Slytherin Raised by Wolfstar: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Chapter Fifteen: Confessions and Coverups

(Warning mentions and descriptions of abuse. Those who are negatively triggered by abuse should not read this chapter.)

Harry had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before he forgot the giant, three-headed dog he’d christened ‘Fluffy’. And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry was sure he’d have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it. He’d probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs; Harry could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a lead and collar on it. The only problem was Harry couldn’t tell for one hundred percent certainty if Hagrid had intended for anyone to get hurt or not, Hagrid was mostly harmless now, but Harry new he had a temper and it could have been worse in his youth.

Harry half-wished he hadn’t found out how to work Riddle’s diary. Again and again his friends made him recount what he’d seen, until he was heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed.

‘Hagrid couldn’t have been the heir of Slytherin,’ argued Theodore. ‘One, he was a Gryffindor. Two, long standing rumour is he has giant blood in his ancestry, no Pure-blood would mate with a muggle let alone a Giant.’

‘Your Pure-blood mindset is keeping you close minded,’ said Tracey, ‘Salazar’s descendants might have forgotten or lost their roots, or simply one of them just didn’t care about blood status anymore.’

‘I don’t think it is Hagrid,’ said Allison, ‘But a spider like creature does make sense, that might be why they’ve never been caught, it walks on the ceiling.’

‘We always knew Hagrid had been expelled,’ said Harry miserably. ‘And the attacks must’ve stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn’t have got his award.’

‘Do we really know much about Hagrid’s life besides his job here?’ asked Theodore. ‘Can he even leave the grounds, because sometimes it feels like his job here is an alternative to Azkaban.’

‘Well,’ said Harry, trying to think, ‘He’s talked about going to the Hogshead before, but that is only a short walk away, and the two times I’ve seen him in Diagon Alley it was on Hogwarts business. I am not sure actually, if this is meant as a prison he is trusted with a very long leash at least.’

‘Our speculations are getting all over the place and aren’t getting us anywhere,’ Tracey told the group, ‘Why don’t we just ask Hagrid what happened fifty years ago?’

‘And say what?’ Allison asked seriously, ‘Hagrid, did you kill a kid fifty years ago with a secret creature and are now helping that creature kill again?’

In the end, they decided that they wouldn’t say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled.

Time continued to move forward as normal, though a layer of unease never was truly gone. Harry and Allison faced off against Ravenclaw and won, but not by much, Harry was very impressed by their teams skill and position. Classes continued to get harder, all except for Lockharts class that just seemed to get dumber. Before they knew it, it had been nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good. Peeves had finally got bored of his ‘Oh Potter, you rotter’ song, Ernie Macmillan wasn’t actively frowning when Harry was around, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.

‘The moment they start trying to move into each other’s pots, we’ll know they’re fully mature,’ she told Harry. ‘Then we’ll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing.’

Leading up to Easter break the second-years were given something new to think about. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that had gotten most of them a buzz.

‘What we choose in a couple weeks could determine how the rest of our lives will go,’ said Harry, excited about the prospect figuring out who he was going to be. ‘And I can’t wait to get rid of Potions.’

‘Sorry Harry,’ said Allison sim pathetically, ‘We still have to take our regular five for another couple years. I’d give anything though to drop Charms.’

Tracey dramatically gasped, ‘Ally, you take that back!’

But Harry and Allison just burst out laughing. ‘She was joking Tracey, you should see your face.’

‘Very funny you guys. Anyway if I had to drop any class it would probably be Herbology, I’m not big into plants. What about you Theo?’

But Theodore remained silent, clutching a piece of paper. He looked as though he simultaneously wanted to rip it into a million pieces, but also terrified of it.

‘Is everything ok Theo?’ Harry asked with concern.

‘I am going home for the Easter break.’

This was a shocker, but he was very serious about it so they didn’t pressure him for more information. Soon the break came and for the first time since the previous summer they all got on a train together.

Harry’s break was not as fun as his Christmas one had been. Being home stirred up a lot of feelings about his grandfather, he found himself sometimes purposefully doing his homework researching what courses he should take just to distract himself.

