Smirking at her, Lucius quietly said, "We can't always get what we want, Madam. As a member of the School Board, I had no intention of allowing the Ministry to appoint a Headmaster here. This is a private school, Madam, and it will remain a private school. Now please do enjoy your dinner before it gets cold. After all, you do have a lot of packing to do tonight."
"Packing? What are you talking about Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well, you are leaving, Madam so I would suggest you spend this evening packing your belongings as you are not now, nor have you ever been, qualified to teach here," smiled Augusta who was sitting in the center seat where Albus normally sat. "You were told to remain in the Castle for an important meeting with the Board. Yet when the meeting room doors were closed, you were not present. Surely you didn't think you were excused from the meeting just because of your Ministry job title, did you? I have already spoken to Madam Bones about a qualified replacement for you and it seems she has several aurors in need of reminders who will fill the position until the end of the year."
"We may even make it a permanent thing," commented Narcissa also with a smile.
"Albus may have been alright with frauds teaching the children but I am not," said Augusta. "All my teachers will be qualified for their position which means Hagrid will be taking his equivalency exams to get his degree this summer. The only reason he's getting until the summer is because his lack of a degree isn't his fault and in no way indicates his lack of knowledge or ability."
"But he's…" Delores sputtered unable to articulate what she wanted to say.
"A disgraced former student wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit," interposed Lucius smoothly. "I will be handling the issue of his wand rights and by the end of the school year I do believe those rights will be restored with the blemish removed from his record."
"Thank you, Lord Malfoy. Thank you. Never thought I'd hear meself sayin' that but I do mean it," gushed Hagrid, tears standing in his eyes.
"You are welcome, Hagrid. Truthfully, Albus should have done it a long time ago as he has always known you weren't guilty of the charge that got you expelled. He knew it when you were accused and he pushed for your expulsion."
Hagrid froze. " He pushed for my expulsion?"
Lucius nodded. "Yes. Didn't you know that? I would've thought one of the portraits or Myrtle would've told you."
Hagrid shook his head furiously and looked angrier than anyone could ever remember seeing him. "No," he declared forcefully. "Always told me it was Old Dippet wanted me expelled. Said Dippet wouldn't listen to 'im when he tried to tell 'im tweren't me pet that did the girl in. Said it was all he could do to get me me hut on the grounds and the job as Games Keeper and Keeper of the Keys. But old Dippet wouldn't even pay me proper on a'count of me not finishing my schoolin' all proper like. He tole me Dippet said I could count me hut as my pay for my work and be glad o' it or get out."
Calmly Lucius inclined his head. "Well surprise, surprise. It seems we've caught him in another lie then. I will take a closer look at your pay packet, Mr. Hagrid and see if it needs adjustment while your are regaining your British wand right and getting your certification. As I was saying though, certainly, he should have done it three years ago when the Chamber was opened for the second time. Instead, he let Cornelius send you to Azkaban and let another innocent boy take the blame for actions he didn't take. I apologize for that, by the way. I fully expected Albus to step in at the last minute and save you from that place. He didn't and by the time I realized he wasn't going to, it was too late."
"Albus is a Great Man, yur Lordship. But he… well he makes mistakes sometimes. As do we all, ya know. None o' us is perfect, see." But everyone noticed Hagrid was frowning in confusion. They knew it would take time for the gentle giant to understand Albus had never worked in his best interest unless it was first in the best interest of Albus Dumbledore.
The next morning much to her dismay Delores Umbridge found herself and all her belongings forcefully removed from Hogwarts. The house-elves had packed all her things for her as she refused to do so since Cornelius wanted her in the Castle to keep an eye on things and to discredit that awful boy, Harry Potter should he start running his mouth. An awful boy who really wasn't any such thing as far as she could tell.
Not that she'd been able to do anything to discredit him. As far as she could see the boy was a model student. He came to class, listened attentively to the lecture or discussion, read his textbook and did his assignments. He was never late, never spoke out of turn or tried to argue with what she said. She'd never even caught him running in the halls. Let alone doing something dangerous she could take advantage of. And she'd watched him very carefully after what Albus had said about him added to what her dear Cornelius was expecting from him. Then those liars had begun targeting him and trying to rile her up against him by trying to convince her he said things he hadn't said or saw things he hadn't seen. It was so easy to tell they were lying when their faces would swell up like that.