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After final exams, the school year was finally wrapping up and the long break was just around the corner. Augustus packed up all his supplies and books in the dorm, then headed out alone from the Slytherin common room and made his way to the lake outside the castle, enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet.
The surface of the lake was as smooth and shiny as a mirror, undisturbed by wind or waves. Every now and then, a few birds flew in from the distance, skimming over the clear blue water and sending up playful little splashes.
The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and soft golden sunlight filtered through the branches, falling onto Augustus's slender hands and casting perfect rings of golden light on his skin.
Not far from the lake, Harry and his two friends came rushing out of Dumbledore's office. Spotting Augustus sitting on the grass, the trio picked up their pace and headed straight toward him. Augustus sighed and rubbed his forehead—something was definitely up again. Those three were like magnets for trouble.
"Augustus, this time it's serious," Harry said grimly, cutting right to the chase before Augustus could say a word.
"We just heard from Hagrid," Hermione added. "Someone tricked him with a dragon egg and got the way to deal with Fluffy. I mean, unless you're after the Philosopher's Stone, who else would even care about how to handle a three-headed dog?"
"And when we went to look for Professor Dumbledore," she continued, "Professor McGonagall said he's not at the school right now. Isn't that a little too convenient? Timing-wise, and in every other way, today is the perfect chance for someone to steal the Stone!"
"So what's your plan?" Augustus asked, looking at the three of them with a calm expression. "The professors won't believe you, that's for sure. Are you really planning to stop the thief yourselves?"
Harry hesitated for a moment, then asked a little awkwardly, "Would you come with us? If you're there, even if it is Voldemort, we'd still have a real shot at stopping him."
"Relying on others too much isn't a great habit," Augustus said with a faint smile. "But alright, I'll go with you this time. Just make sure next time you try to handle things on your own instead of always asking for help."
The trio exchanged excited glances. "Then let's meet at 10 o'clock tonight on the third floor of Hogwarts!" Harry said. With that, they turned and hurried back toward the castle. A breeze picked up by the lake, making the air a little chilly.
Augustus's blond hair was tousled by the wind as he watched the three of them walk away, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Before he knew it, it was already 9:30 p.m. Augustus left the dorm and crossed through the Slytherin common room, where the green fire crackled warmly. He made his way up through the castle's winding staircases to the third floor, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already waiting.
"There was a small hiccup," Harry said, pushing up his glasses. "We ran into Neville on the way. Luckily, nothing bad happened—Hermione took care of it."
Augustus gave a nod, and the four of them headed toward their destination. Just as they reached the stairwell to the fourth floor, Peeves the poltergeist came floating straight toward them.
The moment he saw them, he opened his mouth wide. But Augustus was faster—he whipped out his wand, and a soft red light shot from the tip. Peeves's mouth snapped shut instantly.
Struggling and writhing in the air, he drifted away in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, they reached the hallway on the fourth floor. The door ahead was already cracked open.
"Look at that," Harry whispered. "That means someone's already gotten past Fluffy."
Seeing the half-open door made them realize just how real everything was getting.
As the door creaked open, a low growl echoed in their ears. Fluffy, the massive three-headed dog, snarled at the four unexpected guests. His wild eyes were filled with menace. Not far away, a toppled harp lay on the floor, a clear sign that someone had already come through long ago.
Harry picked up Hagrid's flute and brought it to his lips. He couldn't play well—his notes were off-key and clumsy—but as soon as he hit the first note, Fluffy's eyes started to droop.
Harry kept playing without stopping. Gradually, the growling faded. Fluffy swayed a little, then his knees gave out, and with a heavy thump, he collapsed to the ground and began to snore.
"Keep playing! Don't stop!" Ron reminded Harry as the four of them approached the trapdoor. As they got closer to the massive heads, they could feel the dog's hot, stinky breath washing over them.
Augustus opened the trapdoor. It was pitch black inside—no bottom in sight. The light from the room above seemed to vanish into the dark, like the hole swallowed it whole.
"You two go first," Augustus said to Ron and Hermione. Harry kept playing the flute, while Fluffy's three enormous heads lay slumped on the floor.
Ron went first. A moment later, his voice echoed up from the darkness, a bit raspy but clear. "It's fine! Soft landing! You guys can jump!"
Hermione followed him down. Augustus then took the flute from Harry. The music stopped for a few seconds, and Fluffy immediately started to stir and growl again. But the moment Augustus began playing, the dog dozed off once more.
Harry climbed over Fluffy and peered into the dark hole. It looked like it went on forever. He hesitated for just a second, then jumped.
Augustus kept playing as he slowly backed up to the trapdoor. Once there, he lowered the flute, turned, grabbed the edge of the opening, and jumped into the darkness. Fluffy's snarling was still echoing above them, but now all four of them had landed in a soft, squishy something.
"Gotta admit," Ron said, "good thing this plant stuff broke our fall."
"Good thing?!" Hermione shrieked. "Look at yourselves!"
She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall, trying to get free. As soon as they landed, the plant had started wrapping its vine-like tendrils around her ankles like a bunch of snakes.
"Don't struggle," Augustus warned. "It's Devil's Snare. The more you fight it, the tighter it grabs. Just relax—it'll let go on its own."
He showed them by example. The vines around him slowly loosened and gently lowered him onto solid ground, as if they'd lost interest.
Hermione and Harry caught on quickly. As they relaxed, the Devil's Snare let go, and they landed safely on the floor.
"Help me!" Ron yelled. The vines were now all over him, wrapping tighter and tighter. Relaxing under pressure wasn't exactly Ron's strong suit.
Augustus sighed, pulled out his silver wand, and sent out a stream of searing flames. The Devil's Snare, which thrived in dark, damp places, recoiled like it had seen its worst nightmare. It slithered away, and Ron dropped to the ground in a dusty heap, gasping for air.
In front of them stretched a long stone corridor. Cold stone floor, bare stone walls on both sides—and ahead of them, nothing but the unknown.
"....."