Chapter 779: Guilty
Chapter 779: Guilty
"Guilty? Of course not, I never believed that Hippogriffs are guilty." Hagrid took a deep breath and started flipping through his cue cards to find the answer.
This old man is truly cunning.
Thanks to Albert's reminder, otherwise, he might have fallen into the other party's trap.
"Then why do you wish to propose a settlement to compensate the victim for medical expenses?" The elderly wizard interrogated, his intention was clear—to convict the Hippogriff.
If found guilty, the sentence could be as severe as death.
Hagrid glanced at the content on his cue card and was unfazed by the old wizard's questioning. Albert had even prepared the answers for him.
"That is merely out of sympathy for Mr. Malfoy and concern for their financial situation." Hagrid replied, then glanced provocatively at Lucius before continuing, "As far as I know, Mr. Lucius Malfoy has spent a large sum of galleons on this appeal, and he seems to be running low on funds. Of course, this is also a gesture of goodwill on my part to prevent their lives from becoming too miserable. You may consider this humanitarian aid, although I don't have many galleons myself, so I can only offer 50 galleons."
The galleons that Hagrid mentioned were obtained by Albert from the Malfoys, so he didn't feel any heartache spending it.
Hagrid's suggestion essentially meant settling the matter with money, although the offer was made very reluctantly.
After Hagrid finished speaking, the elderly wizard turned to Lucius Malfoy and asked, "Mr. Malfoy, do you agree to Mr. Hagrid's proposal to settle this matter peacefully with a compensation of 50 galleons from him?"
Hagrid's willingness to offer 50 galleons showed his sincerity, especially considering that Draco Malfoy hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
If it were an ordinary case, the discussion would likely have moved on to finalizing the compensation amount.
The elderly wizard from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures also hoped to resolve the issue in this way, but he knew that it was almost impossible.
Lucius Malfoy obviously didn't intend to let the matter rest. The amount of galleons he had spent on this matter far exceeded 50 galleons.
Lucius had gone to great lengths to have the Hippogriff killed, not just because his son Draco was injured, but also because he wanted to use this incident to strike at Hagrid and indirectly vex Dumbledore.
Otherwise, the current situation wouldn't have arisen.
The grudge between Malfoy and Dumbledore dated back to when Armando Dippet was the headmaster. It started with the interpretation of the wizarding children's tale, "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," in the Hogwarts play during Dippet's tenure, which touched on the topic of wizarding lineage.
"I disagree, gentlemen," Lucius Malfoy said arrogantly, "My son has suffered tremendous harm, and that insane beast should be punished accordingly."
Dumbledore watched silently, unable to intervene in the debate as a witness, which was also one of the reasons Lucius Malfoy had chosen him as a witness.
To be honest, he found the development of the case quite intriguing, and it seemed that Mr. Anderson had prepared Hagrid thoroughly.
"So, 50 galleons of compensation won't appease your anger? Do you want to squeeze more galleons out of me? I underestimated your greed." Hagrid put a cue card into his pocket.
"The Malfoy family doesn't need your pittance." Lucius looked at Hagrid with disdain, "You'd better keep that small amount for yourself."
"I see, 50 galleons can't sway you. Then, how much do you want? 500 galleons or 5,000 galleons?" Hagrid asked suddenly.
Draco Malfoy, who had come to witness Hagrid's embarrassment, was now stunned by Hagrid's eloquence and confidence.
Is this really the Hagrid he knew, the professor of Care of Magical Creatures?
It was as if he had become an entirely different person.
"I really don't understand why you're shielding a rabid Hippogriff." Lucius scoffed, "Could it be that you intentionally instructed the Hippogriff to injure my son?"
"Do you have any evidence to support your accusation, Mr. Malfoy?" The elderly wizard frowned and asked.
"Gentlemen, I believe Mr. Malfoy is distorting the facts." Hagrid raised his hand to speak, "His son, Draco Malfoy, brought the injury upon himself, and I have evidence, witnesses, and I stand by every word I say."
