Chapter 421: The Shameless Old Spider
Once the two of them had cautiously walked past, the Manticore seemed to relax as well. It eyed Fluffy, who was still grinning toothily behind them, and took another careful step back.
"That idiot is harmless," it grumbled. "Do you know Hagrid?"
"He's my professor," Kyle replied steadily. "We only came out here in the middle of the night because we heard you were injured... we wanted to help."
"Help me?" the Manticore asked skeptically.
"Yes." Kyle nodded, his gaze falling to the Manticore's bandaged hind leg. "We've treated injuries like this many times, and we're absolute professionals."
Newt stepped forward, producing a bottle of medicinal powder and moving to the Manticore's foreleg, where a fresh wound from Fluffy's bite was oozing blood. The Manticore winced at the sting and muttered another curse toward Fluffy.
If only I'd known better, it thought bitterly. I'd never have let Hagrid bring me here. All this talk about the Three-Headed Dog "protecting" me from other creatures while I recover... Some protection! I'd rather deal with those giant spiders.
Newt gently parted the Manticore's thick fur and sprinkled the powder onto the wound. This remedy, specially formulated for dragons during Newt's time in Rome, was a blend of Essence of Dittany, various potent herbs, and even a drop of Phoenix tears. If it worked on dragons, it would surely work for a Manticore.
Soon, the bleeding ceased, and the pain subsided. The Manticore looked at Newt in surprise.
"See? We're professionals," Kyle said with a grin, pulling out a fresh cow leg.
Fluffy perked up instantly, his three heads snapping toward the treat, nostrils flaring as drool began to puddle on the ground.