Five minutes into the match, the first goal finally appeared. Angelina from Gryffindor scored it.
The cheers from the stands echoed like thunder in the cold air. Kyle applauded with everyone else; just as Lee had said, that girl was truly an excellent Chaser.
When on the attack, she flew as if she had real wings, breaking through Slytherin's defensive line single-handedly.
But just as Kyle finished clapping and turned his attention back to the match, a large fire-red bird suddenly cut through the crowd and landed on his shoulder.
"Fawkes?" Kyle looked at the phoenix with surprise.
What was going on? Did the Headmaster's bird enjoy Quidditch too? He'd never heard of such a thing.
The young wizards around him were equally startled. Cedric's mouth hung open, staring at Fawkes like a fanboy, nearly drooling.
"Is... is that a phoenix?! Yes, yes!" He jumped up excitedly, gesturing wildly, "That's a phoenix, it looks exactly like the descriptions in books!"
"Calm down, look at how pathetic you are." Kyle gave him a disdainful glance, "It's just a phoenix, what's the big deal?"
Cedric pouted. Easy for you to say... He'd never seen a living phoenix before in his life.
By now, Kyle had already taken out some dittany leaves and offered them to Fawkes. You couldn't watch a match without snacks, after all.
But unexpectedly, Fawkes didn't eat them. Instead, it shook its head and moved closer to his ear, whispering something.
"What the hell?" Kyle furrowed his brow.
Fawkes hadn't come to watch the match, but to deliver a message: Dumbledore needed to see him.
But the match had just started...
Seeing his hesitation, Fawkes raised its head and pecked at his hair.
"Alright, alright, don't pull my hair out, I'm going." Kyle had no choice but to stand up.
"What's wrong?" Kanna asked curiously.
"The Headmaster wants to see me. I need to go back to the castle." Kyle whispered.
"The Headmaster?"
"Yes, this phoenix is the Headmaster's pet..."
"Do... do you need our help?" Cedric asked.
"No, you all keep watching the match." Kyle cast a lingering glance at the field before pushing his way through the crowd and walking quickly toward the castle.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
The path was deserted. As they walked, Fawkes explained why Dumbledore had summoned him.
When he reached the castle, Kyle went straight up the stairs to the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor. Dumbledore was already waiting for him there with Hagrid.
"Professor, Hagrid." Kyle greeted them, then frowned, "I heard from Fawkes that Fluffy has gone mad?"
"I believe so." Dumbledore said softly, "I'm sorry, Kyle. This might make you miss the match, but you're the only one who can figure out what's causing this."
"It's fine. Fluffy is my friend too." Kyle shook his head, "May I see him now?"
"Of course." Dumbledore opened the door and led him inside.
In the room, Fluffy was sleeping soundly on the trapdoor.
"A necessary precaution." Dumbledore explained, "If awake, he would frantically attack everything around him, and the door could hardly contain him."
"I understand." Kyle nodded.
He stepped forward and carefully examined Fluffy's body. No wounds, and his fur was intact — suggesting this wasn't caused by external injuries.
Kyle frowned, beginning to understand why Dumbledore had summoned him.
"Professor, could you wake Fluffy up?" Kyle asked.
"You should prepare yourself." Dumbledore's expression grew serious, "Trust me, a raging three-headed dog is far more terrifying than you might imagine."
"It's alright. With you here, I'm sure I won't be harmed."
"That's the highest praise." Dumbledore smiled, "I haven't felt this proud since becoming Headmaster of Hogwarts. Now, step back..."
He raised his hand and gently tapped his knobbly wand. Fluffy, who had been lying motionless, instantly opened his eyes.
"ROAR..."
The angry howl thundered through the room like muffled thunder, shaking dust from the ceiling.
Fluffy's muscles tensed as he leapt up, lunging without hesitation at Kyle, who stood closest to him. He moved with incredible speed, reaching him in the blink of an eye, all three mouths opening simultaneously to reveal yellowed teeth.
But at that moment, a chain suddenly appeared out of nowhere, binding his neck. Then came a second chain, and a third... Six chains in total, trapping Fluffy like a spider's web, making it impossible for him to move forward even an inch despite his struggles.
In his violent thrashing, the chains cut into his skin, embedding deeply into his body.
"Oh…" Hagrid clutched his chest with a pained groan, as if the chains were cutting into him instead, "Please… Dumbledore, please!"
But Dumbledore remained unmoved, his eyes fixed steadily on Kyle.
Fluffy continued to roar. Kyle tried to speak to him, but it had no effect. With no other option, he focused on deciphering the meaning behind the howls.
Though Fluffy wasn't fully conscious and his howls weren't coherent, Kyle noticed several words appearing more frequently than others.
"Death... kill... Hagrid... Revenge!"
As the cerberus continued his reckless struggle, the chains gradually turned red, and the smell of blood filled the room.
Hagrid covered his mouth, crying silently. When he tried to comfort Fluffy, he nearly had his arm bitten off. Fortunately, Dumbledore pulled him back just in time.
Seeing Fluffy's worsening injuries, Kyle finally spoke up.
"That's enough, Headmaster!"
✭ Stupefy ➜ Stupefying Charm ✭
A blinding flash of light filled the room. The chains disappeared, and Fluffy crashed into the wall behind him like a cannonball, swayed twice, then collapsed with a thunderous thud.
Hagrid rushed over immediately, taking out essence of dittany to apply to the wounds.
Dumbledore looked at Kyle.
Before he could ask, Kyle said directly, "If I'm not mistaken, he's behaving this way because he's trying to avenge Hagrid."
Dumbledore's blue eyes flickered.
"A-avenge me?" Hagrid turned his head in astonishment, tears still on his face, "But I'm perfectly fine, and he even tried to bite me just now..."
"That's the strange part." Kyle frowned, "He seems to believe you're dead, and he's treating all of us as killers."
✭✭✭
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