"Fear not those who argue but those who dodge."
-Marie Von Ebner-Eschenback
A/N: I truly don't know if the Slytherin I chose is in fact Muggle-born, but since there's no proof either way, I just decided on this person. You'll see who it is soon. Enjoy!
Yesterday, late at night, Hagrid had been taken away by Fudge. Harry had watched as Dumbledore, Fudge, and Hagrid stayed in Hagrid's cabin, and had witnessed the two dots of Hagrid and Fudge move off the map. But he didn't know where Hagrid had been taken, although he did know why.
He presumed that Hagrid had been taken because of what had happened fifty years ago. Because Dumbledore was the school's headmaster, he needed to seem like he was doing something about the Chamber of Secrets being open; and Fudge, the Minister of Magic, definitely needed to appear as if he and the Ministry were doing something for the situation. He couldn't appear to be just sitting idly by.
Hagrid being taken by Fudge, the message on the wall, and Hermione being Petrified was all anyone would talk about at breakfast the next day. The Great Hall was swarming with students who were moving back and forth between the tables to talk about it.
"Someone told me Hagrid was taken by the Minister of Magic!"
"Did you hear about the writing on the wall?"
"It said 'Slytherin,' so I'm guessing it was one."
"Of course, who else would it be?"
"I can't believe Hermione Granger was Petrified! I would have thought that the know-it-all would be able to defend herself."
"Guess not."
The talk continued all day. Harry could hear students murmuring as he went to class, as he proceeded to lunch, and even later that day as he trudged to dinner.
"Malfoy! Potter! Did you hear about what was written on the wall yesterday?" Flint asked as he walked over.
"Yeah," said Draco. "Who do you think did it?"
"Not sure. But all the other Houses think it's you, Potter," Flint said. "If I were you, I'd use that to my benefit."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Use it how?"
"If people thought I was the heir, I'd use that to scare them!"
"Oi, Flint!" Higgs called from further down the table. "Where's Bletchley?"
Flint shrugged. "How the hell do I know?" He turned to look at Harry and Draco. "See ya around, Heir of Slytherin."
Harry gave him a look, but Flint hardly noticed since he was laughing. Draco shrugged casually, going back to his food.
As Harry stuffed part of a baked potato in his mouth, he thought about Hagrid. Where had they taken him? Was there a wizard prison? Was that where he was at the moment? Harry had no idea, but he hoped Hagrid was all right.
He then thought of Hermione. She was probably lying in a bed in the Hospital Wing, stiff as a board. His gaze landed on Ron, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table. Ron was staring, dejectedly, at a half-empty plate before him, his right hand holding a fork loosely as his left hand lay in his lap. He seemed to know Harry was watching him because he looked up, and their eyes met for a moment.
"I am so full right now," Blaise said to his left, as he massaged his stomach.
"Let's go back to the common room," said Draco.
"Harry, you wanna play a game of Exploding Snap or Chess?" Blaise asked. Harry nodded.
"I'll play the winner," said Draco.
Harry, Draco, and Blaise were near the front of the group of Slytherins as they made their way down to the Dungeons. Flint, Pucey, Higgs, and two other older students were walking in front of them, laughing.
Higgs said, "Heir" to the wall, and soon they were entering the Slytherin common room. But suddenly Flint and the others stopped, as did their laughing. Harry could hear a shrill whistling coming from the common room as he walked around Flint to see what had made him stop, literally, in his tracks.
Miles Bletchley, the Keeper for the Slytherin Quidditch team, was standing off to the side near the fireplace, his body stiff. He was Petrified. He was holding a glass Sneakoscope up to his eyes, looking through it. His face didn't hold a look of fear, like Hermione's had.
The number of Slytherin's began to grow as they continued to enter in the room. When some older boys saw Bletchley, they began to laugh, almost hysterically. "I didn't know Bletchley was a Mudblood!"
Harry just stared at Bletchley. The third year had no idea that for the rest of his school years he would be an outcast. No Slytherin can be Muggle-born. Or if they were, they had to hide it. And Bletchley had hid it well, but now it had come out into the open, and he was ruined.
"I'll be right back," Harry said to Draco. "Dumbledore has to know about this."