The Easter Sunday feast was even harder, as for one of the first times since Canini had joined the family, Lyall Lupin wouldn’t be joining them. Harry eventually cried, which let out some pent up emotions he had been surprising, and he actually felt a bit better afterwards.

The rest of the break went a bit more smoothly, he played, he read, he practiced for Quidditch the best he could at night, and he hung out with his family. He also told his parents about the decision he had to make and they helped give him advice.

‘Well, how I see it you have two main options,’ Remus started. ‘If you have a rough idea of what you want to do in life you could pick classes that’ll help you get their, or if you don’t know then pick a lot of random ones and when you figure out more about yourself you can pick a more appropriate path later. You only need a more dedicated course path in year five, you have time.’

‘I just always picked classes I found fun and I turned out fine.’ Sirius said encouragingly. Remus smiled.

‘Sirius, I love you very much, but if you hadn’t inherited your uncles fortune you’d still be stacking shelves at the convenience store. Harry, he is right about enjoying what you do, so when you are older and planning for life after hogwarts pick a job you’ll enjoy doing everyday.’

Harry eventually chose three random classes to see how they would go, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmacy, and Divination. He wasn’t fully confident in his decision, but like Remus had said if one didn’t work out then he would know and could change accordingly.

By the very end of the break Harry was looking forward to the long relaxing train ride back to Hogwarts. They were early when they arrived on the platform. Harry hugged his family goodbye and went to find an empty compartment. When he entered the train however he heard someone whisper his name.

‘Harry, Harry over here.’ Theodore called out quietly from inside a closed compartment.

Harry was not sure about the sudden secrecy until he had entered the compartment. The curtains were drawn and it was very dark inside, but not dark enough for Harry to not see the horror in front of him.

Theodore was almost unrecognizable. His entire face was covered in bloody bruises and his lip was once again split.

‘Bloody hell Theodore! That’s it, I can’t let this go anymore, we have to tell someone.’

Tears were running down his mangled face. ‘I know, I hate it but you were right, you were right about everything and I can’t go back. He’ll kill me Harry, he’ll kill me.’

Harry sat down next to his friend and waited for him to calm down a bit. When he did he started telling Harry everything.

‘My father has been beating me ever since my mom died. But only when I messed something up or made a mistake, so if I was well behave I was normally fine,’ Theodore was shaking all over. ‘That changed this summer, I wasn’t sick at all, he just didn’t want anyone to see what he was doing. There wasn’t a day those miserable eight weeks he didn’t hit, slap, or kick me. I didn’t want to have to go home until the next summer, but two weeks ago I got my very first letter from him since I started at hogwarts last year. He wrote saying if I didn’t come home for Easter he’d financially cut me off, I was scared so I did it. When I got home he screamed at me about you, Tracey, and Allison, how you all have muggle, muggle-blood, or squib heritage and that if I dare associate with blood traitors again he’ll kill me. He then beat me half to death almost every single day, I am not sure how I survived. I finally snapped, I can’t deal with this anymore, it’s a living hell in that house. I don’t care about getting cut off anymore, he could pay me his entire fortune and I wouldn’t stay. He realized my injuries were too noticeable so he said he’d heal me before going to Kings Cross, and I couldn’t let him do that as I’d have no proof. So last night I packed everything that could fit in my trunk and snuck out the back. I was found by something called the Knight Bus and it dropped me off here and I waited in the alleyway until the train arrived. I don't know what to do Harry, I can't go back when school ends, but I have no where to go either.'

'One problem at a time, before anything else what matters is that you are safe.'

When the others arrived at the station they politely asked them to sit in another compartment, Theodore didn't want more people than necessary to see him like he was. The train line was long, Harry tried to make it better for Theodore by buying him some sweets and it did seem to lighten the mood, but only slightly. When they reached the station used his hat and uniform to cover the most of his face and they made a b-line for the castle.

Not knowing the new password to Dumbledore's office they decided to wait near the great hall as they knew Dumbledore would come down for supper soon. They got lucky however as McGonagall was passing by as they arrived. Harry did the talking.

'Professor, we need to speak to Dumbledore at once.'

