Lucius Can Be Threatened / Fudge Can Be Threatened Too

Thus, after a long period of lying low, the murderer finally took advantage of a break in the Duelling Club gathering to successfully attack Professor Sprout.

Hermione just said that after Professor Sprout's accident, the students' Herbology had to be suspended, but she didn't realize the other, even more serious, consequences that followed!

That is... from now on, no one can accelerate the ripening of Mandrake, and those victims who were petrified by the attack can only continue to lie in the hospital and endure the long wait.

If we continue to extrapolate along this line of reasoning, if the murderer wanted to make this a truly hopeless situation, what he would do next would be to ensure that all those attacked could never recover!

Therefore, his next target will undoubtedly be Snape — the Potions Master who has decided to concoct the Mandrake Restorative Draught!!

"Great deduction, but you two Granger, it's time to go to sleep."

The two jogged all the way to the Headmaster's office in Slytherin House. Harry, still out of breath, began to explain his deductions to Snape, but the latter seemed unimpressed.

"Severus Snape, this is no small matter!" Harry kept urging him, "I have a suitcase here, you can hide in it, and then..."

"Impossible!" Before Harry could finish speaking, Snape stood up and interrupted him.

"Harry Granger, do you know what you just said?" Snape stood before Harry, his expression cold and stern. "You're making me, Severus Snape, the Potions Professor of Hogwarts and Head of Slytherin, choose to abandon my students and honor, and hide in shame under your protection!"

"Severus Snape, I truly meant no offense... but you are the last hope for all the petrified ones. If something happens to you, all of this will be irreversible!" Facing Snape's piercing gaze, Harry chose to argue his case without backing down.

Snape was already determined to be the next victim, so whether out of his professional ethics from his past life or out of the bond he had formed with him in this life, Harry would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen!

"Granger, you're wrong." But faced with Harry's anxiety, Snape simply shook his head indifferently. "The last hope of all the petrifiers and the entire school is not me, but you, who have seen through the murderer's tricks and are getting closer and closer to the truth!"

"But this Severus Snape..."

"Let me finish!" Snape interrupted Harry again without any politeness. "Harry Granger, from now on, I need you to remember what I said. In this attack, anyone at Hogwarts can be hurt, but you... you absolutely cannot be hurt!"

"If Filch is in trouble, you can investigate and patrol at night in his place; if Sprout is in trouble, you can cultivate Mandrake; even if something really happens to me, at least... I can still count on you to concoct a resurrection potion for everyone!"

"So do you understand now? What you need to do now is not to worry about those irrelevant people, but to do everything in your power to catch the real culprit!" Snape gave Harry one last serious look. "Also, while ensuring your own safety, protect the people who are most important to you."

"The most important person to me... Yes, you're right, I won't let anything happen to her."

Following Severus Snape's gaze, Harry looked down at his side... He and Hermione's hands had been clasped together since the very beginning.

"Wrong." Snape shook his head again. "The purpose of protecting her is not to make you focus all your attention on her, but to prevent you from losing your composure because of an accident!"

"This...thanks to your guidance." Harry silently pursed his lips, nodded slightly to Snape, and then turned and left the cold office with Hermione.

"Harry, Professor Snape is right," Hermione said softly as they hurried toward the common Eagle House. "You are everyone's hope right now, so you absolutely cannot be hurt! As for me, I don't know if I can help you, but at least... I definitely don't want to hold you back!"

Honestly, since the start of second grade, Hermione feels she has been performing terribly.

After being captivated by a hypocritical idol, she practically lost her mind and couldn't offer Harry any help whatsoever.

Even... not as good as that eccentric Luna Lovegood!

Even though he later realized the truth and discovered that the quill Harry found must have fallen from Lockhart's peacock quill pen, thus confirming Lockhart as the real culprit in the chicken coop case, this only confirmed Harry's guess.

Moreover, Luna Lovegood actually helped find that crucial piece of evidence.

