Chapter 82: Dumbledore's decision
When Harry and Ron returned to the Gryffindor lounge, almost all the Gryffindor students gathered in the common room.
Many people watched Harry come back with complicated eyes, and then took the initiative to apologize for questioning him as a descendant of Slytherin.
Everyone knew that it was absolutely impossible for Harry to hurt Hermione. Today's attack on Hermione was equivalent to clearing Harry's grievances in another sense.
But Harry would rather not have this way of clearing his grievances.
George and Fred are giving speeches angrily, and they are transferring their anger and unwillingness to the entire Slytherin Academy.
After all, the Chamber of Secrets and the monsters in it were created by Salazar Slytherin, and Gryffindor never fought against Slytherin.
At this time, Professor McGonagall came to the common room, and her face was obviously pale and announced that Hogwarts will likely be closed next. The Ministry of Magic has already intervened in this matter. She hopes that if anyone knows any clues, they can find them. The professor speaks out.
Because as long as the murderer is caught, all this can be undone.
Watching Professor McGonagall clumsily climb out of the portrait hole, the entire Gryffindor Academy students fell silent.
No matter how loud they denounced here, it has no impact on the current situation.
At this time, Harry, who was hiding in the corner, gradually became firmer.
"We're going to find Hagrid!"
Ron said gloomily, "I don't believe Hagrid will hurt Hermione."
"I don't believe it either, but since he released the monster in the secret room last time, he must know there are clues about the secret room! We must go and talk to Hagrid!"
They made a plan, and in the evening, Harry took out the invisibility cloak his father had left him and slipped out of the heavily guarded Hogwarts castle with Ron.
Not only the professors, but all the prefects and the ghosts in the castle were mobilized to patrol around the castle.
Harry and the others took a lot of effort to get to Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid appeared to be very nervous. Holding a bow and arrow in his hand, he kept looking around beside his hut, and almost accidentally injured Harry and Ron who had sneaked over.
"It turned out to be you, I thought it was..." He put away his bow and arrow, said something vague, and brought Harry and the others into his cabin.
Hagrid absent-mindedly made tea for them, and Harry and the others didn't have any unnecessary nonsense, just straight to the point.
"Hermione was attacked."
Hagrid's voice was obviously choked, and he handed the tea to Harry and Ron respectively.
"Oh, yes, I heard it."
While doing this, his eyes were still looking out the window, Harry wanted to keep looking at Hagrid's eyes, but he couldn't catch Hagrid's eyes at all.
"We want to know if you know something..."
Just after his voice fell, there was a light knock on the door of the hut.
Hagrid threw away the fruit cake in his hand. Harry and Ron exchanged glances in panic. The things they stole from the castle must not be discovered by others.
Immediately, he quickly put the Invisibility Cloak over his body and retreated to a corner. Seeing that they were all hidden, Hagrid grabbed his bow and arrow and slammed the door open again.
The person who knocked on the door was Dumbledore, and beside him was a short, stout, middle-aged wizard in a suit and tie, and a wizard's cloak outside.
Ron recognized who the wizard was with Dumbledore, and whispered to Harry's ear.
"This is Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, my dad's immediate boss."
Harry bumped him with his elbow, motioning him not to speak.
Hagrid looked at Fudge's face very ugly, but since Dumbledore was next to him, he could only turn sideways and invite the two of them into the hut to sit down.
Fudge said it in a very embarrassing tone, but no one could hear that he was actually more impatient than anyone else.
"There have been four attacks at Hogwarts now, and contributors to the Daily Prophet are writing overnight. By tomorrow, the entire British wizarding community will know what's going on here, so I have to take action before that. Something. Bad, really bad, Hagrid, I have to find you."
What he said was not straightforward, but even Harry and Ron, who were hiding in the corner, understood what he meant.
"I don't." Hagrid looked at Dumbledore pleadingly. "You know I don't, Professor Dumbledore, sir..."
Dumbledore was very calm at this time, as if he knew what would happen next before he came here.
"I emphasize to you again, Fudge, I trust Hagrid more than anyone. The attack in the castle has nothing to do with him, either before or now, and it would be of no use if you took him away today. ."
"Why can't you think about it from my perspective?" Fudge played with his top hat in his hands, "I'm sitting in the position of Minister of Magic~www.NovelMTL.com~ Now that something so big has happened, I have to Do something to explain to the people. Besides, I didn't say what to do with Hagrid, I just asked him to go to a place to do some investigation, and when the real murderer is caught, we will put him back."
Hagrid's face was pale, and he asked in a trembling voice.
"Are you going to put me in Azkaban?"
Fudge did not give a clear answer, he said vaguely.
"Where it takes you will depend on the subsequent development of the situation."
There was a brief silence in the cabin, and no one spoke except Hagrid's heavy breathing.
Until Dumbledore clasped his hands in front of him, looked at Fudge, and asked in a tone that made his attitude unclear.
"You must take Hagrid today?"
The more he was like this, the more uncertain Fudge was about what Dumbledore meant.
After weighing it for a long time, Fudge said very tangled.
"You have to consider the feelings of the people... They need an explanation, Dumbledore... I have no choice..."
Hearing him say this, Dumbledore raised a hand lightly, preventing Fudge from continuing to speak.
"If you insist, as the Minister of Magic, of course you have the right to take Hagrid away."
Hearing that his attitude was so gentle, Fudge's face suddenly showed a happy look, while Hagrid's face was dark.
However, then Dumbledore said indifferently.
"But since the current situation, I think Hogwarts Castle is no longer safe. After three days, I will persuade all the students to go home, and Hogwarts will be closed. When will the murderer be caught, and when will it be reopened? Start normal teaching."