Chapter 123

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.

Just as they passed one of the classrooms, the two boys froze in their steps when they saw McGonagall and Flitwick patrolling the corridor, and while the cloak did make them invisible, they still could make noise.

Ron felt a tickle in his nose and tried to suppress it, but it was too late. He let out a loud sneeze that echoed through the corridor. With his eyes wide open, Harry clamped his hand over Ron's mouth, but it was too late. The two professors turned around and looked at the seemingly empty corridor.

"Who's there?" McGonagall demanded in a stern voice. "Show yourself at once!"

Flitwick raised his wand and muttered a spell. "Homenum revelio!" A faint pulse of light radiated from his wand tip, scanning the corridor for any human presence.

When they saw the light, Harry and Ron held their breaths, hoping that the cloak would protect them from detection. They knew that if they were caught, they would be in serious trouble. Not only would they lose points for Gryffindor, but they would also could be expelled or worse condemned for being the attackers.

When Flitwick lowered his wand, both boys let out a sigh.

"Nothing. Must have been the wind."

McGonagall frowned, but nodded. "Very well then. Let's move on. We have a lot of ground to cover."

The two professors resumed their patrol, leaving Harry and Ron behind. The boys waited until they were out of sight before they moved again.

"That was close," Harry whispered. "Too close."

"Sorry," Ron whispered back. "I couldn't help it."

"Next time, hold your nose or something," Harry said. "We can't afford to make any more noise."

"My bad, my bad. Let's go then before Thomas and the others get there."

Meanwhile, Thomas, Adam and Michael quietly left their common room under Thomas's invisibility spell. Compared to Harry's cloak, Thomas's spell could to some lesser degree lower the noise produced by him and whoever was with him, but in the end that will not stop the noise from being heard.

Getting from the Ravenclaw tower to the entrance was surprisingly easy, despite the occasional pair of teachers, ghosts or prefects patrolling the corridors. For most of them, Thomas and his friends didn't even stop, but when they stumbled across Snape, that's when the boys stopped and stood still waiting for the potion master to leave, because chances are that the man could detect them if they were to come too close to him.

Luckly for them Snape didn't wasted anymore time in that corridor and as soon as the man left, Thomas, Adam and Michael rushed down the stairs towards the entrance.

As soon as the boys got to the entrance of the castle, they saw in a far corner, Harry and Ron staying somewhat hidden from sight. When he was sure that there was no one near them, he stopped the spell making him and his friends visible again, scaring Harry and Ron who didn't expected to see them appear in front of them like that.

While Harry tried to calm himself from the scare that he got, Ron jumped back and stared at Thomas and the others.

"Bloody hell, Thomas, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Couldn't you … I don't know, make your presence known less … sudden?" Ron almost shouted the last part, making Adam and Michael smile at him.

"And where would have been the fun in that?" Adam said keeping a smile on his face.

"I mean we weren't really trying to scare you thought." Michael added, trying to somewhat comfort his friend.

Harry, who had recovered from the scare, smiled at Thomas and his friends. Between going with Ron alone to talk with Hagrid and having Thomas, Adam and Michael with them, he will always choose the second option, after all safety in numbers, right?

"Thanks for coming, guys," Harry said sincerely. "I really appreciate it. We really need to talk to Hagrid about what happened fifty years ago."

Thomas nodded and gave Harry a reassuring look. Harry was right about that, and even thought Hagrid might not be the culprit, he would definitely know more about what happened that day than anyone, or at least he was more willing to share than the other professors.

"No problem, Harry," Thomas said. "You know that I would have not stand idle while my friends are lying petrified. So, what's the plan? Sneak out to the hut?"

"Well, you kind of guessed it, but Ron and I will put on the cloak and go to Hagrid's hut, while you three will follow us, using your spell to keep yourselves invisible. That way, we'll have less chance of being seen by anyone."

All of the nodded, finding the plan more or less decent, and so without wasting anymore precious time, the five of them quickly left the entrance and made their way towards the keeper's grounds.

It was a clear, starry night, which was by far preferably, but thankfully none of the professor or ghosts were patrolling the outside of the school. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and Harry pulled off the Cloak off him and Ron while Thomas ended the spell only when they were right outside Hagrid's front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open and the five boys found themselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at them. Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you five 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 ye tea …"

Seeing him acting like that, made Thomas quite suspicions of who was Hagrid waiting for, so instead of asking that, Thomas choose to ask the half-giant if everything was okay.