"Before the class, I had warned all the students that Hippogriffs are proud creatures and can be easily offended. I told them never to humiliate a Hippogriff, or they might be injured or lose their lives." Hagrid said.
The elderly wizard looked at Draco and then turned his gaze back to Hagrid, frowning as he listened to his confident speech.
"As one of the few wizards capable of taming Hippogriffs, I can officially tell you that Hippogriffs do not initiate attacks on wizards. Professors Silvanus Kettleburn and Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank are both authorities in this field, and they can vouch for me." Hagrid continued, "If you find their words unreliable, you may ask Mr. Newt Scamander, who is an expert in this field..."
"That doesn't prove anything, Hagrid," the elderly male wizard interrupted.
"If even the experts can't prove it, then who do you think can?" Hagrid countered, "Are you expecting proof from Mr. Malfoy, who is not even an expert?"
"The point is that the beast injured someone, Hagrid. That's what we're dealing with here." The elderly wizard found Hagrid even more difficult to deal with than the last time.
If it weren't for the galleons he received from Lucius, he wouldn't want to be involved in this matter at all.
"If someone deliberately pokes a dragon's eye, they deserve to be eaten or burned to death by dragon fire." Hagrid said coldly.
"That's a completely different matter."
"I remember that when the Hippogriff acknowledged Draco Malfoy and bowed to him, Mr. Malfoy called it an ugly beast. That's why it attacked. It's like deliberately poking a dragon's eye when you know it's dangerous." Hagrid argued.
"So, we didn't pursue the matter with you." Lucius said coldly, "We are now discussing the Hippogriff's attack."
"With all due respect, Mr. Lucius Malfoy, is there something wrong with your son's mind? If he's of sound mind, why would he provoke a Hippogriff? Does he find it amusing to play with his own life?" Hagrid mocked without holding back, "If that's the case, you should take him to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries because there might be something wrong with his brain. I'm worried that the next time he comes to class, he might deliberately try to grab the tail of my dog, and then sue me after getting bitten."
Lucius placed his hand on his son's shoulder and glared at Hagrid with cold eyes, the malice in his gaze almost palpable.
"Hagrid, the Hippogriff has injured someone, and it should be punished."
"I don't recall any law in the Ministry of Magic that states that punishment must result in death." Hagrid sneered coldly, "As far as I know, the victim is still alive and well. In fact, I've been informed that Mr. Malfoy was able to playfully hit others with the hand he claimed to be severely injured, just three days after the incident. If needed, I can provide witnesses, and not just one."
Hagrid began to reveal dirty secrets, showing no regard for saving face, and he turned to Lucius, continuing with a cold smile, "Don't assume that just because you got rid of my legal counsel, I wouldn't have a plan B. Even before that, I had already consulted him about the relevant magical laws."
"Your intention to have the Hippogriff put to death is simply not in line with the law, as your son is neither dead nor seriously injured." Hagrid glared at the elderly wizard, "I can provide evidence to support this."
"Hagrid, the fact remains that the Hippogriff has injured someone, and it should be punished." The elderly wizard repeated his stance.
"Then, can you tell me what the punishment is? Surely it's not death?" Hagrid retorted with a mocking smile, finally understanding why Albert had said he couldn't win this case.
"Since the Hippogriff has gone mad, it should be put to death to prevent similar incidents from happening again." The elderly wizard seemed to have exerted a lot of effort to say those words.
"Why go to such lengths? I know you received 200 galleons from Lucius." Hagrid suddenly said, "But was it worth it? That's dirty money."
"How dare you slander me! No one will believe your baseless accusations."
The elderly male wizard flew into a rage, his face turning red with anger.
"Slander? You know in your heart if it's true or not. Don't assume that I'm unaware of your collusion with him. I've recorded the entire trial, and the public can judge for themselves who's in the right." Hagrid said expressionlessly.
"How dare you... No one will believe your words."
The elderly wizard had a bad feeling about where this was going. Hagrid's behavior was unusual, but he had no other choice now.
"If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid?" Hagrid stared at the old man in front of him and sneered. Since things had already escalated, there was no need to hold back.
