Chapter 13: The Minister of Magic
I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter
It was now late in the evening in the Gryffindor Common Room and Jun and Percy had been informed of what had happened to Harry's belongings and were now questioning the four friends.
"Are you guys sure you didn't find any clue on who the culprit is?" Jun questioned Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Daisuke as the four stood in front of her and Percy, having told them for the second time what had happened.
"Nothing at all. Whatever they were looking for…they didn't find it." Daisuke quickly said, glancing sideways at Harry who nodded in agreement.
"This is an outrage. I won't stand for this happening." Percy said with a huff. "Don't you worry Harry, we'll find who did this and we'll make sure they are properly punished!" he promised not noticing Ginny Weasley sitting nearby, her face turning pale as a sheet once she heard her brother's words.
Daisuke noticed and raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Well thank you, Percy," Harry said. "I'm kind of glad most of Lockhart's books were the ones ruined." He added making Ron and Daisuke snort loudly.
Jun and Percy shared a small grin before Jun patted Harry on the shoulder. "Well, you can borrow Daisuke's books when it comes to homework. For now, all of you best head upstairs, it's getting late, and you've got your Quidditch match against Hufflepuff tomorrow."
"Yep. We're so close to winning the Quidditch Cup this time." Daisuke said with a proud grin. She then turned and punched Harry gently in the arm. "Don't let Diggory catch the Snitch just because you two are friends, he isn't going to go easy on you."
"I know, I know," Harry said, rubbing his arm with a small grin.
The next morning the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team sat together at their house table. "Come on you two, buck up, you need to eat," Oliver said, piling more scrambled eggs onto Daisuke and Harry's plates while Veemon sat beside Daisuke.
Daisuke nodded and began eating before she noticed Harry looking up and down the table at the rest of their housemates and she knew right away he was trying to figure out who now had Riddle's diary and if they had managed to figure out how to use it yet.
She elbowed him gently in the side and leaned in. "We'll question a few people after the match, I think I've got an idea." She whispered. Harry nodded and he quickly finished his breakfast before he, Daisuke, Veemon, Ron and Hermione left the Great Hall to gather Daisuke and Harry's Quidditch things.
As they walked up the staircase, Harry froze in his tracks when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in months. "Kill this time…let me rip…tear…"
"The voice!" he shouted, alarmed making his friends jump in surprise. "I heard it just now!"
"You did?" Daisuke asked.
"Yes, did you?" Harry asked but his friends shook their heads. Hermione suddenly slapped herself on the forehead as if realising something.
"Harry, I think I understand now. I need to go to the library." She said before running off away from the others.
"What does she understand?" Harry asked.
"Loads more than I do," Ron answered. "But why does she need to go to the library?"
"Maybe she's figured something out and is going to double check?" Veemon answered. "We can ask her later, right now we've got to get to the Quidditch Pitch, it's almost time for the game."
Daisuke and Harry shared a look before running off up to Gryffindor Tower to fetch their brooms. Soon they were marching down to the pitch along with everyone else, they quickly dressed in their Quidditch Robes and the team sat in one of the smaller rooms going over their strategy.
"Hufflepuff are a good team, but we've trained harder than they have. We've got a better team and a better game plan; we're going to win this match." Oliver said with a proud grin.
The team nodded and began following Oliver out of the room to the pitch. "And let's not forget they'll probably all run from Harry thinking he's about to petrify them." Fred Weasley said, and Oliver shrugged.
"Well, that too." He spoke. Daisuke frowned and she jumped and slapped Fred on the back of the head hard.
"Don't joke about that Fred." She warned him as the others chuckled while Fred rubbed his head with a pout.
The team almost reached the pitch when they spotted Professor McGonagall walking towards them, a stern expression on her face and a rolled-up piece of parchment in her hand. "Professor McGonagall?" Oliver asked.
"This match has been cancelled." She told the team who all let out surprised sounds of shock or anger.
"You can't cancel Quidditch." Oliver spurted out.
"Silence Wood." His Head of House said with a frown and glare. "All of you head back to Gryffindor Tower, I shall give you more information there shortly." She then looked at Harry and Daisuke. "Potter, Ainsworth, come with me. We need to find Ron and Percy Weasley. I think there is something you all should see."
Daisuke and Harry paled and shared a worried look. After a short search, they along with Ron, Percy and Professor McGonagall returned to the castle and began walking up the stairs but they weren't going to anyone's office.
"Professor, what is going on?" Percy asked as they came to a stop outside the Hospital Wing.
"This may be a bit of a shock to you all." The woman said in a gentle tone. "There has been another attack, another double attack."
