Outside the Hospital Wing, the school's professors had gathered, their solemn gazes repeatedly turning toward its tightly shut doors.
With a creak, the doors opened. Dumbledore's face betrayed no emotion, and his blue eyes were as deep as an ancient well. The professors hurried over and asked in hushed voices:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, how are they?"
"What exactly happened?"
Dumbledore spread his hands and gently pressed them downward, saying softly:
"All three are safe. Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ron Weasley merely lost consciousness from the impact, while Zhang is simply exhausted. Those remarkable items he carries have already neutralized the Acromantula venom."
The professors let out long breaths of relief, then began talking quietly among themselves.
"...the Forbidden Forest..."
"...Acromantulas..."
"...unbelievable..."
"I can't imagine how he held out so long..."
Lockhart, who had just taken up the post of teaching the Dark Magic Defense Class, smoothed his gleaming blond hair and said regretfully:
"What a shame I wasn't there. With my abilities, I would certainly have dealt with those spiders in no time and brought all three children back completely unharmed.
They might even have been thrilled at the prospect of appearing in one of my future books."
The professors gave him strange looks, seemingly unable to understand this "famous" professor's way of thinking.
Professor McGonagall did not join the discussion. Her stern gaze shone through her square spectacles as she looked at Dumbledore, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger and fear:
"Albus, what caused the accident? Why were three students who had only just entered their second year deep in the Forbidden Forest, instead of aboard the school train where they belonged?"
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore said:
"I received word today that the passage at King's Cross Station had been sealed off by a solid brick