Chapter 157: A Phoenix Feather as a Token of Authority
On the fourth floor of the castle...
Neither the Weasley twins nor Cedric realized that, in their haste to escape, the door, which had been left ajar, had quietly swung shut.
"Click..."
The sound of the door closing cut off Fluffy's growls, and silence settled over the corridor once more.
Inside, Hagrid's three-headed dog stood, each of its noses sniffing eagerly toward something in the corner. Fluffy edged closer, inch by inch, until it looked like its nose was about to touch the spot when, suddenly, an arm shot out of thin air.
"Snap!"
The arm, apparently irritated by Fluffy's curiosity, smacked one of its heads.
"Back off!"
"Ooh!" Fluffy whimpered softly but didn't seem angry; instead, he wagged his tail and, with all three heads, eagerly moved closer. He recognized that voice and that scent. It was the person who could understand him and always had tasty jerky on hand when they met.
Fluffy approached joyfully, the three large heads nudging each other in anticipation.
"Alright, Fluffy... settle down."