"What?" Daisuke whispered. "Th…that can't be…" Veemon, who had followed them from the pitch, grabbed his partner's hand tightly as they walked into the Hospital Wing. They saw Madam Pomfrey standing over one of the beds with a solemn expression. "Hermione! Jun! No!" Daisuke screamed as she ran towards the beds with the others right behind her.
"Jun!" Percy shouted, rushing to Jun's side while the others gathered around Hermione, both of them had been petrified.
"They were found by the library." Professor McGonagall said softly. She then held up a small mirror. "Does this mean anything to any of you?"
"No…wh…why would they have that? I…It doesn't make sense." Daisuke sniffled as Harry pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shoulder.
"Jun's wand…" Percy whispered, noticing the young woman's now broken wand laying on her bedside table. "Why did she have it out…"
"We don't know. It was under her body when we found her, she must have broken it when she fell." Professor McGonagall said gently. "I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower, I must inform the students in any case."
The group nodded mutely and followed her out of the Hospital Wing. A few minutes later, they all were in the Common Room as Professor McGonagall unfurled the scroll of parchment she had been carrying since they saw her at the pitch.
"All students must return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitory after that time, you will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities. No exceptions." She read off the parchment before rolling it up.
"I don't need to remind you all of how distressed I am, it is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.
Once she left the common room, everyone began talking immediately. "That's three Gryffindors down, not counting the Gryffindor ghost and a Hufflepuff student." Lee Jordan said. "Haven't the teacher's noticed that none of the Slytherin or Ravenclaw students have been attacked yet?"
"Yeah, why don't they just throw all of the Slytherins out! After all, the Heir of Slytherin is controlling Slytherin's monster!" another Gryffindor who was in Jun and Percy's year shouted earning several nods and cheers.
Percy sat in an armchair, his head in his hands as if a great weight was upon his heart. One couldn't deny he and Jun were close, closer than some seemed to think. "We can't just do that, what about a fair trial?" another younger Gryffindor asked.
"Snape would just make anything go away. We all know how much that bastard loves his house. Heck, we've seen him defending them when they do stuff in broad daylight. Who's to say he's not given the one behind this his backing?!" another Gryffindor shouted hysterically.
Daisuke, Ron, Veemon and Harry stood silently in a corner of the room. "They're all going crazy with worry. It won't be long until something happens." Veemon whispered. "Wouldn't be surprised if a witch hunt happens, literally."
"The teachers wouldn't let it come to that," Ron said softly. "Though what're we going to do?" he then asked.
"We've got to go and talk to Hagrid," Harry said softly.
"But you heard McGonagall, we're not allowed to leave the common room except for class," Ron whispered.
"I think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again," Harry whispered and Ron nodded, both looking at Veemon and Daisuke.
"Right…" Daisuke whispered, rubbing tears from her eyes. "Let's go talk to Hagrid and get some answers." Veemon nodded in agreement and punched his fists together.
That night, they waited for everyone to go to sleep before they walked down to the common room and Harry threw his Invisibility Cloak over their bodies. "Let's go," Harry whispered. They left the common room quietly and headed down through the castle, it seemed that everywhere they turned they could see the Hogwarts ghosts, teachers and Prefects marching around, searching for any sign of the culprit.
After a few close calls, they managed to leave the castle and walked down towards Hagrid's hut; they didn't dare remove the cloak in case anyone from the castle's many windows and towers spotted them as they travelled.
When they reached Hagrid's hut, Daisuke knocked on the door and the door slowly creaked open to show Hagrid standing there with his crossbow pointed right at them. "Whose there? Show yourself!" he barked, and they threw off the cloak.
"What the hell are you doing with that!?" Daisuke shouted, pointing at the weapon and the half-giant quickly lowered the crossbow.
"Uh…nothing. I was just…uh…" he trailed off before he grunted. "Never mind, get inside before someone sees you." He ushered them inside and began making a pot of tea, the four sat down around the table. Fang sat beside Daisuke and sensing her sadness began rubbing his head on her knee making her smile and gently scratch his ears.
"Are you alright Hagrid?" Harry asked, looking at his friend when he overfilled Ron's cup with tea.
"Oh…um ye..yeah. I just heard about Jun and Hermione is all." Hagrid answered, a slight tremble in his voice. "I'm really sorry."
"Thank you," Daisuke said softly as she took her cup of tea from him. "Hagrid…we need you to tell us something and we need you to be honest with us."
"What?" Hagrid asked as he poured Harry's cup of tea.
"Have you been letting a monster loose in the castle this year?" Daisuke asked and Hagrid dropped the teapot which shattered when it hit the ground.
"How could you ask me something like that?" he questioned.
