Chapter 399: Bitten by a Dog
Chapter 399: Bitten by a Dog
After the Hogwarts professors left the Great Hall, they prepared to search for signs of the monster.
A mindless creature like the monster could very well endanger the students' lives. The professors needed to find and subdue it quickly to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
At this moment, Snape, who had sensed a conspiracy behind the monster incident, was hurrying towards the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor to stop whoever was plotting to steal the Sorcerer's Stone.
Quirrell was most likely a Death Eater, and the monster could have been his doing to divert everyone's attention.
Although Snape couldn't be sure, he was certain that Quirrell, who usually stuttered when speaking, had his eyes on the Sorcerer's Stone.
What a stupid and arrogant man, did he really think no one noticed his sneaky actions? Snape needed to stop him before he did something foolish; Dumbledore had tasked him with keeping an eye on Quirrell to uncover the mastermind behind this plot.
As for stealing the Sorcerer's Stone? Snape didn't believe Quirrell could succeed in stealing it right under Dumbledore's nose.
When Snape arrived at the fourth-floor corridor, he saw that the wooden door leading to the forbidden corridor had already been opened. He rushed over, intending to intercept Quirrell.
However, as Snape barged into the forbidden corridor, he lost sight of Quirrell, and worse still, the wooden door containing the three-headed dog had somehow been left ajar.
Damn it! Had Quirrell already ventured into the trap set by the professors?
Snape quickened his pace to check the situation inside. Hearing the commotion in the corridor, the three-headed dog crashed through the partially open door and lunged at Snape.
Startled, Snape waved his wand frantically, attempting to repel the charging dog. The spell caused the snapping head to retreat, but there were three heads to contend with.
In his haste, Snape couldn't possibly keep track of all three heads.
And so, Albert's prediction came true.
One of the dog's heads clamped down on Snape's leg, causing excruciating pain that contorted the Potions Master's features. The force of the dog's lunge pulled him to the ground.
Snape hit the floor, seeing stars from the impact, and the intense pain left him momentarily dazed.
The next moment, Snape heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind. It was Quirrell, and the Dark Arts professor looked taken aback by the scene before him. Stuttering, he asked, "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Damn it!" Snape cast a spell on the dog, forcing it to release his leg. He struggled to his feet, hastily erecting a magical barrier to repel the dog as it lunged at him again. With a swift motion, he turned and limped away from the forbidden corridor.
"Severus, are you alright?" Quirrell reached out as if to help Snape.
"What are you up to?" Snape quickly locked the door to the forbidden corridor and examined his wound, his face dark as he glared at Quirrell. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do."
"Bu-but, Severus, I-I don't kn-know wha-" Quirrell seemed frightened by Snape's intense demeanor, his stutter worsening.
"You know exactly what I mean," Snape said, his face grim. "Who are you loyal to, the Dark Lord or some Death Eater? Abandon your foolish idea; you will never succeed in stealing the Sorcerer's Stone from under Dumbledore's watch."
"I-I'm not—"
"Don't play innocent with me," Snape interrupted, certain that Quirrell had his sights on the stone and that he had been outmaneuvered, nearly losing a leg to Hagrid's beast.
"I-I—"
Snape paid no further heed to Quirrell and limped away.
Quirrell watched Snape's retreating figure and hurried after him.
Neither of them realized that their every move was being observed by someone, especially Albert, who took great pleasure in seeing Snape's limping gait. He proceeded to the third floor, entered the boys' bathroom, and checked the time on his pocket watch, waiting for someone's arrival.
Soon enough, there was a rhythmic knocking on the bathroom door. Albert took a deep breath, opened the door, and faced his exact double, who gave him an OK sign.
They switched places, and Albert headed out. He found his roommates waiting for him in the corridor, Fred and George enjoying some pumpkin pasties while Lee Jordan held a piece of honey-roasted pumpkin. The trio was still discussing the monster incident.
Well, no matter how you looked at it, this whole situation was bizarre.
When they returned to the common room, they found it crowded with Gryffindor students, including a furious Percy Weasley, who glared at the four of them as they entered.
"What have you lot been up to?" Percy demanded, struggling to contain his anger.
"What are you on about?" Fred feigned ignorance. "We haven't been up to anything."
