Chapter 93: The Date

A few minutes later, with a loud crack, Professor McGonagall appeared beside Harry. After quickly grasping the situation, she summoned her Patronus to notify Filch and Snape. Then, she ushered everyone onto a carriage back to Hogwarts. Luna was sent to the Hospital Wing, while Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and a petrified Slytherin student, whom Harry had immobilized with Petrificus Totalus, were brought to McGonagall's office. There, Snape and Filch—who was clutching a peculiar, oddly shaped device—were already waiting. McGonagall gestured for Harry to hand the dark-magic necklace to Snape. As for Filch, after briefly touching the necklace with his strange device, he hurried out of the office, instrument in hand.

While Snape examined the necklace, McGonagall lifted the Petrificus Totalus spell from the Slytherin student. Unfortunately, after a thorough interrogation by both McGonagall and Snape, it became clear that the unfortunate Slytherin was merely a bystander who had accidentally fallen under the Imperius Curse while watching the commotion.

Next, McGonagall turned her attention to Ginny, but Ginny couldn't recall anything. In her memory, one moment she was chatting with Luna at the Three Broomsticks, and the next, after a quick trip to the bathroom, she found herself standing in the snowy street outside the pub. As for what happened afterward, Ginny was too shaken to continue.

"P-Professor, did I… did I almost get Luna killed?" Ginny asked, her voice trembling as she looked at McGonagall through tearful sobs.

"No, dear, you were simply caught by a villain's Imperius Curse," McGonagall said gently, patting Ginny's shoulder. "Go to the Hospital Wing, Ginny. Madam Pomfrey will give you a potion to calm your nerves."

After Ginny left the room, McGonagall turned to face Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dean, and Seamus.

"What happened when Luna touched that necklace?" she asked.

"Luna shot up into the air," Ron blurted out before Harry or Hermione could speak. "She started screaming, and then Harry saved her."

McGonagall, failing to piece together a clear picture from Ron's vague description, turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, could you explain what happened in detail?"

Harry recounted the events as clearly as he could.

"Wait, Potter," Snape interrupted suddenly, his voice laced with barely perceptible surprise. "You're saying that when you touched Miss Lovegood, a surge of malevolent magic tried to invade your body through the point of contact? How did you resist that curse?"

"Because of this," Harry said, gesturing to the scale-like patches on his skin while reassuring Hermione, who had rushed to check on him.

Snape quickly concluded his analysis of the necklace.

"This necklace has been permanently enchanted with a spell that targets the soul," he said, waving his wand to vanish a few dead rats near the necklace and eyeing the opal pendant on the table with keen interest. "It channels a force that severs the soul from the body of anyone who touches it. This spell is ancient—indeed, I've only encountered it once in an old text."

He continued, "Miss Lovegood was extraordinarily lucky. I tested it on rats, and I estimate that if Mr. Potter's rescue had been delayed by even ten seconds, her soul would have begun to detach irreversibly from her body."

"What happens when a soul is torn from the body?" Harry asked.

Snape shot him a withering look. "Use that dung-filled brain of yours, Potter! If a body loses its soul, what do you think happens? At best, symptoms like memory loss or lethargy. At worst, the person becomes a living corpse!"

"By the way, where's Professor Dumbledore?" Ron piped up suddenly. "With something this serious, why hasn't he been informed?"

"Mr. Weasley, Professor Dumbledore is quite busy at the moment," McGonagall said, glancing at Ron.

"Busy with what?" Ron pressed, puzzled. "Isn't the Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts?"

"That's not something we need to explain to you," McGonagall replied firmly.

At that moment, Filch burst back into the room, clutching his odd device with an excited expression.

"Mr. Filch, have you made any progress?" McGonagall asked.

Filch nodded, but before he could speak, Snape raised a hand to silence him.

"Professor McGonagall, don't you think this office is a bit… crowded?" Snape said slowly, his gaze sweeping over Ron and the others, who were straining to eavesdrop.

"Professor Snape, I believe Mr. Potter and his friends have a right to know," McGonagall countered.

"Indeed, the great Savior and Miss Granger, as participants in the incident, may have that right," Snape said, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Ron and the others. "But the rest…"

McGonagall frowned. "At the very least, let Mr. Potter and Miss Granger stay."

"From experience, Professor McGonagall," Snape drawled, "if Potter knows something, Weasley knows. And if Weasley knows…"

McGonagall sighed and began ushering Harry and the others out.

"But, Professor—" Harry protested.

"Mr. Potter, it's time for you to go to dinner," McGonagall said, cutting him off.

Outside McGonagall's office, Ron instinctively turned to Harry to discuss what had happened, but upon seeing Hermione by Harry's side, he scoffed and stormed off in the opposite direction.

Harry was tired of mediating the feud between Hermione and Ron. They always reconciled eventually—three years of friendship had proven that—though this time, the rift might take longer to heal.

As for finding the necklace's owner, since McGonagall and the others weren't sharing their progress, Harry resolved to track down the culprit himself.

In the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione sat at their usual spot. As they discussed how to identify the perpetrator, Neville approached and sat across from Hermione.

"Hermione, Hagrid asked you to meet him at his hut tonight at midnight, with Harry's Invisibility Cloak," Neville said in a low voice, glancing around cautiously.

"Why midnight?" Hermione asked, looking up from her mashed potatoes.

"No idea," Neville said with a shrug, popping a piece of roast into his mouth. "That's just what Hagrid told me."

So, at half-past eleven, Hermione donned Harry's Invisibility Cloak and slipped out of the castle—with Harry in tow.

