The Whole Mess

Assessing the situation and weighing the pros and cons isn't something a group of teenage Gryffindor wizards are good at. If they were Slytherin, upon seeing the devastation and destruction in the Forbidden Forest, they would likely have shown much more restraint and decorum.

"Why are you still talking, Charlie? We'll cover you; you find a way to rescue Priam!"

A Gryffindor player on a Comet series broom shouted from Amorsta's upper left, and then decisively cast a stunning spell in Amorsta's direction.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team members were indeed very coordinated. That stunning spell seemed to be a signal for an attack, and the three players, except for Charlie, responded immediately upon receiving the signal.

To confuse Amorsta as much as possible, they flew around on their brooms, constantly changing positions in the air. Their intertwined shadows formed a net over Amorsta's head, occasionally launching stunning spells or petrification spells.

To be honest, Amorsta had originally planned to return Priam to them and didn't intend to fight.

Filioa had already gone to the castle to fetch help, and the professors would soon know that students were fighting in the Forbidden Forest. Afterward, punishment such as point deductions and detention was inevitable. But Amorsta hoped his detention would be a bit shorter; he didn't want to stay in Snape's office until next Christmas.

However, since the Gryffindors attacked first, defending himself and fighting back was no problem. It was a good chance to let off some steam.

With a flick of his wand, a vortex of intertwined silver and black magic appeared in front of Amorsta, with a deep, bottomless black hole at its centre.

Like the Charybdis whirlpool from Greek mythology floating beside him, the vortex automatically intercepted and swallowed every spell that came his way without needing Amorsta to control it with his wand.

"What kind of magic is that?"

The Gryffindor players tried various strategies, whether attacking from multiple directions simultaneously or concentrating their efforts to break through the vortex. None worked.

"I don't know, but it looks like dark magic!"

Another player shouted in response.

Charlie Weasley knew he had to act. He couldn't just stand by and watch.

As Gryffindor's star Seeker, Charlie's flying skills were a cut above the rest. He moved like a ghost, pausing briefly in one spot and then appearing in another in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, his spell-casting skills were impressive. Despite his rapid movement, each spell was precisely aimed at Amorsta. This was no small feat; even a young Professor Flitwick might not have been so agile.

Unfortunately, this didn't mean he could break through Amorsta's defence.

Late at night, Amorsta unexpectedly enjoyed a high-difficulty flying performance in the Forbidden Forest. The impressive flying skills even earned a silent nod of admiration from Amorsta, who wasn't particularly interested in Quidditch. No wonder the Gryffindor team had dominated Slytherin last school year.

"You little worm, are you just going to hide behind that thing?"

Frustrated by their failure to break through, the Gryffindor players resorted to taunts.

"Maybe we should try a different approach!"

Seeing his Disarming Spell fail again, a panting Charlie paused in midair, looking around before coming up with an idea.

"Fly higher, everyone. Watch out for the spider's venom—it'll burn through your robes. Finite Incantatem!"

Everyone understood Charlie's plan, including Amorsta. He immediately turned to the Acromantula, just in time to see Charlie's wand emit a glow that hit the spider's thick, black-haired leg.

Click, click, click!

Freed from its bindings, the spider immediately waved its two huge, shiny black pincers, hissing angrily at the wizards before it.

The Acromantula, having been toyed with by Charlie and the others for so long, shook its ugly head, frantically blinking its green compound eyes. In its senses, the buzzing red flies in the sky and the little wizard on the ground nearby were all in the same group!

Crack!

The spider, with its eight legs, moved incredibly fast. Its massive body easily broke through several tree trunks as thick as bowls when it charged with full force.

Amorsta raised an eyebrow. He knew about Acromantulas. The venom of these magical creatures was extremely valuable, fetching up to a hundred Galleons per pint. Of course, this particular spider was still too small to produce that much venom.

Still, every little bit counts, and Amorsta wasn't one to waste opportunities.

Seeing Amorsta standing still in the face of the spider, Charlie's weathered face showed a trace of concern. He worried that Amorsta might be paralyzed with fear by the terrifying spider. Just as he was about to shout a warning, Amorsta suddenly raised his arm, wand pointed directly at the spider leaping towards him in mid-air.

"Reducio!"

The massive body of the Acromantula suddenly stiffened. Its eight eyes showed confusion as its surroundings quickly distorted. Before it could react, it found itself uncontrollably shrinking into a glass bottle.

"Thank you for the gift," Amorsta said after casting several defensive spells on the bottle. "I quite like it."

With that, he gripped his raised wand as if holding a drumstick and sighed.

"Next, I probably have a lot of trouble to deal with. So let's quickly end this mess and return to the castle. If all goes well, I might even squeeze in half an hour of sleep back in the dormitory."

"Dream on, Blaine! You think you can still sleep?"

The first Gryffindor who attacked Amorsta snapped out of the shock of seeing him easily subdue the Acromantula. He bared his teeth and growled,

"The Dementors will give you a good welcome!"

"The wind is strong up there. I suggest you don't fly so high; otherwise, it will hurt when you fall."

Amorsta ignored the threat and looked at Charlie instead.

"What are you planning to do?"

Alerted by the warning, Charlie raised his wand in front of his chest and gripped the broom handle tightly, ready to dodge at any moment.

But Amorsta didn't cast any spells at anyone. Instead, he swung his wand like a club, striking the empty air in front of him!

Buzz!

With the wand's strike, an invisible storm erupted. Magic surged from the point of impact like ripples in a pond disturbed by a falling stone, spreading rapidly in all directions.

Bang, bang, bang!

Swept by the chaotic magic, the Gryffindor players fell from their brooms like dumplings into a pot. After several heavy thuds, they were all knocked unconscious.

"I warned you it would hurt... Ah, what a hassle."

Amorsta turned towards the castle. Bill Weasley, riding Filiola's broom, was quickly crossing the boundary of the Forbidden Forest and the field, hurrying over with a worried expression.