"Hello, Aragog," Bryan said politely as he approached the giant spider with Hagrid by his side. "My name is Bryan Watson. As Hagrid said, I am a professor at Hogwarts, and also serving as—"
"Leave my territory, stranger! Leave at once! I have nothing to say to you!" Aragog roared, interrupting Bryan's words with a swipe of his huge claw that sent a blast of air towards them. His voice was deep and raspy, like two boulders rubbing against each other. His fur was matted and dirty, and his legs were covered with scars and wounds. His one good eye glared at them with a mixture of anger and fear. He was the king of this dark forest, and he did not tolerate any intruders.
"For Hagrid's sake, I will spare your life if you go now!"
The horde of smaller spiders that surrounded them tensed up at Aragog's words. They crawled closer to their prey, digging their sharp legs into the soil nervously. Their green compound eyes glittered with hunger and malice in the dim light. Their jaws snapped and opened, as if they were already tasting the flesh and blood of the frail humans near Hagrid.
Bryan felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the restless spiders. His face lost its usual smile and became serious. He wore a dark cloak that contrasted with his fair skin and blond hair. He held a wand in his hand, ready to use it if necessary. He had a rare chance to learn the truth, and he was not going to give up so easily.
"Go back, Professor Watson,"
Hagrid pleaded, his eyes wide with worry. "Aragog and his kin don't like strangers, and I haven't brought anyone here for years. It's too risky!" Hagrid was a half-giant with a large beard and a shaggy coat. He towered over Bryan, but he was gentle and loyal to his friends. He had raised Aragog from an egg, and he still cared for him despite his hostility.
"I respect you, Hagrid—"
Aragog moved around in the large web that covered the crater like a dome. He made a hissing sound that echoed in the air. "My sons and daughters obey me and do not harm you, but I cannot stop them from craving the fresh human meat that you have brought to them. Hagrid, if your friend does not leave, you will have to return to the castle alone!" "Come on, Professor Watson, you won't get any useful information from him!"
The situation was getting worse by the minute. Hagrid urged Bryan to leave, but Bryan ignored him. He kept his gaze fixed on Aragog, who stared back at him with his one good eye.
The 'little spiders' were closing in. Hagrid could not stand it any longer. He rushed to Bryan's side and reached out to grab his arm. But as soon as his fingers touched the wizard's robe, the vortex in Bryan's eyes began to spin!
The raindrops that fell from the dark sky turned into frozen pearls. They seemed to defy gravity and hung in mid-air, motionless.
The dead leaves that had been blown away by the shock bounced back into the air with a slow but steady force as soon as they hit the ground. The fine raindrops that had been scattered by them traced their spiral paths clearly. This amazing and magical scene was imprinted in Hagrid's eyes. He forgot for a moment that he was paralyzed.
A breeze stirred. The sound of rain faded away. Time seemed to stand still. And space was like amber that was about to harden.
All the noises ceased. And the spiders stopped moving their claws. Only their compound eyes quivered slightly with extreme fear, showing that they were still alive.
Bryan cautiously brushed away the brittle leaves that carpeted the ground in front of him. He navigated around clusters of thorny bushes that tore at his skin. He evaded the webs of the tiny spiders that attempted to ensnare him. He descended the steep steps that led to the bottom of the pit. And finally, he confronted the ancient spider with a milky eye that was the lord of this dark realm.
Bryan lifted his arm and pressed his wand firmly against Aragog's massive head. His eyes were cold and stern. And his quiet voice carried a thunderous authority.
"It seems that for your sake as Hagrid's friend, I will give you a chance to tell the truth."
The wind howled. And Aragog felt a surge of pain in his old body. But he still remained silent. And in his mouthparts, worn out by time and decay, the sharp teeth clattered against each other. As if they were ready to strike.
Aragog uttered a trembling voice, "That's the fear hidden in the blood, we can't resist it." "It's so difficult -"
Bryan rubbed his wet hair in frustration,
"If you insist on not saying anything, Aragog, I can only go to your mind to find it myself. To be honest, I don't want to do that. It may harm your health."
Hagrid on the edge of the crater blinked his eyes desperately after hearing this, and he struggled hard, but this kind of confinement of the magical power in his body was just like the curse of petrification suffered by Colin Creevey and Justin Fletchley. It could not be overcome by personal willpower, no matter how strong Hagrid was. He could only watch Bryan's wand glow again with a menacing light!
Just when Hagrid thought Aragog was doomed to die, a voice full of wisdom and compassion sounded behind Hagrid, and before he could react, a beam of silver light soared over his body with a bang, appearing above the head of Bryan who was about to strike.The silver phoenix flapped its wings gracefully, and sprinkled a shower of starry sparks around the gloomy place.
"It's foolish to save some lives while destroying others, Bryan, let this poor spider go, it has suffered enough." The magic power around was still frozen, but the silver Patronus carrying Dumbledore's spirit and will seemed to be completely unaffected. It hovered calmly in mid-air and looked at Bryan with a gentle gaze.
A tense silence filled the cold air. This was a silent confrontation, and it was clear who had the upper hand.
"I'm sorry, Hagrid, I may have done some rude things to your friends in the Forbidden Forest, I hope you can forgive me–"
In front of the wooden house, Bryan's tone was filled with regret ,"I don't know why, but in the past two years, I have developed a bad habit. When others are rude to me, it is difficult for me to control my temper."
"It's not your fault, Professor Watson Aragog really has a bad temper."
His face was pale, and Hagrid said with a 'smile' like he had just survived a near-death experience.
The sky was a dull gray, and a light drizzle fell from the clouds. Bryan could barely tell what time it was by looking at the sunless horizon. He had taken shelter under the wooden eaves of the Quidditch stands, where he was shivering and nibbling on a sandwich that the Gryffindor team had left for him. They had woken him up from his nap earlier, telling him it was lunch time.
As he strode across the courtyard from Hagrid's hut to the castle, he heard someone call out his name. He turned and saw Hermione Granger waving at him. She had a wand in her hand, and she was using it to dry Harry Potter's hair, which was dripping wet and stuck to his forehead. She looked delighted to see him, but her eagerness nearly caused a mishap when the sparks from her wand flew too close to Harry's eyebrows.
Bryan greeted her with a smile, but he felt a twinge of annoyance. He had been looking forward to meeting someone else, not her. He wondered what she wanted from him this time.
"Where did you go this morning? I went to your office, but you were not there. I wanted to ask you, is it still time to write a reply letter for Professor Lockhart tomorrow?"
'Write a letter for Professor Lockhart? 'Bryan felt a surge of irritation. He had completely forgotten about that ridiculous assignment. He had been too busy exploring the secrets hidden in Lockhart's office last weekend, and he had no interest in writing fan letters for the pompous fraud. But he knew that Hermione was a big fan of Lockhart, and he did not want to disappoint her.
"Sorry, I had some business with Hagrid this morning. It's still time, Miss Granger."
Bryan nodded, and then he looked at Ron Weasley, who was standing under the roof with a disgusted expression on his face. He clearly did not share Hermione's admiration for Lockhart. Next to him was Harry Potter, who looked curious about Bryan's visit to Hagrid. Bryan gave them a wink, and a mysterious smile.
"You might want to bring some help, Miss Granger. It's not easy for the two of us to handle all those letters. It's quite exhausting."