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Though the reckless part of Harry wanted to experience what it felt like to be thrust into fate's grip, common sense told him that such a reckless act could be disastrous.
Picking up the matter of the Philosopher's Stone once more, Harry returned to the dormitory to pack his belongings. This wasn't to catch a late train away from Hogwarts; rather, it was to prepare for a confrontation.
He placed a drop of the ultimate life potion, a concentrated mix of centaur herbal spices, into a capsule. This life-saving concoction was much more convenient to carry in his cheek than drinking directly from a vial; when the time came to fight, who knew if he would have the opportunity to pop a potion and recover?
The strength-boosting potion wasn't particularly useful unless he was going up against magical creatures; otherwise, its effects were minimal. Charging headfirst into combat with a wizard wasn't a wise choice, especially after drinking a potion that temporarily hindered his ability to cast spells.
He also made sure to keep various universal antidotes within easy reach. Finally, he rummaged through his belongings to find his father's Invisibility Cloak. Fully armed, Harry was ready for battle.
"Good evening, Fat Friar."
As Harry was about to leave the common room, he encountered the ghost of Hufflepuff House. Although he was wrapped in two belts of cannon ammunition, the Fat Friar was undoubtedly the friendliest ghost around.
"Ah, Harry!" The Fat Friar waved cheerfully at him. "I haven't seen you in ages! I've never met a child so strict with himself as you are. You should take care to rest more; you wouldn't want to wear yourself out, especially since you still need to grow taller!"
"Thanks, but young people can endure. Look, I'm just planning to go out for a little walk and relax."
"For tomorrow's exam? Then you should take some time to clear your mind. I wish you good luck!"
After saying goodbye to the Fat Friar, Harry paused as he reached for the door. He had searched the library thoroughly, even asking Hermione to look up information in the Ravenclaw library, but he had found nothing.
"Maybe I should ask a ghost?"
"Forget it; I'll ask him when I get back."
Pushing the door open, Harry made his way down the corridor and up the stairs, his steps light as he arrived on the fourth floor of the castle. After passing the trophy room, he approached the end of the corridor, where the room guarded by Fluffy was located.
"The door isn't closed? Or is it unlocked?"
Gripping the ivory handle of his wand, Harry pushed open the wooden door. In the dim room, a massive three-headed dog lay snoring, and Harry saw no signs of an intruder. The giant dog's head rested on the trapdoor, and with each breath, a large bubble of drool rose and fell, until it finally popped with a soft 'pop.'
"Wake up, wake up, Fluffy!"
Harry stepped closer and gave the dog's head a vigorous shake, rousing the drowsy Fluffy. The sleepy canine blinked his eyes open and lazily yawned.
"Woof?"
Upon realizing he was being awakened by a small human, Fluffy immediately snapped to attention. Instinctively, he wanted to chase the little intruder away, but he caught a familiar scent coming from Harry.
"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo! Pfft!"
Fluffy covered his nose with his front paw and let out a strange noise. He wiggled his rear and turned around, exposing his previously severe injury. The wound had completely healed, and there were no signs of any past injury. Seeing the mixture of fear and resistance on Fluffy's face, Harry began to understand why.
"Big doggy, it's time for your medicine!"
Pretending to pull a powerful healing potion from his pocket, Harry twisted off the cap. This potion, brewed by Snape himself, was undoubtedly a lifesaver. But the moment that subtle scent began to waft through the air...
Fluffy was shaking his head with teary eyes, emitting pitiful whimpers.
Cowering in the corner, all three of Fluffy's dog heads displayed a resolute expression of "I choose death." The potion that the dog refused to drink was nothing less than the bane of all carbon-based life forms, especially for a magical creature with such a keen sense of smell. This stuff was a thousand times scarier than a cesspool.
"Woo woo! Woo woo woo! Woo woo, woof woof woof!!!"
Seeing Harry approach, Fluffy's face reflected sheer panic and a hint of despair. Just as he prepared to close his eyes and hope for a better life as a good dog in his next incarnation, Harry twisted the cap off the dreaded potion.
"Woof?" (I don't have to drink this stuff?)
"Woof woof woof!" (Haha! I don't have to die! Hahaha!)
Completely clueless about dog language, Harry was momentarily baffled by Fluffy's silly joy. Was the dog too scared to think straight? Was his godfather even more formidable than he had imagined?
"Fluffy," Harry said, reaching out to pat the dog's silly head. "Hagrid asked me to bring you something."
"Woof?"
"Here, this is the toy bear you used to cuddle and chew on when you were a pup. Hagrid found its lost head and stitched it up, so he asked me to bring it to you."
Harry held up a small, worn teddy bear, which looked incredibly tiny compared to Fluffy. Upon seeing the toy, Fluffy's eyes widened in recognition; it carried the scents of both him and Hagrid, and there was no way he could be mistaken.
Carefully using his paw to grasp the mini bear, Fluffy squinted his eyes in relaxation. He settled back down, seemingly reminiscing about the days when Hagrid would hold him in his arms.
While the big dog relived his childhood memories, Harry opened the trapdoor on the floor and jumped down without hesitation.
"Slowing charm."
"Lumos."
Like a feather, Harry floated gently into the dark basement. The light from his charm dispelled the shadows, revealing countless tendrils coiled like snakes in the dark space.
Professor Sprout's giant Devil's Snare was thriving; its tentacle-thick vines exuded the dark beauty characteristic of Dark Arts plants. If only they had some large eyeballs or suckers sprinkled on them, they would be utterly perfect.
The true nature of the Devil's Snare was to first lower one's sanity, leaving them panic-stricken and blank-minded, and then to ensnare them completely with countless tendrils. Such a creature truly deserved the name Devil's Snare; anything that could be dealt with by a single Lumos charm was simply unworthy of the title. A timid creature afraid of light would be a more fitting name for them.
Walking down the stone corridor, a buzzing sound of flapping wings gradually filled Harry's ears. Countless bewitched keys flitted about in the air; this was the challenge left by Professor Flitwick.
"Obstacles abound."
The flying keys froze in mid-air as Harry cast the immobilizing charm. The invisible barrier generated by the spell made the flapping keys seem as if they were stuck in glue, leaving them unable to play a game of hide-and-seek with Harry for the time being.
With just a glance, Harry spotted the distinct large key among them. Without needing the old broomstick nearby, he leaped up and grabbed it, then inserted it into the lock. The door opened with a satisfying click.
Perhaps these obstacles were challenging for other first-year wizards, but Harry had surpassed that threshold.
He pushed open the heavy door and stepped into a vast, empty room.
What he saw made him furrow his brow slightly.
"Is this the warm-up round?"
Harry gripped the ebony wand with ivory inlay tightly.
"Then let's have some fun."
(End of Chapter)