great-warnovel Chapter 21 Giant in the Cave
Chapter 21 Giant in the Cave
That evening, Hermione finished reading another book she had borrowed from the library, stretched by the fireplace, and, calculating the time, realized it was time to wash up and go to bed.
Just then, Harry and Ron walked over suspiciously. There was no one else in the lounge, but they continued to act furtively.
"Night stroll?" Without even saying a word, Hermione knew what they were up to just by looking at them.
"Are we that obvious?" Ron asked incredulously.
"The anomaly is obvious."
"Hermione, have you finished reading your book?" Harry asked with great interest.
"Just finished reading it, what are your plans?"
Harry said mysteriously, "Just come with us."
Hermione hadn't expected that they actually had a target; she thought they'd just been hanging around lately. So she tidied herself up and followed the two boys out of the lounge, wearing an invisibility cloak.
The three walked and stopped frequently, and at a corner they encountered Professor Potter on night patrol. Fortunately, Hermione grabbed Ron when he was about to take a step, otherwise he would have stepped on the professor's robe.
They walked until they reached the middle of the fourth-floor corridor, where a one-eyed, hunchbacked witch statue stood. Harry looked left and right, then whispered to the statue, "Separate left and right!"
The statues parted, revealing a secret passage leading downwards to the three people.
"Hurry up, Mom will be here again soon!"
They only breathed a sigh of relief after all three of them jumped into the secret passage and the statues slammed shut with a rumble.
"Where does this lead?" Hermione's interest was piqued. She recalled some of the events and memories she had glimpsed when the Faded Ones were transmitting spells. In the dark tomb, two bronze imps jumped out from behind her and started stabbing her kidneys.
Or perhaps it's a magnificent underground palace where a chariot loaded with spiked wheels chases people around in chaos. While it's terrifying to be there, it's quite entertaining from an observer's perspective.
"It's said that this passage used to lead to Hogsmeade Village, the only wizarding village in all of Britain without Muggles, but it was abandoned after Hogwarts started moving," Ron explained, his expression inexplicably grim.
"Are we going to walk all the way to the end of the path and fall out of Hogwarts?"
"No, we've already been through it once. This secret passage has been repurposed," Harry explained.
"Wait, let me mentally prepare myself, even though I've been through this once before." Ron's expression was serious as he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
Hermione was filled with curiosity; what was at the end of this tunnel?
"Alright! Let's go!" Ron said to the two with an expression of heroic defiance.
Harry shrugged, and the three continued forward. Since they were in a secret passage, they no longer wore cloaks, and their pace quickened considerably.
They hadn't walked far when they could vaguely see some light ahead, and there were rustling crawling sounds all around. Ron's expression became even uglier, as if he had been fed earwax-smelling Beans by Fred and George.
"Why not make it brighter?" Hermione wondered. Fluorescent flashes were a very basic spell, so she flicked a starlight that hovered above her head.
"No!" Ron cried out hastily, but it was too late.
The azure light illuminated the secret passage. The surrounding space no longer bore many traces of human intervention, resembling more of a mountain cave. Beside the descending steps, an astonishing number of small spiders were lined up, heading towards the end of the secret passage.
"Help!" Ron was almost crying. "It would be better if I couldn't see them! Why did you have to show them in the photo?!"
Sensing the light, the little spiders gathered around the three of them, but they weren't aggressive; they just circled around them, seemingly very curious.
Only the world where Ron was injured was achieved.
"They seem to like this light?" Hermione keenly noticed the problem; they weren't interested in people, but in the light itself.
She bent down, gently hooked a small spider with her hand, and examined it closely.
"How dare you pick it up!" Ron whimpered like a little girl, cowering behind Harry, who looked helpless.
"Inside their bellies is the power of pyroxene..." Hermione murmured to herself.
"What did you say?" Harry asked.
Hermione turned and tapped the staff on her back: "They have some kind of radioactive substance in their stomachs, and so does my light spell. They love radiation."
Harry seemed thoughtful, then pulled the two of them along, saying, "Let's not linger here, we'll be there soon."
Hermione was also curious about where the little spiders were going, so she quickened her pace. The two of them dragged Ron, whose legs were weak, and continued forward, surrounded by the little spiders.
Before long, the secret passage came to an end.
It was a spacious, circular cave with interconnected passageways. Countless spiders of all sizes scurried through it, and thick white spiderwebs were everywhere. However, because it was so dark, one could only see faint, shadowy patches from a distance.
In the center of the cave, a campfire was burning, with a stove on top, cooking something steaming hot. Scattered around it were many odds and ends, such as blankets, umbrellas, and stools. There was also a large, fierce-looking black dog lying by the fire, pretending to sleep.
"Harry, is that you?" A loud but somewhat weak voice rang out from across the fire. Hermione then saw a tall figure reclining against the wall at the boundary between firelight and darkness, covered with a thick blanket.
"It's me!" Harry called out, pulling Hermione and Ron forward.
"Hagrid, this is Hermione, the best young wizard in the first year, I told you. Oh, don't lick there!" Harry dealt with the enthusiastic big black dog, while Hermione took the opportunity to pet it, it felt great.
He then turned to Hermione and said, "This is Hagrid, the former gamekeeper at Hogwarts. He now works for Dumbledore, but he was injured recently and is recuperating here."
Hermione stepped forward and looked at the big man. He was so tall, even when he was sitting, he was much taller than Hermione. His face, covered with a thick beard, was a little pale, but he had a kind smile on his face.
"Hello Hagrid, my name is Hermione. I hope I haven't disturbed your rest."
"Oh, of course not. I'm incredibly bored here. I'd probably go crazy if Harry and the others hadn't found this place." Hagrid laughed heartily. "They always mention you, you fine little Muggle witch. Want some rock cakes?"
Harry and Ron frantically exchanged glances, signaling her not to take it, but as everyone knows, Hermione never refuses food.
To the astonishment of the two, the little witch began to gnaw on the rock-like thick cake like a hamster, eating with great relish.
"It's a bit hard, but what seasoning did you add? This pastry has a mixed aroma of tarragon and nutmeg... Mmm! The aftertaste is like dill! It's delicious!" Her eyes lit up.
"Haha, I knew you'd like it! This is my secret!" Hagrid winked at her smugly. "I have plenty here, more if you want more."
"Why are you healing here? There are spiders everywhere. Why don't you go to the school hospital?" Hermione asked while eating, breaking off two pieces to share with her companions. She wasn't one to eat alone.