Hagrid and the Chamber of Secrets Reopened Once More (IV)

"What now? The Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, someone has been Petrified again, and someone nearly died again. And Hagrid—your Hagrid—was once again found at the entrance to the Chamber and arrested on the spot. We checked the words on the wall. They were a variation of Ancient Runes, definitely not something Hagrid could have written. But he could have ordered someone else to write them. He could also have carved them beforehand and had someone carry them in." Fudge waved a hand as though dispersing a nonexistent stench. "I'm not saying he must be the culprit, but he must be involved. You can't protect him anymore."

Dumbledore's fingers twitched slightly. It was not nervousness, but the sort of reaction that said, I knew you would say that.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore's voice remained as gentle as ever, like a spring breeze, though there was sand in that wind, "Hagrid was indeed suspected fifty years ago. But have you considered who accused him then? Tom Riddle. And what did that Riddle later become? Voldemort. Can an accusation from a Dark Lord serve as evidence?"

Fudge's expression changed for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"Riddle was Riddle, and Hagrid is Hagrid. That happened fifty years ago, when Riddle was still an outstanding student. I recall he even received a Special Award for Services to the School, didn't he? You can't claim that everything he said before was false simply because he later became a Dark Lord. Besides, during that incident at Hogwarts, it wasn't as though I gave Hagrid no chance. You were the one who forcibly protected him."

He stressed the word "forcibly" heavily.

"What did you trade for him back then? Your achievement in defeating Voldemort. I had only just taken over as Minister from Fosco, and my