Charmolypi

Chapter 73

The scene changed showing the clearing before Hagrid's hut in the dead of night. Suddenly, Ron and Harry appeared out of thin air and Harry quickly started folding and putting away his cloak. The boys rushed to the Hut, knocking quickly, worried that they'd get caught.

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

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you two doin' here?"

"Do you really have a weapon on you, Hagrid?"

"Is that even safe?"

"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 tea —" He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. 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 Harry. "Did you hear about Hermione?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.

He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them both large mugs of boiling water and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door. Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchanged panic-stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.

"No!"

"What's going to happen?"

"Watching this is so stressful."

"Good evening, Hagrid." It was Dumbledore. He entered the Hut, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very off-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.

Many turned to the young ministry official, who had been seated beside

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!" Harry elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up. Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

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

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

"Don't worry Hagrid, I know you wouldn't be the source of that danger at our school," Dumbledore told the half giant.

Hagrid smiled tearfully at the headmaster.

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

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

"He's not a very promising minister, is he?" Minerva whispered to Poppy and Moody who both nodded in agreement.

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before.