Chapter 22: Transformation

[Please Vote Stones]

The three-headed dog was still in a state of confusion, lying there motionless. It seemed like it had just been awakened from a deep slumber and hadn't fully registered what was happening yet. However, the rapid return of intensity in its eyes and the deafening roars it let out indicated that its brain was quickly waking up.

Hermione's hand was on the door handle. She had made up her mind; getting expelled would be better than getting eaten by a foul-smelling dog. She slowly started to back away, and with a swift motion, she pulled the door open. The middle head of the dog reached out towards them, but Tom smacked it on the nose, causing the three-headed dog to recoil. Tom quickly squeezed out of the door, slammed it shut, and Hermione locked it again. In the background, they could hear the furious howling of the three-headed dog, but it didn't try to burst out of the door.

Luckily, Filch was far away, still busy with his patrols. Tom and Hermione ran for their lives, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and that corridor. It wasn't until Hermione tripped on a stairwell and twisted her ankle that they finally came to a stop.

"Ouch! It hurts!" Hermione held her foot, almost on the verge of tears. She had stepped on a step that disappeared, and her foot twisted painfully.

"I think I can help with that," Tom said, taking out his wand. He had a healing spell, but it was at level 0. It seemed he was stuck at 99 out of 100, just a step away from leveling up. He needed a breakthrough to reach level 1. Currently, his healing spell at level 0 was more like putting a Band-Aid on a severed artery—better than nothing, but not very effective.

Tom cast the spell, and it provided some pain relief, but Hermione was still in discomfort.

"You... you should go back," Hermione said, struggling with her words. "In case Filch shows up, I'll find a way to explain it to him."

Tom shook his head. "Actually, there's some good news..."

He showed Hermione his ring, which now had another face on it. The drawing was simple, but recognizable—it was a three-headed dog. Tom had gained the ability to transform into one after their encounter.

"Transform!"

A massive three-meter-tall dog appeared before Hermione, emitting a foul odor that made her cover her nose. It had been a while since this dog had a proper bath.

Tom felt somewhat embarrassed, though there was no blush on his canine face. He was panting with his tongue hanging out, which only intensified the smell. He knelt down so that Hermione could climb onto his back.

"Let's go!" Tom barked, and with Hermione on his back, they set out to find their way back to the common room.

However, there was a practical problem: they were lost. But with Tom's newfound canine senses, getting lost was no longer an issue. He stopped and tried to sniff the air, determining the path by scent. 

"Here, Hermione's scent is stronger this way, so let's go in this direction... The scent is fading, so we should go that way..." Tom muttered to himself. "Oh, Hermione, could you lift your feet? Your scent is interfering with my sense of direction..."

Hermione clenched her fist, considering whether or not she should kick the dog's head, but then the dog voluntarily moved away from her.

Great! Hermione's scent was imprinted in Tom's memory. Unaware of Hermione's thoughts, Tom saw this as a success and continued to follow her scent trail.

After some twists and turns, they finally reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. Both of them were relieved; the events of this night had made it feel like a week had passed.

Tom changed back to his human form and helped Hermione down. He then knocked on the door.

The eagle-shaped knocker spoke, "There are 30 cows in the field, 28 chickens. How many didn't eat?"

This was a peculiar question, seemingly unrelated and confusing. However, Tom and Hermione exchanged a knowing smile.

"Ten," Hermione replied.

"Correct," the knocker responded, and the door opened.

The knocker's riddle was indeed bizarre. Tom couldn't help but comment, "These door knockers ask the strangest questions." He escorted Hermione to the entrance of her dormitory, but she refused to let him accompany her inside. She leaned against the wall and slowly made her way to her bed. At the same time, Tom returned to his own dormitory.

(End of Chapter)