Chapter 279 The Plan To Surround And Annihilate The Acromantulas
Facing a massive trunk covered in green moss, the five individuals paused their stride.
"Now that you have made a decision, listen to my thoughts," Sirius smiled, "Indeed, I believe this is a prime opportunity to hone your skills."
"An opportunity to practice?"
All gazed at Sirius with curiosity, wondering what he meant. How could facing dangerous Acromantulas be considered a practice opportunity?!
"As with most young wizards from the school, your four combat experiences are quite scarce," Sirius explained, "You may not feel their effects now, but in a real battle against dark wizards, this would be an extremely fatal weakness. It must be addressed promptly."
Harry and Ron disagreed with Sirius' words.
They had encountered dark wizards like Quirrell and Peter Pettigrew before, and undoubtedly, they were wicked, but not invincible.
Only Evan knew that Sirius was definitely not overstating it. He understood the caliber of a true Death Eater.
Death Eaters like Barty Crouch Jr. and Bellatrix Lestrange were far more challenging to confront than Peter Pettigrew.
Against the Killing Curse, even the slightest negligence could prove fatal.
"Sirius, you mentioned this before, so are you planning to revive the Dueling Club?" Hermione inquired skeptically, "The last time was a great success, and we all learned many combat skills and spells, practiced duels..."
"That's true, but simulated duels among young wizards have limited effects," Sirius gestured impatiently and continued, "Although you are all working hard, those childish duels do little more than give you a chance to practice your spells."
"What do you propose, Sirius?" Harry inquired with curiosity.
"Only through experiencing the baptism of real battle can you become truly skilled wizards," Sirius grinned, "So, you need a real battle, you need an opponent strong enough!"
"A real battle, a strong enough opponent?"
"Yes, it is through such experiences that you can grow rapidly," Sirius paused. "I must say, apart from Evan, the three of you are still too weak. You know, when I was your age, I could face a centaur."
In response to Harry's query, Sirius recounted his past to everyone.
When he was a third-year student, he encountered the newly grown centaur Magorian during an adventure in the Forbidden Forest, and this centaur wanted to drive them out of the forest.
Due to this, Sirius fought with him and emerged victorious.
Hence Magorian was always fixated on this, and that was also the main reason for his sour attitude.
Although Harry had defeated Voldemort, the basilisk, and the Dementors in the past three years, he mostly relied on luck and external assistance.
In terms of actual strength, he was far below Sirius when he was his age.
Compared to Harry, Ron and Hermione's combat prowess was even worse.
Naturally, little needed to be said about Ron. Like most young wizards, he did not even master many common spells.
As for Hermione, aside from Divination, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the only subject where she did not excel, and she was not adept at facing combat-related issues. However, she was much calmer than Harry and Ron, and she knew many spells and magics that could play their intended role in critical moments.
In contrast to the three of them, Evan's magical power was already very strong, surpassing his peers by far, and even comparable to many adult wizards.
Ignoring forbidden magic and utilizing his late research on dark magic, he even had enough power to duel Sirius and Snape.
But as Sirius stated, Evan lacked practical experience.
Without using powerful magic far beyond the strength of the opponent to suppress it, one could not fully leverage the actual situation to bring out all of its potential.
He needed more battles and stronger enemies to accumulate experience and enhance skills to compensate for this weakness.
In this sense, the Acromantulas were indeed formidable adversaries.
"For young wizards of your age, challenging the Acromantulas right now is difficult. I had a plan for you to first try darker creatures that were less dangerous," Sirius said. "However, we must hasten our progress, considering the demands of the Centaurs. Moreover, Evan's analysis reminded me that the weaknesses of the Acromantulas are so evident that accidents can be avoided simply by being cautious."
"What are you going to do, Sirius?" Evan asked curiously.
"Considering the number of these monsters, we can try practicing first against the solitary Acromantulas at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest," explained Sirius. "I will also propose it in the Dueling Club so that other students can volunteer to challenge the Acromantulas."
He then explained his plans in detail, including offensive development, protective measures, etc., and everyone was very excited.
If all the young wizards and professors of the school participated in surrounding and annihilating the Acromantulas, then safety would not be such a concern.
As Sirius pointed out, this was a golden opportunity to enhance their strength.
Harry's expression revealed his eagerness, indicating that he had completely forgotten about the danger posed by the Acromantulas.
Even Hermione was flushed with excitement.
Only Ron, who had an extreme fear of spiders, appeared somewhat worried, his face darkened.
Evan agreed that Sirius's plan would elevate the wizards to a higher level of strength, making it safer to combat Voldemort in the future, but he had no intention of joining the wizards in their quest against the solitary Acromantulas.
If possible, he hoped to delve deeper.
About ten minutes later, they finally returned to the path where the trees remained sparse, revealing the enormous outline of Hogwarts Castle.
"It's already midnight; we'd better hurry," said Sirius.
"I wonder how the party went, did it end?"
They quickened their pace; Sirius led them back to Gryffindor Tower before departing, and Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ascended to the Common Room, still chatting about the Centaurs and Acromantulas.
As they entered, they were greeted by deafening cheers.
The rave party was still in full swing, thanks to the distraction provided by Fred and George; no one had realized they had been out of the Common Room for so long. The Gryffindor party only ended when Professor McGonagall appeared in her tartan flannel dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, insisting that everyone go to bed.
Evan bid Hermione goodbye, followed Colin, and climbed the stairs to his dormitory.
Feeling exhausted, he drew the curtains to block out the moonlight and promptly fell asleep in his bed.
In his dream, he battled the Acromantulas.
He slew Aragog, the king of Acromantulas, and found himself above the deep, hidden lair of Aragog, observing them from on high.
He couldn't quite pinpoint why there seemed to be something drawing him.
There was something whispering to Evan, enticing him downwards, deep into the cavern...