"Charlie!!" Anthony howled at the ceiling like someone had pumped pure adrenaline straight into his veins, his whole back arching like a rock star mid-scream.
His voice rang through the quiet morning dormitory and even startled Alice awake on Charlie's bed. The gem turtle sprawled on the floor beside Anthony's bed jerked its head and legs out, eyeing the room with sudden suspicion.
"That's so damn good!!" Anthony shouted. "I can't even imagine what this drink would sell for if we put it in the shop."
"Starting the day with a cup like this feels incredible," Hector said after another sip. "It wakes my whole body up."
Most mornings you think you're awake, mind clear, but your body's still lagging behind. Even splashing water on your face doesn't fix it. One cup of this stuff laced with Sun Dew and the problem disappears.
"Are you actually going to sell this version?" Hector asked, curious.
With Charlie's Sun Dew and Moon Dew involved, any product had real sales potential. But unlike what Hector expected, Charlie shook his head. "Let's not turn it into a product."
He thought for a second, then set the jar of Sun Dew on the desk. "Making ourselves a cup in the morning, though? No problem at all."
Anthony wiped away nonexistent tears, voice trembling with fake emotion. "Charlie, having you in this dorm is the best thing ever."
Hector nodded hard. "Life just keeps getting better."
Charlie smiled and took a sip of the golden Sun Apple juice. The next second he suddenly clapped a hand over his mouth.
The other two went still, expressions sharpening. "What's wrong?"
The next moment—
"Cough—cough—"
A rough cough tore out of Charlie's throat. He shook his head. "No, it's nothing."
"Bad luck hits like that," Anthony said, setting his cup down.
Charlie set his down too, frowning. "No. It's not bad luck."
"Then what is it?" they asked together.
"I've been through wind, rain, and mud," Charlie said, brows still tight. He sighed. "I didn't expect— I've got a cold."
How long had it been since he'd caught one? The last time was that high fever when he was six. Minor illnesses like this had felt like they'd left him behind for good.
He pulled off his pajamas, stood shirtless in front of the full-length mirror behind the dorm door, and studied his reflection.
"Do you guys think I've put on a little weight?"
"That's normal, right? Hogwarts food is that good," Anthony said without missing a beat.
"Dad told me at Christmas that if I keep going like this I'll turn into a fat kid with zero resemblance to an Auror's son."
Hector nodded beside him. "My mom says the same thing. She keeps asking whether Hogwarts actually serves enough vegetables and whether I'm eating any."
Anthony shrugged. "If you ask me, we're still healthy. We climb who knows how many stairs every single day."
"Speaking of which, do you two know Ernie from Hufflepuff? His face has gotten round and his stomach is obvious under his robes."
Charlie laughed. "I heard Hufflepuff has the highest obesity rate in the whole school."
"Who's surprised when their common room sits right next to the kitchens?" Anthony burst out laughing.
Charlie looked back at the mirror and pinched the soft skin at his waist. "You two might be missing the point. I used to be thin, but I wasn't weak. I didn't eat much, but I was always running around outside, so I had real strength. It just didn't show as bulk."
He sighed, more worried now. "Hogwarts life is too comfortable. Before, I could climb to the eighth floor without getting winded. Lately I've started panting. And now—a cold."
He rubbed his nose.
"Guess I actually need to exercise properly."
"Are you sure it's not just that you're run down?" Hector walked over and patted his own stomach. "We're fine. I'd say you've just been pushing too hard. My mom always says when you're exhausted your resistance drops. Since you're sick today, go to the hospital wing, get some cold medicine from Madam Pomfrey, and ask Professor Chambers for the day off."
Charlie's face immediately twisted with reluctance.
Anthony's expression did the exact opposite. He walked silently to Charlie's desk, pulled out a sheet of parchment, and started writing fast. Less than two minutes later he had a neatly written leave request signed in Charlie's name for Professor Chambers.
He came back, and both he and Hector boxed Charlie in between them like they were physically dragging him out whether he wanted it or not.
"Can I refuse?"
"Professor Chambers can. You can't," Anthony said, then turned and walked away.
Finally free of the sandwich, Charlie let out a breath of relief.
The next second Anthony was at his own desk, parchment out again, writing quickly. In under two minutes he finished another note, this one also signed Charlie's name, requesting leave from Professor Chambers.
He walked back over. The two of them lifted Charlie bodily and headed for the dormitory door.
"Wait!" Charlie shouted.
Anthony and Hector answered in unison, "You don't get a choice."
Charlie's voice echoed down the entire corridor outside the dorm: "No—I'm not even dressed yet!!"
The hospital wing sat on the second floor.
When the two boys marched Charlie inside, Madam Pomfrey took one look and immediately identified the patient in the middle. "Caught a cold, have you?"
Charlie nodded quickly. "Madam, how did you know?"
"One glance. Hard to explain. This season is peak cold season anyway."
She smiled, registered his name and house, then asked about symptoms. "Oh, the coughing's already started—sore throat? I need to check your temperature. Just hold the thermometer under your tongue."
After a short list of questions she nodded. "Simple cold. Rest one day and you'll be fine."
