The twins had entertained this idea long ago, back when they were only first-years and had their very first encounter with the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest.
Now that they were in fourth year, they had come seeking the Acromantulas of their own accord, yet this idea had never disappeared from their minds.
Eda was certain she would soon witness a fine display of "brotherly affection," and she only hoped the Weasley couple wouldn't break the twins' legs once they found out.
The light at the tip of her wand gradually dimmed, but instead of vanishing, it fell slowly and formed a barrier that enclosed the three of them tightly.
Together they crawled into the spiders' lair. What met their eyes was the most terrifying scene they had ever witnessed: enormous creatures lurking in the cavern, with eight eyes, eight legs, dark and hairy.
The massive spiders seemed either roused by the sound of footsteps or awakened by the delicious scent of humans. They stretched out their long, black, spindly legs, their giant pincers clicking with sharp clack, clack sounds.
The noise was so chilling that even the fearless Eda broke out in goosebumps. The twins, too, looked tense, the easy chatter they'd had outside the cave completely gone.
With thousands upon thousands of spiders around them, there was no way Eda and the twins could afford to be careless. The vicious Acromantulas were nothing like the tiny spiders that hung in corners feeding on flies.
As the Acromantulas awakened, the cave filled with a rustling chorus.
Some impatient ones tried to creep closer, eager to turn the three into their next meal. Yet each time they drew near, the barrier protecting them would flare with light, forcing the Acromantulas back.
Inside the cavern there was a hollow, and at its very center hung a mist-shrouded, dome-shaped web. From it slowly emerged a spider the size of a small elephant.
Its body and legs were black streaked with gray, and every eye on its grotesque, fang-bearing head was clouded over with a white film. It was blind.
The cavern filled with a chorus of clack, clack sounds, and then some of the spiders began to speak in human language: "Aragog, Aragog."
Eda steadied herself, calming her breath and focus. She said, "You must be Aragog, King of the Spiders. We are friends of Hagrid."
"You have disturbed my rest. That is not something a friend of Hagrid would do," Aragog said, waving his enormous pincers. It was clear he was not pleased by the three intruders.
"My apologies, I never intended to disturb your slumber," Eda replied. "I came here with questions, and I hope the King of Spiders can answer them for me."
Aragog twitched his pincers irritably. In an impatient voice, he said, "Humans, I have no such obligation. Kill them!"
At his command, countless spiders began to advance on the three. The small protective barrier seemed unlikely to withstand the force of so many Acromantulas.
Just then, George thought quickly and shouted, "We came about the monster in the castle—the monster in the Chamber of Secrets!"
The massive spiders seemed to understand him. They halted their advance and instead shrank back in fear.
"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE!" Eda added. The spiders recoiled in terror, which only confirmed her suspicions.
She continued, "Ever since the Chamber was opened, the spiders in the castle have been fleeing in a panic. Nothing in the castle has changed, except for the monster dwelling in the Chamber. It is that creature which drives you to flee the castle, isn't it?"
"I do not like your tone!" Aragog snapped, his enormous pincers clacking angrily. "I know nothing of any Chamber, nor of any monster. But my children tell me this: the ancient creature we fear most has awakened. This creature feeds on us—it is our mortal enemy!"
Feeds on spiders—their natural enemy. This was Eda's first discovery.
"You said it has awakened," Eda pressed on. "That means it once roamed the castle before. It may have been alive all this time, correct?"
"I told you, I do not like your tone!" Aragog roared in anger. His countless offspring began creeping closer toward the three intruders.
An Acromantula could lay up to a hundred eggs at once. These eggs were white, soft, and about the size of a water balloon. They hatched in six to eight weeks. And Aragog had lived in the Forbidden Forest for decades—so one could imagine how vast his family had become.
Eda remained calm, as though she hadn't noticed the giant spiders steadily closing in. She pressed again, "You have seen it—or at least sensed it before, haven't you?"
"Yes," Aragog finally admitted, his voice calmer now. "Many years ago, when I still lived in the castle with Hagrid, I once sensed its movements. And then—a child died. Foolish humans thought I was the culprit. How ridiculous!"
Eda nodded. She had never fully understood why Hagrid had been expelled, but now she had found the reason. From Aragog's words, it could be deduced that the Chamber had been opened before, and the monster inside had killed a student.
