Chapter 162: Aragog's Lair

Ivan looked silently at the Acromantulas that suddenly became excited around him. These monsters were actually purely dark creatures.

He didn't know what Voldemort might have promised them to make them so excited, but it certainly wasn't good. Aragog was still talking, but seeing the spiders slowly gathering all over the place and feeling more and more excited, Ivan didn't want to talk about this subject anymore.

"Fifteen years ago, my children approached me many times. They advised me to join Voldemort's camp - even if his reward was really exciting, I didn't want to get involved in his human squabbles! I know Hagrid is against Voldemort!" Aragog looked tired, and was slowly backing away into his domed web.

However, his fellow spiders around the hollow continued to slowly advance towards Ivan and Pettigrew.

"Well, I guess..." Hearing the rustle of leaves behind him, Ivan hurried over to Aragog. "I should go, then, thanks for your help, Aragog, I'll talk to Hagrid about this!"

"Leave?" Aragog replied, "I don't think so..."

Ivan's heart pounded. The worst of his expectations was happening, and Aragog had no intention of letting them go.

He slowly backed away, as there were so many giant spiders around him that he could never face them. He quickly glanced at Peter Pettigrew. If only that guy could use the evil dark magic that caused the violent explosion earlier, maybe they might still have a chance.

But Pettigrew had already fallen to the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably. He had lost a lot of blood; his skin was pale and his face bloodless.

In his current state, he was incapable of continuing to fight, do magic, or even stand.

Truly a good-for-nothing!

Ivan clenched his wand in his hand, as the current Pettigrew was not a fighting force, but a complete liability.

Ivan's eyes glanced around and finally fell on Aragog.

Fighting so many fierce Acromantulas was unrealistic. His only chance was to get Aragog first. However, as soon as he saw Aragog's elephant-sized body, Ivan swallowed saliva again. Catching that big monster would not be so easy. He thought that even Hagrid couldn't do it.

"My sons and daughters do Hagrid no harm, my command," Aragog said slowly, "But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when he wanders so willingly in our midst. I can't, Hagrid's friend. Thank you for helping us kill the thing inside the castle..."

Ivan turned around. At his feet, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking their fangs, their many eyes glittering in their ugly black heads. Like a black river, they gathered quickly in the middle of the hollow.

Pettigrew looked stunned, and lay motionless on the floor.

Ivan's legs were shaking, but he was determined, he knew he had to take part in this desperate fight. If he didn't take the initiative, he wouldn't stand a chance.

He might not be able to capture Aragog, but he could threaten him with magic, opening a way for him to leave with Pettigrew.

The next second, Ivan turned violently and ran toward Aragog, who was in the center of the web.

His wand emitted a red light, striking the Acromantula between them. Without pausing, he avoided its dark, sharp pincers that clicked incessantly, and the huge, undulating legs of the spiders that surrounded Aragog.

Aragog waved his massive eight legs, trying to avoid Ivan's approach.

But he was getting old, and did not have enough strength to make a quick reaction. His enormous size did not allow him to move and dodge quickly.

Ivan, breathing heavily, climbed up the semi-spherical, domed web. The web under his feet was sticky, but it didn't stop him. He tightened his grip on his wand and cast a Stun Spell, causing Aragog a short stun. He took the opportunity to rush.

It was definitely the craziest thing Ivan had ever done. He pointed his wand at Aragog's rough exoskeleton.

He looked at the spider that was covered in hard black fur, and felt unprecedented nausea.

Just touching the exoskeleton of an Acromantula, he didn't know how Hagrid could deal with them.

Ivan's heart was beating fast, almost beating out of his chest. He was sweating all over his body as the cold night wind faded. The winter night was very cold, and the temperature in the forbidden forest was a few degrees lower than outside, but the web was very warm, and a warm current was blowing from the bottom up.

The discomfort caused by the cold wind dissipated instantly.

Ivan turned his head and saw a hole behind the web. A gentle slope sloped downward. At the bottom, there must have been Aragog's Lair.

The warm air blew from the inside out. That explained why from the outside, this domed network was always cloudy. Ivan didn't know what was going on below, maybe there was a subway hot spring, or something else that could give off heat.....

If it wasn't for the current situation, he would very much like to go in and check it out.

Since it was the Spider King's Lair, Aragog must have collected many things of great value.

Other than that, there should definitely be a lot of potion materials and magic plants. Or there will be powerful magic items. You know, even for a 50+ year old Acromantula, Aragog was really huge in size.

This was very abnormal; there must have been something that helped that happen.

Now was not the time to think about such things. Ivan shook his head, pointing his wand at Aragog's head, and saying briefly, "Let us go, or else....."

He didn't finish his words, but the tip of his wand was glowing.

Aragog shivered a little, and he could feel the temperature of Ivan's wand. He hadn't expected the young human to be so bold and dare to threaten him.

What Ivan meant was clear. If Aragog didn't agree to let them go, even if he couldn't kill him on the spot, he was absolutely certain that he would use magic to break his head off. Aragog was getting too old, and such an injury could be fatal.

Moreover, if there was a chance, Ivan might even set Aragog's Lair on fire.

"You won, Hagrid's friend, you're very brave, no wonder you could kill that thing in the castle!" Clicking, Aragog's large pincers moved quickly, "Take the guy down there and go, I'll restrain my children."

Clicking, under Aragog's command, the spiders moved backwards.

A few seconds later, the center of the hole was empty, and only Pettigrew lay there, gasping weakly.