'Potter, it is almost supper, could you wait until the meal is over?' But then McGonagall got a look at Theodore's face. 'Merlin's beard, what happened to you Nott?'

Choked up, Theodore barely managed to squeak a response, 'My father happened, Professor.'

She clapped her hand over her mouth in shock. After a moment to process she told Theodore to follow her, Harry stuck by his friends side. They ran into Dumbledore as he was leaving his office.

'Albus,' McGonagall said quietly, 'We have a code grey.'

Dumbledore looked at Theodore with great sympathy. 'Minerva, go fetch Pomfrey. Harry, your loyalty is commendable but this next part must be between Mr Nott and I, he will be ok. Come along Theodore.'

Harry was reluctant to leave Theodore, but he knew he was in good hands now. At supper Allison and Tracey bombarded him with questions, but he thought this was to private for him to divulge so he just told them they will have to wait. After supper Harry learned that Theodore would have to stay the night in the Hospital wing with no visitors until morning. Needing to vent about what had happened he wrote a long letter to his parents explaining Theodore's situation and after giving it to Hedwig he felt a little better.

The next day, before they even went to breakfast, the three friends made their way to the infirmary. They weren't allowed to enter at first as an auror and ministry employee were in with him, but once they had left they barged inside.

Theodore was sitting on his bed, all healed and dressed and looked like he was about to head to breakfast. The girls ambushed him in a hug.

‘Theo,’ Tracey said happily, ‘thank goodness you are alright. No one would tell us what had happened and we were very worried.’

‘Why did you and Harry practically hide on the train, why did you bolt to the castle, why weren’t you at supper last night, and why did you have to spend the night here?’ Allison may not want to be an auror, but she was great at interrogations.

Theodore took a deep breath and let them in on what Harry already knew. As it went along the girls looked increasingly disgusted with Theodore’s father, and by the very Allison looked like she was going to murder Nott senior.

‘I wish I could hunt that sorry excuse of a man down.’ She said, no sarcasm in her voice.

‘You will have to get in line,’ Theodore started, ‘The auror that was just here, she wasn’t just here to take my statement. Aurors went to my home this morning to interrogate my father and they were met with an abandoned mansion, him and his personal effects were all gone. So a search for him has begun.’

‘Theo,’ said Tracey, sounding incredibly heartbroken, ‘I am so sorry this is happening to you. Do you know what will happen when spring term ends?’

‘Not yet, I don’t have an extended family so I can’t go live with relatives. The ministry employee said he’ll be looking for a foster family within the magical community who will take me, but if they can’t within the next two months I’ll be dropped off at a muggle foster home.’

‘I am sure it won’t come to that, everything will turn out ok in the end. Don’t worry Theo.’ Said Harry, trying to sound reassuring.

‘It is already ok, I’ll never have to live with that monstrous old man again,’ Theodore began. ‘There is something I have to say however to you three.’

‘What?’ They all said in unison.

‘I need to apologize, I’ve been a pure-blood jerk for over a year, I have been venting my misery onto something something so stupid as a person’s ancestors. I ended up spitting out things I heard my father say every day, and if he believed in it than that’s a pretty good sign it was wrong. I can’t promise I’ll be better, but I can promise to try.’

Tracey’s eyes watered up, she ended up hugging him again. They all eventually ended up in one big hugging, only leaving when Madam Pomfrey kicked them out and they went for breakfast.

Theodore had insisted that for the time being he wanted them all to get on with their lives as normal, as a familiar routine would really help. So they all submitted their course choices. It turned out Arithmancy was at the same time as Divination so Harry had to switch it with a different class and choose Muggle Studies.

Things really started feeling like they were returning to normal when Flint informed the team they would be practising every moment that was available to prepare for the match against Hufflepuff the first week of May. Harry barely had time to worry about anything else he was so busy with both homework and Quidditch.

However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday’s match, he went down to his dormitory to drop off his broomstick, feeling Slytherin’s chances for the Quidditch Cup had never been better.

But his cheerful mood didn’t last long. At the top of the stairs to the dormitory, he met a panicked Zabini, who was looking frantic.

