Talk about high security." Ron remarked, "So what're you going to do?"
"Ask Professor Dumbledore to let you two in on the secret. You need to know about the part I can't tell you right now to understand the part that I can tell you, but won't right now." Harry replied frankly, "I can say that the law in question is an ancient law bound to the Sovereignty Magic of Britain by Merlin himself. Nothing can be done to get me out of complying with it short of me dying."
Ron and Hermione exchanged alarmed looks. By the sounds of it, Harry had already tried to get out of it…and failed.
Ron tried to remember anything he had been told about ancient laws. He vaguely recalled his father teaching him about them when he was ten, but he hadn't really paid them any attention. The Weasley's were Blood-Traitors after all, and proud of it. None of the laws were likely to affect them, so why bother learning them?
Right now, he felt like an idiot for daydreaming about riding the Comet 260 or the Nimbus 2000 while his father had tried to teach him the laws.
Hermione was listing all the books she knew that had the laws of Wizarding Britain in them, and frowning as she could only list a handful that mentioned specific laws, rather than a general law book.
Harry knew his friends well and could read their faces like the pages of a book. He gave them a small smile and said, "Even if you knew the law beforehand, the Fidelius would prevent you from being able to speak about it to someone who isn't in on the secret."
They nodded at that, but Hermione had a stubborn look on her face that Harry and Ron recognised all too well: she was on a quest now, and nothing could stop her from researching the topic until all its secrets were laid bare before her.
"I have a book that Dumbledore gave me, an automatic-updating version of the laws of the Wizengamot." Harry told her, "But again, the Fidelius will hide the law from any who haven't been told by the Secret Keeper, so again, it would be better to wait until Professor Dumbledore tells you the secret."
Hermione didn't look happy about information being kept from her, but nodded in agreement.
"Now, I think we should go and visit Hagrid." Harry said, changing the subject to a more cheerful one, "It's been a while and I have some news for him."
Surprised, Ron and Hermione nodded and, after Hermione took down her charms, trooped after Harry down to Hagrid's Hut, where their half-giant friend was sitting outside his home with Fang, his pet boarhound, as he whittled a piece of wood with his overlarge penknife.
" 'ello, 'arry, Ron, 'ermione! Nice ta see ya!" Hagrid beamed at them, his black, beetle-like eyes twinkling at them over his large beard, " Nice of yeh ta drop in on me. Tea?"
"Sure." Harry nodded. As he and his two friends sat down Hagrid entered his small house and came out with a kettle and four mugs.
"How are you doing, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, noticing he still looked slightly worn and tired after his short stay in the Wizard's Prison, Azkaban.
"Be'er than I was when I left that damned prison." Hagrid said feelingly as he poured tea into the cups and passed them out, "Them Azkaban guards…I never wanna hafta go near 'em again."
Ron nodded in agreement, but Harry and Hermione looked perplexed. They looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Hagrid.
"Who are the Azkaban guards anyway?" Harry asked, "The way everyone talks about them, they seem to be the bogey-men of the Wizarding World."
Hagrid snorted. "Migh' as well be." he said, "See, most'a the Azkaban guards ain't human. Literally. There are a few human Aurors around, but most of the guards are…Dementors."
The half-giant shivered almost as bad as he had when he had told Harry Voldemort's name when he had given the eleven-year-old him his Hogwarts letter.
"What're Dementors?" he asked.
"Evil blighters so they are." Hagrid said as he took a slurp of his tea, "They float a foot offa the ground, an' wear a pitch-black cloak. That ain't the worst a' them. They suck the happiness outta yeh, every happy an' pleasant thought yeh have, until yer left with nuthin' but yer worst memories an' experiences. Nuthin' but despair."
"And they threw you in with those…those monsters!?" Hermione half-shrieked in anger, "You were innocent! There was no possible way you were Slytherin's Heir!"
"Ah knew that, Perfesser Dumbledore knew that an' you three knew that, but ol' Fudge didn't know or care. He jes' wanted someone ta blame so he didn't get accused a' incompetence by the parents." Hagrid told her sadly, a faint smile on his bearded face, "All that matters now is that ah'm out and ah'm not goin' back if ah can help it."
"Actually, I came to talk to you about that Hagrid." Harry said with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Uh-oh, ah know that look." Hagrid said in amusement, "Yer father looked almos' exactly like that when he was about ta do a big prank. He made Fred an' George look tame by comparison."
"Really?" Harry asked eagerly. He always liked to hear about his parents.
"Yeah, James was a right jokester, always plannin' somethin' or other." Hagrid said fondly, "I mind when he pranked Filch one time. Somehow dressed the ol' git like a ballerina, tutu, tights an' all."
Ron went green. "I really didn't need to hear that!" he moaned.
"Too right." Harry agreed wholeheartedly, "So, moving away from the subject of Filch, I've asked Professor Dumbledore to clear your name Hagrid."
"Tha's a nice thought 'arry, but even though someone else did it this time, even Perfesser Dumbledore'd need proof ta get ridda the accusations fifty year ago." Hagrid said with another sad smile.
"Which he has." Harry said with a grin, "A witness who heard Tom Marvolo Riddle confess to having opened the Chamber of Secrets the last time."
"What?! Who?" Hagrid exclaimed with his eyes wide, accidentally breaking his cup in is astonishment.