Chapter XXIV: Conspiracy and Responsibility
Section I
Due to Lockhart's Valentine's Day dwarf, all the books in Harry's bag were dyed red by the broken inkwell, but surprisingly, Tom Riddle's journal had no trace of ink on it, much to Harry's excitement. After a short period of attempts, his suspicion of a diary was confirmed, which contained a secret that contained Tom Riddle's thoughts and memories.
Harry and Riddle talked to Guò in handwriting, and finally Riddle agreed to Harry to take him into his memories to see the truth about the events of the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.
In Riddle's memory, Harry witnessed the events as a bystander, meeting sixteen-year-old Deridel, a half-breed young wizard living in a Muggle orphanage; I saw a much younger Dumbledore—his eyes as deep and sharp as they are now; Harry couldn't believe it all when he saw Hagrid as a student, who had a monster in his closet, most likely the one who killed the student......
In a whirlwind, Harry pulled back from Riddle's memories and found himself lying on his four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary opened and placed on his stomach.
Before he could catch his breath, the door to the dorm room opened, and Ron walked in. "You're here." He said.
Harry sat up. He was sweating profusely and shivering.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, looking at him with concern.
"It's Hagrid, Ron. Fifty years ago, it was Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets. ”
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had known that Hagrid had a soft spot for massive monsters. During their time at Hogwarts last year, Hagrid had tried to feed a dragon in his cabin, and the big dog with three heads, whom he called "Louwey", had long been a question they would never forget. Hagrid, who was still a teenager, knew that if he heard that there was a monster hiding somewhere in the castle, Harry knew he would do everything he could to get a look at it. Hagrid probably thought that it was not a good idea to imprison the monster for so long, and that it should be given a chance to move its legs and feet; Harry could have imagined thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to strap the monster on a leash and put a collar on it. But Harry was equally confident that Hagrid would never intentionally kill someone.
Now Harry is very torn in his heart, Hagrid is Harry's first friend in this world, he took him away from the Dursleys house, and led him into this magical magical world, he can't believe that Hagrid will be the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago, let alone believe that he will kill people.
"Riddle may have found the wrong person," Hermione said, "maybe another monster hurt someone......"
"How many monsters do you think this place can hold up?" Ron asked listlessly. "We knew for a long time that Hagrid was expelled." Harry said bitterly, "The attacks must have stopped since Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have won the prize. ”
Ron tried to change directions.
"Riddle spoke in a tone very much like Percy - who told him to denounce Hagrid, after all?"
"But monsters kill, Ron." Hermione said.
"If they shut down Hogwarts, Riddle would be going back to a Muggle orphanage." Harry said, "I think it's understandable that he wants to be here......"
The three of them were silent for a long time, and Hermione hesitated to ask one of the toughest questions: "Look, should we ask Hagrid about these things?"
"It was a pleasant visit." Ron said, "Hello, Hagrid, tell us, have you recently released some savage, hairy thing from the castle?"
…………
Section II
During Easter holidays, the second-graders have something new to think about. They should have chosen a third-year course, a matter that, at least in Hermione's opinion, needed to be taken seriously.
"This affects our entire future." She said to Harry and Ron. At this time, they were all carefully studying the list of new courses, marking them.
"I just want to give up Potions class." Harry said.
"Impossible," Ron said in a low voice, "I would have had to take all the original subjects, or I would have thrown out the Defence Against the Dark Arts class long ago." ”
"But that class is important!" Hermione said in surprise.
"Lockhart's teachings, I don't think so." Ron said, "I didn't learn anything from him other than not to let the elf out. ”
The wizards and witches of Neville Longbottom's house wrote to him with many different suggestions on the subject of course selection. Neville was at a loss, nervous. He sat there looking at the course list, his tongue sticking out, and asked if anyone thought arithmetic divination sounded more difficult to learn than ancient magic scripts. Dean and Harry were raised around Muggles. He finally closed his eyes and used his wand to click around the list at random, choosing whichever class he clicked. Hermione didn't listen to anyone's advice and signed off on all subjects.
