Back in Dumbledore's office Minerva had got to her feet and was pacing anxiously. On Dumbledore's desk she noticed some notes mentioning the Chamber of Secrets and with a quick glance around her she began to read through them.
There were a couple of references to Grindelwald, questioning whether this could be down to followers of his. And then underneath, tucked away, a picture. A picture that made her blood run cold. Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Young Dumbledore and young Grindelwald laughing together, wands at the ready, enjoying each other's company. She stared, shaking her head in disbelief. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible.
She dropped the picture and fled from Dumbledore's office back to the Gryffindor common room. She sank into one of the chairs, curled up into a ball and tried to make sense of what she had seen.
Hagrid was standing in the Headmaster's office shaking his head and pleading desperately. "It wasn't Aragog, it wasn't, it wasn't."
"I'm sorry, Hagrid." Dippet told him. "But your creature killed a girl tonight."
"No, no, Aragog wouldn't..."
"You knew the rules, and you deliberately concealed this dangerous creature…"
"Not dangerous…"
"I have no choice but to expel you, Hagrid. I'm afraid I must ask for your wand."
With tears in his eyes Hagrid handed his wand over.
"It will be for the proper authorities to decide on any other punishment, Hagrid," said Dippet gently. "I will recommend leniency, because I am sure that you did not intend this, you were misguided rather than malicious. But I must understand why you wrote the message about the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I didn't," Hagrid sobbed, "I swear I didn't. Please don't send me to Azkaban with them dementors. Please…"
Dumbledore laid a hand on Hagrid's shoulder. "Headmaster Dippet will do all he can." He said reassuringly.
"I will," Dippet said, "Now, you should go and collect your things, quickly now."
Hagrid fled to the Gryffindor tower, while Dippet consulted with Dumbledore. Though he could believe Hagrid would mistakenly keep a dangerous creature as a pet, neither of them could quite believe that he would write the message in blood on the wall.
Hagrid reached the Gryffindor common room, sobbing and shaking. By this time it was late and only Minerva was left in the common room.
"Hagrid?" she asked, horrified at his distress. "Hagrid, what's happened?"
"They think it was me," he gasped. "The Chamber and the attacks, they think it was me. They think I killed someone, but I didn't, I wouldn't, I never. I had a – a spider, Aragog, hidin' in the castle and Riddle found us and they think Aragog is the monster. And now I'm expelled and the Headmaster, he's reporting me. And they'll send the dementors to get me and put me in Azkaban and I don't wanna go, not to Azkaban, not with them dementors, Minerva, I can't, I can't…"
"You won't," said Minvera, her eyes flashing angrily. "I won't let them take you, Hagrid. I promise. If they dare try."
The door opened and Dumbledore and Dippet entered.
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore gently, "You need to come with us now."
Minerva seized her wand. "No." She said.
"Minerva," said Dumbledore gently, "I'm afraid Hagrid is going to have to leave Hogwarts."
Hagrid gave a wail and Minerva stepped in front of him, wand outstretched, facing the two teachers.
"Minerva."
"NO!" She shouted, "NO – IT'S NOT FAIR AND I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM."
"Minerva…"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUCH A GOOD PERSON. BUT I WAS SO WRONG. THERE YOU ARE JUDGING EVERYONE ELSE, CONDEMNING EVERYONE ELSE, CONDEMNING HAGRID FOR A MISTAKE – A MISTAKE, WHEN HE'S STILL A CHILD, AND ALL THE TIME YOU'RE BEST MATES WITH GRINDELWALD. I SAW THE PICTURE IN YOUR OFFICE. YOU AND GRINDELWALD, HAVING FUN TOGETHER…"
"Minerva, that's not what you think…" Dumbledore said desperately.
"What, is it," hissed Minerva sarcastically, "Grindelwald on his day off? A day away from plotting evil so he can socialise with his friend?"
For once Dumbledore seemed to be struggling for words.
"Minerva," Dippet interrupted, his voice firm. "Any association between Grindelwald and Professor Dumbledore is firmly in the past. One photograph of them together on one occasion is not evidence of anything…"
"Really," she scoffed, "BECAUSE ONE VISIT FROM GRINDELWALD TO MY HOME WAS ENOUGH TO BRING THE DEMENTORS DOWN ON US. BUT NOT HIM. NOT GREAT PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE…"
She was waving her wand around madly, her eyes flashing dangerously. Behind her Hagrid whimpered, "Please stop, Minerva, please stop."
On the staircases students were assembling, disturbed from their sleep by the noise, staring bleary eyed at Minerva McGonagall, brandishing her wand threateningly at the Headmaster and their Head of House.
"Minerva!" Dumbledore shouted, "Please listen to me."
She turned her wand on him. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HAGRID TO AZKABAN. I WON'T LET YOU HAND HIM OVER TO THE DEMENTORS. I WON'T LET YOU HURT ANYONE ELSE…" She raised her wand.
Dippet pushed Dumbledore aside, stepping in front of Minerva's wand as she yelled, "STUPEFY!"
The Headmaster of Hogwarts was thrown backwards forcefully, and lay unconscious on the floor.
"Expelliarmus," Dumbledore muttered in the stunned silence that followed, relieving Minerva of her wand. She turned suddenly, raising her hand towards him, a spell on her lips.
"Enough," Dumbledore said, his eyes on her face, whilst also very aware of her raised hand. "I promise that Hagrid will not go to Azkaban, Minerva. I promise that the dementors will not be involved."
"Please, stop," gasped Hagrid behind her, "Please, Minerva, please…"
She finally seemed to register Hagrid's voice, and she lowered her hand and turned to him, "Okay," she told him gently. "I'm sorry, Hagrid."
Dumbledore, after briefly checking on Dippet, and chasing everyone else back to the dormitories stepped forward. "There will be no dementors, Hagrid," he reassured the frightened boy before him, "You will have to leave Hogwarts, but you will be safe. I promise."
Hagrid nodded, sniffing loudly. "I'll get me things."
As he headed up the stairs Minerva and Dumbledore watched him go.
"It's not fair," she said bitterly, "He was getting so good at transfiguration."
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"And you know his dad's dead," snapped Minerva, "And his mum's gone. So where's he going to go? What's going to happen to him now?"
"I'll make sure he's okay," Dumbledore said gently, "I promise."
She looked him straight in the face then, her proud green eyes filled with anger and resentment. "There was time I would have believe you," she said bitterly.
Dumbledore was spared the need to reply by the approach of the now conscious Headmaster.
"Miss McGonagall," said Dippet solemnly, "I think we'd better go to my office, don't you?"
Minerva said nothing, but she turned and headed towards the portrait hole with her head held eye and her eyes cold.
"Bloody hell," said Fred suddenly, breaking everyone's focus from the memory. "And you give us a hard time for a bit of mischief."
"Fred!" Molly Weasley exclaimed.
McGonagall gave a small smile, "I was not myself," she admitted honestly.
Dumbledore just chuckled loudly, "I should warn you," he told the students in the room, "That I consider stunning the Hogwarts Headmaster a very serious matter, particularly for as long as I remain Headmaster."
"On the other hand," McGonagall muttered, almost under her breath, "High Inquisitors…"
"Can we quote you on that, Professor?" asked George.
"I'd rather you didn't, Mr Weasley."
"Were you expelled, Professor?" asked Hermione timidly, bringing the conversation back to the memories they had just watched.
"Not officially," she answered softly, "Professor Dippet and I came to a, sort of… agreement, as I was already of age."
