Ravenclaw's Sapphire

"Sorry, Harry, Ron, sorry... I didn't expect Hermione, Hermione, to suffer such misfortune... I..." Hagrid kept sticking his tablecloth-sized handkerchief on himself face, to wipe away the tears and snot all over his face.His crying sounded like thunder. Although Harry and Ron understood his feelings, they didn't want to comfort him now, because they knew that Hagrid would give them a bear hug, with enough force to strangle a bear.

Hagrid blew his nose clean, then threw his handkerchief aside.Sobbing, he picked up the big teapot on the table: "Another cup of tea?" At the same time, he pushed the rock cake towards the two of them.

Harry tried his best to put on a smiling face so that Hagrid wouldn't notice their strangeness, "It's okay Hagrid, we're not hungry." Ron looked at the cakes with gray skins in fear. He almost broke his teeth when he ate them last time. .

"Yeah, something happened to Hermione, how could you be in the mood to eat?" Hagrid looked a little absent-minded, he let the tea overflow the cup when he poured the tea, and Fangya sat on the corner of the table, scorching hot The tea was so hot that he jumped up and fled to the side screaming.Hagrid's abnormal state was not just because of Hermione's attack, he seemed to know more and was more disturbed.Harry didn't know why he felt that way, but he decided to follow his instincts and try.

"Hagrid, we have something to ask you."

"W-what?" Hagrid seemed taken aback.

"About the Chamber of Secrets...I mean, do you know anything about the monster that caused all this?" Harry asked, and Ron on the side also asked, "Yeah, you used to be a student at Hogwarts, but You never told us..."

"When, of course, I was a student at Hogwarts... 'was', in fact when I was in school they charged me with a crime and kicked me out of school..." Hagrid teased With his own shaggy beard, he looked a little melancholy, "If it wasn't for Professor Dumbledore, my life would be over, and he also found me a job-god, what a respectable person!"

He touched the sad place and shed tears again.Although this big man is burly and majestic, he is a sensitive and kind person.

The two waited for Hagrid's mood to stabilize before Harry asked again: "Uh, Hagrid, but why? They can't drive you away for no reason, they need a reason, a high-sounding..."

"I don't want to talk about that, Harry." Hagrid sank into the wooden chair, and the boys thought he was going to crush the poor chair because it was creaking under the weight.

Ron gave Harry a look. They didn't seem to be able to get any more information from Hagrid.An hour ago, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were preparing to start the match, but Professor McGonagall hurried over and announced that the match was cancelled.

She sternly asked every student to go back to the lounge and not to run out without permission, but took the two boys away.They walked through the dark corridor and came to the infirmary room with more light. Only then did Professor McGonagall's cold and hard lines soften, and a sad mood appeared that surprised Harry.

"Weasley, Potter, you must be mentally prepared."

She took them into the infirmary, and they immediately saw Madam Pomfrey, who was talking to the professor of herbalism. She frowned and complained to Professor Sprout, who promised her that it would be soon She can get a batch of high-quality mandrakes: "They have already started to show symptoms of mass depression. I bury them in the pot, and these mandrakes will be used as medicine soon."

The boys said hello to the two adults. Their sympathetic eyes made the boys frightened. In addition, Hermione hadn't been seen since the morning. Harry felt his temples bulge. He has the same idea.

The distance was only a few short steps. Professor McGonagall lifted the white curtain, and Harry was startled. He saw a figure bent over in front of him, with his head buried in the sheet, motionless.This figure looks familiar.

Then he turned his gaze to the two beds side by side. Hermione Granger was lying on one of the beds. She was in the same state as Mrs. Norris, her body was frozen, her eyes were open but her eyeballs did not move. It seemed petrified (Harry felt Ron's hand holding his arm restrain his strength), and the other lay a girl he didn't know, with a towel on her head, pursing her lips as if trapped Falling into a deep sleep, the girl frowned and breathed heavily.

"Miss Siegel, drink some water."

Madam Pomfrey came over and patted the other girl on the back worriedly. The girl was silent for a long time, shaking her head without turning around.

"What's going on...she, Hermione...why did this happen!" Ron gritted his teeth, and Harry pulled him back.

"There's nothing we can do right now, Ron." Harry could feel himself unexpectedly calm, as if there was a belief in his head supporting him, telling him to act rationally.His only regret was that Hermione hadn't told them what she'd found, because she was so stubborn that the puzzle had to be fully solved first, and had missed the time to tell them.

"Are we just going to let it go?" Ron said angrily.

"Of course not. Obviously there is another insider here." Harry looked at Zooey. "She will tell us the truth?" Ron expressed doubts.

"I think so." Harry took a deep breath, "because Hermione was the one who got hurt this time."