Very quickly, he made his way through the growing number of Slytherins. The group extended out in the corridor. Harry could hear his footsteps as he ran up to the Great Hall. Dumbledore had been there for dinner; perhaps he was finishing his desert.
Luckily, his headmaster was still there. He ran down the middle isle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to the Staff table. He stopped at the end, panting, trying to catch his breath.
Dumbledore stood up. "What is it, Harry?"
"Someone else has been Petrified," said Harry.
"Who?"
"Miles Bletchley."
Dumbledore seemed to stop for a moment, glancing at Harry, but then walked swiftly forward. Harry followed him all the way back down to the common room. When they got there, the Slytherins moved away to make space for the headmaster. Dumbledore went to Bletchley and looked at his stiffened body.
"Harry, take that piece of parchment," instructed Dumbledore, pointing to a nearby table. "Write the word 'alert' on it. Then fold it and write 'Cornelius Fudge.' I hope it's okay if I use your owl. That piece of parchment must get to the Minister of Magic. Do so quickly."
Without further ado, Harry ran over to the table, took the parchment, and began to write what Dumbledore told him. When he was done, he ran with the parchment all the way up to the Owlry, stopping only when he needed air.
"Hedwig, you have to take this to the Minister of Magic, okay? You have to be quick," Harry explained to his white owl. Hedwig hooted understandingly before flying off.
Harry watched Hedwig fly off into the distance for half a minute, and then walked out of the owl dropping-filled room into the corridors. He then made his way back down to the Slytherin common room slowly. It was empty when he went in, except for Dumbledore, Snape, and the Petrified body of Bletchley.
The Potions Master turned to look at him when he entered. "Why aren't you downstairs with the others, Potter?"
"It's all right, Severus," said Dumbledore. "I had a small task for him. And now I have another for you, Harry. While Mr. Bletchley's body is being moved, I want you to wait at the entrance doors for the Minister of Magic. Bring him to the entrance of my office, which is where I will meet you."
"Can I retrieve something my dormitory first, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Yes, of course."
Harry ran down the stairs quickly, knowing Snape was watching him as he did. When he opened the door to his dormitory, Draco and Blaise jumped off their beds, coming toward him. Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott sat on their bed, watching. He knew they had questions and it showed on their faces, but he didn't have time to answer.
"I can't talk right now," Harry said quickly. "I have to do something for Dumbledore."
"But you just did something for Dumbledore. You sent that letter," said Draco. "What else do you have to do?"
"It concerns the Minister of Magic," said Harry. "It should take a minute, but I'm not planning on coming back for a little bit more than that."
He reached into his trunk, grabbing his Invisibility Cloak and his Conglomerate Stone. He could tell the conversation between Dumbledore and Fudge was going to be important and he wanted to hear it.
"What're you going on about? Why is the Minister of Magic coming? And why aren't you coming back for a while?" Draco asked in quick succession. He looked uncertain and slightly worried.
Harry turned to his best friend as he stuffed his Invisibility Cloak in his pocket, making sure it was unseen. "Don't think too much about it," he said. He began to walk to the door. "And don't wait up for me. I'll tell you what happens tomorrow." He then exited the room, closing the door behind him.
"Good evening, Minister," Harry said to the man in the bowler hat as he came up the steps.
"I don't know how good it is, young man," Fudge said. "I'm not here for good reasons."
"I know, sir," Harry replied.
Fudge turned to look at him as they went through the entrance doorway. His eyes darted to his scar, and Harry knew Fudge knew who he was. But he didn't really think about it, he had to get the Minister up to the seventh floor and to the entrance of Dumbledore's office.
"Who was the person Petrified, Mr. Potter?" Fudge asked as they got to the first floor.
"A Slytherin named Miles Bletchley."
"I see," said Fudge. "That's six Petrified, seven including Myrtle."
"Myrtle?" Harry asked. "The ghost?"
"Fifty years ago she was killed by Slytherin's monster when the Chamber was open," Fudge explained. Harry nodded, finally knowing how she had come to be a ghost of Hogwarts.
A door on the second floor opened. Fudge and Harry turned to see Professor Parish looking out of his office. Harry saw that he looked tired; his eyes were slightly droopy and his hair was somewhat messy. "Harry, what are you doing?" Parish asked. "Hello, Minister."
