Cornelius Fudge
On the way back to their common room from the classes, Harry whispered about Riddle's diary to Ron and Hermione, not before ensuring that no one could hear him.
"Who's there", Hermione called out, all of a sudden, making Harry and Ron turn around.
They were certain they had caught a flash of red, and they couldn't all be seeing things.
"Maybe it was just a bird or something", Aelurus suggested.
"Yes, you right. It must be a bird or something", Sciurus shook her head.
Turning around, they made their way back to the common room.
***
"Potter, Weasley, come with me", Professor Snape commanded.
Harry and Ron looked at each other, perplexed before following their head of house out their common room.
"There has been another attack", Snape said gravely.
They entered the hospital wing, where, lying on the beds were, a Ravenclaw prefect they recognised and,
"HERMIONE!", they yelled.
There was no mistaking the untameable brown ringlets, the shining tanned skin, the chestnut eyes, which were blank and open.
***
The dup were making their way to Hagrid's hut. They figured that all this Chamber business happening all over again, he must be distressed.
"What in the, oh it's yeh lot. Come on in."
Hagrid looked strangely disturbed and pressurised.
"Hagrid, are you alright", Delphinus asked.
"Course I am, why wouldn't I be", Hagrid laughed, though he clearly didn't meet their eyes.
"Hagrid we-"
However, right then there was a knock on the door, and purely out of instinct, they casted wandless disillusionment charms on themselves.
"Good evening, Hagrid."
It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man.
The stranger had rumpled grey 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.
"That's Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic", Ron hissed, almost inaudibly to Harry.
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. Five attacks. 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--"
"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--"
"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.
"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler.
"I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something.
If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty--"
"Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?"
"For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes.
"Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology--"
"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.
Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.
Dumbledore answered it. It was Harry's turn for an elbow in the ribs; he'd let out an audible gasp.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.
"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good..."
"What're you doin'here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"
"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your - er - d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin.
"I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."
"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.
"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors 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? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it?
At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."
"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended - no, no - last thing we want just now."
"The appointment - or suspension - of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly.
"And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks--"
"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"
"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted--"
Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.
An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.
"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy.
"I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."
"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket.
"Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"
"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.
"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside--"
"But -" stuttered Fudge.
"No!" growled Hagrid.
Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold grey ones.
"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
For a second, Harry was almost sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered toward the corner where he and Ron were hidden.
"Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy, bowing.
"We shall all miss your - er - highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor willl manage to prevent any - ah - killins."
He strode to the cabin door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out.
Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath, and said carefully, "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders.
That'd lead em right. That's all I'm sayin'."
Fudge stared at him in amazement.
"All right, I'm comin', said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat.
But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, "An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away."
The door banged shut and they cancelled the disillusionment charm.
"We're in trouble now," Ron said hoarsely. "No Dumbledore.
They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."
Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.