Albert had told him that as long as he recorded the trial, in a couple of years, the old man in front of him would likely be dismissed from his position and might even end up in Azkaban for abuse of power.
Even though he didn't know the specifics, Hagrid would not let this corrupt official off the hook.
"Now, I declare that the insane Hippogriff is guilty and shall be immediately executed by beheading. The executioner will be Walton McNair, as appointed by the committee..."
"Ahem," Dumbledore gently coughed and interrupted, "I suggest that the execution be carried out in the evening to avoid students gathering to watch. I don't want my students to witness such a bloody scene. Before that, I will ensure that the Hippogriff cannot escape. Of course, you can also go there and keep an eye on it yourself."
"Then the execution will take place at sunset." The elderly wizard glared at Hagrid and said to Dumbledore, "Your hired professor is really not rational."
"He's just too emotional." Dumbledore was also surprised by Hagrid's firmness, and it was clear that Albert had said something to him.
However, he suspected that the pitiful old man in front of him might have just ruined his reputation.
(Both Lucius and Walton McNair are Death Eaters) After Lucius Malfoy left with his son, looking proud and pleased, Dumbledore said to Hagrid, "You were a bit too agitated."
"Sorry, but you should have seen that they never intended to let Buckbeak live." Hagrid took out a bottle of calming potion from his pocket and drank a large mouthful. "Although Albert already told me about this, I still... Sigh, he was right, being weak is not an option. Any laws or prohibitions set by the Ministry of Magic only apply to ordinary people with no power or influence. For those with money, the rules are essentially meaningless."
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore asked, "What else did he tell you?"
"He asked me to record the process, and said that in a couple of years, that old man might be dismissed for abuse of power and could even end up in Azkaban." Hagrid shrugged and took out a round object similar to a Pensieve from his pocket.
"Is that Mr. Anderson's doing?" Dumbledore examined the sphere in Hagrid's hand and guessed its purpose.
"Yes, he gave this to me."
"It seems that Mr. Anderson has found a way to resolve this matter." Dumbledore sighed, "He really is a reliable friend."
"I don't know, he didn't tell me anything." Hagrid shook his head.
"Despicable and corrupt!"
The portrait of the red-nosed, fat wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk shouted, "In my time, the Ministry of Magic would never have done such a thing!"
"The current judicial system is truly an eye-opener!"
Phineas smiled at Dumbledore and said, "Well, don't you regret giving up the position of Minister of Magic now? If you had become the Minister, maybe things wouldn't be so bad."
To be honest, Phineas had seen right through the elderly wizard from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures; he had clearly taken a bribe from Lucius Malfoy.
"No." Dumbledore said.
"What?"
"Even if I had become the Minister of Magic, I wouldn't have been able to change anything." Dumbledore said calmly, "To thoroughly reform the current state of the Ministry of Magic, we need an opportunity, a catalyst."
"A catalyst?" Hagrid repeated, looking puzzled.
"To be honest, I'm not sure when that opportunity will arise, but perhaps Mr. Anderson knows." Dumbledore was well aware of the situation within the Ministry of Magic, and even if he had become the Minister, he wouldn't have been able to make any significant changes. Instead, he would have been burdened with countless problems, and the remnants of Voldemort would have done everything in their power to cause trouble for him. Moreover, he would have lost the chance to personally mentor Harry.
Dumbledore was actually quite afraid of the temptations that came with power, and he wasn't sure what he would do if he held such power. So, the best option was to stay away from it.
Sometimes, Dumbledore envied his old friend, Tiberius Ogden, for they truly lived a peaceful life.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do that yet.
"Maybe you should take the time to chat with Mr. Anderson. It's not every day that you meet a seer." One of the portraits suggested.
"Um, Hagrid, is it? If possible, could you bring him here? I'd like to hire Mr. Anderson to make a prophecy for me." Phineas suddenly said.
"But we're already dead, Phineas." The other portraits reminded him.
"I know, but I want to know some things."
"I can pass on the message, but..." Hagrid glanced at Dumbledore and said, "I think Mr. Anderson will ask for a substantial fee."
(End of Chapter)
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