Just then, a second heavy knock thundered against the wood.
Dumbledore pulled the door open to reveal a figure that made Harry gasp. Elijah—still tethered to the boys through Ginny's form—dug a sharp elbow into Harry's ribs to silence him.
Lucius Malfoy strode into the cramped space of Hagrid's hut, his black traveling cloak sweeping the floor behind him. A cold, predatory smile played on his lips as Fang began to bark with a frantic, guttural intensity.
Elijah felt a surge of relief. The pieces were finally falling into place.
He had worked with Lucius to orchestrate this very moment, utilizing the elder Malfoy's influence to leverage the Board of Governors. With Dumbledore removed, Hogwarts would be little more than an open playground for Elijah's final ascension.
Dumbledore, however, appeared entirely unsurprised. His blue eyes were calm, as if he had been expecting this specific guest all evening.
"Already here, Fudge?" Lucius said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Very good. I see the Ministry is finally taking the safety of our students seriously."
Hagrid's face twisted in a snarl. "What are you doin' here? Get out of my house!"
"Please believe me when I say I have no desire to be inside your… oh, you call this a house?" Lucius sneered, glancing at the mismatched furniture and the smell of wet dog. "I merely came to the school to speak with the Headmaster. I was told he was here."
"What exactly do you want, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked politely.
"The Board of Governors feels you should step down," Lucius said, unrolling a long, official-looking parchment. His movements were leisurely, the air of a man who had already won.
"This is a temporary suspension. All twelve governors have signed it. Given the frequency of these attacks, it is clear you have lost control. At this rate, there won't be a single Muggle-born student left at Hogwarts—a tragic loss, I'm sure we all agree."
Fudge looked horrified. "Dumbledore? Suspended? Now? Lucius, surely you don—"
"The Board has the right to oversee the Headmaster's tenure, Cornelius. The Ministry has no jurisdiction here," Lucius countered smoothly.
"But Lucius," Fudge stammered, sweat beading on his upper lip, "if Dumbledore can't stop the attacks, who can?"
"We shall see," Malfoy replied with a thin, sharp smile.
Hagrid roared in fury, his fists clenching. "How many of 'em did you have to threaten to get those signatures, Malfoy? How many did you blackmail?"
"A word of advice, Hagrid," Lucius said, his gray eyes turning to ice. "I wouldn't yell at the Azkaban guards like that. They aren't known for their patience."
"You can't take him!" Hagrid cried, ignoring the threat. "Without Dumbledore, there'll be murders! The Muggles won't stand a chance!"
"Calm yourself, Hagrid," Dumbledore said sternly. He turned back to Lucius. "If the Governors wish me to go, I will, of course, step aside."
"But Albus—" Fudge started.
Dumbledore's gaze shifted, and for a terrifying moment, Elijah felt those piercing blue eyes lock onto the space behind the sofa. It wasn't just a casual look; it was like he knew...
"However," Dumbledore said, his voice echoing with a strange power, "I will only truly have left this school when those here turn against me. You will also find that at Hogwarts, help will always be given to those who ask for it."
He knew. Elijah was certain of it now. Dumbledore hadn't just sensed the Invisibility Cloak; he had seen through the layers of the soul.
"Commendable sentiment," Malfoy bowed mockingly. "We shall all miss your… individual way of running things, Albus."
Lucius opened the door, ushering the Headmaster out into the night. Hagrid took a deep breath, his eyes darting toward the sofa one last time.
"If anyone wants to find out the truth," the half-giant said loudly, "all they gotta do is follow the spiders. They'll lead 'em right. That's all I'm sayin'."
He pulled on his moleskin coat and followed Fudge into the darkness. The door slammed shut, and the heavy silence of the hut was broken only by the sound of Ron ripping off the Invisibility Cloak.
"We're in trouble," Ron whispered hoarsely. "Dumbledore's gone. Without him, they'll close the school by morning."
...
By the next day, the atmosphere at Hogwarts had shifted from tension to pure, unadulterated dread.
Elijah, still inhabiting Ginny's body, watched the panic unfold with a sense of predatory calm. The sun was bright, the lake sparkled, and the Forbidden Forest hummed with life.
To the other students, the air felt like a cold mist; to Elijah, it tasted like the brink of rebirth.
The school was now under a state of siege. Professors escorted students in single-file lines between classes. The Hospital Wing was locked down under heavy guard.
In the corridors, the Slytherins were the only ones who walked with their heads high. They knew the Heir wasn't targeting them.
Malfoy, whom Elijah had restored to his own body with a clouded, hazy memory of the last few months, was swaggering through the halls as if he had personally conquered the castle.
"I knew Father would drive Dumbledore out," Malfoy's voice rang out in the courtyard. "It's the best thing that's happened to this place in years."
...
Elijah listened to Harry and Ron complain about Malfoy's arrogance back in the common room. Seamus Finnigan was busy doing a cruel, high-pitched imitation of Malfoy sucking up to Snape.
"Oh, Professor Snape, sir, you're the best teacher here. I'll tell my father you should be the next Headmaster!"
The room erupted in disgusted laughter, but Elijah remained quiet. He was waiting for nightfall. He was waiting for the spiders.
"If Hermione were here, she'd be worried about the exams," Elijah joked softly, trying to steer the conversation.
"Exams?" Ron groaned. "I have a better idea. Why don't you possess me, Riddle, and take my exams for me?"
"Don't be lazy, Ron," Elijah replied, sounding uncannily like the girl he was inhabiting.
Harry leaned in, his voice a low conspiratorial whisper. "Hagrid said to follow the spiders. I saw them earlier, heading toward the Forest. We have to go tonight."
...
The wait was agonizing.
Fred and George stayed up late, insisting on playing Exploding Snap. Elijah sat with them, his mind racing when the twins mentioned they had told Dumbledore about "the thing Ginny lost."
For a moment, Elijah's heart stopped. Had they told him about the diary?
"Dumbledore knows about my missing Diary?" Elijah asked carefully.
"The Diary?" Fred whispered, looking surprised. "No, we were talking about the Marauder's Map. We told him it was gone. He said he'd keep an eye out."
Elijah let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The Map was a nuisance, but it wasn't his soul.
"Lend it to me if you find it," Elijah said. "It might help find the Heir."
"Not a chance, Ginny," George grinned. "That's our secret weapon."
Finally, the twins went to bed. Harry hurried upstairs and returned with the Invisibility Cloak draped over his arm.
"Three of us is going to be a squeeze," Harry muttered.
"I'll use the Disillusionment Charm," Elijah said. "I'll follow behind. It's safer."
They slipped out of the portrait hole and began the treacherous journey through the castle. The professors were on a constant, rotating patrol, their wands lit like beacons in the dark.
They reached the oak front doors, eased them open, and stepped out onto the moonlit grass.
At Hagrid's hut, Fang greeted them with a muffled whine. Elijah quickly cast a Silencing Charm on the dog to prevent his barks from reaching the castle.
Harry reached out and placed the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's empty table.
"We won't need it in the Forest," Harry said, his voice trembling slightly. "Come on, Fang. Let's go for a walk."
The three children and the dog plunged into the dense, dark treeline of the Forbidden Forest. Elijah walked at the rear, casting one last look back at the table where the legendary Cloak lay—a shimmering piece of the Deathly Hallows left behind in the dark.
Finally, he slowly closed the door.