Almost Got Eaten

Something is coming this way.

Upon hearing the barking of dogs coming from the woods, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan immediately became extremely alert, turning their heads to look in the direction of the sound and exchanging glances.

However, since they were still on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and it was daytime, they didn't think they would encounter anything serious. Even if they did run into trouble, the four of them together should be able to handle it. Albert was still here, after all. "Hagrid's Hound?"

"It shouldn't be Fang." Lee Jordan shook his head and denied it. Although he hadn't been to Hagrid's Hut in a long time, he could still distinguish the bark of the hound Fang.

The footsteps and barking grew closer, echoing through the woods and creating a chilling sound. "They're gone, they're going back," Albert reminded them again.

"Where are you going? Wait for us!" George called out as he watched Albert stride quickly toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Get out of here, do you want to get caught by Hagrid?" Albert muttered, continuing to walk out of the woods. He didn't want to run into Hagrid here at all, Albert believed that Hagrid didn't want the other students to see him walking his dog either.

Yes, walking the dog, that was Albert's guess. The sound just now was undoubtedly the barking of the Three-Headed Dog Fluffy. There were only two possibilities for it to appear here: either it had broken free of Hagrid's leash, or Hagrid was taking it for a walk in the Forbidden Forest. The latter was obviously more likely.

"Do you know what that is?" Fred noticed Albert's reaction and felt that he must know something.

"Let's get out of here first." Albert didn't answer and continued walking quickly. He hadn't seen the Three-Headed Dog for several months, and Fluffy must have grown even bigger by now! Encountering the Three-Headed Dog and Hagrid here wouldn't be a good thing; it would only make things awkward for both sides.

"Hey, wait for us, don't walk so fast!" Fred and George exchanged glances and slowed their pace. They were actually quite Hagrid about what kind of dog Hagrid owned. As for why they said it was Hagrid's dog, it was because Hagrid had mentioned at the Hog's Head Pub that he had bought a dog Fluffy Louie from the black market, which was probably the one they were seeing now.

"Fred and George are lagging behind." Lee Jordan turned around and quickly reminded Albert in front of him.

"Those two idiots." Albert stopped and glanced at the Twins who had already disappeared from sight. He muttered to himself, "Well, let them learn a lesson from this. They really thought the Forbidden Forest was safe."

"What was that just now?" Lee Jordan finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Fluffy, Hagrid's new pet." Albert glanced absently at Lee Jordan.

"Why are we in such a hurry to leave?" Lee Jordan was even more puzzled.

"Why do you think Hagrid would keep his new pet in the Forbidden Forest? Hopefully Fred and George won't be scared out of their wits." Albert pursed his lips, raised his wand and cast a spell on himself, instantly enveloping him completely with Disillusionment Charm.

"Why are you so scared?" Lee Jordan had just asked his question when he saw Albert suddenly disappear into thin air, which startled him.

"What are you doing..." Lee Jordan was very confused about what Albert was trying to do.

"Come on, didn't you want to see Hagrid's new pet too? Although the Disillusionment Charm probably won't work on Fluffy," Albert muttered under his breath. Dogs have a keen sense of smell, let alone three; they'll definitely be able to spot them.

Albert used the Disillusionment Charm to deal with Hagrid.

"Alright."

Lee Jordan felt a cold sensation flow into his body from where the wand struck. The instant the Disillusionment Charm took effect, Lee Jordan vanished into thin air, leaving only footprints in the snow to prove they were still there.

Although Lee Jordan didn't know what was going on with Hagrid's new pet, there was no doubt that Fred and George were in trouble—why hadn't they come with him earlier? "Is this really a good idea?" Lee Jordan asked in a low voice.

"Fred and George brought this on themselves, they have no one to blame but themselves. No matter what you see, keep your mouth shut. Even if you are discovered, don't say I was here." Albert reminded them before starting to retrace his steps.

Soon, they found Fred and George hiding under a tree, their bodies under Disillusionment Charm. However, the Disillusionment Charm was not very effective, as even Lee Jordan could see the irregular twisted parts of their bodies.

This is actually due to a lack of proficiency in using the Disillusionment Charm. Wizards' magic usually requires a lot of time to practice, which is one of the reasons why Albert always says to practice more. Practicing more is not only to become familiar with a certain spell, but also to strengthen one's control over magic and increase Magical Power, which is especially noticeable in younger wizards.

The barking grew closer, and other sounds could be faintly heard mixed in. The creature was rushing towards them and appeared in their field of vision in the blink of an eye.

However, upon seeing the three-headed monster before them, both Fred and George regretted not listening to Albert and leaving earlier.

What came into the Twins' view was a monster with three heads, which looked a bit like a dog.

Fred and George stood frozen in place, too afraid to move, lest the slightest movement alert the monster sniffing around them. The monster's sharp teeth could easily sever their arms, tear them to pieces, and grind them down, bones and all, swallowing them whole.

Fred and George realized their scent had given them away; the monster might not have spotted them, but it had certainly caught their scent. Fluffy was approaching the tree where Fred and George were hiding, and the terrifying pressure made them gasp for breath.

It's terrible, they want to go home.

Not only were Fred and George breathless, but Lee Jordan, who was hiding to the side, almost cried out in surprise as well. He finally understood why Albert had told them to run away, and what was going to happen to Albert? Lee Jordan looked in Hagrid's direction almost instinctively, but found nothing in his sight. Where had Albert gone? Had he left on his own? No, he wasn't that kind of person.

Lee Jordan doesn't believe that Albert would abandon Fred and George alone, especially after he ventured into the Forbidden Forest late at night last semester to find the Weasley Twins.

But where is he?