Hogwarts Card System Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Battle of the Spiders

“Hagrid’s friend? What happened fifty years ago…” The giant spider smacked its mandibles together, making a clicking sound.

It was surprisingly easy to talk to, not refusing, but instead rambling on and on, making Harry, Hermione, and the others breathe a sigh of relief.

The giant spider said its name was Aragog. When it was still an egg, it was given to Hagrid by a traveler. Hagrid hatched it in the castle and fed it with breadcrumbs and saved food.

But not long after, something happened in the castle. A girl was killed in the lavatory, and then people came to catch Hagrid and Aragog.

Aragog was released by Hagrid and eventually settled in the Forbidden Forest. It didn’t know what happened after that.

Hermione quickly asked, “Then what exactly is the monster in the Chamber of Secrets?”

Aragog rubbed its front legs, appearing somewhat uneasy: “I cannot say, that is the spider’s natural enemy, I cannot face it!” It was very clear it didn’t want to mention that monster.

However, Aragog also said that for all these years, thanks to Hagrid who always took good care of it, even finding it a wife and having a whole bunch of children…

Hearing this, Ron froze, then reacted: A whole bunch of children?!

He suddenly looked up, and under the moonlight, dozens, even scores of spiders, as big as ponies, were silently lowering themselves from the trees on silk threads!

Ron: “Ah~~~” His voice was like a dolphin!

Only then did the others realize that they had been unknowingly surrounded by Acromantulas!

Hermione anxiously cried out, “We are Hagrid’s friends, you can’t do this!”

Aragog rubbed its two chelicerae, making a clicking sound. The smaller Acromantulas stopped their approach, but a few larger ones still eagerly pushed forward, their chelicerae also clicking.

This was actually their way of communicating! They had been tricked just now!

Aragog said, “We will not harm Hagrid, but others are not so certain.”

It twisted its body, surveying its surroundings: “I can’t stop my children from enjoying fresh meat delivered right to them. I hope you can understand.”

“Bah! Understand Merlin’s flowery underpants!” Jerry spat fiercely, then flung out a few round, date-sized objects.

Those were the Weasley twins’ masterpieces. They had been researching transformational candies, but still hadn’t mastered the key points. However, they had developed some other products, like these “Crackle Crackers”!

These things were really loud!

A few Crackle Crackers hit the ground with loud “bang-bang-bang” explosions, instantly sending sparks flying everywhere.

The Acromantulas had never seen anything like this! The flashes of light and loud noises scared them back, suddenly creating a large open space.

“Stick to the plan! Retreat!” Ted shouted, stepping in front of everyone, “Frost Nova!”

As he stomped his foot, a white cold current spread out in a fan-shaped area ahead. The weeds and bushes on the ground immediately became covered in frost and ice shards.

Three or four Acromantulas, being particularly greedy for human flesh and closer to them, couldn’t dodge in time and had all eight of their legs frozen.

Ted pointed his wand again, and the large ice shards on the ground exploded with a “bang-bang-bang,” sending shattered ice showering all around like heavy rain.

“Retreat, retreat, retreat!”

As soon as the word “retreat” was mentioned, Ron ran the fastest, sending the giant spiders in front of him flying with several consecutive “Foe-Repelling Charms~.”

This action startled Ted. One had to know that Ron’s wand was nine inches long, with eight and eight-tenths of an inch of defiance! It was a miracle it hadn’t backfired directly on him just now!

Ron, however, had forgotten about his battle-damaged, inherited wand. He just suddenly realized that spiders didn’t seem so scary anymore? Damn it, I’m a wizard, I can do magic, come at me!

But there were too many Acromantulas. Not only were they in front, behind, and to the sides, but there were even some hanging from silk threads overhead, ready to ambush them.

Ted and the five others ran for a dozen meters before being blocked by even more spiders!

“Prepare~ Protection from Evil!” Ted started, and everyone raised their wands together, casting Protection from Evil.

A powerful surge of magic converged, forming a strange magical field around the six of them. The range was a full twenty meters in diameter!

As soon as the spiders stepped into it, they felt uncomfortable all over, even experiencing unbearable pain, and fled with hisses.

However, the number of spiders was immense, and within just ten seconds, a huge crowd had gathered outside the magical range! Big and small, dense and layered.

At this moment, Ted gave Neville a look. Neville nodded and rushed to the very front, just two or three meters from the nearest spider, and suddenly pulled out his Fang Dagger.

“Flashbang!”

There was a “bang” of an explosion, and then the entire world seemed to turn into a dazzling white.

Acromantulas considered the Basilisk their natural enemy because looking into its eyes would result in instant death. With their eight eyes and inability to close them, they were essentially exposed to the Basilisk’s gaze from all angles, meaning instant death upon contact.

It was the same now. This intense flash and explosion temporarily blinded ninety-nine percent of the Acromantulas present, and for a moment, the clicking and clacking sounds were incessant.

