Those Who Trespass My Forbidden Forest Shall Be Crushed by Horatio

Over the next week, Horatio's life became exceptionally routine. He slept in class during the day, served two hours of detention with Snape after dinner, and once detention ended, took the Basilisk into the Forbidden Forest to hunt Acromantulas.

Deep within the Forbidden Forest, a sickly green flash struck an Acromantula fleeing ahead. Carrying a lantern, Horatio walked over to it, first collecting its soul in the lantern, then extracting venom from its fangs, and finally storing its corpse in a sack.

The symbiotic Basilisk slithered over to Horatio and conveyed a message to him.

"What did you say? A giant brought nine young Wizards into the Forbidden Forest?" Horatio said in surprise. "Take me to see. Damn it! Those who trespass my Forbidden Forest shall be crushed by Horatio."

Horatio followed the Basilisk toward the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

The scene shifted to the forest's edge, where Hagrid led Gryffindor team members Ronnie and Neville along a path bordering the Forbidden Forest.

"Stay close. Professor McGonagall punished you by making you investigate the Acromantula disturbance with me. The Forbidden Forest is no joke. One careless mistake, and you could be injured—or even die." Hagrid carried a lantern at the front of the group.

Fred and George tried to reassure Harry, Ronnie, and Neville, who were trembling in fright. "Don't worry. We come to the Forbidden Forest all the time. There's nothing dangerous here."

Hagrid turned and shot them a fierce glare. "Put away that ignorance of yours. This time, we're heading to Acromantula territory—that's deep in the Forbidden Forest."

Nervously, Neville said to Harry, "My grandmother told me the depths of the Forbidden Forest are full of werewolves and vampires."

Goosebumps rose all over Harry's body. Ever since earlier, he had felt as though someone had been watching him. Now, after hearing Neville's words, a chill ran down his spine.

They followed the path, passed through the undergrowth, and headed deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

At the edge of a broad hollow, the leaf-covered ground was packed with countless spiders. Terrified, Ronnie threw herself into Harry's arms, her ample chest rubbing against his. Harry could not tell what he was feeling—fear, nervousness, embarrassment, or perhaps happiness.

When they looked up, they found that all the trees in the hollow had been cleared away. Under the light of Hagrid's lantern and the moon, they saw the most horrifying sight of their lives.

Spiders as large as compact cars scuttled through the hollow. Their bodies were pitch-black, with eight eyes and eight legs covered in thick bristles. On their heads were enormous black pincers.

All the young Wizards present were so frightened that they nearly collapsed. Ronnie screamed and clutched Harry tightly around the neck, the immense pressure nearly suffocating him.

Neville's face went pale as he hid behind Fred. Fred stared tensely ahead, gripping his magic wand in his right hand while his left rested on his Bag of Holding.

"Is that you, Hagrid?" At the center of a hemispherical web, a spider the size of a small elephant slowly emerged. Its body and legs were blackish-gray, and every eye on its ugly, pincered head was clouded by a white film.

"It's me, Aragog!" Hagrid answered.

"Hagrid, I don't know how long it has been since we last met. What do you want with me?" Aragog asked.

"Aragog, why did you attack the centaurs' settlement? And your descendants have all gone to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Didn't we agree that you would not leave the depths of the forest?" Hagrid demanded.

Aragog fell silent for a while before saying, "Hagrid, do you remember the Little Girl who was killed in the bathroom?"

"I remember. It was something I could never forget for the rest of my life." Hagrid seemed somewhat saddened.

"The thing that killed her has been released again. It has been slaughtering my offspring throughout the Forbidden Forest. We have no choice. To survive, we must find somewhere else to live."

"It is getting closer and closer to our nest. Fortunately, I sent a group of death-defiers to lure it away, but that is not safe. We have to find another place to survive."

"What is it? You refused to tell me back then, and you still refuse now. Tell me. I can ask Headmaster Dumbledore to help you." Hagrid asked almost pleadingly.

"It is an ancient creature that we spiders fear most. We cannot speak its name!" Aragog seemed unwilling to say more and slowly retreated into the nest.

Spiders closed in on Hagrid and the others from every direction. From inside the cave, Aragog said, "I'm sorry, Hagrid. Because that monster has been wandering through the Forbidden Forest, we haven't caught any prey for many days. I can no longer control my descendants. They can no longer resist fresh human flesh. Goodbye, Hagrid. On this day next year, I will commemorate you."

"Aragog!!!" Hagrid roared. "Children, get behind me. We're leaving together." Hagrid raised his little umbrella and cast a spell at a spider lunging toward them, knocking it back.

The young Wizards also used their Magic Wands to drive back the surrounding spiders, but there were simply too many of them. Their small group could not possibly hold them off.

The spiders had already surrounded them. Just as Harry thought he would die here today, the spiders suddenly stopped attacking and fled in the direction they were facing.

"Trying to run? I finally found your nest. Did you really think I'd let you get away?"

As a voice rang out behind them, a golden wall of fire surrounded the entire hollow.

Harry turned and saw Horatio, dressed in a Red Cloud Coat, riding atop the head of an enormous snake as it slithered toward them.

"Hey, hey, hey. Do you lot know you broke into my home?" Horatio said, sitting atop the Basilisk's head and posing like Sasuke.

"Horatio, what is this...?"

"If you have questions, ask them later. For now, close your eyes and lower your heads. If you want to die, feel free to try opening your eyes. I won't be responsible then," Horatio said teasingly.

"But..." Hagrid wanted to say something, but Harry tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to do as Horatio said.

Everyone present closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Once they had all done so, Horatio ordered the symbiotic Basilisk to open its eyes.

The instant its eyes opened, every spider present froze as if struck by a body-binding spell, killed by the Basilisk's gaze.

Aragog hid in his nest in terror, not daring to make a sound. Horatio directed the Basilisk into the nest and stared to death the surviving Acromantulas that had narrowly escaped the earlier slaughter.

Horatio jumped down from the Basilisk's head and walked over to Aragog. "Did being blind save your life?"

"My lord, please spare my life," Aragog begged.

Horatio shook his head. "Your only value is to provide nourishment for the birth of my Super Beast."

Avada Kedavra!!!

As the green light struck Aragog, the once-dominant Acromantula tribe of the Forbidden Forest was nearly wiped out. There might have been a few survivors, but they would no longer amount to anything.

"You can open your eyes now," Horatio told the crowd, who were still bowing their heads with their eyes shut.

When Harry and the others opened their eyes, they saw a scene straight out of hell. The golden wall of fire lit up the night sky, Acromantula corpses carpeted the ground, and a giant snake was coiled before them. Horatio sat gracefully atop its head, savoring a bottle of cola.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp... Ah, refreshing." Horatio drained the bottle in one go, then patted the Basilisk on the head. "What do you think we should do to punish these young Wizards who broke into my home?"

The Basilisk opened its enormous mouth and let out an earth-shaking hiss, raising its upper body into an attacking stance.

If you enjoy this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you can find it next time.