Ever since Albert had crossed the threshold of the Forbidden Forest, Fang had moved with a strange, nervous energy, head low, sniffing the moss and broken leaves, desperately seeking the familiar scent of Fred's cologne and George's pocket lint. At least, that was the intention. Albert suspected the dog's fear was making its tracking less than precise.
The silent, oppressive forest was broken only by the sharp rustle of dry leaves under Fang's heavy paws and Albert's low, strained breathing. He moved with his wand held high, fully alert, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement.
Truly, entering the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night was the single most reckless and emotionally taxing thing Albert had ever done in his twelve years of life.
He emerged momentarily into a small, boggy clearing, looking up at the narrow sliver of sky visible through the thick canopy, half-expecting, half-dreading, to see the flash of the twins' Red Sparks.
"Perhaps I should have brought a flying broom; taking to the air would be infinitely faster," Albert muttered, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow. He listened intently for any sound beyond the natural—the snapping of a twig, a heavy footfall, or worse, a clicking mandible.
Walking alone on these ancient, twisting paths, the night wind seemed to carry the cold breath of the forest itself, raising goosebumps on his arms beneath his robes. He felt utterly and completely insecure—a feeling alien to his calculated, controlled nature. It was an awful sensation that demanded immediate mitigation.
"Fang, stay close. Do not wander," Albert commanded, stopping abruptly. He pulled back the anxious hound and opened his mental Quest Panel. He saw the 1000 XP he had earned from the Mysterious Disappearance quest and immediately poured it into his defensive capacity, upgrading All-Encompassing Protection to Level 2.
Self-preservation first. This was a non-negotiable step. If he encountered sudden, lethal danger, a level one defense might shatter; level two offered a vital second of resistance.
As Mr. Ollivander had once observed, his redwood wand didn't bring luck; it specialized in providing its wielder with the ability to flee from danger. This focus on defensive magic, rather than brute offense, suited Albert perfectly.
The hound, despite its fear, was not very fast, and Albert followed its erratic trail for nearly half an hour. The constant high alert and the sheer psychological pressure of the hostile darkness were exhausting.
He took out a piece of his mother's chocolate fudge, the sweet, rich taste providing a familiar anchor. He chewed slowly, allowing the sugar to relieve his mental fatigue and sharpen his focus—a small, effective ritual he used when deep in thought.
Fang whined, nudging Albert's hand, but dogs couldn't eat chocolate. Albert stroked the dog's huge head and promised him a whole bag of smoked sausage treats if they made it back safely.
"Let's go!" Albert rallied his spirits and plunged deeper into the forest.
The further they went, the denser the trees became, and the more completely the night sky vanished. Albert's wand was the only flicker of light in a sea of overwhelming, tangible darkness. Beyond that dim circle lay sheer, unimaginable terror.
Albert realized with a sinking heart that they were likely no longer on any recognized path. He was lost—or rather, he was following two lost people, and was therefore now equally lost.
If that's the case, I won't be able to rely on a quick exit.
Albert let out a faint sigh. Plans can never keep up with changes, a lesson he knew intimately. This was why he had hedged his bets, dispatching Lee Jordan to rally the professors.
His own entry into the forest was a calculated risk, largely justified by the significant reward: 2,000 XP and two skill points. These points were incredibly valuable, as after Level 3, the experience required to upgrade his core skills increased exponentially.
Regret? Albert never entertained the idea. Had he stayed, Professor McGonagall would have strictly forbidden him from entering. The potential loss of a large portion of his experience pool was worth the two skill points alone.
"Where could you be?" Albert murmured. He stepped over low brush, ducked beneath fallen saplings, and felt the branches tear at his robes and scrape his skin.
Suddenly, Fang stopped dead, emitting a low, guttural whine, and barked wildly toward the left.
Danger!
Albert felt an immediate, primal sense of being watched by hidden eyes. The sensation was terrifying and immediate. Without thinking, he spun, raising his wand and shouting, "Protego Maxima!"
The Level 2 spell instantly blossomed into a shimmering, bubble-shaped defensive barrier around Albert and Fang.
