The "blank magic" that Nios taught was indeed very simple.
The few of them quickly grasped the trick, and although their casting speed was still a bit sluggish, with diligent practice, their proficiency would naturally improve.
On the way back, only Nios, Harry, and Hermione remained.
Azazel was still on Nios's shoulder, like a strangely shaped lantern.
Ron ultimately stayed in the Room of Requirement.
This time, Hermione didn't say anything, but Harry couldn't help but complain, "He didn't even tell me he was going to stay there overnight!"
"And then? You want to stay there overnight too?" Hermione immediately retorted.
"I just hope he tells me in advance next time…" Harry tried to argue.
"If you also run off to stay overnight, then who will deal with Seamus and Dean?" Hermione's single sentence shut down all of Harry's possible retorts.
"Don't you think our voices are a little too loud?" Nios's calm reminder was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads.
Only then did they remember that they were still out at night!
They immediately fell silent, abruptly stopped, and vigilantly looked around.
It was as if Filch would jump out from some dark corner with a lamp in the next second.
After confirming that their surroundings were dead silent, they couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's go," Nios said, looking at the two still-shaken people behind him. "The longer we stay, the more likely something unexpected will happen."
This time, Harry and Hermione said no more, following closely behind Nios, even their breathing becoming much lighter.
Just as they stepped onto a moving staircase, the previously still stone steps suddenly emitted a dull rumble and began to slowly turn!
"Why does it have to be now!" Harry was annoyed by this sudden change.
"Watch your volume! Harry!" Hermione reminded in a low voice. "Once the stairs stop, we only need to wait another half an hour to go back!"
Nios calmly observed the floor the staircase was about to connect to.
'Fourth floor? It seems the old fox's script is about to begin…'
"We might not be able to wait until then…" Nios's voice carried a hint of subtle understanding.
"It's fine! Just half an…" Hermione's voice abruptly cut off. She clamped her hand over her mouth, staring in terror at the stairwell.
A scrawny cat with dull fur was crouching there, its cold yellow eyes locked onto them!
Madam Norris!
"Meow—!!!" A sharp, piercing cat's cry broke the silence of the Castle!
"Madam Norris! Did you catch them? I'm coming right away!" Filch's chilling laughter and hurried footsteps echoed from a distance!
"Run!" Harry shouted in a low voice, then took the lead and rushed into the depths of the corridor!
Hermione followed closely, her heart pounding. Nios sighed silently and stepped to follow the two frantic runners.
The three rushed to a tightly closed, heavy wooden door.
Harry desperately twisted the doorknob, but the door wouldn't budge! "It's locked!"
Hermione pushed Harry aside, her wand pointing at the lock like lightning: "Alohomora!" With a crisp click, the door swung open.
Hermione rushed in first, followed closely by Harry and Nios.
As soon as the three squeezed inside, they immediately worked together to close and lock the heavy door!
Almost simultaneously, Filch's voice came from outside the door: "Did you find anything, my dear?"
"Meow!"
After a moment of silence, Filch seemed to give up searching for them: "Let's go." The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away.
Only then did Hermione dare to relax, leaning against the door and gasping for breath, trying to calm herself down.
"Did you notice which floor we were on just now?" Nios's voice echoed in the quiet room.
Hermione was startled by the sudden question, but still subconsciously replied, "It… it should be the fourth floor, right?"
She felt Harry tugging at her sleeve. Hermione growled impatiently, "Stop it, Harry! Filch hasn't…"
She spun around abruptly, but the latter half of her sentence was caught in her throat, her pupils rapidly contracting in fear!
Her heart, which had just calmed down a bit, seemed to leap into her throat again.
Nios was standing calmly in the center of the room, and in front of him was a giant dog so massive it almost touched the ceiling!
It had three hideous heads, six bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at Nios, a low growl rumbling in its throat, and foul-smelling drool dripping from its three enormous, fanged mouths.
"Now, it seems we know why the fourth floor is a restricted area." Nios said blandly, as if discussing what to eat for dinner.
Although Harry didn't know what this monster was, he quickly lowered his voice and gave Nios an instruction: "Nios, don't be afraid! Listen, now slowly back away! Your movements must be light! Don't look back! And definitely don't run!"
Memories of Dudley and his friends setting dogs on him flooded Harry's mind, but he had no time to recall those painful memories now; he only hoped that his limited experience with ordinary dogs would come in handy.
