For the Houses Competition

House: Hufflepuff

Year: 4

Word Count: 498 Words

Belen Petrakis didn't know what he was thinking trafficking a Cerberus. He'd trafficked everything from Teumessian Foxes to Stymphalian Birds. All these creatures were a snap compared to the Cerberus he was ordered to take to Britain. It was just a puppy, but it did more damage than a Manticore and had a bigger bite than a Chimera. It chewed on everything, and what it didn't chew… he didn't know that much pee could come out of any creature. He was going to smell of urine and dog shit for months.

The worst part, was when the buyer saw what she had ordered, she bought the Teumessian Fox instead. Now, he was stuck with this thing that hated him.

Belen decided to take one last stop in a village called Hogsmeade in Scotland.

He collapsed at a table in the Hog's Head Inn and contemplated his life. Then, the largest man he'd ever seen strolled into the bar. He was so enormous; his head brushed the ceiling.

"Evenin' Aberforth," said Hagrid. "Jus' me usual today."

Aberforth grabbed a bottle the size of a small child from under the counter and popped the cork. Hagrid took the bottle which looked normal sized in his massive hand.

"Thank yeh," he rumbled and took a seat just two tables away from Belen.

Belen eyed Hagrid as he gulped back a large swig of whatever was inside.

"What are you lookin' at?" Hagrid asked.

"Nothing."

"Well, since yeh seem ter be doin' nothin', hows about a game of Backgammon?"

"Don't have much money," Belen lied.

"Oh, now there must be somethin' yeh could gamble."

An idea popped into his head and he grinned.

"Well… I just so happen to have a Three-Headed Dog. He really is—"

"All righ'!" said Hagrid, eagerly digging into his pocket; he slapped his bet on the table. "Let's play."

Belen purposely threw the game, though Hagrid was rather good at it and probably would've lost anyway.

"HA!" Hagrid bellowed. "I WIN!"

"You win," Belen agreed. "Just let me go get him."

Belen ran upstairs and opened his trafficking case; he dragged the beast's crate out. It snapped, growled, and snarled like usual.

"Skasmós!" Belen growled and rushed back downstairs.

"Here!" he said, breathlessly. "It's yours."

Hagrid lit up like a child on his birthday. He took the beast out of the cage and held him up like a baby.

"Hello!" he cooed (an odd sound to hear from a giant man). "I think I'll call yeh… Fluffy!"

Belen stared incredulously as the Cerberus, now called 'Fluffy', barked, yapped, and drooled all over this man. Three tongues licked Hagrid's face, making him giggle.

"He's perfect. Yeh sure you're all righ' partin' with 'im?"

"Yep!" said Belen quickly. "You won him fair and square!"

After paying the barkeep, he rushed back upstairs and felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Thank, Zeus, God, and all the other gods and saints that that nightmare was over.