Chapter 148: Rescue
Chapter 148: Rescue
At this moment, Albert was running for his life through a blazing corridor, with Fang close on his heels.
The sudden flames agitated the giant spiders, causing them to instinctually retreat from the wall of fire, granting Albert the time and space he desperately needed.
Without pausing to catch his breath, Albert rushed to the protective tree and immediately waved his wand, casting another fire spell.
A ring of fire ignited in the direction of Albert's wand, burning fiercely about ten feet away from the tree.
The flames looked intense, but without anything to fuel them, the fire soon died out, leaving the damp forest floor and scattered leaves untouched.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Albert waved his wand, casting a levitation spell on Fang, causing the dog to float in the air.
Startled by the spell, Fang whimpered and paddled his legs frantically as if swimming through the air.
"Quick, give me a hand!" Albert started climbing the tree, and Fred and George reached out to pull him up, ensuring he reached the safety of the branches.
The levitation spell on Fang was released, and he curled up trembling on a wooden platform that Albert had created with a transfiguration spell.
"How did you get here?" Fred and George had snapped out of their daze and stared at Albert in shock. They never expected their rescuer to be him.
"Who else did you think it would be?" Albert glared at the Weasley brothers, still catching his breath. "Professor McGonagall? Or perhaps Professor Dumbledore? By the time they noticed your disappearance, you would have been torn apart by those spiders and become a feast for those monsters."
The brothers' cheeks reddened, ashamed but knowing Albert was right. It was Easter break, after all! If Albert hadn't noticed their absence and acted promptly, Hagrid might have been collecting their remains tomorrow, if any were left at all.
"What now?" Fred moved aside to make room for Albert.
"We wait for rescue. I sent Lee Jordan to get Professor McGonagall when I came," Albert said, his breathing calming down. "The professors should be here soon. Keep shooting red sparks into the sky to guide them here.
"You... you went into the forest alone?" George suddenly realized something, staring at Albert in disbelief.
"How did you even find us in the Forbidden Forest?" Fred also grasped the implication of George's words, and his eyes widened in shock as he looked at Albert.
They couldn't fathom how Albert had ventured into the forest alone in the middle of the night and managed to find them.
"What else could I have done?" Albert paid no mind to the twins' astonished expressions as he noticed the fire ring below had gone out, and the army of spiders was closing in again.
"How did you manage to anger this many Acromantulas? Did you stumble upon their nest or steal their eggs?" Albert furrowed his brows slightly, raising his wand to knock down a spider that attempted to approach the Protean Tree.
"No, we encountered a few large spiders on our way and ran toward the area hoping to find the protection of the Protean Tree. We didn't expect this many spiders to show up," Fred explained, his face strained.
"And that's how we ended up in this mess," George added.
"Arania Exumai!"
Another spider was struck down by the spell. Looking down from the Protean Tree, the mass of large spiders below was a frightening sight.
"Keep shooting the red sparks. Don't stop," Albert instructed.
"Oh!" George continued to shoot red sparks into the sky and sneaked glances at Albert.
To be honest, the Weasley twins found it hard to imagine how Albert had made his way through the forest in the middle of the night and found them. Even the professors might have struggled to locate someone in the pitch-black depths of the Forbidden Forest! "Protego Totalum! Protego Totalum! Protego Totalum!" Albert cast the all-encompassing shielding charm three times in quick succession, completely enveloping the Protean Tree within the protective barrier.
The large spiders outside crashed into the magical barrier as if running into an invisible wall, unable to breach it.
"What kind of magic is this!" George exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise as he watched the spiders collide with the wall of magic.
"We should be safe now!"
"Don't get too comfortable. If the professors don't show up soon, we might end up as spider food!" Albert panted, shaking his head. "Haven't you noticed that these spiders are getting more agitated?
Fred and George exchanged a glance, quickly realizing that Albert was right; the spiders had initially been hesitant to approach the Protean Tree.
The brothers couldn't help but feel relieved that Albert had arrived when he did. If he had been any later, they truly might have been devoured by the giant spiders.
"Why didn't you come with the professors?" Fred blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity. Given Albert's personality, he wouldn't have ventured alone into the depths of the Forbidden Forest so late at night.
"I was planning to ask Hagrid for help, but he wasn't in his hut, so I could only bring Fang along to look for you. Luckily, Fang was with me, or else I might have been ambushed by the Acromantulas," Albert said as he patted Fang's head.
That cowardly hound had been through enough for one night.
"So, you came into the forest alone?" The Weasley twins exclaimed in unison, their mouths agape.
At that moment, Fred and George finally understood why Albert had been sorted into Gryffindor. The courage and daring he was displaying right now might surpass that of all the Gryffindors combined.
