Chapter 278 Harry's Decision
On their way back, everyone seemed to have accepted this fact.
Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still concerned about the demands of the Centaurs. Sirius was very dissatisfied with Magorian's attitude and looked extremely disdainful.
"Those Centaurs are a bunch of old stubborn mules, aren't they?" Sirius said discontentedly, plucking a small nettle. "They are too stubborn and look down on human wizards."
"Apart from their stubbornness, they are completely crazy to ask us to weaken the power of the Acromantulas!" Ron exclaimed breathlessly, "They don't want to consider how four twelve or thirteen-year-old wizards could defeat the Acromantulas?"
No one spoke, and no one knew how to respond to Ron.
"Think about it, we have to pluck out the spiders' eyes and bring them to them. It's madness!" Ron continued, a shiver in his voice.
He felt no sympathy for the spiders; he was extremely afraid of them.
"The question now is not whether we can, but what we should do," Hermione said distressedly. "Firenze said we can only choose to accept or reject it."
"Yes, we have to do this to retrieve the magical object left by Gryffindor, and there is no other option!" Ron broke aggressively a branch in front of him. "Curse it, Gryffindor himself must have been confused before going to the Centaurs."
"According to Firenze, the Centaurs are not asking us to kill or destroy many Acromantulas, but to show enough courage and sincerity," Hermione said, "this must be a clue. Things may not be as difficult as we thought."
"To me, it's just an idea," Ron frowned and said in a whiny tone. "Anyway, we'll have to fight those monsters and kill them. Oh, Acromantulas, I'll have nightmares tonight!"
There was another silence, and everyone felt very uneasy.
Evan's mind was filled with horror at the Acromantulas, the eight black eyes painted on their heads, their hairy legs, and their large pincers that occasionally clicked and snapped.
Besides the disgust he felt, Evan wasn't very afraid of the Acromantulas.
In terms of combat strength, he was now better than those monsters.
The problem now was to ensure the satisfaction of the Centaurs.
It seemed to be a very challenging task, and even Evan was considering the possibility of returning to the Lair of Aragog and killing the king of the Acromantulas.
Although dangerous, if planned well, such a mission would not be impossible!
Evan wasn't sure if he should do it. He looked at Sirius, wanting to see what he had to say.
Sirius said nothing, his face looked arrogant and disdainful as usual. He noticed Evan's gaze. He smiled slightly and seemed to want to express his opinion after everyone had decided.
In this way, the five of them walked forward in silence, and the Forbidden Forest at night was particularly gloomy. Several gigantic unknown creatures flew overhead and emitted terrible noises, but the invisible pressure of having to face the Acromantulas was more terrifying than the darkness surrounding them.
"Evan, as you mentioned before, you faced the Acromantulas and fought them after chasing Peter in the Forbidden Forest," Harry suddenly said, his voice sounding eerie in the darkness. "What are their strengths?"
"They are very dangerous, it's better not to provoke them," Evan said earnestly, "Acromantulas are highly aggressive, their sharp fangs are extremely strong and toxic, and they have immense biting strength that can tear apart a human being. The most dangerous, however, is their numbers, you know, I saw at least hundreds of them last time."
Ron's face paled upon hearing Evan's description.
"There are too many of them. We can't face them head-on. We must think of a solution," Hermione whispered, "Evan, do the Acromantulas have any weakness?"
"They mainly attack in one way. Their main weapon is their fangs, and they don't have the ability to attack from long distances," Evan continued. "Their defense is relatively poor, general attack spells can harm them, I believe petrification or impediment are good options."
"Feeble defense, sole attack," Hermione said uncertainly. "In this way, as long as you don't get close to them, they are not invincible."
"God, Hermione, you're not really going to fight those Acromantulas!" exclaimed Ron. "The Centaurs only ask for spider eyes. I just thought about it. We don't have to do it ourselves. We can simply ask Sirius or other professors."
Harry and Hermione looked somewhat indecisive. Ron's idea seemed really good.
"Sirius, will you help us?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Yes!" Sirius nodded simply. "I promised Evan to help him gain the Centaurs' recognition. If you need it, I will help you clear those Acromantulas. Is that your final decision?"
His gaze slowly swept over everyone and finally settled on Harry.
"No, Sirius," Harry shook his head and hesitated. "You don't have to help; I think we have to do it ourselves."
"HARRY!" Ron exclaimed hastily, his face filled with surprise and confusion.
"You know, Ron," Harry's voice became more determined. "We must do it ourselves. Don't forget what Firenze said. The Centaurs' request is not to annihilate the Acromantulas, but to show our bravery and sincerity."
"But," Ron reluctantly began, at a loss for words.
He turned to Evan and Hermione, hoping for their support. Harry's decision was too risky and irrational.
Evan and Hermione remained silent. Everyone took a step towards Harry, showing their stance.
Seeing his friends' decision, Ron remained indecisive, his expression quickly changing, and eventually he had to sigh and join them as well.
"Well done, Harry, you have not disappointed me," Sirius looked at them silently for a moment, smiling happily and saying, "In the face of danger, not everyone has the courage to face the challenges presented to them, this is a rare quality you possess."
"I just spoke my inner thoughts without much thought," said Harry embarrassedly.
"I know the decision you made today may seem dangerous and irrational to others, but I would say that your father would be proud of you," said Sirius slowly, "Harry, Evan, Ron, Hermione, I hope the four of you remember that the most cherished quality of a Gryffindor is unwavering courage. Knowing the danger, a Gryffindor maintains their bravery to face difficulties in order to protect the faith in their heart. This is how Slytherins achieve their goals at any cost."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked very excited to hear it.
Harry, in particular, had a glint of eagerness in his face, as if he wished to find an Acromantula and engage in combat immediately.
Although not entirely in agreement with Sirius, Evan still had to admire him.