"You're as cautious as ever, Connelly."

"I'm sorry, Albus, after all, I have to be more careful about something like this, which could undermine the prestige of the Ministry of Magic among wizards."

Dumbledore strode out of the Headmaster's office, and when he saw Brandi beside him, he looked a little surprised.

"Oh? Mr. Barton, I thought you should be with your friend at this point. What's the matter? ”

"Professor." Seeing Dumbledore come out, Brandy didn't bother with Barton's long-unheard title, he quickly said, "I have something very important to ask you, I saw in the prize showroom, fifty years ago, students won the Special Contribution Award?" I'd like to ask what he did for the school—"

He suddenly stopped talking, and Dumbledore's expression seemed to change drastically the moment he mentioned fifty years ago. The Ministry of Magic official, Connelly, was more blunt, almost screaming, interrupting Brandy.

"Enough, that's enough! Your name is Barton? He shouted angrily, his face turned blue. I've already told you, that's not something you should worry about! The student's duty should be to go back to the library and write your essay, not to play some kind of adventure game to find the secret room! Albus, you'd better hurry, we're short on time! ”

Dumbledore cupped his forehead, a complicated look on his face. He looked at the short, angry man, and then at the startled Brandi. Then, as if casually, he pointed to the office behind him, as if unintentionally, and spoke in a very slow and clear voice.

"So, I suppose you should have figured out what you want from the minister's words by now? Then I guess I have to leave, Brandi. ”

Then, he withdrew his gaze and followed the short man around him and out of the principal's office.

Brandi himself, on the other hand, was stunned by this sudden clue at the moment.

He was obviously asking about the reason for the Special Contribution Award, but the Minister of Magic yelled at him not to take care of the secret room!

Is there any other possibility that the Special Contribution Award will only be awarded if it has made an unparalleled contribution to the school? Fifty years ago, Riddle was able to receive the Special Contribution Award, and there would never be any other possibility than to solve the outbreak of the Secret Room Monster Attack...... Riddle must have found the Slytherin heir back then and reported him to the school.

Riddle's journal must know where the Chamber of Secrets is! will be stolen by the heirs of this generation of Slytherin!

But it still doesn't seem to make sense......

Brandi frowned tightly.

When communicating with himself, Riddle also swore that he only learned about the location of the secret room when he was about to graduate, and told himself a wrong information about the secret room - why did Riddle tell him that it was different from the real situation?

Or is it? He's wary of anyone who tries to interrogate him about the secret room?

Brandi stayed in place for a long time, and in the end he could only attribute this contradiction to Riddle's distrust of him. He stiffened his body before he wanted to turn away, but it suddenly occurred to Dumbledore that he seemed to want to let himself into the office before leaving. So he lifted his leg and slipped through the crack in the door.

"Dumbledore probably wants me to find the Sorting Hat again...... The Sorting Hat is not a Prophecy Hat, how can you guess who opened the Chamber of Secrets this time......" Brandi made his way to the desk, but to his surprise, the shelf where the Sorting Hat had been placed was empty, and in its place was a small square box with a small, crumpled chick lying inside.

"Alas~~ It's pitiful, it's so ......cruel at a young age," Brandi looked at the ugly bird with pity, and the latter looked at him with a sad face, and let out a scream that felt like he was suffocated after being stuck in his throat. So he gently touched the bird's head, shook his head, and began to look for what Dumbledore might have left him.

This is......

His gaze inadvertently swept over Dumbledore's desk, which had just hosted the Minister of Magic, with a tea set and a silver plate with refreshments. He wanted to take a piece of shortbread from the plate and eat it, but he couldn't take his eyes off it.

A corner of the parchment peeked out from under the silver plate, as if something was pressing. Curious, he picked up the plate.

It was a thin document, and on the first page of the document, there was a bright red stamp.

Official documents of the school?

He raised an eyebrow and whispered the contents of the document, which looked like a resume. Moreover, it is Hagrid's......

Rubeus Hagrid, born in 1929...... Wow, Hagrid is that old! ”

He let out a small exclamation, then looked at it curiously.

He entered Hogwarts in 1940 and showed great talent in the Magical Creatures course during his time at Hogwarts - ha, Hagrid, but he could have been particularly fond of things that seemed dangerous - and was officially expelled from Hogwarts in early 1943............ Expel!? ”

His heart tightened, he did know about Hagrid's expulsion from school—but Hagrid had never told him about the reason for the expulsion, and in early 1943 he ...... Fifty years ago, the secret room was opened, but in 1942, this time difference is a bit too much of a coincidence!

