The Final Dungeon of the School Year Opens

Gryffindor Tower, Gryffindor Common Room.

"Whew, the exams are finally over."

Harry and Ron collapsed onto the sofa in relief.

Hermione asked excitedly, "How did you do, Oren?"

Oren was speechless. This was the classic post-exam ritual of top students comparing answers. Truly classic.

"Not bad. By the way, what the heck is tap dancing?"

"You don't know? Then how did you pass the Charms exam?"

"Easy. I conjured a sheet of ice, then had a pineapple with legs stand on it and keep its balance."

"What does that mean?" the young witch asked in confusion.

"To keep its balance, the pineapple kept struggling nonstop. Professor Flitwick said it was street dancing."

"He even said I was creative. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll have the highest score in the first-year Charms exam."

Hermione...

Harry asked curiously, "Oren, why do you keep looking at the time?"

"Slurp." Oren took a gulp of tea. "You should go find Hagrid."

Ron asked in confusion, "We just finished eating. What are we going there for?"

Everyone...

Oren rolled his eyes. "All you know is eating. Obviously, you need to get some information out of him. You need to know how to deal with Fluffy."

"But why?" Hermione sensed something was wrong—very wrong. Oren definitely had a reason for saying this.

"Do you all remember Norbert? Who would use a dragon egg as a bet when they were full and bored? Even a wastrel wouldn't waste money like that." Oren slumped on the sofa like an old man as he spoke slowly.

"Hagrid's talents are basically farming and raising magical creatures, so that person definitely used the dragon egg to trick him into revealing information about Fluffy."

Harry asked in confusion, "But why ask Hagrid now?"

Oren looked at the time again. "In another thirty minutes, Headmaster Dumbledore will be rushing off to the Ministry of Magic. I don't know why, but I'm guessing Fudge's toilet is clogged."

Harry instantly sprang up as if revived from a deathbed. "Quick, let's go!"

"Wait, Harry!" Hermione recalled something. "Oren, I remember you said you had a way to deal with Fluffy. Nine ways, even."

"Heh, I don't have a way to deal with it. I can only send it away."

"Let's go, we're running out of time," Ron said, dragging the other two toward the door.

The young witch swiftly grabbed Oren off the sofa and ran.

"Hey, don't drag me! I don't want to go!"

Outside Hagrid's Hut, Hagrid was sitting at the door, painstakingly shelling peas with his enormous fingers.

"Oh, you're here. Exams should be over, right? Come in and have some tea."

Harry said anxiously, "Hagrid, I need to ask you something. Do you remember what the person who lost the dragon egg to you looked like?"

"Don't know. He was wearing a cloak, but there wasn't anything strange about that. You might not know this, but the customers at the Hog's Head are all pretty strange."

"What did he say to you at the time?"

"Let me think. He kept buying me drinks, and after he lost the dragon egg, he wondered whether I could handle a baby dragon. What a joke. I can even tame a three-headed dog until it's perfectly obedient."

Oren asked, "So you told him how to deal with the three-headed dog, right?"

Hagrid said carelessly, "Fluffy's actually easy to deal with. Just play it some music, and it'll fall asleep right away."

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and his expression changed several times.

Oren was amazed inwardly. Hagrid's face could actually be this expressive and varied.

"Quick, let's go!" Hermione grabbed Oren and ran.

Harry reached out helplessly. "Maybe we should go find Dumbledore."

Oren said, "Too late. The Headmaster has already left Hogwarts by now."

"How do you know?" Ron asked, panting.

"I saw the letter on his desk. It was an urgent dispatch from the Ministry of Magic."

Oren sighed inwardly. Finally. The final dungeon of first year is finally here.

Hermione suggested, "How about we go ask Professor McGonagall for help?"

Harry nodded. "That's right! Professor McGonagall can definitely call Headmaster Dumbledore back."

"Then let's go." Hermione reached out to grab Oren again.

Oren leaned back tactically to dodge her, then cast a Disillusionment Charm and vanished on the spot.

"Good luck. I have something else to do."

"You!" The young witch stamped her foot in anger. "Let's go. Ignore that guy."

Invisible, Oren entered an empty classroom.

He opened the note Dumbledore had left behind. "Let's see what this is all about."

Following the directions on the note, he arrived at the Astronomy Tower, where he found a package containing several bottles of potions and a music box.

After putting those things away, Oren returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. He read Dumbledore's notes while waiting for the others to return.

After a long time, the three of them came back looking utterly dejected.

"Let me guess," Oren said. "You all failed, and, conservatively speaking, got a scolding too."

Harry said dejectedly, "Sigh... Hermione and I got lectured by Professor McGonagall. She said that if either of us goes near Fluffy again, she'll dock another fifty points from each of us."

"Sorry, Harry. I couldn't keep an eye on that old bat. You know, he's just too scary," Ron said, looking a little pale.

Harry gritted his teeth. "I've decided! I'm going to sneak in tonight and take the Philosopher's Stone first."

