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Chapter 180: The Fear Curse
Chapter 180: The Fear Curse
An eerie silence enveloped the area around the forbidden forest as Dumbledore pondered, his head bowed, while Hagrid instinctively reached for his chest, as if confirming that he was indeed still alive.
"Do you mean to say that Fluffy went berserk because he thought I was dead?" Hagrid scratched his head, his mind in a muddle.
"Well... that seems to be the case," Kyle nodded.
"Professor," Kyle asked, turning to Dumbledore, "do you think someone might have cast a Confundus Charm on Fluffy?"
The three-headed dog had exceptionally high magic resistance; most spells would only tickle it. But, as with Dumbledore earlier, Fluffy was virtually defenseless against him. A simple Stunning Spell was enough to put it to sleep.
"That's possible," Dumbledore mused after a moment. "But I believe there's more to it than just a Confundus Charm."
"You mean there's another spell affecting Fluffy besides the Confundus Charm?" Kyle furrowed his brows.
"Yes, and it's a type of Dark Magic." Dumbledore took a few steps forward, bent down, and examined Fluffy closely, his wand tip almost touching the beast's fur.
He then tapped the center head with his wand and murmured, "Just as I thought... the Fear Curse."
"The Fear Curse?" Hagrid was taken aback, clearly hearing about this curse for the first time.
"Yes," Dumbledore straightened up, "strictly speaking, it's not a traditional Dark spell. It's something that emerged about fifty years ago, so you probably haven't heard of it."
"Professor, do you know about Boggarts?" Dumbledore asked Kyle as he tucked his wand away.
"Of course, Professor," Kyle replied. "They're shape-shifting creatures that can take on the form of their observer's worst fears."
"And this Dark spell draws its inspiration from Boggarts?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "It creates illusions, causing those affected to constantly see their greatest fears."
"It seems someone has cleverly combined the Confundus Charm with the Fear Curse, resulting in Fluffy's current state." Kyle nodded thoughtfully, understanding Dumbledore's implication.
The Fear Curse had made Fluffy witness Hagrid's "death" repeatedly, tormenting its psyche, while the Confundus Charm made it see everyone as the "murderer."
Kyle felt a sense of relief. If Dumbledore hadn't discovered Fluffy's condition in time and it had broken through the gates and reached the castle...
Kyle shuddered, not daring to continue that train of thought. The outcome would undoubtedly have been a catastrophic event beyond redemption.
After all, most of the professors were at the Quidditch stadium, leaving only a handful of students who weren't interested in the game behind in the castle.
If they had encountered the frenzied Fluffy, they would likely have been torn to shreds in an instant.
If such an incident had occurred, Hogwarts would have had no choice but to shut down.
Thankfully... Dumbledore's timely discovery had averted the worst-case scenario.
Kyle took a deep breath and asked, "Professor, is there a way to fix this?"
"A solution?" Dumbledore's eyes flickered. "It's quite simple, just..."
"No, Dumbledore!" Hagrid suddenly burst into tears and crawled towards Dumbledore, pleading, "Please... don't kill Fluffy... he's a good boy... please..."
"I think you've misunderstood me, Hagrid."
"Of course not," Dumbledore smiled gently. "I promise you that."
While it would have been the simplest solution to put down the three-headed dog, Dumbledore had never even considered it. In all of this, Fluffy was the most innocent party.
Once Hagrid had calmed down a bit, Dumbledore continued, "As it happens, I studied the Fear Curse for a while before I became headmaster, so I know a thing or two about it."
"But for now, Kyle... would you mind accompanying Hagrid to the school hospital?"
Dumbledore blinked and added, "I think he needs a good, long rest."
Kyle nodded and left the room.
Clearly, Dumbledore didn't want them involved in what came next.
Hagrid, too, kept glancing back as he followed Kyle out.
"Oh, and one more thing..." came Dumbledore's voice from the room.
"Hufflepuff gets fifty points."
...
After leaving the forbidden area, Kyle escorted Hagrid to the school hospital.
Normally, Hagrid would have hated the idea, but he was in no state to protest.
The memory of Fluffy's state kept pricking at his heart, making it hard for him to focus, and he stumbled several times on the stairs.
Dumbledore was right; he needed rest.
Upon reaching the hospital, Kyle explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey, though for some reason, he left out the details of what had happened in the forbidden zone, simply saying that Hagrid had received a shock.
Madam Pomfrey gave Hagrid a once-over, then, without asking further questions, waved her wand to enlarge a bed in the corner of the room.
She then went to a cabinet and retrieved a bottle labeled "Living Death Potion," emptying its contents into a wooden barrel the size of a Bludger.
In total, she poured three bottles into the barrel and handed it to Hagrid.
"Lie down on that bed over there and drink this," she instructed.
Hagrid took the barrel and stumbled over, bumping into several beds along the way.
This displeased Madam Pomfrey.
Fortunately, Kyle quickly straightened the beds, preventing her from saying anything more, and she left after giving a few instructions.
Soon enough, the hospital was filled with the sound of snoring.
Kyle breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the curtain closed.
Exiting the hospital, Kyle strode across the courtyard, glancing up at the direction of the Quidditch pitch. He heaved a soft sigh.
There was no one flying overhead anymore, and he could make out a large group of young witches and wizards heading back toward the castle.
It was clear that the match had ended!
Kyle rubbed his forehead; he had a feeling this would be the outcome.
Ever since last year, whenever there was an important Quidditch match, something always seemed to happen.
He had hoped this year might be different, but it seemed fate had other plans.
(End of Chapter)
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