Harry thought that if he went to talk to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia about his career in magic, they didn't know what they would say. Thinking of this, his feelings fell—if Sauron was here, he would have given a useful suggestion. Sauron was silent, as if he had disappeared from this world.
In the end, Harry wasn't without any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to teach him what he wanted to do.
"It's up to you where you want to go, Harry." He said, "You have to plan for the future early, so I recommend divination to you." People say it's foolish to choose Muggle studies, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of non-magical societies, especially if they want to do something close to Muggles - you see my father, he had to deal with Muggle affairs at all times. My brother Charlie has always loved to be outdoors, so he chose the Conservation of Magical Creatures class. Play to your strengths, Harry. ”
But Harry felt that the only thing he was really good at was Quidditch. In the end, he chose a few new classes like Ron. He felt that if the subjects were hard to learn, at least one person would be willing to help him in a friendly way.
The Gryffindor's next Quidditch match was against the Hufflepuffs. Wood insisted that the players train after dinner every day, so Harry had little time to do other than train and complete his homework. However, the training is getting more and more handy, or at least not rainy. The night before Saturday's game, when he walked to his dorm to lay down his broomstick, he felt that the Gryffindors had never been more sure of winning the Quidditch Cup.
But his happy mood didn't last long. As soon as he reached the upper floor of the dormitory, he saw Neville Longbottom, who looked panicked.
"Harry- I don't know who did it. I just found out—"
Neville looked at Harry in horror and pushed the door open.
The contents of Harry's chest were thrown everywhere. His clothes lay crumpled on the floor. The sheets had been ripped from his crutches, and the drawers of the bedside table had been pulled open, and the contents were scattered on the mattress.
Harry walked to the side of the bed with his mouth wide open, a few pages that had fallen out of Walking with Trolls > under his feet.
As he and Neville put the sheets back on the bed, Ron, Ying'an, and Seamus came in. Dean shouted.
"What's going on, Harry?"
"I don't know." Harry said. Ron was taking a closer look at Harry's clothes. All the pockets were turned out.
"Somebody's looking for something," Ron said, "is something missing?"
Harry began to pick up all his things, throwing them back into the box one by one. It was only when he threw Lockhart's last book into it that he realized what was missing.
"Riddle's diary is gone." He lowered his voice to Ron.
"What?"
Harry twisted his head in the direction of the dorm door, and Ron followed him out. They hurried downstairs back to the Gryffindor common room, where there was no one inside. Hermione sat alone, reading a book called "A Simple Introduction to Ancient Magical Texts". They walked over.
Hermione was stunned when she heard the news.
"But—only a Gryffindor could steal—no one else knew our password......"
"Not bad at all." Harry said.
They woke up early the next morning with a clear, sunny day and a pleasant breeze.
Harry left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to pack up his Quidditch belongings, and by this time, his already chaotic heart had a very heavy worry. Because just as he stepped on the marble staircase, he suddenly heard the voice again: "This time you want to kill...... Let me tear ...... Let me tear ......"
Harry yelled, and Ron and Hermione jumped away from him in horror. "That voice!" Harry said, turning his head to look back, "I heard it again - did you hear that?" Ron shook his head, his eyes wide open. Hermione suddenly reached out and patted her forehead.
"Harry—I suddenly understood something! I'm going to the library!"
She hurried away and went upstairs.
"What did she understand?" Harry said in a flustered voice, still looking around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.
"I don't know." Ron said, shaking his head.
"But why did she go to the library?"
