Link of Hogwarts

Twenty-Two

Despite their plan for the book, school life gets in the way and the matter on the book was soon forgotten in favor of more immediate duties such as school works and exams. But once exams were over, Link and friends caught sight of Hagrid being escorted by wizards in uniform, his large hands shackled together.

Alarmed, Link called out, "Hagrid!"

But before they could reach him, the gentle giant was whisked away with the wizards. Ron groaned, "He's been teleported using a Portkey,"

Hermione looked at him, "But why? Where are they taking him?"

Neville frowned, "He's being treated like a criminal. I mean, did you see those shackles?"

Hermione shook her head, "But Hagrid haven't done anything! I mean, there's last year with the dragon, but that meant he would have been charged last year!"

Link turned back to the castle, "Let's ask the ghosts or the portraits!"

Ron asked, "Why them?"

"Because they never leave Hogwarts, so they should know stuff other people neglects or forgets!"

So the friends walked around, asking. They knew Hagrid was an expelled student, his wand was snapped but Link knew Hagrid hid its pieces in his pink umbrella which made him a sort of pseudo-wizard. Just like how he had always known things, Link knew all of the right questions to ask and all the right approach to get his answers. But he didn't let it bother him; his friend's in trouble.

Apparently fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets had been opened once but the perpetrator had been caught. The one who caught and revealed the perpetrator was a T.M Riddle, a Head Boy from Slytherin House. After they were caught, the attacks stopped although it was too late as one life had been taken by whatever monster from Chamber of Secrets.

But the problem was the student that was caught was Hagrid.

Hermione looked at their compiled answers, once again jotted down by Link and summarized in a way that can be understood from the hundreds of answers they received by both ghosts and tapestries. She shook her head in confusion, "Hagrid can't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin!"

Ron nodded, "Plus, he's a Gryffindor! What's an Heir of Slytherin doing in the House of Lion?"

Neville sighed, "Maybe...he was framed? I mean, it's easy enough to think Hagrid caused the death of this student fifty years back. After all, he loves dangerous creatures,"

Link nodded, "He must have been caught smuggling a dangerous pet. He did mention something about keeping dangerous creatures in Hogwarts like the dragon not being his first time whenever we brought up the topic of Norberta,"

Ron nodded, "Not to mention, Hagrid sucks at keeping secrets. Also, he adores Dumbledore. He won't do anything that would put the Headmaster in danger!"

Hermione added, "Apparently the Headmaster was the only one who believed in Hagrid's innocence fifty years back,"

Ron leaned back and wrapped his arms across his chest, "So we are back at square one. If we don't catch whoever caused these attacks, Hagrid will be held accountable for Merlin knows how long,"

That weekend, the group of boys came up to a trashed room after lunch. Ron gawked at the sight of his upturned properties, "What happened here?"

Dean and Seamus, who was busy cleaning up their things, shrugged. Seamus looked at them, "Check your stuff. See if anything's missing. Mine all accounted for,"

Dean groaned, "My posters!"

While Dean complained about his ruined Muggle posters, having been treated harshly by whomever it was that trashed their room the three friends looked through their own things. It was later at dinner that Neville reported, "That book, journal or whatever, it's missing,"

Ron nodded but was busy stuffing his face with steak so Link added, "Whoever threw the book away must have wanted it back,"

Neville nodded, "Why though?"

Hermione looked around, "Have you boys seen Ginny?"

Hearing his sister's name, Ron swallowed his food (Link had threatened the boy with bodily harm if he speaks with his mouth full once) and asked, "What about Ginny?"

Hermione sighed, "I know we seldom talk to the Firsties, so I only overheard that Ginny have been isolating herself a lot lately. Then the past few days after exams, the girls in her year said she went bonkers in the middle of the night. Scared them but they thought she was having nightmares so they didn't bother telling Prof McGonagall,"

Ron frowned before nodding, "I'll talk to Percy,"

Ron tried talking to Percy but his brother was missing. So he decided to ask tomorrow, thinking that the elder Weasley was busy doing his Prefect's duties. However the next morning still produce no Percy. When he asked the twins, they both shook in the negative; they haven't seen Percy either.

It was during breakfast that Percy's where about was revealed but in the worse way possible. A Slytherin Third Year found the Prefect petrified with a fellow Prefect from Ravenclaw, water all around them, near the hallways leading to the dungeon.

Ron looked at his stiff third brother with the twins, Ginny still missing; as he was placed on the bed in the infirmary. His hands gripped into white knuckled fists.

The day was then focused on figuring out the type of creature that could petrify its victims, scares the spiders, and traverse through Hogwarts without being noticed. Each one of the friends could only think of the lists of clues written down by Link despite being in class. The day was almost over when Hermione decided to go for a quick visit to the library.

They would have accompanied her but she insisted that she will be fine, that there will be others with her in the library.

They regretted that decision later as Hermione was later found petrified with a mirror in her hand...

Only Link noticed her closed fist holding something. Digging, he finally managed to take out the piece of note from her notebook that Hermione was fond of using. A single word written on paper; pipes...