Ch316- Curse

Ch316- Curse

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"But why are they hunting non-humans now?"

Hagrid shifted on his feet, his eyes flicking to the window. "Well... don' get me wrong, Harry. That thing yeh did at Yule—inviting goblins, elves, centaurs an’ all—it was bold, right brave, too. But it’s gone an’ started a bit of a reaction, yeh see?" He rubbed a hand over his scruffy beard, a nervous habit. "Some folks didn' like it."

Harry felt a flicker of realization. Fudge’s assassination had changed everything. With his weak style out of the picture, the Ministry was now scrambling to look tough, stepping up their stance not only against Death Eaters but also against anyone who skirted punishment. And if inviting those usually shunned creatures to Yule had rattled the Pure Blood ideologists, well, Harry couldn’t say he regretted it.

He tapped his foot on the ground, giving Hagrid a sidelong look. “So, since there’s no minister, they’re using the chaos to go after non-humans, trying to make some kind of twisted statement?”

Hagrid nodded, his face settling into a grim look. “Aye, that’s the gist of it. There’s folk who’ll always think like that, yeh know? Always wantin’ to keep magic in certain hands, the ‘right’ hands, they say.” He grumbled, scuffing a massive boot against the floor. “Doesn’t sit well with me. Grawp’s got every right to be here as anyone else.”

It was to be expected. When Harry had revealed the Diary of Voldemort, he sent enough proof to Madam Bones, Minister Fudge, and Dumbledore that they couldn’t ignore it. Umbridge had been sent to Hogwarts earlier that year to keep an eye on things, but she left soon after Fudge’s assassination. Just before his death, Fudge had passed a law that allowed Veritaserum use on the Most Noble and Ancient Houses—but only as a hollow gesture to pacify the public after it came out that Sirius Black had been wrongfully imprisoned. Fudge had slyly ensured that Lucius Malfoy and other Death Eaters would avoid being retried, keeping his hands clean while pretending to uphold justice.

Now, with Fudge gone, there was nothing left to hold Amelia Bones back, nor those in the Ministry who truly wanted to deliver justice. With the Ministry now taking a hardline approach, the Death Eaters and pureblood ideologists had devised a cruel retaliation plan. They begun hunting non-human beings to “prove a point.” They wanted to remind everyone that their ideology was still very much alive and that they were far from powerless.

Harry exchanged a look with Hagrid, understanding the reason behind Grawp’s presence here. He gave Hagrid a nod. "So that’s why you brought him to Hogwarts. Safer than leaving him with that lot on the loose, right?”

Hagrid nodded grimly. “Aye, yeh got it, Harry. They’re gettin’ desperate, startin’ to turn on anyone who ain’t ‘human enough,’” he spat bitterly. “So, I couldn’t leave ‘im out there. Brought ‘im here to keep ‘im safe—thought it would be best.”

...

“1970,” Harry answered. “Just before the war."

Basi’s eyes narrowed, recalling something long-hidden in the shadowed recesses of memory. “Yes, I remember,” he hissed slowly, “that man returned that year. Years after he had left, he came back—down here, in fact. He sought something—the inheritance, though he failed to claim it.” Basi's voice held a hint of smugness at this memory. "He could not unlock all of Salazar’s runes. Even as the so-called ‘Heir,’ he lacked the skill and understanding.”

Harry hummed, nodding as he thought over what Basi had just told him about Voldemort’s failed attempts at Parselrunes. "He had just enough Parselmagic to open the chamber," Basi continued. "But the true inheritance eluded him. In his arrogance, he was convinced he could decipher the runes by force alone." The basilisk gave a dry, amused chuckle, his forked tongue flicking as if savoring the memory. "He couldn’t fully read Salazar’s runes, and when he failed, he left in quite a temper, muttering curses in that twisted tongue of his."

Harry’s interest sharpened. “Riddle really came back to Hogwarts after he graduated? And he woke you up?”

Basi nodded, pausing to remember. "Yes, it was sometime in that period. He slunk into the chamber one day, filled with that bitter determination of his. He came looking for something... a legacy he thought was his by blood." The basilisk’s eyes narrowed, recalling the scene. “But he was stopped again by the same runes. Furious, he left."

Harry asked, “So, do you think Riddle cursed the Defense position? You just said it’s impossible.”

Basilisk shook his massive head, a low rumble escaping his throat. "To place a curse within Hogwarts is no simple matter," he explained, his words slow. "The wards built by the Founders are woven deep into the very stones. Only the most powerful of magic could ever trick those defenses, and even then, only with specific connections to the Founders themselves."

Harry nodded, watching the serpent carefully. “So you’re saying someone would need to override those protections?”

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