#298 - Chapter 298: Survival from a Desperate Situation

Seeing the blood drained from Ron's face, leaving it ashen white, Harry felt a sense of foreboding.

In his memory, Ron was not a timid person; he had never seen Ron this terrified.

Following the direction of Ron's finger, everyone abruptly turned around, and a spine-chilling scene unfolded before their eyes.

The surrounding woods were teeming with spiders as large as cartwheels, densely packed and completely encircling them.

These behemoths crawled silently, blending into the surrounding trees and shrubs, almost indistinguishable from the night.

Upon closer inspection, their appearance was unnerving; their furry bodies were covered with black exoskeletons, which, coupled with their massive size, made them appear incredibly imposing.

Enormous chelicerae gleamed with an eerie green light, clearly containing potent venom and razor-sharp edges.

Each giant spider possessed eight dark, merciless eyes, coldly observing the group, as if appraising food on a dinner table.

Above them, smaller spiders scaled the towering treetops.

Silently, thick webs spread out, weaving into a dense cage, completely sealing off the sky above.

Upon realizing they had been discovered, these Acromantulas abandoned their concealment and began slowly approaching the group.

"Haha, these people have finally noticed us."

"Daring to cause a ruckus in the Forbidden Forest at night, don't they know this is the boss's territory!"

"Seize these intruders and offer them all to the boss; the boss will surely reward us with more meat."

"The beef last time was quite delicious; I hope the boss brings more."

"I still prefer lamb; that unique flavor is simply exquisite."

"You're all so uncultured; of course, fish is the best—tender! The boss's staff said fish is the most expensive."

"Don't hurt those three students; just wrap them up in webbing. Otherwise, we won't get anything to eat, and the boss will punish us."

The Acromantulas began to bicker amongst themselves, turning what should have been a serious hunt into a reminiscence of fine dining.

"Damn it!" Lupin cursed under his breath. "These are all Acromantulas, XXXXX classified magical creatures, apex predators of the dark."

"How can there be so many terrifying things in the Forbidden Forest! My attention was entirely on Peter just now; I didn't even notice when they surrounded us."

XXXXX classified magical creatures!

Apex predators!

With each word Lupin spoke, Ron's face grew paler.

For him, spiders were the most terrifying things in the world, and these giant Acromantulas were simply lethal.

He felt weak all over, barely able to lift his wand, and could only tremble as he moved closer to Harry, as if only by staying there could he find some semblance of safety.

Hermione also came to Harry's side and stood with them, forcing herself to remain calm as she rapidly recalled the information from her textbooks, trying to find the spiders' weaknesses.

Harry gripped his wand tightly. After a moment's thought, he took Sirius's wand from Ron and handed it to Sirius.

Although the answer hadn't been fully revealed, subconsciously, he already felt that Sirius hadn't lied to him.

Harry's trust moved Sirius deeply. He gave Harry a profound look before turning to Lupin and asking,

"Remus, who is this boss the spiders are talking about? Is it the headmaster?"

"I don't know!" Lupin said, his face grave. "I'm only responsible for teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts; I have no understanding of the Forbidden Forest's affairs."

"I only heard Mr. Scamander say that the magical creatures of the Forbidden Forest are now all under Hogwarts' jurisdiction."

"I see," Sirius said, his expression shifting slightly. "Remus, would you like to use your professor status to negotiate with these spiders?"

"There are too many spiders; if a real fight breaks out, we'll be in danger today."

Hearing Sirius's suggestion, Lupin stepped forward and called out to the Acromantulas.

"I am Remus Lupin, a professor at Hogwarts. I am now taking the students away from here. Please clear a path."

A Hogwarts professor?

If that's true, then we have to give him some face.

The Acromantulas halted their advance.

"Werewolf, you say you're a professor, where's your proof, where's your teaching certificate?"

Teaching certificate?!

Lupin was stunned. He had left in such a hurry today that he hadn't even thought about bringing his teaching certificate with him.

Moreover, he had transformed into a werewolf, and his clothes were already torn; even if he had brought the certificate, he wouldn't know where it had fallen.

Seeing that Lupin didn't reply, the Acromantulas began to shout and curse.

"He doesn't have a teaching certificate; he's a liar!"

"How could Hogwarts possibly let a werewolf be a professor; you should at least find a better excuse to deceive us!"

"He dares to insult our intelligence!"

"Seize him and offer him to the boss; let the boss determine their identities."

Hearing the Acromantulas' curses, Lupin gave a wry smile.

"I didn't bring my teaching certificate; negotiation failed. Let's find a way to break through."

"I'll lead the way, Sirius will cover the rear, everyone follow me and charge forward, don't get bogged down, and be careful not to get caught in the webs."

Sirius's face was grave. He didn't know if they could break through, after all, these spiders were extremely fast.

Apart from Lupin, no one present could outrun these spiders.

He could only hold Peter's cage in one hand and silently grip his wand in the other, preparing to fight for his life.

Just as a battle was about to erupt, Sirius felt a familiar chill rise in the forest.

He looked up, his eyes widening suddenly, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks, the color draining from his face as if all the blood had been frozen in his veins by this familiar chill.

Looking at the sky full of dark shadows, like dark clouds almost obscuring the moonlight, Sirius's breathing became rapid.

A low, hoarse sound escaped his throat: "Dementors are coming!"

Damn it!

I forgot my status as a wanted criminal.

After transforming back into human form, these Dementors must have locked onto my aura, that's why they followed.

Could it be that I have to turn back into a dog to escape again?

No!

Dementors are most sensitive to human emotions, and not so interested in other creatures, which is why I was able to escape Azkaban in the form of a black dog.

Lupin is now in werewolf form, and the Acromantulas won't attract the Dementors' attention either.

If I transform back into a dog, there will be one less fighter here. In that case, Harry and the others will be in even more danger.

Sirius, who had spent more than ten years in Azkaban, knew the terror of Dementors better than anyone else.

There are only five people here; even if we all release our Patronuses, we won't be able to withstand the repeated attacks of so many Dementors.

Moreover, there are Acromantulas watching menacingly around us; no matter how you look at it, this is a dead end.

I hope the professors at Hogwarts can notice the commotion here and come to our aid quickly.

The scene before them completely stunned Harry and the others; their eyes were firm, wands in hand, ready to fight to the death.

For a moment, a tragic atmosphere spread through the scene.

Just then, Harry suddenly noticed that the Acromantulas in front of them were scattering to the sides, revealing a path wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Immediately afterward, two familiar figures emerged from the path and came before the group.

"Professor Swan! Professor Snape!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, the joy of surviving a desperate situation making his voice somewhat distorted.

Sebastian looked at the group and smiled slightly: "Good evening, I hope we haven't come too late."

Then, without turning his head, he said softly to the surroundings.

"From now on, I'm in charge here, everyone disperse!"

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