"Because that's Hermione's style," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders, "and when in doubt, go to the library." ”
Harry stood there hesitantly, trying to catch the sound again. But then the crowd came out of the Great Hall, laughing and laughing behind him, and prepared to go from the main entrance to the Quidditch pitch. "You'd better hurry," said Ron, "it's almost eleven o'clock - the game." Harry walked briskly to Gryffindor House, picked up his Halo 2000, and joined the bustling flow of people across the stadium, but his mind was still in the castle, chasing the disembodied voice. The only thing he masturbates about when he changes into a bright red robe in the locker room is that everyone is watching the game outside. The team members walked to the field amid earth-shaking cheers. Oliver Wood took to the air and warmed up around the goalposts. Mrs. Hodge released the ball. The Hufflepuff players, dressed in pale yellow, were gathering at the moment to seize the last minute to discuss tactics.
Harry was about to mount his broomstick when Professor Mellow suddenly ran across the arena, holding a giant purple microphone in his hand.
"The game is canceled." Professor McGonagall said through the microphone into the crowded bleachers. Disgruntled boos and shouts erupted from the crowd.
Professor McGonagall ignored it and continued to hold the microphone and shout, "All students must return to the common room of the house, where the head of the house will tell you more about it. Please leave as much as you can!" Then she lowered the microphone and motioned for Harry to come over. "Potter, I think you'd better come with me......"
Harry was wondering how she had doubted herself again this time, only to see Ron struggling out of the whining crowd. Just as the two of them were walking towards the castle, Ron ran towards them. To Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object. "Well, maybe you'd better come too, Weasley." Students crowded around them, some muttering about the cancellation of the game, others looking nervous. Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back to the school, ascending the marble staircase.
"You're going to be a little shocked," Professor McGonagall said in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the hospital, "and there was another attack...... It's a double attack again. ”
Harry's entrails churned violently. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open, and Harry and Ron walked inside.
Harry was a little uncomfortable, and Snape and Malfoy were also standing with Madam Pomfrey, gathered around a student's hospital bed. On the bed next to it—"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione lay motionless, her glazed eyes wide open.
Hearing Ron's shout, Snape and Drake turned around, Snape squinted and looked at Harry and Ron with a complicated expression, while Draco looked gloomy. Ron looked angry when he saw Malfoy, he had always thought that the Chamber of Secrets had nothing to do with Malfoy, but when they saw the man lying on the bed behind Snape, they couldn't help but be stunned - it was Isabella.
"They were found near the library," Professor McGonagall said, "and I don't think any of you can explain this, right?" It's the ...... on the floor next to them," she said, holding up a small, round mirror. Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione. "I'll escort you back to Gryffindor Castle," Professor McGonagall said with a heavy heart, "anyway, I'm going to address the students anyway." ”
"All students have to go back to their college's common room by six o'clock in the evening. No student is allowed to leave the residence hall after this time. Each class is escorted by a teacher. No student is allowed to use the bathroom without a teacher. All Quidditch training and matches have been postponed. There will be no more activities in the evenings. ”
Gryffindor students huddled in the common room, silently listening to Professor McGonagall. She rolled up the parchment she had just read, and said in a somewhat suffocated voice: "Actually, needless to say, I have rarely been in such pain before. Schools are likely to be closed unless the culprits who masterminded these attacks are caught. I urge everyone who thinks they know something to come forward. ”
She crawled a little awkward through the hole in the portrait, and the Gryffindor students immediately began to chatter. "There are already two Gryffindors who have fallen, not a Gryffindor ghost, a Hufflepuff," Lee Jordan counted his fingers and took a breath, "There's even a Slytherin, is that guy crazy, he doesn't care who the target is......" Everyone listened and nodded depressedly - Isabella's attack was beyond everyone's expectations, although the Gryffindors have always been hostile to Slytherin, but when a Slytherin is also attacked, no one is happy, only afraid.
Harry wasn't listening, he couldn't seem to shake off the stiff and sluggish way of Hermione and Isabella lying on their hospital bed, as rigid as stone sculptures. If the criminal is not caught soon, he will have to return to the Dursley home for the rest of his life. Tom Riddle denounced Hagrid because he was faced with the prospect of returning to a Muggle orphanage once the school closed. Harry now fully understood how he felt.
