Acromantula and Bear

The moon, a milky orb suspended in an indigo ocean, cast a soft glow upon the earth. The lights in the castle windows had winked out, only the firelight in the corridors still flickered. In the distance, the Black Lake gently lapped its silver waves under the moonlight.

Anthony and Hagrid walked through the dense forest, the damp leaves rustling beneath their feet.

Despite the bright moonlight, the deeper they ventured, the darker the woods became. In the full bloom of spring, the trees' new leaves blocked out the light from above.

Hagrid expertly navigated around a stump, stepping over its gnarled roots. "Almost there. I reckon you know the way by now, Henry."

Night enveloped them like a velvet cloak, the silence broken only by the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of unseen creatures.

Anthony scanned the surroundings, but not even a centaur was in sight. The Forbidden Forest at night seemed to consist only of endless trees. Off the beaten path, the trees grew denser, their branches reaching skyward like skeletal fingers, their leaves forming a thick canopy overhead.

The ground suddenly sloped downwards, and the surroundings abruptly brightened.

Anthony followed closely behind Hagrid, using his companion's back for support as they descended the slippery slope. The leafy ceiling that had obscured the moon and stars was gone, and in this wide clearing, there wasn't a single tree, only frighteningly large spiders and their misty white webs.

"Aragog!" Hagrid bellowed. "Aragog! Where are yeh?"

As if in answer to his call, several giant spiders echoed, "Aragog! Hagrid! Hagrid!"

Others addressed Hagrid and Anthony directly. "Aragog is sleeping." They stared at Anthony, then at Hagrid, and slowly retreated on their eight legs.

The dome-shaped web in the center of the clearing rustled, and an astonishingly large, blind Acromantula emerged.

"What's happened?" it asked, its voice weary but concerned. "What is it this time, Hagrid?"

Hagrid exclaimed joyfully, "Aragog, look who I brought! Henry!"

"Who is Henry?" Aragog inquired with disinterest.

Anthony nudged Hagrid's elbow, but Hagrid was oblivious. He raised the wine bottle in his hand. "We've come for a drink, old friend! To celebrate, to celebrate yer name being cleared!"

Aragog, roused from its slumber only to find Hagrid wanted to drink, reluctantly picked up the giant and carried him towards the woods.

Hagrid clung to its furry legs, mumbling drunkenly. Once Aragog had climbed the steep slope, he called out, "Wait up, Henry!"

"Yeah, thanks," Anthony grumbled, retrieving the dropped wine bottle and looking at the giant spider beside him. "I'll be heading back then. See you next time."

One of the spiders clicked its pincers greedily.

"I'm really hungry." it said, taking a tentative step towards Anthony. Several other Acromantulas also fixed their gaze on him, slowly advancing, their thick hairs bristling in the breeze.

The spider behind them spoke up. "No!"

Anthony calmly added, "I suggest you reconsider that thought."

The dissenting spider said, "Didn't you hear who he is? Hagrid said he's the one who killed the monster we don't name."

The hungry Acromantula repeated, "Human."

Another spider clicked, "Ah, human, Hagrid's friend."

The first spider countered, "Idiot, that means he's dangerous! Just try it. Human, I don't want to eat you."

"What's your name?" Anthony inquired.

The spider said, "I don't need a name, Hagrid's friend."

"But how will I tell you apart from the others?"

The spider hesitated, then said, "You can call me Ninety-Seventh Grandson."

"Danger." The spiders hesitated, their whispered discussions drowned out by the clicking of their pincers. Anthony suspected the entire colony was communicating.

"If you don't mind, I'll be on my way," Anthony said.

The spiders conferred, their eight eyes darting back and forth, watching him warily. Anthony reached the edge of the steep slope, realizing it would be difficult to climb back up. Behind him, the debate among the Acromantulas grew more intense.

The one that had wanted to eat him said, "Let him go? I think that might be a bit difficult." It continued to stare at Anthony like a child eyeing a tempting dessert, swaying slightly.

Anthony shook his head.

He could, of course, use necromancy to build a ladder or even commandeer the corpses of various Forbidden Forest creatures (including Acromantulas) to carry him up. But he was determined to avoid using necromancy recklessly, so—

"Summon a guardian!"

The air shimmered, and a massive bear materialized in the clearing. It was larger than any of the Acromantulas, even Aragog. The silvery spider webs, glistening in the moonlight, seemed dwarfed by the nearly eight-foot-tall bear.

After surveying its surroundings, it sniffed at a nearby Acromantula (which promptly jumped away), then looked curiously at the moon. Finally, it lay down, allowing Anthony to grab its fur and climb onto its back. Slowly, it stood up.

"Farewell, descendants of Hagrid's friends," Anthony said, mimicking the spiders' naming conventions. "And farewell, Ninety-Seventh Grandson."

The spiders retreated without a word.

"Let's go," Anthony said. The bear lumbered forward, easily navigating out of the depression.

Anthony looked back at the Forbidden Forest and saw Aragog returning, his white, sightless eyes staring blankly at the sky. His eight legs moved swiftly, as if he already knew the way back to his den. In the distance, birds took flight, and trees trembled. Hagrid was clearly making his way back.

"Let's go find Hagrid," he said to the bear.

He still didn't know how to dismiss the bear – few people wanted to dismiss their summoned protectors – and could only wait for it to dissipate on its own.

The bear cautiously lowered its head and stepped into the Forbidden Forest, its massive paws nearly crushing a small tree. It carefully moved towards a wider area, pushing aside the dense branches with its paws and snout.

It was the first time Anthony had looked down at the tree roots and fallen branches from such a height, and they seemed pitifully small. He wondered how Hagrid must perceive other humans.

Hagrid's footsteps grew closer. The bear pushed through another tangle of vines, squeezing between trees with a loud creaking of trunks.

Hagrid stopped abruptly.

"Who's there?" he boomed. "Show yerself! You don't belong in the Forbidden Forest!"

"It's me!" Anthony called out. "Don't worry, Hagrid, I'm fine." He slid off the bear's back and waited for Hagrid to approach.

"Oh, Henry! Runnin' Gorgon, I was worried sick you'd gotten lost," Hagrid sounded relieved. "But, didn't know yeh were a bear."

...

If you're interested and want to support me, you can read up to Chapter 123 on my Patreon! Your support means a lot. 🙌📚

patreon.com/Keepsmiling818