Chapter 216
Albert Black exited the shop with steady steps and a face that reflected nothing of his emotions.
Behind him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed, in a state of confusion and astonishment. They could not ignore what had just happened inside the room, and they had no choice but to confront Albert with the questions filling their heads.
"Albert!" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with him. "What happened to Rita? She suddenly seemed to care about you in the end, even though you... I mean, even though you were the reason for her state!"
Albert stopped for a moment, then turned towards them with a stern face. He said in a calm but firm voice: "I removed all the memories related to what happened inside from her mind. She no longer remembers anything about what transpired between us."
Harry and Ron were astonished when they heard that. "What?" Ron said, staring at Albert as if trying to make sure he was serious. "You're joking, aren't you? How... how can you do that?"
Albert smiled slightly and said: "It's simple when you know the right spell. Not just Rita, but the goblins too. I removed all memories related to me or what just happened from their minds. Now no one can use that incident against me."
Ron stood amazed, then said with sudden enthusiasm: "Oh, that's so cool! You have to teach me this spell! Imagine how useful it could be for so many things... like, I don't know, erasing my mistakes from my mum's memory or something like that!"
Albert chuckled lightly, but shook his head. "It's not that simple, Ron. This spell is only a small part of what you can do in the field of mind magic. There are other more complex spells, like Occlumency."
Hermione stared at him with clear interest and asked: "Occlumency? What exactly do you mean?"
Albert looked at her, then continued in a more serious voice: "Occlumency is the art of protecting your mind from intrusion. It is a spell aimed at strengthening the mind's power, so that it becomes impossible for anyone to read or manipulate your memories. If Rita had mastered Occlumency to a high level, I would not have been able to enter her mind or erase her memories."
The three stood in silence for a moment, while they tried to absorb what he had said. Ron, who still seemed to be thinking about how to use those spells to his advantage, said: "So... can we learn Occlumency too?"
Albert smiled, but his smile was mysterious this time. "Anyone can learn it if they have enough patience and will. But it's not easy. You need complete control over your thoughts and emotions. And that... is something not everyone is ready for."
Albert continued walking, while the three followed him in silence, each of them immersed in his thoughts. It was clear that what happened inside was not just a passing incident.
They arrived at Hagrid's hut, and found the curtains still drawn, so Hermione knocked hard on the door, shouting: "Hagrid... Hagrid... that's enough, we know you're inside and no one here cares if your mother is a giant or not... Hagrid... you can't let that stupid woman do this to you... get out of here you are just..."
The door opened and Hermione found herself face-to-face with Albus Dumbledore, who smiled, saying: "Hello, Miss Granger."
Hermione said in a low voice: "We... we came to see Hagrid."
He replied: "Yes... I noticed that, why don't you come in?"
Hermione said: "Uh... yes... okay!"
The four entered the hut to find Hagrid sitting at the table on which two cups of tea were placed, and Hagrid's appearance was indeed awful, more than it was when Albert spoke to him inside the hut. His eyes were inflamed and his hair and beard were unusually disheveled. Harry said: "Hello, Hagrid!"
Hagrid looked up at him and did not utter a word, so Professor Dumbledore said, closing the door: "I'll bring more tea."
Next to Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat on small chairs, while Albert Black stood near the window, quietly watching the scene.
"Hagrid..." Albert began speaking in a calm tone, trying to lighten the burden on the kind giant. "I see you are still worried about what Rita Skeeter wrote about you. But there is no need for that anymore. I solved the matter myself."
Hagrid raised his head and looked at Albert with clear confusion. "Solved the matter? What do you mean, Albert? What did I do for you to solve it?"
Albert smiled calmly and approached Hagrid, saying: "We met Rita today, me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I made sure myself that all those things she wrote about you will never see the light again."
Hagrid kept staring at him, and only more confusion appeared on his face. "But... how? What did you do, boy? What do you mean by your words?"
Albert sat on one of the chairs and took a deep breath before explaining: "Rita Skeeter was using her memories to fabricate stories about you and everyone you know. But I removed everything she knew about you from her mind. I erased all her memories related to you and your life, and everything she could use against you."
Signs of shock appeared on Hagrid's face, as he tried to absorb what he had heard. "Erased her memories? How did you do that? That... that is very powerful magic, isn't it?"
