Though the other two corners of the Iron Triangle had their disagreements and looked ready to fall apart at any moment, Harry's role as the glue had not yet failed.
So when the two noticed his expression, they immediately stopped arguing and moved closer.
Hermione asked, "What is it?"
"Look here." Harry waved his wand, moving over the ball of light summoned by the Lumos Charm and suspending it directly above the quest scroll. On the map, one of the several small arrows surrounding the three of them—positioned to their front-left—was slowly turning.
Its movement was strange.
Hermione and Ron, who had just come over, could both see that although the arrow was turning very slowly, it was clearly shifting left one moment and right the next. As time passed, it turned faster and faster, but over smaller and smaller angles.
It was as if something was gradually approaching from the direction the arrow pointed—and as it drew nearer, it was also gradually pinpointing their location!
"See!"
Ron suddenly shouted, startling Harry and Hermione again. He quickly shrank back and lowered his voice. "What did I tell you?
"The quest Vaughn designed definitely has bad intentions. How could he simply arrange for us to find a snake egg? Maybe this arrow represents that legendary giant Runespoor!"
"Even if the Runespoor knew in advance that we were egg thieves and came to intercept us, I wouldn't be surprised—Vaughn is absolutely capable of doing something like that!"
This time, Hermione did not argue. She looked at Harry.
In their little group, Harry was always the one who made the final decision.
Though his grades were poor, he loved slacking off, had no self-control, studied inconsistently, and was practically a useless layabout, he possessed a quality neither Hermione nor Ron had.
He was