Atlas joined Hermione on the edge of the Ravenclaw table, and while it wasn't uncommon for the houses to intermingle, he still got a few curious looks. Leona and Amy greeted Atlas warmly, while Ethan was fully engrossed in a discussion with Hermione about how to optimize their study schedules. Atlas, with his own unique schedule due to his daily training sessions in the Room of Requirement, decided to talk with Amy, the petite brown-haired girl, and Leona, who had her long blond hair tied into a ponytail.
As he got to know the group, Atlas couldn't help but ask them about their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. It turned out that they had a similar experience of being divided into two groups and forced to fight each other. However, Leona, Amy, and Ethan easily dominated the class they shared with Hufflepuff. Leona, in particular, had a hero complex of her own, though it was different from what Atlas imagined the hero to be. Leona talked about fighting dark wizards as if it were a super-exciting hobby she wanted to try. She was the most combat-oriented of the group, and though she only placed third in most classes, her instincts were unmatched. With pride, she shared that both her parents were Aurors and that even her grandparents on both sides were Aurors, but they died in the war against Voldemort. She eagerly shared how she dreamed of becoming the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement like her grandfather had been.
Atlas found himself pleasantly surprised by the warm and engaging company of Leona and Amy. Atlas pondered whether any of his newfound acquaintances could possibly be the hero. However, the fact that all three of them were skilled in Defence Against the Dark Arts made him doubt that theory. Although the hero could have allies, Atlas couldn't imagine that they would not be outshone by the hero in some way. Despite this, he couldn't rule out the possibility entirely. He also couldn’t rule out the possibility that the hero didn’t want to attract attention.
As they continued to chat, Atlas found himself thoroughly enjoying their company. Amy, in particular, seemed to take a keen interest in him and bombarded him with a flurry of questions. She was curious about his background, his first accidental magic, his opinion on Hogwarts, why he wasn't with the other Gryffindors, his thoughts on Quidditch, and his favorite subject. It was a refreshing change of pace for Atlas, as he was usually the one asking questions or trying to cheer someone up.
As Atlas enjoyed his meal with the Ravenclaws, he couldn't help but notice that Malfoy and his cronies had made their way over to the Gryffindor table. From where he was sitting, he couldn't quite hear what was being said, but it was clear that Ron was furious and even drew his wand. Malfoy had his back to Atlas, but he seemed to be pointing at Crabbe, while Ron was pointing at Harry. It was obvious to Atlas that Malfoy had lured Ron into a trap for the midnight duel. It was interesting to see how his interactions with the group had altered the course of events. Although he was a little surprised that Malfoy didn't challenge Harry after the incident with the Remembrall, it appeared that Malfoy was still up to his old tricks. Atlas knew he needed to confirm his suspicions, but for now, he was content to sit back and enjoy the company of his new friends.
As they walked to the library, Atlas felt excited to join the group's study session. He was eager to see just how capable they were. But as they made their way, Atlas suddenly realized something that made him inwardly groan. Hermione wouldn't be joining Harry and Ron at the midnight duel, which meant the two Gryffindors wouldn't stumble upon Fluffy and be caught. If Atlas wanted to keep the story on track, he'd have to take Hermione's place in the forbidden corridor. He wasn't willing to put Hermione in danger just to recreate the original golden trio. Besides, he didn't want to subject her to the agony of Ron's presence.
With a determined look in his dark eyes, he resolved to be the one to go to the forbidden corridor that night to see Fluffy and to ensure that Harry and Ron didn't get caught.
As Atlas accompanied Ethan's group to the library, he couldn't help but think about Malfoy's devious plan. The duel had to happen late at night for the plan to work, so he had enough time to get back to the common room and concoct a fake excuse to follow Harry and his friends, after a study session with the Ravenclaws and Hermione.
