Chapter 179 Capturing Peter Pettigrew
"It's astonishing to be in two places at once," Firenze gazed at Evan with admiration, his blue eyes shining.
Evan nodded. Succinctly, he recounted what had happened at the Lair of Aragog, and Firenze showed more interest.
"The elders often warn us to pay attention to human magic. Although you have wasted too much time on many senseless things, you have achieved remarkable magical feats. I had never imagined something capable of allowing people to travel through time existed."
Listening to Evan's introduction to the Time-Turner, Firenze sighed with excitement.
For Centaurs, time magic is overly esoteric.
It was evident that he was highly intrigued by the Time-Turner; he inquired about many details, and Evan shared all he knew.
Evan also explained to Firenze that according to the rules of Time-Turner usage, one must not be seen by their past self. This point is crucial; otherwise, it would have irreparable consequences. Firenze accepted his request and prepared to wait for Evan to leave and then capture Peter Pettigrew.
He appeared very cautious and careful in the face of this unknown magical field.
As time passed, about fifteen minutes later, Evan saw himself holding his wand in the open space, followed by Peter Pettigrew.
"Nox!" he hurriedly uttered, and the light at the tip of his wand immediately vanished.
Darkness returned, with only the stars in the sky still shimmering.
Evan's heart began to pound uncontrollably. He saw himself gasping in the center of the field. He couldn't lean against the massive oak tree. The faint light at the tip of his wand eventually dissipated.
Evan knew it was because he had run out of magic. When his magic was completely depleted, Peter Pettigrew, who had been floating by his side, fell heavily to the ground.
Pettigrew struggled to move and cling to the trunk in front of him.
Behind the two of them were the Acromantulas following them, countless black eyes gleaming on their dreadful heads, and their sharp black pincers snapping, making the skin crawl.
Seeing the two individuals in the center of the open space, the Acromantulas seemed to hesitate. Perhaps the fire Evan had just lit in the hollow had left its mark on their hearts.
They didn't rush directly at Evan but went straight for Peter Pettigrew.
The legs of the latter were bitten by an Acromantula. He writhed fiercely. It seemed as if he was looking back, and his cries and wails grew louder.
"Help me, please..."
A plaintive cry for help pierced the ears, genuinely disturbing.
Evan remained nervous in the bushes, watching closely what was unfolding in front of him in the open space. It was like the replay of a horror movie. He saw Peter Pettigrew and himself besieged by the Acromantulas, but he could do nothing.
The same applied to Firenze, who held his bow and arrow in hand, ready to act.
In the next second, a loud, prolonged honk sounded, and a blaze of light illuminated the entire forest. Mr. Weasley's car raced down the slope, sweeping aside the spiders surrounding Evan and Peter Pettigrew.
Evan saw he had grabbed Peter Pettigrew and wanted to drag him into the old car, but he couldn't. He was no match for the Acromantula firmly clinging to Peter's waist. The two opponents engaged in an uneven battle.
Due to pain, Pettigrew's facial muscles contorted cunningly. Then, he seemed to suddenly awaken, struggling to break free from Evan's grasp.
Evan saw himself being pulled straight back into the car, which instantly sped away from the open space. Peter Pettigrew was dragged by the spiders, and the Acromantulas emitted a triumphant and shrill snap.
Peter Pettigrew suddenly screamed and seemed to faint again.
Evan hurried out of the woods where he was hiding. He knew that if he didn't intervene, he would never have another chance to do so.
The red light swiftly passed over Pettigrew. The Acromantula avidly devouring his flesh was instantly knocked down, and the other spiders preparing to join the feast looked up in dismay at Evan's sudden appearance.
They couldn't understand how this human boy, who had just left in a car, suddenly emerged from the nearby bush.
By not hesitating, Evan embodied the role of a brave and daring warrior. He swiftly rushed towards Peter Pettigrew, waving his wand with a white light like a sword, and the Acromantulas that dared to approach were killed one by one.
With a loud bang, behind Peter Pettigrew, the body of the spider closest to him was instantly shattered, and its green sticky blood splattered, flying everywhere.
Much of it splattered on Evan, but he didn't mind. Suddenly he stopped his steps, turned his body to the right, his wand swung up and down, the curse shone, and the Acromantula in the tree died instantly.
The remaining spiders seemed to react just then. They waved their large pincers, running frantically towards Evan.
Confronted with the advancing Acromantulas, Evan firmly held his wand in hand, showing no fear on his face. He did not retreat; he shouted and lunged forward to face them.
At that moment, he was fearless, as if he were a God of War.
Among the trees behind him, Firenze's bow and arrows seemed like guardian angels, perfectly finding the weak points in Evan's defense. He was extremely swift in archery, and each arrow precisely pierced the Acromantulas from the center, firmly pinning them to the ground.
The Acromantulas he shot couldn't even fight back, as the precise shots brought them down instantly.
In less than a minute, the two of them killed more than ten Acromantulas, and the remaining spiders watched in horror, turned around, and fled into the forest.
Evan panted, wiped the sweat and the innards of the Acromantula that had just splattered on his face, and looked down at Peter Pettigrew, who lay unconscious in front of him. His breathing gradually calmed, and he knew that he had finally changed the course of events. He had stopped Peter's death and captured him.
"The injury on his leg is very serious but not mortal," said Firenze as he examined Peter Pettigrew's bloody legs. He took some herb powder from a leather pouch and sprinkled it.
Evan saw Peter's legs gradually stop bleeding, his breathing stabilize, but due to the pain, his face continued to contort.
"Can you heal him?" Evan remembered that Centaurs were highly skilled in healing magic.
"No, this isn't right! His leg was just bitten by Acromantulas; it's just a trauma. The problematic part is his right hand, from which I sense a very strong smell of dark magic, my healing magic can't work," affirmed Firenze as he inspected Peter's right arm. The place where his right hand should be was wrapped in a few pieces of cloth, completely soaked in blood. Quickly he said, "It would be best to take him back to the castle as soon as possible. Human magic should be able to help him."