"What are we going to do?" Ron whispered in Harry's ear, "Do you think they suspected Hagrid?" We've got to talk to him," Harry said, making up his mind, "I can't believe it's him this time." But since he released the monster last time, he must know how to enter the secret room, and this is a breakthrough point. ”
…………
Section III
Harry and Ron went to Hagrid's cabin in the middle of the night with the help of an invisibility cloak and met Hagrid. He looked nervous and looked out the window from time to time, and was about to bring out the fruitcake to serve the two of them when there was a knock on the door of the cabin, and Harry and Ron quickly covered themselves in their cloaks of invisibility and hid in the corner.
When Hagrid saw that they were all hidden, he grabbed his bow and arrows, and slammed the door open again.
"Good evening, Hagrid." It was Dumbledore. He walked in, his expression was very strict, and he was followed by a very strange-looking man. The stranger was short, stocky, stocky, with messy gray hair and an anxious look on his face. His clothes were a strange hodgepodge: a pinstriped suit, a bright red tie, a black-152-long cloak, and purple pointed-toe boots. He wore a dark green top hat under his arm.
"That's my dad's boss!" Ron gasped and said, "Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic!" Harry used his elbow to pound Ron hard and shut him up. Hagrid's face turned pale, and his head began to sweat. He slumped into a chair and looked at Dumbledore and then at Cornelius Fudge.
"It's terrible, Hagrid," Fudge said in a crisp and quick tone, "it's terrible, it has to come." There were four attacks on Muggles, which was too much and the Ministry of Magic had to take action. ”
"I didn't," Hagrid looked at Dumbledore pleadingly, "you know I didn't, Professor Dumbledore, sir......"
"I hope you understand, Connelly, that I trust Hagrid completely." Dumbledore said with a frown at Fudge.
"But you see, Albus," Fudge said unnaturally, "Hagrid's track record is not in his favor." The Ministry of Magic had to take some steps - the school board had been contacted. ”
"But Connelly, I'm still going to sue you, taking Hagrid away won't help at all." Dumbledore said.
His blue eyes glistened with anger Harry had never seen before.
"Look at it from my point of view," Fudge said, fiddling with his top hat, "This is what happened at school, and besides, it happened again in Azkaban some time ago...... Fudge paused, and Harry noticed Hagrid's eyes widen in horror when he heard Azkaban, Fudge rubbed his hands together, and continued, "...... Well...... I think you understand what I'm talking about, there's a lot of pressure on me, and I have to do something about it, or the Ministry of Magic will be questioned. If it turns out that Hagrid has nothing to do with what happened at school, he'll come back without saying a word. But I had to take him away. Shouldn't I fulfill my own—"
"Take me away?" Hagrid said, shivering, "Where to take?"
"It's a short time," Fudge said, not looking Hagrid in the eye, "not a punishment, just a precaution."
If you catch another person, you will be released with full apologies......"
"It's not Azkaban, is it?" Hagrid asked in a hoarse voice. Before Fudge could reply, there was another knock on the door.
Dumbledore went over to open the door. This time it was Harry's turn to elbow him on the ribs: he let out an audible exclamation.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's cabin, wrapped tightly in a long black travel cloak and with a cold, contented smile on his eyelids. Tooth began to bark wildly.
"You're here, Fudge," he said with satisfaction, "good, good......."
"What are you doing here?" Hagrid said angrily, "Get out of my house!"
"Believe me, my dear friend, I'm not glad to come into your room—oh—you call it a house?" Lucius Malfoy looked around the small chamber and sneered. "I just came to the school to take a look, and someone told me that the principal was here."
"What the hell are you looking for me, Lucius?" Dumbledore said. He spoke politely, but the anger still burned in his blue eyes.
