Chapter 466: The Dog That Loved Music
Chapter 466: The Dog That Loved Music
"Who are you looking for? Do you need any help?" George asked, looking curiously at Albert, who had been fixated on the Marauder's Map for quite some time now. Fred and George had been playing a game of Wizard's Chess with Lee Jordan, but George couldn't help but interrupt, intrigued by Albert's actions.
George had noticed that ever since Albert returned from Hagrid's hut, he seemed to be keeping an eye on someone.
In truth, the trio was eager to ask Albert when he planned to venture into the forbidden fourth-floor corridor.
Albert had only asked them to wait, and Fred and Lee Jordan had already played several rounds of Wizard's Chess, growing somewhat impatient, especially since Albert hadn't shared any information with them.
"Not yet," Albert replied.
"Have you figured out a way to get past that huge dog from Hagrid?" Lee Jordan asked casually, bringing up the topic that was on all their minds—the thing they were most concerned about.
If they couldn't find a way to deal with that massive dog, they wouldn't even make it past the first obstacle.
"It's Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology," Albert said without looking up from the map. "The Muggle records in the library have detailed methods to deal with it."
"Are you sure those Muggle records are reliable?" Fred frowned, reminding him, "You should know that the wizarding world is very different from the Muggle world."
"I tried it when Hagrid first got the dog," Albert said calmly. "It does work; it can put Cerberus to sleep."
"So, that monster that caused a ruckus in the Forbidden Forest was the same dog at the end of the corridor in the forbidden fourth-floor corridor?"
"Hagrid secretly kept it in the Forbidden Forest?"
"I remember you tricked us into believing it was Professor Kettleburn's guard dog for his Care of Magical Creatures classes," Lee Jordan complained playfully.
"I don't recall saying anything like that," Albert said, unperturbed.
"Okay, then, which one of you said it? Fred or George?" Lee Jordan quickly turned his accusation toward the other two roommates.
"We remember it was you," Fred and George said in unison.
In truth, all three of them had forgotten who had initially spread that misinformation.
"What's the Muggle method to deal with it?" Fred asked.
"You'll see in a moment," Albert replied, his eyes still glued to the map.
Hagrid's dot on the map was moving toward the outskirts of Hogwarts. It seemed he was taking the usual path that Hogwarts students used to get to Hogsmeade. No doubt he was heading to the Three Broomsticks for a drink.
As for Professor Quirrell, he was still in his office on the second floor, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Albert was confident that once Hagrid left Hogwarts, Quirrell would soon get the news and follow him to Hogsmeade to carry out his dragon egg bait plan.
Indeed, Albert's prediction was accurate. Not long after Hagrid left Hogwarts, Quirrell's dot also started moving. He had left his office and was making his way toward the outskirts of the castle, hidden by the cover of night.
"Finally, the obstructing presence is gone!" Albert breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Quirrell's dot disappear from the map, a pleased smile spreading across his face.
At that very moment, just outside the anti-Apparition wards, Quirrell paused and turned back to look at Hogwarts Castle, feeling a strange sense of unease. However, he quickly shook off the feeling and continued on his way, Apparating out of sight.
Albert put away the Marauder's Map and began gathering the things he would need for their upcoming adventure, under the eager gazes of his roommates.
He took out the music box he had bought at Christmas from his Chameleonic Charm belt and tucked it into his shirt pocket. "Let's go to the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor. Our adventure begins," he said to the expectant Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
"However, we'll need to split up to avoid attracting attention. We can meet up again in the secret passage near the corridor."
"Is it finally time?" Fred happily put away the half-played Wizard's Chess set, much to Lee Jordan's dismay, as he had been about to win that game.
This was outright cheating! However, Lee Jordan's displeasure didn't last long, and he, too, put away the chess set. The upcoming adventure was far more exciting than a game of chess.
"Tom, be a good boy and stay in the room. Don't wander off. I'll bring you some fish treats when I get back," Albert said, scratching Tom's chin and placing him on the nearby cushion. "Get ready, everyone. Let's go!"
"We're already ready," the three roommates chorused.
