HP and the Parseltongue Chronicles - Chapter - 25

The weeks following Gryffindor’s Quidditch victory were filled with laughter—at least, for Harry and his friends. With the rumors of the Chamber of Secrets being opened running wild, the Stars Club took their pranks to a new level, focusing specifically on the children of known Death Eaters.

Fred and George, leading the charge, designed illusions and enchanted messages that appeared in the hallways at random.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware..." would flicker on the walls before dissolving into mist, often appearing right behind certain Slytherins when no one was looking.

One morning, Draco Malfoy woke up to find that all of his robes had been mysteriously altered. They now had messages embroidered in shimmering silver thread, reading: "He Who Betrays the Dark Will Be Judged." He nearly fainted upon seeing them.

Pansy Parkinson found herself speaking only in Parseltongue for an entire day, much to her horror. The Weasley twins had carefully engineered the prank by slipping her an enchanted piece of toffee, courtesy of their experimental products.

Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, walked into the common room to see his broomstick wrapped in what looked like enchanted snake skin. When he touched it, it slithered in his hands, making him scream and drop it.

Through these carefully executed pranks, a wave of paranoia swept through the more radical Purebloods, making them rethink their usual antagonism toward Muggle-borns.

“Looks like some of them have suddenly decided to be civil,” Hermione observed one evening, flipping through her copy of The Stars Chronicles.

Neville grinned. “They’re scared. They think the Heir of Slytherin is watching them.”

Harry smirked, but a small part of him couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease. The fear they had instilled was working too well.

Then, his mistake became apparent.

Harry had underestimated Lucius Malfoy.

The man, ever the schemer, wasted no time in using the rising panic among Pureblood families to strengthen his own influence. He leveraged his connections within the Ministry, preying on their paranoia, and within a week, he orchestrated something Harry never saw coming—an official Ministry intervention at Hogwarts.

It started when an unexpected delegation arrived during breakfast in the Great Hall. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, entered with a contingent of Aurors, all wearing grim expressions.

Professor Dumbledore stood to greet them, his blue eyes sharp and unreadable. “Minister Fudge, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

Fudge looked nervous, wringing his bowler hat in his hands. “Albus, I’m afraid we have no choice. With the Chamber of Secrets supposedly opened again, and the recent... disturbances in the castle, the Ministry has decided we must act.”

Behind him, Lucius Malfoy smirked, his cane tapping lightly against the floor.

“This is ridiculous,” McGonagall snapped. “No proof has surfaced that the Chamber of Secrets has truly been opened. And even if it had, this is a matter for Hogwarts, not the Ministry.”

Lucius gave a slow, deliberate bow. “And yet, dear Minerva, history is a funny thing. We have reason to believe that the very same culprit from fifty years ago is at fault once again.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Harry felt a sinking dread as Lucius took his time, savoring the moment. “Hagrid,” he said smoothly, “was expelled for opening the Chamber of Secrets. Now, after all these years, strange events are occurring once more. A coincidence? I think not.”

At the Gryffindor table, Ron—who had been silently watching—gasped. “No way!”

Hagrid, who had been standing at the entrance of the Hall, looked confused at first, then outraged. “Yeh can’t be serious!” he boomed.

But the Aurors stepped forward.

“Rubeus Hagrid,” Fudge announced, though his voice trembled, “we’re placing you under temporary Ministry custody while an investigation is conducted.”

Hagrid turned to Dumbledore, his face filled with a silent plea.

Dumbledore spoke, his tone calm but firm. “Surely, Cornelius, you don’t believe this.”

Fudge wiped sweat from his forehead. “We... we have to do something, Albus. The people demand action.”

Lucius smirked. “Indeed. Hogwarts must remain safe.”

Despite protests from the staff and students, Hagrid was escorted out of the castle.

Harry felt a wave of fury surge through him. He knew the truth. It wasn’t Hagrid who had opened the Chamber all those years ago. It was Tom Riddle—Voldemort himself. But how could he prove it?

As he watched Hagrid’s broad form disappear through the castle doors, a plan formed in his mind.

That evening, the Stars Club met in their clubroom. The members were in shock, whispering furiously amongst themselves.

“This is wrong,” Daphne Greengrass stated, crossing her arms. “Even if I wasn’t in the club, I’d say this is ridiculous.”

“Lucius Malfoy is using everyone’s fear to push his agenda,” Hermione said, pacing. “He wants control. This has nothing to do with actual justice.”

Fred and George cracked their knuckles. “I say we prank him until he regrets ever stepping foot in this school.”

Harry shook his head. “We need to do more than that. We need to make the truth known.”

He turned to Hermione. “We’re publishing an article in The Stars Chronicles. A full exposé on what really happened fifty years ago.”

Hermione’s eyes lit up. “You mean... using the memories of people who were here back then?”

“Exactly,” Harry said. “Nick, the Grey Lady, the Fat Friar—they were all here when it happened. And the school records in the library will have old testimonies. We dig up everything we can. Then we publish it.”