It only took them an hour to finish their homework, and Atlas and Hermione were able to assist them with their assignments. While it took a bit longer, they soon finished that too and started their personal research. Everyone studied what they liked at the moment, and after two hours, they would explain it to each other or ask for each other’s opinion. He was in awe of their intellect, realizing that calling them good was an understatement. Unlike Ron, who needed a hundred explanations, this group had an almost supernatural understanding of their studies. If someone explained something, they grasped it on the first try, and sometimes even before the explanation was complete.
It was everything Atlas had ever wished for, in both his old world and this new one. He had always dreamed of working with a group like this to research the downfall of his previous world, and here he finally found his intellectual equals, even if they were only a year older than him. Leona, in particular, caught his attention with her knowledge of spell applications in real combat and useful tactics. Her whole personal research was built around becoming an auror.
For Atlas, it was the most enjoyable study session he had ever experienced.
Atlas was so engrossed in the study session that time had flown by without him even realizing. Before he knew it, it was already evening, and they decided to take a break for dinner before quickly returning to the library. While the others continued their research, Atlas teamed up with Leona to explore different child charms. As they delved deeper into the subject, Atlas couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and fascination.
There was so much to learn and discover in the magical world, and he was grateful to have found a group of peers who shared his passion for knowledge. Meanwhile, Hermione, Ethan, and Amy were researching the conditions needed for a spell to be empowered by the suffix "maxima." Atlas couldn't help but feel torn between both topics, as he found them equally interesting. But when he saw how quickly Ethan was able to navigate through the books, he decided to focus on studying shield charms and wait for the other group's summary.
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As the library closed its doors, Atlas looked back at the group with a sense of fulfillment. He couldn't believe how much he had accomplished in just one day of studying with them. With this group, his learning gains tripled in no time. After his talk with Professor McGonagall, he tried what he should have done the whole time: train his occlumency while doing other tasks like reading, talking, and writing. He didn’t know if it was because the learning atmosphere was great, but he had even made significant progress. His barrier now lasted a few minutes without him focusing on it. The main problem was that he didn’t immediately notice when the barrier was down because he was focused on other things. If only every study session could be like this! Atlas was tempted to leave his old group completely and join forces with these brilliant minds, but he decided to wait a bit longer before making such a drastic move.
But for now, Atlas had a more pressing task at hand. He was off to visit a cute little monster dog who loved nothing more than a kid's meal.
Getting Ron and Harry to agree to let him come along on their adventure was a piece of cake for Atlas. The upcoming duel had been the talk of the town among his roommates, so he didn’t even have to come up with a lie on where he heard about the duel. All he had to do was wait for them to sneak out and intercept them, and then apologize to Ron for his previous behavior. He explained that Professor McGonagall had spoken to him and that he was truly sorry for what he had done to Ron. Atlas then offered to help in the duel if things got out of hand and Malfoy brought backup. Though it hurt his pride a bit to apologize to Ron, he knew that the fate of the multiverse was more important than his own ego. The real challenge was convincing Hermione not to follow them, as she had also caught wind of the duel. After a bit of reassuring from Atlas, however, she agreed to stay behind.
As Atlas and the group anticipated, Malfoy didn't show up to the duel, but instead he snitched on them to Mr. Filch, who was hot on their trail. Ron, Harry, and Atlas fled down the hallways, dodging the caretaker and his cat, Mrs. Norris. They made it to Fluffy's door, and Atlas sprang into action, opening the door with the alohomora spell.
While the others kept their ears to the door to make sure Filch was gone, Atlas locked eyes with Fluffy, the giant three-headed Cerberus dog. The creature was massive, and Atlas realized that the movies and books didn't do it justice. Suddenly, Fluffy stood up, looking surprised and angry at the unexpected visitors. Drool quickly formed at the left head's mouth and began to drip on the floor.
Fluffy lunged at them with incredible speed and ferocity, and Atlas and the others found themselves in a terrifying battle for survival. Atlas quickly cast the Immobilus charm, but it barely slowed the beast down for half a second. Its resistance to magic was quite strong.
Ron was almost bitten by one of the heads, but the spell caused enough confusion to prevent a serious attack. Harry was pinned between the doorframe and Fluffy's head, while Atlas was forced to roll back to avoid being caught in the beast's grasp.
