Fire

Though it was still midday, the Forbidden Forest was so dark that one could not see one's own hand. Only the faint chirping of insects could be heard.

"Lumos!"

As Wade softly spoke the spell, a ball of light emerged from the tip of his wand. With a gentle flick of his hand, the light sphere drifted lazily upward, hovering three or four feet above his head, as though a huge incandescent lamp had appeared in the Forbidden Forest.

The boundless darkness around him was instantly driven back. The towering shadows of ancient trees emerged from the thick gloom, while tangled tree roots sprawled across the ground like sleeping pythons, ready to trip anyone who was not careful.

On a nearby tree, over a dozen slender vines silently stretched toward Wade. The sudden light seemed to startle them, and they instantly recoiled like agile snakes.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Wade's neck stood on end. It was the instinctive warning of approaching danger.

He spun around, his wand sweeping through a blazing arc!

At the same time, a spider as large as a horse leaped down from the canopy overhead. Its eight eyes glinted coldly in the light, and its pitch-black, hairy legs lunged straight at Wade!

The spell's light struck the enormous spider in an instant. Golden-red flames erupted with a whoosh, swallowing the attacking spider in the blink of an eye.

Fire serpents raced wildly across its fur-covered body, making its carapace crackle and pop. The Acromantula let out a piercing shriek and rolled about on the ground in agony.

"Fire! Fire!" it screamed. "The fire is burning me!"

A chorus of clattering sounds rose from the forest beyond the reach of the Lumos Charm. Two slightly smaller Acromantulas charged out from behind the trees. They