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Chapter 636: Unwelcome Visitors
Chapter 636: Unwelcome Visitors
In the evening, as Hagrid was preparing dinner in the kitchen, an owl flew in through the window and dropped a note onto the table.
"Who's it from?" Hagrid wondered aloud, eyeing the departing owl. He wiped his hands on his apron and picked up the note, scanning its contents. The message within left him stunned.
There had been another attack at Hogwarts Castle! Hagrid looked up from the note, his eyes anxiously drifting towards the castle through the window.
This was undoubtedly the worst news Hagrid had received in recent months. To make matters worse, the Muggle-born witch who had been attacked by the heir of Slytherin was none other than Hermione Granger, someone he cared about deeply.
Hagrid quite liked the clever and kind-hearted girl. In all his years at Hogwarts, Hermione was one of the few students with whom he had a good relationship.
After reading the note, Hagrid tossed it into the fireplace, muttering to himself, "The mandrakes will be ready for harvesting and potion-making soon. She'll be fine, she'll be fine."
After a period of inactivity lasting half a year, the heir of Slytherin was making moves again. This was undoubtedly terrible news for Hagrid, and it would only get worse, according to Albert's prediction. If the attacks continued, he would be the next target.
Even Hagrid had to admit that Albert's predictions were eerily accurate. Just hours after Hermione's attack, an owl from the Ministry of Magic delivered a letter to him.
Without even opening it, he could guess its contents.
Any letter from the Ministry was bound to contain nothing but bad news.
In all honesty, Hagrid had no love for the Ministry.
After reading the letter, Hagrid knew that he would likely be sent to Azkaban.
He had spent time there before, and it had been a terrible experience.
He did not want to go back.
In his panic, Hagrid decided to write to Albert, seeking his advice, and also to Professor Dumbledore, who would surely know that he was innocent.
As Hagrid considered reaching out to Dumbledore, Albert's words echoed in his mind once more: "Do you think they're unaware of your innocence? No, they know, but you're the perfect scapegoat. After all, someone has to take the fall for this."
Hagrid slumped into a chair, his spirits sunken. Fang, sensing his master's distress, whined anxiously and nuzzled Hagrid's hand with his head, seeking to offer some comfort.
Indeed, Albert had foreseen this day, which was why he had offered those words of caution.
Hagrid took a deep breath and, with a trembling hand, patted Fang's head. He retrieved parchment and a quill from the cabinet and began to write to Albert.
In truth, Hagrid's mind was in a state of disarray, and he had no idea what to say to Albert.
If he were sent to Azkaban, he would need someone to look after Fang. Should he entrust Fang to Albert? It seemed like a good idea, but then Hagrid remembered that Albert was also a Muggle-born wizard, and he might be at risk of being targeted by the heir of Slytherin as well.
He couldn't ask Albert to take such a risk. No, he wouldn't let Albert endanger himself.
He couldn't let anything happen to Albert.
He wouldn't let it.
Hagrid crumpled the parchment, now covered in his messy writing, into a ball and tossed it into the fireplace beside him. The paper caught fire and was soon reduced to ashes.
Before Hagrid could attempt to write to Albert again, a paper airplane flew through the window and landed smoothly on the wooden table in front of him.
Hagrid hastily dropped his quill and eagerly picked up the paper airplane, carefully unfolding it to read its contents.
It was from Albert, he guessed.
Hagrid read the message over and over, as if committing each word to memory. Albert's letter and words of encouragement gave him a much-needed boost in confidence.
"Yes, I am innocent," Hagrid murmured to himself.
The Ministry, despite being aware of his innocence, was still intent on capturing him and sending him to Azkaban.
Their purpose was clear: to make him the fall guy.
Damn them! Hagrid's grip tightened on the letter, crumpling it in his anger.
However, Albert believed that he would be released from Azkaban before the end of the term, which gave Hagrid some hope.
Hagrid wanted to believe Albert's words, even though the thought of returning to Azkaban filled him with dread. Nonetheless, he knew that this turn of events was unavoidable.
