Snape and the Hellhound

That evening, Harry sought Damon out just after Damon had politely turned down an invitation from the Pettigrew sisters.

The matter of Damon defeating the Troll alone should have died down, but half a month later, it began spreading wildly among the young wizards.

There were all sorts of versions.

At first, people said Damon had defeated a Mountain Troll with great difficulty.

Gradually, the story became that Damon had overwhelmingly defeated a Mountain Troll without suffering a scratch.

In the end, it turned into Damon easily taking on a whole group of Mountain Trolls by himself, with Professor McGonagall even awarding him twenty points for it—they thought that explained why Gryffindor's House Cup score occasionally leaped upward.

Though the rumors were ridiculous, the matter really did have something to do with Damon—he had earned all of it through the extra assignments given by the two professors.

"Isn't that the prettiest pair in our year? You actually turned them down?"

Harry had somewhat forgotten why he had come.

"What did you come to see me for?"

Damon glanced at Harry, not particularly interested in the beauties Harry mentioned—the Pettigrew sisters were Indian, and he really could not appreciate them.

"Oh, right."

Harry explained why he had come.

He had borrowed a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages from the library earlier, but he had run into Professor Snape in the courtyard. Snape had confiscated it on the grounds that "library books are not allowed outside the school," and deducted five points from Gryffindor.

"I was thinking... why should I be afraid of Professor Snape? I want to get my book back."

"Oh?" Damon nodded, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes. "If you aren't afraid of him, why not go by yourself?"

"O-Okay! Then I'll go by myself."

"Relax, man." Damon set down Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. "Since you've brought it up, of course I'll go with you."

The two went to Snape's office in the dungeons. Harry was about to knock when Snape's voice suddenly came from within.

"Damn thing," Snape said. "How could you possibly keep an eye on three heads at once?"

Harry's pupils suddenly contracted!

Three heads? A Three-Headed Hellhound?!

He turned to Damon and shook his head in indication. The two quietly left.

"It was Professor Snape!"

Harry hurried down the stairs, on the verge of breaking into a run—indeed, the only thing stopping him was the fact that Damon still looked relaxed. He was even admiring the painting of the Shepherdess on the wall!

Harry was really starting to panic.

But he quickly calmed down again—Damon did not know about the Three-Headed Dog, so naturally he did not think much of it.

But that was all right. He would know soon enough!

At Harry's urging, the two returned to the Seventh Floor common room. Harry quickly gathered Hermione and Ron together and, at the same time, filled Damon in on what had happened.

"Do you know what this means?" he said at last, holding his breath. "On Halloween, he wanted to get past that three-headed dog!

"When we saw him, he was heading there—he was looking for whatever the dog was guarding! I'd bet my Flying Broomstick that he was the one who let that Troll in, just to distract everyone!"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"No, he wouldn't," she said. "I know he isn't very nice, but he would never steal something Dumbledore had guarded so carefully."

"Honestly, Hermione, you always think every teacher is a saint," Ron said bluntly. "I agree with Harry. I think Snape is capable of anything.

"But what is he looking for? What is that big dog guarding?"

All three turned to Damon. Hermione and Ron were quietly competing with each other, seemingly wanting to see whose opinion Damon would support.

What was it guarding? The Sorcerer's Stone, of course.

Damon thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Both of you make sense, but I think that before we know the full truth, any unconditional trust or suspicion toward Snape is wrong. Right now, I think the most important thing is Harry's Quidditch match tomorrow."

Hermione and Ron did not get the answer they wanted and were both a little dissatisfied. At the same time, though, they were relieved that Damon had not taken either side.

If they had been a little older, they would have known that Damon's attitude was called playing both sides. But for now, they were simply happy that their opinions had been acknowledged, except for Harry.

Damon noticed that something was off with Harry and comforted him.

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll find a chance to tell Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick about your discovery. Maybe—we might even be able to use their help to tell Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, Harry. With Dumbledore around, you really don't need to worry so much."

Hermione and Ron had also noticed that something was wrong with Harry and spoke up to comfort him.

That was right, Dumbledore was still there!

Thinking of that great wizard, Harry felt much more at ease and gave them a faint smile.

But until he fell asleep, Professor Snape's words still echoed in his mind, that voice filled with irritation and viciousness.

This was the first time since Damon had arrived at Hogwarts that he had not gone to the Room of Requirement before the weekend.

Although he firmly believed that "only diligent practice brings strength," there was no point in always keeping himself wound too tight. This was Harry's first appearance, and it was also Damon's first time watching a Quidditch match in person. There was nothing wrong with relaxing a little.

Dressed in new clothes and wrapped in an orange-red Gryffindor scarf, Damon sat high in the stands with the other Gryffindor students, waiting for the match to begin.

To surprise Harry, they had painted a huge banner on a bedsheet that read POTTER MUST WIN. Dean, who was good at drawing, had painted a huge Gryffindor lion beneath it, and Hermione had cast a clever spell that made the paint on the banner shimmer in different colors.

Damon, meanwhile, had ordered a matching flag for Harry in advance.

Because of him, the entire first year had become more united than ever. So when Harry stepped onto the roaring field, he clearly heard his own name.

"Harry, you must win!"

He instinctively looked toward the source of the voice—Damon stood in the stands, holding a huge flag painted with a Gryffindor lion. He waved it like a dragon, while behind him, a crowd of Gryffindor students shouted along with him.

"Harry, you must win!"

Their voices were so loud and their momentum so fervent that the other two Houses, aside from Slytherin, joined in as well.

Thus, the originally chaotic noise gradually became unified.

"Harry! You must win!"

Damon clenched his right fist and thrust it fiercely toward Harry among the players!

Harry met his gaze, and the two smiled at each other.

That suddenly gave him a little breathing room—enough for him to notice that he had actually been slouching.

So, before the match began, he forcefully straightened his back.