Quirrell also noticed that Fluffy had several irregular patches of missing hair, as if he had been haphazardly trimmed with scissors, revealing the grayish-brown skin underneath. From a distance, it looked Scabbers and rather unsightly.
He frowned and looked at it for a while. "It shouldn't be like this, it wasn't like this when I came yesterday. Has something happened to trouble you? Why are you so worried all night?"
He raised his wand, a soft glow emanating from its tip. "Fine, I'll try to help it grow some fur."
Just as he was about to swing his cane, Fluffy suddenly took a step back, all three heads lowered simultaneously, and a deeper, more urgent growl rolled from his throat.
It seemed to have seen something that triggered its reaction, or smelled an unpleasant odor.
Quirrell was preparing to Hair-Thickening Charm when he was caught off guard by Fluffy's sudden attack. Before he could adjust his position, the middle head had already opened its mouth and bitten his arm.
The force wasn't great, but Fluffy ' teeth were sharp, and almost instantly, blood seeped from Quirrell's sleeve, dripping down the edge of the cuff.
The other two heads followed closely behind, charging towards Quirrell.
Marlene reacted much faster than Quirrell, as if she had her wand ready all along.
Three deep red beams of light shot out from the tip of the staff, striking Fluffy ' three heads precisely on the sides of his neck.
The professor's magic was far more powerful than the student's. When the three beams of light struck Fluffy's body, they produced a dull thud. Fluffy's massive body was forced back several steps, his claws carving four white marks in the ground, and he was forced to release his grip on Quirrell.
Quirrell clutched his arm and took a step back. A tear appeared in the cuff of his robe, and blood seeped from the edge, trickling down his wrist.
" Professor Quirrell, are you alright?" Marlene asked, as several small metal cubes flew out from the sleeves of her robe, forming a circular array in the air and hovering in front of the two of them. The patterns on the surface of the cubes were gleaming with a faint, cold light.
Quirrell, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm, called out, "I'm fine. Don't hurt Fluffy. He didn't mean to hurt me; he didn't bite hard."
Marlene glanced at him, then at Fluffy, and nodded.
As Marlene focused her mind, all the metal cubes lit up simultaneously, and the gray beams converged and struck Fluffy.
Fluffy Williams, baring his teeth, was about to charge forward when he took a step and his steps visibly faltered. He shook his head, as if trying to stay awake.
Then its front legs buckled, and its entire body seemed to lose its support, collapsing to the ground. Its three heads tilted to the ground one after another, its eyes closed, and a heavy, rhythmic snoring sound quickly began.
Marlene retracted her wand, and the metal cube that had been floating in the air flew back into her sleeve. "Alright, I've put it to sleep."
Quirrell breathed a sigh of relief, looked down at the wound on his arm, and then glanced at the sleeping three-headed dog on the ground:
"I wonder what happened to it tonight to make it so angry. It seems I'll have to report this to Headmaster Dumbledore tomorrow night; security needs to be increased even more."
Marlene nodded, her gaze shifting from the bloodstains on his sleeve. "Is your arm alright? Should we go to the Hospital Wing?"
Quirrell shook his head and tried to move his wrist. "Magic healing is probably limited. Fluffy is Fantastic Beasts, so there will be magical residue in the wound. We'll need a special Potions. Hagrid should have some. I'll go ask him."
Marlene thought for a moment and said, "If needed, you can ask Hagrid for the recipe, and I can make it for you. Although I may not be as skilled at Potions- making Professor Snape, it should be enough."
Quirrell thanked him, walked over to where Fluffy was lying, squatted down, and examined the Trapdoor on the ground.
A thin layer of dust settled in the gaps along the edge of the door panel, showing no signs of being pried open.
He stood up and said, "It seems that no matter who came, they couldn't get past Fluffy. That's good."
Marlene nodded. "In that case, I'll head back now." With that, she turned and walked down the corridor, the hem of her dark blue robe swaying gently as she quickly disappeared into the shadows at the end of the corridor.
Quirrell watched her leave, then crouched down to check Fluffy's breathing and pulse, making sure he was just asleep.
He thought for a moment, then raised his wand and cast a Hair-Thickening Charm on the bald patches of hair on Fluffy.
As the spell was cast, new fur began to slowly grow from the skin's surface. Although the color was lighter than before, it no longer looked like a mangy dog.
Quirrell put away his wand, turned around, closed the door, and walked back down the corridor.
As they reached the second floor, a dark figure appeared in the shadows at the end of the corridor.
The robe was wide and swayed in the night breeze, making it look like a giant bat that had come to life from afar.
Only when he got closer could he see the pale face beneath the robe, which appeared exceptionally clear in the candlelight—it was Snape.
He spotted the tear and bloodstains on Quirrell's sleeve from afar, his tone carrying an air of "I knew this day would come."
"Hey, isn't this our Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor? Was he attacked by some dark creature or dark wizard? He looks pretty badly injured."
Quirrell replied politely, " Fluffy, Hagrid's three-headed dog. It seems someone tried to break in and angered it."
Snape took a few steps closer, his gaze falling on the bloodstains on his sleeve. "So you went to check? Since the dog is still so energetic, it seems there shouldn't be any major problems; no one broke in."
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and pressed lightly on Quirrell's wound, just enough to make Quirrell's shoulder jerk and wince in pain.
Snape withdrew his hand with satisfaction, his tone as indifferent as if he had merely brushed off some dust. "This kind of injury requires a special Potions, and I happen to have some here."
Despite the pain in his arm, Quirrell remained polite. " Professor Snape."
Snape didn't reply immediately. Instead, he slowly drew his wand from his robes, twirled it between his fingers as casually as if he were playing with a chopstick. "Don't thank me yet. I need to talk about your teaching methods."
He slightly raised his wand, the tip pointing in Quirrell's direction, as if casually toying with it yet deliberately aiming, ready to cast a spell at any moment. "Don't you think it's a bit too dangerous to let first-year students face Vampire Monster?"
Quirrell paused for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded quickly, his tone so sincere it seemed he had already planned how to apologize, after all, he was still waiting to use the Potions.
"It was indeed my oversight. I will improve from now on, postpone the practical lessons, and focus on consolidating theoretical knowledge first, especially regarding the risky dark creatures; I will find suitable alternatives."
Snape's wand froze in mid-air. He had prepared a whole speech, but the other party backed down so quickly that he couldn't keep up with his script.