It was almost eight o'clock, and the sky had darkened considerably. The library would be closing soon. To avoid attracting attention from other students in the common room, the four of them decided to leave separately.
As Albert and Lee Jordan left the common room, they happened to bump into Percy, who was just returning from the library and looked rather exhausted. The Gryffindor prefect was also studying hard to excel in his O.W.L. exams.
Five minutes later, they arrived at the secret passage on the fourth floor as planned and met up with Fred and George. Taking advantage of the absence of others, they quietly opened the door and sneaked into the forbidden corridor.
After Fred closed the wooden door behind them, he asked Albert again, "How are you planning to subdue that dog?"
"With this," Albert replied.
The four of them made their way down the dimly lit corridor until they reached the end, where Albert took out the music box he had bought at Christmas from his pocket and distributed a few more identical music boxes to the others.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were perplexed, not understanding what was happening.
Albert twisted the knob on the music box, causing it to emit a crisp, melodious sound.
"The music box will only last for about half a minute. You guys take turns winding it up to keep the music playing. The three-headed dog will fall asleep when it hears the music," Albert instructed as he arranged the order and then took out his wand, tapping on the door lock and whispering, "Alohomora!"
There was a click, and the door unlocked.
As they pushed open the creaking door, instead of hearing deep barks, they witnessed the dog's eyes drooping as soon as the music started.
It swayed unsteadily for a few moments before collapsing onto the floor, fast asleep.
"Quick, open the trapdoor," Albert ordered, taking charge of the situation.
"Don't let the music stop, or I'll end up as dog food," Fred said, glaring at a distracted Lee Jordan. He vowed to leave Lee Jordan behind with the dog if he messed up.
"Sorry," Lee Jordan mumbled, apologizing for his earlier lapse in focus.
As they approached the three massive heads, they could feel the hot, foul breath emanating from the dog's mouth.
"I bet Hagrid never bothers to brush its teeth," George blurted out.
"George, remember what I told you," Albert reminded him.
"Right," George replied.
"Fred, Lee Jordan, you two use the Levitation Charm together to move the dog to the side. It's blocking the trapdoor," Albert directed his friends to complete the task efficiently.
Once the dog's body was cleared from the trapdoor, Albert immediately bent down, grabbed the ring, and pulled it open. The door swung wide, revealing a pitch-black hole beneath it.
"What do you see?" Fred and Lee Jordan asked as they moved the dog aside and continued winding the music box to maintain the soothing melody.
Lee Jordan's face was tense with anxiety, feeling the immense pressure of being in such close proximity to the massive dog. Being this near to such a creature was far from safe.
"I can't see anything down there, and there doesn't seem to be a ladder. We'll have to jump down," Albert said as he looked around at the three of them. "Who's going first?"
"I can go second," Fred muttered softly.
There was no denying that the pitch-black passage below did little to inspire confidence.
"George, you go first. Remember to cast a cushioning charm on yourself. I'm sure you know it, right?" Albert said as he waved his wand, creating a glowing ball of light and letting it drop down the hole. "Fred, you're next, followed by Lee Jordan."
"Alright," George replied through gritted teeth.
"Come on, don't waste time. With the cushioning charm, you don't have to worry about falling to your death," Albert urged them.
George peered down the hole, seeing nothing but darkness. He took a deep breath and slowly slid down, his movement so slow that it was almost scary, his fingers clutching the edge of the hole for dear life.
"Don't let the music stop, or you'll be dog food!" Albert shouted down, sending another glowing ball of light downward as a warning.
Seeing that they were still hesitating, Albert sighed and, deciding not to wait for George anymore, said, "See you downstairs," before sliding down next to George.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were all startled by Albert's swift and decisive action, their faces flushing slightly as they recalled their own hesitance.
The three of them didn't want to linger above any longer, especially with the three-headed dog so close by, offering them little sense of security.
As soon as Albert jumped down, George followed suit, and Fred and Lee Jordan exchanged glances before also jumping down one after the other. Above them, the music box continued to play, but it would soon run out of power, and the sleeping dog would eventually wake up.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
