Thank goodness for Hogwarts' moving staircases. Those little nuisances that usually targeted students could prove enormously useful at critical moments.
Silvan had relied on those staircases to shake off the three-headed dog time and again.
The creature had truly broken free, smashing through doorframes and railings. Whenever there were no stairs, it simply leaped down, chasing Silvan like a mad beast.
From the fourth floor to the first, Silvan did not even have time to catch his breath. He could only keep running.
At last, in the Entrance Hall, Silvan saw Hagrid outside the main doors.
He seemed to have learned that Fluffy had broken free and had rushed toward the castle at once.
"Get out here!" Hagrid shouted.
Silvan turned and dashed through the doors, with Fluffy close behind him.
"Stop, Fluffy, stop!" Hagrid waved his arms.
Normally, Fluffy would have stopped if Hagrid did that, but not this time.
The three-headed dog seemed not to recognize Hagrid at all. It did not slow down in the slightest. All three heads opened their mouths at once, baring their gleaming white fangs as they bit straight at Silvan, who was closest to it.
Then Hagrid charged over, kicking up a fierce gust of wind as he slammed into the middle head of the three-headed dog.
Boom!
It felt as if even the ground had trembled.
Crack!
After a crisp snap from the three-headed dog's middle neck, it twisted crookedly to one side. Its enormous body rolled several times down the stone steps before crashing to the ground and lying still.
Hagrid staggered back three steps. His entire face had turned bright red, and the bulging veins on his forehead stood out clearly.
Silvan was completely dumbfounded, standing there with his eyes wide and unable to say a word.
For the