Carl, something's wrong here, it seems like there's a problem."
"What's wrong?"
In the dense jungle, illuminated by moonlight filtering through the leaves, Nina was examining a map.
"We should have already entered Acromantula territory by now, but…"
Nina frowned, looking around, her voice filled with confusion, "It's unusually lively here."
"Lively?"
Carl focused and listened carefully, indeed detecting faint movements—the sounds of various nocturnal animals in the darkness.
"Logically, within Acromantula territory, there should be almost no other animals surviving."
Acromantulas are a cruel and extremely dangerous magical creature, especially when they form large colonies, as their need for food is immense.
Within their territory, other animals are either hunted by them or flee on their own.
But now there are not only animals, but quite a few of them.
"Could it be that something happened to the Acromantula colony? Did they abandon their territory?"
Carl recalled carefully, not remembering anything in the Forbidden Forest that could threaten them.
After all, adult Acromantulas are enormous, each one about the size of a horse.
When their eight legs stretch out from their sides, their span can reach fifteen feet, making them look extremely terrifying.
Once these ghastly creatures form a group, even a Dragon would have to quickly take flight to get away.
The Acromantula's only natural enemy is the Basilisk, but the Basilisk is still in the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherinright now.
What's going on?
"Be careful, if things go wrong, retreat immediately. There's no need to take risks."
At Carl's suggestion, they gripped their wands and cautiously moved forward.
Along the way, broken cobwebs constantly appeared, indicating that the Acromantulas had not been active for some time.
Finally, they arrived at the edge of a wide hollow, where the trees had been cleared away.
In the center of the hollow, there was a dense, hemispherical cobweb, covering the cave below.
Nina poked Carl with her finger, "The spiders are all hiding. There must be a more dangerous creature in the Forbidden Forest."
Carl nodded, pulling her back, not intending to investigate further.
"Let's leave here first."
The two transformed into Jungle Cats and returned the way they came at the fastest speed, until they reached the vicinity of the Mooncalf nest.
At this time, under the moonlight, the adorable Mooncalves were still dancing, a stark contrast to the deathly silence in the Acromantula territory.
Nina noticed Carl's furrowed brow, "Did you think of something?"
"A Basilisk. Only that thing could make the Acromantulas so afraid."
Perhaps other magical creatures could also pose a threat to them, but something that could make an entire Acromantula colony hide, abandon their territory, and stop hunting, could only be a Basilisk.
But the Basilisk guards the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin. It couldn't possibly come out for a stroll and some snacks, could it?
Carl suddenly remembered that Heller and Quirrell had communicated near the third-floor girls' lavatory, and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was right there. Could the Chamber of Secrets have been opened?
However, there were too few clues now to draw an accurate conclusion.
Actually, they could scout around the Acromantulaterritory to see if they could find any traces of the Basilisk.
But unless absolutely necessary, he would never put Ninaat risk.
It's a pity Harry hasn't enrolled this year; otherwise, he could take him into the Chamber of Secrets to see.
"A Basilisk? It hasn't appeared in Britain for hundreds of years, has it?"
It has, my friend! It has!
Not only does it exist, but it's right here in Hogwarts Castle, where we live, reside, and study.
"Then do you have any other answer?"
"Well…"
Nina thought carefully and realized there really were no other suspects.
"Do you know how dangerous a Basilisk is?"
"Of course. Its eyes can kill anyone or any animal that meets its gaze."
Carl raised his hand and patted her head, "So don't go into the Forbidden Forest for now."
"Mhm."
Creeping back into Hogwarts Castle, Carl dropped Ninaoff at the Ravenclaw Tower, then wandered around the Castle for a while, but unfortunately didn't encounter the Weasley Brothers.
It wasn't until the next day in the Great Hall that Carl had a chance to chat with them for a bit, but unfortunately, neither matter had made any progress.
So Carl reminded them again not to enter the Castle's secret passages or the Forbidden Forest during this time.
The Weasley Brothers nodded in agreement, and at the same time, took out two books for Carl to sign.
"the lion, the witch and the wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian" had already been published and were selling well at school.
It wouldn't be long before Carl could be considered a bestselling author.
He wondered what Lockhart would think of his fellow author.
...
After November began, the Quidditch tournament at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also kicked off.
Cedric and other newly joined players were about to play their first matches after two months of training.
There were two matches on Saturday: the first was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and the second was Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw.
The matches were scheduled for eleven in the morning, but the school's teachers and students had already arrived at the stands around the pitch before then.
Especially the Gryffindor and Slytherin students, they brought binoculars and held up cheering flags and banners.
However, the little lions and little snakes were a bit confused as to why they didn't see the little eagles and Hufflepuffs.
"Pomona, Filius, where are your house members? Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Professor McGonagall, as a passionate Quidditchenthusiast, was a fervent supporter of her own house team, so she was among the first Professors to arrive at the stadium stands.
"I'm not quite sure either."
Professor Sprout was equally puzzled. Not to mention that Hufflepuff had a match today, even if they didn't, the Young Wizards wouldn't miss such an exciting opportunity.
Professor Flitwick chuckled, "Perhaps they're preparing some kind of surprise?"
His office was on the eighth floor, offering a commanding view. Around nine o'clock, he saw many students from his own house and Hufflepuff students gathered together discussing something.
This kind of scene was normal usually, but on the eve of a Quidditch match between the two houses, it was quite rare.
"Alright, let's hope it's not a fright."
Professor McGonagall didn't pay it much mind; she quickly turned her attention to second-year Lee Jordan.
This child was commentating the match for the first time today, so he mustn't make any mistakes.
Time passed minute by minute, and amidst the clamor in the stands, the match was about to begin.
Just then, two neatly arranged teams walked from the direction of the Castle, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Under the clear sky, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclawstudents appeared in brand new and beautiful school uniforms.
A somewhat cold wind ruffled their robes and scarves; the yellow-and-black and blue-and-white color schemes were distinct yet harmoniously integrated.
Looking out, they were vibrant and spirited, as if injecting new vitality into the entire Hogwarts.
This… looks really good!
The Gryffindor and Slytherin students looked over there, then at their own plain, old-fashioned black robes, and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
Dear classmates, why didn't you tell us you got new clothes?
How embarrassing!
Professor McGonagall: "Alright, I know what the surprise is now. It's truly extraordinary."
Professor Sprout: "Yes, if only we could have done the same back in our day."
And Professor Flitwick said nothing, only smiling. He liked the Young Wizards' vibrant spirit and energy.
As for Professor Snape…
"Hmph! Gaudy!"