Neville grinned. “Expose the truth in front of the entire wizarding world?”

“Exactly,” Harry confirmed.

Two days later, a new edition of The Stars Chronicles was released. The front-page article was titled:

“THE INJUSTICE OF HAGRID: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 50 YEARS AGO?”

The article detailed the events of 50 years past, using direct accounts from the ghosts and surviving staff members, proving that Tom Riddle had manipulated the situation to frame Hagrid.

Harry’s personal editorial piece read:

"What we are witnessing is not justice, but manipulation. No trial was given. No evidence was presented. Just a man taken away because someone powerful decided it was convenient."


"If this is how justice is served, then we must ask: who will be the next victim?"


The reaction was immediate. Students and teachers alike whispered about the article, and even the Daily Prophet picked up on it. Pressure mounted on the Ministry to reconsider Hagrid’s arrest.

Lucius Malfoy, upon seeing the backlash, was furious.

By the end of the week, Dumbledore met with the club privately.

“I must commend you all,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Few would have had the courage to challenge an injustice so publicly.”

“So, will they release Hagrid?” Neville asked eagerly.

Dumbledore sighed. “The Ministry does not like admitting mistakes, but I believe they will have no choice but to reconsider.”

Harry exchanged a look with his friends. They had shaken the system. And if they could do this, then they could do even more.

It was the first step toward changing the wizarding world for the better.


The injustice of Hagrid’s arrest echoed through the halls of Hogwarts like a storm waiting to break. Lucius Malfoy had believed that his power and influence within the Ministry would be enough to silence any opposition. What he had not counted on was the overwhelming support for Hagrid—support that stretched far beyond the students of Hogwarts.

For years, Hagrid had been more than just the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. He had been a mentor, a friend, and a protector. He was the heart of the Stars Club, someone who had always believed in young witches and wizards, regardless of their background. The students, both past and present, remembered his kindness.

And when the Stars Chronicles published its exposé on Hagrid’s wrongful expulsion and arrest, the wizarding world took notice.

It started with letters—hundreds of them, arriving at the Ministry daily. Former students, parents, and even a few Ministry workers voiced their outrage at Hagrid’s treatment. The articles published in The Stars Chronicles and later picked up by The Quibbler painted a stark picture:

Fifty years ago, Hagrid had been a vulnerable half-giant, accused without evidence, convicted without trial, and expelled without mercy. And now, history was repeating itself.

The Ministry had expected compliance, not defiance. But with each passing day, the pressure mounted.

And Hogwarts itself became a battleground for truth.

Harry had anticipated that Hagrid’s arrest would cast suspicion, so he had already put a plan in motion.

If the pranks stopped after Hagrid was taken away, it would confirm the Ministry’s accusations. So, to ensure no one could pin the blame on him, he and the Stars Club continued their campaign against the Pureblood supremacists.

The very night after Hagrid was taken, a new message appeared on the walls of Hogwarts:

"The Chamber has been opened. The Betrayers of the Heir will answer."

It wasn’t written in blood, but rather in glowing green ink that shimmered eerily under torchlight.

Draco Malfoy nearly screamed when he saw it.

That wasn’t all.

Slytherin students with Death Eater parents found their dormitory trunks filled with enchanted snakes that slithered out when opened, hissing things like "The heir is watching." Their robes were cursed to randomly whisper Parseltongue phrases in their ears when no one was looking.

Pansy Parkinson, who had been loudly defending Lucius Malfoy’s actions, woke up one morning with her hair turned into living black snakes that hissed whenever she tried to talk.

Even the older students in Slytherin, the ones who usually ignored school drama, were beginning to look over their shoulders.

The message was clear: the so-called ‘Heir of Slytherin’ was still out there. And they were not pleased.

At the Ministry, Lucius Malfoy was growing increasingly furious. His plan had been simple—frame Hagrid, remove Dumbledore’s influence at Hogwarts, and possibly install a more ‘Pureblood-friendly’ headmaster in the future.

But the situation was spiraling out of his control.

His allies within the Ministry were receiving endless Howlers, their offices flooded with letters demanding Hagrid’s release.

What was worse, the Wizengamot had begun whispering among themselves. The phrase "He deserves a trial" was being muttered far too often for Lucius’s liking.

The final blow came when The Quibbler ran an interview with three former Hogwarts students—now respected members of the wizarding community—who had all vouched for Hagrid’s innocence.

And then the biggest surprise of all—Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, publicly announced that Hagrid would receive a fair trial.

Lucius was livid.

The trial was scheduled within the week, something unheard of in the bureaucratic mess that was the Ministry of Magic. But the public outcry had been too loud to ignore.

Harry, Hermione, and Neville arrived at the Ministry that morning, along with several Stars Club members who wanted to show their support. The courtroom was packed with journalists, old Hogwarts students, and current professors—including McGonagall, who had taken the day off from her duties to be there.

Hagrid was brought in, looking both anxious and surprised at the sheer number of people in the room.

Lucius Malfoy sat in his usual place of power, his pale hands folded in his lap, but his eyes burned with irritation.

