Chapter 159: One cannot escape death

The Forbidden Forest, at night, was dark and silent.

With the help of the Tracking potion, Ivan could sense that Peter was ahead. He was slow, but he was still ahead.

There were still bloodstains on the winding path.

"Lumos!" There was a crisp, subtle sound, and the tip of Ivan's wand emitted a faint light.

He hurried forward and walked for about ten minutes. There was no noise but the rustling of branches and the rustling of leaves. All around him, the old trees that had grown over the centuries became much denser, so that the stars were no longer visible. Were it not for the help of the tracking potion, Ivan would have missed his target.

In the old Forbidden Forest, Ivan's wand glowed alone in the sea of darkness. He saw Peter Pettigrew coming out of the path.

After crossing the trunk of a mossy tree, he could hear the murmur of flowing water.

He realized that there was a stream nearby.

Through the dim light at the tip of his wand, Ivan saw the figure of Peter Pettigrew disappearing behind a towering oak tree. He tightened his grip on his wand and hurried after him. Although he was anxious, he couldn't move very fast now; there were roots and tree trunks on the ground, barely visible in the near darkness.

Ivan's clothes were getting caught on low branches and nearby thorns, and he noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.

Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and held his wand firmly against his chest.

He could feel that, besides him and Pettigrew, there was something rapidly approaching, accompanied by a strange snapping sound, skittering over the fallen leaves near him.

Ivan had to be careful. He heard Hagrid say that there were many dangerous magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

He focused his mana on his wand and squinted, carefully moving forward a few steps.

Peter had stopped and hidden behind the oak tree in front of him.

As Ivan approached the oak tree, under the dim light of the wand, he suddenly saw the shadow of a huge, awesome monster appear on the ground. He didn't even have time to turn around; a long, hairy thing grabbed him by the waist and hung him upside down in the air.

Ivan struggled, waving his wand!

He heard another snap, and it was the monster seizing him. It was dragging him through the Forbidden Forest....

As Ivan was attacked, Peter Pettigrew trembled, hiding behind the huge oak tree.

He was panting heavily, his severed right hand wrapped in his robes. This was a gaping wound, making him near death.

Boundless darkness enveloped him, and he felt like he was dying. His heart was filled with fear like never before.

He did not understand why things had developed to this point. His plan was flawless, but ever since he met the twelve year old boy in Lupin's office, things started to go south very fast. He even forced him to use the forbidden magic that the Dark Lord taught him.

The last time he used this magic, he paid a finger as the cost.

This time, he paid a hand, and the enormous impact of the explosion even took away his ability to move.

Click, click, click...

A strange sound came closer and closer, and Pettigrew tried to lift his head.

His frightened little eyes bulged outward as he saw something crawling up the tree.

Click, click, click, click, click....

The sound was getting closer and closer, and that thing was right above his head.

The unknown monster seemed to be attracted to the smell of blood on his body.

Peter wanted to run away, but his body was too weak. He fell heavily. His face was sweaty showing his utter panic, he was overwhelmed with fear.

He didn't know what the monster was coming over his head, but he knew that death was coming for him, that it was the price he deserved.

He couldn't remember how many nightmares he'd had. He had been waiting for this day ever since he sold James and Lily to Voldemort.

Now, death had finally come to him!

He remembered his childhood, the fairy tales of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" that his mother used to read to him before bed every night.

He still remembered the story that impressed him the most, "The Tale of the Three Brothers". Peter had forgotten most of the story, but there was one sentence he would never forget: One cannot escape death, but only delay it.

If he was destined to meet death, he only hoped that the process would not be too painful.

Ivan's head hung in the air as he turned to the side and extended his wand.

Its tip glowed red, and the monster behind him took a shot and flew away, dropping him heavily to the ground.

He scrambled to get up, only to see the monster holding him.

It had eight long, strange, thick, hairy legs, and a pair of large black fangs on the top of its head.

Behind him, there was another one, staring at him with its terrifying black eyes.

These two monsters looked like spiders, not little spiders like the ones that climb over leaves, but the size of chariots, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy and gigantic.

They were Acromantulas!!!

They were terrible, and Ivan was aware of what he had encountered. Pettigrew fled blindly, taking them with him into Acromantula territory.

According to the book "Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them", the Acromantula is a giant, ferocious, eight-eyed spider, inhabiting dense jungles, covered in thick black hair; with a leg length that can reach up to fifteen feet, if adult.

They also secrete venom, are terrible carnivores and eat almost everything.

Ivan knew that there were Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. They were all descendants of Aragog raised by Hagrid. Hagrid had even found a spouse for his furry friend to breed with. He still remembered it mentioned in the book, that the female can lay up to a hundred soft, wide, beach ball sized eggs at a time.

Spawning several times a year for 50 whole years, the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest had reached a terrifying number!

Ivan tightened his grip on his wand, the two monsters did not immediately pounce.

Perhaps they were watching Ivan's weaknesses, perhaps they sensed danger, perhaps they were waiting for their companions, perhaps....

In short, Ivan and the two grotesque Acromantulas stayed in their positions strangely.

At that moment, Peter's miserable and helpless cry came from behind the oak tree next to Ivan. He too was attacked!