Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 420: Fluffy and the Manticore

Although Kyle had claimed he knew where Fluffy was, the truth was he’d only been there once—and that time, Hagrid had led him along a different route.

Now, in a completely unfamiliar area, he had no idea where to go. But he had a backup plan.

Opening his suitcase, Kyle first coaxed a reluctant Norbert back inside. Then, he leaned in and shouted.

After a moment, a small, bright-blue Billywig buzzed out, swaying slightly in mid-air.

Billywigs have an excellent sense of smell and can detect herbs from miles away. This one had spent enough time with Fluffy to be well-acquainted with the giant dog’s scent, which made it the perfect guide. This was why Kyle hadn’t trusted Aragog’s offer to show the way—those giant spiders were hardly trustworthy, and who knew what tricks they might pull.

As soon as it emerged, the little creature seemed eager to explore, hovering near Newt and watching him curiously with its shiny, dark eyes.

Newt felt a warm, pleasant energy from it, almost like basking in sunlight. He raised his hand toward the Billywig, and it didn’t shy away but instead settled comfortably onto his open palm.

“What a good little one…” Newt chuckled, gently rubbing its belly. “I used to have a Billywig too, but it was so mischievous, always trying to escape, and impossible to call back…”

A soft smile spread across his face as he reminisced.

He thought of his friend Jacob, whose favorite magical creature had been that Billywig. After being stung by one, a person would float uncontrollably in the air—a feeling Jacob loved. It made him feel like a wizard, even though he was just a Muggle… well, the fiercest Muggle of all, officially recognized by the American Ministry of Magic.

Newt chuckled again at the memory.

Seeing Newt lost in thought, Kyle didn’t disturb him. He simply extended his hand, and the Billywig darted back over.

“We’re looking for the Three-Headed Dog,” Kyle whispered. “Can you show us the way?”

The little creature nodded, then spun in the air and zipped off down a path to the left. Kyle and Newt followed closely.

Fluffy’s location wasn’t far from the Acromantulas’ lair. After about ten minutes of walking, Kyle suddenly heard a loud, excited bark. The ground shook as Fluffy came bounding toward them, snapping branches and trampling undergrowth in his path.

Fluffy skidded to a stop in front of Kyle, enthusiastically lowering his three heads and swishing his tongues in Kyle’s direction.

Kyle took a quick step back to avoid the slobbering welcome. Fluffy’s tongues hit a nearby tree instead, peeling off a layer of bark.

Watching Kyle’s reaction, Fluffy tilted all three heads, as if confused by the rejection. Hagrid clearly enjoyed it, so why not do it again?

Just as Fluffy prepared for another round of tongue-wagging, Kyle quickly waved his hands to stop the enormous dog from showing his affection in that way.

Fluffy was even bigger than Kyle remembered—practically a small mountain now—and he didn’t know the difference between a light touch and a heavy one. Kyle wasn’t as sturdy as Hagrid, and a “friendly” lick like that would likely knock him out cold.

So instead, he held out his hand in greeting, and Fluffy lay down with a pleased rumble. All three heads vied to get Kyle’s attention, relishing his practiced scratching behind their ears.

Then Fluffy noticed Newt.

Instantly, the dog’s expression turned wary, and his heads lifted with a low, suspicious growl. But at Kyle’s reassuring words, Fluffy settled down.

“Relax, boy. We’ve met before, remember?” Newt said gently, stepping forward with his hands outstretched.

Fluffy and Newt had indeed crossed paths once, back when Kyle was in second year. But with the limited memory of a Three-Headed Dog, it was clear Fluffy couldn’t recall such a distant meeting.

Newt didn’t let that deter him. He placed a calming hand on Fluffy’s middle snout and then scratched under each of the dog’s three chins in turn. Gradually, Fluffy settled down, his eyes half-closing as he rumbled contentedly, nearly dozing off.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes on their right.

Kyle tensed, initially thinking it might be the Acromantulas sneaking after them. But as he turned, he realized it was something else entirely.

From the shadows, a pair of eerie blue eyes observed them warily. Under the moonlight, Kyle could make out a muscular, lion-like body behind the eyes, along with a long, barbed tail tipped with venom.

It was a Manticore.

The creature, seemingly attracted by the commotion, had come closer. As Kyle locked eyes with it, the Manticore let out a low growl, “Humans, get out of here!”

But before Kyle could respond, Fluffy sprang up, all three heads roaring ferociously at the Manticore.

Unfazed, the Manticore roared back, matching Fluffy’s fury note for note.

“Manticores are famous for their excellent language abilities,” Newt remarked calmly from the side. “When it was first discovered, because it had a human-like face and could speak human language, the Manticore was classified as a ‘Being’ alongside Centaurs, Sirens, and Vampires. However, due to its extreme aggression and difficulty in communication, it was removed from the category of ‘Being’ in 1269.”

Meanwhile, Fluffy and the Manticore’s roaring contest only escalated. Evidently, they had no intention of backing down.

In an instant, their dispute turned physical. The two large creatures lunged at each other, their tempers flaring, and the trees around them suffered for it. Branches snapped, and a large swath of forest was trampled under their massive forms. The noise of their battle was so loud that it momentarily drowned out their roars.

Under normal circumstances, the Manticore would have held the advantage with its venomous tail and quicker reflexes. But with an injured hind leg, it was slower than usual. Within minutes, Fluffy managed to pin the Manticore to the ground, stepping firmly on its tail.

“Humans, I yield!” the Manticore growled, its blue eyes shifting towards Kyle and Newt. “I promise I won’t harm you—just make this idiot let go of me!”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “This is supposed to be… difficult to communicate?”

“There are always exceptions,” Newt chuckled. “Not everyone has a Three-Headed Dog at their side.”

“Good point.”

Kyle walked over and gently tapped Fluffy’s tail, signaling him to let go. With a reluctant huff, Fluffy lifted his paw off the Manticore’s tail.

The Manticore quickly scrambled to its feet, backing away with a cautious glance at Fluffy, maintaining a safe distance.

“Stupid creature…” it muttered under its breath, before turning its attention to Kyle. “Human, you shouldn’t be here.”

“We mean no offense,” Newt said, stepping forward with a peculiar, deliberate posture. He held his arms at slightly different heights, raised one leg, and leaned forward, striking an oddly contorted pose that somehow seemed both cautious and reassuring.

“Relax, we mean you no harm. We just want to help…”

Following Newt’s lead, Kyle mirrored the strange stance. Though it felt more than a bit awkward, he noticed that the Manticore’s wariness softened, and it allowed them to edge closer without protest.

This wasn’t Kyle’s first time mimicking Newt’s unusual postures around magical creatures, but it never ceased to amaze him. He still couldn’t understand how Newt came up with these odd gestures or why they worked.