"Hagrid only asked for you. Why drag me along?" Harry grumbled, yawning as Hermione pulled him toward Hagrid's hut.

Compared to their first year, both Harry and Hermione had grown considerably. Harry, in particular, was now pushing seventy inches tall, which meant the Invisibility Cloak—once roomy enough for three—now barely covered the two of them squeezed together.

Hermione didn't answer, just kept tugging Harry across the lawn toward Hagrid's hut.

The grounds were pitch-black. They followed the faint glow of light spilling from Hagrid's hut.

Near the hut, a group of Thestrals munched quietly on hay, and not far off, Beauxbatons' massive carriage was parked beside the trees.

Hermione knocked on Hagrid's door. Seconds later, it creaked open, and a towering figure neither Harry nor Hermione recognized poked his head out.

"You're here, Hermione?" the stranger said in Hagrid's unmistakable voice. He opened the door wider, glancing around cautiously.

"It's us," Hermione said, pulling Harry inside. Once Hagrid shut the door, they slipped off the Invisibility Cloak.

"What the—Harry? You came too?" Hagrid said, startled to see Harry as he locked the door.

"Don't look at me," Harry said, raising his hands. "Hermione dragged me here."

"…Alright, since you're here, you might as well come see," Hagrid muttered, stepping past them to rummage through a cabinet. "Now, where'd I put that thing?"

A few minutes later, Hagrid stood up, clutching a bottle of what looked like perfume. He spritzed himself generously, choking Harry and Hermione with the overpowering scent.

"Bit too strong, eh?" Hagrid said, looking himself over.

Hagrid was visibly excited. A fresh flower was tucked into his buttonhole, and his usually wild hair was sleek and combed—Harry could even spot a broken comb tooth tangled in it. Clearly, Hagrid had put in serious effort.

Hermione studied the transformed giant before her. "Hagrid, with this getup… are you going on a date?"

"No, no, not a date," Hagrid said nervously, tugging at his clothes. "Just want to show you somethin'… maybe meet someone, too." He gestured for Harry and Hermione to put the Invisibility Cloak back on, then opened the door. Fang, sensing an outing, barked excitedly and lunged forward.

"No, Fang, stay!" Hagrid said, grabbing the dog and setting him back inside. "You wouldn't like tonight's big fellas." With that, he led Harry and Hermione into the darkness.

They hurried to keep up with Hagrid's long strides, surprised when he stopped beside the Beauxbatons carriage.

Hagrid signaled for them to stay quiet, then knocked on the door, which bore the emblem of two crossed golden wands. The door swung open, revealing Madame Maxime, her imposing frame nearly matching Hagrid's.

"Ah, Hagrid… is it time?" Madame Maxime said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Good evening," Hagrid said, grinning broadly as he offered his hand to help her down the golden steps.

Harry and Hermione, thoroughly confused, followed the two giants as they left the carriage and headed toward the Black Lake.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the dragon enclosure.

"Hagrid didn't drag us all this way just to see Norbert, did he?" Hermione whispered, watching Hagrid and Madame Maxime disappear through the enclosure's gates. "Don't we visit him sometimes anyway?"

"No clue," Harry said. "But let's follow and find out."

Inside the enclosure, they realized Hagrid wasn't leading them to Norbert's usual pen. In the main hall, a new passageway had appeared, guarded by two Ministry officials. Recognizing Hagrid, they let him and Madame Maxime pass. Harry and Hermione, still under the Invisibility Cloak, trailed behind.

After a short walk, they emerged onto a wide, open field. At its center stood four massive iron cages, each containing an adult dragon roughly Norbert's size, but far less friendly.

Harry studied the four ferocious beasts, rubbing his chin. "Not as cute as Norbert."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

The dragons reared on their hind legs, roaring and snorting flames from their fanged maws into the dark sky. Their necks stretched high, jaws fifty feet above the ground. A silver-blue dragon with long, pointed horns snarled and roared at the wizards below. A smooth-scaled green dragon thrashed and stomped. A red dragon, with a fringe of fine, pointed spines around its face, spewed mushroom-shaped clouds of fire. The last, a black dragon with spikes along its back and tail, glowered menacingly.

At least thirty wizards, grouped in teams of seven or eight per dragon, struggled to restrain them. They pulled on chains attached to thick leather straps around the dragons' legs and necks.

Hagrid led Madame Maxime to a spot near the dragons, their firelight illuminating his face. Harry could swear he saw a softness in Hagrid's expression.

"Stay back, Hagrid!" a wizard near the fence shouted, his back to them as he gripped a thick chain. "They can shoot flames twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail hit forty!"

"Aren't they beautiful?" Hagrid murmured dreamily.

"No good! They're too strong when they're awake!" another wizard yelled. "Cast Stupefy—on three, together!"

"Stupefy!" they shouted in unison. Red jets of light rocketed toward the green dragon, a hail of spells raining down on all four. The green dragon, hit by over thirty Stupefies, swayed, then collapsed, its massive body kicking up a cloud of dust.

The dragon tamers repeated the process, stunning the remaining three dragons. They lowered their wands and approached the unconscious beasts, now sprawled like small mountains.

Harry and Hermione watched as the wizards secured the dragons, fastening chains to iron posts and driving the posts deep into the ground with magic.

"Want to get a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly. They moved toward the fence, with Harry and Hermione following.

The wizard who had warned Hagrid turned around, and Harry and Hermione recognized him instantly.

It was Charlie Weasley.

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