The sound of horses' hooves thundered through the forest, followed by a slight tremor in the earth. Albert breathed a deep sigh of relief; it was centaurs. He knew they generally avoided conflict with Hogwarts students.
Two imposing centaurs materialized on either side of him. The sight was startling: from the waist up, they were muscular men—one with wild, deep red hair and a beard, the other with stark dark brown hair and a severe face. From the waist down, they were powerful, ruddy-brown horses with long, thick tails.
Both drew their bows and aimed their arrows directly at the glowing, transparent sphere surrounding Albert. He unconsciously tightened his grip on his wand, ensuring the defensive barrier held. This was the first time in his life he had ever had a lethal weapon aimed at him, and the feeling was profoundly unsettling.
"Who stands in our way?" a harsh voice, belonging to the dark-haired centaur, Bane, demanded.
"Albert Anderson, a student of Hogwarts," Albert replied, attempting to sound friendly despite the arrows pointed at his chest.
"Folly-runner, this is not your domain," Bane warned sternly, his arrow remaining taut.
"I have two friends who are lost deep in the Forbidden Forest, and I must find them immediately," Albert stated, explaining his transgression.
"Two more young colts stumbling into the darkness, I remember the scent…" the red-haired centaur, Ronan, mused, finally lowering his bow slightly as he approached the edge of the wandlight.
"I know we shouldn't be here," Albert said softly, his voice clear and persuasive. "But I need to retrieve them. If you could simply provide any slight direction…"
"We offer no aid to the foolish progeny of men!" Bane roared, enraged by the request.
"I apologize if I have caused offense," Albert said, letting the protective charm shimmer around him. "I do not know your traditions, and I seek no conflict. I merely came to find my friends, and I will leave the moment they are located."
"Peace, Bane," Ronan reassured his comrade. "He holds no malice."
"He enters uninvited and defiles our paths—"
"We will not have a conflict," Albert interjected, his voice hardening, the cold calculation returning. He looked Bane directly in the eye, focusing his power on the shimmering defense. "I hope we do not. You should be able to perceive that I am not as weak as you might assume. We do not need to fight. I merely wish to retrieve my friends and depart."
"Do you know Hagrid?" Ronan abruptly changed the subject. He had recognized Fang.
"Yes, I am friends with Hagrid. I came to his hut first for aid, but he was absent tonight, so I brought his hound instead," Albert explained. He looked Ronan straight in the eye and added a deliberate lie, leveraging the absent half-giant's reputation: "Hagrid told me that as long as I am with Fang, no creature in the Forbidden Forest will harm me."
"Come with me, friend of Hagrid. I believe I know where your friends have gone," Ronan said, turning his massive horse-body back into the forest.
"Ronan!" Bane was appalled by the breach of their isolationist custom.
"We never attack colts," Ronan repeated, pausing only briefly. "I saw a flare of Red Sparks fired from the direction of the Western Thicket earlier this evening."
"Right, that confirms it! They're alive, but in trouble!" Albert breathed a sharp, relieved sigh. "Fang, forward!" He dropped the protective barrier and scrambled to catch up with the centaur.
"But I must warn you," Ronan cautioned. "The forest in that direction is a hunting ground for the Giant Spiders. I would not recommend risking entry."
"Thank you, Ronan, but I will not abandon my friends," Albert said, shaking his head. "I accept full responsibility for my recklessness. If I am consumed by a spider, the blame is entirely mine, and none of yours."
"Hmph. Very well," Ronan acknowledged, casting a deep, penetrating look at the boy's resolve. "Follow me; it is a long distance from here."
After a strenuous twenty-minute trek, Albert had to call a halt, leaning heavily against the trunk of a great oak. Despite Ronan slowing his pace, keeping up with the centaur's powerful stride was proving difficult.
"From this point, it is the spiders' domain," Ronan informed him. "I recommend you proceed no further."
"Thank you, Ronan. I will remember your assistance," Albert said, giving the centaur a respectful half-bow.
"If you manage to retrieve your friends, I will escort you out of the forest," Ronan promised before turning away.
Albert watched the centaur disappear, then steeled his nerves and plunged into the thicket ahead. He knew he was entering the zone of maximum peril. He had to be hyper-vigilant.
