Hagrid tossed and turned in his cabin bed, unable to sleep at all.
One in the morning, half past one.
"Could they have come?"
He got out of bed, picked up his lamp, and headed down the path leading into the Forbidden Forest.
The smoke was still there. Everything was quiet.
"Boom—"
The explosion from deep within confirmed his suspicion.
A few minutes earlier.
A large swarm of waist-high Acromantulas chased after six small figures running at full speed.
"George, why did you pull out their leg hair!
Do you know their eyes have degenerated, and they can only use the hairs on their bodies to sense the outside world?"
Cedric, who was running at the front, was furious.
Rolf had just finished soothing a "passing" big cutie when both twins had crowded over and started pawing at it.
Fred had only stroked it, but George had pulled out a hair.
"I heard they're valuable from head to toe—" George narrowly dodged an Acromantula that leaped down from a tree.
"How was I supposed to know they had such terrible tempers?"
"We're done for. If we get surrounded..." Hermione, running behind Cedric, glanced back and hurriedly shut her mouth before picking up speed.
Vincent, at the very back, glanced behind him, raised his wand, and cast the Shield Charm.
Its range was small, but it was exceptionally sturdy.
"Does anyone know the Fire-Making Spell?"
"No!"
Rolf, in front of him, became extremely agitated. "They're incredibly rare. We can't do that!"
The twins glanced at the dense mass of big cuties behind them.
In a sense, Acromantulas really were rare in the Wizarding World.
But this was Hogwarts.
"Stop complaining and put your masks on." Cedric's long legs had already carried him close enough to see the hazy smoke ahead.
"Merlin