Chapter 277: Rufus Arrives

Albert followed behind Professor Smith, silently walking forward. After turning a corner, they stopped in front of a statue of a lion-headed eagle.

"Chocolate frog!"

Professor Smith gave the command to the statue.

The statue of the lion-headed eagle came to life, moving aside as the wall behind it split into two, revealing a staircase leading upwards.

"Follow me."

Professor Smith stepped through the gap in the wall, stepping onto the spiral stone staircase. Albert hurriedly followed, but as he stepped onto the stairs, the gap behind him closed.

In the next moment, the staircase slowly began to rise automatically, carrying the two of them to the door of the headmaster's office.

Professor Smith approached the door and knocked. The door opened silently, and the two of them entered the headmaster's office.

This was Albert's second time in the headmaster's office. Compared to the last time he was here, there was no difference. The portraits of male and female wizards on the walls around them pretended to be asleep as they entered and exited.

"Rufus, is there something you need?"

Dumbledore was seated at his desk, writing a letter. He looked up at the two who had entered and asked.

"Albert has something to discuss with you regarding Hagrid. I think it's best for him to tell you in person," Professor Smith shifted his position, indicating for Albert to explain the reason.

"Hagrid?" Dumbledore shifted his gaze to Albert, and by the time he did, the parchment on the desk had been automatically enveloped and sealed with wax.

He took the letter, handing it to the phoenix perched on a branch of a cedar tree. Fawkes grabbed the letter with its beak and flew away.

Using a phoenix as a letter carrier?

Albert shifted his gaze away from Fawkes, beginning to explain Hagrid's situation to Dumbledore.

Hagrid had secretly been raising a three-headed dog named Fluffy in the Forbidden Forest, but suddenly, Fluffy had escaped and might be roaming around the outskirts of the school.

He described the situation in detail, including Hagrid's reluctance to trouble Dumbledore and how he was currently searching the Forbidden Forest for Fluffy.

As Albert spoke, he observed Dumbledore's changing expressions, but the headmaster's face remained unchanged throughout, standing quietly and listening as Albert finished explaining.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, you're not going to expel Hagrid, right?" Albert feigned concern and asked.

"No, I won't. Mr. Anderson, your judgment and handling of the situation are correct. Gryffindor, plus twenty points," Dumbledore smiled at Albert, reassuringly saying, "A three-headed dog is indeed a dangerous magical creature. You did the right thing, and it's best for us to find and secure it before it causes any trouble."

"Headmaster, how do you plan to handle the three-headed dog?" Albert asked again.

"Send it back to its homeland. That's the best option," Dumbledore didn't conceal the way he intended to deal with the three-headed dog. He turned to Professor Smith and said, "Mr. Lupin, are you available?"

"Of course, if you need assistance," Professor Smith smiled and said, "I'm ready to go into the Forbidden Forest and help search for the three-headed dog."

"Good, let's go find Hagrid then!" Dumbledore said as he prepared to leave.

"Headmaster, can I join you?" Albert quickly spoke up, "I promised Hagrid that I would help him find Fluffy."

Dumbledore looked at Albert deeply, nodded, and said, "Then come along!"

Albert had great confidence in Dumbledore. With his help, they should be able to find Fluffy quickly.

This mission was as good as done.

The three of them left the castle and headed towards the cabin on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was in the middle of lunch when he heard a knock at the door. He stuffed the piece of bread in his hand into his mouth and reached to open the door. "Albert, what are you..."

His voice trailed off as he looked at Dumbledore standing outside. He suddenly felt a bit flustered and shifted his gaze downward, landing on Albert who was by Dumbledore's side. He immediately understood what was going on.

"Sorry, Hagrid, but I thought it would be best for the headmaster to know about this before Rufus causes any trouble for you," Albert's face was filled with regret. "I don't want to see Fluffy harming Hogwarts students, and I certainly don't want you to get into trouble and be expelled from the school."

He felt like his acting skills were exploding after taking Felix Felicis, and winning an Oscar wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Mr. Anderson's judgment is correct. We'd better find that three-headed dog as soon as possible," Dumbledore smiled.

"What should we do then?" Hagrid moved aside to let them in and asked anxiously, "Albert and I have been searching the forest all morning, but we still haven't found any trace of Fluffy."

"We will find it," Dumbledore reassured him. "Rufus, do you have any good suggestions?"

"Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable about three-headed dogs. But we can consult an expert in this area," Professor Smith suggested. "Professor Kettleburn specializes in magical creatures protection, and perhaps he can provide us with some advice."

"That's a good idea." Dumbledore nodded, agreeing with Professor Smith's suggestion.

The four of them entered the Forbidden Forest together, heading towards Professor Kettleburn's cabin.

"Albus, why are you here?" Professor Kettleburn was feeding his little cutie a Blast-Ended Skrewt, looking puzzled as he gazed at the four of them.

"Something has happened." Dumbledore briefly explained the situation with the three-headed dog.

"Three-headed dog?" Professor Kettleburn showed great interest. "I see, so that's what the shadow I saw last time was? I was investigating what those footprints were."

"Professor Kettleburn, is there any way to find it?" Hagrid quickly asked.

"Unfortunately, it's not easy to find it in the Forbidden Forest," Professor Kettleburn explained, offering them some advice. "Food is scarce now, so you might want to start from that angle."

"Food? Same suggestion as Albert's." Hagrid muttered to himself. They had been searching all morning and hadn't found any useful clues.

"We should get going." Dumbledore seemed to be contemplating how to lure the three-headed dog out. "I'll have the house-elves prepare some fresh meat."

"Headmaster, can't we use Reverse Tracking Magic?" Albert asked tentatively.

"Unfortunately, no." Dumbledore certainly could use Reverse Tracking Magic, but the problem was that he knew nothing about Rufus at the moment. It would be difficult to directly trace him using magic.

"What if we try using the Summoning Charm? Just call for Rufus directly." Albert continued suggesting, noting that Dumbledore had the Elder Wand, so there might be a chance of success.

"Of course, why don't you give it a try?" Dumbledore suddenly paused in his steps. "Why haven't you tried it?"

"I have, Headmaster, but it didn't work." Albert explained, "My magic wasn't strong enough, and the spell might have been resisted."

"That's not surprising at all. Large magical creatures have strong resistance to spells," Professor Smith explained. "Also, we don't know where it is right now, and the distance might also affect the success."

"We can cast the spell together." Dumbledore suddenly said, "If the three-headed dog is not far from here, it should work."

"How do we cast the spell together?" Albert asked curiously.

"Say 'Rufus Arrives,' count to three, and say it together," Professor Smith explained.

"Once Rufus appears, I can subdue him immediately." Hagrid patted his chest, assuring them.

"Then let's begin."

All three of them pulled out their wands, exchanged glances, and started counting down.

"Rufus Arrives!" They shouted in unison.

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(End of this chapter)