A Hogwarts Legend: Round Two [2]

Chapter Twenty Five

It's a clear, starry night. We hurry towards the lighted windows of Hagrid's house, and pull off the Cloak only when we're right outside his front door.

Seconds after we have knocked, Hagrid flings it open. I find myself face to face, with him aiming a crossbow at us, Fang the boarhound barking loudly behind him.

"Oh," he says, lowering the weapon and staring at us. "What're you three doin' here?"

"What's that for?" says Harry, pointing at the crossbow as we step inside.

"Nothin' ... nothin'," Hagrid mutters. "I've bin expectin' ... doesn't matter ... Sit down ... I'll make tea ..."

He hardly seems to know what he's doing. He nearly extinguishes the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashes the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

"Are you okay, Hagrid?" I ask. "Did you hear about the attacks?"

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

He keeps glancing nervously at the windows. He pours us large mugs of boiling water (he's forgotten to add tea bags) and is just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate, when there's a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid drops the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchange panic-stricken looks, I throw the Invisibility Cloak back over us and retreat into a corner. Hagrid checks that we're hidden, seizes his crossbow and flings open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

It's Dumbledore. He enters, looking deadly serious, and is followed by a second, very odd-looking man.

The stranger is a short, portly man with rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression. He's wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pin-striped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carries a lime-green bowler.

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breaths. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"

Mmmmm, fudge!

I elbow Ron hard to make him shut up.

Hagrid has gone pale and sweaty. He drops into one of his chairs and looks from Dumbledore to Fudge.

"Bad business, Hagrid," says Fudge, in a rather clipped tone. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns and two on Half-bloods. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never," says Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore, "you know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir ..."

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

"Look, Albus," says 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," says Dumbledore. His blue eyes are full of a fire I've never seen before.

"Look at it from my point of view," says 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 -"