"Hagrid, you, okay? I mean you were just waiting with a crossbow at the door. Is this related with what's going on in the school?"

Hagrid looked at Thomas in shock, as if he had caught him doing something wrong. He quickly tried to change the subject and avoid answering his question.

"Er … no … no … it's not related … it's just a … a precaution … yeah, that's it … a precaution …" Hagrid stammered, putting the crossbow away and moving toward the fireplace. "Never mind that, never mind that … sit down, sit down … I'll make ye tea … ye want some tea, don't ye? Of course, ye do, everyone likes tea …"

He busied himself with the kettle and the cups, avoiding eye contact with the boys. Meanwhile, Thomas and his friend exchanged frowns, sensing that Hagrid was hiding something from them, but none of them was dumb enough to push the half-giant for more information.

"Are sure you are okay, Hagrid?" Harry said, already forgetting what they all decided a few seconds ago. "Did you hear about Hermione?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," Hagrid said, a slight break in his voice, almost as if it pained him.

He kept glancing nervously at the windows as he poured to each of the boys' large mugs of boiling water, forgetting complete about the tea bags before putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when out of nowhere, there was a loud knock on the door.

The moment he heard the knock, Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. And rushed towards his crossbow.

"Hide and don't come out."

Harry and Ron exchanged panic-stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. At the same time, Thomas reached out for both his wand and dagger while signaling his two roommates to do the same before the three of them made their way towards Harry and Ron, sitting right beside them. Once Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

Too everyone's utter shock, the person that knocked on the door was Dumbledore. Without wasting any second, the headmaster entered, looking deadly serious, being followed closely by a second, very odd-looking man. The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron whisper to his friends. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"

Before Ron could say anything again and probably get them caught, both Harry and Michael put their hands over Ron's mouth to keep him shut while watching the two old men walking into the hut.

Meanwhile, Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty as he dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

"Bad business, Hagrid," Fudge said in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Quite a lot of attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never," Hagrid said, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir …"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," Dumbledore said, frowning at Fudge, letting the man known his stance on this matter.

"Look, Albus," Fudge shoot back uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record is against him. Ministry's got to do something and the school governors have been in touch."

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," Dumbledore argued with the idiot. His blue eyes were full of a fire none of the boys had never seen before.

However, amongst all five of them, Thomas was probably the only one who realize what Dumbledore meant with his earlier words and that proved to some lesser degree that Tom Riddle was involved in the incident from fifty years ago.

"Look at it from my point of view," Fudge continued, 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 and that's a no go for my political career, Albus."

"Take me?" Hagrid quickly shouted, already trembling in fear, something that made the boys scared, after all what could be so worse to make Hagrid tremble? "Take me where?"

"For a short stretch only," Fudge answered, sounding somewhat uncertain, 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 from the Ministry and even be repaid for the mistreatment."

"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.

Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door. And since Hagrid couldn't get on his feet, Dumbledore answered it. The moment the door was open for the third time this night, Harry almost gasped out loud if not for his friends cover his mouth stopping him from making any noise.

Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile making Fang growl at him, something for a second made the blonde man stop in his tracks before quickly turning his gaze towards Cornelius Fudge.

"I see that you are already here, Fudge." He said approvingly. "Good, good . . ."

"What're you doin' here?" Hagrid shouted 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 dump a house?" Lucius Malfoy said, 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?" Dumbledore asked him with a somewhat natural look on his face. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.

"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," Malfoy said 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? Four 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," Fudge said, looking alarmed, and for a good reason. Only someone as dumb as Malfoy would want to anger Albus Bloody Dumbledore. "Dumbledore being suspended … no, no, that is last thing we want just now. Maybe…"

But Lucius didn't give him the time to argue. "The appointment, or suspension … of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge. And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks, then we, as the ones in charge of the school have the power to change the staff."

"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," Fudge said trying to act like he was calm, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can? I mean no offense to you, but you are not a good fighter, nor will your money help in this problem, unless you are willing to spend all of them to hire each and every magicians and witches from across the sea."

<If 40 you enjoy this fan fiction and want to support me, please visit my patr3on for more chapters novel (at least five chapter ahead - right now there are than here )>

< Just change "3" with "e" Patr3on Link : https://patr3on.com/meatbunkun>