Immediately three low, thunderous growls reached the group's ears. Even though the dog couldn't see them, it's noses still reached out for them.
Sniffing for the people that dared to enter its territory.
"What's at its feet?" Hermione whispered, her gaze shifting toward a glinting gold shape on the ground.
"Looks like a harp. Snape must have left it there," Ron replied softly.
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing. Well, here goes..." Harry lifted a flute to his lips.
The notes that left from the instrument didn't necessarily come together to make a proper song, but the dog slowly started to drift towards unconsciousness.
Soon enough it fell to the ground with a soft thump, little snores leaving it's mouth.
"Keep playing," Ron hissed as they tugged the Cloak off and slinked toward the trapdoor with light feet.
Amisty padded after them, keeping her head and tail low even though she was the least likely to be seen.
The dog's breath billowed around their feet, as hot as the air around a fire.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open. Want to go first, Hermione?" Ron asked, glancing over the dog's back.
"No, I don't!" Hermione hissed, glaring daggers at him.
"Alright," Ron grounded his teeth together, stepped delicately over the front legs of the dog, and hovering over the trapdoor.
He tugged on the ring, stepping back as it swung open.
"What can you see?" Hermione asked, peering over his shoulder.
Amisty crawled to the space inbetween his legs, curling her paws around the edge of the opening and staring down at the darkness below.
There was a faint outline of something that resembled leaves.
"Nothing -- just black -- there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop," Ron replied, taking a step back.
Harry waved wildly, grabbing the attention of Ron.
He pointed to himself while playing the flute.
"You want to go first? Are you sure? I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep," Ron replied.
Quickly, he handed the flute to Hermione.
The pause of silence woke the dog from it's slumber, and it twitched slightly.
Though, the second Hermione started the playing once again, it fell back asleep.
"Amisty," Harry called, holding out his hand to the she-wolf, "C'mere."
She trotted toward him with light paws, her head tilted slightly to the side to show her confusion. He wrapped his arm around her.
"I'm going to carry you down there. Judging by how little we can see you couldn't make that jump without help," He explained, cradling her close to his chest.
She nodded, tucking her paws close to her chest so it was easier. He crawled over and slid down until he was hanging by his fingertips.
"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?" He looked up at Ron, his voice serious.
"Right," Ron replied.
"See you in a minute, I hope..." And he let go.
Without her control, a yelp of fear escaped Amisty's throat. Cool, sticky air rushed through her fur as they fell down, further and further, until they landed with a soft thump.
Amisty got to her paws, poking at the fuzzy surface beneath her.
"It's okay!" Harry yelled up, looking up at the window of glowing light above the two. "It's a soft landing, you can jump."
Ron jumped down immediately after, landing sloppily next to Harry, "What's this stuff?"
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!" Harry replied.
The music ceased and a booming bark sounded from above them. Thankfully Hermione had jumped before the dog could do anything.
She landed, slightly better than Ron had, on Harry's other side.
"We must be miles under the school," She commented, gazing upwards.
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," Ron replied.
"Lucky! Look at you all!" Hermione suddenly screeched, jumping up and wrestling to the wall.
Amisty barked loudly as she noticed the thick green vines wrapped tightly around her paws.
She chomped desperately at them, only for them to constrict her movements further. With wide eyes she pulled and jerked her legs even though she knew it would get her nowhere.
"Stop moving! I know what this is -- it's Devil's Snare!" Hermione's brow furrowed with concentration as she struggled to remember.
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," Ron growled sarcastically, leaning out of the way of the treacherous vines as they inched closer and closer to his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Hermione retorted harshly, rubbing her temples.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry wheezed, straining against the plant twined around his chest.
Amisty barked again, her voice cracking slightly as the vine grabbed hold of her tail and pulled her further into its leafy grasp.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say?" Hermione chanted. " -- it likes the dark and the damp."
"So light a fire!" Harry coughed out.
A faint, muffled whine escaped the wolf's throat as the vine wrapped around her muzzle.
"Yes -- of course -- but there's no wood!" She replied, shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?" Ron roared.
"Oh, right!" She withdrew her wand out of her robes, murmured a spell, and soon enough a stream of bright blue flames spiraled out from the wand and onto the dreaded plant.
Slowly the vines unraveled, letting its prisoners wiggle and push out of its grasp.
