Before heading to the forbidden corridor, Hermione insisted they make one crucial stop: Hagrid's hut. They needed to know how to get past the three-headed dog.
A dog's sense of smell was notoriously sensitive. Harry's Invisibility Cloak could hide them from sight, but it couldn't conceal their scent. Against a beast like that, it would be useless. Harry and Ron readily agreed. Getting information out of Hagrid was never difficult; the man was as loyal as they came, but his lips had a tendency to loosen, especially when plied with the right questions.
They found him at his hut, and the sight of him made them stop in their tracks.
"Hagrid, what on earth happened to you?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.
Hagrid's face was covered in bandages, his clothes were scorched, and large patches of his hair and beard were clearly singed off.
"Ah, it's nothin'," Hagrid said, his voice laced with a poorly concealed guilt. "Just... added a bit too much firewood when I was boilin' the kettle last night. Got a bit of a flare-up."
The trio exchanged a look. Something was definitely not right.
"Hagrid," Harry began carefully, "have you been breaking any school rules?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Hagrid yelped, jumping to his feet so forcefully the entire hut shook. "Don't you go spreadin' rumors like that!"
Hermione stepped closer, her brow furrowed in suspicion as she examined him. "It's not just burns," she said, her voice sharp. "There are scratches on your coat. From an animal."
Hagrid quickly pulled his moleskin coat tighter around himself, his face beet red. "No, that's... I must've snagged it on a branch..." he stammered.
"Hagrid," Hermione pressed, her eyes like a hawk's. "I remember you saying you've always wanted to raise a dragon. The burns, the scratches... you haven't been trying to hatch one, have you?"
"I have not!" Hagrid blurted out defensively. "And you can look close! The scratches from a Scorpion-Tail beast are completely different from a dragon's!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a look of pure horror crossed his face. He slapped a giant hand over his mouth, but it was too late.
"So you did raise a Scorpion-Tail beast?" Hermione pounced. "Then what about the burns? I've read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It says nothing about them breathing fire."
Defeated, Hagrid sank back into his chair with a groan. "Alright, alright," he mumbled dejectedly. "I was tryin' to cross-breed one with a Fire Crab. I was hidden really well, but then the sky just... lit up all of a sudden. The creatures saw me, and..."
Harry and Ron exchanged a sympathetic look, patting Hagrid's massive arm in comfort. Just then, Hermione shot them a subtle, meaningful wink.
Harry instantly remembered their mission, and his demeanor shifted. "Hagrid," he said, puffing out his chest with mock disdain, "you mean to tell me you were taken down by a few Fire Crabs? I'm starting to think you're not as good with magical creatures as you say."
His acting was comically bad, but Hagrid, his professional pride wounded, didn't notice.
"Nonsense!" he boomed, his indignation making the floorboards tremble. "I'm the best there is with animals!"
"We're not so sure," Ron chimed in, catching on. "I bet you only got lucky with Fluffy!"
Hagrid's face turned a shade of purple. He slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups jump. "That's where you're wrong!" he roared. "Fluffy's a sweetheart! It's the easiest thing in the world to handle, as long as you know the secret. Just... play him a bit of music. Puts him right to sleep..."
His voice trailed off as the full weight of his words hit him. His face went pale. "I shouldn't have told you that!" he moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Forget I said anythin'! Hey—where are you goin'?"
But Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already out the door. They didn't exchange a single word, running full pelt from Hagrid's hut, not stopping until they were safely inside the castle's entrance hall. They stood there, panting, looking at each other as their expressions shifted from triumphant to grimly determined.
"There's no time to lose," Harry said, pulling the Invisibility Cloak from his pocket. "We have to get to the corridor and stop Quirrell."
Ron and Hermione nodded, and the three of them huddled together, disappearing under the silvery fabric. Following their memories from past nighttime excursions, they quickly made their way to the fourth-floor corridor. The door was already ajar.
"See?" Harry whispered, his voice tight. "Quirrell's already gotten past Fluffy."
The sight of the open door made the danger feel terrifyingly real. Harry turned to his friends under the cloak. "If you want to back out, now's the time," he said, his voice low. "I won't blame you. Voldemort is my fight. You don't have to risk your lives."
"Don't be an idiot," Ron said immediately.
"Let's go," Hermione added, her voice firm. "We're going in together."
Harry took a deep breath and pushed the door open. As he stepped across the threshold, a wave of solemnity washed over him, as if he were stepping into his destiny.
But the room was not filled with the low growl of a three-headed beast. It was filled with a profound, deathly silence.
"Hermione," Harry whispered, "I thought you said the cloak wouldn't hide our scent. Why isn't he moving?"
Frowning, Hermione took a step forward and, to Harry and Ron's horror, pulled the Invisibility Cloak off them.
"Hermione, what are you doing?!" Ron yelped.
Ignoring them, Hermione raised her wand into the oppressive darkness.
"Lumos!"
A point of light bloomed at the tip of her wand, illuminating a nightmare frozen in time.
The giant, three-headed dog stood motionless, filling half the room. One of its heads was thrust forward, its lips curled back in a silent, furious snarl, its eyes wide and glassy. The other two heads were slumped, their eyes closed as if they had been asleep. The beast was perfectly still. It wasn't even breathing.
Harry crept forward and cautiously patted its massive leg. The fur, which should have been coarse and warm, was as hard and cold as stone.
"Quirrell petrified him," Hermione whispered, her voice low and heavy with dread. "With a curse we don't even know. Harry... we need to be prepared. He's much more powerful than we imagined."
(End of Chapter)
***
(End of Chapter)
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