Albert nodded confidently. "Yes, but it was necessary. I couldn't stand idly by while she continued to hurt you with the poisonous words she publishes. And I bet now that she will change her position in the coming days and deny everything she said about you. She will be forced to do so because she no longer has any evidence or memories to support her stories."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, as they already knew what Albert had done, but they did not think he would reveal the matter to Hagrid so clearly.
Hagrid took a deep breath, his eyes full of hesitation. "But Albert... isn't this going too far? I mean, playing with people's minds... that's not a simple thing."
Albert smiled lightly, but showed clear seriousness in his voice. "I understand what you mean, Hagrid. But sometimes, decisive action is the only solution to stop the harm. Rita is not just a journalist; she is a destroyer with her pen ink. She made your life hell, and it had to be stopped. Now, you are free from her influence."
Silence prevailed for a moment in the hut, before Hagrid looked at Albert with grateful eyes, although he still felt some doubts deep down. "Well, Albert... if you think this is right, I trust you. But just make sure this does not hurt you or others."
Albert smiled and nodded his head. "Don't worry, Hagrid. Everything is under control."
As for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they remained silent, each one immersed in his own thoughts, trying to grasp the complexity of Albert's personality and his bold decisions.
After Albert finished speaking, Dumbledore entered again, holding a tray with teacups, and he gestured with his wand in the air, and within a second, teacups and a plate of cakes settled in front of them. Everyone sat around the table in silence before Dumbledore asked: "Did you hear what Mr. Albert was saying, Hagrid?"
The trio's faces were flushed, as they did not expect Dumbledore to have heard everything Albert said, but Albert had expected that, as he knew well that Dumbledore might have heard everything he said, even if Dumbledore did not intend to eavesdrop, he would not be able to.
Dumbledore smiled at them, continuing: "Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Albert still want to meet you in any way."
Harry said, staring at Hagrid: "Of course we still want to meet you, you cannot care about what this delusional woman called Rita Skeeter wrote."
Tears appeared in Hagrid's eyes and began to fall slowly onto his cheeks, while Dumbledore returned, saying: "Here is living proof of what I was telling you, Hagrid, and I offered you the letters in which many fathers and mothers think you are their son, and I told you before that when I took over the management of this school, I received at least one letter every day telling me that I could not manage it, but what did I do! Did I lock myself in my room and refuse to talk to anyone?"
Hagrid said in a choked voice: "But... but you are not a half-giant."
Harry said sharply: "Hagrid... look at my relatives... look at the Dursley family."
Dumbledore said: "And here is another proof, my brother was accused of practicing an illegal spell on a sheep, and everything was published on the pages of the Quibbler, and did he disappear? No... he did not disappear! He raised his head and did his work as usual, and of course, this is a kind of courage."
Hermione said quietly: "Go back to teaching, Hagrid, please... come back, we really miss you."
Hagrid's eyes filled with tears again until they soaked his beard, then Dumbledore stood up, saying: "I heard what Albert told you, this means that the issue of this matter in front of everyone has been solved, and I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I await your return to work on Monday, and I will wait for you to share breakfast with me at half-past eight in the Great Hall, and I will not accept any excuse... I will leave now."
Dumbledore disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving Hagrid sobbing, and Albert patted his arm until he raised his eyes.
Ron said: "Yes, can we have this cake, Hagrid?"
Hagrid replied: "Yes, certainly, please... you were right... you were all right, I was a fool, my father would have been angry at the way I behaved... I haven't shown you a picture of my father... have I?"
Hagrid stood up and walked towards his cupboard to take out a picture of a short wizard with the same eyes as Hagrid, and he was sitting on Hagrid's shoulder next to an apple tree, but Hagrid's face in the picture was clear and younger, and he couldn't have looked older than eleven years old.
Hagrid said, pointing to the picture: "It was taken of us after I joined Hogwarts. My father thought I would not become a wizard because of my mother... well... in any case, I was an unsuccessful wizard and he knew that, but at least I was not expelled in his life, he died when I was in the second year."
"And Dumbledore helped me continue at Hogwarts as the Gamekeeper, which put him in constant disagreement with others, except that he was convinced to entrust the work to those who had the talent, but I knew that there would be those who would still bother me, just as my father used to say, but I will not allow her to do that anymore... and I promise you that I will repay her twofold!"
"Do you know, Harry? When I first met you, you reminded me of myself. My father and mother also died, and I felt that I would not succeed at Hogwarts, just as you thought but you became famous, Harry."
To be continued...