The Sphinx had not told Harry that there were other monsters in the passage behind her. Focused solely on running for his life, Harry was ambushed by a giant spider and nearly lost his life.
The spider resembled the enormous pet Hagrid kept in the Forbidden Forest, though it was not as large and had far less hair.
But none of those eight-legged freaks were as harmless as Hagrid claimed.
After its sharp fangs pierced his robe, trousers, and thigh, Harry fired off a series of Impediment Jinxes, making the spider knock itself unconscious against an "Air Wall."
The boy tore a strip from his robe, tucked his black hair behind his ear, clenched his wand between his teeth, and tightly bound the cloth around the top of his thigh.
"Ugh!"
He let out a low, manly groan, spat out his wand, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
This was an emergency treatment method the Sports Professor had taught them in class. It could slow blood loss for a short time and thus keep someone alive longer.
Harry had not liked physical education before, but things changed after he developed a set of strong muscles. He gradually came to appreciate the benefits of a powerful body.
For example, he had more energy, could run faster, and would not get bullied by Dudley when he went home for the summer holidays.
It was the same now. The muscles in his thigh had stopped the spider's fangs from piercing straight through his leg, and the blood loss was still manageable. If this had been the old him, he was not even sure he could have dodged that sudden attack in the darkness.
Harry sat on the grass, grimacing. Not far away lay the unconscious spider, legs in the air. His torn