Chapter 163 Death In Fire
Although Aragog put it that way, Evan was somewhat hesitant.
He was not naive enough to trust an Acromantula. As highly intelligent creatures, honesty and reliability have never been synonymous with Acromantulas. In fact, they are exactly the opposite; they are some of the most purely malevolent and fierce dark creatures that exist.
Even if Hagrid had raised Aragog as his pet, this only guarantees that he has some affection for him and him alone. This does not mean he cares even a bit for other human beings! This is most prominently shown from his initial command to his offspring to kill Evan and Pettigrew.
Evan hesitated. If possible, he hoped to take Aragog with him, away from the spider territory and the Forbidden Forest. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about the spider's trustworthiness.
But Aragog was truly so massive that his eight massive spider legs could not support his own weight. If they left this web, he probably wouldn't even be able to move.
"Evan quietly whispered, "Reducio!" testing this magic.
It was one of the requirements for the seventh-year N.E.W.T. examination. Evan had seen Professor Flitwick use this spell to shrink a spider. He tried to use it on Aragog. If he could shrink him, it would be great.
He wasn't sure if it was his lack of mastery over the spell, or if Aragog was immune to this magic. In short, it didn't work.
Seeing what Evan did, the spiders around the hollow snapped with anger, while countless pairs of hate-filled eyes glowed on their ugly black heads.
"Hagrid's friend..." Aragog's voice carried a hint of resentment. "Don't make futile attempts. I won't harm you out of respect for Hagrid, but don't return here to disturb us again. We, the spiders, love darkness and peace!"
"Well, I hope you can keep your word!" Evan attempted a few more charms, and they didn't work. It seemed that Aragog's tough shell and massive body made him immune to some of the most powerful attack spells.
He couldn't waste any more time. It was nighttime; nobody knew he had gone there. The castle's rescue would probably not arrive soon, and Peter Pettigrew's situation seemed to be worsening. He simply bandaged his right hand and couldn't stop the bleeding.
The constant struggle had drained so much of his strength and energy. Looking at him, Evan feared he might not be able to hold on much longer.
Evan slid down from the vaulted cobweb. He backed away, his wand still pointing at Aragog as he slowly moved towards Pettigrew.
"Thank you, Evan, you saved me, I will make it up to you..." Peter grabbed Evan's robe weakly.
This statement did not make him happy at all. Unless something unexpected happened, Peter Pettigrew should spend the rest of his life in the wizard prison of Azkaban. So, yes, he couldn't expect him to make it up, he didn't even want to see him again.
Pettigrew struggled to stand up, but his legs were extremely weak. He barely managed to rise and immediately fell to the ground.
"Evan, Evan, I have no strength, help me, don't leave me alone here..." he said in a panic.
"Shut up! Keep your filthy hands off my robe!" Evan frowned, watching as his black school uniform was dirtied by Pettigrew's blood, he gently waved his wand, muttering, "Mobilicorpus!"
As if invisible strings were tied to Peter's wrists, neck, and knees, he was lifted to a standing position, with his head hanging unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, with his inert feet dangling.
"Don't resist, if you break free from the control of this spell, I will not deal with you anymore!" Evan warned Pettigrew, who was also weakening.
So many things had happened this night that he simply wanted to go back and sleep well.
Surrounded by hundreds of massive Acromantulas, Evan, who was slowly exiting the cavity with Peter, noticed that the number of spiders around them seemed to be increasing.
After receiving the news, the spiders that were out hunting for food were gradually returning.
They were clustered together, emitting a spine-chilling clicking sound, with their black killer eyes closely watching the two passing humans. Even Evan could hear what seemed to be them salivating for them.
The fresh human flesh was too tempting for them.
Fortunately, they all obeyed Aragog's commands and did not attack.
In the center of the cavity, Aragog remained on the nebulous and gigantic cobweb. His large pincers slowly came together. It was as if he was staring intently at Evan. It was as if his eight white blind eyes could truly perceive the child's movements.
Then, he slowly began to retreat towards his lair.
On the slope around the cavity, all the paths leading back were filled with Acromantulas.
Evan left with Pettigrew. They climbed to the crest of the cavity to gaze at the trees again. Aragog and the other Acromantulas vanished from their sight.
Just as Evan was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the low rattling of Aragog, coming from the deep bottom of the lair.
"Kill them!"
Upon hearing Aragog's command, all the spiders became immediately excited and eager to swoop down on their prey.
Like a vigorous black river, with a deafening roar of death, they surged directly towards Evan.
"Damnation, this old man is not truly trustworthy!" Evan had no time to think. Amid Pettigrew's shouts, he quickly aimed his wand at the leaves on the ground and shouted, "Incendio!"
A red flame sprung from the tip of his wand to instantly ignite the yellow, dry leaves.
Having been accumulated by the Acromantulas for over 50 years, no one knew how many leaves were in the hollow. They were stacked and dry, corroded and scattered, leaving some extremely flammable grass fibers.
With those fibers on the ground, Evan's magic achieved astonishing results.
Aragog's Lair, the sacred land of the Acromantulas, turned into a blazing pit of fire in an instant, with thundering flames reaching twenty feet high.
Incredible waves of heat rose, and the giant spiders in the hollow ground emitted a shrill cry.
It wasn't the usual tinkling sound, but rather screams coming from the depths of their souls.
As he watched what unfolded before his eyes, Peter Pettigrew paled. He gazed at the hundreds of Acromantulas being singed and suddenly was struck by the same sensation he used to feel from the Dark Lord. From the slender black-haired boy in front of him, all he perceived were those sinister feelings: fear and horror.
In that moment, Evan was Death!