Hermione said in horror, "Don't do this, Harry. If we break the rules again, we'll really be expelled."

Harry said firmly, "Come on, Hermione. If Voldemort gets the Philosopher's Stone, he'll be able to return. Then it won't be a question of whether we'll be expelled from Hogwarts—it'll be a question of whether humanity gets expelled from the world."

"I've already prepared everything." Oren took a music box from his pocket. "We'll use this to give Fluffy a good sleep."

Oren patted Harry on the shoulder. "One more thing. When you sneak out, call me. I'll go with you."

Ron raised his hand. "I want to go too."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Harry, don't even think about leaving us behind."

"But if we get caught, you two could be expelled too."

Harry had already learned to ignore Oren whenever it came to breaking school rules and getting punished.

The young witch said firmly, "Professor McGonagall told me I got one hundred and twelve points in Transfiguration. They won't expel me so easily."

"Tsk, only that many points? I got one hundred and fourteen," Oren teased. "So you've lost first place this year. Harry's so famous that he won't be expelled either. Don't worry."

Hermione...

Ron raised his hand and asked, "What about me?"

Everyone...

After dinner, Harry said, "We should stay in a corner of the common room so no one notices us."

"No need. You two got Gryffindor docked so many points last time that even if you're not public enemies, you're still infamous. No one's going to bother with you," Oren said, stabbing Harry and Hermione right in the heart.

Harry felt his teeth ache. That really was how things were, but why did it hurt so much coming from Oren?

The young witch covered her face, so embarrassed she practically wanted to crawl under the table.

They sat there doing nothing, and by the time everyone else had gone to bed, Oren was nearly meditating from boredom.

Ron said, "It's time. We can go get the Invisibility Cloak."

"Wake up!" Hermione shook Oren to rouse him.

Harry said, "I already brought the Invisibility Cloak. The four of us should be able to squeeze under it."

Neville said, "What are you doing? You're trying to sneak out again, aren't you?"

"You can't go out. Gryffindor's points are already terrible." Neville was brave for once, guarding the Gryffindor entrance like a door god.

Harry tried to persuade him patiently. "Neville, you don't understand. This is very important."

"No! I won't let you leave," Neville said firmly. "Oren excluded."

"Why are you all looking at me? It's just that Headmaster Dumbledore gave me a tiny little privilege."

Oren spread his hands.

Everyone...

"I'm very sorry, Neville." Hermione raised her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Poor Neville fell over at once.

Oren stared at the young witch in disbelief. "Hiss... I never expected this, Hermione. You look so upright, but you're actually a black-hearted little dumpling. That was ruthless."

"Then what did you think I would do?"

"Tsk, I thought you'd try to reason with him. I didn't expect you to be so... decisive."

Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak. "It can't be helped. Let's get going."

"I'm not squeezing in there with you." Oren cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.

Hermione looked at Harry, then at where Oren had vanished. "I choose Oren's method of invisibility."

Ron said helplessly, "Let's go already."

With that, he and Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and left.

Bang! Clang! Ouch!

None of them could see one another, and they immediately crashed together at the door. Left with no choice, they held hands and headed out.

As soon as they reached the staircase, they saw Filch's cat, Mrs Norris.

"How about we kick it?" Ron suggested.

Oren stopped him. "Don't! We're about to do something important. Don't make trouble."

Ron said, "Fine."

They made it fairly smoothly to the entrance of the fourth-floor corridor, where they ran straight into Peeves.

"Who's there? Heh heh, must be some little student brats. I'm going to report you to Filch."

Oren spoke up. "Bold of you! Who stands before this court to accuse this official?"

Peeves said suspiciously, "Oh, Oren. You don't usually wander around the castle unless you're taking that little witch out for a midnight stroll again."

Under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed at each other.

Oren said impatiently, "Ahem, it's just me. Move aside, now."

"I don't believe you. Unless you give me twenty Dungbombs," Peeves said, naming his price outright.

"Ten. I only have ten."

"Fine, then." Peeves picked up the Dungbombs that had suddenly appeared on the ground and left happily.

Ron asked uncertainly, "Harry, do you think we can bribe Peeves like that next time?"

"Don't even think about it," Hermione said. "You'll probably get hit by your own Dungbomb, then reported to Filch."

Imagining that scene, Ron sucked in a cold breath. Then he, Harry, and Hermione all stared gloomily at Oren.

"Why are you all looking at me? Are we protecting the Philosopher's Stone or not?"

"Ahem, Oren," Ron said, "why didn't you bring Harry and me along when you and Hermione went wandering at night?"

"That's a secret. Guess who doesn't know."

The two boys...

Hermione explained, "I only went to catch him sneaking around at night."

Oren curled his lip. "Heh heh, listen to how righteous that excuse for wandering at night sounds."

Hermione...

A few minutes later, the four of them arrived outside the room where Fluffy was kept.

Looking at the half-open door, Harry said, "Someone really has been here, and they got past Fluffy safely."