Chapter 273: The Missing Pet Dog
Chapter 273: The Missing Pet Dog
On a weekend morning, Albert was having breakfast in the Great Hall. By his side, Shanna and Percy were discussing their third-year course selections.
In the second half of their second year, they needed to choose their subjects for the following year, and although the options would not be announced until the Easter holidays, Shanna had gotten a sneak peek from Percy, and wanted Albert's opinion.
"Muggle Studies, Divination, and Arithmancy would be the easiest for you," Albert said to Shanna after finishing a slice of jam-covered toast. "Ancient Runes is quite difficult, like learning a foreign language. I don't think many girls will opt for Care of Magical Creatures. Of course, if you're confident, you can take them all, right Percy?"
"Yeah, taking all subjects will be busy," Percy Weasley nodded. "The pressure will be intense, and it will probably be even worse in our fifth year. Of course, it shouldn't be a problem for Albert."
"What about you?" Shanna asked, looking at Albert.
"I'm taking them all," Albert replied.
"Then maybe I should do the same?" Shanna mused. "Muggle Studies is a breeze for us, so that just leaves four other subjects."
"You should think carefully about it," Percy advised kindly. Knowing that Shanna was also a top student for their year, he added, "Don't compare yourself to Albert. I've heard he often attends supplementary classes for Ancient Runes, so he probably doesn't need to study much for that subject. Plus, coming from a Muggle family, Muggle Studies won't be challenging for him either. That means Albert only really needs to focus on three elective courses."
Indeed, Albert had excellent mathematical skills, having once aspired to work in the financial industry... Hmm, why refer to it as a past ambition?
The plan to enter the financial industry after graduation was simply to find a faster way to make money.
Now that he had discovered an even quicker method, his former financial dreams had long been forgotten and kicked into some obscure corner.
As people grew older, their aspirations and goals indeed tended to change.
Nevertheless, this didn't stop Albert from perusing books on economics and finance. He enjoyed reading and believed that this knowledge would come in handy someday.
After polishing off another golden fried egg and a large bowl of corn soup, the hungry Fred and George finally returned to the castle after their training and joined Albert for breakfast, complaining about Charlie's devilish ways.
"I'm going to see Hagrid later, do you guys want to come?" Albert interrupted their grumbling.
"Maybe another time, we should finish our homework first!" The three exchanged glances and ultimately decided against joining Albert.
Their relationship with Hagrid was cordial at best, and they often ventured into the forest, causing trouble for the gamekeeper. Encountering him always made them feel a bit awkward.
"Oh, alright then," Albert didn't press the issue. After finishing his breakfast, as he prepared to go find Hagrid, a flock of owls carrying letters and packages appeared above the Great Hall, circling the tables and searching for their intended recipients.
Among them was an owl that flew towards Albert, delivering a letter.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Albert picked up the envelope and glanced at the sender's name: Adolf.
Finally, a reply?
Was it because France was quite far from Scotland?
Nowadays, Albert chose to use the school's sturdy owls for long-distance correspondence.
He was reluctant to have Shelah fly long distances, and with the frequency of his letters, a single owl simply wouldn't be enough. He was grateful that he could borrow the school's owls for free; otherwise, he shuddered to think how much he would have spent on owl post alone.
Albert tucked the letter into his pocket and headed out of the castle. He crossed the fields towards Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid was outside the hut, bow in hand, with Fang by his side, seemingly prepared to venture into the forest for a hunt.
"Good morning, Hagrid," Albert greeted him.
"Oh, sorry, I need to go into the forest for a bit," Hagrid said, scratching Fang behind the ears. "There's been an incident in the forest."
"What happened?" Albert asked.
"Ruffles ran away," Hagrid replied, glancing around before lowering his voice.
"Ruffles ran away?" Albert repeated. "I see..."
"He grew bigger and chewed through the vines to escape," Hagrid explained, sounding resigned.
"Have you mentioned this to Professor Dumbledore yet?" Albert frowned, glancing at his task panel, which indeed displayed a new mission.
Find the Missing Pet.
Hagrid's pet dog, Ruffles, had escaped, and he needed help finding it.
Reward: 1500 experience points, Hagrid's favorability +10, and a special gift from Hagrid.
Pet dog? Albert felt the need to point out the irony of the task's name, as if to deliberately mislead him?
"No, but..." Hagrid hesitated, "Professor Dumbledore seems busy with other matters lately, and I don't want to trouble him."
"You already are troubling him," Albert sighed. "Don't be foolish, Hagrid. You must inform Professor Dumbledore about this. A three-headed dog poses a significant threat to the students of Hogwarts. Not everyone can protect themselves against Ruffles like I can."
"If that dog harms any students, I dare say you won't be the only one expelled, Hagrid. Professor Dumbledore will suffer the consequences as well," Albert added gravely. "We are more fragile than you think and can't afford to take such risks."
"I..." Hagrid's face paled, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Alright, if we can't find Ruffles by the end of today, I'll tell Professor Dumbledore."
"Good," Albert said, then asked abruptly, "What are you planning to do? Will you kill it?"
"No... I can't do that," Hagrid shook his head firmly.
Magical creatures were not the same as humans, and Hagrid didn't possess Newt's exceptional abilities. It was normal for some mishaps to occur. Albert knew that Hagrid would face more trouble because of his pets in the future.
"Let me help you find it, don't count on your bow to stop a three-headed dog," Albert continued before Hagrid could refuse. "If it wants to run, you won't even have a chance to play your instrument."
"But..." Hagrid hesitated, not wanting to involve Albert.
"There's no 'but,' come on," Albert insisted, "Do you really think you can catch Ruffles by yourself in the forest?"
"But..."
"Don't forget, I've ventured into the Forbidden Forest alone before, and now you'll be with me. As long as we don't run into the Acromantulas, it shouldn't be too much trouble." Albert wasn't afraid to enter the forest, but he wanted to avoid those eight-eyed spiders.
Those spiders he had defeated would likely hold a grudge, and being intelligent creatures, they wouldn't easily forget.
If they encountered those Acromantulas, things could get very tricky.
"Thank you, Albert," Hagrid said, scratching his head. "It's a relief to have your help."
Albert was aware of Ruffles' existence, and having him along would make dealing with the situation easier. Plus, Hagrid could use the extra hand.
"Let's go!"
The two set off, one in front of the other, towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
