At midnight, all was silent. The entire Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was immersed in tranquility, yet the Great Hall was starkly different from usual.
Dozens of sleeping bags were spread across the floor of the Great Hall, where the students staying over the holidays had long since drifted into sweet dreams.
This was all Dumbledore's careful arrangement. To facilitate the centralized management of the staying students and ensure their safety, he had specifically gathered everyone in the spacious Great Hall.
Dumbledore himself sat upright in the center of the Great Hall, his gaze scanning the surroundings alertly.
The wise and powerful Principal knew the importance and potential risks of this operation, so he decided to personally oversee the situation here to prevent any accidents.
The other Professors, along with members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Wizengamot, were not slacking off either. They were scattered across the school's various floors, strictly guarding every key position and forming an indestructible line of defense.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, Adelaide, Amandine, and Alice stood quietly at the main entrance of Hogwarts Castle.
They were surrounded by a group of tall Centaurs holding bows and crossbows, some of whom were restlessly pawing at the ground with their hooves.
When the Centaurs learned from Hagrid that the Wizards planned to root out the culprit behind the last attack on the Forbidden Forest, they showed a rare cooperative attitude. At the suggestion of the Centaur Bane, they proactively left the Forbidden Forest and spontaneously surrounded the Castle to act as the final line of defense.
Ten large wooden boxes were neatly placed in front of Adelaide. A rustling crawling sound emanated from within these boxes, as if countless creatures were restless inside.
Standing to the side, Amandine lowered her head slightly, leaned in toward Adelaide, and whispered, "It's exactly 12:30. We can start the operation as planned."
Hearing this, Adelaide took a deep breath and nodded firmly, indicating she was ready.
Amandine took a step forward and gave her wand a light flick. Instantly, the locks on the small doors of the previously closed boxes popped open one after another.
Then, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded—a full five thousand massive White-browed Huntsman Spiders surged out of the wooden boxes like a tide.
These White-browed Huntsman Spiders were enormous, each the size of an adult's palm. They were packed together densely, layer upon layer, forming what looked like a surging, grayish-white ocean.
Countless long, thin legs twisted and tangled, making a hair-raising "rustling" sound as they scrambled to crawl slowly into the majestic gates of Hogwarts Castle.
Such a spectacular scene left the Centaurs guarding Adelaide's side astonished. They looked at the dense swarm of spiders in horror and involuntarily took two steps back, their hooves clopping incessantly as if trying to dispel the fear and unease in their hearts.
At this moment, Adelaide didn't feel afraid or surprised like the others; instead, a faint look of regret appeared on her face.
Sigh, if only Ron, the younger brother of the Weasley Twins, had enrolled this year. She would have definitely invited him to witness this incredibly spectacular sight.
At the same time, the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the Wizengamot, and the Professors of various subjects stationed in the corridors also showed looks of astonishment.
Although every one of them had mentally prepared for various situations, they still couldn't suppress the fear and tension in their hearts when the dense, staggering number of White-browed Huntsman Spiders surged in like a tide.
Cold sweat began to seep from the Wizards' palms. They subconsciously moved their feet to stand tight against the walls, as if this would provide a shred of security and help alleviate the weakness in their trembling legs.
These terrifying-looking White-browed Huntsman Spiders showed an unexpectedly docile side toward the humans and the shivering House-elves in the kitchens.
The spiders carefully moved their long, hairy legs, skillfully bypassing the humans and House-elves while maintaining a safe distance from these sentient beings, as if afraid of disturbing them.
In this way, the White-browed Huntsman Spiders split into several groups. According to the instructions of the spells cast upon them, some spiders acted individually, weaving quickly and flexibly between tables and chairs, while others formed small teams, cooperating tacitly to climb through the gaps between walls and ceilings.
They didn't miss a single cramped space within the Castle, whether it was long-forgotten corners, storage rooms filled with clutter, or secret passages hidden behind ancient stone walls.
Each White-browed Huntsman Spider focused intently on detecting the faint aura of the Dark Arts around it, using their keen perception to track the Dark Arts aura emanating from the Diadem.
Time flowed slowly yet steadily like sand in an hourglass. Every minute and second was an ordeal for Adelaide.
Standing there, her heartbeat quickened, and she couldn't help but feel anxious: Why hasn't there been any movement for so long... Has the plan failed?
Just as she was about to accept failure and think of another strategy, a piercing shriek suddenly broke the silence, like a bolt of thunder streaking across the night sky.
"Screee—woo—"
The sound came from the direction of the Trophy Room on the fourth floor. It was sharp and long, sounding the death knell for the cockroach diadem.
Adelaide's eyes widened instantly, a look of pleasant surprise on her face.
Found it! The target is on the fourth floor!
In an instant, the entire Castle, except for the Great Hall where a Silencing Charm had been applied, was startled by this shriek.
The White-browed Huntsman Spiders, originally scattered in every corner, seemed to receive a mysterious command and surged toward the fourth floor like a tide—dense and scrambling, they formed a hair-raising gray torrent.
Besides Dumbledore and the few Wizards guarding the Great Hall, the Wizards stationed at other locations in the Castle also reacted quickly.
They sprinted toward the fourth floor at top speed, wands gripped tightly, their expressions tense and serious.
For a moment, the corridors of Hogwarts Castle were filled with the sound of footsteps and shouting, and the atmosphere became exceptionally tense.
Seeing everyone rushing toward the fourth floor, Adelaide couldn't suppress her curiosity. She also drew her wand, wanting to rush into the Trophy Room to join the action—after all, with so many elite Wizards backing her up, the cockroach horcrux surely couldn't hurt her.
But before she could take a step, a strong arm suddenly pulled her in, and she was immediately unable to move.
To Adelaide's even greater embarrassment, her face was buried right between Amandine's two towering peaks, covered so tightly that even breathing became difficult.
Help, it's going to be a breast-sassination!
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