The giant spiders were flailing and scrambling, running around and crashing into each other, some even attacking each other in their panic.

Just then, a car horn suddenly blared in the distance, and then two beams of headlights lit up in the forest. A battered old Ford car burst out of the trees.

Ron’s eyes widened: “It’s… it’s my family’s car!”

Ted grinned: “Get in, quick, get in!”

All five companions squeezed into the car. Ted shouted, “You guys drive ahead, wait for me up there. I’m going to give them a real beating!”

With that, he slammed the car door shut, facing the spider swarm that hadn’t fully recovered yet.

He waved his wand like a conductor at a concert, and magic surged and vibrated around him.

“Wall of Fire~”

A two-meter-high wall of fire burned fiercely around Ted. A few larger Acromantulas had already recovered first, circling the fire wall, afraid to approach but unwilling to retreat.

“Eat! Eat… eat him!”

“Hang him up, inject venom…”

“I want to eat him from the feet up…”

A few of the large spiders could speak haltingly, but not as fluently as Aragog.

They were Aragog’s offspring, around level 7 or 8.

Ted noticed that Aragog had been staying at the cave entrance, and now even most of its body had retreated back into the cave, observing.

Did Aragog not care about the lives of these spiders? Did it even hope to get rid of them through Ted’s hands?!

Earlier, Ted had encountered a solitary spider outside the Acromantula territory, likely one that had failed to become a leader.

He couldn’t worry about it anymore. Hadn’t Ted been preparing for this very moment?

Seeing more and more Acromantulas almost piling on top of each other, squeezed in front of the fire wall, Ted raised his wand and pointed at the ground beneath the spider swarm: “Flame Storm~”

The ground suddenly turned fiery red, like a red-hot iron plate, and then violent flames erupted like lava!

Three meters in diameter, with a fire column five meters high, the surrounding five or six meters were as hot as a furnace… The dark depths of the Forbidden Forest seemed to light up in an instant!

“Boom~~~” The continuous roar of flames gradually weakened after three seconds, leaving only a scorched, ash-like patch on the ground.

The surviving Acromantulas had long since fled in terror.

Ted’s system notifications refreshed a dozen or twenty times in an instant!

“Ding~ Killed an Acromantula, gained 730 experience points…”

“Ding~ Killed an Acromantula, gained 690…”

“Ding~ Killed an Acromantula, gained 720…”

“Ding~ Killed an Acromantula, gained…”

“Ding~ Killed an Acromantula…”

“Ding~ Killed…”

“Ding~…”

A total of 12, 960 experience points were gained!

Killing and arson bring wealth!

A spell cast, a fortune earned!

I understand now!

Ted felt incredibly refreshed and comfortable!

It was a shame such opportunities were rare; he couldn’t just slaughter magical creatures en masse without reason.

Besides, after this one attack, it would probably take several years for the Acromantula population in the Forbidden Forest to recover.

Unfortunately, the Acromantulas’ materials and venom were all burned away, a waste.

Ted collected seven or eight white and green cards, then he literally greased his heels and ran.

As for the fire still burning in the trees, the Acromantulas were smart enough; let them make up for it!

…

Ted returned safely, and his companions breathed a sigh of relief. The fire behind them had indeed been terrifying.

After more than half a year, Ron once again gripped the steering wheel of his family’s flying car, filled with excitement. He floored the accelerator, and his hand shifting gears moved so fast it was a blur.

The flying car seemed to be on its last legs, or perhaps it was low on magic, as it could no longer fly, but it could still jump and glide for short distances.

The terrain in the Forbidden Forest, with its varying elevations, bushes, and tree roots, was driven like a scene from Akina Mountain.

Jerry’s face was pressed against the windshield, distorted. He mumbled, “Ron, I know you’re eager to get away from the spiders, but can we drive a little slower? Don’t let us die by your hand instead of in a spider’s mouth!”

However, Ron paid no attention, driving at high speed all the way out of the Forbidden Forest before finally slowing down and stopping.

The six people in the car were panting heavily, and the old car was groaning as if it might stall and die at any moment.

“Wuwu~”

“Wuwuwuwu…” Ron suddenly buried his face in the steering wheel and burst into tears.

His companions were baffled!

Jerry tried to comfort him: “Um, Ron, you actually drove pretty well!”

Harry: “See, your family’s car is back, that’s great news!”

Neville: “Great news!” (Me too~)

However, Ron cried even harder.

“What’s wrong with you? Did a spider bite you? We got out, you don’t have to be afraid of spiders anymore!” Jerry thought Ron was scared of spiders.

But Ron choked out, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry…”

The other five exchanged glances, completely unaware of what had happened.

Ron, however, said, “It’s me! It’s all because of me! I should have been braver, told everyone earlier…”

(End of this chapter)