The journey though the castle to the front door took little longer than it normally would, what with all the teachers, Prefects, and ghosts marching up and down the corridors in pairs.
And although no one could see them under the cloak, they could still be heard meaning they had to go even slower, and yet it still didn't stop Ron from stubbing his toe a few yards from where Snape was standing.
Thankfully he sneezed just at the same point Ron swore.
Finally they reach the front door, and funnily enough no one was guarding it, plus the fact that they weren't locked, which confused Jack a little but he didn't say anything.
It was a relief to be met with the nice cool air of the night with the stars and moon looking down on them.
They quickly made it over to Hagrid's house and knocked on the door pulling off the cloak as they got there.
After a few seconds, Hagrid opened the door and was pointing a large crossbow at them with Fang barking loudly behind him.
"Oh," he said lowering the weapon "What're you three doing here?"
"What's that for?" asked Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.
"Nothin', nothin' I just thought…" Hagrid muttered "It doesn't matter… Sit down… I'll make some tea."
"Are you ok Hagrid?" Jack asked keeping watch at the window, just in case someone came "You seem a little not all there tonight."
"I'm fine," he said after nearly accidentally putting out the fire for the second time "Um… Sorry you got petrified, Jack."
"Why? It's not your fault." Jack said smiling.
"Heh yeah…" Hagrid said in an unsure voice of agreement.
Hagrid had just handed Ron and Harry their mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add the tea leaves) when Jack came grabbed the boys, got into the corner and threw the cloak over the three of them.
Harry was about to ask what was going on when there came a knocking at the door.
Hagrid check to see if there were hidden before grabbing his crossbow again and opened the door.
"Good evening Hagrid," it was Dumbledore who was with a second man who was wearing a bowler hat "I wonder, may we come in?"
"Of, of course sir," Hagrid said letting them men enter, the three boys noticing how serious looking Dumbledore was.
The stranger, along with his hat was wearing a really odd mix of clothes, Jack thought: a pin-striped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots.
"That's dad's boss," Ron whispered in surprise "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic."
"Well I doubt he'd be 'Head of the Fashion Industry' if he goes around looking like that," Jack said back only to be hushed my Harry so they could hear what was going on.
Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty as he backed himself up into one of his large chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Fudge.
"Bad business Hagrid. Very bad business," the fashion disaster said in a not all that caring (to Jack's opinion) voice. "Had to come, four attacks on Muggle-borns and one on a… what is the Frost boy Dumbledore?"
"He's a Half-blood Cornelius," the Headmaster said in a calm voice.
"Yes well, even though they are all well and fine, things have gone far enough," Fudge continued "Ministry's got to act."
"But I never," Hagrid said looking up at Dumbledore with a mix of pleading and fear on his face "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore sir…"
"I want it understood Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore said frowning at the other man.
"Look, Albus," Fudge said uncomfortably "Hagrid's record is against him."
This line made Jack growl a little – he hated people pointing fingers at others when they didn't do anything.
He was about to reveal himself and start challenging the man about this, but he was silenced by Harry who whispered "We're not here remember…"
"The Ministry's got to do something – the school governors have been in touch," Fudge continued saying.
"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore.
Jack wondered if that meant that Dumbledore knew what was actually attacking the students and what was going on. And if so why was he just letting it happen?
"Look at it from my point of view" Fudge said playing with his dumb hat "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen doing something, you're just lucky Albus that the Daily Profit's not gotten any word about this. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and nothing more about this will be said. But at this point in time, I've got to take him, Wouldn't be doing my duty otherwise."
"Take me?" Hagrid said trembling a little "Take me where?"
"For a short time only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes – a sign that he was lying, something else that made Jack almost throw the cloak off just to punch the man in the face.
"Not a punishment, just a precaution," Fudge explained "If in that time you're there someone else turns out to be caught doing all this havoc, you'll be let out with a full apology."
"Not Azkaban?" Hagrid croaked not believing this news.
As Hagrid said this, Jack could see the shadows in the corners of the room getting darker and a pair of bright yellow eyes watching them.
