Basilisk

Wilhelmina Grubbly responded to the letter the same day it was sent.

"This is such an important clue that I can't believe I didn't think of it!" Grubbly wrote.

She eloquently listed to Anthony a long list of dangerous magical animals with huge yellow eyes, including chimeras, leopards, cat leopards, griffins, basilisks, and a large number of dragons.

"Considering the condition of Myrtle's body, I tend to think that the murderer is a chimera or a basilisk. The poisonous leopard does not damage the body, but its poisonous gas is not immediately fatal, which is consistent with Myrtle's description. Doesn't match.

"Of course, it is not ruled out that Myrtle saw someone smuggling the poison leopard, and the other party used the Death Curse because he was afraid that she would leak the secret. This most famous killing curse can indeed cause instant death, and it will not destroy Corpse."

"Puzzlingly, all of the above-mentioned creatures were so large that they would have been difficult to hide in the school without attracting attention. Furthermore, other than during that time, we have never heard of anything else going on at Hogwarts. Monster. At that time, people were not even sure whether it was man-made black magic or damage caused by magical animals. I speculate that it is now either in the Forbidden Forest or has been transported away by stowaways."

She invited Anthony to use his position to take more walks in the Forbidden Forest or strange places in the castle in his free time. Every brick and stone in Hogwarts has witnessed ancient secrets, and she believes that Anthony can definitely find more clues.

…

Anthony went to see Myrtle again. She was delighted to have a visitor and invited him to sit on the toilet. But she suddenly becomes angry after Anthony asks her if the yellow eyes she saw before she died were more like a cat, a snake or a bird.

"I don't care about the eyes! I was crying inconsolably!" she cried, offended, and rushed into the toilet. "It's Olive Humbe! She laughed at my spectacles!"

"I mean..."

"I don't care, and no one cares about me anyway!" cried Myrtle, her voice echoing off the toilet wall and making the whole bathroom buzz. "No one cares about being short, fat, and full of acne. Myrtle! Myrtle with four eyes like a dog!"

"I'm standing here because I care." Anthony patted the toilet tank reassuringly.

Myrtle stopped crying and asked suspiciously, "You care?"

"I am a professor, and of course I care about the students in the school. You and my students are about the same age, how could I be indifferent to your death." Anthony said, "I want to find your murderer, because this person is probably still alive. At least."

He knelt down and stared at the emotionally sensitive adolescent ghost.

Myrtle looked at him, sobbing, and whispered, "Professor."

Anthony ignored the fact that she was born before he was. She was a student when she became a ghost, and her mind will always stay at that time. Ghosts watch the living grow and change, and time can only bring them wear and tear.

They are trapped in their own death.

"Myrtle," he said earnestly, "I would be grateful if you could help me recall those eyes. That is important to us."

"I couldn't see clearly at the time," Myrtle said sadly. "Olive Humbey teased me for being ugly and funny with my glasses. Do you still cry with your glasses on after being teased like a four-eyed dog?" "

Anthony sighed silently and said to Myrtle's head floating on the water: "It doesn't matter, we will know what it is. Thank you."

"Goodbye, Professor," Myrtle said gloomily, ducking back into the toilet bowl.

"Goodbye." Anthony held the bathroom door and turned around and said, "By the way, I must say that Olive Humbey-whoever she is-is talking nonsense. There are several of my students. One who wears glasses. And the most popular student this year, Harry Potter, also wears a pair of glasses. Your glasses are normal. Plus, you have a nice voice. Be happy, Myrtle."

Myrtle howled.

…

Anthony also visited Hagrid. He brought Ms. Grubbly's letter and asked Hagrid if he had seen any signs of activity like these monsters in the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was greatly moved and wiped his eyes and promised that he would tell Anthony once he found the clue.

"Thank you for wanting to help me." He picked up the letter with his broad fingers and read it carefully, "Oh, Chimeramon, it would be great if it was really in the Forbidden Forest... I hope it will like the Forbidden Forest. Life...but the creature is in the castle. Aragog will not lie to me," he said with certainty.

Anthony drank with Hagrid until late that day. The half-drunk Hagrid also took him to the Forbidden Forest to meet his good friend Aragog, an Acromantula.

"Hagrid, why did you bring someone here? He doesn't smell very delicious." Aragog commented in a gourmet tone. The giant spiders surrounding it moved their large claws in approval, and the surrounding area was surrounded by clicking sounds.

Anthony scratched his arm and felt a spider thread gently brushing against him. This empty depression is filled with fog, and the thick fog and night cover up the nest of this group of Acromantulas. It's hard to tell whether it's thicker mist in the depths or dense spider webs.

"Aragog, meet Henry." Hagrid slapped Anthony hard on the back, almost causing him to fall on the claws of a spider. The dark black spider almost blended into the night, with only eight eyes faintly reflecting the starlight. It was staring at Anthony greedily, clicking, clicking, and its large claws trembled rapidly with excitement.

"Uh, hello." Anthony tried to ignore the sight of the spiders and said to the huge spider in the middle. He had sobered up.

He wasn't sure whether he should shake its hand, and if so, which gray-black leg he should hold.

"Henry is looking into that creature, that creature you haven't told me what it is," Hagrid said to Aragog. "He has several guesses."

"Hagrid——" Aragog said helplessly.

"Is it a poisonous leopard?" Anthony asked.

If an Acromantula could laugh, it would be Aragog's reaction. It shook its big claws: "If this is your best guess, then you should check more, Hagrid's friend."

"Chimeramon?"

Aragog thought for a while and said slowly: "This sounds more delicious." The spider next to it made a clicking sound with its large claws.

"Basilisk?"

The clicking sound suddenly stopped.

"You - how can you say this name!" Aragog whispered emotionally, "I can't say it, we won't say it!" It retreated into the depths of the spider web. With a rustling sound, the spider swarm retreated like ocean waves.

The starlight shines on the spider webs floating around, reflecting a silvery white light. Anthony and Hagrid stood in silence. The cool evening breeze blew through them.

"I think it's this," Anthony finally said, "the basilisk."

Hagrid scratched his head: "I think so too."