Even though Albert's letter had bolstered his spirits, the time between dinner and late into the night was still a torturous wait for Hagrid.
In the wee hours of the morning, Hagrid's hunting cabin still had its lights on. He was awaiting the arrival of the Ministry officials. In fact, he had been sitting there for several hours already.
The faint sound of approaching footsteps caused Hagrid to tense up.
A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door.
Hagrid flung the door open, only to find no one outside.
The next moment, Harry and Ron appeared out of thin air, having snuck out of the castle under the cover of their Invisibility Cloak.
"What are you two doing here?" Hagrid was puzzled as to why they would take such a risk at this time.
"Have you heard about Hermione?" Harry asked as he stepped into the cabin, his Invisibility Cloak now tucked away.
Hagrid had a fair idea of what they were thinking. Albert had told him about the situation, and Harry and Ron were probably seeking information about the Chamber of Secrets.
"I have," Hagrid replied, his voice thick with emotion. "Take a seat, and I'll make some tea."
"Hagrid, are you alright?"
Harry noticed Hagrid's preoccupation, his nervous glances towards the window, and his clumsiness—he had even forgotten to put tea leaves in the teapot, serving them plain hot water instead.
"You shouldn't have come here," Hagrid said, his eyes flicking back to the window. "I know what you want to ask, but I'm afraid it might be too late now."
"Too late for what?"
Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances, unsure what Hagrid was referring to. Hagrid offered a self-deprecating smile and said, "The Chamber of Secrets has nothing to do with me. Albert even said that with my intelligence, I wouldn't be able to find the Chamber's location, let alone become the heir of Slytherin."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, their faces reddening slightly in embarrassment. It was clear that Hagrid knew why they had come to him in the middle of the night.
"If you want to know more, go to Albert," Hagrid said, his eyes once again drifting towards the window. "Oh, and remember to feed Fang while I'm gone."
"What?"
Harry and Ron were completely baffled by Hagrid's last statement, but their confusion was cut short by a knock on the door.
The two boys exchanged anxious glances and quickly hid under the Invisibility Cloak, shrinking back into the corner.
As Hagrid watched the two boys hide, he went to answer the door.
The person knocking was Dumbledore.
Harry felt that Dumbledore's gaze was particularly stern that evening, and following closely behind him was a short, stout wizard.
Anyone who regularly read the Daily Prophet would easily recognize him as the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
What happened next was all within Albert's expectations. Due to Hagrid's so-called previous record, the Ministry of Magic intended to continue making him the scapegoat.
Professor Dumbledore was displeased with this decision and tried to persuade Fudge, but to no avail. Just like in the past, he was unable to convince anyone.
Now, Hagrid could only hope that Albert's prediction would come true, and he would be released from Azkaban before the end of the term.
As for the socalled precautionary measures mentioned by Cornelius Fudge, Hagrid found them utterly absurd.
"If you catch someone else, you'll let me go and offer a full apology? That's the way of the Ministry, isn't it? Political, as Albert would say." Hagrid took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Fudge, as he coldly uttered these words.
Not only Fudge, but even Harry, Ron, and Dumbledore were taken aback, not expecting Hagrid to make such a request.
This was Albert's suggestion to Hagrid.
"What did you say? I didn't quite catch that," Fudge stammered, avoiding eye contact with Hagrid. He never expected Hagrid to be so resolute, and his tone wasn't threatening. Instead, it was a statement to everyone present: I am innocent, and I am not afraid! "If it's proven that I'm innocent later, will the Ministry issue a public apology?" Hagrid asked again, taking a deep breath, his voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly.
This time, there was no tremor in his voice, only firmness and confidence. He was willing to trust Albert, believing that he had a way to prove his innocence, and more importantly, he believed in his prophecy! Yes, prophecy!
At this moment, even Dumbledore frowned, not expecting Hagrid to suddenly become so adamant. When their gazes met, Dumbledore understood the reason behind Hagrid's newfound courage.
