On the eve of Easter,
William, Cedric, and Cho left the castle and headed to Hagrid's hut.
As they approached, Fang heard the sound of their footsteps and immediately wriggled out from a hollowed-out giant pumpkin by the doorway.
This was his cozy little nest, and to be fair, it was quite a clever setup!
Fang wagged his tail frantically, letting out a series of mournful howls.
Since Hagrid had been sent to Azkaban, it had fallen to William and the others to take turns feeding Fang; otherwise, the poor dog might have starved.
They couldn't come three times a day, so they typically left enough food to last until the next evening.
But Fang was a glutton, he devoured everything at once, stuffing himself until his belly was round as a drum.
This habit meant that by morning, after a night of digestion, he woke up hungry again.
With nothing to eat, Fang had resorted to terrorizing Hagrid's chickens for snacks.
This had gone on for almost a week. After enduring the harsh consequences of his actions, Fang finally learned a bitter truth: being a dog wasn't easy!
He developed a habit of rationing his food instead of gobbling it all up in one go.
He also stopped wasting food. No more scattering bits all over the floor. Even the food he didn't like was licked clean from the bowl.
Progress!
Of course, there was a downside. Whenever William and his friends arrived, Fang's eyes were filled with resentment and suspicion: Is this all you've got? Have you three gone broke?
William sighed. On occasion, he would bring Fang a tin of cat food from Bobba Tea's stash.
After all, why not let the dog enjoy some feline delicacies? The more he ate, the chubbier he got.
Outside Hagrid's hut, Cho reached into a crevice between the stones and pulled out a large key, unlocking the door.
The three of them used magic to clean up Hagrid's cabin.
After tidying up, they said their goodbyes to Fang and headed for the Forbidden Forest.
They still needed to check on Fluffy.
No one knew if Hagrid had any other "adorable pets" lurking in the forest.
With no one feeding them for so long, they might've all starved by now.
For some reason, William didn't feel the slightest sympathy. In fact, he felt a faint sense of schadenfreude.
The creatures Hagrid kept in the Forbidden Forest were at least Fluffy-tier in terms of danger. Anything less was under Professor Kettleburn's jurisdiction.
Fluffy had been raised by William and his friends from a young age. No matter how ugly he was, he was still their dog, a cut above any other beast in the forest.
So if Hagrid had kept any other creatures, they were undoubtedly dangerous monsters to William and the others, monsters fit to be hunted, cooked, or turned into wands. But one thing was for sure: they were not to be petted.
The three of them followed a familiar path deeper into the forest.
Fluffy lived in a secluded valley they had visited many times before, so they knew the way by heart.
Halfway there, a commotion rustled through the trees ahead.
A centaur emerged, his hair and beard a fiery red, his chestnut-colored body gleaming in the moonlight, with a long red tail swishing behind him.
"Oh, Ronan! Good evening," William greeted warmly.
During last year's Forbidden Forest battle, William had saved Ronan's life, and they'd since developed a strong friendship.
Ronan was one of the few centaurs who had a favorable opinion of wizards.
"What are you three doing here?" Ronan asked curiously.
"We're here to check on Fluffy," Cedric replied.
"Ah, Fluffy…" Ronan's expression darkened, "You really need to keep that thing under control."
"What happened?" Cho asked, intrigued.
"It's been marking its territory everywhere, peeing all over the place! Last time, it came right up to our settlement's entrance. Bane was furious and wanted to rally the tribe to teach it a lesson."
"I'll talk to Fluffy," William said, rubbing his temples. "But you know, with Hagrid gone, he might not listen to us."
"Speaking of which, I heard Dumbledore was driven out too?" Ronan stomped his hooves anxiously.
"He's only temporarily gone. He'll be back soon."
"I really don't understand your Ministry of Magic. How could they drive away such a great wizard as Dumbledore!"
"Professor Dumbledore would be very happy to hear your praise."
"You'd best return to the castle quickly," Ronan advised. "I know you're strong, William, but…"
"But what?"
"Tonight, the Serpens constellation is behaving unusually."
"Which star is shining brightly now?"
"The alpha star of Serpens… we centaurs call it 'The Serpent's Heart,' also known as The Loner.
"It has always been the brightest star in the Serpens constellation, radiating a cold, solitary red glow," Ronan explained uneasily.
"But recently, the epsilon star of Serpens has been getting brighter. And tonight, its brightness surpasses The Serpent's Heart. This means…"
"This means… the Forbidden Forest is especially dangerous tonight," came a voice from the underbrush as another centaur emerged.
—It was Bane, the centaur leader.
"Ronan, should you really be sharing so much with the wizards?" Bane scolded.
Ronan immediately fell silent.
"Get back to the castle at once!" Bane ordered sternly.
Bane was a staunch wizard-hater. William ignored him and instead asked, "Ronan, have you seen a young red-haired wizard in the forest recently?
"Not George or Fred, this one has freckles and looks rather ordinary."
"No." Ronan glanced at Bane nervously and shook his head.
William felt a twinge of disappointment and was about to leave with Cedric and Cho when Bane suddenly spoke up.
"I've seen that young wizard. He's been here several times, he went to the Acromantula's lair."
"Oh, thank you," William replied calmly.
"You mean Ron?" Cedric asked in a hushed voice after the centaurs had moved away.
"Yes." William nodded, "Dumbledore told me that Ron had snuck into the Forbidden Forest a few times."
"Was it during the time he had the diary?" Cho asked, puzzled.
"Yes. The diary may have been controlling Ron, making him come here for some reason."
"But…" Cedric hesitated, "Bane could've been lying to us, trying to lure us into the Acromantula's territory."
"I don't think so," Cho analyzed. "Remember, Hagrid said that although centaurs despise wizards, they're proud creatures. They likely wouldn't stoop to lying."
"That makes sense. I agree with Cho." William nodded slightly.
"So… shall we check it out?" Cho's eyes sparkled as she boldly suggested it.
Cedric looked at her, then stood tall. "We're going! No question about it! Anyone who doesn't go is a Flobberworm!"
"What's this all about?" William asked quietly, falling a step behind Cho as they walked.
"Oh, it's because of our last trip to Hogsmeade," Cedric muttered sheepishly. "I took Cho to the Shrieking Shack, and as we walked, she suddenly disappeared and scared me half to death."
William gave Cedric a withering look. You didn't scare the girl; you got scared yourself… Truly a disgrace to all would-be charmers!
"Are you sure it's safe? Acromantulas are incredibly dangerous," Cedric whispered.
"Don't worry. If things go wrong, I can transform into a giant eagle and fly you both out of there. Spiders can't fly."
Cedric sighed enviously. "It must be nice being a sea eagle. I hope my Animagus form can fly too."
"You might end up as a mosquito or a fly."
"..."
…
Deep in the Forbidden Forest, in a certain valley.
Fluffy lay sprawled on the ground, his three heads lifting and lowering in rhythmic unison as they stared down a nearby path.
The snacks were all gone, he was just waiting for a new delivery… But it was strange, why were William and the others late?
They didn't forget abou him, did they?!
"ARROOOO!!"
Fluffy let out a loud, echoing howl.