‘Harry–Something has happened–’

Harry wasn’t sure what he meant until he opened pushed the door. The contents of Harry’s trunk had been thrown everywhere. His spare uniforms lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had been pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.

Harry walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls. As he attempted to pull the blankets back onto his bed, Theodore, and the rest of the boys from his dormitory came in. Draco swore loudly.

‘What are you bloody doing in here, Potter?’

‘I did nothing, you telling me this wasn’t you?’ said Harry. Draco for once was to shocked to be snarky, he simply shock his head. Theodore was examining Harry’s robes. All the pockets were hanging out.

‘It looks like some frantic beast was looking for something,’ said Theodore. ‘Is everything accounted for?’

Harry started to pick up all his things and throw them into his trunk. It was only as he threw his copy of Magick Moste Evile back into it that he realised what wasn’t there.

‘Riddle’s diary’s gone,’ he said in an undertone to Theodore.

‘What?’

Harry jerked his head towards the dormitory door and Theodore followed him out. They hurried back down to the Slytherin common room, which was half-empty, and joined the girls, who were finishing up some homework. They both looked aghast at the news.

‘It must have been a Slytherin than,’ Allison whispered cautiously. ‘But you said all the boys in your dorm seemed genuinely shocked at what happened. If not Draco and his goons, then who?’

But Harry had no answer for her, all he could say way was, ‘I don’t know.’

They woke next day to brilliant sunshine and a light shining through the lake and into their dormitory. Despite what had occurred the night before Harry couldn’t help but smile.

‘Good day to win another game of Quidditch!’ said Flint, even he was in a good mood. Before games the Slytherin team tended to eat breakfast together, they all loaded their plates with scrambled eggs. ‘Eat Harry, don’t want you faint when you’re a mile or two off the ground.’

Harry had been staring down the packed Slytherin table, wondering if the new owner of Riddle’s diary was right in front of his eyes. He had been considering reporting the robbery, but he realized he didn’t like the idea. He’d have to tell a teacher all about the diary and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? He didn’t want to be the one who brought it all up again.

As he left the Great Hall with Allison, and the others to go and collect their Quidditch things, another, very serious worry was added to Harry’s growing list. He had just set foot on the marble staircase when he heard it yet again: ‘Kill this time...let me rip...tear...’

He shouted aloud and the others all jumped away from him in alarm.

‘The voice!’ said Harry, looking over his shoulder in great alarm. ‘I just heard it again–didn’t you?’

Tracey shook her head, wide-eyed. Theodore, however, had his thinking face on and pressed his ear to to the wall, then looked disappointed. ‘I thought I had something, but all I hear is the plumbing in the walls.’

After taking another minute to try and find where the voice had come from they gave up.

‘Harry, we have to go get ready,’ said Allison, shaking her head.

‘Ok, I guess you are right,’ he said. ‘Just be careful. I have a bad feeling about today.’

Harry stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great Hall behind him, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.

Harry and Allison raced down to Slytherin Dungeon, collected their Nimbus’ and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle, along with the bodiless voice, and as he pulled on his Jade robes in the changing room, his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game. Marcus Flint however was furious. ‘Have any of you lazy bums seen Higgs!’

‘He got up early,’ said Lucian, ‘He probably is already ready and waiting for us.’

The teams walked onto the pitch to a combination of applause and booing. They had just reached Madam Hooch when Professor McGonagall came half-marching, half-running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.

Harry’s heart dropped like a stone.

‘This match has been cancelled,’ Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium.

There were boos and shouts. The team looked devastated, but Flint looked murderous. He marched right up to Professor McGonagall.

‘Professor!’ he shouted. ‘We’ve got to play! You’ll be forcing Slytherin out of any chance at the cup! You cheating Gryffindor...’

Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: ‘All students are to make their way back to the house common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!’

Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her. ‘Potter, I think you’d better come with me...’

Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Harry saw Allison following him, and his other two friends detach themselves from the complaining crowd; they came running up to them as they set off towards the castle. To Harry’s surprise, Professor McGonagall didn’t object.

‘Yes, perhaps you’d better come too.’

Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being cancelled, others looked worried. Harry and his friends followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren’t taken to anybody’s office this time.

