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Chapter 1534: Even the Answers Were Copied Wrong
Chapter 1534: Even the Answers Were Copied Wrong
Unfortunately, it was impossible! Especially when Aberforth had just gathered reliable people in his team, the situation on the other side began to show signs of collapse.
With little combat experience and no rigorous training, the motley crew fell apart at the first sign of trouble, which was entirely expected.
It was all too easy to drag down reliable teammates along with them.
The best proof of this was the newly assembled Dumbledore's Army, which had been routed by the Acromantulas earlier but was now fighting with renewed vigor, no longer displaying their previous disarray.
After all, no matter how powerful the Acromantulas were, they were still susceptible to curses that countered them, rendering them rather helpless.
Many people didn't understand why a simple Spider-Repelling Charm could have almost caused the situation to spiral out of control. Perhaps even Albert, the mastermind of the plan, couldn't explain it clearly to them.
Because he himself didn't quite grasp it.
However, Mr. Tonks, who was also on the battlefield, understood perfectly.
A large portion of the crowd panicked at the sight of the car-sized Acromantulas, either turning tail and running or frantically casting random spells at the giant spiders, only to find that most of their magic had little to no effect.
And yet, they completely forgot to use the Spider-Repelling Charm.
Mr. Tonks was baffled by their actions, wondering if they even knew how to cast the spell in the first place.
And if they didn't know how to use the Spider-Repelling Charm, then what were they still doing here? Had they stayed just to become spider food?
Not wanting to dwell on the incomprehensible, Mr. Tonks decided to focus on taking action, knowing that more lives would be lost if he didn't.
Fortunately, he didn't have to rack his brains too much, as the Felix Felicis his daughter had secretly given him provided him with the clarity he needed to know what to do next.
"Hagrid, we must find a way to unite the remaining people," Mr. Tonks said.
While he didn't agree with Aberforth's decision to abandon some of their companions, he understood that it was probably the best option under the circumstances. Already, there had been cases of brave fighters losing their lives due to the incompetence of their teammates.
"Look out! Dementors are coming! Prepare to cast your Patronuses!" Aberforth's shout rang out above the din of the battlefield, echoing through the night sky and startling those engaged in combat with the Acromantulas.
Those who knew the Patronus Charm prepared themselves, ready to face the onslaught of Dementors.
Colin, who had been fighting an Acromantula alongside his brother Dennis, whipped around at Aberforth's warning, his eyes widening in fear.
At the edge of his vision, he saw a dark mass of Dementors surging towards the battlefield.
Without hesitation, he raised his wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
However, only a thin wisp of white mist emerged from his wand, doing little to dispel the chill that crept into his heart.
Despite Aberforth's timely warning, only a handful of witches and wizards successfully cast their Patronuses in the midst of the chaos. The sparse handful of Patronuses gathered together in the darkness, attempting to hold back the tide of Dementors that threatened to overwhelm them once more.
This development forced Mr. Tonks to abandon his original plan of organizing the others. Instead, he led the small group he had assembled to aid Aberforth in repelling the Acromantulas' assault, preventing their team from sustaining heavy casualties.
Others were not so lucky.
The few weak Patronuses were unable to completely drive away the Dementors, causing those already unreliable individuals to fall prey to the soul-sucking creatures. The fragile defenses that had been holding somehow broke down completely.
While the centaurs continued to engage the Acromantulas, keeping the majority of the spiders occupied, it was common for predators to target the weak and vulnerable. This resulted in the tragic demise of those who had displayed exceptional weakness.
In particular, the Muggle-born witches and wizards whom Albert had rescued from Azkaban suffered greatly. During the time they had been under Albert's protection, they had not dedicated enough time to honing their combat skills.
Aside from a small number of smarter individuals who stuck together and managed to avoid total collapse, the rest met unfortunate ends, whether they froze in fear or turned their backs to the enemy and ran.
However, this situation was not without its benefits.
The Acromantulas became scattered as a result, making it easier for Aberforth to lead his team in eliminating them one by one.
After all, Acromantulas were just large spiders. Despite their size and dangerous nature, they could be taken down with a well-placed "Spider-Repelling Charm". Once hit by seven or eight of those spells directly, they would not be able to get back up.
And that was precisely the strategy Aberforth employed to systematically take out the remaining Acromantulas that had invaded Hogwarts.
The tide of the battle began to turn in their favor.
However, even after the last Acromantula was defeated, no one felt any joy.
"I can't fathom what they were thinking," Aberforth muttered. "Did they think this was some sort of game?"
"Perhaps we shouldn't have involved them from the start," Mr. Tonks said, his gaze sweeping over the cruel battlefield littered with bodies.
"This isn't Albert's fault. They died because they deserved to," Mr. Tonks added bitterly.
The brutal victory left a sour taste in Aberforth's mouth as well. Of the four options, their path had been the simplest and should have been the quickest to resolve.
They had not only had reinforcements but also vastly outnumbered the Acromantulas, and they possessed powerful curses that countered the spiders.
They should have been able to achieve victory with ease.
Yet, fate had played a cruel joke on them.
They had almost lost.
This turn of events left everyone bewildered.
After all, aside from the Patronus Charm, all they needed was the Spider-Repelling Charm to accomplish their task.
No one had anticipated that things would go so wrong.
As Aberforth had said, aside from the few members of Dumbledore's Army who had been dragged down by their incompetent teammates, the deaths of the others could not be blamed on anyone else.
For the answers to the exam had been given to them, and yet they had still failed to achieve good results. They had no one to blame but themselves.
"Aren't we going to provide support over there?" Mr. Tonks asked as he approached Aberforth, his eyes fixed on the castle where explosions continued to rock the structure. It wasn't difficult to imagine the ferocity of the battle taking place within.
"No, going there now would just turn us into cannon fodder," Aberforth shook his head. "There's no point other than sending us to our deaths."
"Cannon fodder," Mr. Tonks echoed with a bitter smile.
Anyone with a brain could understand why Albert had chosen to leave most of the novices on this side of the battle after witnessing the intensity of the fight at the castle.
It had been a decision made to keep them away from danger, but they had messed things up on their own.
As for the fierce battle at the castle, only those with true skill and strength would be able to survive the bloody battlefield.
No, in a situation where the number of Dark Wizards far outnumbered their own, their ultimate fate would likely be sealed in the first round of clashes.
(End of Chapter)
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