Daisuke took a deep breath. "We just want to know…you were a student here fifty years ago. Do you know who opened the Chamber of Secrets? If you're not the one behind these attacks surely you must know something." She pleaded.
Hagrid took a deep sigh and rubbed his face with his hand. "What you have to understand about that is…" before he could finish, someone else knocked on the door causing Fang to rush over and begin barking loudly. "Under the cloak quickly, don't say a word." He told them in a whisper.
The four got up and moved to a corner of the hut and Harry threw the cloak over them. Once Hagrid saw they were hidden under it, he held up his crossbow and threw open the door. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, sir."
"Good evening, Hagrid, I was wondering if we could…" the headmaster said while beside him stood another man.
"Oh, of course, come in," Hagrid said letting the two men enter his house. The man beside Dumbledore was short, had ruffled grey hair, wore a pinstripe suit, a scarlet red tie, purple boots, and a lime green bowler hat which he tucked under his arm.
"That's dad's boss. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic." Ron whispered as he saw the man.
"I'm sorry it had to be like this Hagrid. Bad business, several attacks on Muggle-born students, the Ministry has got to act." Fudge said in a gentle tone.
"But I never…" Hagrid said, looking from Fudge to Dumbledore. "But you know I'd never, Professor!"
"I want it understood, Cornelius," Dumbledore said softly, turning to the man. "That Hagrid has my full confidence." he finished with a serious expression, one that not many people saw on the old man's face.
"Albus, you need to see that Hagrid's record stands against him. I have to take him." Fudge told him uncomfortably.
"Take me? Take me where not Azkaban Prison!" Hagrid blurted out. Daisuke, Harry, and Ron shared a worried look before the door swung open again and this time all three needed an elbow in the ribs from Veemon as Lucius Malfoy stepped into the hut.
"Ah Fudge, already here. Good." He said snidely.
"What're you doing here? Get outta my house!" Hagrid growled at the man.
"Believe me, I have no intention of staying longer than I need to in this…" Lucius trailed off as he walked around the small hut, a look of disgust on his face. "You call this a house?" he asked before he shook his head. "Anyways, I was told at the school I could find the headmaster down here." He said, turning to Dumbledore.
"And what is it you want with me, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked him.
"The Board of Governors and I have decided it is time for you to step aside." He answered coldly. He took out a rolled-up parchment with an official-looking ribbon on it and he walked over to Dumbledore to hand it to him.
Fudge tried to stop him, but Dumbledore held his hand up calmly and took the parchment. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. We feel that you have rather lost your touch." Lucius continued, turning around, looking in the direction of the hidden four. "With all these attacks on Muggle-Borns, soon there will be none left. Imagine what a loss that'll be to the school." He said in a snobbish tone that made Daisuke grit her teeth.
"You can't do this. You can't take Professor Dumbledore away; without him, the Muggle-Born students won't stand a chance. You mark my words; they'll be killings next!" Hagrid shouted.
"You think so?" Lucius asked, obviously not caring about what Hagrid said.
"Calm yourself Hagrid," Dumbledore said softly. "If the Governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside," Lucius smirked and nodded before Dumbledore walked towards him. "But know this. I will only have truly left this castle when none remain who believe and are loyal to me. And, that help shall always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." he glanced at where Harry, Ron, Daisuke and Veemon stood under the cloak and gave them a subtle nod.
"Admirable sentiment, shall we?" Lucius drawled. He walked out of the hut followed by Dumbledore and Fudge who paused and looked at Hagrid.
"Well, uh…follow the spiders…that's it, follows the spiders." The half-giant mumbled as he walked past the four under the Invisibility Cloak and left the hut with Fudge; once the door shut behind the Minister, they threw the cloak off.
"Hagrid's right. With Dumbledore gone, there will be an attack a day." Ron said grimly.
"I can't believe that jerk Lucius Malfoy got rid of Dumbledore." Daisuke hissed. "Doesn't he realise that he's the only one who might be able to save the school?"
"He does and that's why he's got rid of him. Or at least convinced the Board of Governors to do so." Harry said with a frown. "But now what do we do?"
"Follow the spiders." Veemon said, pointing to the window where several spiders were crawling up the wall and out the window. They left the hut and Harry left his Invisibility Cloak on the table before he grabbed a lantern to light the path to show the spiders moving towards the Forbidden Forest.
"Oh great…" Ron groaned. "Following spiders into the Dark Forest."
"Come on, we need answers," Daisuke said softly.
"I know. Fang come on!" Ron shouted and the dog ran out of the hut and walked alongside them as they headed to the Forbidden Forest.
The End of the Chapter
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