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Dumbledore had seen many ups and downs in his life, but situations like Hagrid's were relatively rare.
Watching Hagrid standing there like a child who had done something wrong, unsure of what to do, Dumbledore took a deep breath. "It's okay, no big deal. I'll arrange for someone to send the dragon away immediately."
With that, Dumbledore summoned his Patronus.
"Now, come with me to the fourth floor. We need to move Norbert."
Time was of the essence; Fudge could arrive at any moment. Dumbledore had to expedite the process. He and Hagrid hurried to the fourth floor and opened the door to the concealed corridor.
Norbert lifted two of its heads warily, baring its fangs. However, as it caught the scent of the intruders, its expression softened, now tinged with a hint of friendliness.
It stood upright and crouched down, all three heads sticking out their tongues at Hagrid, looking three times more affectionate than an ordinary pet dog.
Without delay, Hagrid collared Norbert, led it out of the restricted area, while Dumbledore stayed behind. Dumbledore cast a cleaning spell to tidy up the room and applied a minor enchantment before leaving.
He led Hagrid directly to Hagrid's hut, where a small old man was already waiting. The old man's hair was completely white, and he wore a blue woolen coat. A peculiarly colored handkerchief peeked out from the coat's pocket, and he carried a somewhat worn-out suitcase.
"Newt, long time no see," Dumbledore said with a joyful smile upon seeing the old man. However, Newt appeared not as delighted—whenever Dumbledore sought him out, it usually meant trouble, like when he sent Newt to confront Grindelwald back in the 1920s.
However, nearly seventy years had passed since those days, and the once young man had aged considerably. In this lengthy period, Dumbledore hadn't disturbed him much, allowing him to live a peaceful life.
But now, receiving Dumbledore's owl once again, he promptly arrived. Seeing Dumbledore, he forced a smile, but the expression turned genuinely warm when he noticed a large creature.
"You're raising this three-headed dog so well!" His eyes sparkled, and he stared at Hagrid's three-headed dog, Fluffy, with admiration. Fluffy seemed a bit embarrassed under his gaze.
Hagrid also smiled modestly. "Ah, it's nothing, nothing. Fluffy is a mischievous lad. Sorry for troubling you."
"Where, where!" Newt exclaimed with joy. He hadn't expected something good when Dumbledore asked for his help this time. However, Hagrid didn't pause and shifted the conversation. He walked into his hut and led out Norbert, who was not as cooperative.
"This little one will need your care for a few days," Hagrid delivered the second piece of good news.
Newt was dizzy with joy. Was there such good fortune? He readily agreed and then, with Hagrid's help, figured out a way to coax Norbert and Fluffy into the suitcase. Both dragon and dog were highly intelligent creatures, not easily deceived. Fluffy struggled to stay with Hagrid, sensing various terrifying scents inside the box and, combined with its deep attachment to Hagrid, hesitated to leave. Its face was nearly twisted into that of a Shiba Inu due to the collar.
But in the end, with Hagrid's hands-on encouragement, Fluffy reluctantly entered the suitcase. Newt's suitcase was quite special, equipped with an untraceable Stretching Charm, making its internal space vast. With Hagrid's assurance that he would return, Fluffy quivered but stayed put.
Norbert, on the other hand, was different. It joyfully dashed into the suitcase. In its eyes, it finally escaped from misery and was no longer a dependent.
Inside the suitcase, it proudly roared, "Roar—(I am the embodiment of power!)"
"Roar! (When I enter, the entire suitcase will tremble for it!)"
"Roar! (I am the embodiment of magic!)"
The inside of the suitcase resembled a pot of boiling water; it was filled with various magical creatures' roars. Some timid magical creatures huddled and shivered, while stronger ones roared back at Norbert.
Newt:...
Does this dragon have a mental problem?
Norbert wanted to continue roaring, but two red beams flew towards it, hitting precisely and causing it to become dazed. Dumbledore walked up to it, cast another Stunning Spell, and made Norbert completely lose consciousness.
"Sorry for the trouble," Dumbledore said apologetically to Newt, looking at the chaotic suitcase.
"Oh, well, I'm used to it," Newt sighed. His head was beginning to ache.
After settling them, Newt secured the suitcase with a strengthened Locking Charm, ensuring that magical creatures like Snuffles couldn't escape. Carrying the suitcase, he stood up, flashed Dumbledore and Hagrid a brilliant smile, and then hastily left.
Once he left, Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, it was safe.
Though the process was complicated, Dumbledore acted swiftly. When he and Hagrid returned to the Great Hall, breakfast hadn't even ended. At this moment, the flames in Dumbledore's office fireplace quietly turned green.
The Ministry of Magic was beyond salvation.
Ideally, a surprise inspection like this should be dealt with as quickly as possible. However, Quirrell had written the anonymous letter late last night, and Fudge only found out when he arrived at work in the morning—breakfast at Hogwarts was almost over.
Upon learning of the situation, he immediately took a few trusted subordinates and headed to Hogwarts. In this matter, he demonstrated astonishing motivation. Perhaps only during a special interview with a newspaper could he muster such enthusiasm.
The most convenient way to reach Hogwarts was to communicate with Dumbledore first, then use the Floo Network to teleport directly to Dumbledore's office. However, this time,
Fudge didn't adopt this strategy. He directly used Apparition to arrive at Hogsmeade, then entered through the school's main gates—his goal was to catch Dumbledore off guard.
Since Fudge had solidified his position in the Ministry, his relationship with Dumbledore had become more strained. Over the past two years, Dumbledore had increasingly become an obstacle to Fudge. Thus, the chance to cause a disturbance at Hogwarts and, in turn, weaken Dumbledore's prestige was an opportunity Fudge wouldn't miss—any chance to chip away at Dumbledore's power was a chance he would seize.
And so, he came, leading his subordinates.
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(End of this chapter)