As Glenn pondered, he moved further and further away from the petrified Colin Creevey. By the time he reached the third floor, the terrified expression frozen on the poor boy's face was no longer visible.
"A mouse that directly encounters the basilisk's gaze is confirmed dead. However, due to the circumstances at the time, I didn't personally examine Mrs. Norris's condition…"
"That was my mistake."
"I should go to the hospital wing and confirm this sometime."
Reflecting on his oversight, Glenn adjusted his thoughts and returned to his dormitory.
...
"Colin was attacked by the basilisk?!" Hermione gasped in shock, her face instantly turning pale as her hair practically stood on end.
Hearing the name of someone she knew connected to such an incident plunged her mood into turmoil.
"There's no need to worry—he's not dead," Glenn said, shaking his head to calm Hermione down. "Last night, on the staircase between the third and fourth floors, I saw Colin Creevey petrified. Upon closer inspection, I found that the magic within his body was still flowing."
"When a wizard dies, the magic within their body immediately becomes dormant and gradually dissipates. That's not the case with Colin Creevey."
"He's only been petrified."
"Really?" Hermione's expression shifted from despair to relief, and she let out a long sigh. Colin was still alive—perhaps a small blessing amidst the misfortune.
"But didn't you previously theorize that any living being that meets the basilisk's gaze directly would die instantly?" Hermione asked, her curiosity quickly replacing her worry. "I remember you telling me about your experiments, and the results seemed accurate to me."
"If Colin was attacked by the basilisk, how did he survive?"
"I can't imagine that camera-loving boy escaping unscathed from such a creature."
Having learned that Colin Creevey hadn't lost his life, Hermione's concern turned into a flood of questions, which she eagerly directed at Glenn.
"When Mrs. Norris was attacked earlier, I didn't personally verify her condition," Glenn patiently explained. "After seeing the dead mice, I assumed that Mrs. Norris, who was hanging from the lamp, had also died."
"But I overlooked the loss of magic during its transmission."
"The loss of magic during transmission?" Hermione blinked, recognizing the concept.
Glenn described the scene he had observed in detail, emphasizing Colin's posture and the camera he was holding.
"Colin Creevey's posture when he was petrified indicates that when he encountered the basilisk's gaze, his own gaze first passed through the camera screen before meeting the basilisk's eyes."
"There's additional evidence to support this—the burned film inside his camera, destroyed by magic."
"The magic released from the basilisk's eyes was weakened as it passed through the camera, consuming some of its power. The remaining magic was only enough to petrify Colin Creevey, not to kill him."
"That's likely the reason he survived."
"If that's the case, then Mrs. Norris might not be dead either!" Hermione exclaimed, her mind catching up with Glenn's reasoning. Her spirits lifted as she continued, "She saw the basilisk through the reflective surface of a puddle. The magic would have been weakened during the reflection!"
Glenn nodded and added, "Not only that, but as you know, for any magic to take full effect, it requires sufficient magical energy and a specific medium. Otherwise, the effect diminishes significantly."
A flash of realization lit up Hermione's face. She understood what Glenn was getting at.
"Neither Colin nor Mrs. Norris directly looked into the basilisk's 'true eyes'!" Hermione said excitedly. "Mrs. Norris saw the reflection of the basilisk's eyes in water, while Colin saw the image displayed on the camera screen!"
"It was the combination of these factors that allowed them to survive…"
Hermione fell into deep thought.
"Glenn, we need to inform everyone at Hogwarts about this," Hermione said seriously after the thrill of solving the mystery had passed. "This could greatly reduce casualties…"
"You don't need to worry about that, and you absolutely mustn't mention this to anyone privately. I'll inform Dumbledore and let him spread the message," Glenn said firmly.
If Hermione were to deliver this information herself, it wouldn't matter whether the other students believed her. If the heir of Slytherin traced the origin of this information back to her, she would be in danger.
There are no secrets that can remain hidden forever. If possible, Glenn preferred that only he and Hermione knew about this life-saving information regarding the basilisk.
While Glenn didn't care about the lives of others, he knew Hermione wouldn't agree with such a stance. So, he preemptively set boundaries for her.
Additionally, having Dumbledore disseminate the information would be far more credible than if it came from two unknown students.
"Ah…" Hermione hesitated, her words interrupted. Seeing Glenn's resolute attitude, she reluctantly muttered, "Well, can I at least tell my dormmates?"
"No," Glenn replied without hesitation. "You can't tell anyone."
"Ugh, fine…" Hermione pouted, lowering her head in disappointment.
Glenn simply patted her head without further explanation. He knew that deep down, Hermione understood the risks of her actions. She just… wanted to do it anyway.
Human thought operates in two distinct ways: rational thinking and emotional thinking.
Both are indispensable in the process of human reasoning, each playing an important role.
Hermione, being empathetic and sentimental, often allowed her actions to be guided by emotional thinking during critical moments. She would feel first and think later.
This approach often led to solutions that were practical and effective, sometimes even the best course of action. However, for more complex and layered problems, it lacked thorough consideration, leaving room for hidden risks.
And Glenn?
His emotional detachment meant that his thought process was largely governed by cold rationality.
But that didn't mean he dismissed emotional thinking entirely.
For Glenn, rationality came first, serving as the foundation, while emotional thinking acted as a secondary influence. This was his guiding principle.
He would first dissect the essence of a problem, then choose an approach based on the circumstances.
As long as neither his interests nor the well-being of those he cared about were affected, he could watch the world burn with cold indifference.
But if his interests—or, more importantly, the safety of those he cared about—were threatened?
Then his rationality would shatter, giving way to raw emotion. He would abandon all logic and devote himself entirely to countering the crisis, no matter the cost.
If he could shield those he cared about from the storm, then even if the price was his own life, his very existence, Glenn would pay it without hesitation.
He was the most selfish person, yet he could also be the most selfless.
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