"He shouldn't have helped him," Bane angrily told Ronan, who stood silently in the clearing.
"He is Hagrid's friend," Ronan replied, staring at the canopy where Albert had vanished. "And even if we hadn't helped him, he would have continued regardless."
"They are not welcome here, they are always trouble."
"We never attack colts," Ronan reiterated, referencing the ancient, unspoken truce. He then looked up at the stars, muttering, "This colt is not as weak as you think, Bane. You should have sensed it. He is special, yes, very special." Ronan and Bane had understood that any aggression toward Albert would have been met with immediate, calculated, and violent resistance, and Ronan preferred peace over a costly engagement.
Albert was forced into a state of relentless hyper-alertness. Fang, who had been following the centaur's hooves, now seemed confused, the pervasive, alien scent of the giant spiders overpowering Fred and George's trail.
Albert had to rely solely on his ears and eyes, frequently activating a small, subtle Homenum Revelio charm to sense other sentient beings. He was just debating whether to risk a vertical Green Sparks flare—an extreme distress signal—when Fang suddenly barked fiercely towards Albert's back.
Danger!
Albert spun, his wand flying up. "Protego Maxima!" The level two protective barrier snapped into existence, shielding both him and Fang. A hideous black mass, the size of a pony, slammed into the transparent sphere with a wet, sickening thud.
The force of the impact made Albert stumble back a step, but the shield held, shimmering fiercely.
Fang was barking hysterically inside the dome, while Albert stared, his heart hammering against his ribs. The monster before him was an Acromantula: black, hairy, and eight-legged, with a pair of immense, razor-sharp pincers that clicked menacingly. Its eight jet-black eyes fixed on him with predatory hunger.
"I hate spiders," Albert muttered, noticing the quest pop up immediately.
Quest Update!
Furious Counterattack: You have been ambushed and attacked. It is time to teach your assailant a lesson: defeat the attacking Giant Eight-Eyed Spider and show these hairy giants that you are not one to be trifled with.
Reward: 1500 Experience Points, Skill Unlock: Spider Repelling Charm.
Perfect timing, Albert thought, the analytical part of his brain instantly overriding the fear. He needed that spell. He quickly opened his skill panel, poured another 500 XP into Apparition to reach Level 2 (improving precision and range), gripped the whimpering Fang, and then instantly vanished using the advanced magic.
The Acromantula, utterly bewildered, screeched in a high-pitched, clicking sound as its prey abruptly disappeared.
Fifteen meters away, Albert rematerialized, suppressing the violent internal lurch that always accompanied Apparition. He quickly raised his wand and shouted, "Stupefy!"
A brilliant flash of red light struck the giant spider's carapace. The creature merely staggered, shaking its head in blind fury. The Stunning Curse had almost no effect, merely infuriating the giant.
"Impedimenta! Stupefy!" Albert layered the Obstacle and Stunning charms again, buying meager seconds. The monster, enraged, lunged, moving with alarming speed.
Albert reacted instantaneously: "Protego Maxima!"
The spider crashed headlong into the new defensive shield, receiving a second, painful jolt. Albert could feel the immense, venomous rage radiating from its black eyes. His standard-issue spells were failing. Was his magic too weak, or was the spider too large and naturally resistant?
He glanced at his XP pool—he needed to save the remaining XP for the Spider Repelling Charm unlock. An upgrade to Stupefy wasn't an option now.
He needed weakness exploitation. He used Ghost Magic (Disillusionment) again, vanishing from sight and accepting the momentary discomfort.
Realizing its prey had disappeared once more, the giant spider scanned the area wildly. But Albert's voice came from an unexpected direction:
"Tarantallegra!"
The Dance Charm struck the Acromantula's central cluster of legs. The effect was immediate and grotesquely comical. Spiders cannot, of course, tap dance, but the spell caused the creature's immense, hairy legs to seize, shake, and twitch uncontrollably, as if they were locked in agonizing, involuntary cramps.
The huge body rocked violently, completely destabilized by the chaotic, rhythmic spasms of its eight limbs.