Chapter 66. Poor Fang
Duncan really wanted to take Firenze out with one shot, then shout, "The Riddler, get out of Gotham!"
But Firenze obviously didn't want to give Duncan the chance.
After he finished speaking, he turned and strode away.
Duncan raised his middle finger in the direction Firenze had left, then tipped his head back and waved at the birds perched on the branches.
"You can go back.
Thank you for your hard work today."
The many birds chirped noisily.
Once they confirmed the centaur had completely gone, they rose in unison into the sky.
From afar, they looked like a massed black cloud, only scattering deep in the forest as they flew back to their respective nests.
"What on earth did those centaurs glean from the stars?
Why act all mysterious?"
"And judging by his tone, that prophecy seems to concern me?"
"People who only say half a sentence and keep you in suspense deserve harsh punishment!"
Duncan sighed, a faint sadness in his heart.
This feeling of knowing something is going to happen in the future yet being kept in the dark is really unpleasant.
And because of his presence, although the main plot hasn't changed for now, many small details are different from his memory.
For example, Neville joined Hufflepuff, causing Harry and Malfoy to lose their first point of conflict.
Harry didn't have a midnight duel with Malfoy, so he still hasn't discovered the secret on the fourth floor.
Every time Duncan saw Harry, he could see him and Ron roughhousing in the corridors or the Great Hall.
The two of them were having a grand time.
If Harry never gets the idea to investigate the fourth floor, then things will be interesting.
So much has already been prepared—Dumbledore will have to figure out what method to use to make Harry go take part in the trials.
Thinking of this, Duncan felt much more cheerful.
As expected, people's happiness is built upon other people's pain.
Leaving the forest and passing by Hagrid's hut, Duncan saw Hagrid busy in the garden, seemingly sowing seeds.
"Hagrid, need a hand?"
Duncan stopped by the path and called out to Hagrid.
"Duncan?"
Hagrid straightened up at the call.
He wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Have yeh been to the forest again?"
"Went to help Professor Kettleburn tidy the shed," Duncan replied, taking a step back at the same time to avoid Fang lunging at him.
Fang whimpered, a dejected look on his face, clearly displeased with Duncan rejecting his enthusiastic greeting.
"All right now, aren't you just trying to freeload off me for food and drink?
No need to put on that pitiful face."
Duncan spoke with distaste.
He took a piece of meat from his pouch and tossed it in front of Fang.
Fang barked twice with delight, his tail wagging so hard it was almost a blur.
Hagrid walked over from not far away, wiping mud from his hands.
Because he had been framed when he was at school, he was forbidden to use a wand.
"Fang seems poorly lately.
His appetite's not great."
Hagrid stared at the meat on the ground and spoke worriedly.
"Like today—food I specially cooked for him—he only took a little taste and then left it…"
Listening to Hagrid, Fang seemed to recall something terrible.
His body shuddered uncontrollably.
He immediately lowered his head, grabbed the meat, and bolted off at a sprint.
"Ha, looks like Fang's illness is cured!" Hagrid said in surprise.
"Duncan, you're a remarkable animal expert.
What did yeh do to cure Fang?
Tell me, will yeh?
If Fang gets sick again, I can fix him meself!"
[Optional Task: Save poor Fang. He's almost being tortured to death by Hagrid's abysmal cooking. Hurry and save him!]
[Task Reward: Virtual Coins ×50]
Have you considered that Fang isn't ill at all, and it's actually just that what you make tastes awful?
Duncan looked at the quest prompt that had popped up and grumbled inwardly, but he didn't want to discourage Hagrid directly.
He switched to a more tactful phrasing.
"Hagrid, how about next time you don't cook Fang's meat—just feed it to him raw!"
"But… would that be all right?"
Hagrid frowned, a little hesitant.
"The dogs I kept at home a few days ago did best on cooked food.
S'posed to be healthier.
I even went to the kitchens to learn for two days.
The house-elves all praised me and said I'd learnt well—said I was a genius!"
Duncan pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly.
Can you really take a house-elf's words at face value?
So long as you're a person, even if you just wiggle your fingers in front of them, they can praise you to the skies—call you the future of the wizarding world and the saviour of the world.
Calling someone a genius is already the lowest tier of evaluation for them.
"Trust me.
Just feed Fang raw meat."
Duncan patted Hagrid's thick arm.
"Weren't you just praising me as a remarkable animal expert?"
Hagrid hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"All right, I'll do as yeh say.
I'll start by feeding him raw meat for a couple of days and see."
Task prompt completed.
Having easily earned 50 virtual coins, Duncan cheerfully said goodbye to Hagrid and set off along the path toward the castle.
Near the doors, a clamour rose ahead.
Duncan cocked an ear and knew it was Fred and the others.
Sure enough, before long Fred and George tumbled out through the doors, each with a broom in hand.
As they ran, they kept waving back over their shoulders.
"You lot, hurry up!
It'll be dark soon and we won't have long to play!"
"Where are you going?
Playing Quidditch?" Duncan asked curiously.
"Duncan?"
Fred's eyes widened with delight.
"We were just about to come find you!"
"Come play Quidditch with us," George said, grabbing Duncan by the arm and dragging him outside.
"We're just missing you!"
As he spoke, Ron and Harry also ran out through the doors, with Neville at the back, gasping for breath as he hugged two brooms to his chest.
"Look, Neville even brought the brooms for you.
Come on," Fred urged.
Neville beamed as he stepped up beside Duncan.
"Fred came to the dorm and said we should go play Quidditch with them.
You weren't in, so they had me bring your broom too.
We were going to go find you together, but who knew we'd run into you right at the door."
Ron was chattering away to Harry about some classic Quidditch tactics.
He was so excited he looked ready to mount a broom on the spot and give Harry a personal demonstration.
"All right, all right," Duncan said with a laugh, happy to oblige when he saw how excited everyone was.
"But when I trounce you later, don't start crying.
That wouldn't look good!"
"You should say that to those three," George replied.
"The three of us will be on one team."
"Oh? Splitting it like that?"
Duncan took the broom from Neville and grinned at Harry and the others.
"You're done for!"
"Don't count on it!"
Ron lifted his chin with confidence.
"We're not worse than the lot of you!"
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