‘This will be a bit of a shock,’ said Professor McGonagall to Harry in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the hospital wing. ‘There has been another attack...another double attack.’

Harry’s insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and the others entered.

Madam Pomfrey was bending over a Penelope Clearwater and her long curly hair. Harry recognised her immediately from Quidditch and from Christmas when she was with Percy, she was holding a mirror in her hand. And on the bed next to her was–

‘Terence!’ Harry cried out. Tracey had also let out a gasp.

Terence lay utterly still, his eyes open and glassy.

‘Clearwater was found near the library, and Terence just outside the boys washroom near the original attack,’ said Professor McGonagall. ‘Do any of you have any idea why he was there instead of getting ready for the match?’

All three shook their heads, they never took their eyes off of Terence.

‘I will escort you back to Slytherin Dungeon,’ said Professor McGonagall heavily. ‘Snape will be addressing everyone when you arrive.’

‘All students will return to their house common rooms by six o’clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.’

The Slytherins packed inside the common room listened to Professor Snape in silence. He rolled up the parchment from which he had been reading and said in his icy voice, ‘It is not written here but I will say it anyway, if the culprit of the attacks aren’t caught soon the school will be closed. So if any of you have information you must come forward.’ He then strutted out of the secret wall. The Slytherins began talking immediately.

‘Did you here one of those attacked was a Slytherin,’ said Daphne Greengrass.

’Yeah, Terence Higgs, a Chaser,’ responded Lucian Bole.

Then Pansy Parkinson opened her big mouth. ‘So, who would have thought Higgs was a filthy mudblood. That ugly lier.’

‘You take that back Parkinson!’ Harry yelled at her. ‘He is a Half-blood, he just was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

‘I find that hard to believe considering everyone but that cat who was petrified was a mudblood. Did anyone in this common room know or even heard of Terence Higgs before he started at Hogwarts? Anyone?!’

Harry had to think fast. ‘I met his parents, this past summer I went to visit him in Cork and met his parents and his father is a wizard. That and his uncle is auror Bertie Higgs. So everyone who is questioning his blood status will have to face me, and I defeated he-who-must-not-be-named twice!’

Some still didn’t seem quite convinced, but Harry didn’t care. As long as they stayed silent he didn’t care what they thought. Harry had more important things to worry about then Terence’s blood status, he was more worried about Terence himself. He didn’t seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Terence, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone. And if the culprit wasn’t caught soon, he and everyone he knew would be forced to learn from home, and for muggle borns that would mean the end of their magical education. Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Harry understood the fear he must have felt.

‘We must go to Hagrid’s now,’ said Tracey quietly in Harry’s ear. ‘It’s time we learned the truth.’

‘We’ve got to go and talk to him,’ said Harry, making up his mind. ‘I can’t believe it’s him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he’ll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that’s a start.’

‘But Snape said we can’t leave the dungeon unless we’re in class–’

‘I think,’ said Harry, more quietly still, ‘It’s time to get my dad’s old Cloak out again.’

While the other three distracted everyone from Harry’s dorm, Harry snuck in and grabbed his father’s long and silvery Invisibility Cloak from under his bed. It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it.

They went to bed at the usual time, waited until the other boys had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fallen asleep, then got up, dressed again, and headed down to the empty common room where the girls were waiting.

Theodore decided to stay behind, with four of them their feet would be visible, that and it was wise for someone to make sure Malfoy didn’t follow them like he had often done the year before.

They threw the Cloak over themselves and left the dungeon. The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn’t enjoyable. Harry, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, Prefects and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity. Their Invisibility Cloak didn’t stop them making any noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Allison stubbed her toe only yards from the spot where Snape was standing guard.

Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Allison had sworn under her breath. It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.

It was a clear, starry night. They hurried towards the lighted windows of Hagrid’s house, and pulled off the Cloak only when they were right outside his front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face to face, with him aiming a crossbow at them, Fang the boarhound barking loudly behind him.

‘Oh,’ he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. ‘What’re you two doin’ here?’

‘What’s that for?’ said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

‘Nothin’...nothin’,’ Hagrid muttered. ‘I’ve bin expectin’...doesn’ matter...Sit down...I’ll make tea...’