Madam Bones, overseeing the trial, began the proceedings.

“Rubeus Hagrid, fifty years ago you were accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets, resulting in the death of a Hogwarts student. You were expelled without trial. Today, we will revisit that case. Present your defense.”

Hagrid swallowed hard and stood. “I never opened no Chamber,” he said firmly. “I was just a third-year student, and all I ever wanted was to take care of magical creatures. It wasn’t me who caused that poor girl’s death.”

Amelia Bones nodded. “And do we have evidence to prove this?”

This was where Harry came in. He stood and, with the permission of the court, presented the documented testimonies of Hogwarts ghosts—especially the Grey Lady, who had witnessed Tom Riddle’s actions but had never spoken about it until now.

With her ethereal voice filling the chamber, she recounted how Tom Riddle had framed Hagrid to cover up his own involvement.

There was a hush in the courtroom.

Then, an official record from the Hogwarts archives was produced.

An old school disciplinary record.

It showed that Tom Riddle had been given a special award for services to the school on the same day the Chamber of Secrets had supposedly been closed.

That was enough.

Lucius Malfoy tried to protest. He argued that the evidence was old, unreliable, and that Hagrid was still a danger due to his "monstrous nature." But the public wasn’t buying it anymore.

Madam Bones raised her hand. “That is enough, Lord Malfoy. Based on the evidence presented today, this court finds Rubeus Hagrid innocent of the charges brought against him.”

The moment the Wizengamot declared Hagrid innocent, the courtroom burst into applause. It was a rare sight—the rigid, bureaucratic walls of the Ministry of Magic witnessing an act of long-overdue justice. Hagrid stood at the center of it all, his massive shoulders shaking, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of what had just happened.

Justice had been served.

But it wasn’t just about clearing his name.

Madam Bones, ever the fair-minded official, had insisted that an official compensation be awarded to Hagrid for the injustice of his wrongful expulsion and imprisonment. After some debate, the court agreed.

10,000 Galleons.

A sum so large that even Harry was taken aback when it was announced.

The news spread like wildfire across the wizarding world. The Daily Prophet had a front-page story detailing the trial, the compensation, and—most importantly—Hagrid’s reinstatement as a fully licensed wizard.

For the first time in over fifty years, Rubeus Hagrid was allowed to do magic.

When Hagrid returned to Hogwarts, he was met with roaring cheers from students and staff alike. The S.T.A.R.S. Club threw him a surprise celebration in the clubroom. Fred and George had outdone themselves with the decorations—enchanted banners that read "Welcome Back, Hagrid!" and a magical cake that shaped itself into different animals every time someone took a bite.

Hagrid was an emotional wreck. “Blimey... I dunno what ter say,” he mumbled, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief that was more of a tablecloth.

McGonagall, for once, allowed herself a rare smile. “You deserve this, Hagrid. And I, for one, look forward to seeing how much of a wizard you truly are.”

The biggest surprise came when Harry, Hermione, and Neville handed Hagrid a special gift: his very own wand.

“Garrick Ollivander himself made this,” Harry explained, watching Hagrid’s eyes go wide. “We figured, since your old wand was broken, it was time you had a proper one.”

Hagrid took the wand in his massive hands, his fingers trembling. It was oak, 16 inches, with a core of dragon heartstring. It felt powerful, alive. He gave it a test wave, and sparks of green and gold flickered from the tip.

“I—” Hagrid’s voice cracked. “I don’ deserve all this…”

“Nonsense,” Hermione said firmly. “You do.”

Hagrid sniffled, blinking furiously. Then, with an enormous smile, he pulled the trio into a bone-crushing hug.

“Thank ye,” he whispered. “Thank ye all.”

Later that night, as the festivities settled down, Harry took Hagrid aside.

“You should buy a home in Hogsmeade,” Harry said.

Hagrid blinked. “Eh?”

“With the compensation money,” Harry clarified. “You have 10,000 Galleons now. That’s more than enough to buy land and build a proper house.”

“But—” Hagrid hesitated, glancing toward his small cottage near the Forbidden Forest. “I got my home right here…”

“That’s Hogwarts' home,” Harry pointed out. “It’s your work quarters. If you ever leave this job, or if the Ministry tries anything again, they could take it away from you. You need a place that’s truly yours.”

Neville nodded. “A place where you can raise creatures without restrictions.”

“And where you can live as a proper wizard, not just as the Keeper of Keys,” Hermione added.

Hagrid looked utterly stunned. He had never thought of owning his own land before. It had always been Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.

“You really think I should?” he asked, his voice uncertain.

“We’ll all help,” Harry said. “I know a few good builders in Diagon Alley. And Sirius and Remus will know how to set up proper wards.”

Fred and George grinned. “And we’ll add some magical protections to keep people from barging in.”

Hagrid rubbed his beard, his expression torn between shock and awe. “Blimey… I never even— I mean, my own house? Me?”

“You deserve it,” Harry said firmly.

And for the first time in his life, Hagrid truly believed it.