When he realized that he was further in the room than he ever intended, the adrenaline rush he felt was like nothing he had ever experienced before. While it didn’t really feel like slow motion, Atlas was at least able to react to the right head, which wanted to snap at him. He didn't have time to panic though; his mind worked at lightning speed as he casted charm after charm to slow the beast down. But Fluffy was quick to adapt, so Atlas had to think outside the box. He recalled a charm he had learned long ago and decided to give it a try. He rolled to the trapdoor, between Fluffy’s legs, his head pointed at the open door, and he cast the ascendio charm with all his might, hoping it would blast him out of the door. The charm didn't work as he intended, though, and he launched himself upwards, right into Fluffy's belly. The impact knocked the wind out of both of them, but Atlas had little time to dwell on it. Harry was still trapped inside with the beast, and he needed Atlas's help to get out. Stunned and breathless, Atlas struggled to speak, but he managed to signal Harry to leave while he tried to distract Fluffy. With a swift kick to the dog's tender parts, Atlas bought himself a few seconds as the beast tried to cower in pain. The right head went berserk and wanted to snap at Atlas, but he casted the Oscausi charm, transforming the snap into another bone-shattering tackle.
But Fluffy was not done yet; he was still struggling to get up and take revenge. Atlas had to act fast, so he used the petrificus totalus spell to freeze the dog. Though the spell didn't work as intended, it gave him enough time to bolt out of the room. But Fluffy wasn't giving up that easily. He caught hold of Atlas's cape, pulling him back through the door, but Harry saved him as he quickly tried to close the door behind Atlas. While Fluffy’s middle head was trying to pull him in, one of the side heads was trying to push open the door again. Atlas yelled in panic that Harry should cut his cape with diffindo. Harry managed to do it, and Atlas face-planted the floor as he fell down. Fluffy used this as a chance to almost push the door open again to snap at Atlas' legs. Harry was too weak to push the beast back, so Atlas had to think of something else. Rolling onto his back, he aimed his wand at the door and told Harry to open it just long enough for him to cast his spell. As soon as the door opened, Atlas unleashed a depulso charm with all his might. Though the spell only managed to push Fluffy back a few feet, it was enough to allow Harry to finally slam the door shut, trapping the beast inside. Breathless and battered, Atlas and Harry looked at each other with a mix of relief and exhaustion. It had been a close call, but they had made it out alive.
Atlas struggled to get up from the ground, his body aching from the intense battle they had just endured. Even though it had only lasted twenty seconds, it felt like hours. Harry rushed over to help him, but as he did, he realized just how badly hurt he was. Harry himself was malnourished due to years of neglect from the Dursleys, and being crushed between Fluffy and the stone doorframe couldn't have been a pleasant experience. A bit of pity appeared in Atlas' eyes, but it soon disappeared as his ribs once again wanted to get his attention.
But despite his own injuries, Atlas's concern was for Ron, who was still lying unmoved on the ground. Harry and Atlas both panicked, unsure of what to do. Atlas suspected that Ron was just unconscious and not seriously hurt, but he wasn’t sure. As he was unable or unwilling to inspect him with his own pain-inducing injuries, he used aquamenti and splashed Ron’s face with cold water, which immediately woke him up. Thankfully, Ron only had a few bruises and was otherwise unharmed, or so he said. The trio debated whether to go to Madam Pomfrey but ultimately decided to wait until the next day. They couldn't risk getting caught outside their beds and losing everything they had just fought for. Atlas assured Harry and Ron that he could at least heal any broken bones with the epsikey spell, but he wasn't an expert, and they should seek professional treatment as soon as possible.
After seeing Atlas heal his own broken ribs with the spell, Harry and Ron agreed to let him treat them. It turned out that Ron's injuries were indeed minor, but Harry had several small fractures in his ribcage. With a flick of his wand and a muttered incantation, Atlas healed their broken bones, relieved that they had made it out alive.