.
"Eventually, we will have to face off against Voldemort, and those Acromantulas will be pulled into the war, just like the giants. They will side with the Death Eaters," Albert's tone turned grave. "Hagrid, I hope you can see the reality for what it is if you don't want to see your friends die because of those spiders."
"No, that... that's impossible," Hagrid paled.
"I hope you understand that people will die in war. But if people must die, it's better for it to be the enemy rather than our friends, unless you want your friends to perish," Albert said, leaving a stunned Hagrid behind as he strode through the oak front doors and made his way to Professor McGonagall's office.
Some things needed to be realized by Hagrid himself. If he couldn't come to terms with it, no amount of persuasion from others would make a difference.
Professor McGonagall had not moved into the Headmaster's office and was still residing on the second floor of the castle.
Due to the chaos that ensued after Dumbledore's death, the Hogwarts governors were still hesitating on whether to close the school.
In such turbulent times, without Dumbledore's protection, Hogwarts could not guarantee the safety of its students. Parents might not be willing to take the risk of sending their children to Hogwarts.
Therefore, they were in no hurry to appoint Professor McGonagall as the new Headmaster, even though she was the most suitable candidate at the moment. This decision would have to be reassessed, depending on how the situation in the wizarding world unfolded.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Anderson."
"Good afternoon, Professor." Albert gave Professor McGonagall a warm smile.
"What brings you here? I heard you left Britain," she inquired.
Professor McGonagall took a step back and invited Albert into her office. Initially, when she had heard that Albert was being pursued by mysterious individuals and Death Eaters, she had been quite concerned for his well-being.
However, it seemed that her worries had been unnecessary.
"Yes, I returned for some matters today and brought this along for you." Albert waved his wand lightly, summoning a file out of thin air.
"What is this?"
Professor McGonagall took the file from Albert and, as she flipped through it, casually asked, "Birth records of Muggle-born wizards from 1985 to 1997."
Albert sat down on the sofa opposite Professor McGonagall and, with another wave of his wand, conjured two cups of tea. As she perused the file, he explained, "These are copies I obtained from Scrimgeour."
"Why are you giving me this?"
Professor McGonagall looked up at Albert, curious about his intentions.
"I thought that even if the Death Eaters or Voldemort gain control of the Ministry of Magic and erase the records of Muggle-born wizards during this period, these children will still have a chance to enter the wizarding world with this backup," Albert explained with a smile. "Professor, you will become the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and I believe that entrusting this to you is the best choice."
"It seems that the impending chaos cannot be avoided," Professor McGonagall said, not paying much mind to Albert's statement about her becoming the Headmaster. Instead, her expression turned somber as she realized the implications of Albert's prophecy—that Snape would become the new Headmaster under Voldemort's rule.
"The facade of peace will inevitably shatter, so let it run its course," Albert said calmly as he set down his tea cup. "I understand your concerns, but forcing a fragile peace won't bring any benefits. If we continue to suppress and let tensions build, it will eventually explode with devastating consequences for everyone involved."
"But Dumbledore said that Harry..."
"This isn't something Harry can resolve," Albert said, seemingly uninterested in discussing the matter further. He steered the conversation in a different direction by asking, "How is Professor Burbage doing?"
"You mean Professor Burbage?" Professor McGonagall furrowed her brow as she recalled Albert's warning.
"It seems she didn't take my advice seriously!" Albert sighed and shook his head. "Oh well, I did try to warn her. Professor Burbage is an adult, and she must bear the consequences of her choices..."
Just then, Albert's gaze shifted towards the window.
"Professor Burbage didn't know where to go, so I'll advise her to leave the country and stay abroad for a few years," Professor McGonagall said, realizing the gravity of the situation. She intended to speak with Carrie and suggest that she leave Britain as soon as possible.
At that moment, a silver ball of light burst into the office, and a middle-aged man's voice echoed from within, "Minerva, Burbage has gone missing."
An eerie silence filled the office.
"Oh, it seems we're too late," Albert said softly. "Of course, how could the Death Eaters and Voldemort tolerate someone who advocates for equality between pure-blood and Muggle-born wizards? She'll likely be used as a sacrificial offering."
"Wait, where are you going?"
Professor McGonagall hurriedly called out to Albert as he turned to leave.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning to rescue Burbage," Albert assured her, knowing that she had misunderstood his intentions.
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, looking bewildered that Albert would say such a thing.
"If I go to save her, the Death Eaters and Voldemort will see it as a weakness they can exploit. More people will likely suffer because of it," Albert said, as if reading the professor's thoughts. With a resigned shrug, he continued, "They will try to capture more people to lure me out because, as you know, they want me dead."
"Of course, if you want to rescue her, I can help with a divination that might provide useful information. But there will be a price to pay," Albert added, showing little interest in rescuing Professor Burbage, despite the activation of a task related to her.
Initially, he had been willing to offer her advice because she actively worked to eliminate racial discrimination between pure-blood and Muggle-born wizards, and he respected her for that.
That was why Albert had casually inquired about her earlier.
However, since Professor Burbage had chosen to ignore his warning and had now paid the price, it would be challenging to alter her fate.
The future was never easy to change.
This was also one of the reasons Albert didn't intend to save her. Forcing a change in the future could come at a terrible cost.
After all, Professor Burbage was a stranger to him.
Just then, the office door was flung open, and Hagrid rushed in, breathing heavily as he set Professor Flitwick down on the ground. "We've got trouble..."
"Yes, we're aware that Professor Burbage has been captured by the Death Eaters," Albert said, turning away from the crystal ball and facing Hagrid.
"What do we do now?" Professor Flitwick asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Albert. "She should have listened to your advice and left the country."
"Indeed, but since she didn't, she will likely pay the ultimate price," Albert said calmly. He turned to Professor McGonagall and advised, "I suggest you work through Kingsley to get the Ministry involved. It's best not to engage the Death Eaters directly, as you'll need to remain at Hogwarts to protect the students."
"As for whether Professor Burbage lives or dies, it's up to her luck now."
"Her luck?" Hagrid exclaimed, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"I warned Professor Burbage to leave Britain, but she chose to stay and face her fate. There's only so much I can do," Albert said stoically. "Everyone must take responsibility for their choices."
"That includes you, Hagrid," Albert continued, his tone firm. "Remember what I said, and don't let your judgment be clouded by foolishness."
Albert hadn't forgotten that, in the final battle of Hogwarts in the novel, the Acromantulas had joined the attack on Hogwarts Castle.
He didn't know how many students had died because of that.
While it might not have been entirely Hagrid's fault, he certainly shared some of the blame.
Hagrid's actions during that time had been nothing short of abysmal, and his own capture by the spiders had been intolerably foolish.
Albert hoped that Hagrid would come to his senses and not drag their allies down with him.
Lupin's death was a prime example. In the novel, he had been killed by Antonin Dolohov, and Harry had had the chance to prevent it. However, the 'savior' had taught everyone a harsh lesson: showing mercy to the enemy is showing cruelty to yourself.
And so, Lupin had died.
A death that could have been avoided.
(End of Chapter)
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