Just then there was a knock on the door.
Dumbledore opened it this time Harry had to be elbowed into silence as they saw who it was.
Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, wearing a long black traveling cloak (Seriously what is it with Witches/Wizards and cloaks?), and smiling a cold satisfied smile.
Fang started to growl.
"Already here Fudge?" he said approvingly "Good, good…"
"What are you doing here?" said Hagrid furiously "Get out of my house!"
"My dear man, I have no pleasure being in your – d'you call this a house?" Lucius said looking around and looking like he just smelt rotten eggs "No, I am here, because I was told this is where the Headmaster was."
"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore calmly.
"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," Mr Malfoy said as he took out a long roll of parchment "but the governors feel it's time for you to step down. This is an Order of Suspension – you'll find all 12 signatures on it. After all you do seem to be losing you touch. How many attacks have there been now? 3 more this afternoon am I right? At this rate there'll be no more Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts."
"Technically Lucius, one of the ones attacked today was a Half-Blood," Fudge tried to cut in as Dumbledore read the note. "Besides, suspend Dumbledore? No, no, no… That's the last thing we want just now…"
"The appointment, or suspensions in this case, of a Headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore had failed to stop these attacks…"
"Now look, Lucius, if Dumbledore can't stop them I mean to say who can?" Fudge asked worried now.
"That remains to been seen" said Mr Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all 12 of us have voted…"
Hagrid jumped to his feet looking mad, his head just grazing the ceiling.
"And how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy?" he roared.
"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr Malfoy "I wouldn't advice yelling at the Azkaban guards like that, they wont like it at all."
"Yeh can't take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid "Take him away, and the Muggle-borns wont stand a chance! There'll be killin's next!"
"Not if I can help it…" Jack whispered clutching his fists tightly.
"Calm yourself Hagrid," Dumbledore said sharply before turning to Mr Malfoy "If the governors want me to step down I will. However…"
Now Dumbledore was speaking very slowly and clearly looking towards the corner where the boys were under the cloak.
"You will find that I will only truly have left this school, when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help at Hogwarts will always come to those who ask for it."
"Admirable sentaments," Malfoy said, bowing "We shall truly miss your – er – highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any – ah – 'killin's'."
He strode to the cabin door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out.
Fudge was fiddling with his hat again, clearly waiting for Hagrid to go before him, but Hagrid stood his ground and said carefully:
"Well, if anyone wants to find out some stuff then all they'd need to do would be to follow the spiders. That'd lead them right."
Fudge looked at him in confusion and looked around not sure who Hagrid was talking to.
"Ok I'm coming." Hagrid said putting on his moleskin over coat and followed Fudge out when he called back "Oh and someone will need to feed Fang while I'm away!"
The door banged shut and Ron pulled the cloak off the three of them.
"Hagrid's right, with Dumbledore gone, there'd be an attack a day" Ron said "Might as well close the school tonight."
"I doubt that," Jack said petting Fang to calm him down as he was scratching at the door, whining.
After a few minutes to make sure the four men had gone, Jack, Harry, and Ron put the cloak back on and went back to their common room, to find the others had gone to bed.
"You coming Jack?" Ron asked as he and Harry were going up the stairs leaving Jack behind.
"No, I think I'll spend tonight down here" Jack said being welcomed back by a slightly sleepy Baby Tooth.
"Suit yourself," the red-head said and went up.
Once they were gone, Jack turned to look at the darkest corner of the room and saw Pitch come out of the shadows.
"You better treat Hagrid right," Jack said after a bit of silence "I have high reasons to believe he has nothing to do with this Chamber of Secrets nonsense."
"I'll see what I can do," Pitch said "But Dementors were among the first things I made when I became the Bogeyman, so they're hard to control. Plus he has to show some signs of being effected or else those idiots at the 'Ministry' will think something's wrong."
"Fine." Jack said "Give him the best, least amount of pain you can give him."
Nodding Pitch left and Jack climbed into the big armchair by the now almost completely out fire, Baby curling up and falling back to sleep in his hair.