Chapter 107: "First Encounter with the Acromantulas"

As the small snake darted toward the gathering of giant acromantulas, it called out loudly in determination, "Speaker, come on, kill these spiders and take back my home!"

Under normal conditions, the sight of such a small snake challenging a group of large acromantulas might have seemed funny, but here, with the imposing spiders looming, it was anything but amusing. Harry felt a pang of worry for the brave little snake and regretted bringing it along. It would have been wiser to simply get directions from the snake and leave it behind.

The acromantulas, now alerted by the snake's bold intrusion, shifted their focus menacingly toward it. The snake faced the towering spiders defiantly, almost as if it were sneering at them. This seemed to provoke a few of the bolder spiders, who quickly moved to dispatch what they saw as a pesky nuisance.

Harry reacted immediately. With a swift flick of his wand, he cast a summoning charm that whisked the snake into the safety of his hand. Although Harry felt no particular affection for the snake, its tips about the acromantulas being so close to Hogwarts had proved crucial, and he felt compelled to rescue it for its help.

Now fully aware of a bigger threat in their midst, the acromantulas became visibly agitated. A loud screech from one of the largest spiders rallied the others, and a swarm of them began to advance aggressively toward Harry.

With the snake now safe in his hand, Harry didn't hesitate. He sprinted deeper into the forest, deciding against engaging the enormous acromantula colony by himself. He also refrained from casting any spells that might further provoke the already dangerous spiders.

Although heading straight back to the castle might have been simpler, Harry knew that leading such lethal creatures towards other students was too risky. Fortunately, his enhanced speed from his Knight training made him faster than ever, allowing him to easily outpace the spiders.

After running a good distance, Harry dared to look back to check on his pursuers. To his relief, only about ten large acromantulas and twenty smaller ones had continued the chase. Feeling confident that he could manage these numbers, Harry stopped to face his foes. This was his first real battle, and he was both nervous and excited.

He pulled out the steel Gryffindor family sword from his pouch—not the wooden practice sword he usually carried—and braced himself for the fight. Although acromantulas were challenging opponents due to their venom and webs, Harry was keen to put his swordsmanship to the test against actual threats. He knew that if the fight turned dire, he could still fall back on powerful fire spells.

The snake, still coiled around his arm, seemed to sense the impending battle and hissed encouragingly, "Come on, Speaker, hack those spiders!"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Harry couldn't help but smile at the snake's bravado, though it clearly didn't grasp the full danger they were in. He appreciated the support as he squared off against the encircling spiders.

Just then, one of the smaller acromantulas made a sudden leap towards him. Harry's response was swift and precise; his sword sliced cleanly through the creature, effectively halving it in mid-air. As more spiders approached, he realized he needed a free hand to manage his spells, so he switched to fighting with one hand. He started to burn the webs that were being thrown at him and used his wand to deflect the venom spat by the acromantulas, all while continuing to fend off the attackers with his sword.

As the fight grew fiercer, Harry's rigorous training paid off splendidly. He moved around the open space with grace, easily sidestepping the acromantulas as they leapt towards him. His sword moves were sharp and strong, cutting through the spiders' thick, hairy legs, rendering them helpless one after another. His actions were smooth, resembling a dance as he navigated through the forest of venomous fangs. Each time a spider tried to surround him, Harry quickly identified and exploited the weaknesses in their approach. Whenever he spotted an especially good opportunity, he would spring forward with an energetic jump, slashing his sword powerfully through the body of the spider, sending it crashing to the forest floor with a heavy thud.

With every slash and dodge, Harry's awareness of his surroundings grew sharper, his instincts honed by the immediate danger posed by each spider. The fight transformed into a dangerous dance of swift moves and strategic retreats.

During this intense combat, Harry discovered an intriguing aspect of his training. As he engaged the spiders, he realized that his sword-fighting stance and movements remarkably aligned with the poses recommended for the Knight breathing technique. Without even thinking about it, he was breathing in the rhythm prescribed by the technique, which not only enhanced his combat effectiveness but also fortified his body more efficiently than his regular practice sessions.

This realization thrilled Harry, giving him a rush of exhilaration as he noticed the tangible benefits of his training in real combat. His strikes became quicker and more forceful, each move driven by both necessity and a newfound joy in the physical challenge.

Within about fifteen minutes, the battlefield was strewn with the remains of dead acromantulas. Their legs were spread out across the ground, and their venom shone on the leaves under the sunlight. The small group of acromantulas was no match for Harry.

After ensuring no more acromantulas were coming, Harry began to collect the valuable parts of the defeated spiders. He knew that acromantula venom and other body parts were quite valuable, so he carefully gathered them, placing them into an expandable pouch for safekeeping.

Harry felt a sense of accomplishment as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle. He was completely unharmed—not a single scratch on him. The only signs of the recent fight were the splashes of blood on his clothes, a few drops of venom here and there, and his heavy breathing from the exertion. He was quite tired and looked forward to returning to the castle for a well-deserved meal.

However, before he could head back, he needed to secure his loot. If he delayed, other creatures from the forest might scavenge or destroy the valuable materials. Ideally, he would have called Mira, his house-elf, to use her magic for an easy pack up, but Hogwarts rules were strict about house-elves with owners entering the school grounds. Harry had confirmed this with the Hogwarts kitchen elves; they had explained that any visiting elf would be quickly detected by the Hogwarts elves, who would then alert the headmaster. Such an infraction could lead to penalties for the student involved.

This restriction made Harry think about the events described in the Harry Potter books, suggesting to him that many incidents might have been orchestrated or manipulated by Dumbledore, possibly as a way to train or test Harry. 

Lost in these thoughts, Harry was brought back to reality by the snake's excited hissing. The snake, exhilarated by their triumph, suggested eagerly, "The fight was thrilling, Speaker! They were no match for us. Let's go back to my nest and clear out the rest!"

Harry glanced at his watch and realized he couldn't linger. "Not now. I've got classes," he told the snake. "Check your nest in a few days; the spiders will likely be gone. Take care," he added, then started back toward the castle.

"Can I come with you, Speaker?" the snake asked, clearly wanting to stick by Harry.

"Not this time. My being a speaker is a secret, so I can't be seen with you. Maybe in a few years, we can meet again. Until then, goodbye," Harry explained, continuing his walk.

While Harry had grown fond of the brave and clever snake, he knew carrying it around would cast him in a suspicious light, possibly as an evil dark wizard, which was trouble he didn't need.

As he walked, Harry's mind was filled with pressing concerns, primarily the large acromantula colony close to Hogwarts. The loss they'd suffered today might make them desperate enough to attack the school, especially with tonight being the Halloween night. 

Harry pondered whether to alert someone or handle the threat himself. Just minutes before, he would have notified Sirius without hesitation, avoiding the risk of a dangerous battle. However, the benefits he gained from running the Knight Breathing Technique during the battle were too substantial to ignore. The progress from those few minutes of combat was equivalent to a month's worth of training, and Harry estimated that taking on the entire colony alone could accelerate his progress by about a year.

With these thoughts, Harry was now leaning more towards dealing with the acromantula colony by himself rather than informing others. But first, he needed to prepare—gathering items to slow down the large group and making arrangements to protect himself from potential harm.