Chapter -99 the three headed dog.

Chapter 99.

"Are we really going in, Big-D?" Ron asked, his grip on his wand tightening as he stared down the dark, empty corridor ahead. They had followed Dudley to a part of the fourth floor they hadn't explored during their nighttime adventure—the corridor on the right.

Ron's nerves were contagious, and Harry, Malfoy, and the others felt it too. Dumbledore's warning from the start of the school year echoed in their minds: "Anyone who does not wish to encounter unexpected, painful death should not approach this corridor."

"Of course, this is Professor Dumbledore's test," Dudley said confidently, pulling out some pendants from his pocket and handing them out. "Wear these."

"What are these?" everyone asked, a bit puzzled.

"They're good luck charms!" Dudley replied, already striding into the corridor.

The others exchanged uncertain glances but decided to put them on and follow him anyway.

At the end of the corridor, they found a big locked door.

Dudley didn't even bother to be gentle; he just yanked on the lock, and it broke apart like it was made of paper.

"Alohomora (Just pulling hard)," he said with a grin.

With a creak, he pushed the door open, revealing a gigantic three-headed dog. "Whoa, a three-headed dog!" It was the same one that had bitten Snape. The creature loomed over them, its six bright yellow eyes glaring down.

Harry and the others froze in fear, feeling the stench from the dog's cavernous mouths. They were just young wizards stepping into the magical world, and this was a sight they had never imagined. It was a creature that could take down Snape; they felt completely out of their league.

Luckily, the three-headed dog was chained up, unable to escape or attack them.

"You all go ahead; I'll handle this pup," Dudley said, his voice giving the others a boost of courage. He pulled out an iron ingot from his pouch, clapped his hands, and suddenly, the ingot transformed into a bunch of iron chains that wrapped around the three-headed dog's limbs. Seizing the moment, Harry and the others quickly opened the trapdoor next to the dog and jumped in one after another.

Just before Hermione jumped through, she glanced back at Dudley, a hint of worry in her eyes. But when she saw him smiling reassuringly, she took the leap.

Once he was sure Hermione and the others were safe, Dudley released the chains binding the three-headed dog.

As soon as it was free, the three-headed dog lunged at Dudley.

Its job was to guard this room and keep intruders out. A few had already slipped past, but not everyone was getting in.

In the next moment, all three heads froze.

Dudley, who was already tall at 1.8 meters, seemed to grow even bigger, standing at 2.3 meters.

He slowly walked toward the three-headed dog, and as two of the heads lunged at him, he grabbed one and gave it a good bump.

"Likes to bite, huh?"

Thud.

"Let's see you bite now."

Another bump.

Thud.

"Let's see you bite the dust one more time."

Another bump.

Thud.

The dull sounds echoed in the room.

When Dudley let go, the two heads flopped to the ground, dazed and confused, as if they were seeing stars, their eyes rolling and tongues hanging out.

Familiar sensations, familiar strength, terrifying brute force.

At that moment, the middle head, which hadn't been touched, remembered its owner, Hagrid.

Hagrid used to play with them like this, always leaving them dizzy and a bit traumatized.

Dudley's actions had effectively subdued the three-headed dog, leaving the only conscious head too scared to attack, watching Dudley with wary eyes.

It might have been big, but it was just a not-so-bright dog with a bit of psychological trauma.

It could tell when it was outmatched.

Dudley took a step forward, and the dog stepped back. He took another step, and it retreated again, until it was backed up against the wall.

Then Dudley took another step forward.

There was nowhere left to go.

This seemed to trigger something in the three-headed dog, and it let out a mournful howl.

"Awooo~"

Then it squeezed its eyes shut and started flailing its limbs as if it had lost its mind, thrashing around in place.

Was the three-headed dog going crazy?

Or was it just putting on a show?

Dudley didn't quite get why it was acting like that. He glanced at the three-headed dog, knowing he could understand magical beast language, but not the frantic babbling of a creature in a frenzy. He quickly opened the trapdoor and jumped down.

He really didn't want to hit the three-headed dog again.

But its wild behavior made Dudley wonder if it might be rabid.

He hoped Snape was okay.

After all, he had been bitten right on the thigh.

After walking for a bit, the three-headed dog sniffed around with its eyes still closed. Noticing Dudley's scent was fading, it cautiously opened one eye and looked around.

Gone?

Once it confirmed Dudley was really gone, it let out a long sigh of relief.

It realized Dudley had strength similar to its owner.

If it had attacked, it would have definitely been in for a beating.

The most important thing was that it had just caught a whiff of rock cake from Dudley.

That's right, it was definitely Hagrid's rock cake.

Might as well play dumb.

Others called it a dumb dog, but it wasn't dumb at all; sometimes it was quite clever.

Before it could wake up the two heads that had been knocked out, it caught the scent of a stranger again.

'Whoever you are, you're going to regret this!'

The three-headed dog bared its sharp teeth.

But after waiting for a while without seeing anyone, a sweet melody began to fill the room.

Before long, a two-legged harp bounced in.

The remaining head, as if under a spell, slowly lay down, its eyelids growing heavier and heavier, until a loud snore escaped.

At that moment, a man wearing a hat like Afanti's peeked around the door, trying to see what was happening inside.

Once he saw the three-headed dog was sound asleep, he relaxed and started walking in confidently.

He had learned that the three-headed dog could be lulled by music; this was information he had pried from that big oaf Hagrid at a great cost, having traded a dragon egg for it.

Unfortunately, the man in the Afanti hat didn't realize that under normal circumstances, the three-headed dog would be hypnotized by music, but if it had suffered a mild concussion, that might not apply.

Just as he opened the trapdoor, the two heads that had been knocked out suddenly woke up, one eye looking up and the other down, drooling as they approached him, then opening their mouths wide, aiming right at his rear.

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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really motivating.