And Hagrid—just like Harry now—had been wrongly accused. Acromantulas were vicious by nature, and attacks on humans were not uncommon, so Hagrid had been branded the murderer. Without the halo of a savior to shield him, both he and his furry pet had naturally been driven out of the school.
The Chamber had been opened before, and a student had been killed. That was Eda's second discovery.
"The last question, Aragog," Eda said. "The monster that dwells in the Chamber—what is it?"
"We do not speak of it!" Aragog cried furiously. "We do not speak its name! I never even told Hagrid that creature's dreadful name, though he asked me—asked me many times."
Aragog was, after all, Hagrid's pet, and Eda had always felt a certain fondness for the burly half-giant, so she did not press the Acromantula too hard. She had already gathered enough information for the day—learning the monster's name could wait.
"I think it's time we left," Eda said. "King of Spiders, may you and your kingdom prosper."
With that, Eda and the twins began to slowly back away, their eyes fixed firmly on the spiders, ready in case they suddenly turned violent.
"Leave?" Aragog rasped. "You've asked so many questions—don't you think it's my turn now?"
The cave entrance had already been blocked by the spiders. The web that had been cut open before had reappeared, thicker than ever.
Eda and the twins were forced to stop. Fred and George raised their wands high, casting Banishing Charms to drive back a few of the giant spiders that lunged at them.
"Stop!" Aragog roared. The Acromantulas froze where they were, no longer advancing, but they had already surrounded the three completely.
Aragog continued, "Years ago, three humans entered the Forbidden Forest. They killed and injured many of my children. That was you, wasn't it?"
His tone left no room for doubt. Whether Eda and the twins admitted it or not, the Acromantula had already decided it was them.
"That's right, it was us," Fred said. "Your children were about to eat us—were we not supposed to fight back?"
"You'd better tell your children to step aside," George added. "We're not the helpless little brats we were back then. Do you want them to try again?"
The Acromantulas had already made several attempts to attack them. At this point, denial or begging for mercy would be useless—the hideous creatures had already decided to make a meal of them.
It was better to admit it openly, make the enemy wary and fearful. Perhaps that way they could avoid an all-out fight to the death with this swarm of monstrosities.
"Good. An admission, good." Aragog's voice was slow and heavy. "I hope you came here prepared to die. I am very glad my children will enjoy such a fine feast."
"Oh? Are you sure?" Eda asked with a sweet smile, her eyes behind the golden-rimmed glasses curling into crescent moons.
"My children obeyed me and did not harm Hagrid. But now, fresh human flesh has delivered itself to my doorstep, and that flesh belongs to my enemies. I cannot stop them from feasting. Farewell, young humans…" Aragog's giant pincers clicked again with a menacing clack, clack.
At his command, the Acromantulas formed a towering, impenetrable wall of black bodies. Their mandibles clattered in unison, and countless pairs of gleaming eyes lit up their hideous dark heads…
The spiders surged forward like a black tide, rushing straight toward the three young wizards. Only three teenage meals—first come, first served.
Eda's lips curved slightly. She angled her wand downward and spun in place. Wherever her wand pointed, blue flames leapt up from the ground.
The flames formed a blazing wall of fire, cutting her and the twins off from the Acromantulas.
The first spiders to reach them plunged straight into the blue fire—and in an instant, they were reduced to ash. Even a single leg brushing the flames was enough to ignite the entire creature, consuming it completely.
But the Acromantulas showed no fear. They threw themselves into the fire one after another, trying to smother it with sheer numbers. Yet the flames did not weaken in the slightest; instead, they roared higher and fiercer, spreading like wildfire.
Some of the spiders climbed overhead, trying to strike from above, their massive pincers poised to descend in "heaven-sent justice" against the humans who dared intrude into their lair.
But the Acromantulas never got the chance to demonstrate their "pincers from the heavens." Suddenly, the blue flames shot upward, igniting all the giant spiders above Eda and the twins. Only a shower of ashes drifted down from the air.
The protective barrier around the three shimmered faintly, blocking the falling ashes and keeping them untouched.
The wall of blue fire expanded steadily, forcing the Acromantulas to retreat step by step. They had no way to fight back against the flames. The ferocious spiders now trembled with fear—the deadly fire before them was even more terrifying than the one inside the castle.
The twins stared at the blaze, wide-eyed. The scene before them looked like hell itself. Neither of them had expected Eda to still be hiding such a trump card. Where had she gone during that missing month? What exactly had she learned?
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