Peter's eight-eyed spider beside him was a master at weaving. The white cocoon spread almost imperceptibly downwards, gradually engulfing Peter's mouth. Harry watched Peter struggle in intense agony, watching the fear and desperation in his eyes disappear from his sight. Unconsciously, the sense of satisfaction disappeared from his heart, replaced by a deep sense of sorrow.
During this period, the giant spider maintained its silence, as if it very much enjoyed the terror and helplessness of the two young wizards.
"I've never allowed anyone in here..."
Click-click.
The two big claws of the giant spider moved quickly, while it spoke slowly in an elderly voice that carried a cold undertone.
"Very sorry--" Hermione whispered, sniffling, "We didn't mean to offend you, Mr. Spider. I... we're here to track down Barty. He's a wizard, a criminal, and we need to send him back to the castle."
"We don't care about wizard business--"
Alagog's mouthpiece quivered as it spoke coldly, "This is the last time you will lay your hands on me, Mudblood. I'm taking my mate and going home."
"We have always lived here, we don't interfere with the people in the castle, nor do we want to be disturbed. But you always break the truce, disturbing our peaceful life. Sorry, two human little wizards, you will only die here."
"Wait!"
The moment the giant spider gave the command, Harry immediately felt the claws holding his waist and abdomen tighten, a vomiting sensation rising from his throat and making him cough uncontrollably.
"Cough, please, stop doing this, Mr. Spider. If we have offended you, I am willing to stay here, but please let me go--"
"I don't call you Mr. Spider!"
The disturbance in the woods tonight has not died down. Now there are a few more humans who have trespassed into our territory. Alagog, impatiently waving his large claws, emits a whistling wind.
"I have a name, Alagog, that is my name!"
"Alagog?!"
Harry and Hermione both stopped struggling simultaneously, they looked at each other in mid-air, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
They had heard that name before, from Hagrid's mouth just tonight.
Does that mean the spider and Hagrid have a past?
"Hold on, Mr. Alagog!"
Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, she struggled to contain the pressure and suffocation, and said painfully, "Please, don't hurt us. We're just two little wizards. We don't deserve this. Please let us go."
"You know Hagrid, right, Mr. Alagog? We are his friends. He sent us to catch Peter!"
Harry and Hermione had thought that by saying they were Hagrid's friends, the terrifying giant spider would become calmer. However, to their surprise, it had the exact opposite effect.
"Liars! You are not the friends of Hagrid!"
Alagog's eight pale eyes spun wildly in his sockets, and his two large claws waved a shadow in the air. It was no longer that tired and drowsy appearance, but instead of moving around in the hemispherical spider web, it was so angry that its gray-black body's needle-like hairs stood up one by one.
Did I say something wrong?
Hermione's face was pale, her voice was incoherent.
"Perhaps this spider has a grudge with Hagrid!" Harry gritted his teeth, the pain was so severe that he almost couldn't breathe.
"Hagrid never brings people here!"
It was very strange for a spider to roar in anger, but Harry and Hermione couldn't find any humor in it. Because in a fit of rage, this giant spider used several of its legs to support its body and stood up, its huge body blocking the moonlight that was projected down by the red moon. The shadows consumed all the light.
"There is only one exception!"
Alagog roared in fury.
"Last year, Hagrid brought a friend over to ask about some things. I didn't tell him, and that wizard almost killed me!"
Cough-cough——
Looking down at the two dazed little creatures, Amortia in mid-air scratched its nose, looking a bit embarrassed.
Uh.
After a moment of hesitation, Amortia raised his head, his piercing gaze scanning through the dim forest in search of something useful. Soon, his gaze stopped, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"We really are cursed, Harry," Hermione said sadly.
"It's up to us, Hermione!"
Harry gasped with difficulty, turning his head towards the eight-eyed spider waiting for Alagog to finish his tantrum, and bellowed at it.
"All turn to stone!"
Click-click!
A cool breeze swept over them, and the spider's limbs suddenly made a frightening rustling noise. Then, Harry and Hermione both felt a powerful force lift from their waists.
"I didn't expect--"
Harry and Hermione took the opportunity to get to the ground, Harry's face full of disbelief.
"I thought it wouldn't work, the spell I cast on the werewolf failed!"
"I remember now!"
Hermione quickly covered her chest and said, "I remember!"
"These are eight-eyed spiders. Professor Brian gave them a practical lesson last year, and he told them that eight-eyed spiders have low resistance to magic. Even if a first-year wizard's spell hits them, they can defeat them!"
"That would be much easier!"
Harry shouted with excitement.
"Professor Brian"
Alagog's body stiffened. His ugly head slowly drooped, and he whispered, "I'm not just eight eyes; I have more."
"Could it be Amortia Brian?"
Uh. Does that mean the wizard who almost killed Alagog last year was Professor Brian? He's not going to catch Alago for lessons, is he?
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both thinking the same thing.
"You are the students of that wizard..."
Alagog crawled back onto the spider web, moving slowly but with a hateful tone in his voice.
"That's just too bad, human brats. I can't let you two die so easily--"
"Hermione, start attacking!"
There's nothing left to talk about with this old spider. Taking advantage of the time it was blathering, Harry decisively shouted.
In a crisis, Hermione showed her reliability. She waved her wand, and two spells of light were released from the tip of her wand, cutting Peter's spider silk in half hanging upside down. Meanwhile, the eight-eyed spider beside Peter had not yet had a chance to react when the petrification spell followed, trapping it in place!
"You dare!"
Alagog once again let out a shrill scream. It was about to give orders to its offspring, but at that moment, its ugly head suddenly felt a chill, and the words it was going to say were stopped midway.
A sharp branch quivered slightly and lightly pressed against Alagog's head.
Hermione rushed forward to drag the white cocoon that was wrapping Peter, but this task was too strenuous for an underage young witch, and Peter, unable to see what was happening outside, was struggling violently.
"Come and help me, Harry!"
Sweat soaked through the white bandage over her forehead, Hermione stomped her foot in anxiety.
Sometimes Hermoine is surprisingly quick-witted, but occasionally, she can be as clueless as Neville.
"Why don't you use magic, Hermione?"
Harry dared not take his eyes off the movement of Alagog, but he heard the commotion over there, knowing that Hermione had gone blank.
"Ouch!"
Hermione straightened up and rubbed her head in frustration, then made the white cocoon float and pull Peter to Harry's side.
"But how are we supposed to get out of here, Harry?"
hundreds of eight-eyed spiders that lived inside the massive crater behind them had surrounded them, and the continuous angry clicks sounded like the only sound in the world.
"Order them to back off!"
Harry wasn't blind to the fact that this old spider was the leader of the spider tribe. He moved his wand slightly, and the sharp spike pressing against Alagog's head began to rotate slowly, as if it were about to pierce through Alagog's shell.
"Impossible..."
Alagog growled angrily.
"You will not leave this place tonight. You will become the fertilizer for the hatching of my offspring."
Harry furrowed his brow at the words, surprised that this spider was so stubborn, even facing death threats, it didn't compromise.
"Hermione panted heavily. "Don't kill it, Harry! You've forgotten, doesn't this spider know Hagrid? It's his friend."
"Yes, I haven't forgotten!"
Harry's temples throbbed with rage, deep down he knew this was a tough situation. He just wanted to scare Alagog, but not kill it. However, Hagrid's terrifying friend had set his mind on leaving Harry and Hermione here, which put them in a double-bind!
(End of Chapter)
