The Forbidden Four: Year One

Chapter Eleven - Tell me about Fluffy

Chapter Eleven - Tell Me About Fluffy

     Ignoring Draco shouting behind him, Castor ran to the library, giving a small wave and smile to Ms. Pince before he crossed over and made a B-line for one of the shelves. He scanned over the many books there, going through one titled "101 Beasts" and coming up empty handed, nothing about a three-headed monster hound on any of the pages.

He slid the book back into place and continued down, grabbing another book titled, "Habitats and The Beasts Who Live In Them" and yet again, nothing.

     He clenched his jaw in frustration and headed up to the front desk, disgusted at himself for needing to ask for help yet knowing he would find nothing if he didn't.

With a churning stomach and a twitching eye, Castor walked up to Ms. Pince and tapped the desk. She looked up from where she was sorting through returned books, they floated in the air and spun about her like she was weaving spindle. "Yes?"

     "Where are the books about beasts?"
He asked.

Ms. Prince placed the books into a neat stack with her magic, "magical or non-magical?"

     Why the hell would I want to learn about Muggle beasts? He thought to himself, refraining from rolling his eyes and instead gritting out through his teeth, "magical."

She tilted her head, "it's a requirement that you have a magical book, Fantastic Beasts and-"

     "I know," he nearly hissed, just give me the book you incessant woman. "I'm looking to do a bit of reading, I'm bored and I've already read Mr. Scamander's book." Ms. Pince seemed to take that as an acceptable answer and walked out from behind her desk, motioning with a wave of her hand for him to follow her.

He walked behind her swiftly, cracking his knuckles and relishing in the dull ache it brought him. She stopped in front of a bookshelf and pulled out a book which read in cursive, "Everything To Know About Mystical Monsters" he carefully took it from her, muttering a small "thanks," under his breath as he quickly flipped through it. 

     The book was very thick and very heavy, with a silver cover and black script, the picture of a Phoenix drawn carefully on the front, matching the first creature shown. The Phoenix was not the only creature in that book, though. It was filled with things ranging from Flobberworms to Fwoopers, Grindylow, Goblins, Boggarts, Thestrals, house-elves, Knarls, Cockatrice, and so much more. If it weren't for him being on a mission, Castor would have stopped to check the book out and actually read it, instead of just scanning through it. Finally he came to a stop on a page titled: Three-Headed Dog, which had a picture of a lighter, brown version of the dog he had seen in the corridor. Castor silently cheered in his head, unable to resist reading up about it instead of going straight to Hagrid.

The Three-Headed Dog is a very rare magical beast, hostile to those it is not loyal to and friendly to those who it's master commands them to be. They live for themselves or they live to serve, there is no in between. Three-headed Dogs are believed to be from Greek Mythology, named after the Hellhound who guarded the gates of Hades, Ceberus.

Castor flipped the book closed with a heavy thump, swinging his bag over his shoulder and shoving the newspaper he had brought with him into it.

     Then he headed off to see Hagrid.

~~~

Unlike most people (Aka, Harry Potter), Castor was more of a subtle charm, than a blow-up-in-your-face kind of person. When he wanted information he was as subtle as possible, which is probably why it was so freaking easy to get it out of the half-giant.