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Professor Eric Knid Explains
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A voice, strong and commanding, emerges from the darkness. "You? The saviour, a mere stripling first year? Impossible!"

Another voice, high pitched and chittery, answers him. "Yes Eric, this is him. He is the wand holder."

As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you can make out a figure standing in the centre of the room. A wizard - and someone you recognise.

"Professor Knid! But what...?" you exclaim.

"Yes Professor Eric Knid at your service! Or perhaps I should say that you will be at my service... Arthur isn't it?"

"Yes my name's Arthur. Arthur Otley." A sensation of fear congeals in your throat so strong that you can barely speak. "What do you mean? And who were you talking to just now?"

"All in good time, Arthur..." with an unexpectedly swift movement Professor Knid draws his wand and shoots a spell of locking at the iron gate which... swings shut and then hits some invisible object and swings open again. There is a curious noise like a muffled cry, and then finally the clangs shut.

But there is no time to worry about the curious muffled cry - you are trapped.

"What are you going to do?" you exclaim in a fearful high pitched squeak.

Eric Knid smiled. Even in the dark you can see the mad gleam in his eye: "Revolution!"

"Explain why Eric." That chittering voice again, appearing out of nowhere.

"Yes - why. Why?" Professor Knid takes a deep breath. "Ever since I was a young boy Arthur I have felt an affinity with insects, spiders, crabs. With the Arthropods. A dog will bite you, not so an earwig! A lion may eat you, not so a woodlouse! A human may betray you, a spider will not.

"My faithful friends growing up were slugs, ants, flies and beetles. But my friends were mercilessly crushed, poisoned, and swatted by humans.

"The final straw? Slumblebore sat on a spider - and laughed."

"I couldn't bear it. I sought out the Great Spider King Azog himself. What joy when I found him in the forbidden bushes and entered his service. Together we have been gathering supporters here in this dungeon, insects and spiders in their millions. For revenge. For a revolution. To take over the school!

"No longer will it just be Lionpaw House, Ravenwing House, Snakefang House, and Hedgehog House! We will have a new house mightier than all of them. The Order of the Arthropods! And I will be headmaster."

"But why me?" fear chills you. "I'm just a first year, I don't want any trouble."

"You are the only one who can stop us Arthur," says the mysterious high pitched voice. "But with you on our side we will be invincible!"

"Who is that?" you cry.

"This is the Great Spider King Azog himself. And you are honoured to stand in his presence." Professor Knid explains.

"Where?" You can't see anyone other than the Professor.

"Here!"

"Where, I can't see!"

"Right here, look! Closer!"