The parchment was almost an inch thick. After Cedric sat down, he casually handed them to Kael.
"What is this...?" Kael asked curiously.
"Some photographs of Magic Items."
Cedric said, "I found them in the library since the start of the term. I don't know if they're useful, but have a look."
Kael flipped through the book, it was full of photos, along with lengthy descriptions that seemed to have been copied from books by Cedric.
The top photo was of a Demon-Resistant Sneakoscope shaped like a spinning top. Below it were the True Wisdom Glasses that could see through the Invisibility Cloak, a Pocket Cauldron that could be hung around the neck... Time Turner... Winged Slingshot... Explosive Pocket Watch...
The photos together were almost an inch thick. Although the Magic Items were different, they all had one thing in common... they all had chains.
Some were for decoration, others for easy carrying around the neck.
"Do you remember what you gave me for Christmas?"
Cedric said, "I always thought that thing was just a bit unusually shaped, like those personalized maps with house crests we made for Slytherin..."
He pointed to the thin chain on the Explosive Pocket Watch in the photo, "With enough Galleons, I could easily replace it with something more exquisite like a snake, or a badger, a lion..."
Kael nodded thoughtfully.
Listening to Cedric, it seemed he had indeed been a bit fixated on the appearance after all.
These chains weren't important; they were mostly to make carrying easier and wouldn't affect the essence of the item no matter their appearance.
However, this meant this clue wasn't valuable.
There were too many Magic Items with chains. Just these photos alone were almost an inch thick.
Who knows what item it had fallen off...
...
The lights in the Hufflepuff Common Room stayed on until late at night. Everyone was too tired and yawned as they headed back to their dorms.
No one could have expected that by early next morning, they'd be told the heir had been caught!
"I knew it was him, the keeper of keys."
Lockhart's hair was once again immaculate as he told everyone he met, "I gave him a chance. If he had stopped back then, he wouldn't have been taken away by the Ministry of Magic now.
But this is good too... the crisis is over."
"Hagrid? How can that be!"
Kael and the others happened to walk past, and Cedric's eyes widened as he hurriedly ran forward to ask, "Professor Lockhart, did the Ministry of Magic take Hagrid away?"
"Indeed, the Minister of Magic and Aurors came." Lockhart flashed his shiny teeth, "Just last night, when you were all fast asleep."
"I trust Hagrid; he can't be the inheritor of the Chamber of Secrets. There must be a mistake," Conna muttered.
"I'm confident I know more about the truth of Hagrid being caught than you do, Miss Prince."
Lockhart said in a self-satisfied tone, "Even though he hid it well, I still discovered it.
His only mistake was opening the Chamber of Secrets after I came to Hogwarts.
Moreover, my dear young ones, if the Minister of Magic wasn't entirely sure of Hagrid's guilt, they wouldn't have taken him away."
"What will happen to him, will he be sent to Azkaban?" Cedric asked worriedly.
"Absolutely..." Lockhart said with satisfaction, "As a punishment, he'll forever be in the company of Dementors..."
"Professor Lockhart!"
At this moment, Professor McGonagall walked out from the side, looking sternly at Lockhart, "I believe you shouldn't be telling students about this before the truth comes out."
"Apologies, Professor McGonagall." Lockhart said nonchalantly, "I was just eager to share this good news."
Professor McGonagall gave him a look of disgust, as if she were looking at a snuffbox with a rat's tail after a failed transfiguration.
"I hope you can be more cautious, Lockhart... professor, and at least stop spreading false information to the students."
"As for you…" she looked at Kael, Conna, and Cedric, "come with me... I have some questions for you."
With that, Professor McGonagall headed straight outside the castle.
The three quickly followed.
Professor McGonagall led them across the grounds to Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid had already been taken, and the hut felt eerily quiet.
"Now, I need you all to tell me the truth." Professor McGonagall pointed toward the Forbidden Forest, "Did you set up all those Beast Repelling Spells?"
"Yes, professor," Kael nodded, "and that was a while ago, together with Fred, George, and Cho. The six of us spent an entire morning doing it.
Hagrid was too lazy; he didn't help at all."
Professor McGonagall's expression eased, becoming much less stern than before.
Luckily, it wasn't Hagrid who cast the Charm, otherwise not even Dumbledore could have saved him.
"Professor, is it true that Hagrid was taken away?" Conna asked worriedly.
"I know you're all very close to Hagrid, but yes, I'm afraid it's true."
"However..."
Professor McGonagall suddenly smiled, "Thanks to those Beast Repelling Spells, Hagrid was only taken to the Ministry of Magic for questioning."
"Because of the Beast Repelling Spells?" Cedric scratched his head, confused.
"It's related to magical trace evidence and the specific nature of the Repelling Spells," Professor McGonagall explained, "Simply put, a Repelling Spell has integrity, like an invisible wall.
If a large beast unaffected by the Repelling Spell trespasses, it breaks that wall, and the magical trace changes."
"You mean... all the Beast Repelling Spells are still intact?" Kael asked.
"Exactly." Professor McGonagall smiled,
"The Ministry initially thought Hagrid hid a creature in the Forbidden Forest, but it just so happens these Repelling Spells proved them wrong."
"Headmaster Dumbledore seized that point... I can't divulge the details, but I assure you, unless the Ministry finds new evidence, Hagrid won't be sent to Azkaban."
After hearing Professor McGonagall's words, the three collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
But Cedric still couldn't understand why the Ministry would arrest Hagrid… he rarely even visited the castle, let alone control monsters to attack others.
To this question, Professor McGonagall didn't offer an answer but warned them not to spread rumors.
Before returning to the castle, Kael went to Hagrid's wooden hut, opened the door, and was greeted enthusiastically by Fang.
This silly dog probably hadn't realized what happened, but that might be for the best.
Kael took some jerky from a shelf and put it in Fang's food bowl, and Fang happily gobbled it down, its tail wagging vigorously.
Hagrid surely wouldn't give it such treats usually.
"Hurry up, class is about to start." Professor McGonagall called from outside, prompting Kael to leave the hut and follow her back to the castle.