Ron's discovery about the spiders was like a boulder thrown into a still lake, sending huge ripples through Gryffindor Tower. The relaxed atmosphere vanished completely, replaced by a silent tension that hung over the common room like low pressure.
"Investigate! We have to investigate immediately!" Harry was the first to rise, determination blazing in his green eyes. "We'll start with the direction those spiders ran!"
"Agreed!" Ron immediately replied. Though his face was still somewhat pale, his fear had been overwhelmed by a greater sense of responsibility. "I saw them crawling out through the window crack in that corner of the common room. The direction... was probably toward the west side of the castle?"
Hermione had already taken out parchment and a quill, quickly sketching a simple map of the castle and marking the places where the spiders had appeared. "The window crack in the common room, the door crack to the Potions Class storeroom... they all point toward the west wing. What's there?" She chewed thoughtfully on the tip of her quill.
"The second floor... the Girls' Lavatory?" Ginny's voice carried a faint, barely noticeable tremor. She seemed to have recalled some unpleasant memories. "It's... very secluded there, and..."
"Moaning Myrtle!" Harry and Ron said in unison. That place, its name alone, brought to mind cold dampness and sorrow.
"That's right!" Hermione's eyes lit up. "The lavatory where Myrtle stays, along with the abandoned pipework nearby, is hidden enough, and it fits the route spiders would take while fleeing the nest of a 'powerful predator'! And..." She glanced at Lynn. "The broom closet where we found the Diary is nearby too."
Lynn gave a slight nod, acknowledging her deduction. He stood, his movements carrying a silent air of command. "We go now."
The castle corridors at night were quieter