Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 308 The Conspiracy Surrounding Hogwarts

So, he had actually heard of Vaughn Weasley and knew about his exploits as early as last year.

How familiar that age, strength, and wrist are.

The last young wizard who gave him this complex feeling of apprehension was named Tom Riddle.

Fearful memories filled his mind. Aragog struggled out of that nightmarish past, and when he came to his senses, he turned and "looked" at Vaughn, then raised one leg and pressed it down on Aragog's head.

Beneath him, Aragred froze for a moment, then struggled and screamed, "No, Aragog, you can't—" Uh-oh, his head was pressed into the mud, and Aragog lifted up his other leg, aiming at the head writhing in the mud.

Meanwhile, Mars, who had been silent ever since Aragog emerged, was shocked by his father's actions—he could see, of course, that Aragog was preparing to kill Aracleed!

Why?

This was beyond his expectations, completely unexpected!

But Mars dared not move. Aragog was old and blind, but he was still the father and leader of all the eight-eyed giant spiders. As long as he lived, no one could disobey his decisions.

Hagrid was also shocked; he had been very angry, especially about Aracle, who had attacked Harry and Ron.

But he never intended to kill Alarclyde, including Alarvi. Hagrid avoided talking about Alarvi after he was torn apart by Vaughn's magic, simply because he felt guilty; he didn't actually want him to die.

This is a perfectly normal mindset; after all, they are Aragog's children, the descendants of his best friend, a group of descendants he watched grow up.

"Aragok, stop!"

Hagrid shouted to stop them.

Vaughn, on the other hand, remained unmoved. He looked at Aragog with amusement, having naturally noticed the old spider's glance before it took its first step.

Or rather, Aragog deliberately let him see it.

What does the other person mean?

Was he putting on an act hoping to give Alacride a way out, or was he genuinely prepared to kill Alacride for offending him and try to win her forgiveness?

Or perhaps————

What is this old spider trying to hide?

Vaughn narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled, flicked his fingers, and his wand spun a few times before a silent spell shot out.

A dim, cold light instantly traversed space and struck the struggling Alacride.

The magical power completely disregarded Alarclyde's own will and took effect on him without any restraint, causing blue smoke to erupt from all parts of his body in an instant.

As for Alacride himself, he was like a leaky balloon, rapidly shrinking and shrinking!

In just a few seconds, this 15-foot-long, eight-eyed giant spider shrank to the size of a child's palm.

Arakled was stunned.

Even Hagrid and Harry gaped, and it took them a while to realize that this must be Vorn's magic.

Oh, but Ron remains true to himself, still too afraid to lift his head.

"I'm so sorry, Hagrid. I've neglected to discipline the children, which led them to offend your friend and almost break the rules we set."

The tense situation was resolved, and all the eight-eyed giant spiders returned to their nests under Aragog's reprimand.

Including that pretentious Mars.

Aragog stayed behind, and he solemnly apologized to Hagrid.

But relying on the echolocation map that Mao "draws" in his mind, he is focused on Vaughn, who is not far away, taking out a glass jar from his bag and grabbing Alacride to put it in.

Seeing that the other party had not killed Alarclyde, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No one can see through the true thoughts of an eight-eyed giant spider, not even Hagrid. Faced with Aragog's aged yet sincere appearance, Hagrid opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing more, only sighing: "This is really terrible, Aragog. Everything today is terrible, from the attack on us, to the death of Alavé, to your appearance to kill Aracleed—Merlin, my head is in a mess right now, I even suspect this is a nightmare."

Hagrid was frustrated.

Because before he set off, he never imagined things would turn out this way.

He thought it was a safe journey, so he brought Vaughn to Aragog to borrow a few children for research. Vaughn assured him that the research would not harm the giant spiders—and then they rushed back before nightfall.

Because the route was fixed, there was no trouble finding the way; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Harry and his two companions to come along.

But to everyone's surprise, while there were no problems on the way, once they arrived at their destination, one thing after another became more and more troublesome.

He had just asked Harry why he and Ron were attacked.

Harry's answer was unembellished and sounded quite normal; the Octopod was indeed a ferocious magical creature that enjoyed eating people.

This is one of the reasons for Hagrid's emotional turmoil and depression.

On the way here, Professor Kettleburn praised him for keeping the giant spider under control, and although he was shy at the time, he accepted the praise.

The result was a slap in the face that came so quickly.

What saddened him even more was that his efforts had failed. He had tried to prove that even the inherently ferocious eight-eyed giant spiders could be transformed into a civilized, orderly, and kind intelligent species if properly educated.

Alaclay and Allavi's actions dealt a huge blow to Hagrid's ideals.

Seeing Hagrid's frustrated expression, Aragog was not surprised. As a good friend, he knew Hagrid's ideals, but he also knew that they were naive.

Not all eight-eyed giant spiders are like him, with Hagrid taking care of them closely.

