Hogwarts: I'm Harry's older cousin

Chapter 157, Section 155: Aragog, I'm here to negotiate.

Fudge and his group took Dumbledore with them, as well as Hagrid from near the Forbidden Forest.

As he was leaving, Lucius stared at Dudley for a long time, his lips moving for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single harsh word.

After witnessing Slytherin's adoration for Dudley and their ability to bypass him and obtain the joint signatures of the other eleven board members, he had the illusion of facing that person, except for Dudley's exaggerated physique.

I think I understand Draco a little bit now, but only a little bit.

Dumbledore's departure caused a slight disturbance, but it was quickly quelled by Professor McGonagall, who, as the vice-principal, was temporarily assuming the duties of the principal.

"Don't worry about what just happened, Dumbledore will be back soon."

"I think everyone must be hungry, so let's continue eating."

The Slytherins recovered the fastest, or rather, Dumbledore's departure had the least impact on them, and they ate elegantly at the long table.

The principal was taken away, but the disciplinary team and Mr. Dursley are still there, so there's no problem.

What's rare is that Lockhart, who is usually the most active, seemed to have a tongue-locking spell on his mouth today, and didn't try to jump out and attract attention at all, but just kept eating in silence.

Dali just glanced at him and didn't say anything more.

After downing his tea in one gulp, Dali leaned back in his chair, pondering his next move.

Audrey's disappearance was not too unexpected for him.

It would be abnormal for her to stay here.

However, Dudley believed that she was still hiding somewhere at Hogwarts.

Because she hasn't taken her revenge yet.

If you were Audrey, what would you do?

Oh, or rather, if you were Voldemort's Horcrux, what would you do?

Hogwarts is much safer than other places, especially since Dumbledore, the only person Voldemort feared, has now been taken away.

I believe it will appear soon.

"Stay here and behave yourself."

After the meal, Dudley took Hermione to her bedroom in Slytherin. It might not be the safest place in Hogwarts, but it was the place where Dudley felt most at ease.

"I'm not that weak."

Hermione was somewhat dissatisfied with Dudley's actions, believing that instead of being protected, he should do something meaningful.

"Of course, my little princess." Dudley ruffled Hermione's fluffy waves. "Your abilities are already on par with those of upperclassmen who are about to graduate."

"But the opponent is a basilisk, a basilisk that has lived for thousands of years. Although it is very weak now, it is still not an easy opponent. Even an adult wizard would only die if he looked into the eyes of the basilisk."

The basilisk's power is terrifying because of its instantaneous death effect; whoever it glares at dies instantly.

Dudley spent a lot of time persuading Hermione to agree to stay in his room.

"Remember to carry the Fierce Sparrow with you at all times. If that thing gets in here, its ability can hold it off for a while."

Previously, Dudley had captured three magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest: a Mandrake (Walking Grass), a Niffler, and a Witchbird. The Spearow is the name of the Witchbird.

It's inside the red and white ball on Hermione's waist.

After giving Hermione his instructions, Dudley went to Gryffindor and gave Harry and the others the same instructions before leaving Hogwarts.

Even in broad daylight, the Forbidden Forest appears gloomy under the cover of its lush foliage, especially one particular spot deep within the forest, which resembles the dwelling place of a villain in a fairy tale—eerie and terrifying.

As Dali ventured deeper into the forest, the trees overhead grew increasingly dense until the sky was no longer visible.

Listening closely, there was no other sound except for the sound of branches breaking and leaves rustling.

Logically speaking, this is very abnormal. Besides magical creatures, the Forbidden Forest also contains normal creatures, such as wild rabbits and insects.

However, there was nothing here.

Ahead lay an endless expanse of darkness.

Fortunately, Dudley had excellent night vision, allowing him to see the road ahead even without using illumination magic.

The road became narrower and more remote, with tangled tree roots and stumps everywhere, and thorny vines with barbs were almost everywhere, so you could easily get hurt if you weren't careful.

A mist suddenly appeared from nowhere, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply and making the forest even more terrifying.

"We've arrived," Dali muttered to himself, looking at the dense white netting hanging from the withered, broken branches ahead.

This is his destination.

A faint rustling sound came from all around, not from the leaves, but from the friction of arthropod legs.

"Hiss!"

A sharp sound rang out, as if calling for its companions.

No, if you remove the "like" part, it means you are calling for your companions.

The rustling sound gradually grew louder and more frequent, and it seemed as if countless eyes were staring at Dali in the pitch-black space, glowing with a faint green light.

Dudley pointed to the sky, and a faint point of light floated out from his fingertip, gradually rising into the air before suddenly bursting forth and illuminating the surrounding environment.

The ground beneath my feet was covered with fallen leaves, teeming with spiders. Each one was as big as a horse pulling a cart, with eight eyes and eight legs. They were black and hairy, like enormous creatures.

The eight-eyed giant spider lives deep in the rainforests of southeastern Asia. It is a 5X-level magical creature, cruel by nature, and possesses venom that can easily kill people. It is a rare social species, extremely aggressive, and has a penchant for eating humans.

The eggs of the giant eight-eyed spider are a Class A prohibited trade item, and are extremely rare in Europe, so their venom can fetch a very high price.

A pint costs as much as 100 Galleons.

The eight-eyed giant spiders stared intently at Dudley, their mouthparts hissing continuously.

This scene, which would send chills down the spine of any normal person, did not elicit any reaction from Dali, as if it were just a trivial matter.

"Aragok!"

The giant spiders seemed to be calling out, constantly waving their large claws.

Soon a giant spider, the size of a small elephant, appeared in Dudley's field of vision.

The other eight-eyed giant spiders kept hissing at the giant spider, seemingly trying to convey some kind of message.

"people?"

The eight-eyed giant spider, known as Aragog, made a hoarse sound.

"It wasn't Hagrid, it was a stranger."

This eight-eyed giant spider named Aragog seems to be blind, but it has a sense of smell, can speak human language, and even has extremely high intelligence.

"Wait... I think I smell that familiar scent. I'll never forget it! It's you! You took my child!"

This wasn't Dudley's first time here; he was a regular visitor during the winter, all for the venom of the giant eight-eyed spider.

"Outsider, you've got some nerve!"

"They actually delivered it to our door in person."

Aragog angrily brandished his large claws, making a cracking sound: "Delicious, sweet, human flesh. Then I won't be polite."

"Aragok, I'm here to negotiate."

(End of this chapter)