He hurriedly flipped through the pages and saw the aftermath. He threw away the resume in his hand in a panic, and the whole body was sweating profusely and trembling.

In the document on the desk, the line of striking red letters is clearly visible.

"The reason for the expulsion - according to witnesses, the monster was manipulated to attack a number of students, resulting in the death of a female student. Convicted and imprisoned in Azkaban......"

How could it be! Fifty years ago, it was Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets!

………………

A few days later, the snowy weather finally came to an end, and the sun began to shine faintly on Hogwarts again. In the castle, the mood became much more optimistic. Because a whole Christmas has passed, there have been no more attacks at the school. Madam Pomfrey also reported the good news that the mandrakes were about to ripen, and it looked like Justin and Dean would be back to normal in a month or two.

"I can't believe it was Hagrid who did this." They talked quietly around the fire. Hermione was finally freed from the bed in the hospital room, the cat's ears were gone, and the tail was gone, which Brandi actually regretted - but after all, the joy outweighed the sorrow, at least she didn't have to look at those two sharp little tiger teeth all day for fear of being bitten.

"But now the evidence is conclusive, Hermione." Ron said listlessly, "We all know, Hagrid happens to have a soft spot for huge monsters, and last year it was a three-headed dog and a dragon. Maybe he raised the monster as a little white rabbit at that time. ”

"But maybe Riddle was mistaken!" Parvati was unconvinced, "Why should we believe that mysterious creature is doing the right thing?" What if he found the wrong person and cheated Hagrid - Hagrid was so good and gave us candy to eat, how could he be a murderer! ”

"But the truth is, when Hagrid entered Azkaban, the attacks did disappear." Brandi said bitterly, "Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have received any special contribution awards." ”

Parvati stopped talking.

"But whatever happened fifty years ago, it wouldn't have been Hagrid's doing, right, the assailant had been hoping to kill Neville all along. But Hagrid didn't have any trouble with Neville at all—Hagrid was unlikely to be angry and kill Neville for trampling on a few of the pumpkins he had grown. ”

"I want to think so, though...... But now Hagrid is too suspicious. You know what—" Brandi lowered his voice. "On the day Justin was attacked, I saw Hagrid come out of the hut and walk into the castle. With such a heavy snow that day, what was it that made him come to the castle against the snow? And in the two days that Lady Loris and Dean were attacked, Hagrid never showed up. ”

"He wouldn't have been running to the castle very often, unless there was something of special importance." Hermione said, "Oh my God, it makes it so much easier for Fudge to convict him." ”

"Fudge?" Brandi was stunned for a moment

"That's the Cornelius you mentioned, Minister of Magic! Do you even read the Daily Prophet...... According to you, he had been trying to persuade Dumbledore to keep Hagrid under control, or at least to keep an eye on him, but Dumbledore did not agree. ”

"By the way, Harry," Ron said tentatively, biting his lip. "You met Hagrid last time down Tumbledown Alley, didn't you?"

"He's just buying potions to repel flesh-eating slugs." Harry spoke quickly, and his voice grew weaker and less confident. And then ...... He took me out empty-handed and didn't buy anything. ”

They fell silent.

Tumbledown Alley = a wicked market for dark magic items, they are well aware of that. So whether Hagrid really lost to buy anthelmintic medicine, several of them have no bottom in their hearts.

"Now, then, the key is ......" After a long period of cold play, Hermione hesitated to ask a most poignant question. Do you think we're going to ask Hagrid? Even if he hadn't done it, he, as the heir of the previous Slytherin, should have known where the Chamber of Secrets was, if we could find out about that—"

"So what shall we say? Hey Hi Hagrid, can you tell us where you got that petrified monster in the castle fifty years ago? ”

The atmosphere was even more awkward. Everyone recognized that Hagrid, the good old man, was now a serious suspect in the monster attack, and they couldn't open their mouths to stab it anyway......

"Forget it, let's think about it from another angle!"

In the end, Hermione, who couldn't stand the inner torment, saved them from this struggle. "Since we can't be sure if it's Hagrid, then we'll just assume we don't know - it will be much simpler, the Slytherin heir has some reason to target Neville, and if he wants to do it, then the attack will definitely be in the ward - we'd better make a plan and arrange for people to go to the ward on a rotational basis to observe the situation. That way, once the monster is exposed, we can take action immediately, and when Dumbledore takes the action, the truth will be revealed! ”

"Take turns going to the ward?!" Harry shouted loudly. "Are you kidding Hermione, Madam Pomfrey is going to kick you out with a broom!"

"But what if we're really sick?"

Under the incredulous gaze of the three Brandy, Hermione grabbed Parvati, who was dazed, with a sly glimmer in her eyes.