Visitors from the Ministry of Magic, Hagrid is Taken Away

The parchment was about an inch thick. Cedric sat down and casually handed it to Kyle.

"What is this...?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Photos of some magical items."

Cedric said, "I found this in the library after the semester started. I don't know if it'll be useful, but you can take a look."

Kyle opened the notebook, which was filled with photographs and lengthy descriptions; it seemed that Cedric had copied them from a book.

The top photo shows a Sneakoscope shaped like a spinning top. Below that are True Sight Glasses that can see through Invisibility Cloak, a miniature crucible that can be hung around the neck... Time-Turner... a winged slingshot... an explosive pocket watch...

These photos, stacked up to an inch thick, depict various magical items, but they all share one common feature... they all have chains attached.

Some are for decoration, while others are for easy carrying.

Do you remember what you gave me for Christmas?

Cedric said, "I always felt that thing was just a bit unusual in design, like those maps with family crests that we made for Slytherin..."

He pointed to the thin chain on the exploded pocket watch in the photo, "With enough Galleon, I could easily replace it with a more elaborately designed snake, or badger, or lion..."

Kyle nodded thoughtfully.

After hearing what Cedric said, it seems he was indeed a bit fixated on his appearance before.

The chain itself isn't important; it mainly serves to make the item easier to carry. Regardless of its shape, it won't affect the item itself.

However, this would render the clue worthless.

There are so many magical items with chains; not to mention anything else, just these photos alone would be about an inch thick.

Who knows what it fell from?

The lights in the Hufflepuff Common Room stayed on until late at night. Everyone was so tired that they yawned and went back to their respective dormitories.

However, to everyone's surprise, early the next morning, someone suddenly told them that the heir had been captured!

"I knew it was him all along, that Keeper of Keys."

Lockhart's hair was now perfectly styled again, and he said to everyone he met, "Ha, I gave him a chance. If he had given up then, he wouldn't have been taken away by the Ministry of Magic now."

But this is good... the crisis is over."

"Hagrid? How is this possible!"

Kyle and his group happened to be passing by when Cedric's eyes widened. He rushed forward and asked, "Professor Lockhart, Hagrid has been taken away by the Ministry of Magic?"

"That's right, the Minister for Magic and the Auror are here." Lockhart flashed his gleaming teeth. "Just last night, while you were sound asleep."

"I believe Hagrid. He can't possibly be the heir to the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets. There must be some mistake," Kanna murmured.

"I'm confident I know a little more about the truth of Hagrid's arrest than you do, Miss Prince."

Lockhart said in a smug tone, "Although he hid it very well, I still managed to find him."

His only mistake was opening the Chamber of Secrets after I arrived at Hogwarts.

Moreover, my dear young man, the Minister for Magic would not have taken Hagrid away unless he was 100% certain of his guilt."

"What will happen to him? Will he be imprisoned in Azkaban?" Cedric asked worriedly.

"That's for sure..." Lockhart said smugly, "As punishment, he'll be forever surrounded by Dementor ..."

"Professor Lockhart!"

At this moment, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, looking at Lockhart with a serious expression. "I don't think you should tell the students this before the truth comes out."

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall," Lockhart said nonchalantly, "I'm just a little too eager to share this good news."

Professor McGonagall gave him a look of disgust, as if he were looking at a snuffbox that had failed its Transfiguration and still had a rat's tail left.

"I wish you could be more rigorous, Professor Lockhart... at least stop conveying such incorrect information to your students."

"As for you..." She looked at Kyle, Kanna, and Cedric, "Come with me... I have some questions for you."

After saying that, Professor McGonagall walked straight out of the castle.

Seeing this, the three quickly followed.

Professor McGonagall walked across the grounds and arrived at Hagrid's Hut.

Hagrid has been taken away, and the cabin is eerily quiet.

"Now, I need you to tell me the truth." Professor McGonagall pointed towards the Forbidden Forest. "Were all those Beast Repelling Charm set up by you?"

"Yes, Professor." Kyle nodded. "That was a long time ago. Fred, George, and Cho, the six of us spent the whole morning on it."

Hagrid is too lazy; he didn't help at all.

Professor McGonagall's expression softened considerably; she was no longer as serious as before.

Thankfully, it wasn't Hagrid's curse; otherwise, even Dumbledore might not have been able to save him.

"By the way, Professor, was Hagrid really taken away?" Kanna asked worriedly.

"I know you have a good relationship with Hagrid, but unfortunately, it's true."

"But..."

Professor McGonagall suddenly laughed. "Thanks to these Beast Repelling Charm charms, Hagrid was only taken back to the Ministry of Magic for questioning."

"Because of the Beast Repelling Charm?" Cedric scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.

"This involves trace magic and the special nature of Banishing Charm," Professor McGonagall explained. "Simply put, Banishing Charm are holistic, like a transparent wall."

If a large beast unaffected by the Banishing Charm were to break through, it would breach the wall, altering the magical traces.

"You mean... these Beast Repelling Charm are still intact?" Kyle asked.

"That's right." Professor McGonagall smiled.

"The Ministry of Magic initially believed Hagrid was hiding the monster in the Forbidden Forest, but coincidentally, these Banishing Charm proved them wrong."

"Headmaster Dumbledore grasped this point... I can't tell you the specifics, but I can assure you that Hagrid will not be sent to Azkaban until the Ministry of Magic finds new evidence."

After hearing Professor McGonagall's words, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

But Cedric still didn't understand why the Ministry of Magic would capture Hagrid... He rarely even went to the castle, let alone controlled monsters to attack other people.

Professor McGonagall did not answer his question either, but simply warned them not to talk about it when they got back.

Before returning to the castle, Kyle walked to Hagrid's cabin, opened the door, Fang rushed over with great joy as soon as he saw him.

This dog is always a bit silly; it probably doesn't know what's going on, but that's fine.

Kyle took some jerky from the shelf next to it and put it in its food bowl. Fang immediately started eating happily, wagging its tail loudly.

Hagrid wouldn't normally feed it such good food.

"Hurry up, class is about to start."

Professor McGonagall called out from outside, and Kyle left the cabin to follow her back to the castle.