Chapter 61 – Roasting an Acromantula
They did not disturb the centaur, allowing him to continue gazing quietly at the moon as they pushed deeper into the forest.
After walking for quite some time without reaching their destination, Russell couldn't help asking,
"Professor… what exactly are we here to practice?"
"Acromantulas," Corvey replied with a faint smile. "Ever heard of them?"
Russell nodded slightly.
"They're giant spiders that live deep in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, especially in the jungles of Borneo. Acromantulas are believed to have been bred by wizards to guard treasure or property. They're extremely aggressive—and they eat humans."
"We're here," Corvey said at last, coming to a halt.
He motioned for Russell to part the tall grass in front of him and look ahead.
On a stretch of open ground lay a monstrous spider.
Jet-black fur covered its enormous body. Eight dark eyes were embedded in its head like polished stones. With massive fangs, it was leisurely tearing apart the corpse of another spider—its lifeless eyes turned white.
Under the pale glow of the moon, it looked grotesque… and terrifying.
"Go on," Corvey whispered in Russell's ear. "Remember what I taught you."
Standing before such a beast, Russell couldn't help feeling a knot in his stomach.
But under Corvey's calm encouragement, he forced himself forward step by step.
He knew that an Acromantula's greatest weakness was its eyes.
At the same time, that was also its most sensitive organ.
Luckily, with the Silent Step Charm still working, even when Russell moved into its field of view, the creature showed no sign of noticing him.
He estimated the length of its legs—each one nearly six or seven feet long—so he kept a cautious distance, just in case it went berserk.
After all, he had not yet learned the Shield Charm.
Russell had already discussed this with Professor Corvey before.
The Shield Charm could greatly improve a wizard's survival rate—it could block most spells except for the Killing Curse, and even absorb part of a physical impact.
But Corvey insisted Russell was not ready.
He had never seen a first-year student successfully cast such a spell.
In fact, most Aurors in the Ministry of Magic couldn't use it reliably either.
The Ministry had grown corrupt.
Or rather… the entire magical world had gone stale.
Refusing to learn from Muggle advancements would only lead wizards toward extinction.
Russell thought that Arthur Weasley was truly a clever man.
Even if Arthur's original motivation had simply been his mundane fascination with Muggle objects, being able to modify an ordinary car into a flying vehicle was no small achievement.
Taking a deep breath, Russell raised his wand and aimed it straight at the Acromantula's eye.
"Diffindo."
One of the spider's eyes was sliced as though struck by an invisible blade, deep gashes ripping across its surface.
Russell did not stop there. He continued firing the Cutting Charm at its eyes.
The Acromantula rolled wildly across the ground in agony. His next few spells missed their mark, carving shallow grooves into its head instead of hitting the eyes.
The moment Russell cast his spell, both the Disillusionment Charm and the Silent Step Charm shattered.
The creature, enraged and panicked, suddenly realized that a human figure had appeared directly before it. It immediately understood who was responsible.
Suppressing its pain, it swept its massive fangs toward Russell.
Thankfully, Russell had kept a safe distance. The giant pincers tore past his body by a hair's breadth.
A violent gust slammed into his back. The air shrieked like breaking glass, and pain surged through his chest as though his organs had been struck by a hammer.
"Sorry, Fisone—it's my fault. I put you in danger."
Professor Corvey hurried forward and pressed a potion into Russell's hands.
A cool sensation spread through Russell's body, dulling the pain almost instantly.
Corvey motioned him to stand behind him.
"Today, I'll teach you a spell specifically for dealing with Acromantulas. It's called the Flame Charm."
"Incendio!"
A small red flame shot from his wand. The instant it touched the spider, it erupted into a raging inferno that engulfed its entire body.
The Acromantula screamed and thrashed wildly. The fire spread into the dry grass, igniting it in seconds.
The risk of a forest fire was undeniable—and Corvey would not allow it.
"Aguamenti!"
A torrent of water burst forth, rushing toward the blaze.
But a sudden gust of wind strengthened the flames, and the water proved barely effective.
At the center of the inferno, the Acromantula had already gone still—its body burned black and charred beyond recognition.
Corvey frowned. If this continued, the forest itself would be lost.
He began running in a wide circle around the fire, wand extended.
"Finite Incantatem!"
Wave after wave of magic struck the flames. They flickered and weakened, as though struggling to survive.
Breathing heavily, Corvey dashed back to Russell's side and cast Aguamenti again.
This time, the flames were finally extinguished.
"Whew… that was close," Corvey muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Another minute, and I'd have had to call Dumbledore in."
Only Dumbledore had the power to restore a forest after something like this.
"Come," Corvey said, gesturing. "Let me show you something."
They approached the blackened corpse.
The closer they came, the stronger the smell of roasted meat became.
"Professor… won't this smell attract other beasts?" Russell asked uneasily.
"Not at all," Corvey replied calmly. "Before feeding, Acromantulas spread their venom throughout the surrounding area. It warns every creature to stay away."
"In the Forbidden Forest, they're apex predators."
Not anymore.
Corvey flicked his wand, dispersing the heat around the corpse. Then he sliced off one massive fang with a single spell.
Inside, the meat was pearly white, almost translucent.
"Despite their appearance," Corvey said casually, "they're actually delicious."
He set the fang down in front of Russell and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Go on," he said. "Try it."
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