Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Silence reigned around the forbidden zone. Dumbledore was deep in thought, while Hagrid subconsciously touched his chest, seemingly confirming that he was still alive.
"You mean, Fluffy thought I was dead, which is why he went berserk?"
Hagrid scratched his head, feeling his mind was in turmoil.
"Hmm...that should be it."
Kyle nodded, looking at Dumbledore and asking, "Professor, do you think someone might have used a Obliviation Charm on Fluffy?"
The Cerberus' magical resistance was very high; ordinary spells were like tickles to it, but that varied from person to person.
Like Dumbledore just now, Fluffy was no different from a fragile doll in his presence.
A Stunning Charm and he was asleep.
"That's possible," Dumbledore said after a moment of contemplation. "However, it doesn't seem like a simple Confusion Charm to me."
Kyle frowned. "You mean, besides the Confusion Charm, there's another spell on Fluffy?"
"That's right, and it's a dark spell."
Dumbledore took two steps forward, bent down, and examined Fluffy closely, his nose almost touching its fur.
Then, Dumbledore tapped Fluffy's head with his wand and murmured, "Just as I thought… the Fear Charm."
"The Fear Charm?" Hagrid was taken aback, clearly hearing about this spell for the first time.
"Yes, strictly speaking, it's not a traditional dark spell, but rather something that appeared fifty years ago. You probably haven't heard of it."
Dumbledore stood up and asked, "Kyle, do you know about Boggarts?"
"Of course, Professor," Kyle said. "They're magical creatures that can shapeshift. They can see into people's hearts and transform into what they fear most."
"The inspiration for this dark magic comes from the Boggarts?" Dumbledore put away his wand, his expression calm and deep. "It creates illusions, making the person under its spell constantly see their deepest fears."
"It seems someone cleverly combined the Confusion Charm with fear, which is why Fluffy is like this now."
Kyle nodded thoughtfully, understanding Dumbledore's meaning.
The Fear Charm made Fluffy see Hagrid's "death" repeatedly, gradually tormenting his mind, while the Confusion Charm made him see everyone as the "murderer."
Kyle felt a sense of relief.
If Dumbledore hadn't discovered Fluffy's problem in time, if Fluffy had broken through the gates and run into the castle…
Kyle shuddered, afraid to think any further. He could foresee an irreversible disaster.
The professors were almost all at the Quidditch pitch, leaving only students uninterested in Quidditch in the castle.
If they encountered a crazed Fluffy, they'd probably be torn to shreds in an instant.
If that had actually happened, Hogwarts might have had to close.
Thankfully… Dumbledore discovered it in time, and the worst-case scenario didn't occur.
Kyle took a deep breath and asked, "Professor, do you have a solution?"
"A solution?" Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "It's simple, just…"
"No, Dumbledore!"
At that moment, Hagrid suddenly burst into tears, scrambling to Dumbledore's side and pleading, "Please… don't kill Fluffy… it's a good boy… please…"
"I think you've misunderstood, Hagrid." Dumbledore looked up at the sobbing Hagrid, patted his arm comfortingly, and said, "I never said I wanted to kill Fluffy."
"Really… really?" Hagrid clutched his chest, sobbing.
"Of course," Dumbledore smiled. "I guarantee it."
Although killing the Cerberus directly was indeed the simplest and most convenient method, Dumbledore had never considered doing so.
Because in this whole affair, Fluffy was the most innocent party.
After Hagrid gradually calmed down, Dumbledore continued, "Coincidentally, before I became Headmaster, I studied the Fear Charm for a while, so I know a bit about it."
"But now, Kyle… could you please accompany Hagrid to the infirmary?"
Dumbledore blinked and said, "I think he needs a good night's sleep."
Kyle nodded and left the room.
Clearly, Dumbledore didn't want them involved in what was to come.
Hagrid followed behind him, glancing back every few steps.
"Oh, I almost forgot…" Dumbledore's voice came from inside the room again.
"Hufflepuff +50."
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After leaving the restricted area, Kyle accompanied Hagrid to the school hospital.
Hagrid originally disliked going there, but now he couldn't care less.
The mere thought of Fluffy's previous state made Hagrid feel like he was being pricked by needles, making it impossible for him to concentrate. He nearly fell down the stairs several times.
Dumbledore was right; he really needed a good night's sleep.
Upon arriving at the infirmary, Kyle explained his purpose to Madam Pomfrey, but for some reason, he didn't mention what had happened in the Forbidden Zone, only saying that Hagrid had been traumatized.
Madam Pomfrey glanced at Hagrid, who stood there with his head down, but didn't ask any further questions. She simply took out her wand and enlarged a bed in the corner.
Then she went to a cabinet, took out a bottle labeled "Sleeping Draught," and poured all the potion inside into a wooden barrel with the top about the size of a Quaffle.
Madam Pomfrey poured three bottles before handing the barrel full of the potion to Hagrid.
"Lie down on that bed over there and drink it."
Hagrid took the barrel and stumbled over, knocking over several beds along the way.
This displeased Madam Pomfrey greatly.
Fortunately, Kyle had arranged all the beds in time, so she didn't say anything, only gave a few instructions, and left.
Soon after, the sound of snoring filled the school hospital.
Kyle finally breathed a sigh of relief and drew the curtains beside the hospital bed.
Leaving the hospital, Kyle hurried across the courtyard, looked up at the Quidditch pitch, and sighed softly.
No one was flying above the pitch anymore, and he could vaguely see a large group of young wizards walking towards the castle.
All of this clearly indicated that the match was over!
Kyle rubbed his forehead; he had expected this outcome.
It seemed to have been like this since last year; whenever there was an important Quidditch match, something always seemed to happen to him.
He had thought things would be different this year, but it was still the same.
[End of the chapter]