bacchusnovels Chapter 175 Fudge's Acting Skills
Chapter 175 Fudge's Acting Skills
Chapter 175 Fudge's Acting Skills
As night fell, Harry and Ron went to bed as usual. They lay quietly, waiting.
Neville, Dean, and Seamus were still whispering about the secret chamber, but as time went by, their voices gradually faded, and they finally drifted off to sleep.
Harry and Ron quietly got out of bed and dressed again.
They carefully draped the invisibility cloak over the two of them, making sure that every inch of their skin was covered by the cloak.
Walking through a gloomy corridor is not a pleasant experience.
Harry had wandered around the castle several times in the middle of the night before, but he had never seen so many people after sunset.
Teachers, prefects, and ghosts patrolled the corridors in pairs, checking for any unusual activity. Harry's invisibility cloak did not prevent them from making noise, which only made them more nervous.
Once, Ron suddenly tripped and almost fell to the ground. Just a few steps away from him, Snape was standing guard.
Harry and Ron's hearts were in their throats, but thankfully, Snape sneezed almost at the same time Ron uttered his curse.
This little incident temporarily saved them from danger. When they finally reached the oak gate, they gently and carefully opened it a crack. As the crack gradually widened, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a night of dazzling stars, their reflections dotting the dark sky like countless eyes watching over them.
Harry and Ron hurried toward the window of Hagrid's house, which was bathed in warm light, their hearts beating faster as they got closer.
Finally, they arrived at Hagrid's door, carefully removed their invisibility cloaks, and revealed their tired faces.
A few seconds after they knocked, the door was flung open, and Hagrid appeared before them.
He held a crossbow, aiming it at them, while his large hunting dog, Fang Fang, barked loudly behind him, clearly displeased with the two uninvited guests.
"Oh, it's you two," Hagrid said, lowering his weapon after recognizing them, but still glaring at them. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."
"We have some questions for you," Harry said, stepping into the room. "What is that weapon? Why are you carrying it?"
Hagrid mumbled, "It's nothing—it's nothing, I just—um—just in case. You know, a lot has been happening at school lately."
He seemed somewhat distracted, and water spilled from the kettle, nearly extinguishing the fire in the stove.
Then his large, rough hand suddenly trembled, knocking over the teapot and splashing tea all over the floor.
"Are you alright, Hagrid?" Harry asked with concern. "Have you heard about Hermione? She's been petrified, and we suspect it's related to the Chamber of Secrets."
"Oh, yes, I heard about it." Hagrid's voice was a little choked up.
He kept glancing nervously out the window, as if afraid some uninvited guest might suddenly barge in.
He poured them both a large glass of hot water (apparently forgetting to put in the tea bags), and was about to place a thick slice of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.
The sound was particularly jarring in the quiet night, making everyone's heart race.
Hagrid abruptly threw down the fruitcake in his hand, which crashed heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
Harry and Ron exchanged a panicked glance, realizing the situation was dire. They quickly put on their Invisibility Cloaks and retreated to a corner of the room, trying to avoid being noticed.
Hagrid saw that they were all hidden, so he grabbed his crossbow and held it tightly in his hand, as if it were the only sense of security he could find.
Then, he took a deep breath and flung the door open again, ready to welcome the unknown visitor.
"Good evening, Hagrid." A familiar and authoritative voice came from outside the door.
It's Dumbledore.
He walked in, his expression very serious, his deep eyes gleaming with an undeniable light.
Behind him followed a very strange-looking man, whose appearance made the atmosphere in the room even more tense.
The stranger was short and stout, with messy gray hair that made him look somewhat unkempt.
His face bore an anxious expression, as if he were carrying a heavy burden. His clothes were a strange hodgepodge: the pinstripe suit looked somewhat outdated, the bright red tie was strikingly eye-catching, the long black cloak swayed gently in the wind, and the purple pointed boots were unforgettable.
He also had a dark green top hat tucked under his arm, which made him look even stranger.
"That's my dad's boss!" Ron gasped, his voice tinged with fear. "Cornell Fudge, the Minister for Magic!" He clearly hadn't expected to encounter such an important figure here.
Ha nudged Ron hard with his elbow to shut him up.
Now is not the time to speak; they must remain hidden and not let the Minister of Magic discover their presence.
Hagrid's face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.
He slumped into a chair, looking both nervous and frightened.
He looked at Dumbledore, then at Cornelius Fudge, clearly unsure how to handle this unexpected situation.
"This is terrible, Hagrid," Fudge said in a crisp, quick tone, his voice particularly jarring in the empty room. "The situation is very bad, and I had to come here myself. There have been four attacks on Muggles recently, which is simply outrageous. The Ministry of Magic must take immediate action."
Hagrid's eyes were filled with helplessness and pleading as he turned to Dumbledore, as if searching for a last glimmer of hope. "I didn't, Professor Dumbledore, sir—you know I didn't do those things," Hagrid said, his voice trembling.
Dumbledore frowned and looked at Fudge. "I hope you understand, Cornelius, I trust Hagrid completely." His tone was firm and unwavering.
Fudge looked very uncomfortable, fiddling with his top hat as if searching for the right words. "But you see, Albus, Hagrid's criminal record is bad for him. The Ministry of Magic has to take some measures—and I've already contacted the Board of Trustees."