Amisty flicked the last trace of vine off her tail, giving the leaves a long scratch with her claws.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," Harry grinned, scooping the furious she-wolf into his arms before walking over to the girl's side.
"Yeah, and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis -- 'there's no wood,' honestly," Ron added exasperatedly, his head falling into his hands.
"This way," Harry pointed forward, a dark, looming passageway the only path ahead of them.
Amisty squirmed around in Harry's grasp, wanting to feel the cool ground beneath her paws. She felt trapped.
One light tap of her paw on Harry's arm told him her wishes, and he let her down gently.
"Careful, stay at my side. You're almost invisible here," He whispered in her ear as he dropped her.
She yipped softly, pressing her nose to his hand before trotting in between Ron and him.
Their footsteps echoed in the damp passageway, the sound of water dripping their only accompaniment.
Until the floor started the dip down. Amisty pricked her ears, catching the faint tapping of metal and rustling.
She paused slightly, pressing her paw against Ron's shoe and flicking her ears once she gained his attention. He got the message right away.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered, getting a slight thankful nod from Amisty as he transferred her unspoken words.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" Harry asked, stopping in his tracks as he paused his walking to listen.
"I don't know... sounds like wings to me," Ron replied.
"There's light ahead -- I can see something moving," Harry's eyes squinted as he looked forward.
The pace of the group soon picked up and once they reached the end of the hall, it opened into a glowing chamber. The ceiling seemed to stretch on forever, with tiny birds flying around.
They were the source of the sound. A tall wooden door marked the other side.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Ron asked, eyeing the birds warily. Amisty gazed up, the glittering creatures reflecting in her glassy emerald-green eyes.
"Probably. They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run," Harry replied, shrugging before racing across the room with his arms blocked around his face.
The birds continued to flutter around peacefully, unbeknownst of the boy sprinting underneath them. He tugged on the handle of the door, to no avail.
The door remained shut tight. After exchanging glances with the other two, Amisty ran across the room to his side, slamming her body against the door.
The only outcome being a bruised side as she sprawled away, legs flailing. Ron and Hermione followed close behind, taking slightly more cautious measures to attempt to open it. The door, once again, didn't open.
Hermione's Alohomora Charm didn't even work.
"Now what?" Ron questioned.
"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," Hermione commented, her brown-gaze held captive by the colorful creatures.
"They're no birds! They're keys!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Winged keyes -- look carefully. So that must mean..." He looked around the room, " ... yes -- look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"
"But there are hundreds of them!" Hermione protested.
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one -- probably silver, like the handle," Ron replied, taking a good look at the lock.
Amisty took one look at the broomsticks and sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws. With calm, observing eyes she watched as her friends grabbed a broomstick each and soared off into the air.
That's when she noticed the birds fluttering low enough for her to jump for them. She locked onto one bird at a time, leaping up and batting it down, only to realize it wasn't the right key for the door.
As she jumped for a topaz encrusted one, the sharp, jagged wing scratched against her paw. She let out a piercing yelp as she fell to the ground, dark red blood flooding from the wound.
Landing with a soft thud on her side, she winced at the pain from the scratch. Carefully, she licked at the tender skin, swallowing whimpers.
When she attempted to get to her paws she immediately fell back down again, the throbbing gash proving her immobile.
She laid back down on the ground, her fur splayed around her, and watched her friends instead.
"We've got to close in on it! Ron, you come at if from above -- Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down -- and I'll try to catch it. Right, NOW!" Harry ordered.
Amisty watched as the plan went into action, Harry managed to snatch the bird in his hand against the wall.
She howled brightly, sharing their triumph. As they landed, confusion shadowed their faces as she didn't come to join them.
"Amisty, let's go," Hermione called, gesturing for her.
She replied with a muffled whine, flicking her paw and writhing at the discomfort.
"What happened?" She asked, running to her side and examining the wound.
"Here, I'll carry her," Harry appeared next to Hermione, bending down and taking the she-wolf into his arms, careful not to touch her paw.
She let out a hiss, struggling to suppress her cries. Quickly he ran to the door, twisting the key in the lock and stepping back.
The key flew up again, now both of it's wings crumpled.
"Ready?" Harry asked, looking at them with his hand wrapped around the silver door handle.
With their nods, he swung the door open.