"I'm bringing the Minister to Dumbledore's office, Professor," said Harry.
"Okay. Good evening then," Parish said with a yawn and a nod. He closed the door.
Harry and Fudge continued up the rest of the way without any other distractions. When they got there, they only had to wait a minute for Dumbledore to arrive.
"Good evening, Cornelius," Dumbledore said as he walked forward softly, his dark blue robe billowing behind him.
"Hello, Dumbledore," said Fudge. "I think its best we get to our conversation."
"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore, a small twinkle in his eyes. "You may go back to your dormitory." Harry nodded, going back down the corridor.
He waited until Fudge and Dumbledore had gone up the escalator-like stairs before taking out his Invisibility Cloak and throwing it over himself. Then he crept toward the stairs, wondering if his presence would be known if he were invisible. It was. The statues before the headmaster's office stopped him from going any further.
Harry tried a couple of candies, knowing that Dumbledore always had a candy as his password. When he found the right one ("Acid Pop," Harry said.), he went up the steps. The door was closed, like it always was, but Harry could hear the somewhat mumbled voices of Dumbledore and Fudge, as he stood next to the door, his ear at the crack between the door and its frame.
"–I have done what you have already asked, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "And then some."
"Yes, I know. I heard," said Fudge. "But, apparently, it's not enough. Students can't keep being Petrified. Eventually, something much worse will happen. I'm thinking it and I know you are, too. If nothing can be done, the school will have to be shut down."
"I know," Dumbledore said, grimly.
"I'm sorry, Dumbledore. It's the only way."
"I understand, Cornelius. I just have sympathy for the students that have nowhere else to go and to the students who would have come here."
"Believe me, I don't want Hogwarts closed just as much as you; you even more so, I know," said Fudge, "so, if you can figure out how to stop this monster and stop all the attacks then it'll be forgotten on my part."
There was silence for a moment, then Fudge asked, "What do you think can be done, Dumbledore?"
"At the moment, no student is allowed out past six. They must also walk with another student, so no one is alone. And the teachers have been escorting their students to their next classes," said Dumbledore. "The only way, I see, is if Slytherin's monster and the Heir of Slytherin himself is caught."
"That would be a miracle," Fudge said casually.
"He has to be around here somewhere. It's only a matter of time."
As Harry stood beside the door, he heard footsteps behind him and the occasional thud of a cane. He turned under the cloak to see blond-haired, black-cloaked, cane-carrying Lucius Malfoy.
"He?" asked Fudge. "You have an idea who it is?"
"Yes, I have an idea."
"We can take the student in for questioning, and have him watched," said Fudge.
When Mr. Malfoy came closer, Harry could see part of a sheet of parchment sticking out of his right robe pocket.
"I don't think that would work," Dumbledore said simply.
"Why not?"
Mr. Malfoy knocked twice on the door. After doing so, he quickly wiped the front of his robes and brushed some hair back. Malfoy's always had to look respectable, Harry knew.
When the door was opened, Harry peered in. Fudge was standing by the door as Mr. Malfoy walked into the room. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, his fingers intertwined as he stared ahead at Mr. Malfoy. Just before the door was closed by Fudge, Dumbledore said, "Good evening, Lucius."
The door was closed and the words seemed a bit more muffled, but Harry listened on.
"Good evening, Dumbledore," Mr. Malfoy replied. "Good evening, Minister."
"What brings you to my office, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked, almost curtly.
Harry heard the sound of something being slammed onto Dumbledore's desk. He guessed it to be the parchment that had been Mr. Malfoy's pocket.
"This," said Mr. Malfoy. "Nothing is being done to stop the attacks at this school. You're not doing anything to stop the attacks at this school. The governors feel as though you're losing your touch, Dumbledore. They've called for your temporary removal as headmaster of Hogwarts."
"I see all the governors signatures are signed here," said Dumbledore.
"Lucius, that's not necessary," said Fudge. "We're handling the situation."
"No offense, Minister," said Mr. Malfoy, "but I, and the other governors, think the situation is not being handled as well as it should be. Until further notice, Dumbledore is no longer in charge of this school."
