Chapter 117: Scarlet Precision

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I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.

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16 March 1993, Hogwarts

The petrification of Daphne Greengrass changed things. Things really started to look bleak for the boy who lived, especially with the Slytherins looking nervous for the first time since the attacks started. The heat and suspicion on the Longbottom scion had skyrocketed, because a member of the House of Snakes was attacked. Neville's distaste for the house was very well known, and since he technically had a motive to petrify every victim, and he was a parselmouth, the entire school pretty much stayed away from him.

Honestly, Neville wanted to curse the Heir of Slytherin for giving him that much trouble.

However, the school itself was also in danger of closing for the first time in decades. Even when Lord Voldemort still had a body and was fighting a war, and actual death eaters roamed the halls of the castle disguised as students, the school still remained strong. Dumbledore remained strong. The school had survived McLaggen's petrification because they were still under the headmaster's banner, politically, at least.

But the Greengrasses were not the same. The Longbottom scion expected them to use every dirty trick they could manage just to get a measure of retribution from whoever they thought was responsible, which included Neville and Dumbledore.

The Daily Prophet article had done enough damage to their reputations. The revelation that Neville was a Parselmouth had changed things and his grandmother was the one dealing with the aftermath.

Neville clenched his hand when he remembered that article that pretty much slandered him and the Professor. If it wasn't for the enchantments his grandmother put up, he would have been overwhelmed by hate mail. His Gran had already doubled the number of people going through his mail in the last few days alone. They already hired a couple of people years ago to go through his mail and sort it out accordingly. 

The truth was that the Longbottom scion was famous on a national scale, and sometimes even internationally. There were dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of letters that arrived every day asking for endorsements, inviting him into an event or another, or sometimes even just giving him gifts. Fan mail got boring very quickly after the first hundred letters. There were secrecy contracts, of course, since mail is somewhat sensitive, but official letters tended to be obviously marked, so the risk of them knowing something damaging was little. 

Anyway, Neville's Gran hiring more people meant that the current workers were overwhelmed, and that meant that things were really bad in terms of public opinion. The elder woman had refused to tell him what the letters contained, but he knew that it was her way of protecting him from the outside world.

Right now, Neville was sitting alone in a corner of the common room, everyone was giving him a wide berth and glances when they thought he wasn't looking. He hadn't seen Ron or Hermione in a couple of hours. Hermione was probably in the library studying and Ron was either asleep or playing chess against himself. Neville didn't feel like talking to them. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, really.

Of course, that was when Professor McGonagall entered the common room, and everyone shut up to listen to her announcement. There was a big possibility that the school would be shut down, after all, "First of all, I want to reassure all of you that Professor Dumbledore decided against shutting down the school at this moment, but that decision can still be contested by the board and even the ministry, so I cannot say if that decision will be final or not."

A few students whooped but they were silenced quickly by her glare, "Now, with that said, I still have a few things to address to all of you. Considering the escalation that the perpetrator of these horrid attacks has been exhibiting, a few rules and regulations have been decided. From now on, 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, so no clubs, no meetings, nothing other than classes and the common room."

There were a few voices of protest, but McGonagall raised her hand, "I know that this is stifling, but we're only concerned about your safety."

"Why don't you just expel Longbottom?" a voice asked.

"I know this is a difficult time for you all, but I assure you that if Mr Longbottom was in fact guilty, we are more than competent enough to have caught him. This is not a time for you to be divided, but to unite in front of that threat," the professor's voice turned somewhat choked, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. There is the very present possibility that the school be closed if there is another attack, or if the culprit behind them isn't caught. If you think you might know anything about the attack, anything factual at least, I urge you to come forward."

She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately, still giving him the stink eye.

But Neville didn't pay any attention to them. They had condemned him so readily, without even a second's thought, so their opinion stopped mattering to him anymore. But someone else had suffered as he had. Hagrid. He was accused of the attacks too, and he was even expelled for them. And if Neville knew Hagrid, he would never attack another human being. For all his intimidating appearance, the man was literally the personification of a gentle giant.

He had to talk to him and get his side of the story.

With that in mind, Neville stood up and looked for Ron and Hermione to join him. Maybe they were in their dormitory. He went upstairs and heard a familiar voice, "I'm telling you, Hermione, it might be Neville."

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione's voice responded, "we literally were with him when Filch was attacked."

"He could have petrified him before and then came back so that we wouldn't be suspicious," Ron protested.

"I'm telling you, Ron, it's not Neville. Now stop speaking rubbish and let me finish this essay."

Yet, the redhead wasn't to be deterred, "Even if it's not him, you have to admit that whoever is responsible has to be interested in Neville. Every single victim was someone that Neville either didn't like or had annoyed him in some way."

"Dean didn't do anything to Neville…"

"Anything that we know of. But my point is, are we safe? You know, I knew since last year that being his friend would be dangerous. But this is a lot more than I signed up for."

Hermione didn't answer for a few seconds, "No, it's not. And it might be dangerous. But like you said, we're his friends…"

Neville chose not to listen to the rest of the conversation. His friends were doubting him. HIS FRIENDS. They should be on his side, helping him, not run around behind his back and say stuff like that. If his friends wouldn't trust him, then he would rather not have any.

He was going to see Hagrid on his own.

