The door swung open, spilling moonlight and cold air across the cluttered hut.
"Professor Dumbledore sir."
Hagrid spoke out quickly lowering his crossbow once again.
"Good Evening Hagrid, i wonder... could we." Dumbledore's calm voice looked around to ask if the party of people could enter his abode.
"Of course, Cmin." Hagrid waved his hand before turning round to enter deeper into his house allowing a path for others to follow.
Three did, while the two others waited outside.
"Blimey that's dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge, the minister for magic."
Ron whispered into my ear seeing the second man enter the hut.
"Bad business Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come, four attacks on muggleborns, things have gone far enough, the ministries got to act."
"Wh- but i never. Professor you know i never." Hagrid stumbled over his words before belting out his defence and looking to Dumbledore for aid.
"I want it understood Cornelius, that hagrid has my full confidence."
Aid Dumbledore readily provided.
"Albus look Hagrids record is against him. We have to take him."
"Take me? Take me where, not Azkaban prison."
Hagrid looked truly frightened as he spoke these words.
"Er—well," Fudge muttered, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Not yet. There'll be a formal inquiry first, naturally. Only if found guilty will you be sent to Azkaban until then you'll remain detained under guard of the Aurors at the ministry."
Left with little ground within which to refuse, Hagrid could only begrudgingly accept, he was a suspect and the ministry did have the rights to investigate and at that interrogate their prime suspect at that.
It was at this point that the third man who'd entered stepped forth.
A man standing tall with pride having been standing almost with a look like the primitive surroundings were causing him anguish just for being here.
Clearly an elder form of Draco Malfoy, as i looked on a man with Silver hair, standing impiously with a cane tapping against the ground
Lucius Malfoy began to speak with words like venom.
"Quite right, Minister. Hogwarts has become… chaotic. Also the reason for my being here."
He withdrew a parchment from inside his cloak handing it over, which fudge tried to grab first but stopped when he started speaking again.
"The other govoners and i have decided its time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension you'll find all twelve signatures on it."
Dumbledore's blue eyes didn't waver.
His old hand accepting the scroll without bothing to unfurl it and confirm the contents.
"I'm afraid we feel you've really rather... lost your touch. And what with all these attacks there be no muggleborns left at hogwarts, and i can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."
"You can't take professor dumbledore away!" Hagrid began protesting "Take him away and the muggleborns wont stand a chance, mark my words there'll be killings next!"
"You think so?"
Lucisu responded back with an air of intrigue as if he'd just caught Hagrid confessing.
"Calm yourself Hagrid, if the govoners desire of my removal, will of course step aside. However... you will find that help will always be given at hogwarts to those who ask for it."
His eyes lazily drifting before settling upon our cloaked selves causing both our breaths to catch in our throats.
"Admirable sentiment."
Lucius having completed his task turned to leave not wanting to linger in this place any longer.
Dumbledore after staring at us a moment longer followed after.
"Come Hagrid...Well?"
"If anyone was looking for some stuff all they'd have to do was follow the spiders... Oh and someone will need to feed fang while im away."
My heart stopped.
Under the cloak, Ron shot me a look that screamed, Did he just say that?
As we moved to the window to continue watching
The Aurors moved in, flanking Hagrid.
Before the six figures began to trek up the path being swallowed up by the darkness of the night.
We waited nearly five minutes before pulling off the cloak.
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered. "They've taken Dumbledore and Hagrid."
"Yeah," I said numbly.
The fire crackled in the hearth, its light flickering over the abandoned mugs of tea.
For the first time since coming to Hogwarts, the place felt… wrong.
"What do we do now?" Ron asked.
I stared into the flames.
"We do what Hagrid said."
Ron blinked. "What—follow the spiders? Harry, that's mental!"
"Look!" i pointed out a trail of tiny spiderlings travelling in a line leading up the window.
"Cmon." i called out to ron, knowing of his fear for arachnids but we needed more answers!
"What?" nervously he followed behind all the while whist whimpering.
Outside using our wands to light our way we followed the moving trail.
"You heard what hagrid said. "Follow the spiders""
"There heading into the dark forest."
I decided not to comment on this, we couldnt turn back now, i needed answers!
"Why spiders? Why couldnt it be follow the butterflies!"
~
From the hillock leading up to the Castle cassius sat immobile having watched the events of the night from his perch.
Watched as Dumbledore, Fudge, and Lucius entered Hagrids hut only to exit with the man himself minutes later, before moving as a new group of six back up the hill, Hagrid talking the whole way bout how this was a 'bad idea'.
Then the door to the hut opened once more, Harry using his wand ignited it with a Lumos spells showing himself and another, no doubt ron walking off away from the hut and into the forest.
To quote Filch 'Oh dear, you are in trouble' i thought.
For weeks now i and the girls had been attacking the spiders of the forbidden forest to the point that on a few occasions the spiders had even been seen attempting to encroach on school grounds during the daytime.
and yet now Harry and Ron were willing walking into that warzone, utterly unprepared for what they were about to encounter.
Deciding i couldnt very well let my brother just die like that i reapplied my disillusionment charm before sallying forth into the night giving chase to the two seekers of the quickest death.