Bab 28: Chapter 28: The Unknown Path
With the end-of-term exams concluded, the annual holiday was imminent. After packing up his books and belongings in the dormitory, Augustus left the Slytherin common room to enjoy a rare moment of leisure by the lakeside.
The calm, mirror-like surface of the lake shimmered under the sunlight. Occasionally, birds flew in from afar, skimming the water and creating playful ripples. The branches along the shore swayed gently in the breeze, while the golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting intricate patterns across Augustus's slender hands.
Not far from the lake, Harry and his two companions hurried out of Dumbledore's office. Spotting Augustus on the grass, the trio quickened their pace toward him. Augustus sighed and rubbed his forehead—clearly, something was wrong again. These three seemed to attract trouble like magnets.
"Mr. Augustus, this time it's serious," Harry said, his face grim, before Augustus could speak.
"We just learned from Hagrid that someone tricked him with a dragon egg to learn how to disable Fluffy. Who else would want to figure out how to get past a three-headed dog if not for the Philosopher's Stone?" Hermione added. "And when we went to see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall told us he wasn't in the castle. The timing is too perfect. If there's ever a moment for that person to steal the Stone, it's tonight!"
"So, what do you plan to do? The professors obviously won't believe you, so you've decided to stop the thief yourselves?" Augustus asked, looking at the three with a calm expression.
"Will you come with us? If you're with us, even if it's Voldemort himself, we'll have a real chance," Harry asked hesitantly, his voice hopeful. If Augustus joined them, their mission would undoubtedly succeed.
"Relying on others is not a good habit," Augustus replied with a faint smile. "I'll go with you this time, but I hope next time you'll learn to depend on yourselves rather than always seeking help from others."
The trio exchanged excited glances. "Then we'll meet at the third floor tonight at ten!" Harry confirmed, and the three quickly left, heading back toward the castle.
As a cool breeze picked up around the lake, ruffling Augustus's hair, he watched them leave, his gaze thoughtful.
By 9:30 that evening, Augustus left the Slytherin dormitory, walking through the green-lit warmth of the common room and making his way up Hogwarts' intricate moving staircases to the third floor. There, he found Harry and his friends waiting.
"We ran into Neville on the way here," Harry said, adjusting his glasses. "But luckily, Hermione took care of it, and nothing went wrong."
Augustus nodded, and the four of them continued toward their destination.
At the fourth-floor staircase, as they prepared to ascend, Peeves floated toward them from the other direction. As soon as Peeves opened his mouth, Augustus raised his wand. A faint red glow shot out, sealing Peeves's mouth shut. The ghost flailed in frustration before floating off.
Moments later, they arrived at the hallway outside the forbidden door. The door was ajar.
"See that?" Harry whispered. "Whoever it is has already gotten past Fluffy." The sight of the partially open door reinforced the reality of what they were about to face.
As the door creaked open, low growls immediately greeted them. Fluffy, the massive three-headed dog, glared at the intruders, its fierce eyes burning with hostility. Nearby, a fallen harp indicated that whoever had been there earlier had long moved on.
Harry raised Hagrid's flute to his lips and began playing. Though the tune was clumsy, the effect was immediate—Fluffy's eyes began to droop. Harry played relentlessly, and soon the giant dog slumped to the ground, snoring heavily.
"Don't stop playing," Ron reminded Harry as the group moved closer to the trapdoor. The hot, foul-smelling breath from Fluffy's heads was unmistakable.
Augustus opened the trapdoor, revealing a dark, seemingly bottomless abyss. The faint light from above was swallowed entirely by the darkness below.
"You go first," Augustus said to Ron and Hermione.
Ron jumped in first. A moment later, his voice echoed faintly from below, raspy but reassuring. "It's fine! Soft landing! You can jump!"
Hermione followed next. Augustus took the flute from Harry and began playing. In the brief pause before the music resumed, Fluffy stirred, snarling and shifting, but the moment Augustus resumed the melody, the dog sank back into slumber. Harry climbed over the dog and peered into the dark void before leaping in.
Still playing, Augustus backed toward the trapdoor. As he reached it, he placed the flute down, shut the trapdoor behind him, and jumped into the blackness. Above him, Fluffy's growls were already fading. The four landed in a soft, cushioning mass below.
"Good thing there was this plant here," Ron said, brushing himself off.
"Good thing?!" Hermione shrieked. "Look at you!"
As she struggled toward a damp wall, vines began snaking up her ankles, binding her tightly.
"Don't struggle," Augustus instructed calmly. "This is Devil's Snare. The more you resist, the tighter it gets. Relax, and it will let go." Demonstrating, Augustus remained perfectly still, and the plant reluctantly released him, depositing him gently onto solid ground.
Hermione and Harry quickly followed his example, relaxing and slipping free.
"Help me!" Ron cried, tangled more tightly than ever.
Sighing, Augustus drew his silver wand. A stream of blazing fire erupted from its tip, and the Devil's Snare recoiled in terror, withdrawing its tendrils. Ron fell to the ground in a heap of dust.
Ahead of them stretched a stone corridor, cold and unyielding. Beyond lay nothing but the unknown.
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