That was awful... like my past self~

Hermione, you've always been my biggest help.

Harry suddenly tightened his grip on the girl's hand. This time, instead of saying thank you, he gently pulled the dejected Hermione into his arms and held her tightly...

"There's absolutely no doubt about how important you are to me!"

Whether the two Granger were siblings or something else, gratitude was something that had long been useless to them.

In this moment, what is even more precious is the companionship that transcends life and death and never abandons you!

Chapter 144 Lucius Can Be Threatened

The next morning, Harry had barely gotten up when he ran off to the Third Greenhouse.

After talking with Snape yesterday, Harry has a deeper understanding of the perilous situation. Snape's implication was that he might even use himself as bait to buy time, so how could Harry possibly slack off?

Gilderoy Lockhart, that guy is undoubtedly an accomplice to the crime, and it's fortunate that Hermione beat him up and sent him to the hospital yesterday, otherwise he would definitely have found a chance to come to the Third Greenhouse and destroy the Mandrake.

In light of this, Harry made a special trip here, picked out a few of the most promising plants, and put them in his suitcase beforehand.

His briefcase contained Weather Charm set according to the region, which could provide the most suitable growing environment for the Mandrake around the clock. Moreover, the Bowtruckle and Mooncalf, which were also kept in the briefcase, could provide some care for the Mandrake... as well as fertilizer.

As Harry left the Third Greenhouse, he felt incredibly Professor Sprout.

If it weren't for the friendly intervention of the Hufflepuff headmaster, Harry would have had to resort to force and make a scene to get the Mandrake.

"Hmm... Headmaster Dumbledore?"

On his way back to the castle, Harry pondered the optimal cultivation method for Mandrake, but unexpectedly ran into Dumbledore in the first-floor hall.

Beside him was another short, stout man with an oddly dressed appearance who insisted on trying to appear gentlemanly.

"It's you, Harry!" Dumbledore stopped naturally upon seeing Harry approaching. "How's the extracurricular activity Professor Sprout arranged for you going?"

"Hmm... everything went smoothly, Headmaster." Harry hesitated slightly, but remained outwardly calm. "And who is this?"

Dumbledore meaning, and Harry easily understood it.

Albus Dumbledore had a habit of addressing most people at Hogwarts by their first names.

But he just mentioned Professor Sprout's surname, which clearly indicated that he was asking if he had obtained the Mandrake, but he didn't want the stranger next to him to know about it.

"This is Mr. Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister for Magic," Dumbledore introduced calmly.

"I see, it's Minister Fudge." Harry raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded as a greeting.

"Ha, you're the Boy Who Lived, Harry ... uh, you should have the surname Granger now." Fudge tossed his dark green top hat. "I'd love to talk to you more, but as you can see, Dumbledore and I are busy right now."

"Please go ahead." Harry nodded and stepped aside.

"Oh, right, Harry ..." Dumbledore suddenly turned back as they passed each other. "There are some things on the Seventh Floor. Could you please go and put them away? Also, there's a problem with the chicken coop. You might want to take a look at it later."

"With pleasure!" Harry replied earnestly, then turned and headed straight for the Seventh Floor.

"Norberta, Zouwu, you two will come with me to find Hagrid later. Remember, stay in my pocket and don't make a sound!"

In the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor, Harry hid his suitcase, gave his beloved cat and Dragon some serious instructions, and then used Shrinking Charm to shrink them to a portable size.

While Dumbledore was speaking, his gaze was actually fixed on the suitcase, so Harry immediately understood that Dumbledore was reminding him to hide the suitcase properly in the Room of Requirement.

As for why they should go find Hagrid, it's because Dumbledore just mentioned the chicken coop.

Hagrid had always taken care of the chicken coop, and it had just caused a major incident. Albus Dumbledore was using the chicken coop as a metaphor to tell Harry... Hagrid might be in trouble!

Sure enough, when Harry rushed to Hagrid's Hut, Cornelius Fudge, whom he had met before, seemed to be preparing to take Hagrid away.