As a monstrous weapon created by ancient wizards, the Eight-Eyed Giant Spider possesses a bloodline driven by a craving for humans, a urge that begins from the moment of its birth.

Love and order, the bonds of emotion, can indeed restrain that impulse, but so far, only he has been able to do so.

The other giant spiders were merely subservient to his authority and were simply playing along with Hagrid.

This deterrent effect derived from his prestige has actually been weakening as he grows older and as external forces intervene.

Originally, he didn't want to come out today, but—

Aragog turned around and "looked" again at the young wizard named Vaughn Weasley.

In all his life, he had never seen such a violent "Sandstorm Curse." His footsteps stomped across the ground, the vibrations spreading outwards and then returning to be detected by his ears.

Then, he "saw" in his mind the traces of the forest being destroyed.

It was a "scar" that stretched more than 30 feet across the woodland, as if a hurricane had swept through. Where the scar extended, grass, trees, stones—everything was reduced to dust.

Merlin then realized how shocked he was when he sensed the magic in the nest (a hemispherical spider web) through "signal threads" (webs that transmit specific information to spiders, such as when they catch prey).

He knew that his foolish child had messed with someone he couldn't afford to mess with!

This prompted him to rush out, lest those ignorant fools bring disaster upon themselves.

Just then, Aragog saw Vaughn Weasley, who had put Araclede in a glass bottle, look up, smile, and walk over.

Aragog remained still and waited quietly in place.

The renowned Vaughn Weasley was very polite, and he seemed to know about the spider's abilities, so he deliberately made his steps heavier and his movements more exaggerated so that Aragog's hearing could sense it.

Vaughn Weasley approached and bowed to him: "Good day, dear Aragog."

"—You too, esteemed Mr. Weasley."

Aragog responded cautiously.

Beside him, Hagrid, increasingly depressed and already wiping his eyes, belatedly realized, "Huh? Aragog, you know Vaughn?"

Aragok did not answer.

There are many things that the naive Hagrid cannot understand, and there is no need for him to say more, lest he only add to the other person's troubles.

Vaughn Weasley seemed to understand this as well, and he smiled at Hagrid: "Hagrid, why don't you go visit Ron and look after Professor Kettleburn while you're at it? I'll talk to Aragog."

Hagrid paused, then said, "But—"

Aragog also said, "Yes, Hagrid, don't worry, I won't do anything to him."

Hagrid opened his mouth. He had believed that before, but after what had just happened, who knew?

However, there was no need to say it aloud, as it would affect his relationship with Aragog. Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, he still gave the two of them some space to be alone.

Watching Hagrid walk away, Vaughn looked at the enormous eight-eyed spider beside him and smiled: "Looks like you also want to talk to me, but before we get down to business—"

He held up the glass bottle in his hand and shook it: "You have no objection to leaving Aracle to me, right? Of course, I promised Hagrid that I wouldn't harm the eight-eyed spider. Once the experiment is complete, I'll return you a healthy child."

Aragog replied decisively, "That would be an honor for that fool, esteemed Mr. Weasley."

"Speaking of which, you seem to know me quite well?"

"No magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest have never heard of you. Centaurs, wolf cubs, proud and holy unicorns, and the magical creatures you brought to the castle—they all speak of your fame and deeds. Only my foolish children know nothing of you."

Vaughn nodded repeatedly; that made sense. So he suddenly asked, "So, today's attacks by Allavi and Aracleli were not aimed at me, but at Harry?"

"."

""

Aragog did not answer, remaining silent.

Vaughn chuckled. This spider was no pushover; hidden beneath its ferocious beastly exterior was a cunning heart.

Fifty years ago, Tom Riddle opened the secret room and released the Basilisk to attack the students, resulting in Myrtle's death. Others were unaware of this, but the giant spider, who considered the Basilisk its natural enemy and had a similar preference for the environment, actually knew very well who the murderer was.

But he never told Hagrid or Dumbledore about the Basilisk, even when people died, even when Hagrid was framed and expelled.

He told Hagrid that it was because he dared not call out the name of his natural enemy.

This kind of nonsense can only fool Hagrid, who has spent most of his life holed up in the Forbidden Forest and has a simple mind.

Ultimately, this guy was just afraid of Tom Riddle, afraid to mess with him, afraid that the other would come after him—in reality, Tom had no interest in paying attention to a "lowly beast."

However, for Vaughn, Aragog's bullying and cowardly nature was not a bad thing.

From another perspective, bullying the weak and fearing the strong can also mean being pragmatic, smart, and knowing which kind of people you can bully and deceive, and which kind of people you should never mess with.

If Aragog were truly familiar with his deeds, he would surely understand that Vaughn Weasley was no gentleman to be easily deceived.

Conversely, some of the more ferocious, man-eating magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest, such as the cloaks, are now obediently staying in the small world of Hogwarts Castle, contributing to the reform of the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical course.

