"Chickens? Roosters, even? Surely the Chamber Monster's natural enemy should be some sacred magical creature like a unicorn, a qilin, or a thunderbird?"
Ron's mouth hung open wide enough to fit a whole egg!
"Aragog said the Chamber Monster was his natural enemy. He instinctively feared it, and when he was young, he'd even thought about running away. I figured the Chamber Monster's natural enemy would at least have to be stronger than Aragog. Chickens? Roosters? Any forest black spider could probably kill ten roosters with a single swipe!"
Harry took off his glasses and wiped them again and again. Once he had confirmed he hadn't misread the line, he looked utterly shaken.
Luo Bin noticed that Hermione hadn't said a word since she'd seen "rooster." He suspected her thoughts were very different from Harry's and Ron's.
"Hermione, what do you think?"
"You go first, Luo Bin. I'd like to hear what you think!"
"A rooster's bearing, appearance, and nature all fit the riddle Aragog gave us!"
"How?" Ron asked in astonishment.
"I'll read the riddle out, then analyze it line by line! The riddle: it is a general, with sharp, gleaming eyes. When it walks, it carries itself with the commanding air of a ruler surveying the world. It often wears a very, very tall red hat, and prefers to go about alone. It will not tolerate another of its kind in its territory. If it discovers one, it will fight to the death. Yet it is extraordinarily tolerant of the opposite sex. Ten, a hundred, even a thousand—it permits them all. Though proud and aloof, it is willing to befriend humans, and gladly helps wizards carry out their plans for the day!"
"A red comb is equivalent to a red hat. A rooster patrols its territory with its