"Is there more than what meets the eye to your not wanting me to be headmaster, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"Not at all, Dumbledore," Mr. Malfoy said. "The–"
"Lucius, this is ridiculous!" interrupted Fudge. "Dumbledore must remain here. The students must know that there headmaster is here and working on a solution."
"There is no solution that he or you are working on! How many students and families are you going to fool when more people are attacked?" Mr. Malfoy asked.
"Dumbledore, this is–"
Dumbledore must have made a gesture to make Fudge stop because there was silence for a moment. Then Harry's headmaster spoke. "If Lucius and the other governors feel I should be temporarily removed, then I will certainly renounce my title as headmaster."
Harry heard Dumbledore quickly scribble something on parchment before getting out of his chair. There was silence in the room except for when Fudge cleared his throat. Suddenly, the door opened and the three men went down the escalator-like steps. Harry quickly followed, not wanting to miss anything.
Headmaster Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic, and Mr. Malfoy, with Harry right behind them, walked down in almost complete silence. Hardly anything was said at all. He could feel the tension.
As Harry strode behind them, he couldn't imagine Dumbledore not at Hogwarts. What would happen when the students found out he was gone? Most of the students, he guessed, would be troubled by the fact. Dumbledore meant protection and composure. When he was there, people felt safer.
Well, Harry sure as hell did anyway.
Soon, they were in the Entrance Hall, moving toward the main doors. Harry heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned, as did the men. Professor McGonagall was coming toward them.
"What's going on here? Albus, where are you going?" she asked.
"I've been temporarily removed as headmaster, Minerva," Dumbledore said with ease. "You're headmistress now. Take care of the students."
McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, but just nodded her head at Dumbledore's words.
Fudge opened one of the doors, allowing Mr. Malfoy through. Dumbledore was about to go through as well, but McGonagall said, "Wait. Where will you be staying? Surely you're not going to…"
"No, of course not," said Dumbledore, a small smile on his face. "I thought some time at the Three Broomsticks would be nice. Madam Rosmerta always gave me free Butterbeer." She nodded and he nodded back.
Dumbledore then went through the doorway and Fudge accompanied him. Harry glanced quickly at McGonagall. She looked troubled; the lines of her face showed in the torchlight, and some hairs had come out her bun, looking almost messy. But he knew she was a strong-willed person, everyone knew it.
Harry turned away from McGonagall, going through the still open door. The three men were just getting down to the grounds. He went promptly down the steps, knowing they wouldn't be able to hear him since it was slightly windy.
"Shall I accompany you to the Three Broomsticks, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked pleasantly.
"Sure, why not?" Dumbledore said. He looked at Mr. Malfoy. "You may return to your wife, Lucius, you are no longer needed here."
"Trying to control me, Dumbledore?" Mr. Malfoy asked, somewhat rudely.
"Why would I need to control you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Perhaps our differences would be an indication."
"Well, I certainly do not find the need to control someone so they will be on my side, even if I have differences with them," Dumbledore said smoothly. "Besides, differences can be resolved."
"Other differences perhaps," said Mr. Malfoy. There was a pause as he took out the blacked key, which Harry knew would transport him to Malfoy Manor. "Good night, Dumbledore. Minister." He held the key tightly. "Malfoy Manor," Mr. Malfoy said clearly, and in a couple seconds, he was gone.
A gust of wind came at Harry, who was standing near Dumbledore. He had to hold the sides of the Invisibility Cloak to make sure his feet weren't seen, but he knew for a moment they had been. When he looked up, he could have sworn Dumbledore had been looking in his direction.
"Let's get those free Butterbeers, Dumbledore," said Fudge.
Dumbledore nodded. "I hope my students know that loyalty to a person remains, even when the person is gone."
"I'm sure they know, Dumbledore," said Fudge. "Besides, I don't think you'll be gone long."
The two men began to walk on the grounds towards Hogsmeade. But soon the darkness engulfed them and their outlines were barely visible. When Harry could see them no longer, he took his Conglomerate Stone out of his pocket and touched the green stone, being instantly transported to the common room.
Preview of Chapter 38–Crumpled Paper: The week following Dumbledore's absence makes everyone feel unsafe, and Harry finds out what Slytherin's monster is, but has no way of stopping it…