Viktor glided silently through the corridors of Hogwarts. Although he was invisible to the eye, it did not mean that no one could hear him. He finally reached the right room, hidden by a Disillusionment Charm. When he entered, the first thing he saw was a huge, three-headed dog, peacefully dozing to the sound of a lulling tune. He looked at the playing harp and realized that Quirrell had already passed through to get the Philosopher's Stone, having put Fluffy into a deep sleep.
Viktor approached the massive animal. Three enormous heads rested on its paws, and a synchronized, guttural snore emanated from all three mouths, causing the floor to vibrate slightly.
— Oh, what a sweet little doggy you are! — Viktor whispered, stroking the soft fur on one of the heads. — Just adorable!
He moved on to the second head.
— Fluffy suits you. You're so fluffy! You probably love being petted, don't you? My good boy!
Then he reached for the third.
— Such a clever boy, sleeping soundly, bothering no one. How wonderful you are, Fluffy! You must have such smart little eyes when they're open. I'm sure of it!
Viktor couldn't stop, stroking those soft muzzles.
— I wish I had one like you! — he mused aloud. — Walking through the corridors with you, making everyone envious. I'd take you with me, stroll in the park. Though no, you're too strange for the Muggle world, and huge too. Although I could explain it by saying I found you near Area 51.
Finally, ceasing to pet Fluffy, Viktor sat down on the floor next to its massive body, leaning against its warm side. He took a small candy from his pocket and slowly unwrapped it.
— Now, all that's left is to wait for Harry to arrive, — he popped the candy into his mouth, made himself comfortable, and began to wait, tapping his fingers on the floor in time with the music.
To the lulling snore of Fluffy and the quiet, barely audible music, Viktor almost dozed off. Suddenly, his keen hearing caught the screech of an opening door. He immediately opened his eyes and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, removing a drool he hadn't even noticed he was making.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione cautiously entered the room, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, until a sudden, powerful exhale from Fluffy blew the cloak aside, completely exposing them.
— Snape's already been here, — Hermione whispered, noticing the harp that was quietly playing a melody. — He bewitched the harp.
Viktor watched intently as they approached the trapdoor, which was covered by Fluffy's huge paw. As the trio grabbed onto the paw, he, still under the Disillusionment Charm, began to carefully rise from the floor.
— Did you hear something? — Hermione asked worriedly, her gaze darting around the room.
Harry and Ron listened closely.
— I only hear Fluffy breathing, — Ron replied, trying to convince himself and his friends.
Harry, still holding onto the paw, said hurriedly:
— Stop getting distracted, help me move it!
Viktor exhaled. He watched as they struggled to push the massive paw aside, until he suddenly noticed that the music had stopped playing. Smiling, he looked at Ron.
Harry, who had peeked into the open trapdoor, suddenly asked:
— Don't you think the harp stopped playing?
Ron and Hermione also began to listen intently, peering into the gloom. Suddenly, Ron felt something cold and wet on his shoulder. He looked up, and the next moment, a huge, viscous, gooey stream of drool fell onto his head, and then his shoulder, with a disgusting splat, dripping from somewhere above. He froze in horror, slowly raising a trembling hand to the sticky substance.
Watching this scene in person, Viktor could barely hold back the laughter that was desperate to burst out. But when the terrified trio, to the low growl of the now-awakened Fluffy, screamed and scrambled into the trapdoor, he could no longer restrain himself. Loud laughter filled the room. Fluffy, turning around, growled menacingly in his direction, but Viktor, completely unafraid, stroked the huge dog's muzzle through his laughter.
— Good job, Fluffy! Good boy!
In response, Fluffy, feeling the affection, wagged his tails happily. Not seeing Viktor but feeling his presence, the dog began to lick him.
— Ugh! No, Fluffy, stop! — Viktor tried to push his muzzles away. — I have to go!
Slipping past the slobbery Fluffy, Viktor jumped into the open trapdoor without hesitation. He landed on his feet silently, like a shadow, and the first thing he saw was Ron, helplessly entangled in the nasty, writhing tendrils of Devil's Snare. But before Viktor could even blink, a bright light flashed beneath Ron, the predatory plants shrieked and recoiled, and the boy fell even deeper.
— Ron, now you're forever indebted to Hermione for saving your ass and keeping you from becoming the main star of a tentacle hentai scene, — Viktor whispered, smirking as the slippery roots of the Devil's Snare began to wrap around his own legs, gently but insistently pulling him down. — What a perverted plant! But my rose didn't bloom for you.
The next moment, a bright flame burst to life beneath his feet. The Snare shrieked piercingly and retreated in a panic, and Viktor fell unhindered into a dark dungeon, where the walls were covered with the same writhing roots.
Ahead, through the gloom of the massive stone hall, Viktor heard the muffled but frequent flapping of wings, as if hundreds of birds were beating against a cage. Approaching closer, he found himself in a spacious cavern with a high ceiling, where hundreds of flying keys were zipping through the air, their bright sparks twinkling. Below, Harry was already preparing for flight, approaching an old school broom, while Ron and Hermione were discussing something animatedly and anxiously.
Viktor looked around and found a secluded hollow in the shadow of one of the massive columns, where his silhouette completely dissolved into the gloom. A small lunchbox materialized in his hands. Carefully opening it, he took out a pre-made sandwich smelling of cheese and ham. As he slowly chewed, savoring the taste and crunch of fresh bread, he listened to their shouts.
— That one! The one with the bent wing! — Hermione's excited, almost screeching voice echoed slightly in the huge hall.
— Go, Harry! Go! — Ron shouted joyfully but with nervous notes, cheering on his friend.
Finally, Viktor heard the door slam shut. He carefully wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. When he approached the massive door, the keys that had been desperately rattling against it instantly turned and sped directly towards him, like a swarm of predatory insects. Viktor smirked. When he opened the door, hundreds of keys danced on the floor around him, twitching and sparkling with faint electrical discharges, as if they had just been struck by lightning.
— They should teach physics at Hogwarts, — Viktor muttered, easily stepping over the twitching keys. — It would be much more useful than history.
The next room, as he expected, was a giant chessboard with squares several meters wide, where human-sized pieces carved from black and white stone stood menacingly in their places, frozen in anticipation of battle. Here, Viktor regretted having already eaten his sandwich; he should have saved it for a spectacle like this.
— Ugh, I should've brought some popcorn too, — he muttered, settling comfortably on a cold stone ledge. — Now I'll just have to watch this scene without it.
Viktor watched as Ron, with eyes burning, took on the role of strategist, commanding the pieces. To be honest, the game itself seemed quite boring and long-winded to Viktor. He was only able to restrain himself from using Bombarda on the opponent's king thanks to the epic destruction of the pieces. At last, Ron was "knocked out"—he was thrown from his knight with a bang, and Harry delivered the checkmate. The door to the next room opened. Harry and Hermione, sad but determined, passed through, leaving Ron behind.
Viktor got up with a heavy sigh, rubbing his numb buttocks, which had fallen asleep from sitting so long on the cold stone. He walked over to the defeated Ron, knelt down, and sadly passed his hand over the boy's already closed eyes, as if paying his last respects.
— Great game, Weasley. The homeland won't forget you, — he whispered in a sorrowful voice. After standing there for a moment, as if mourning a fallen soldier, he suddenly smiled and stood up. — The homeland won't forget you, because it won't even remember you. — With those words, he turned and, without looking back, moved on, leaving the unconscious Ron alone.