It wasn't that Robert hadn't considered Fluffy. In fact, Fluffy was one of the reasons he had come to Hogwarts in the first place. As one of the ancient and powerful magical creatures—rare to the point of being comparable to a Phoenix—what wandmaker could resist such a temptation?
Robert certainly couldn't.
So, after the school term began, he often visited the Fourth Floor, hoping for a glimpse. But he had never seen Fluffy, not even once. He couldn't even get close to the locked door.
Robert vividly remembered his first attempt. It was on the first weekend after school started, precisely at two in the morning—the time when most people would be fast asleep. He had thought the plan was foolproof. But then he nearly ran headfirst into Professor McGonagall patrolling the corridor. Luckily, Fred and George happened to be out wandering the castle that same night and managed to lead him away through a secret passage just in time.
Had it not been for them, he probably would've been caught.
From that experience, Robert learned an important lesson: since professors patrolled the halls at night, it might be smarter to attempt it during the day.
So, for his second attempt, he chose Friday afternoon at 3:20. It was the same corridor. This time, he ran into Professor Aurora Sinistra from Astronomy class. Fortunately, class began at 3:30, and he used the excuse that he was lost. Professor Sinistra didn't suspect a thing. In fact, she even enthusiastically walked him to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
The third time, Robert didn't go himself—he sent Tom, his familiar, to scout the area instead. But Tom was promptly caught by a tabby cat. That cat, unfortunately for him, turned out to be Professor McGonagall in her Animagus form. As a result, Tom was sentenced to a few days' worth of detention—learning Hogwarts' school rules (pet edition).
Tom, understandably, was frustrated for days. Being caught so easily by a tabby cat—even if she was secretly a wizard—was demoralizing. He only recovered after successfully ambushing and thoroughly thrashing Mrs. Norris.
But none of that was the main point.
The real takeaway was that Professor McGonagall was actively patrolling the Fourth Floor as a cat.
Was that level of vigilance truly necessary?
Guarding against Voldemort, using students as bait?
After that failed attempt, Robert abandoned the idea of approaching Fluffy—at least for the time being.
Yet, upon reflecting, something else began to bother him. That night, the first night he tried, had he really just happened to run into Fred and George?
Robert recalled Dumbledore's warning during the Start-of-Term Feast: "Anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death should avoid the corridor on the right-hand side of the Fourth Floor."
Given Fred and George's well-known personalities, would they have actually obeyed such a warning?
Highly unlikely.
If anything, the more they were told not to go somewhere, the more curious they became. That's just who they were.
But even after several weeks into the term, Robert had hinted to them multiple times about the corridor, and not once had they mentioned seeing what was inside. Nothing. Not even a vague story.
That could only mean one thing: they hadn't been in there, not even with the help of the Marauder's Map, which could track everyone inside the castle.
So how had Harry and his friends managed to walk in?
Could it be that the professors responsible for guarding the area just weren't around?
Robert quickly dismissed that notion. That possibility was close to zero.
The only logical explanation left: they had been allowed in.
Robert slapped his thigh in frustration.
How could he have forgotten something so crucial?
That corridor wasn't just dangerous—it was a test. A training ground Dumbledore had constructed for Harry. Naturally, Harry needed to get familiar with the area beforehand.
Moreover, Harry wasn't alone. Ron, Hermione, and even Neville had accompanied him. That meant Dumbledore didn't even mind if others were present to observe.
If Robert had only claimed that he was trying to stop them from breaking school rules, perhaps he could have joined them.
In the ensuing chaos, grabbing a few strands of Fluffy's hair would've been easy.
But the opportunity had slipped by.
Robert sighed deeply. Malfoy really was infuriating—why couldn't that duel have been scheduled just a few days later?
"You okay?" Harry asked, noticing Robert suddenly sighing and slapping his thigh again. He exchanged a wary glance with Ron, both of them subtly moving their chairs away from him.
Hitting yourself wasn't exactly comforting behavior.
"Ah, it's nothing. I didn't sleep well last night," Robert said with a forced smile.
Despite the excuse, Harry and Ron remained uneasy and didn't engage with him much for the rest of the History of Magic class. Robert himself wasn't in the mood either. The class dragged on even more than usual, making it feel extra boring and monotonous.
The feeling continued into the next class: Charms.
Robert barely registered a word of what Professor Flitwick was saying. Luckily, the topic was the Mending Charm—a spell Robert had already mastered. When the professor checked their progress at the end of the class, Robert even managed to earn Gryffindor two points.
He was now two points closer to his goal of twenty.
When morning classes ended, Robert went to the Great Hall for lunch with the others. Feeling more grounded, he even actively sought out Harry and Ron.
"You sure you're alright?" Harry asked again, still hesitant.
"What could be wrong with me? I just didn't sleep well," Robert replied casually.
Only just now had he realized he was probably overthinking things.
Yes, Fluffy was impressive. But Professor McGonagall's wand—with its extremely rare [Disguise] trait—was arguably more valuable. That trait significantly increased the success rate of becoming an Animagus, and it might not come around again.
If Robert had to choose between [Disguise] and Fluffy, he'd pick the former without hesitation.
Exceptional traits like that were rare and hard to come by.
Fluffy, on the other hand, wasn't going anywhere.
And then it struck him—he did still have a chance.
There was one special time when he might be able to sneak in without Harry's help: Halloween.
The thought had occurred to him during Charms class when he noticed pumpkins being used as teaching props.
According to Hogwarts tradition, Halloween was one of the biggest celebrations of the school year, second only to the Start-of-Term Feast and the Christmas Feast.
During the Halloween banquet, a performance troupe would usually be invited, and all the professors—including Dumbledore—would be in the Great Hall at the same time.
Which meant: no one would be guarding that door.
As for Filch...
Simple. Just release Tom. Ever since being beaten twice, Mrs. Norris had become wary of Tom and ran away on sight. If she bolted, Filch would definitely chase after her.
The more Robert thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed.
Sure, Dumbledore and Snape would probably keep a close eye on Quirrell, but there was no reason for them to monitor a first-year student.
Especially one whose goal wasn't the Philosopher's Stone—but just a few strands of dog hair.
There would be no conflict.
Of course, Robert also considered a more straightforward option—asking Hagrid for help. After all, Fluffy was Hagrid's pet. That would be the safest method. But unfortunately, Fluffy was currently on loan to Dumbledore and assigned to an important task. It was unlikely Hagrid would help him sneak in while the dog was on duty.
He'd have to wait until the end of the school year, after everything had settled down.
But Robert didn't have that kind of patience. Waiting more than half a year?
Out of the question.
Halloween it was, then.
He'd sneak in, grab some hair, and be out before anyone noticed. As long as he timed it right, it wouldn't interfere with anything—Snape would still get his leg bitten off, just as history intended.
Perfect.
Having made up his mind, Robert suddenly felt lighter. The fog in his mind cleared, and he was no longer drowsy. He strode into the Great Hall with a spring in his step, chatting easily with Harry along the way.
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