He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

‘Are you OK, Hagrid?’ said Harry. ‘Did you hear about Terence?’

‘Oh, I heard, all righ’,’ said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice. ‘I am sorry bout yur friend, the two time I met him he seemed a genuinely nice fellow.’

He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them all large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate, when there was a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry, Allison, and Tracey exchanged panic-stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow and flung open his door once more.

‘Good evening, Hagrid.’ It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man that Harry recognized from the Daily Prophet. The Minister of magic himself.

The Minister was a short, portly man with rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression. He was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pin-striped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.

‘That’s him!’ Allison breathed. ‘Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!’ Harry elbowed Allison hard to make her be quite.

Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

‘Bad business, Hagrid,’ said Fudge, in rather clipped tones. ‘Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things’ve gone far enough. Ministry’s got to act.’

‘I never,’ said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore, ‘you know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir...’

‘I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence,’ said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.

‘Look, Albus,’ said Fudge, uncomfortably. ‘Hagrid’s record’s against him. Ministry’s got to do something–the school governors have been in touch.’

‘Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest,’ said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before.

‘Look at it from my point of view,’ said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. ‘I’m under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn’t Hagrid, he’ll be back and no more said. But I’ve got to take him. Got to. Wouldn’t be doing my duty–’

‘Take me?’ said Hagrid, who was trembling. ‘Take me where?’

‘For a short stretch only,’ said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid’s eyes. ‘Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you’ll be let out with a full apology...’

‘Not Azkaban?’ croaked Hagrid.

Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door. Dumbledore answered it. It was Harry’s turn for an elbow in the ribs: he’d let out an audible gasp.

Mr Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid’s hut, swathed in a long black travelling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.

‘Already here, Fudge,’ he said approvingly. ‘Good, good...’

‘What’re you doin’ here?’ said Hagrid furiously. ‘Get outta my house!’

‘My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your–er–d’you call this a house?’ said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. ‘I simply called at the school and was told that the Headmaster was here.’

‘And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?’ said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.

‘Dreadful thing, Dumbledore,’ said Mr Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, ‘but the governors feel it’s time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension–you’ll find all twelve signatures on it. I’m afraid we feel you’re losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn’t it? At this rate, there’ll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school.’

‘Oh, now, see here, Lucius,’ said Fudge, looking alarmed, ‘Dumbledore suspended...no, no...last thing we want just now...’

‘The appointment–or suspension–of the Headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge,’ said Mr Malfoy smoothly. ‘And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks...’

‘Now look, Lucius, if Dumbledore can’t stop them–’ said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, ‘I mean to say, who can?’

‘That remains to be seen,’ said Mr Malfoy, with a nasty smile. ‘But as all twelve of us have voted ..’

Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling. ‘An’ how many did yeh have ter threaten an’ blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?’ he roared.

‘Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid,’ said Mr Malfoy. ‘I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won’t like it at all.’

‘Yeh can’ take Dumbledore!’ yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket. ‘Take him away, an’ the Muggle-borns won’ stand a chance! There’ll be killin’s next!’

‘Calm yourself, Hagrid,’ said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy. ‘If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside.’

‘But–’ stuttered Fudge.

‘No!’ growled Hagrid.

Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy’s cold grey ones.

‘However,’ said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly, so that none of them could miss a word, ‘you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.’

For a second, Harry was almost sure Dumbledore’s eyes flickered towards the corner where he, Allison, and Tracey stood hidden.

‘Admirable sentiments,’ said Malfoy, bowing. ‘We shall all miss your–er–highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any–ah–“killin’s”.’

He strode to the cabin door, opened it and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath and said carefully, ‘If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they’d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That’d lead ’em right! That’s all I’m sayin’.’

Fudge stared at him in amazement. ‘All right, I’m comin’,’ said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat.

But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, ‘An’ someone’ll need ter feed Fang while I’m away.’

The door banged shut and Tracey pulled the Invisibility Cloak off.

‘We’re in trouble now,’ he said hoarsely. ‘No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There’ll be an attack a day with him gone.’

Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.