Harry and Ron exchanged glances, neither had ever seen such a situation; they had agreed to a duel, yet they were locked inside.
"I've never seen anyone so despicable!" Ron shouted furiously. "Malfoy, if you have the guts, come in! Don't play these tricks. Coward! Idiot!"
"What can you do if I don't come in?" Malfoy chuckled sinisterly from outside the door. "However, Weasley, I just teased Mrs. Norris, so Filch might be here soon."
Goyle and Crabbe burst into laughter, giving Malfoy face. A chilling smile appeared on Malfoy's face as he mocked, "I hope to see you again at Hogwarts. Weasley, Savior, Mudblood."
Hermione was on the verge of tears inside. Since Malfoy had locked the door from the outside, even though she had learned Alohomora, she couldn't use it. She started crying softly in distress.
As she cried, she accused Ron of being too selfish and boastful. Not only had he ignored Brian's advice not to provoke Malfoy, but he had also insulted Brian because of it.
Harry's head was about to explode. He raised his hand to stop Hermione from continuing to scold Ron and comforted her, "Stop talking for now. We have to find a way to get out of here. If Filch catches us, we'll definitely be expelled."
Hermione stopped crying, and they began to try various ways to leave the classroom, but all were in vain. Just as Hermione was about to try to blast open the door with magic again, she heard a loud bang, and the lock outside the door broke.
The three closed their eyes in despair. They could already imagine how furious Dumbledore would be when Filch brought them to his office, and how enraged Professor McGonagall would be.
The door opened a crack, and a head peered in.
Harry slumped to the ground, hands clasped together, whispering prayers. Just as he was about to repeat it for the third time, he heard Hermione's joyful shout, "Brian?"
Harry suspected he was hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes and looked. He was stunned for several seconds before finally letting out a sigh of relief and walking over to hug Brian tightly.
"Let go quickly, I'm not glass," Brian said, feigning displeasure. "Hey, are you guys alright?"
Hermione still had two tear marks on her face, and Harry felt the joy of a narrow escape, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Ron meekly followed behind Harry, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he whispered, "Brian, I'm sorry, I wronged you... I'm sorry."
Brian shook his head and said, "It's alright, Ron, but we need to leave quickly now. Mr. Filch will be here soon; I just saw his cat going back to find him."
No sooner had he finished speaking than distant footsteps and a faint, flickering light could be heard. Filch, carrying an ancient bronze lamp, was already hurrying on his way.
The thought of being caught by Filch made them all shiver, and they immediately slipped out of the classroom. Brian was about to casually find a dark passage to hide in, but Harry and Hermione directly dragged him by the arm, rushing mindlessly forward.
"Brian, run! We'll be caught if we hide here!"
Brian was thus dragged by Harry and Hermione towards the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor. Just as he felt something was amiss and was about to explain something, Harry had already pulled open the innermost door, pushed Brian inside, and Hermione swiftly closed the door behind them.
The three young wizards, who had almost caused trouble, were heavily panting. Harry couldn't help but exclaim, "Filch won't find us this way, right?"
"Yes, thankfully Brian was here," Hermione said.
"Actually, Filch wouldn't have chased us, as long as we left that place," Brian sighed, helplessly. "Our current situation might not be so good."
Harry was utterly bewildered, not understanding what Brian meant. But he soon understood, because Hermione was tugging at his clothes, making muffled sounds.
It was rare for Hermione to be afraid to breathe or speak. Harry and Ron turned around to see three enormous heads with gaping maw. Sticky, viscous saliva streamed from the edges of their yellowish, sharp teeth, and a foul stench filled the air.
Ron's terrified scream at the sight of the horrifying three-headed dog instantly shattered the tranquility of the place. Fluffy slowly opened its eyes, its six pupils filled with brutality, ferocity, and even a hint of playfulness.
Fluffy slowly stood up, staring intently at the group in front of it, letting out a low growl. Along with Fluffy's roar, they could even smell the sweeping scent of blood.
"Run!" Brian shouted, and the four almost lunged at the door. Harry, risking discovery, pulled the door open with force, and the four escaped at top speed.
"Phew!" Even Brian was now panting heavily. In such a confined space, there was no place to hide. If they had come out any later, they might have become Fluffy's midnight snack.
Listening to the faint thudding sound of the door behind them, Ron asked somewhat angrily, "Why would they put such a monster in the school?"
Harry was still a little shaken. Once his breathing steadied, he pulled the others back to the common room without a word. Only then did he say, "It was terrifying. No wonder Dumbledore told us not to go there."
Back in a safe place, Hermione's temper instantly flared. She said huffily, "I told you! I told you!"
Harry and Ron hung their heads in shame, awaiting Hermione's lengthy lecture. Brian, meanwhile, lay quietly on the sofa.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the temporary mission: Midnight Duel]
Hermione secretly glanced at Brian, two red clouds appearing on her face. She didn't continue complaining. She had been the first to see Fluffy, and had discovered much more than Ron and Harry.
She calmly told everyone about the trapdoor beneath Fluffy and her own conjectures, but she emphasized again that whatever was inside had nothing to do with a few first-year wizards. She warned Harry and Ron absolutely, absolutely not to take any more risks.
After saying all this, she poked Brian and asked, "Brian, what did you mean earlier when you said Filch wouldn't chase us?"
As soon as Filch and Malfoy were mentioned, Ron flew into a rage. He cursed Malfoy under his breath, even raising his fist and threatening to beat Malfoy up tomorrow.
"Ah..." Brian snapped back to attention. The system's reward had been issued, which meant... A slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I spilled some paint on the path Malfoy took when he left. When Filch gets to that classroom, he'll follow the paint all the way to..."
The three imagined Malfoy's fate, and smiles appeared on their faces.