Chapter 481: Passing the Buck
Chapter 481: Passing the Buck
It was unusual that Minister of Magic Fudge had led a surprise inspection in person and yet they still couldn't find any trace of the dragon.
A mere gamekeeper of the reserve had effortlessly made fools of them all.
Both Quirrell and Malfoy found it hard to believe such a result, convinced that Hagrid had found a way to secretly move the dragon to a safe place.
However, the whole dragon-keeping incident was baffling from start to finish.
Before others could even figure out what had happened, the matter seemed to be over.
It was worth noting that the Ministry of Magic's surprise inspections were usually spot on, and yet this time they had mistakenly accused Hagrid.
He had not kept a dragon at all.
Who was deliberately framing Hagrid? Everyone soon found out that it was Draco Malfoy, and the unlucky boy soon bore the blame for slandering the gamekeeper of the school's reserve.
As for who sent the anonymous letter to the Minister of Magic, it was naturally Snape.
Malfoy had only confided about this matter to Snape from start to finish.
If not him, then who should bear the blame?
For this reason, Dumbledore and Snape discussed the matter again in the headmaster's office.
"He shouldn't be lying, otherwise I would have seen through it." Snape was also depressed, never expecting that this black pot would be inexplicably hung on his head.
"That's strange." Dumbledore murmured, "If Hagrid really kept a dragon, he wouldn't have been able to hide it from the Minister's unannounced inspection."
"I don't think this is just a prank." Snape shook his head. "I believe Draco Malfoy wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Lucius told me that he also received a similar letter, and the Minister's appearance at Hogwarts has a lot to do with Lucius."
"It seems that someone deliberately arranged this."
"Do you think someone put a curse on Draco to make him..." Snape immediately locked onto a target.
Was it because he had tried his best to stop Quirrell that the other party was taking revenge on him?
"It seems that Quirrell can't hold back any longer." Dumbledore said softly, "Yes, he has endured for a long time."
"What do you think is Quirrell's goal? Is it that dog?"
Snape had guessed partially correct, he had only guessed the second layer, and the real answer lay in the fourth layer.
This so-called meticulous planning was actually just a simple test by Albert.
If Quirrell followed through with his plan, Albert would profit.
If he didn't, Albert wouldn't lose anything either.
However, Albert never expected the plan to be more successful than anticipated. He had given Quirrell a seemingly reliable plan.
Unexpectedly, Quirrell actually carried it out, leaving Albert dumbfounded as he squeezed out all the remaining value he had, including the value of the dragon egg incident.
As the mastermind and beneficiary of all this, Albert's feelings were quite complex.
Quirrell was such a good man! Not only did he give Galleons, tasks, but he also gave experience.
It was a bit of a pity that he died.
Where would he find such a good person in the future?
After a series of quirky operations by Quirrell, Albert not only successfully obtained the new task of "Saving Norbert", but also gained a task called "Passing the Buck".
This task required three people to inexplicably bear the blame for others.
However, the most outrageous part of this task was that when Albert discovered it in the task list, it had already been completed.
The reward was not bad either: 3000 experience points, 1 skill point, and a title called "The Man Behind the Scenes".
...
In fact, the cause of all this had to be traced back to a few days ago.
After Quirrell obtained the suggestion to move the Mirror of Erised from the letter, he saw the message at the bottom of the letter and buried two hundred Galleons in the designated location, exchanging it for a way to divert Dumbledore.
So Albert sent another letter to Quirrell, advising him to do so.
On the day Quirrell received the letter, he happened to pass by a corner and overheard the conversation between Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Even Quirrell had to admit that the method mentioned in the letter had a high chance of success compared to his plan of selling information.
Keeping a dragon was illegal, and with the addition of a three-headed dog, it was more than enough to send Hagrid to stand trial at the Ministry.
When Dumbledore went to be a juror, he would find an opportunity to make his move.
As for why the plan suddenly failed, it seemed to have nothing to do with the information being sold.
On the day the Prophet and the Ministry officials appeared at Hogwarts, Quirrell and Malfoy were in high spirits.
No matter how they looked at it, they didn't think Hagrid would be able to hide the dragon from an unannounced spot check.
There was no way to conceal it! However, they seemed unaware of the existence of a device called a Time-Turner in the wizarding world.
Upon learning of the Ministry's early arrival at Hogwarts, Albert immediately used a Time-Turner to go back a few hours and help Hagrid hide Norbert the dragon.
Naturally, the Ministry's surprise inspection turned up nothing, even with Minister Fudge leading the team.
This incident took a complete one-eighty-degree turn.
Even Hagrid's responses and tactics in dealing with the Ministry staff were taught to him on the spot by Albert.
"You say I'm illegally keeping a dragon?"
"I don't know anything about it. I haven't done anything wrong, and you have no proof."
"Without evidence, it's slander."
Of course, even if the Ministry turned Hagrid's hut upside down, they wouldn't find any proof.
So, a few days after Hagrid staunchly stated that keeping a dragon was illegal, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione visited him again, they were surprised to see the dragon still there, and it had even grown bigger.
"Hagrid, why is it still here?" Harry exclaimed, staring at Norbert as he devoured dead rats, his eyes shifting incredulously to Hagrid.
"Didn't you say keeping a dragon was against the law?"
Under the trio's questioning, Hagrid had no choice but to recount how Albert had helped him pass the surprise inspection.
"He's really something else." They all felt that Albert was an extraordinary fellow.
"By the way, Hagrid, I just saw Malfoy, and he looked pretty unhappy," Harry warned. "You should be careful and not let anyone else find out."
"I've kept Fang outside. If anyone comes near, I'll know," Hagrid said absentmindedly.
He had even sealed the curtains inside the hut, but there wasn't much else he could do.
"What did Albert say?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"He told me to come clean with the headmaster and send the dragon away," Hagrid said, biting his lip regretfully. "I know I can't keep it forever, but I can't just abandon it like that."
"Albert's right. Headmaster Dumbledore should be able to find someone to adopt the dragon," Hermione consoled.
"Maybe I have a good idea!" Ron suddenly exclaimed.
"What idea?"
Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid turned to Ron simultaneously.
"Remember I told you about my second brother, Charlie? He studies dragons in Romania. We can write to Charlie, and he might be delighted to help take care of it. I think this is the best option for now."
"Brilliant, Ron!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. They could finally get rid of the dragon.
"What do you think, Hagrid?" Hermione asked anxiously, her eyes fixed on Hagrid, hoping he would agree.
In the end, Hagrid consented. This was the best option, and he had made a promise to Albert that if he couldn't resolve the issue, Albert would inform the headmaster. Hagrid really didn't want to cause any more trouble for Dumbledore.
Ron sent an owl to ask Charlie if he would be willing to adopt a dragon.
In the following days, Malfoy remained persistent. He carried a camera and lurked near the gamekeeper's hut whenever he had the chance, determined to snap a picture of the dragon and prove he hadn't lied.
As for Quirrell, after the dragon plan fell through, he received new compensation from Albert in the form of a brand-new plan.
This time, Quirrell tore up the plan without intending to follow Albert's suggestions. Instead, he prepared to execute his backup plan—using the Imperius Curse to control Fudge and have him seek advice from Dumbledore.
After all, everyone knew Fudge often did that.
Albert was completely unaware of this, and even if he knew, he probably wouldn't have cared. Hagrid had told him about Ron's proposal to have Charlie take care of Norbert.
In the unseen realms, it seemed as though a hand was guiding history back onto its original path.
But who did this hand belong to?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
