Chapter 290: Dreams and Illusions
Chapter 290: Dreams and Illusions
Boys are often venturous, always enjoying adventure and fighting.
The same was true for Evan, although not as keen as Harry and Ron. But he had been preparing for this thing for the past few months, and even prepared a few black magic spells for this, with the only problem being that he couldn’t find a viable way to enter Aragog’s Lair.
Now, all problems were solved, and the only thing left was to fight.
Evan put his wand under his pillow and made up his mind.
By the time he had fallen asleep, he found himself again in front of Aragog’s huge cave.
In front of him were the misty, domed spider webs and the cold, damp air.
He shivered hard and did not know what had happened.
The last thing he recalled was him still lying in his warm and comfortable bed; how could he suddenly come to this place, to the depths of the Forbidden Forest?!
Evan increased his vigilance. He heard a strange voice, as if someone was talking by his side.
The next second, Evan heard it clearly, and in the cave in front of him, a deep voice was calling for him. The voice, in the endless darkness, seemed to come from the unknown depths of the earth, whispering incessantly, and Evan was unable to hear clearly what it was saying.
He shook his head. This was clearly the Lair of the Acromantulas, but there was none of them around.
Besides the whispering in his ears, the dark Forbidden Forest was silent, and everything was so abnormal.
Following the source of the voice, he descended slowly down the gentle slope into the dark Lair, and behind the huge domed web, he saw an ancient, mysterious blue stone gate with a blurred sign on it.
If it weren’t for sure that he came from a Muggle family without any magic tradition or talent, Evan would now begin to wonder if he had a prophetic lineage, and whether one of his ancestors was a legendary sage or a foreseer.
It was because this dream was too clear, clear enough to make him afraid.
Evan didn’t know what was waiting for him behind the door. He wanted to ask Aragog, but the giant spider was completely out of sight.
“There is nothing to be afraid of, if it’s just a dream,” Evan whispered, focusing on the magic waves around him.
He did not immediately open the stone door in front of him, for he remembered an old magic book he had recently read, and the strange magic described in it.
Evan had a sudden conjecture that he might have caught the attention of an unknown creature in Aragog’s Lair on the night a few months ago, the night he went after Peter Pettigrew and burned Aragog’s Lair.
Perhaps everything he saw now was not just fantasy; perhaps the essence of this dream was not just his own mind.
Unlike a prophecy, this dream could be the creation of a powerful, unknown creature in the depths of the cave. This creature could want him to see this. Perhaps, all what he would see behind this door could be something that he wanted Evan to encounter.
Thinking of this, Evan suddenly shuddered.
Being able to cast such an incredible illusion spell that still had effect on him even after months, only meant that the magical power of that unknown creature was even stronger than Dumbledore. Perhaps that was why Dumbledore did not find it hiding in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
A magic creature or a wizard even more powerful than Dumbledore, Evan didn’t dare to think about it any longer. He didn’t know who the other person was, or what he wanted to do; but it definitely wasn’t going to be a good thing.
Perhaps that’s why Aragog’s strength was far beyond the limitations of the Acromantulas species. The voice’s owner could be the source of its strength.
Now, it was calling for him, not his servant. What did he want to do?
The more he thought about it, the more afraid Evan felt. Combining his magic knowledge with the magic books he had recently read, he felt that his guess was very likely. A horrible unknown creature was influencing him through magic.
The only thing to be thankful for was that the other side was stranded in Aragog’s Lair, sealed behind the ancient stone door and unable to get out.
There should be extremely harsh conditions that must be met before releasing it.
Curiosity killed the cat, Evan put away the curiosity that he just raised, he subconsciously stepped back, his inner instinct told him that no matter what was inside, what he needed to do now was to stay away, even in the illusion of dreams. He had also to stay away from the stone door in front of him, away from Aragog’s Lair, away from the owner of this voice.
Otherwise, he would encounter opponents and endless troubles that might prove even more difficult than Voldemort.
There would always be ways to satisfy the Centaurs. It was not necessary to risk the unknown to kill Aragog and to contact an ancient mysterious magical creature.
Just as Evan was determined to leave, the blue stone door in front of him suddenly opened.
The low whisper became clearer, and Evan seemed to hear what the other man was saying. Then he saw a pair of blood-red giant eyes looking at him behind the stone gate. They were too big, too big to be true, and there was no emotion in them.
Beneath the bloody big eyes was suffocating darkness.
Evan opened his eyes wide. He raised his wand in a hurry, and before he could cast a spell, everything was beginning to blur, and he awoke from his sleep.
He sat in his bed and gasped for breath, and all over his body was cold sweat.
It was almost three o’clock in the middle of the night and he felt like he’d had a terrible nightmare, but it was so strange that he couldn’t remember anything.
The bedroom was quiet and Evan felt very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his bed and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window. He tried to recall what he had just dreamed, but he couldn’t even remember anything at all. He could only vaguely feel that the dream was related to Aragog’s Lair.
Evan shook his head and tried not to think about it.
He thought he was just too excited about the upcoming battle.
He took a sip of water and looked out of the window. There was no one on the playground. Not a breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest. The Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking.
“Anyway, if I go to Aragog’s Lair and explore it, everything will come to light!” Evan said to himself.
Perhaps, self-comfort had played a role. He felt more peace of mind, set down his goblet and returned to his bed to sleep again.
This time, he slept very heavily and didn’t dream of anything.