"Hermione? Hermione!" Harry didn't get a response and couldn't help but raise his voice slightly.
Hermione snapped back to reality, her gaze fixed on the three huge dog heads. "Wh-what's wrong?"
Harry quietly shuffled forward a few steps, shielding Hermione with his body: "I'm blocking you now, it shouldn't be able to see you! Once Nios backs up, I'll shout 'open the door' and you immediately open it and rush out!" Their palms were covered in cold sweat, and their hearts pounded frantically in their chests!
Cerberus's patience finally ran out! The middle head suddenly let out a deafening roar, and the three gaping maws simultaneously lunged to bite Nios!
Just at this critical moment, Nios moved!
He quickly pulled the little pink gem from his pocket and forcefully threw it beneath Cerberus!
At the same time, he pointed a finger, using the Water-Making Spell, and a stream of water appeared out of nowhere, precisely landing on the gem as it hit the ground!
Boom—!!!
A thunderous roar! The little pink gem expanded wildly upon contact with water, violently pushing the unprepared Cerberus towards the ceiling!
"Ow—!!!" A shrill, agonizing wail rang out!
Cerberus's middle head crashed heavily into a protruding rocky edge on the ceiling, blood gushing out and staining the expanding little pink gem below.
Its other two heads were also squeezed and whimpering in pain by the rapidly expanding little pink gem, its massive body firmly wedged between the ceiling and the little pink gem, unable to move!
This earth-shattering reversal in a flash of lightning left Harry and Hermione completely petrified on the spot!
"Wh-what… just… happened?" Hermione's voice trembled, her mind blank.
Harry, emboldened, walked forward and looked up at Cerberus, which was held captive by the little pink gem. "Why… why is it here?"
Nios didn't answer directly; he just reached out and pointed to where Cerberus had just been standing.
Harry followed Nios's pointing direction and saw a trapdoor there, currently pressed down by the little pink gem.
"It… it's guarding something below?" Harry's voice was filled with shock and a hint of understanding.
Nios retorted, "What else? Surely no one would actually keep such a dangerous creature as a pet in a school, right?"
Harry, meanwhile, glanced at Azazel, who was still on Nios's shoulder.
Hermione's rationality finally forcefully returned. She urgently whispered, "You two, hurry up! That noise was too loud! Filch or a Professor could come to check any minute!"
She looked at Nios and said anxiously, "Nios! Remember to put the little pink gem away! If you leave it here, even an idiot would know we've been here!"
Harry also realized the seriousness of the situation, and a look of worry appeared on his face.
Nios looked at Cerberus, struggling in pain, stuck to the ceiling, then glanced at the trapdoor.
'It's only the second week of school. If I clear this now, the old fox might come up with something new…'
After confirming that the other two dog heads were also unconscious from being squeezed, Nios said to Harry and Hermione, "You two go out first. I'll deal with the little pink gem."
Hermione remembered the disastrous state of the kitchen and, without hesitation, rushed forward, grabbing the still-hesitant Harry and forcefully pulling him out of the room.
As soon as the door closed, Nios immediately acted.
He grabbed Azazel's tail and pulled hard!
"Woo—!!!" The intense pain made Azazel twist and kick frantically in the air, but the little pink gem in his throat muffled all his screams.
Nios casually tossed Azazel like trash to the door, then pressed his hands firmly onto the mountain of expanding little pink gem!
As his palms pressed down, the massive little pink gem rapidly contracted, shriveled, and solidified.
A few seconds later, only three egg-sized, different-colored gems remained on the spot.
One was pink, and the other two were white and blue.
Nios put away the pink one and cast a Levitation Charm on the other two.
They wobbled and floated after Nios towards the door.
At the door, Azazel had just finished dealing with the fork in his butt and the little pink gem in his throat.
He then saw Nios approaching with those two dangerous "gems." He coughed and asked grumpily, "Cough cough… How do you plan to store these things? It's no joke if they explode!"
Nios just smiled faintly.
Azazel sighed and held out the skull necklace around his neck towards Nios: "Sigh… Give them to me."
Nios controlled the two gems, and they entered the open mouth of the skull necklace.
As soon as the gems entered, the skull's mouth quickly closed.
"Phew…" Azazel rubbed his neck and muttered softly, "If it weren't for this precious necklace of mine that can freeze time, I could go find a job in the Middle East…"