"Alright, hand it over!" Albert suddenly demanded.
"Hand what over?" Fred and George asked, puzzled.
"Of course, the map. That secret treasure map of Gryffindor," Albert said, shaking his head at the twins. "You actually believed in that thing? Didn't I warn you about it before? I told you the depths of the Forbidden Forest are dangerous, but you didn't listen. Now you almost ended up as spider food. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"
Fred and George racked their brains, and indeed, they recalled such an incident.
Initially, Albert had cautioned them about the possibility of an Acromantula breeding ground in the forest and warned them to be cautious lest they be eaten by the giant spiders.
And now, that very scenario had almost come true! Come to think of it, George also remembered that during their first night of wandering outside, Albert had warned them about being locked out by the Fat Lady... and that prediction had come true as well!
Are your words cursed or something?! Why does everything you say come true?!
"How did you know there was an Acromantula breeding ground here?" Fred asked curiously, wanting to know who was responsible for breeding these dangerous monsters in the Forbidden Forest.
"I heard it from Professor Broad," Albert said, seeing through their thoughts. He sighed, "But don't be foolish. This place is most likely not a breeding ground, or else these spiders wouldn't have attacked you.
"What's going on with these giant spiders? Don't tell me these monsters have been living in the forest all this time," Fred said, his eyes widening at the thought.
"I reckon someone must have released Acromantulas into the Forbidden Forest. With almost no natural predators and an ample food supply, their numbers have multiplied," Albert mused, eyeing the mass of spiders below. "I wouldn't be surprised if this mess was Hagrid's doing."
Albert was well aware that the so-called "spider farm" was a joke. It was likely the result of Hagrid releasing a pair of Acromantulas into the forest, which had then reproduced over the decades to create the vast spider colony they faced today.
Just then, a crackling sound filled the air.
As they spoke, the protective barrier Albert had cast began to falter. This was the drawback of casting such a large-scale spell—it lacked the durability of a smaller, more concentrated version. Under the relentless assault of the Acromantulas, the defensive barrier was starting to crack.
"What should we do now?" Fred asked anxiously, turning to Albert.
"Keep shooting the red sparks to drive back the spiders that are getting too close," Albert instructed.
As soon as the protective barrier shattered, Albert quickly cast a series of Fire spells to push back the daring arachnids.
The situation remained dire.
However, Albert was not concerned about his own safety; he continued to cast the Spider Dispelling Charm at the swarm below. With so many large spiders, he didn't even need to aim—each cast took down a target.
"What spell are you using? How are you knocking them down with a single hit?" George blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. The spell Albert was using was incredibly powerful, dealing significant damage to the giant spiders with each strike.
Albert didn't have time to reply to the twins' question; he was too busy farming experience.
The professors should be arriving soon, but in the meantime, he could rack up some more experience. After all, each spider was worth 50 points, and that added up to a level 1 spell.
It was a very worthwhile endeavor.
Time passed, and before long, most of the spiders surrounding the Protean Tree had been taken down. The remaining arachnids seemed to sense the futility of their assault and retreated, no longer daring to approach the tree.
Fred and George stared at the pile of defeated spiders below, their mouths agape. They had never imagined that Albert would be so fearless and bold! He was single-handedly taking on an entire army of spiders.
“My tongue is getting all tied up,” Albert complained, popping a chocolate into his mouth as he continued casting spells.
“The spiders are retreating!” George exclaimed excitedly. “Can we leave now?” “It’s best to stay put and wait here. Without the protection of the tree, it’s easy to get ambushed by those spiders,” Albert reminded them impatiently. “Also, start thinking about how you’re going to explain this to the professors, and about the map.”
“What do you want the map for?” George asked suspiciously.
“Of course, to confiscate it. Do you expect me to let you go on more foolish adventures?” Albert retorted.
“We won’t,” Fred said.
“People always repeat their mistakes,” Albert said, unconvinced.
“Speak sense, we can’t understand you,” George grumbled.
“I know you’ll try to find the so-called Gryffindor secret treasure again, so hand over the map. Without it, you won’t have any more foolish ideas about finding treasure,” Albert demanded, holding out his hand to Fred for the map.
“Don’t,” George mumbled, “we won’t.” “Do you even believe yourself?” Albert glared at George, maliciously reminding them, “I think you should first think about how you’re going to explain this to Professor McGonagall when you get back. She’ll probably inform your families.”
“Oh, no!” Fred screamed in terror and almost fell off the tree. Luckily, Albert reacted quickly and grabbed him.
George wasn’t so lucky; he was farther from Albert and fell straight off the tree, letting out a pained moan.
“Are you okay?” Albert asked, leaning down.
