Chapter 242: Almost Eaten

"Something is coming this way."

Upon hearing barking from the forest, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan immediately became highly alert. They turned their heads towards the direction of the sound, exchanging glances with each other.

However, since the group was currently at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest during daylight hours, they didn't expect anything major to happen. Even if they did encounter trouble, the four of them should be able to handle it together. After all, Albert was with them.

"Hagrid's hound?"

"Probably not Fang." Lee Jordan directly shook his head in denial. Although it had been a while since he visited Hagrid's hut, he could still recognize the bark of his hound, Fang.

The footsteps and barking were getting closer, echoing through the forest, creating a spine-chilling sound.

"Let's go, back to the castle." Albert reminded them again.

"Where are you going? Wait for us." George looked at Albert, who was briskly walking towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, and quickly called out to him.

"Get out of here quickly. Do you want Hagrid to catch you?" Albert muttered, continuing to walk out of the forest. He really didn't want to encounter Hagrid here, and he believed that Hagrid also didn't want other students to see him walking his dog.

Yes, walking his dog. That was Albert's guess. The sound they had heard just now was undoubtedly the bark of Fluffy, Hagrid's three-headed dog. There were only two possibilities for it to be here: either it had escaped from Hagrid's leash, or Hagrid was taking it for a stroll in the Forbidden Forest. The latter seemed more likely.

"Do you know what that is?" Fred noticed Albert's reaction and thought he might know something.

"Let's get out of here first." Albert didn't answer and continued to hurry forward. He hadn't seen Fluffy for several months now. Surely it had grown even bigger in size!

Encountering Fluffy or Hagrid here wouldn't be a good thing. It would only lead to an awkward situation for both parties.

"Hey, wait for us, don't walk so fast!" Fred and George exchanged glances, then involuntarily slowed down. They were actually quite curious about what kind of dog Hagrid had. As for why they assumed it was Hagrid's, it was because Hagrid had mentioned in the Hog's Head Inn that he had bought a dog named Fluffy from the black market. It was probably the same one they had encountered.

"Fred and George are falling behind." Lee Jordan turned his head to look back and quickly reminded Albert, who was ahead.

"Those two idiots." Albert stopped in his tracks, glanced at the twins who had already disappeared from sight, and muttered under his breath, "Forget it, let them suffer a bit and learn a lesson. They really thought the Forbidden Forest was safe."

"What was that just now?" Lee Jordan finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Fluffy, Hagrid's new pet." Albert absentmindedly gave Lee Jordan a glance.

"Why did we have to hurry away?" Lee Jordan was even more puzzled.

"Why do you think Hagrid would keep his new pet in the Forbidden Forest? I hope Fred and George won't be scared out of their wits. It's better this way." Albert shrugged and raised his wand to cast a spell on himself. The Disillusionment Charm instantly enveloped him.

"Scared out of their wits? Why?" Just as Lee Jordan was asking his question, he saw Albert suddenly disappear into thin air, which startled him.

"What are you…" Lee Jordan didn't understand what Albert was trying to do.

"Come on, don't you also want to see Hagrid's new pet? Although the Disillusionment Charm probably won't work on Fluffy," Albert muttered softly. A dog's nose is very sensitive, especially one with three noses. It would definitely be able to detect them.

Albert's use of the Disillusionment Charm was actually to deal with Hagrid.

"Alright."

Lee Jordan felt a cold sensation flow into his body from where Albert had tapped his wand. In the instant that the Disillusionment Charm took effect, Lee Jordan also disappeared into thin air, leaving only footprints in the snow on the ground to prove that they were still there.

Although Lee Jordan didn't know what Hagrid's new pet was all about, one thing was certain: Fred and George were in trouble. Who asked them not to leave with him just now?

"Is this really a good idea?" Lee Jordan whispered.

"Fred and George brought this upon themselves. Don't blame others. If you see anything later, keep your mouth shut. Even if you're discovered, don't mention that I'm here." Albert reminded them and started retracing his steps.

Soon, they found Fred and George. The twins were hiding under a tree, under the effects of the Disillusionment Charm. However, their Disillusionment Charms weren't very well-cast, as even Lee Jordan could see irregular distorted areas on their bodies.

This was due to their lack of proficiency in using the Disillusionment Charm. Mastering wizardry usually required a lot of practice, which was one of the reasons why Albert always emphasized the need for practice. Practicing wasn't just about familiarizing oneself with a specific spell; it was also about strengthening one's control over magic and enhancing magical power, which was particularly noticeable in younger wizards.

The barking grew closer, accompanied by other faint sounds. The creature was approaching them, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared within the four's line of sight.

However, as Fred and George clearly saw the three-headed monster before them, they both regretted not heeding Albert's advice to leave the area earlier.

What met the twins' eyes was a creature with three heads, resembling a dog.

Fred and George stood still, dazed. They didn't dare move, fearing that any movement might alert the creature that was currently sniffing around. The creature's sharp teeth could easily snap their arms, tearing them into pieces along with bone fragments, all to be swallowed down its throat.

Fred and George had realized that their scent had given away their position. The creature probably hadn't spotted them yet, but it had undoubtedly picked up their scent. Fluffy was getting closer to the tree where Fred and George were hiding. The overwhelming feeling of dread made them breathe nervously.

It was too terrifying. They wanted to go home.

Not only Fred and George were breathless; Lee Jordan, who was also hiding nearby, was on the verge of exclaiming. He finally understood why Albert had told them to run, and now that Hagrid wasn't around, what should they do?

Lee Jordan instinctively looked towards Albert's direction, only to find that there was nothing in his line of sight. Albert had disappeared, and he didn't know where he had gone. Had he left them behind?

No, Albert wasn't the kind of person to abandon Fred and George, especially after what he did last semester when he ventured into the Forbidden Forest alone at night to rescue the Weasley twins.

But where was he?

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(End of this chapter)