Satisfied, but still highly strung, Albert watched the immediate and extraordinarily potent effects of the Dance Charm on the giant eight-eyed spider. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief, though his heart still hammered like a drum against his ribs. The Tarantallegra had been highly productive.
Even with its eight legs thrashing uncontrollably, the enraged spider managed to drag its enormous, twitching body towards Albert, intent on tearing him limb from limb. It relied on sheer momentum and fury, since locomotion had failed it.
Albert was more than prepared. As the monster lumbered within striking distance, he swiftly executed Protego Maxima once more, creating the Level 2 protective barrier. The unfortunate creature—its eyes blazing with venomous rage—collided with the invisible shield and was flung backward, its many legs still jerking in an involuntary jig.
The Acromantula landed hard, its massive, hairy bulk hitting the damp earth with a dull thud. Due to the lingering effect of the Dance Charm, it couldn't immediately right itself. Its legs continued their chaotic, magical spasm, presenting a sight that was both terrifying and grotesquely comical.
Albert immediately dispersed the defensive barrier, unwilling to waste the precious magical energy, and continued to pepper the struggling spider with Tarantallegra. Each successive application compounded the motor failure.
The spider eventually managed to rise, but found its eight legs completely uncooperative. It skittered awkwardly, as if trying to run on ice skates, before finally collapsing into an ungainly heap.
"Spiders, most certainly, are not designed for tap dancing," Albert muttered, taking a cautious step back. He followed up with every attack spell he knew, relentlessly battering the creature to ensure it could not humiliate itself further, or, more importantly, recover to bite him.
Albert knew his battle with this single Acromantula had been far from easy. These giant spiders were ancient, dark magical creatures, specifically bred for guardianship by early wizards due to their high resistance to conventional curses. Their ability to hunt silently and their sheer resilience made them nightmares even for adult witches and wizards.
Albert's success was not a measure of his spell strength, but the efficacy of his defense and the strategic use of specialty charms. Few wizards, let alone students, could maintain the sheer stamina and concentration required to utilize the Level 2 defensive barrier as skillfully as Albert.
Spells, Albert knew, differed vastly in difficulty. The Shining Charm was easily mastered and quickly leveled up; the practical Ironclad Spell was medium difficulty. But the All-Encompassing Protection—a specialized variant—was notoriously difficult. The skill point system, however, bypassed years of magical exploration and dangerous experimentation, allowing Albert to instantly internalize these difficult, highly practical spells and unleash their full, leveled power.
"What a tragic waste," Albert sighed, examining the unmoving behemoth. He knew the spider's venom—a dark, thick liquid—was worth hundreds of Galleons per pint on the black market, potentially much more. He had neither the courage nor the necessary supplies to attempt the extraction right here, right now.
"Never mind the Galleons," he decided. Survival was the only currency that mattered in the Forbidden Forest. He opened the Quest Panel, selected "Furious Counterattack" as complete, and immediately received the Spider Repelling Charm. Without hesitation, he poured the newfound experience into it, instantly leveling Spider Repelling Charm to Level 2 in his skill panel.
The immediate internalization of complex magical knowledge was a feeling Albert cherished—it was as if an entire library of specialized information had materialized inside his mind. He closed his eyes, confirming the wand movement and the focused energy required. He then raised his wand and flicked it toward the defeated spider, whispering:
"Arania Exumai!"
A brilliant, dazzling magical light—white with an aggressive blue core—slammed into the stationary spider. The force instantly lifted the massive creature, flinging it a distance and leaving deep, searing scorch marks on its body.
"Maximum damage confirmed," Albert breathed, impressed. "It lives up to its reputation as a specialty counter-spell."
With Arania Exumai now at Level 2, Albert's confidence surged. He felt he was no longer helpless against the Acromantula threat.
"Just wait," he muttered to the darkness, "I'm about to turn this entire hunting ground upside down."
His determination was cut short by a flash of notification.
Quest Update!
Spider Hunter: You have shown the dark giants of the forest that you are not prey. Defeat or subdue their brethren and teach them a harsh lesson.
Current Progress: 20/20Rewards: 10,000 Experience Points, 1 Vial of Acromantula Venom, Title: Spider Hunter, Magical World Reputation +200.
Albert's facial muscles twitched. The system really does hold a grudge. He hadn't expected the immediate follow-up, suggesting he was now primed to take on the spiders en masse.
"Fang, we have to move," Albert crouched down, rubbing the hound's head. "You have to keep your nose working double time now. We cannot be ambushed by any more of these large beasts."
Albert knew Fang's natural alertness, though often overwhelmed by fear, was still a reliable early warning system.
He continued following the path that Fang—now more focused—was indicating, until they reached another section of semi-open ground. Albert hesitated, then raised his wand and fired a vertical Green Sparks flare.
The sky above the forest canopy briefly lit up. And then, in response, a fierce, desperate flare of Red Sparks shot up a considerable distance away.
They're still alive.
Unfortunately for Fred and George, the Red Sparks were meant for the arriving professors, but they had merely confirmed Albert's trajectory. Albert, however, was now encountering a terrifying increase in spider density.
