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Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank replied the same day the letter was sent.
"This is a very important clue—I can't believe I didn't think of it!" Grubbly-Plank wrote.
She listed extensively for Anthony a whole string of dangerous magical creatures with large yellow eyes, including Chimaeras, Nundu, Jarveys, Hippogriffs, Basilisks, and a large portion of dragons.
"Considering Myrtle's body condition, I'm inclined to think the culprit was a Chimaera or a Basilisk. The Nundu certainly doesn't damage bodies, but its poisonous breath isn't immediately fatal, which doesn't match Myrtle's description.
"Of course, we can't rule out that Myrtle saw someone smuggling a Nundu, and they used the Killing Curse on her for fear she'd reveal the secret. That most famous killing curse can indeed cause instant death without damaging the body."
"What's puzzling is that all the above creatures are massive and difficult to hide in the school without attracting attention. Furthermore, aside from that period, we've never heard of any creature active in Hogwarts again. At the time, people couldn't even confirm whether it was deliberate dark magic or damage caused by a magical creature. I speculate it's either in the Forbidden Forest now, or the smuggler has already transported it away."
She invited Anthony to use his position to visit the Forbidden Forest or strange places in the castle during his spare time. Every brick and stone of Hogwarts had witnessed ancient secrets, and she believed Anthony would surely discover more clues.
Anthony went to see Myrtle again. She was quite pleased to have a visitor and invited him to sit on the toilet. But after Anthony asked whether the yellow eyes she'd seen before death looked more like a cat's, snake's, or bird's, she suddenly grew angry.
"I don't care about any eyes! I was crying sadly at the time!" she shrieked as if offended, diving headfirst into the toilet. "It was Olive Hornby! She made fun of my glasses!"
"I meant—"
"I don't care, nobody cares about me anyway!" Myrtle wailed, her voice echoing off the toilet walls, making the entire bathroom buzz. "Nobody cares about short, fat, acne-covered Myrtle! Four-eyed dog Myrtle!"
"I'm standing here because I care," Anthony said soothingly, patting the toilet tank.
Myrtle stopped crying and asked suspiciously, "You care?"
"I'm a professor. Of course I care about students at the school. You're about the same age as my students—how could I be indifferent to your death?" Anthony said. "I want to find your killer, because this person is very likely still at large."
He crouched down, looking at this emotionally sensitive adolescent ghost.
Myrtle looked at him through her sobs, saying quietly, "Professor."
Anthony ignored the fact she'd been born before him. She'd become a ghost as a student, and her mind remained forever at that moment. Ghosts watched the living grow and change, while time brought them only erosion.
They were trapped in their own deaths.
He said earnestly, "Myrtle, if you could help recall those eyes, I'd be very grateful. It's important to us."
"I couldn't see clearly then," Myrtle said miserably. "Olive Hornby mocked me for being ugly and ridiculous wearing glasses. Would you cry with your glasses on after being mocked like a four-eyed dog?"
Anthony sighed quietly and said to Myrtle's head floating on the water surface, "That's all right. We'll figure out what it was. Thank you."
"Goodbye, Professor," Myrtle said dejectedly, diving back into the toilet.
"Goodbye." Anthony held the bathroom door, turning back to say, "By the way, I must say, Olive Hornby—whoever she was—was talking complete nonsense. Several of my students wear glasses. And this year's most popular student, Harry Potter, also wears glasses. Your glasses are perfectly normal. Also, you have a lovely voice. Cheer up, Myrtle."
Myrtle burst into tears.
Anthony also visited Hagrid. He brought Ms. Grubbly-Plank's letter and asked if Hagrid had seen any traces of creatures like these monsters in the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid was deeply moved, wiping his eyes and promising to tell Anthony immediately if he discovered any clues.
"Thank you for wanting to help me," he said, pinching the letter between his large fingers and reading carefully. "Oh, Chimaeras—if only there really was one in the Forbidden Forest... I hope it would like living there... But that creature was in the castle. Aragog wouldn't lie to me." He said with certainty.
Anthony stayed drinking with Hagrid until late that night. Half-drunk, Hagrid took him into the Forbidden Forest to meet his good friend Aragog, an Acromantula.
"Hagrid, why did you bring a human? He doesn't smell very tasty," Aragog commented in a gourmet's tone. The giant spiders surrounding it clicked their pincers in agreement, filling the air with clicking sounds.
Anthony scratched his arm, feeling a strand of web gently brushing against him. This open hollow was filled with mist, the fog and night together concealing this colony of Acromantulas' nest. It was hard to distinguish whether the depths held thicker fog or dense webs.
"Aragog, meet Henry," Hagrid said, slapping Anthony's back so hard he nearly fell onto a spider's leg. The deep black spider almost merged with the night, only its eight eyes faintly reflecting starlight, staring greedily at Anthony, its pincers trembling rapidly with excitement.
"Uh, hello," Anthony said, trying to ignore the spiders' gazes, addressing the massive spider in the center. His drunkenness had worn off.
He wasn't sure if he should shake hands with it, and if so, which gray-black leg to grasp.
"Henry's investigating that creature, the one you won't tell me about," Hagrid said to Aragog. "He has some guesses."
"Hagrid—" Aragog said helplessly.
"Is it a Nundu?" Anthony asked.
If an Acromantula could laugh heartily, that was Aragog's reaction. It clicked its pincers. "If that's your best guess, you'd better do more research, Hagrid's friend."
"A Chimaera?"
Aragog thought for a moment, saying slowly, "That sounds more appetizing." The spiders beside it clicked their pincers in agreement.
"A Basilisk?"
The clicking suddenly stopped.
"You—how dare you speak that name!" Aragog said in an agitated whisper. "I cannot speak it, we do not speak it!" It retreated deep into the web. With rustling sounds, the spider colony receded like a wave.
Starlight shone on the webs drifting around them, reflecting silvery light. Anthony and Hagrid stood in silence. Cool evening wind blew past them.
"I think that's it," Anthony finally said. "The Basilisk."
Hagrid scratched his head. "I think so too."
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