“No, it hurts!” George whined.
“Alright, enough chatter, hand over that map!” Albert warned, “Next time, you might end up right in the Acromantulas’ nest. Don’t repeat this foolish mistake.” Fred reluctantly handed over the map, which Albert stuffed into his pocket without even glancing at it. Then, he pulled George back up onto the tree, even though the spiders had retreated, it was still unsafe here.
Finally, just before three o’clock, a professor arrived.
To Albert’s surprise, the rescuer wasn’t Professor McGonagall, but Professor Broadbent.
The old man wore a deep purple robe, although it was a bit torn, probably from his journey through the forest, where it had been caught on branches.
"It seems you're all unharmed." Professor Broadbent's eyes glinted strangely in the darkness as he smiled at Albert, offering a reminder. "Mr. Anderson, I must say that your actions were overly reckless. Of course, I have to admit that you did well and surprised me greatly!"
"Good evening, Professor Broadbent," Albert greeted the old man with a smile. "I didn't expect it to be you coming to our rescue. I thought it would be Professor McGonagall."
"What a coincidence. I was just on my way to the bathroom when I ran into Mr. Jordan," Professor Broadbent said as he walked towards the trio. "He told me everything, so I rushed over here. I was worried that you might not be able to find the Weasley brothers, so I decided to come myself."
"I brought Hagrid's dog with me. With it by my side, none of the forest creatures would dare harm me," Albert quoted Hagrid to refute Professor Broadbent.
"Do you believe that yourself?" Professor Broadbent looked around, his smile tinged with sarcasm as he asked.
Albert felt a bit embarrassed. That statement was more to reassure others than anything else.
"By the way, what spell did you use to knock down these Acromantulas? These monsters are incredibly dangerous."
In truth, Professor Broadbent had been tracking Albert's trail.
Along the way, he was astonished to discover the numerous Acromantulas that had been felled by magic, and the number of spiders was quite substantial.
However, all of that paled in comparison to the scene that greeted him here. There were no fewer than a hundred felled Acromantulas lying before him, an astonishing number! It would be impossible for three first-year students to achieve such a feat. The spells they learned in their first year were simply not powerful enough to take on even a single Acromantula.
Yet here, over a hundred of them lay defeated, not one or ten, but a hundred. It was a truly shocking sight.
The sight of these fallen Acromantulas was undeniable proof of Albert's strength.
"Watch out!" George screamed.
"Arania Exumai!" Albert raised his wand and cast the Spider Dispelling Charm at a struggling, climbing spider. He had lost count of how many times he had cast this spell by now.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Anderson. If I had been bitten by one of these beasts, I would have had to retire early."
Professor Broadbent turned to look at the Acromantula that had been struck by the spell, the astonishment on his face quickly giving way to composure.
The professor approached the trio and, upon seeing the Protean Tree, immediately understood how Albert had managed to defeat so many Acromantulas. He addressed the group, "Let's get out of here quickly. Let me see... What can I use as a temporary door key?"
"Use this!" Albert handed Professor Broadbent Fred's hat.
"Why are you carrying a hat with you?" Fred curiously examined the hat that Albert had produced, feeling that it looked vaguely familiar.
"This is your hat. I originally brought it along so Ya Ya could help me find you." Albert replied in an annoyed tone.
"Portus"
The wizard's hat immediately emitted a blue light.
"Alright, use the door key to return. You might feel a bit unwell, so bear with it." Professor Broadbent said gently.
"What about Ya Ya?" Albert asked.
"Don't worry, I'll take it back with me using the Disillusionment Charm." Professor Broadbent said, "Now, get ready. I'll count to three, and then we'll all reach out and grab the hat."
"One..." Professor Broadbent counted softly, "Two... Three..."
Albert and the Weasley brothers simultaneously reached out and grabbed a corner of the wizard's hat. Suddenly, they felt an invisible force pulling them, as if they were flying forward in a gust of wind, unable to see anything clearly.
A few seconds later, Albert fell heavily to the ground, and Fred and George landed in an even worse state, their faces practically kissing the dirt.
The wizard's hat, acting as the door key, slowly descended from the sky and landed right on Fred's head.
Ugh! Fred and George got up and started to retch, evidently suffering from the effects of the Portkey.
Albert fared a little better. After all, he had used the Disillusionment Charm before, so he had a higher tolerance for the discomfort caused by the Portkey.
"Don't worry, it's just Portkey sickness." Professor Broadbent observed the two retching boys and shook his head. "Madame Pomfrey will take care of them. Let's bring them to the infirmary. Help me carry one of them."
"I hate this feeling!" Albert muttered. As he reached out to support Fred, he heard a hurried footsteps approaching.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
