Chapter 36 – To the Dark Forest (2)
We were doing laps above the forest, low enough that my feet sometimes touched the tip of the trees. I was hoping not to find eight-legged monstrosities because even with flames to help me fight them off... they are just one thing I can't deal with. They say if you want to avoid something, it will likely hit you in the face, and here I was, looking at a giant spiderweb between two thick tree trunks. I just looked up, wanting to tell Professor Lockhart, when I saw his eyes registering it, then moving on as if nothing happened. Wait... what? Is he blind, or is he ignoring it on purpose?"
"Um, Professor?"
"Don't worry, my young friend! They are not that smart to look up and spot us! But... they seem to be gone from here! We are going to make a few rounds again, and if nothing, we will head back! You can come with me telling Professor Umbridge that we didn't see anything!"
Wait a minute. Wait a Merlin-enchanted minute! You are... a coward! You brought me out here to be your... witness?! So I can say you did what you could; you just didn't find any spiders?! I am not in the mood to take the fall for you or with you!
"I can see them, Professor."
"I think you are mistaken, young Conrad!" He said, without waiting. "I couldn't see even one of them! You see, my senses are sharp and honed by countless decades of-"
"Revelio!" I waved my wand before pointing at the now somewhat flickering, glowing spiderweb. "See? There! I think that is a clue we could investigate!"
"..."
Yeah. That's right! I couldn't help but smirk inside when I saw his expression, unable to refute it any longer and follow me as I descended between the trees, touching down before the 4 or 5 meters wide web. Down here, it was much darker than in the sky, and finally, my reasoning started to clear up, realizing what I had just done. Great... I was so riled up that I dragged myself into a spider-filled pit... damn it, Conrad!
"Well..." Professor Lockhart looked around, trying to look nonchalant, masking his twitching hands with folivorous movements. It reminded me of parading clowns for a moment. "This is an old one! No worries, you are young, inexperienced! Mistakes happen! Let's go! They probably moved, so the others will have to search the forest to find them! We don't have time for that for ourselves, ahaha!"
"Um... Professor..." I said, looking to our left as I already saw multiple eyes watching us and heard their pincers clicking, calling for reinforcement.