Indeed, Hagrid had no reason to fear the Ministry of Magic, for he was truly innocent. And now that someone had explicitly told him so, it undoubtedly gave him courage and assurance. Even if he softened his tone, it wouldn't change the fact that he was about to be sent to Azkaban.
"Oh, well, that's... of course," Fudge stammered in response.
Thinking about spending the next few months in Azkaban, Hagrid glared at Fudge with increasing displeasure. Any respect he once had for the Minister of Magic was now completely gone.
Yes! Fudge did not deserve his respect.
At this moment, Hagrid trusted Albert more, believing that he would clear his name.
Hidden in the corner, Harry and Ron stared in astonishment at the unfolding scene. They didn't understand where Hagrid's confidence came from, but seeing Fudge stammering and hesitant, Harry felt a surge of happiness. He, too, believed in Hagrid's innocence, and the fact that the Minister of Magic intended to imprison Hagrid based on his so-called record rather than evidence seemed utterly ridiculous to him.
Just then, there was another knock on the door.
Dumbledore answered it, and this time, Lucius Malfoy stood at the doorway.
A man whom Hagrid detested immensely.
Hagrid's intuition told him that Lucius Malfoy's presence here could only spell trouble.
And indeed, his intuition was correct. Lucius Malfoy's appearance at his doorstep brought nothing but bad news.
The man directly pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket and announced, in front of everyone, that Dumbledore had been removed from his position by the school board, citing the reason: "Dumbledore failed to prevent these attacks."
This announcement undoubtedly startled Fudge. Even with his limited intellect, he realized that if Dumbledore couldn't stop the attacks, who else could?
However, just like Fudge was powerless to prevent what was happening to Hagrid, Dumbledore couldn't stop him from being sent to Azkaban by the Ministry of Magic.
"This is your doing, isn't it?" Hagrid glared at Malfoy, his eyes narrowing. Albert had mentioned that if someone tried to get rid of Dumbledore at this time, it would most likely be this man.
"Let me give you a word of advice," Lucius Malfoy said with a smug smile on his face, "The guards of Azkaban don't take kindly to people shouting at them."
"How many people did you threaten and blackmail to force them to agree to dismiss Dumbledore?" Hagrid asked through clenched teeth. "This is all your doing, isn't it? You're the one who woke the monster in the Chamber, you deliberately had it attack Muggle-born witches and wizards, and now you've removed Dumbledore, leaving no room for Muggle-borns to survive..."
"You're starting to sound like a rabid dog, biting at anyone," Malfoy said, unperturbed by Hagrid's threats.
"Calm down, Hagrid," Dumbledore said sternly, silencing Hagrid's accusations. Turning to Malfoy, he said, "If the board wishes for me to step down, I shall relinquish my position."
"But..." Fudge couldn't imagine the chaos that would ensue with Dumbledore's departure from the school, and he dreaded the amount of blame he would receive.
"Now, you must be happy," Hagrid said, glaring at Fudge. "I believe you're aware that once Dumbledore leaves the school, murders will soon follow, and you'll realize that sending me to Azkaban will be meaningless."
"I believe your successor will be able to put a complete stop to... the murders," Malfoy said as he strode towards the door of the cabin and opened it himself, bowing as he bid Dumbledore farewell.
Lucius Malfoy's actions made Harry want to rush forward and kick him in the backside, sending him face-first into the dirt.
After Hagrid left with Fudge, the door of the hunting cabin slammed shut.
"This is bad," Ron said, removing his Invisibility Cloak, a worried expression on his face. "With Dumbledore gone, who can stop the attacks now?"
"Albert!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.
"Don't forget, he's a Muggle-born wizard, and he's on Slytherin's attack list," Ron reminded him.
"No, I mean we should go and talk to Albert," Harry said. "I think he knows a lot more than we do, and perhaps he's the only one who understands what's going on at the school right now."
"Then we'd better hurry, before he gets attacked," Ron muttered as he followed Harry out of Hagrid's hunting cabin, leaving Fang scratching at the door.
(End of Chapter)
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