"Don't be angry, Percy," George said, pulling a candy from his pocket and forcing it into Percy's hand. "We just made a pit stop at the bathroom; had too much pumpkin juice, you know."
"It's just a giant monster, no need to be so uptight. Those idiots stink from a mile away, we can easily avoid them," Lee Jordan chimed in with a casual attempt at reassurance.
"I reckon the professors have probably dealt with it by now," Albert said nonchalantly. "There's really no need to make a mountain out of a molehill."
Percy was left flustered by the quartet's dismissive remarks, unsure how to respond.
A giant monster.
Well, a bloody giant monster, to be precise.
But Percy couldn't quite understand why they seemed so unfazed by the prospect.
The Gryffindor common room was packed with students, all buzzing with excitement as they discussed how the monster had managed to infiltrate Hogwarts Castle.
Angelina joined them, eyeing Albert and his friends with a smile. "I heard you guys only came back after you'd stuffed yourselves in the Great Hall."
"That's not true," Albert quickly denied, changing the subject. "They'll be sending the food over here soon anyway, since not everyone got to eat their fill."
True to Albert's words, the house-elves soon delivered the leftover food from the Great Hall to the Gryffindor common room.
Students who hadn't eaten their fill pounced on the opportunity, filling their plates with their favorite treats. They chatted and laughed as they ate, filling the common room with lively chatter.
Just then, the door to the common room opened again, and in walked Hermione Granger.
Albert, noticing her entrance, smiled and raised his cup in a silent toast.
"What are you smiling about?" Hannah asked, curious about his sudden change in expression.
The door opened once more, and this time, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walked in.
"I wonder where they went off to earlier," Hannah said, following Albert's gaze and spotting Harry and Ron as they made their way over. She furrowed her brow, clearly not impressed.
"Maybe they went to fight the monster and be heroes," Albert joked.
"Fight the monster?" Fred raised an eyebrow at Albert's comment, then turned to the approaching duo. "Blimey, you two stink. Don't tell me you actually went to face that monster?"
"I defeated it single-handedly," Ron declared proudly, his chest puffed out.
"Alright, alright, heroes, no need to thank us," George said, holding up his hands to stop them from approaching any closer. "Your stench is killing our appetite."
"That's rubbish, we don't smell!" Ron protested, clearly offended.
"Go take a bath, and if you want some food, I can save you some," Fred offered, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
After Harry and Ron left, Albert commented, "I bet they ran into that monster and got up close and personal with it. That stench is unmistakable."
"I don't know why they keep messing with those smelly creatures," Lee Jordan grumbled. "I wonder if they really did defeat that monster?"
"Who knows," Albert said with a shrug. "It's just a monster, after all."
...
The next morning, during breakfast, Albert noticed something odd about Severus Snape, the Potions master. He was limping as he left the Great Hall.
"What happened to his leg?" George asked, swallowing a mouthful of bread and craning his neck to get a better view of Snape's retreating figure.
"Must've been bitten by a dog!"
Fred smirked at the sight of Snape's hobbling figure. "I hope it hurts like hell."
"A bite from a three-headed dog won't heal quickly. He's gonna be feeling that for a while," Albert said, clearly enjoying the professor's misfortune.
"Damn, even Snape can't escape Albert's predictions. Scary," Lee Jordan teased, feigning shock.
The four friends exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
Taking advantage of the time before their next class, they made their way through the secret passage to catch another glimpse of Snape's misfortune up close.
As they passed by, they deliberately discussed in hushed tones the cause of his limp, relishing the professor's embarrassment.
Watching Snape hobble away, they couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
"By the way, how did Snape get bitten by a dog?" George asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Maybe he tried to get past that three-headed dog?" Fred speculated. "Trying to steal whatever it is that Dumbledore keeps in the castle."
"So, he really was the one who let that monster in to divert everyone's attention?" Lee Jordan shared his own theory.
"I hope it was him," Albert said, shaking his head. "If so, he'll be gone by next semester."
The other three didn't immediately understand.
"The idiot who tried to steal something will definitely be caught, and then they'll be expelled," Albert explained, as if it were obvious. "If Snape really has his eyes on that item, we won't be seeing him around here next year."
In that moment, they all silently prayed that Snape was indeed the one attempting to steal something from the castle.
(End of Chapter)
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