The Chamber Of Secrets (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

ENTERING THE CHAMBER

Harry wasn't being able to get the picture of Hermione lying still with glassy eyes out of his head. Ron wasn't either. So, they had decided it was time to confront Hagrid.

The night Hermione was attacked, he and Ron waited for everyone to fall asleep. Then, he got out his father's invisibility cloak and they started for Hagrid's. Harry had wanted to bring Ria along but Ron had stopped him saying she was distressed enough as it was. Harry had agreed. It was just a chat after all. They already knew it wasn't Hagrid. They were just hoping to find something, anything, that could help them. They'd tell her everything the next morning.

The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't
enjoyable. Harry, who had wandered the castle at night several times
before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and
ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any
unusual activity. Their Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any
noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard.

Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore. It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.

It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of
Hagrid's house and pulled off the Cloak only when they were right outside his front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found
themselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at them. Fang the
boarhound barked loudly behind him.

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you
two doin' here?"

"What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped
inside.

"Nothin' - nothin' -" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' - doesn' matter - Sit down - I'll make tea -"

He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished
the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot
with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

"Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Harry. "Did you hear about Hermione?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.

He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them both large
mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchanged panic-stricken
looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was
followed by a second, very odd-looking man.

The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was
wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long
black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of
Magic!"

Harry elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up.

Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and
looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad
business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far
enough. Ministry's got to act."