Chapter 114, Section 112: The Conversation in the Hut.
"Professor Fawkes? Of course I know him. He's the one who tricked me into the Forbidden Forest last year, and we almost died in there."
Hagrid picked up the large teapot from the fireplace, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and said with a sigh.
He pushed the large plate of rock cakes towards Harry and the others, gesturing for them to feel free to eat.
The three of them didn't want to eat the rock cakes, but out of respect for Hagrid, they each took a piece to chew on.
"What happened at the school last year? Why didn't Professor Fawkes continue as a professor? And how did you all survive?"
Harry bombarded them with questions, while Ron and Hermione looked at Hagrid expectantly, their attention drawn to his words.
There was nothing wrong with that, especially since Hagrid was one of the parties involved. He sipped his hot tea and told the three of them the story of Professor Fawkes.
"...Finally, I was knocked unconscious by the centaurs and collapsed on the ground. When I woke up, Dumbledore was beside me, along with Toothpick ( Fang).
He told me what had happened.
Fawkes was dying, and Lynn went deep into the Forbidden Forest to save him. All the accusations against him by the young wizards at Hogwarts were misunderstandings.
At the time, I think only Lynn believed Fawkes was innocent, and because of that, Dumbledore gave Slytherin a 100-point bonus."
Harry and the others listened intently, still absorbed even after Hagrid finished.
After a long while, Ron suddenly asked indignantly,
"Didn't those centaurs get their comeuppance? They can't tell right from wrong!"
Hagrid wanted to defend the centaurs, but he didn't know what to say, so he just said...
"Dumbledore had me warn them that they can't expand their territory anymore, and they refused to treat their one-armed member,"
even Harry complained.
"That's too lenient a punishment. A kind professor almost died because of them."
Hagrid could only weakly say a few words of sympathy for the centaurs.
"Don't say that. The centaurs were victims too."
Hermione was the only one present who remained silent, still imagining how great Lynn was, the only one who stood by his beliefs, as Hagrid described.
"So what is Lynn trying to tell us with this story? We all think Professor Snape was the one who wanted to harm Harry, but the truth might not be what we think." She said.
Ron looked incredulous. He exclaimed,
"It's not the same! We all saw it with our own eyes today. It was Snape, he was casting spells on Harry, and he's always causing trouble for Harry."
"But Lynn also told me that Professor Snape was protecting Harry!"
"Protecting Harry!" Ron's eyes widened, as if he had heard his mother planning to buy him a new robe.
"Are you kidding me, Hermione? Think about how Snape usually treats Harry, like he's his mortal enemy. It's a miracle he's not harming him, and you actually think he's protecting Harry!"
Hermione retorted without hesitation.
"I saw Snape chanting spells until Harry's flying broomstick stabilized, and then he secretly breathed a sigh of relief."
Even Harry himself couldn't believe what she said, because it was so bizarre.
"You say Snape is helping me, then who wants to harm me?" Harry asked.
"It's...maybe Professor Quirrell."
Even Hermione herself seemed unsure when she said that name, because Quirrell usually appeared so harmless; no one would expect him to do something like this.
Hearing her words, Harry and Ron almost burst out laughing.
"Are you kidding us, Hermione? You might say the murderer isn't Snape, but Professor Quirrell, he absolutely can't be the murderer."
Hermione looked angry; she thought Harry and Ron were two unruly children, not well-behaved at all.
Hagrid interrupted their conversation.
"Stop speculating! Neither Snape nor Quirrell would harm a student at Hogwarts. Because they are Hogwarts professors!"
"But why does he always target me?" Harry asked, this was the question that had been puzzling him. He was certain he had never offended Snape, yet he had repeatedly suffered at his hands.
Hagrid didn't want to talk to Harry about the past; after all, it was a painful memory for Snape, and Harry's father hadn't played a good role in it.
"No matter how much he targets you, he wouldn't harm your Harry. I think Hermione is right; maybe he's protecting you today."
Hermione's eyes lit up; she felt she had gained an ally.
"Hagrid, you also think Professor Quirrell is the murderer!"
Hagrid shook his head vigorously.
"I didn't say that. The murderer could be someone else, but definitely not a professor from Hogwarts."
"But Snape wanted to get into that trapdoor guarded by the three-headed dog! That's a fact!" Ron steered the conversation back to their original purpose in finding Hagrid.
Because when it came to who the murderer was, none of them could convince the other.
"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid feigned panic.
"That dog's name is Fluffy!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yes, I bought it from a Greek wizard. Dumbledore borrowed it to guard—"
"Guard what?" Hermione asked expectantly.
Hagrid then realized the three boys were trying to trick him, and he said rudely.
"This is none of your business! Stop asking, it's classified, you know?"
"But Snape was already planning to steal it! Last Halloween, he was definitely the one who released the troll! Just to distract most of the castle, and he got bitten by that big dog named Fluffy. Harry saw Lynn in Snape's office yesterday, applying medicine to his wound!"
Ron continued listing evidence, trying to convince Hagrid that Snape had ill intentions.
But Hagrid remained unusually stubborn.
"I told you! You're all wrong. Snape is a professor at Hogwarts. He wouldn't do such a thing, whether he wanted to kill Harry or steal it, it's not what you think! You're meddling in something that has nothing to do with you, and it's dangerous! Forget about that big dog, forget about what it's guarding, this is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel…"
He suddenly stopped, and Hagrid angrily slapped his own mouth.
"Aha! This involves a man named Nicolas Flamel!"
Harry and his friends exclaimed as if they had discovered a new continent.
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(End of Chapter)