"I need to take a look." Nolan set down his cup of tea.
It was a fine brew, but he hadn't even taken a sip before he was already rushing toward the infirmary.
By the time he arrived, a crowd had already gathered.
"You're just in time."
"Why did she get hit with the Petrification Curse right after she separated from you? Did you do something to her?" Ron demanded furiously.
Though deep down, he knew it was unlikely Nolan was responsible, seeing his closest friend lying motionless on the hospital bed had sent his emotions into turmoil.
"Last night, I was in the library with Astoria and Hermione, reading through books. This morning, Hermione left first, and only afterward did Astoria and I leave together. I didn't even have the time to cast a Petrification Curse on her."
"Besides, I have no reason to do such a thing."
A trace of amusement flickered in Nolan's eyes. "And more importantly… if I really wanted to do something to Hermione, why wouldn't I just turn her into my blood slave? Turning her into a statue would be utterly useless to me."
Though his words were cruel, they were also logical.
Harry placed a restraining hand on Ron, who was seething, and gave him a look of reassurance. Then, he turned to Nolan.
"Why was Hermione looking for you?"
"Or rather, what were you all researching in the library late at night?" Harry had no doubt that Nolan was telling the truth, but if Hermione had been Petrified, it was likely connected to whatever information she had uncovered.
Nolan didn't say much. Instead, he walked to Hermione's bedside and observed her closely. In her stiff fingers, he noticed a crumpled piece of paper.
It was the information they had uncovered about the monster—about the basilisk.
Without even glancing at it, Nolan handed the paper to Harry. "This might be the reason."
To Nolan's surprise, Hermione's intellect was even sharper than he had expected. In such a short amount of time, she had already deduced that the basilisk was likely hiding within the plumbing system of Hogwarts, evading detection from everyone.
What a brilliant girl.
"Maybe we should find Hagrid. He might know something." Harry gathered all the information they had and made a firm decision.
Things escalated quickly.
Before they could even have a proper conversation with Hagrid, he was taken away.
However, before leaving, Hagrid left them with one cryptic message—follow the spiders.
Faced with yet another puzzle, Harry's frustration was evident.
"Let's go. Let's see where these little spiders will lead us." Nolan rose from his chair, brushing off his spotless clothes.
The place was a mess, and given that it involved spiders, Nolan already felt uneasy.
"Do we really have to do this?" Ron hesitated, his voice uncertain. The sight of the spiders made his legs weak and his body tremble involuntarily.
"Think about Hermione. She's still lying in bed." Harry's voice was resolute.
"And Hagrid needs our help," he added firmly.
Nolan crossed his arms. "If you're really that scared, Harry and I can go alone. You can wait here for news."
There was no mockery in his tone, only a simple statement of fact.
Yet Ron immediately took it as a challenge. His pride flared, and he snapped, "I'm just worried, that's all! I never said I wouldn't go."
To prove himself, he stubbornly pushed forward, following closely behind the spiders, determined to be at the front of their little expedition.
Nolan watched this unfold and couldn't help but shake his head with a smirk.
Humans were truly peculiar creatures. With just a little provocation, they could summon courage to face their worst fears—things they would normally never dare to confront.
The path the spiders led them on was rough and winding.
Midway through, Ron was already panting heavily, visibly struggling to keep up. If it weren't for the thought of Hermione lying helpless in the infirmary, the determination replaying in his mind, he would have given up long ago.
Finally, they arrived at a massive opening in the ground.
Under the moonlight, the gaping hole resembled the open maw of a monstrous beast, lying in wait for prey to step inside—only to devour them whole.
As they neared, a rancid stench rushed out to greet them.
All three of them grimaced.
"Ugh, that's disgusting!" Ron gagged, almost retching.
Nolan's expression twisted in sheer disgust as he covered his nose with a hand.
What was that smell? It was both rotten and metallic—like blood left to oxidize in the air, decaying over days. To a vampire like him, it was unbearable. It was like being presented with a feast only to realize it had turned into putrid, maggot-ridden sludge.
"There must be something terrifying inside. Are you sure you want to go in?" Nolan frowned.
As a vampire, he had little to fear. But Harry and Ron? If there really was something deadly within, they'd be the first to die.
"I trust Hagrid. He wouldn't send us to our deaths." Harry's expression was unwavering as he took the first step forward.
Seeing his determination, Nolan simply shrugged and followed without hesitation.
As they ventured deeper, the stench thickened, and Nolan soon identified the source.
It was a creature despised by all vampires—a species they considered utterly barbaric.
Spiders.
These creatures injected their venom into their prey, dissolving their flesh before slurping up the liquefied remains. The entire process was grotesque.
Vampires found them utterly repulsive, labeling them as crude, uncultured, and lacking any sense of dining etiquette.
At last, they reached the depths of the cavern. The spiders that had led them here scattered, vanishing into the darkness.
"Are we here?" Harry asked hesitantly, peering into the pitch-black surroundings.
Then, the sound of something stirring reached their ears—like countless branches scratching against the ground.
And then, in the dim glow of the moonlight filtering through the cracks above, they saw it.
A colossal spider.
It loomed in the darkness, as large as a small house, its multiple gleaming eyes locking onto Harry.
Ron turned deathly pale, his entire body trembling as if he might faint at any moment. He instinctively pressed closer to Harry, as though that alone could shield him from the nightmare before him.
"H-Harry… should we run?" Ron's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes never leaving the monstrous spider.
But Harry wasn't paying attention to Ron's fear.
He stepped forward, courage unwavering, ready to speak to the giant arachnid before them.