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Chapter 273 — Dumbledore Is Driven Out!!
"Harry, where are you going?"
Ron whispered as he followed Harry out of the common room.
A ghost floated right past them, so he kept his voice low.
"I'm going to see Hagrid."
"Hagrid? Didn't Darren say he had nothing to do with it?"
Harry nodded once, then shook his head.
"Darren was talking based on Riddle's analysis. Riddle must've been wrong. He framed Hagrid."
Harry lowered his voice.
"But… have you considered this? Maybe Hagrid's pet might've seen the snake."
"You mean…"
"We ask Hagrid to ask his creatures if they've ever seen the Basilisk somewhere."
Ron accepted that immediately.
They started walking through the eerie, quiet corridors, preparing to slip out of the castle.
But the journey wasn't smooth.
Serious-faced professors were patrolling everywhere, ghosts drifted through the halls, and even Peeves was part of the patrol—although he still caused his usual chaos, he didn't object to being there.
"See? Even they think Hogwarts might close after this.
Even Darren couldn't block the Basilisk's gaze. No one else can do it.
I don't want Hogwarts to close. If it does, Darren and I have to go back to my aunt's house.
She's better now, but I still don't like being there. Hogwarts is my home."
Harry said this firmly.
They slipped out of the castle.
When they got to Hagrid's hut, they saw his terrified expression the moment he spotted them.
"How did you—"
Hagrid looked like he wanted to ask how they'd gotten there…
But he suddenly grabbed them, shoved them into a corner, and threw the Invisibility Cloak over them.
"Oh, Hagrid, I'm afraid I bring sad news."
A short, fat man appeared in front of the door.
Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.
He looked like a walking kaleidoscope—every piece of clothing was a different color.
His wizarding hat was still green.
And standing behind him was Lucius Malfoy.
Harry and Ron recognized him immediately—Draco's father.
Lucius's expression was filled with cold contempt.
He glared at Hagrid, then gave a smug, mocking smile.
"Didn't expect this, did you? What you did fifty years ago can still be dug up!"
Harry felt that if he didn't know the truth, even he might have believed Lucius.
Lucius acted as though Hagrid had personally petrified his child.
He looked more righteous than anyone—more than Harry, more than Ron.
"No—it wasn't me, I didn't—!"
Hagrid stammered.
"Oh? If it wasn't you, who was it? You think you can escape this?
Why don't you hurry up and explain how you opened the Chamber of Secrets?"
Lucius spoke sharply.
Harry had to admit: Malfoy's anger was so realistic he couldn't have been faking.
"Enough, Lucius. This must be a misunderstanding."
Thankfully, Dumbledore appeared.
He stepped beside Hagrid, his expression solemn as he looked at Lucius.
Harry noticed Lucius tense—his hand twitched toward his wand.
But he held himself back.
Instead, he said sharply, "Dumbledore, you owe everyone an explanation.
There have been so many attacks. If I were you, I would resign."
"What—how can you say that?"
Fudge glanced between the two of them, uncertain, though Harry noticed the small smile he was trying to hide.
"You can't fire Dumbledore! Without him, who's going to stop what's happening?"
Hagrid roared.
But Lucius just smirked.
He pulled out a parchment.
It was a formal petition to remove Dumbledore from the position of Headmaster.
Every Board member's name was signed.
"See? Dumbledore, everyone's signed. Isn't it time for you to leave?"
Lucius placed the parchment in Dumbledore's hand, cold and triumphant.
Harry stared, struggling to accept that Dumbledore could be removed so easily.
Dumbledore was too powerful—too important.
Yet Dumbledore didn't resist.
"Of course I will go," he said calmly. "But rest assured—at this school, whoever needs me will always find help."
Harry felt those words were directed at him.
And he didn't doubt it at all.
Dumbledore had given him the Invisibility Cloak—of course he knew Harry was there.
But still… driven out, just like that?
Harry watched in shock as Dumbledore left.
As soon as he was gone, Hagrid stopped arguing with Fudge.
He straightened his coat and said loudly,
"If anyone wants answers, maybe they should follow the spiders.
That's the right path. Oh—and someone'll need to feed Fang for me!"
And with that, Hagrid left with Fudge.
Lucius lingered alone in the hut.
He stared around the room, as if remembering something, then turned and followed.
"It's over. Dumbledore's fired, Hagrid's taken, and Hogwarts is definitely going to close."
The atmosphere the next day was even heavier.
But there was one piece of good news: Darren was discharged from the hospital wing.
When he saw Harry and Ron, he looked guilty—even ashamed. He didn't dare meet their eyes.
Harry and Ron assumed he finally realized that throwing himself into danger was a bad habit.
Instead, Darren said miserably:
"I'm sorry… I didn't save Hermione. I was so close… and then—"
He bowed his head.
"In the end, it's all my fault. I failed everyone again. I even hurt Hermione."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
Harry and Ron were speechless.
"It's my fault… I thought I understood Darren better. Wow."
"Darren, think about yourself for once. You got petrified too.
If you hadn't been carrying that antidote, you'd still be lying there like Hermione.
And Hermione was petrified by the snake, not by you!"
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