Dumbledore's blue eyes flashed with a fury Harry had never seen before, and his voice was deep, like that of a lion hiding within. "But Cornelius, I still have to tell you, taking Hagrid away won't do any good. You should know that the real criminals won't be exposed because of this."
Fudge sighed, trying to make Dumbledore understand his position. "Try to see things from my perspective,"
Albus. "I'm under a lot of pressure. As Minister for Magic, I have to do something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll come back, and nobody will say anything. But I have to take him away now. Shouldn't I be fulfilling my duty?"
Hagrid's face turned pale, and his body began to tremble. "Take me away?" he repeated.
The voice was filled with fear, "Where to take me?"
Fudge didn't answer Hagrid's question directly. Avoiding Hagrid's pleading gaze, he said softly, "It will be short, Hagrid. This isn't punishment, just a precaution. If we catch someone else, we'll release you immediately and offer you our full apologies—"
Hagrid's voice was hoarse and low, as if every word was squeezed out from the depths of his heart. "Not Azkaban, is it?" His eyes flashed with fear and despair.
However, before Fudge could answer, a rapid and heavy knocking broke the silence of the room once again.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the door, and Dumbledore went to open it.
This time it was Harry's turn to take an elbow to the ribs: he let out a clearly audible gasp.
"Phillips, where did you go this afternoon? McGonagall has been looking for you for ages," Dumbledore asked, his brow furrowed.
"Oh! Principal, you're here! I've finally found you!" Sean feigned a flustered expression. "I heard..."
Before Sean could finish speaking, Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's cabin, completely wrapped in a long black travel cloak, a cold, satisfied smile on his face.
It was a confident smile that suggested a sure thing about what was to come, or so Sean thought.
Tooth started barking wildly.
"You've arrived, Fudge," he said with satisfaction. "Very good, very good—"
"What are you doing here?" Hagrid said angrily. "Get out, get out of my house!"
"My dear friend, please believe me, I'm not happy to enter your room either—oh—you call this a house?"
Lucius Malfoy surveyed the small, shabby room, a mocking smile playing on his lips. His words were filled with disdain. "I just came to the school to take a look. Someone told me the headmaster was here."
"What brings you here, Lucius?" Dumbledore finally spoke. Although his voice was polite, the burning anger in his blue eyes betrayed his true emotions.
"Things are terrible, Dumbledore," Lucius replied lazily, pulling a long roll of parchment from his robes with an unspoken air of authority. "The board thinks you should be let go. This is a temporary suspension order—you'll see all twelve directors have signed it. We feel you're probably not living up to your potential."
"How many attacks have occurred so far? Two this afternoon alone, right?"
Lucius chuckled and continued, "At this rate, there won't be a single Muggle student left at Hogwarts, and we all know that would be a terrible loss for the school."
"Oh, what? What did you say, Lucius?" Minister Fudge said in a panic, his voice trembling slightly, as if he couldn't believe the news he was hearing. "Dumbledore has been temporarily suspended? No,
No...we absolutely do not want to see that happen right now.
"The appointment of the headmaster—or his temporary suspension—is a matter for the Board of Directors to decide, Fudge," Lucius replied in his calm and collected tone, a hint of cunning in his eyes. "Since Dumbledore failed to prevent these attacks on the school, the Board of Directors naturally has the right to consider taking some measures."
“But you see, Lucius, if even Dumbledore can’t stop this—” Fudge’s words were tinged with anxiety, beads of sweat forming on his upper lip, making him appear extremely tense, “I mean, who in this world has the power to stop it?”
In Sean's opinion, Fudge's acting at this moment was superb.
His sweat-drenched face, coupled with his panicked eyes, perfectly portrayed the image of a minister who was utterly shocked and bewildered by Dumbledore's temporary suspension.
Before today, Sean always thought that Fudge's appointment as Minister of Magic was just due to luck, his smooth way of dealing with people, and a little bit of cleverness.
But at this moment, Sean had to re-examine his views.
Perhaps Fudge does have a side that he doesn't know, but at least his acting skills are enough to make most people believe in his innocence and helplessness.
Therefore, no one's success is accidental; each person has their own unique strengths—Fudge's acting skills.
Lockhart's Oblivion Spell, Rita's writing style...
They may be portrayed as incredibly despicable in the original works and movies, but in the real world, they are all flesh-and-blood people, and each has their own factors that contribute to their success.
These factors, layered upon each other, transcend the accidental and return to the inevitable; it is both an arrangement of fate and one's own accumulation.
"Then we'll just wait and see," Lucius said, a sly smile playing on his lips, seemingly filled with anticipation for what was about to happen. "But don't forget, all twelve of us have already voted to approve this resolution—."
Just then, Hagrid suddenly stood up, his large, bushy, black head almost touching the ceiling, his voice filled with anger and dissatisfaction:
"How many people did you threaten and blackmail to force them to agree to this decision, huh, Malfoy? Your behavior is despicable!"
"Good heavens, good heavens, Hagrid, you know this bad temper of yours will get you into big trouble one day." Lucius shook his head casually, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "But I still want to give you a piece of advice: don't yell at the guards of Azkaban like that. They won't like that attitude, you understand?"