With a flick of the wand, the black box containing Tom's diary was lifted by an invisible force, hovering five meters in front of Glenn. Despite the alchemical materials isolating it, and the soul fragment of Voldemort within the diary seemingly losing all vitality, Glenn was still reluctant to touch this eerie object.
Such unfathomable magical artifacts, especially those crafted by Voldemort, should be kept as far away as possible.
After leaving the Room of Requirement, the two headed towards the second floor, but upon reaching it, Glenn and Hermione did not immediately proceed to the girls' bathroom.
They inexplicably began lighting candles.
In the nighttime Hogwarts Castle, the magical candles hanging on the walls for illumination would automatically extinguish. This was not only to reduce the consumption of magic within the castle but also to use darkness to deter young wizards who wanted to sneak out against the rules.
Fear of the dark is a biological instinct deeply ingrained in human DNA since ancient times. This fear stems from the dangers that might lurk in the dark, such as predators or unknown threats.
The best way to overcome this instinctual fear is to gain light—fire, of course. Traveling with companions also works well.
Two people sharing fear can be much more effective than one plus one.
"So why haven't past headmasters set a stricter curfew for the dormitories of each Hogwarts house, like making it impossible to open after a certain time, or setting up a magical array to restrict movement at night?"
"Lumos."
The monotonous task of lighting candles was quite dull, and Hermione, multitasking, chatted casually with Glenn while casting the fire-making spell.
Believe it or not, our little Hermione does value following the rules.
"Rules that regulate behavior without effective penalties really can't control those lively and curious young wizards in their adolescence."
"A lone Filch patrolling at night can only scare the newcomers at the beginning."
"In reality, once you learn a Disillusionment Charm, you can wander Hogwarts at night without being noticed by Filch, making the no-night-wandering rule virtually nonexistent."
Alright, it seems Hermione has deeply ingrained the notion that as long as you're not caught, it's not a violation. Kids, don't learn from this.
"I feel like the real purpose of this rule is to encourage young wizards to sneak out at night. After all, they're at a rebellious age."
"The more you forbid them, the more they want to defy you."
Saying this, Hermione looked at Glenn with dissatisfaction and a bit of shyness.
"Hey, why are you staring at me?"
Glenn withdrew her gaze, but clearly, her thoughts had been deciphered by Hermione.
The young girl, exasperated, abandoned her task and pounced on Glenn, starting to tease her.
Her words increased, and her emotions fluctuated more easily. Hermione's actions now were understandable given the situation, as they were about to face the giant, deadly Basilisk, whose gaze was lethal. Even though Glenn believed they were more than capable of defeating the beast, the young girl couldn't help but feel nervous.
Last year, facing Voldemort's remnant soul was like a newborn calf not fearing the tiger, as their understanding of Voldemort was only superficial. But now, having seen several cases of attacks, Hermione couldn't help but feel anxious.
The victims of these attacks were lucky, surviving the Basilisk's gaze due to various coincidences.
But now, they were going to face the Basilisk directly. Even though Glenn had blinded one of its eyes, it was still extremely dangerous.
Facing such a fierce creature in a real-life battle for the first time, who wouldn't be nervous?
So she could only use words and actions to alleviate her inner tension.
Even though Glenn, now transformed into a female, was shorter than the young girl by a head, she could still easily carry Hermione on her back.
She could certainly sense Hermione's tension at this moment. Even without using heightened perception, through several layers of clothing and the young girl's budding curves, Glenn could feel Hermione's pounding little heart.
Not forcing Hermione to continue the monotonous candle-lighting task, Glenn supported Hermione's small bottom with one hand and continued casting the fire-making spell with the other.
The surrounding darkness gradually brightened. Even if the faint firelight was weak, it could still dispel some of the tension in the heart of the lovely young girl. Hermione buried her head in Glenn's soft curls, inhaling the reassuring and familiar scent, her tension slowly diminishing.
Strangely, Hermione recalled memories related to Glenn, and it seemed she never felt Glenn was nervous in any situation. No matter what happened, he always seemed calm and composed. In daily encounters, it seemed only she was nervous while Glenn played the role of silently comforting her.
Even last year, when facing Voldemort's remnant soul, Glenn showed no emotional fluctuation.
...Though this was largely due to his personality...
As long as she stayed by Glenn's side, her tension would inexplicably decrease.
Why was that?
"Glenn, aren't you nervous?" Hermione asked, her face buried in Glenn's hair, her voice muffled. "We're about to fight the Basilisk, you know, that monster that's lived for at least a thousand years."
Glenn shook her head. Since she had come here and made this decision, she believed she had done her utmost to prepare and analyze the costs and consequences. Otherwise, the task of eliminating the Basilisk would not even be considered.
"We've made up our minds."
"We've arranged everything."
"We've prepared thoroughly."
"Therefore, we should be mentally prepared."
"We should also have the confidence to complete the task."
After a brief pause, Glenn continued:
"Don't be nervous, Hermione."
"I'm here."
Though clumsy, Glenn was indeed trying to comfort Hermione with her words.
The young girl's lips curled up inadvertently.
She knew why now.
It was the sense of security that Glenn brought her.
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