"Things are terrible," said Mr. Malfoy lazily, pulling out a long roll of parchment, "and the board thinks it's time to let you go." It's a removal order – you'll see that all twelve directors have signed it. We don't think you're using your talents. How many attacks have occurred so far? That's two this afternoon, aren't they? And there's also a pure-blood wizard from Slytherin, and at this rate, there will be no Hogwarts students left, and we all know that it will be a terrible loss for the school. ”
"Oh, what, what are you talking about, Lucius," Fudge said, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore is deposed...... No, no...... We are absolutely not willing to ...... right now."
"The appointment of the Headmaster—ah, no, the removal—is a matter for the Board, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said in a calm tone, "since Dumbledore has failed to prevent these attacks......"
"But, Lucius, if Dumbledore can't stop them—" Fudge said, his upper lip starting to sweat, "I mean, who can stop it?"
"We'll see," Malfoy said, a wicked grin on his face, "but all twelve of us vote—"
Hagrid jerked to his feet, his furry, black head brushing against the ceiling.
"How many people did you threaten and blackmail to get them to agree, well, Malfoy?"
"Oh my God, my God, you know that this bad temper of yours is going to get you in trouble one day, Hagrid," said Lucius Malfoy, "and I want to give you a word of advice, don't shout at the guards of Azkaban. They won't like it. ”
"You can't take Dumbledore!" Hagrid shouted, causing the Great Hound to tremble and whine in the basket. "If you take him away, the Muggles won't have a chance to live! There will be murders soon!"
"Calm down, Hagrid." Dumbledore said sternly. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.
"If the board wants me to go, Lucius, of course I'll give up my seat." "But—" Fudge stammered. "No way!" Hagrid growled.
Dumbledore's blazing blue eyes were always staring at Lucius' cold gray eyes. "But," Dumbledore said very slowly and clearly, so that everyone present could hear every word he said, "is it worth it, Lucius......"
Lucius Malfoy was stunned, he looked at Dumbledore, the arrogant look on his face before faded a lot, and seemed to show a trace of bitterness, "There are some things that I have to do, and I can only do them......"
Dumbledore frowned, "You're thinking too little, Lucius—do you think he'll let Drake go?" ”
Lucius's pupils shrank sharply, and he looked at Dumbledore coldly, "You're threatening me......"
"I'm just admonishing you," Dumbledore said calmly, "you don't know him, you're taking a risk." ”
Lucius was silent for a long time, and then said with some determination: "I will take it all by myself." ”
The rest of the cabin was puzzled by what they were saying, Hagrid looked confused and opened his mouth, not knowing what to say, while Fudge stood quietly and looked at the two thoughtfully, sensibly not interjecting.
"In that case, the Ministry of Magic has a new verdict on the attack at the school," Dumbledore turned to Fudge, "and what about Mr. Sauron Potter......"
Connelly seemed to have just come to his senses, "Oh, that's natural, and from the evidence available, Mr. Potter is no longer suspicious, as for his use of forbidden magic on underage students at school...... Well, the handling opinion of the relevant department believes that the circumstances are not strict and there is no need for sanctions. Fudge pursed his lips, not mentioning Sauron's attack on the Ministry of Magic officials.
In the corner, Harry almost shouted in excitement, but he immediately realized that it was not the time to be happy.
"Well, it's time for us to go, isn't it time crunch." Lucius said.
He went to the door of the hut and opened it; Bowing Dumbledore out, the moment before Dumbledore left, Harry was almost certain that his eyes glanced towards the corner where he and Ron were hiding. Fudge played with his top hat and waited for Hagrid to walk in front of him, but Hagrid stood still, took a deep breath, and said cautiously, "If anyone is looking for something, they just have to follow the spider and they will find the right direction!" That's all I have to say. ”
Ps: This chapter transitions, there are more original texts, and the plot is more boring, forgive me. This is followed by the final chapter of the Chamber of Secrets, where Sauron's true power will be first revealed......