After eating a quick lunch and hearing vague whispers about Mr. Riddle's lessons in the great hall, Harry and Ron rushed down to Hagrid's. They knew that the gameskeeper had previously known Mr. Riddle, and that the relationship between them had resulted in Hagrid being expelled from Hogwarts and having his wand being snapped in two by authorities.
"Do you think he'll confess? To, you know, getting Hagrid expelled?" Ron asked Harry as they strolled down the steep hill.
"Wait! Slow down, I want to talk to Hagrid too!" A voice behind them shouted. The shriek startled Ron, and the steep and bumpy down ward sloping hill together with shock sent Ron tumbling down.
Hermione sprinted down to her two best friends, helping Harry heave up Ron.
"Bloody hell, Hermione! We thought you were reading or somewhere being clever or something like that." Ron said, brushing grass and dead leaves out of his hair.
"Do you really think I would put my great intelligence in front of seeing Hagrid?" She jokily said, flipping back her hair and giggling to complete the boasting act and taking a beetle out of Ron's ginger locks.
They continued to walk down the hill which eventually began to flatten out as they became in closer proximity to the small hut that belonged to the half-giant. After discussing potions class, Hermione noticed several people outside of Hagrid's front door.
"Look, I'm not saying Snape did swear at me, but when my cauldron spouted huge purple bubbles instead of a clear colourless liquid, he definitely had a curse on his tongu-"
"Who are they?" Hermione interrupted Ron with a tone of fear in her voice.
"That's ministry officials…" Ron replied anxiously. All three looked unsure at what was happening outside the hut.
"Quick- Let's find out." Harry began running towards the group of wizards in huge emerald green robes rapping on the door. Hermione and Ron continued to follow Harry with great uncertainty. They heard Fang bark at the front door and scrape his huge paws at it from the inside and Hagrid shout: "You big stupid dog…Who is it today, then? Better be the three musketeers…"
When Hagrid opened the front door to see a gang of ministry officials he began to shake and mumble a few words in surprise, but the ministry official who stood at the front door held up a hand and spoke.
"Rubeus Hagrid, by Mr. Tom Riddle confessing to being a false cause for your expulsion you will be given a new wand and have night classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to finish your educational career. Anything else you would like to say can be sent, by owl, to the ministry under Wand Disposal Unit, Department 376, Ministry of Magic, London."
When the green robed man had finished, great tears fell down the red cheeks of Hagrid. He smiled, nodded his head in gratitude and seeing a large oblong box handed to him by another, obviously less senior member of the group (who almost dropped it and blushed violent tones of magenta), whispered 'thankyou' repeatedly. He took the box in his hands and opened it slowly to reveal one of the largest wands Harry, Ron and Hermione had ever seen. Their bottom jaws dropped in shock. It was double the length of theirs.
Holding it upright and thrusting his arm up, Hagrid sent red sparks shooting into the sky. He laughed with great joy
"That is all." The officials said, and turning around then wandered off back to the school, their velvet robes swishing behind them.
"Hagrid." Hermione whispered, smiling and putting her hand on his shoulder, "I'm so happy for you!"
"C'mon, you three, let's have a cuppa." Hagrid said, his voice full of life. He chucked a steak to Fang and boiled a pan of water.
They sat down at his table, putting teabags in large mugs and eating biscuits the size of car wheels ("My own recipe." Hagrid added as they bit into them). They just sat there, thinking separate thoughts, but connected together, pondering quietly to themselves.
This blissful silence was interrupted by Hagrid scraping his chair loudly as he stood up and wandered over to the kitchen table.
"Oh yeah… Me and Tom- Mr. Riddle to you- had a chat earlier and he said to give this note to you." Hagrid said.
Harry opened the folded note and gasped in shock.
Ron and Hermione peered over his shoulder and themselves repeated Harry's reaction.
The note read:
My lessons will take place in somewhere that has seen powerful magic, and is personal to me and, unfortunately, to some of you.
In investigating how to defend ourselves against dark magic, we must see and understand the basics of it.
At the start of your lesson go to the girl's bathroom and stand by the sinks. I will meet you there.
-Mr. Riddle
PS: Ignore Myrtle