And in front of the hut, Harry encountered an unexpected fellow who made him grit his teeth in disgust!

Lucius Malfoy, at this moment, was pointing his chin at Hagrid and Dumbledore, smugly displaying his nauseatingly self-important aristocratic posture.

"Mr. Granger, whom I just met, what brings you here?" Fudge was somewhat surprised to see Harry.

"Hmph, isn't this the famous..."

"I'm here to see Hagrid." Harry walked straight past the pretentious Lucius and asked Fudge with neither servility nor arrogance, "Where are you taking Hagrid? Also... it seems Headmaster Dumbledore is also preparing to leave?"

"Albus is no longer the headmaster, and it's that meddlesome Mr. Granger," Lucius interrupted in his affected voice. "As for Rubeus Hagrid in front of you, he's now a suspect in the Chamber mystery, so it's only natural he'll be taken away. Mr. Granger, you'd better step aside and not delay Albus and the minister from leaving together!"

"But I feel that, as a member of Hogwarts, I have the right to know why Dumbledore, the beloved headmaster, was dismissed." Harry met Lucius's gaze without flinching. "Or... if it's inconvenient for you to say, I can ask Draco Malfoy!"

"What did you say?" Lucius's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, a clear murderous glint in his eyes. "Mr. Granger, do you dare repeat what you just said?!"

Everyone has a Achilles' heel that must never be touched, not even someone like Lucius. And his Achilles' heel is, of course, his beloved child, Draco Malfoy.

"I think I've made myself perfectly clear," Harry retorted sharply. "The Duelling Club is having an early meeting, so I might as well invite him to the stage now and ask him all about the ins and outs of the headmaster's dismissal!"

"Lucius, show that dismissal order to the boy. I think you can see that he genuinely admires Dumbledore, and he won't let this go until he gets an explanation." At this point, Fudge also stepped in as a peacemaker, "And to be honest, I also think this dismissal order came at a rather inopportune time."

From Fudge's words, Harry learned that Dumbledore's removal and had simply come to take Hagrid away.

Harry also caught a hint of weakness and a desire to smooth things over, something he might be able to use later.

"Hmph, since you want to see it, then take a closer look." Hearing Fudge's words, Lucius hesitated for a moment, then shook out a long roll of parchment to Harry. "This is the genuine decree of removal. All twelve members of the School Governor, including myself, have signed it, so... Dumbledore is now definitively no longer the Headmaster!"

Harry is a ruthless man, a crazy madman who acts eccentrically. Lucius has known this better than anyone since Malfoy was cracked open last year.

Therefore, he ultimately dared not gamble.

If this guy suddenly goes berserk before he can prepare, causing his precious son to lose some part or suffer some kind of lifelong trauma, then even if he grinds the brat to dust afterward, it will be too late to undo the damage...

Being pushed to the limit can drive someone crazy, but it can also make them weak and easily threatened.

Chapter 145 Fudge Can Also Be Threatened

All twelve School Governor signed it... When Harry saw this removal order, Harry was simply amazed!

Removing the headmaster is no small matter. The reason Harry went so far as to use Malfoy to threaten Lucius was to force him to hand over the documents before he could destroy the evidence, in order to find out who was colluding with this bastard and settle scores later.

But now, Harry realized he didn't even have the time to discern the difference.

All the School Governor actually signed the removal order. Whether they were coerced or tempted, they were definitely going to take the blame for being accomplices!

They dared to jump out and cause trouble at such a critical moment in the Chamber incident. Harry can't really do anything about them right now, but we might as well wait and see.

"Harry, my temporary resignation as headmaster is a collective decision of the Board of Trustees; you don't need to question it too much." Perhaps worried that Harry might take this too seriously, Dumbledore spoke pointedly, "What you should be concerned about now are the innocent people who are about to be taken to Azkaban."

Harry could see that when Dumbledore mentioned the place name, Hagrid, who had been silent all along, showed an extremely terrified expression.