She produced two potion bottles. "Drink this one first, right here. Cough suppressant. It'll ease the coughing."
Charlie drank it. The bitter taste made him grimace.
Madam Pomfrey took the empty bottle and handed him the second one. "Half an hour later, drink this cold potion. You two remember to remind him. After you take it, your ears will smoke for the next few hours."
Hector blurted out in surprise, "No wonder I saw a student yesterday with smoke coming out of his ears. He had a cold too."
"Keep your voice down. This is the ward," Madam Pomfrey said, shooting him a sharp look.
After they left the hospital wing, the two boys took Charlie straight to Professor Chambers' office.
The professor accepted the note without fuss. "Rest well. You don't need to come by for the next two days."
"Um—Professor—" Charlie tried to say more, but Chambers cut him off.
"I know what you're thinking. I'll be taking a break these two days myself."
"Without you, my research can't continue."
Outside the office, Anthony and Hector stared at Charlie. "We didn't know you were that important."
Charlie shook his head fast, looking relieved. "It's not about being important. Without me the professor's research can still go on—"
It's just—
He didn't know how to finish. He just smiled and let out a long breath. "Thank the professor. He still cares about my curiosity and wanting to learn."
"That's already pretty amazing. Who gets a professor looking out for them like that?"
"On the other hand, Professor Chambers really is a good man," Anthony said with open admiration.
The three of them stood in the fourth-floor corridor, looking at one another. "Alright. I've got the day off. So what are we doing today?"
The question landed and the corridor went quiet.
The silence stretched.
Charlie suddenly thought of an old joke. A group plans to go out. Someone asks where. Everyone shrugs and says they don't know—let's just get outside first. Getting out is the important part. Where they actually go? Who knows.
Anthony raised one finger. "Speaking of which, do you guys know about that place?"
"Know about what?" the other two asked, turning to him.
Anthony dropped his voice, suddenly mysterious in the winter air, speaking like he was telling a ghost story.
"The end of the fourth-floor corridor. If you don't want to die horribly, don't go near it. Remember? That's what Dumbledore said."
"Don't you want to know what's hidden over there?"
"What?" Hector asked at once.
"I heard there's a big dog. A three-headed dog!"
Charlie looked at him, surprised. He took a slow breath before speaking. "How do you know that?"
"Heard it from someone."
Anthony's information network was always wide. Charlie had already guessed that more students than just Harry Potter's group knew about the three-headed dog. He just hadn't expected Anthony to pick it up through his usual channels.
"Want to go take a look?" Anthony suggested. "The older kids say if you walk the corridor, the room where the dog smell is strongest is where it is."
As someone raised outside the magical world, Hector's eyes lit up. "Do three-headed dogs actually exist?"
"Yes," Anthony nodded. "I heard it's a magical creature from Greece."
"Greece!" Hector laughed. "Does that mean Egypt really has sphinxes too?!"
Anthony stared at him in silence.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Charlie explained with a small smile, "You're right. Sphinxes really are a magical creature from Egypt."
Hector's face brightened like a door had opened. "Alright then. What reason do we have not to go see one?"
Without another word the two of them started down the corridor toward the far end.
"Hey, hurry up, Charlie," Anthony called.
Charlie stayed where he was for a second, smiling helplessly. Could he honestly say he wasn't curious at all?
Of course not. It was a three-headed dog—the legendary pet of Hades.
Who could resist wanting to see that?
He jogged after them.
Professor Chambers' office and the room holding the three-headed dog sat on opposite sides of the fourth floor. They followed the corridor and reached the door quickly. It looked like any other unused classroom.
"This should be it," Anthony said. "Can you smell that? That faint dog smell."
Charlie nodded. His nose had always been sharp. There really was a faint, musky dog odor in the air.
Hector, judging by his blank expression, smelled nothing at all.
Anthony pushed the door. It didn't budge. "Locked. Something's definitely off with this room."
He drew his wand and aimed it at the lock. "Alohomora."
The lock clicked open easily.
"It just… opened like that?" Hector muttered, looking uneasy.
Anthony didn't hesitate. He pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. Charlie and Hector crowded right behind him, three heads stacked, staring into the room together.
The space inside was huge, ceiling as high as the corridor outside. But almost the entire room was filled by one massive grayish-yellow furry shape.
It was a dog whose body alone took up most of the room. Its head was the size of a grown man's torso, and it had three of them. Right now it was lying down, apparently asleep. The faint creak of the door seemed to disturb it. It shifted with clear irritation.
"I bet in ten seconds it smells us and wakes up," Charlie whispered.
Anthony whispered back, "I bet it craps more than a grown man every day."
Both of them immediately tried to glance downward as far as they could without moving their heads.
Charlie's head was on top, Anthony's below it.
Hector's turn.
Hector looked up. "What? What? I'm not betting on that."
As he spoke, the first head of the three-headed dog suddenly opened its eyes and looked straight at the door.
The next second its other two heads jerked awake.
ROAR—
The sound was nothing like a cute little bark. A massive, bone-shaking roar exploded toward the three boys.
"Run!"
They slammed the door shut and sprinted back the way they'd come.