Chapter 274: Where is Fluffy?
Chapter 274: Where is Fluffy?
The Forbidden Forest was vast, and the task of finding a dog within its depths seemed daunting. Albert and Hagrid had been wandering for over ten minutes now, with no sign of any clues as to Fluffy's whereabouts. To put it bluntly, they were simply meandering aimlessly.
"Hagrid, do you have any plan?" Albert spoke up, sensing that Hagrid, in his panic, might be neglecting to think things through. As the concerned party, Hagrid seemed overwhelmed and wasn't exactly known for his strategic thinking.
Albert had no intention of aimlessly wandering the forest with Hagrid, despite his belief in his own good luck. Relying solely on luck for such a task felt unreliable.
"Well..." Hagrid admitted, tugging at his long beard in distress, still not fully calm, "I haven't really had time to think things through. I'm not great at strategizing. I just thought we'd start by searching the Forbidden Forest and hopefully find some traces of Fluffy."
So, no real plan, just a hope to stumble upon the dog?
Albert sighed inwardly and stopped in his tracks, looking at Hagrid with a resigned expression. "This approach relies purely on luck. If we're lucky, we might find him soon, but if luck isn't on our side, it could take days or even weeks."
Hagrid fell silent, then turned to Albert and said, "My mind's all over the place right now. I know you're smart, so what do you suggest we do?"
"Well..." Albert asked tentatively, "How did you usually go about finding things in the past?"
"I'd just wander around the forest randomly," Hagrid admitted, his face reddening slightly in embarrassment. "I'm very familiar with the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, but... it could take a lot of time, and I'm worried Fluffy might roam far and wide, endangering Hogwarts students."
"Worry clouds the mind," Albert sighed. He raised two fingers and continued, "There are two approaches we can take. First, we can ask the residents of the forest. You must know the inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest, right?"
"Residents? Inhabitants?" Hagrid asked, looking a bit lost. "Do you mean the centaurs?"
"Not just the centaurs, but other magical creatures as well," Albert reminded him. "A three-headed dog is a very dangerous creature. Without your feedings, it will need to hunt to satisfy its hunger. In the outskirts of the forest, it's undoubtedly a top predator. Most animals have specific territories. Of course, if the centaurs could provide any useful information, that would be ideal."
Hagrid immediately understood. Fluffy would need to hunt for food, which meant he would be drawn to areas abundant in prey.
This had been one of Hagrid's initial worries—what if Fluffy attacked students out of hunger?
The Forbidden Forest wasn't exactly teeming with animals during winter.
"Let's start by searching for Fluffy near a few areas where animals tend to congregate," Hagrid suggested, taking the lead and forging ahead. His familiarity with the forest meant he knew where to find animals even in the cold season.
"The second method involves Felix Felicis," Albert added as he followed Hagrid, walking alongside him.
"What's that?" Hagrid inquired. His knowledge of magic might not be as extensive as Albert's.
"It's a Luck Potion, a magical potion that improves your luck after drinking it. I still have some Felix Felicis left. If we really can't find Fluffy, we can use it as a last resort," Albert explained casually. "Of course, there's no guarantee of success."
Hagrid visibly relaxed, grateful to have a reliable helper by his side. At least now, he wasn't facing this problem alone, fretting by himself.
Initially, Hagrid had left food at Fluffy's original enclosure and checked it daily. While there were signs that something had been eating the food, it wasn't Fluffy.
After walking through the snow for a while longer, Hagrid pointed to some tracks on the ground. "There's an animal trail here. Small deer and other creatures sometimes pass through. However, most animals come to drink at the river during winter, where there's a spring that doesn't completely freeze over."
Upon reaching the riverbank, they indeed found numerous animal tracks, but still no sign of Fluffy's distinctive paw prints.
"Let's continue upstream. The spring is located near the centaurs' territory. We'll ask them if they've seen Fluffy. It's hard for anything to happen in the Forbidden Forest without the centaurs noticing," Hagrid suggested.
Realizing the futility of their current approach, Hagrid quickly snapped into action after Albert's reminder. While this new plan was equally unreliable, Albert couldn't think of a better alternative.
"Wait, Hagrid. Let me try the Summoning Charm," Albert suddenly exclaimed, raising his wand and casting a spell towards the surrounding forest. "Accio Fluffy."
The Summoning Charm worked on living creatures as well, and with his strong magical prowess and a stroke of luck, Albert hoped the three-headed dog would come bounding back to them. This was the ideal scenario.
Of course, reality could be cruel.
It failed.
However, considering the magical nature of the creature, it was likely resistant to most spells. Unless Albert used the Elder Wand, success was unlikely, but he wanted to try anyway. Perhaps, with a bit of luck, it would work.
Hagrid watched Albert cast the spell, then looked around the forest, slightly disappointed.
"Hagrid, do you know how to cast the Summoning Charm? Want to try summoning something that was on Fluffy?" Albert suggested, "I mean, something like a dog collar."
"No, you know, Fluffy grew up too fast, and I didn't put a collar on him," Hagrid said, a bit embarrassed.
Albert found himself at a loss for words. Indeed, a rapidly growing dog like Fluffy would outgrow a collar quickly.
The two continued along the river upstream, entering the territory of the centaurs.
Before they could go far, they heard some rustling nearby. Hagrid drew his bow and aimed at the source of the sound, calling out, "Who's there? Show yourself."
"It's me, Hagrid," came the reply from a chestnut-colored centaur stepping out from the trees. His eyes swept over Hagrid before settling on Albert, then back to Hagrid as he spoke again, "You shouldn't bring a human child here."
"Ronan, have you seen a three-headed dog?" Hagrid asked eagerly, hoping for a lead.
Instead of answering, the centaur, Ronan, studied Albert intently and asked quietly, "Have we met before?"
"Yes, last year at night. Thank you for your help," Albert replied politely.
"Ronan," Hagrid repeated, a hint of annoyance in his voice. No one liked being ignored, and Hagrid was no exception.
"We have met, Hagrid. A three-headed dog, it wasn't very friendly, seemed hungry. Our patrols drove it away with arrows. You can try your luck over there," Ronan said, pointing in the direction from which Albert and Hagrid had come.
Hagrid glanced in the indicated direction, falling silent for a moment.
"You're the half-owners of these woods; can you help Hagrid find his little pet? I think you wouldn't mind..." Albert tried to persuade the centaur for assistance.
Before Albert could finish, Hagrid pushed him gently, signaling that it was time to leave.
Albert shot Hagrid a strange look but immediately fell silent.
"Goodbye, Ronan. Thanks for the info!" Hagrid bid farewell to the centaur.
"The centaurs won't help," Ronan said once Hagrid and Albert were a safe distance away. "They are like that; don't expect them to be of much help. Come on, let's keep looking. I have a feeling we might find Fluffy today."
Your hunches are useless, Albert wanted to retort. He felt that if Hagrid had been honest with Dumbledore, they might have found the dog by now.
"By the way, Hagrid, do centaurs have a wide range of activities?" Albert asked, remembering something.
"Yes, quite wide," Hagrid cautioned. "When dealing with them, you need to be very careful. Most centaurs don't like wizards."
(End of Chapter)
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