The Azkaban that Dumbledore mentioned was a wizarding prison controlled by the Britain Ministry of Magic, which was said to hold a large number of the most vicious criminals.

That's an absolutely terrifying place. If Hagrid were to actually be imprisoned there, even if he were to get out, he would at least be tortured beyond recognition.

Therefore, Harry would absolutely not let Hagrid be taken to a place like that!

"I understand, Headmaster." With that thought, Harry nodded slightly, casually tossed the dismissal order back to Lucius, and then ignored him.

He turned to Fudge, his tone still respectful, but with a clear accusatory undertone. "Minister Fudge, I would like to ask you, do you have conclusive evidence to prove that Hagrid was responsible for all the cases so far?!"

"Mr. Granger, I think in this situation we should value the danger more than the evidence." Fudge shook his head silently. "Hagrid has a criminal record, so the Ministry of Magic has to do something to prevent it. And you don't really need to worry; if it turns out that Hagrid wasn't the culprit, he can still be released."

"This isn't about proving innocence after the fact; Hagrid is innocent, both fifty years ago and now!" Harry stood firmly in front of Fudge, demanding an explanation. "Hagrid had solid alibis for all three attacks, so he's not the culprit! Yet you ignore these facts and insist on taking Hagrid away... Is this kind of arbitrary arrest to get by the Ministry of Magic's basic code of conduct?!"

In this situation, with Dumbledore protecting him, Harry unleashed his fiery nature without restraint, bombarding Fudge with a barrage of questions!

After this forceful rebuke, Dumbledore admiration, Hagrid was overjoyed and his eyes welled up with tears, Lucius looked on with disdain... and Fudge was utterly shocked and furious!

I actually got yelled at by a second-year student?

This plot development was absolutely unimaginable for Fudge.

"Oh... I simply can't believe it, Mr. Granger, how dare you say such a thing?" Fudge frowned helplessly, his gray eyebrows furrowing. "Considering you're still young, I'll let it go this time. I've already wasted too much time on you today, now please get out of my way immediately."

He glanced at Dumbledore as he spoke, clearly mindful of Dumbledore's presence and therefore he dared not criticize Harry too harshly.

However, Harry is not going to back down so easily.

"January 1990, shortly after the New Year..." Suddenly, Harry uttered a string of dates that would probably surprise the other three, except for Dumbledore.

"Hmph, is Mr. Granger trying to be mysterious?" Lucius let out a disdainful sneer.

"Highgrove House, night, Polyjuice Potion..."

However, Harry completely ignored Lucius's chatter and continued to slowly utter words.

Gradually, Fudge's expression changed; he felt like he knew what Harry was going to say!

"John Dawlish!" Harry's final, sharp cry of the name instantly caused Fudge's expression to change drastically!

"Minister Fudge, are you sure... you want me to continue?"

"This... Mr. Granger, what exactly... do you want?" Fudge's chest heaved violently as he stared at Harry, trying to find even the slightest hint of retreat in the boy's eyes.

However, the truth was that he could only see a faint hint of disdain and a sharp threat in Harry's eyes!

"It's simple, Minister Fudge ... I need fairness!" Harry replied righteously. "Hagrid is absolutely innocent. He shouldn't be suspected, much less taken to Azkaban!!"

At this moment, in order to save Hagrid, Harry even went so far as to reveal the secret he had been keeping all along!

To ensure Harry's adoption by a wizarding family, Auror Dawlish to break into Prince Charles's residence at night, hypnotize him, and impersonate a member of the prince's family to lure Harry... This was a foolish move made by Fudge's former minister, Millicent Barnard.

But as time passed, this debt was ultimately attributed to the Ministry of Magic and to Cornelius Fudge.

The Ministry of Magic investigated the cause and effect at the time, but unfortunately Dawlish only remembered drinking Polyjuice Potion and starting to lure Harry. He had no memory of how he was injured or how he was stripped naked and dumped at the entrance of the London police station.