Their fate best explains Vaughn's character.

Sure enough, after a long silence, seeing that Vaughn was just playing with his wand without saying a word, Aragog not only did not relax, but his psychological pressure increased.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally couldn't help but speak up: "You promised Hagrid you wouldn't hurt the Eight-Eyed Spider!"

"Of course, but only if you don't endanger me and my friends. If I told Hagrid that your children Aracle and Mars had been bribed by outsiders to harm Harry, I think he might be sad, but he would definitely not stop me again—just like 50 years ago when you were branded a murderer and the Ministry of Magic was preparing to eliminate you, he protected you without hesitation."

"—How do you know about things from 50 years ago? Did Dumbledore tell you? No, he's not sure. He asked me, but I haven't told anyone!"

"Now it's not my turn to answer your questions, but for you to prove to me that the foolish things your children have done have nothing to do with you, otherwise—"

Aragog was somewhat agitated.

He paced restlessly, his huge, heavy body and hard feet pounding into the ground, the vibrations spreading outwards and then back in.

He imprinted everything around him into his mind.

He kept a close eye on Vaughn Weasley, who stood before him seemingly unsuspecting.

It was as if one could simply extend a foot or reach out a spinning wheel to kill or capture the little wizard.

But the suspicious, cunning, cautious, and intelligent Aragog ultimately did not choose to take the risk. Besides, he did not believe that a powerful wizard like Vaughn Weasley would really stand in front of him without any defenses.

He felt that the other party was using himself as bait to lure him into attacking, so that the other party could kill him legitimately.

Just like not long ago, when the other party used magic to tear Alavi to pieces.

Poor, foolish Alavi —

Thinking of his dead child, Aragog felt much calmer, and he finally realized that the young wizard in front of him was neither Hagrid nor Dumbledore.

Hagrid and Dumbledore are good people, but this guy in front of us isn't!

"Well, you win, Mr. Weasley." Aragog's deep voice carried frustration, exasperation, and a hint of weariness.

Seeing him back down, Vaughn smiled: "There's no winner or loser, Aragog. You're Hagrid's friend. You just made the choice you had to make."

creak creak —

Aragog rubbed his chelicerae against his mouth without replying, but said, "About three months ago, a group of wizards came from outside the Forbidden Forest. They found Mars, my strongest son, the future leader of the Octopod Spider clan, and they reached some cooperation."

More than three months ago?

That was before school started.

To be precise, Vaughn had just finished his North American trip.

Vaughn asked, "What kind of cooperation?"

"I don't know. Mars didn't tell me, and I don't recommend you ask him. I don't have many years left to live, and I don't have the time or energy to raise another successor. Mars will take over my power after I die, and he needs a strong public image. I am his father, and he yields to me, so his brothers and sisters won't think he's weak. But you are different. If he succumbs to your magic, he will die!"

This is indeed a problem. Considering the peace and stability of the Forbidden Forest, the Eight-Eyed Spider cannot be allowed to fall into power struggles. In addition, due to Hagrid's reasons, the Eight-Eyed Spider cannot be killed outright.

Therefore, Vaughn softened his tone and stopped pressing: "Do you know who those foreign wizards are? Pure-bloods, or wizarding families from Wizarding England?"

Aragog hesitated for a moment, its chelicerae swaying: "No, neither."

"Um?"

"They are not English."

This was an unexpected answer, and Vaughn was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Aragok, his pale-eyed gray head shaking, said, "Their accent is strange. I've never heard it before, not even when I was still in the castle 50 years ago. But I know it's English, very fluent."

Hogwarts' enrollment area extends beyond the British Isles to the entire Commonwealth. Especially 50 years ago, the Commonwealth's area was quite large, even covering parts of India.

Such a recruitment scope should theoretically cover most English accents.

Of course, there are many countries in the world that use English, but when it comes to the wizarding community, it is not actually that complicated. In addition to British English, which is the core of British pronunciation, there is another English pronunciation system in the world.

American English!

Vaughn thought for a moment, then said to Aragog, "Listen, is this it?"

He tried a few different pronunciations, but it was basically the New England accent he learned in Boston, which is the New York area and is considered a relatively "common" American English.

Aragok discerned for a moment, his tentacles trembling: "Yes, yes, it's that unpleasant accent, like a bunch of country bumpkins!"

Ignoring the regional discrimination of a spider, Vaughn frowned slightly.

More than three months ago, American pronunciation —

In places he wasn't paying attention to, something beyond his comprehension seemed to be happening, and it was no longer happening on the other side of the ocean.

Aragog closely monitored Vaughn Weasley by using the vibrational patterns imprinted in his mind by listening to the hairs.

He didn't know why this terrible little wizard fell into deep thought after confirming his accent. He didn't care whether the information he revealed would harm the group of wizards that Mars had come into contact with—what did it matter to us eight-eyed giant spiders whether the wizards lived or died?