The footprints extended all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest before suddenly stopping.
Leonard glanced around but found no trace of the unicorn.
It seemed Quirrell's arrival had scared it off. That was fine—at least he wouldn't have to explain anything about his connection with the unicorn in front of the two behind him.
George and Fred, who had been clearing their tracks, also stopped. They looked at Leonard, who had just canceled the Disillusionment Charm and revealed himself.
"This is far enough." Leonard removed the twins' Disillusionment Charms with a flick. "From here on, we're in the forest's domain. In this area, anything you do could be amplified and noticed by Hagrid."
"Is it really that serious?" Fred asked.
"It's not an exaggeration. I'm just telling you the truth." Leonard began walking forward. "Snowy weather is actually easier—you just clear the footprints. In other seasons, when there's no snow, you have to be even more careful."
"How? Without snow, you won't leave footprints. Obviously winter would be the hardest time to stay hidden," George argued.
"After a snowfall, our tracks are obvious—but that also makes them easier to erase. Without snow, you won't leave footprints, but you'll still bend grass and scrape surfaces."
Leonard brushed aside the snow where he had stepped, revealing the sparse, yellowing grass beneath.
"See? The stems are bent and broken. You might think it's insignificant, but to Hagrid, who's patrolled this forest for decades, it's obvious." He covered the marks again as he spoke.
George and Fred fell into thought, replaying all their past sneaking attempts into the Forbidden Forest.
They truly had overlooked these details. No wonder they always got caught.
Leonard then taught them more counter-tracking techniques—how to erase traces, how to fake trails, and other methods.
These were simple basics to Leonard, but exactly what the twins needed.
As they discussed ways to confuse Hagrid in the forest, they unknowingly stepped into Acromantula territory.
"Alright, we're here," Leonard said, surveying the surroundings.
"Here? Where exactly?" Fred asked, still thinking about ways to prank people with counter-tracking tricks.
"The Acromantula's domain. I brought you here so you don't get too confident and turn yourselves into spider food."
Leonard knew full well that no matter how many times he warned them, these two classic Gryffindors wouldn't take the danger seriously. They needed to experience it to understand.
"Acromantula? But this place looks the same as the rest of the forest," George said, scanning the snowy landscape.
Everything looked identical—just endless white snow.
"That's the point," Leonard said. He picked up a stick, brushed aside the snow, and revealed a grayish-white web.
"These are threads spun by Acromantulas—used for warning or hunting." He lifted the web for the twins to see.
"This web is huge," George murmured. "If Ron saw this…"
"Stop—" Fred said seriously, but the straight face lasted only two seconds before he burst into laughter. "Now I really want to see Ron's reaction to an Acromantula."
Both older brothers grinned wickedly, completely unaware that Leonard's expression matched theirs.
Everyone pays their debts eventually. Leonard wasn't trying to avenge Ron Weasley, but he absolutely wanted to see the twins' terrified faces.
"Before imagining your brother's reaction, have you considered what you two will look like when you meet an Acromantula?" Leonard asked, far too cheerfully.
That familiar, malicious expression sent a shiver down George and Fred's spines.
They knew that look—it was the one they gave each other right before pranking their younger brother.
"Leonard… what do you mean?" George asked cautiously.
Suddenly, Leonard's body faded—and vanished right before their eyes.
Not only that—his footprints remained, but no new ones formed. George and Fred waved their hands through the air, catching nothing.
It was as if he had disappeared into thin air.
At the same moment, the twins heard faint rustling sounds coming from every direction, like countless insects crawling over the snow.
Terror.
...
This wasn't their imagination. George and Fred froze in horror as a dense wave of spiders emerged from the snow.
Each was the size of a wolf, with jet-black bodies, bristling hairs like steel needles, fangs gleaming with venom, and eight merciless eyes with no blind spots.
Every inch of them screamed danger.
Starving after a long winter, the spiders stared hungrily at George and Fred as if they were two steaming sausages.
"Feel the danger of the Acromantula. If you truly want to hunt one, you should at least understand what you're up against.
"Do your best. I'll try my hardest to keep you alive, but you know—even the best make mistakes sometimes. So be mentally prepared." Leonard's voice drifted through the air, confirming he was still nearby.
As the spiders crept closer, Fred backed away, gripping his wand tightly. "Can we stop now? I swear I won't mess with them again."
Leonard sounded rational, but Fred knew deep down he was being messed with.
The Weasley twins, known for pranking others, were finally getting pranked themselves. Karma.
"Yeah, we get it—they're terrifying! Take us out of here!" George shouted.
Leonard gave no reply. For a moment, they wondered if he'd abandoned them. But the Acromantulas paid no mind. One of them lunged straight at the twins.
Though terrified, George and Fred weren't helpless. Seeing the spider charge, they pointed their wands at it.
"Stupefy!"
The Stunning Spells hit, sending the Acromantula flying back—but to their horror, it got back up almost immediately, shaking off the spell and hissing.
The surrounding spiders hissed in response, making George and Fred go pale.
"Magic doesn't work on them!" George shouted.
"I will NEVER make fun of Ron for being scared of spiders again!" Fred screamed, voice cracking. "Leonard! Help!
We can't do this!"
...
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