"Arania Exumai!"
A blinding, white flash. Another massive spider, emerging silently from the shadows, was struck, failing and tumbling back into the darkness.
"Arania Exumai!"
Another one, trying to flank him, was sent flying, its leg snapping audibly.
"Am I marching straight into their den?" Albert muttered, looking around at the silent, downed bodies of the slain and stunned spiders. He was too busy surviving to count his progress for the new Spider Hunter quest, but the situation was becoming increasingly grim. The ambush attempts were now continuous and highly organized.
Fang was staggering, unable to cope with Albert's repeated, short-range Apparitions, a necessary tactic to evade the worst of the ambushes. After a few more jumps, Albert himself felt violently ill, the sudden, forced dislocation of space and the psychological tension causing him to retch up the chocolate he had consumed earlier.
Must keep a clear mind! He clenched his teeth, relying on the mental fortitude granted by his Level 2 Apparition skill to maintain consciousness.
"Are they pinned down?" Albert wondered, looking up at the fixed position of the recurring Red Sparks. The distance between him and the flare was barely shortening. If the twins had been moving, he would have reached them already.
As he followed the sounds of the distant spider clicks, he hopped over a massive, moss-covered fallen log and froze.
The clicking was no longer the movement of a single spider, but a sound of distinct, overwhelming intensity. It was the synchronized, rustling movement of a hundred giant spiders.
Albert immediately crouched, pressing his hand firmly on Fang's muzzle to suppress the dog's terrified whine. We're ruined if we're surrounded. He crept forward, peeking cautiously around the next bend.
What he saw stopped his heart.
It was an army of spiders.
A vast, terrifying swarm of Acromantulas, shoulder-to-shoulder, had completely encircled an enormous, ancient tree. Hanging precariously from its upper branches were the two small, desperate figures of the Weasley twins, fighting off the spiders that were actively scaling the trunk.
Albert instantly knew the tree: the legendary Guardian Tree. Its inherent protective magic normally repelled dark creatures. But nothing was absolute. The scent of fresh human flesh and blood—an irresistible lure—was now so strong that it was overriding the tree's ancient influence. The giant spiders, driven by the hunger of the collective, were risking the tree's wards to get their meal.
"Hang on! I see it! A professor must be coming to save us now!" George shouted from above, his voice strained with frantic hope, as he fired a fresh blast of Red Sparks.
"Don't lose focus, George! They're coming up the side again!" Fred screamed back.
Albert clenched his wand, his mind racing. Apparition is the last resort. It would save them, but expose his secret completely. Could he fight this?
He glanced at his experience pool. He had enough to push one final, essential skill. Breaking through that siege—that dense wall of spiders—required a spell of immense, overwhelming force and broad coverage. Arania Exumai was powerful, but narrow.
Fire. Fire was the only element that terrified spiders and created a massive, instant barrier.
Albert gritted his teeth. He opened his skill panel and poured every remaining point into Fire Magic, leveling it to Level 2.
"I'll maximize my efforts," Albert whispered, feeling the burst of knowledge—the correct incantation, the necessary wand flourish, the control over the intensity and direction of the flames. "Fang, stay glued to my side! Do not move!"
He drew a deep, cleansing breath and launched himself from cover, running toward the spider swarm.
"Arania Exumai! Arania Exumai! Arania Exumai!"
Three blinding bolts of white light slammed into the closest ranks of the spider army. The force and magic were devastating. The dense, chitinous formation broke apart instantly, leaving a temporary, smoking gap.
Then, Albert pointed his wand toward the ground at the edges of that gap and bellowed:
"Incendio Duo!"
The Level 2 fire charm was unlike the small flickers of Level 1. Two powerful, roaring firewalls erupted simultaneously, one on the left flank and one on the right, converging into a fierce, orange-red channel aimed directly at the base of the Guardian Tree. The heat and light were blinding, forcing the surrounding spiders to recoil in absolute terror and pain.
The flames created a brilliantly lit, roaring channel straight through the heart of the siege.
Up in the tree, Fred and George watched in utter astonishment as the terrifying wall of spiders suddenly fractured, replaced by two roaring columns of fire. Many of the spiders they thought were invincible were blasted away by dazzling white light, defeated by a single, powerful spell.
Someone came!
As the two firewalls converged, a figure, small but cloaked in an aura of intense power, sprinted through the fire-lit corridor, pulling a terrified Fang behind him.
Just as the twins instinctively started to descend, excited by the sudden miracle, a voice—sharp, cold, and utterly unmistakable—cut through the crackle of the flames:
"Don't come down!"
Fred and George froze, looking at each other through the swirling smoke. That voice... that tone of annoyed command...
"Was that…?" George whispered, utterly bewildered.
"It sounds exactly like Albert!" Fred finished, his jaw hanging open.
.....
"I know there are many inconsistencies in previous chapters. It's impolite for me to ask but i wish if u could at least tell me from which chapter it all started or if there is anything mismatched with original in this comment. I had taken a good look mainly future chapters and made corrections also and this is why i take a break for one day. Hope u all stay well and healthy. "