Chapter 201: Fluffy
Chapter 201: Fluffy
The Acromantula's eight eyes trembled in unison, its two large pincers seeming to trigger some switch, clicking rapidly in a continuous rhythm.
"Hmm... Let's test the enlargement spell again."
Felix first stunned it with a Stunning Spell, then used his wand to lift a strand of blue magic, which he flicked onto the Acromantula's ugly head. Under his control, the Acromantula's body rapidly expanded, growing from ten feet to twenty feet, and then to thirty feet.
Felix stopped and walked around it.
'Enlargement works, and this magic is completely under my control.'
'But it doesn't seem very useful.'
Felix observed the scene, wondering who would want to enlarge their enemies in battle?
To turn them into a conspicuous target?
There were better methods.
Felix returned the Acromantula to its original size, then reduced it to the size of a thumbnail. He took a plain transparent glass bottle from his ring and placed the tiny spider inside.
"Mr. Acromantula, you'll keep me company for a while."
Next, he waved his wand to dispel the Spherical Vortex. A few seconds later, eleven large, unconscious spiders lay sprawled around him.
They seemed to have been dizzied.
He carefully left magical marks on three of the Acromantulas. With these marks, he could directly locate their nest.
The Acromantula's lair was too close to the school. Given their indiscriminate attacks on humans, they posed a significant danger and should be moved farther away.
A good place would be near the trolls, on the other side of the Forbidden Forest.
But not today. He had a better idea.
...
An hour later, Felix held a small black dog with three heads and knocked on the door of Hagrid's Hut.
Hagrid seemed to have just finished eating; his beard was stained with tomato sauce, and he was humming a tune softly.
He opened the door with a hearty laugh, "Felix, your suggestion was very helpful. The students liked it... Wait!" He suddenly roared, his eyebrows and beard trembling.
"Lu... Fluffy..."
Hagrid's eyes welled up with tears.
Felix smiled at him, "Yes, I brought Fluffy—"
"…It actually had puppies!"
"Huh?" Felix was utterly confused, his head throbbing slightly.
The next second, he was pulled inside by Hagrid's large hand. "Come in quickly, don't let the little one catch a chill."
Hagrid pushed Felix into a chair and began pacing around the small hut, muttering to himself, "Let me think... What does a three-headed dog need as a puppy? First, a warm fireplace, and raw meat—Fang has some left over... And music! Fluffy's father loved it when I played the flute. Oh my, Fluffy actually had puppies, and I didn't even know!"
Felix stood there for several seconds, trying to understand what was happening. He finally interrupted Hagrid's busy activity with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Hagrid, do you remember that magic I used during the summer to turn a wand tree into a potted plant?"
Hagrid slowly stopped pacing and said uncertainly, "Of course I remember, but don't tell me..." His gaze shifted to the small black dog in Felix's arms, which was wagging its tail furiously and looking up at him pitifully.
He felt a strong sense of familiarity.
"Yes, I brought Fluffy to you, just as I promised."
Hagrid let out an indistinct mumble, then scooped the three-headed dog from Felix's arms and examined it closely.
The little guy was only half a foot tall, not even reaching the size of Hagrid's palm. Its black fur was smooth like silk, and its three heads, each the size of a walnut, let out pitiful whimpers.
Hagrid's hands began to tremble. "It really is Fluffy. Look at those paws, that nose. His second head was even smaller when he was born; I thought he was a freak..."
Fluffy nestled back into his 'old father's' embrace, his four fleshy paws clinging tightly to Hagrid.
Fluffy's three heads greedily breathed in Hagrid's scent. After a while, he suddenly turned and barked at Felix.
It's this bad guy! He suddenly appeared and turned me into a little thing!
"Ooh!" Hagrid laughed even harder. "That's how he used to bark, just like Fang. But when he grew to twice Fang's size, he stopped."
"As long as you're happy, Hagrid. I wasn't sure if I did the right thing; I didn't think it through much..." Felix said.
"You're too kind. This is exactly what I wanted!"
Seeming to realize that Hagrid wouldn't stand up for him, Fluffy finally calmed down. He lay on Hagrid's shoulder—now particularly spacious for his current size—and before long, his three heads started fighting over the raw meat Hagrid offered.
"Slow down, slow down, it's all yours", Hagrid said with a smile.
Before leaving, Felix, unusually, remembered to remind him, "Hagrid, if Fluffy grows to a third of his normal size, you need to send him back. His recovery will speed up after that. I specifically strengthened the spell. I think you can spend about a week with him."
"I know, I know", Hagrid said, satisfied.
Leaving Hagrid's hut and walking back to the castle, Felix suddenly remembered the Acromantula hidden in his pocket.
He hesitated. He didn't want to make another trip.
Maybe I should just... get rid of it... No one will see...
But in the end, Felix brought it back to his office.
Lying on the sofa, he lazily watched a movie, but by the end, he couldn't remember anything.
"The side effects of the Mind Chamber are too strong."
Felix downed another potion. For a moment, he felt better, and the pain in his head lessened. He pulled Ravenclaw's Diadem from his ring and placed it on his head.
A cool, soothing sensation spread through his mind, easing his fatigue.
It actually works!
Felix felt his 'sanity' return after a brief absence.
He sat up from the sofa and carefully recalled the events of the day, covering his face in frustration.
"That was too rash..."
He quickly went to his workbench and cast layer after layer of protective spells on the glass jar containing the Acromantula.
"Excellent. Now even a three-headed dog would need some time to break through", he said, satisfied. "I'll record the duration of the spell's effect and compare it with Hagrid's data..."
But then, he realized a serious problem. "If I'm not better by tomorrow, how am I supposed to teach the young wizards?"
Felix looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing Ravenclaw's Diadem, which resembled a spreading eagle with a sky sapphire embedded in its chest and pearls adorning its wings.
Wearing Ravenclaw's Diadem to class would not only be a laughingstock but could also cause trouble.
After a while, Felix had an idea, but he was hesitant to follow through...
When Hermione knocked on the office door on time, she saw Felix wearing a wide, dark brown men's hat.
"Is this a new look for Professor?" she couldn't help but look him over a few times.
(End of Chapter)
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