Everyone in the hut was stunned by Dumbledore's words.
Even Harry and Ron, hidden invisibly in the corner, understood what a massive shock it would cause in the Wizarding World if the school truly closed.
Even fifty years ago, when a student died because of the Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts had only hesitated over whether to close the school. But now Dumbledore was proactively requesting its closure.
And it would happen in just three days!
As the Minister for Magic, Fudge understood even more clearly what it would mean if Hogwarts shut down.
He stared at Dumbledore, momentarily speechless as he stammered,
"D-Dumbledore, do you understand what it means if the school actually closes?"
The consequences Fudge considered were naturally far more extensive than what Harry and Ron could imagine.
The greatest impact of closing the school would undoubtedly fall upon Dumbledore's own reputation.
Because that would mean he had completely lost control of the situation at Hogwarts, and the reporters at the Daily Prophet, eager for sensational news, would spare no effort in writing eye-catching headlines.
The Wizards of Britain's Wizarding World would certainly become deeply dissatisfied, and that frustration would naturally spread to the Ministry of Magic, causing people to believe the current magical government was completely ineffective.
It didn't matter if the Ministry's reputation suffered. The crucial issue was that he, Fudge, would also be branded "incompetent" because of it.
Otherwise, if only Dumbledore's reputation were damaged, Fudge would have been delighted.
Hagrid, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with emotion, believing Dumbledore was using this as leverage to prevent his arrest.
"Sir, you don't have to do this. I can go with them. I believe you'll clear things up quickly."
Dumbledore gently shook his head.
"I'm not doing this solely for you, Hagrid, nor am I using it to threaten Fudge. If you genuinely believe Hagrid is responsible, then you may arrest him. But regardless of whether Hagrid is taken away or not, Hogwarts will inevitably close in three days. Tomorrow morning, I will inform every student and teacher of this decision. For now, sending them home is the safest course of action."
Fudge's eyes widened. He lacked the courage to pressure Dumbledore into changing his mind, so he could only plead helplessly.
"It won't come to this, Dumbledore. Besides, even if you want to close the school, the Board of Governors won't agree. They won't simply allow Hogwarts to shut down!"
"Lucius Malfoy's son is also among the attacked students. I believe he understands better than anyone that taking his son home and waiting for the Mandrakes to mature so the restorative potion can be prepared is currently the safest option."
Dumbledore's words completely cut off every possible avenue for both Lucius and Fudge. His attitude was utterly firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
In the end, Fudge failed to persuade Dumbledore to abandon the idea of closing the school. Likewise, he did not give up his decision to arrest Hagrid.
Even if closing the school would damage his reputation, he could at least use Hagrid's arrest to recover part of the loss and show that the Ministry of Magic was not sitting idle.
Before being led away, Hagrid suddenly spoke strangely at the doorway.
"Follow the spiders in the Forbidden Forest. They'll lead you to everything you want to know."
Fudge looked at him in astonishment.
"What are you talking about?"
Hagrid pulled on his overcoat and continued without answering directly.
"Fang's very timid. He needs someone to stay with him."
"If you have time to worry about your dog, you should worry about yourself first," Fudge muttered, failing to understand Hagrid's true meaning as he escorted him away in a foul mood.
Dumbledore remained behind until the very end. Before closing the hut door, he spoke meaningfully to the empty air.
"Sometimes,
Perhaps adults are not as useless as you imagine."
Only after all the commotion had faded did Harry and Ron emerge from beneath the invisibility cloak.
"Was Professor Dumbledore talking to us at the end?" Ron asked uncertainly.
Harry, however, had noticed Dumbledore's gaze.
"He looked right at us just now. Professor Dumbledore definitely noticed us."
"But why is he so determined to close the school? And what about Hermione if Hogwarts closes? Just send her home? Her parents will go mad!" Ron said agitatedly.
By now, Harry had calmed down somewhat. He still didn't understand why Dumbledore was so insistent on closing the school, especially with the deadline set for three days later.
But he clearly understood the message Hagrid had left behind before being taken away.
If they could uncover the truth before Hogwarts closed, everything might still be saved.
"Hagrid told us to take Fang into the Forbidden Forest and follow the spiders to uncover the truth!"
Harry and Ron exchanged determined glances; they had already made up their minds.
Leaving the invisibility cloak on the table inside the hut, since they wouldn't need it in the Forbidden Forest, they walked out of Hagrid's home. Fang, Hagrid's hunting dog, was lying on the ground whimpering after watching his master get taken away.
Harry grabbed Fang's leash and patted him on the hind leg.
"Come on, Fang. Let's take a walk in there."
Fang shook out his fur as though he understood Harry's words and began walking ahead, leading them into the Forbidden Forest.
"Lumos."
Harry cast the Wand-Lighting Charm, barely illuminating a circle of about two metres around them. Ron, however, didn't dare use magic; his wand still wasn't repaired, and he feared the spell might explode instead of working properly.
They spotted the tiny spiders crawling along the ground and followed their trail deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Fang trotted around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves along the way. Guided by the light from Harry's wand, they followed the constantly moving spiders for nearly twenty minutes.
Neither of them spoke. They listened intently for any sound other than snapping twigs and rustling leaves.
The trees grew denser, blotting out the stars overhead. Harry's wand shone alone within the endless darkness, and eventually they noticed the spiders leaving the main path.
Hagrid had once warned them never to stray from the forest path, but Hagrid was probably locked inside a cell in Azkaban by now, so they had no choice but to continue following the spiders.
Another half hour passed. Harry and Ron's clothes had been torn to shreds by low branches and thorn-covered vines when Ron, panting heavily, signalled to Harry that he needed to stop and rest for a while.
At that moment, a cold and familiar voice suddenly sounded behind them.
"Why are you here?"