But not now, the boys agreed.At least let Zooey calm down first.So they went to Hagrid's cabin and told him the sad news.

*****

The door was knocked loudly.Contrary to Harry's expectations, Hagrid jumped up as if his ass was on fire.He stood still by the door at first, with his hand stretched forward, hesitating whether to just open the door just like that, and he even glanced in Harry's direction for help.

The knock on the door became urgent, and Harry walked around to the window of Hagrid's cabin. The window was covered with a thin layer of gray, and the scenery outside the window could still be seen clearly. Harry saw Dumbledore, and a man in a pinstriped suit with hands The fat man with the top hat in his hand - he was the one who knocked on the door just now, but there was no response, and his expression gradually became impatient.

"Wow, I know this guy!" exclaimed Ron. "This guy is my dad's boss, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge!"

Harry pushed him, and the two boys quickly hid in the corner and stood up. Hagrid's hut was very narrow, and there was almost no place to hide, but they stood in the shadows. the son exposes himself.

Hagrid's body shook violently, he couldn't pretend he wasn't there, and opened the door tremblingly.

"Rubus Hagrid?" Fudge took out his handkerchief again to wipe his sweat. After seeing Hagrid himself, he was taken aback, especially since he could only reach Hagrid's chest, "Um... Kang Nelly Fudge, I'm from the Ministry of Magic."

"I understand, sir." Hagrid's forehead was sweating unconsciously, "What can you do, sir?" He thought with a glimmer of hope that maybe the other party just came to visit him and ask him for some information.

"It's a pity, Hagrid, the attacks still haven't stopped, it's still happening - even pure-blood wizards have been injured by it, everyone is very nervous..." Fudge forced a smirk on his face, Harry felt that he was absent-minded, must have There were more important things bothering him, because his eyes had been fixed on Hagrid since he entered the door, and he didn't notice the others at all.

"I think you understand what I mean... this is also a last resort..."

"No, I don't understand, sir! I didn't do anything, you can't—Professor Dumbledore knows that I didn't do the injury!" Hagrid couldn't help but back away, and he said something that surprised the two boys .

Dumbledore frowned, and his expression never relaxed: "Yes, Connelly, I always believe in Hagrid, whether it was 50 years ago or now."

Harry assured Dumbledore that he saw them, as his distinctive penetrating gaze swept over them, but he acted as if he didn't see them, and was only discouraging Fudge.

"Hagrid has a criminal record, Dumbledore. We can first ask him to go back to the Ministry of Magic to investigate... Once we find the real criminal, we will send him back with a sincere apology." Fudge looked at Hagrid, Was he still expecting Hagrid to go along with his suggestion?Hagrid's face turned blue: "Back to the Ministry of Magic?" There was real fear in his voice, "Aren't you talking about—Azkaban?"

Dumbledore couldn't let the Ministry of Magic take Hagrid away, he stopped Fudge, "Connelly, the Ministry of Magic's accusation against Hagrid is false, we now know what the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is - it's a basilisk. Hagrid can't keep a basilisk."

Everyone's faces were distorted to varying degrees, or because of surprise, fear and doubt, Harry swore he saw Hagrid's surprised expression for a moment - he always had a soft spot for the most dangerous creatures.Fudge seemed to have been punched hard by someone, his face turned pale, "Snake, basilisk?! Hogwarts has a basilisk!"

He looked at Dumbledore: "The Ministry of Magic banned hatching basilisks centuries ago!"

"You can go to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin and see if you want to give him a ticket." Dumbledore folded his hands, and he hid his wise gaze behind his glasses again, "Kang Nelly, now you should know why the culprit can't be Hagrid - only a Parseltongue can manipulate basilisks and make them obey. And Rubeus Hagrid is just an ordinary wizard, he can't be the one who manipulates monsters .”

Foggy sweat is pouring down like rain, his eyes are wandering, Dumbledore is right, since ancient times, it is not that there are no ordinary people raising basilisks, but countless bloody lessons tell everyone that they are just looking for death, only a real Parseltongue It is common sense in the magic world to be able to control the basilisk.

"This... this..." He racked his brains, trying to find a breakthrough, but he didn't even dare to look at Dumbledore. He came today because he couldn't bear the pressure from some people and wanted to find a breakthrough first. A scapegoat, so as to appease those dissatisfaction first, instead of finding the real murderer.

But Dumbledore told him bluntly of his mistake, no matter how thick-skinned he was, Fudge couldn't just take Hagrid away like this, he had to worry about Dumbledore's opinion.

Dumbledore is about to succeed, Harry thought.The words of Fudge's abandonment have come to their lips, if it weren't for the sudden appearance of malicious people, they could continue to sit in Hagrid's room now, discuss this incident with him who has relaxed, and drink some tea (rock skin except for pancakes), and looking for a way to help Hermione.