Discreetly, Neville got out of the common room. It was easy. Everyone, even the prefects, was distracted by the announcement, which was kind of ironic since it was all about personal safety. The entire castle was pretty much deserted. The other houses probably had a meeting like the one that just happened in the Gryffindor common room.

The journey through the castle corridor didn't take long. Neville had memorized the castle by now because of his numerous adventures after curfew. There was a close call when a ghost was patrolling and almost caught Neville, but he hid quickly in one of the hidden passages until the floating spirit went past.

Finally, he left the castle and made his way to the shack that Hagrid called his home. Seconds after he knocked, Hagrid flung it open, and Neville found himself face to face with him aiming a crossbow at him, his dog, Fang, barking loudly behind him.

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at him, "What are you doing here?"

"What's that for?" said Neville, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

"Nothing, nothing, " Hagrid muttered. "I just thought… Never mind, I'm making tea, why don't you sit down."

The man was clearly unsettled and shaking. 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 okay, Hagrid?" said Neville.

"I'm fine," he answered briskly, "This is just a sensitive time for me…"

"Hagrid, I know you were expelled because they thought you opened the chamber," Neville started.

"I didn't. I swear to Merlin, I didn't," the giant man started.

"I know you didn't, Hagrid. But they're doing the same thing to me. I just thought it would be nice to talk about someone who was in the same position once…"

The Groundskeeper's eyes softened but before he could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door. Neville quickly hid in the corner of the room, behind a few crates, which pretty much hid him entirely.

After Hagrid made sure that he was hidden, he seized his crossbow and flung open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

It was Dumbledore's voice, but he sounded a lot more serious than Neville had ever heard him before. The headmaster wasn't even like this when he came to Hogwarts with a flying car or broke into the Slytherin common room while using a Polyjuice potion.

There had to be another person following him since there was another set of footsteps.

Neville was proven correct when a strangely familiar voice started to speak up, "Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come. Five attacks, two of them being on children with very influential families. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

The Longbottom scion then realized who this was. Cornelius Fudge, the minister for magic. He had met the man a couple of years back at some kind of ministry event. What was he doing there? This was bad, very bad indeed.

"I never," said Hagrid, sounding so desperate that Neville clenched his fists, "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir -"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore.

"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."

"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, "A series of attacks happened under your watch and the man who was deemed responsible for the attacks the last time is still employed in your school. I know that his records were sealed under your advisement, but if anyone realized that he was still in the castle, then they would tan my hide and yours. Look, I don't really have a choice. The public demands accountability and taking him is the only way they could be appeased while we figure out how to solve this mess."

"Take me?" said Hagrid, "Take me where?"

"It's only for a little while. Just a few months at most until the end of the school year. You'll also be let out with a full apology…"

"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.

"Of course not. You're a suspect, not a convict. It will just be a holding cell at the DMLE until we solve this mess. If you are truly innocent, then you have nothing to fear. You will be treated with the utmost respect, I'll make sure of that myself. But you have to admit that this situation could turn up a lot worse for you if you stay here and there's another attack. But if an attack occurs while you're away, then you would be cleared immediately. You could even appeal your expulsion and be able to wield a wand again."

Before Hagrid could answer, there was another loud rap on the door. Another person entered the hut, "Already here, Fudge. Good. Good…"

Neville froze when he heard that voice. This was Lucius Malfoy. That wasn't good at all.

"What are you doing here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get out of my house!"

"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your… house," said Lucius Malfoy with a condescending tone, "I was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore.

"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, "but the board 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? Students have a right to not live in fear and this is just the board making sure of that. We assume that your deputy can take care of matters in your unfortunate absence, but if she is unable to... Well, we are more than happy to assign a replacement, but it would likely be a permanent one."

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended. This is the last thing we want just now…"

"I'm afraid, Cornelius, that the appointment or suspension of headmasters is decided by the school board, not the other way around. This was a unanimous decision. And that means that we all feel like he cannot protect the students."

Before anyone else could protest, Dumbledore spoke up, "If the school board want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside…"

"But..." stuttered Fudge.

"No!" growled Hagrid.

"However," Dumbledore continued, "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, Neville thought that this message was directed at him. It was obvious that Neville wasn't the one taken off guard by the headmaster's last statement. Instead of acknowledging it, they all started to leave the hut, at least it sounded like they did. Of course, before leaving Hagrid yelled out, "Oh, and if anyone wanted to find out some stuff, all they'd have to do is to follow the spiders. That should help, that's all I'm saying. Alright, I'm coming."

And with that the door banged shut, leaving the young Gryffindor trying to process what had happened. Dumbledore was gone. That was bad. That was really bad.

The school had lost its biggest defender while a monster roamed its halls. And what was Hagrid muttering about? Following the spiders? What is up with that?

Huh, now that he mentioned it, Potter did say about the weird movements of the spiders…

When he snuck out of the hut, the boy who lived noticed a great line of spiders going towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Follow the spiders." He muttered to himself.

"I'm afraid that's not on the agenda today," a voice behind him commented.

Neville made to raise his wand but was disarmed as soon as he touched it. He looked up at the attacker and saw the merciless green eyes of Harry Potter, "You?"

The boy shrugged, "Me. Now, I would let you get yourself killed by Hagrid's pet Acromantula colony and get no results whatsoever, but I'm kind of pressed for time, and I need a Parselmouth. So, I guess you're coming with me, Longbottom."

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.