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"None of your business!" Hagrid's face darkened instantly, his massive hand swinging sharply as he growled, "Stay away from me!"
With that, he stomped off toward his small wooden cabin.
Severus Snape had to jog to keep up with his stride.
"Hey, Hagrid!" Snape called after his retreating back. "What's going on?"
Bang!
Hagrid slammed the door shut.
This was a problem.
Snape stood there, frowning. He knew he wasn't Harry Potter—Hagrid would never easily confide in him about the events of that year.
But he hadn't expected Hagrid's reaction to be so intense, not even giving him a chance to talk.
As for asking the staff or the usual ghosts, as Patrick Abbott had suggested, Snape doubted they'd provide anything useful. Dumbledore had likely instructed those in the know to keep it secret.
Was he really going to have to barge into the second-floor girls' bathroom?
But he had no real reason to seek out Moaning Myrtle.
He'd need to gather just enough credible information through seemingly legitimate means before approaching that poor girl.
Otherwise, with Dumbledore's sharp mind, Snape would have a hard time explaining himself.
It seemed he'd have to take a bold risk.
Knock, knock, knock!
Snape marched up to Hagrid's cabin and pounded on the door.
"Hagrid! Don't hide in there silently! If you had the guts to get that girl killed, why can't you open the door? Open it!"
A few seconds later, the door flew open.
Snape found himself staring down the barrel of Hagrid's massive crossbow.
"No, I didn't! Aragog would never kill anyone!" Hagrid roared, his eyes red.
"Aragog? The spider mentioned in The Daily Prophet?"
Snape took a step forward, pushing the crossbow aside.
"Hey, don't try to scare me, Hagrid. You wouldn't hurt a soul."
Hagrid lowered his weapon but still glared fiercely, his tangled beard quivering with each breath.
"Did I guess right? Were you the one expelled from Hogwarts thirty-three years ago?"
"Let's go inside and talk."
Hagrid was silent for a moment before stepping aside to let Snape in.
The cabin had only one room. Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a large bed with patchwork bedding stood in the corner, and Hagrid's pink umbrella leaned against the back wall.
Snape sat at the cabin's only large wooden table.
"Patrick told me some things about you. Can I try one of your rock cakes?"
Hagrid snorted loudly through his nose.
Finally, he grabbed a large tray of rock cakes from the cupboard and slammed it down in front of Snape.
Snape soon regretted it—the rock cake nearly broke his teeth, but he forced himself to act like he enjoyed it.
Setting down the half-eaten rock cake after checking it for his teeth, he said, "Hagrid, I believe you're not the one responsible for that incident.
"If you were, I don't think Dumbledore would have let you stay at Hogwarts. I was just throwing out guesses earlier to get a chance to talk to you.
"Since you're still here, there must be more to the story."
Snape pulled a few folded copies of The Daily Prophet from his robes.
"Take a look," he said, sliding the papers across the table to Hagrid. "These are the reports from back then."
Hagrid shifted uneasily in his seat.
"Can you tell me about Aragog?" Snape asked.
"I can't tell you," Hagrid said flatly. "I won't say anything."
"Then let me venture into the realm of guesses and speculation."
Snape sat up straight, locking eyes with Hagrid's dark gaze.
"In 1943, Hogwarts faced a series of attacks, and one female student lost her life, causing widespread panic.
"Tom Riddle discovered you were keeping a giant spider in the castle and believed it—Aragog—was responsible for the girl's death."
"No… Aragog didn't…" The parts of Hagrid's face not covered by his beard turned as pale as paper.
Ignoring Hagrid's protests, Snape continued, "Whatever the truth, the attacks on the Chamber stopped after that.
"Riddle received a Special Award for Services to the School, and the so-called 'culprit'—" Snape gave Hagrid a measured look, "you were expelled, and your wand was snapped, wasn't it?"
Sweat beaded on Hagrid's forehead, his beetle-black eyes filled with panic.
"Can we talk now?"
Hagrid gave a stiff nod, his face blank.
"If Aragog isn't the killer, what do you know?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
"What?"
"I asked Aragog many times, but he wouldn't say.
"He only told me there was some ancient creature in the school he was terrified of, but he refused to name it."
Snape tapped his fingers lightly on the table. He was getting closer to the answers he needed.
"What do you know about Riddle?"
"He was brilliant, top of every class, even became Head Boy."
"And after that? Someone that exceptional?"
"No idea," Hagrid shook his head. "After he left school, I never heard from him again."
It seemed Hagrid knew next to nothing about Riddle.
"And what about that poor girl? What do you know about her?"
Hagrid hesitated, unsure whether to share anything about her.
"Look," Snape said again, leaning forward and spreading the newspaper in front of Hagrid. "If the real culprit is still out there, how can she rest in peace in the other world?"
"She didn't go to another world," Hagrid said in a hoarse, low voice. "She's still in the castle."
"What do you mean?" Snape asked, feigning surprise.
"Moaning Myrtle, the girl who died," Hagrid said. "Her body was found in the bathroom. She came back."
"You mean the ghost who's always crying in the girls' bathroom?"
"Yeah," Hagrid said, his shoulders twitching nervously, his voice barely audible.
"Thank you, Hagrid. This information is very helpful," Snape said. "I swear I won't tell anyone but Dumbledore about this. Of course, I suspect he already knows.
"Also, out of personal interest, I'll try to uncover the truth from back then. If I can, I'll clear your name when the time is right."
Snape stood and headed for the door.
In the gathering dusk, he walked toward the castle, its windows casting soft light that shimmered in the crisp air.
Later, when no one was around, he could visit Moaning Myrtle and legitimately discover the entrance to the Chamber—the tap with the snake carving.
He didn't yet know how to get inside, but this was promising progress.
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