Chapter 285: Heat and Success

Ivan's current strength was enough to kill Aragog.

The only problem now was that there were too many Acromantulas. He couldn't take them all on at the same time, he couldn't even get close to Aragog's lair.

Ivan thought maybe he could borrow Harry's invisibility cloak. But, the Acromantulas' senses were very keen, and they could easily spot him. After killing Aragog and alarming all the Acromantulas, how to get out was also a problem.

He had to find a way to avoid the other Acromantulas, or to make them unable to touch him....

Ivan looked up at the sky. Maybe flying was a good choice.

He could fly with a broomstick. Aragog's Lair was a large sloping pit, with no trees nearby and wide open.

There, he could even sit on the broomstick and attack the Acromantulas from the air.

When attacking them from a distance, they simply shouldn't be able to touch him.

The more he thought about this idea, the more he found it feasible, and the more appropriate it seemed to him.

But when he thought about his poor flying skills, he shook his head again.

For that, he had to improve his flying skills, to be at least as good as Harry, and broomsticks were too restrictive, not too flexible.

Aragog was not to stay on the ground, waiting for Ivan to attack him. To kill this old spider, he had to go deep into its lair.

Ivan could not imagine himself holding a broomstick and fighting Acromantulas in a hole.

It seemed he still needed to find another way.

Fortunately, there was still time for the end of the semester.

He decided to put the matter aside for the time being, look for other viable methods or find a broomstick and improve his flying skills.

After Hermione mastered the spells and techniques, they went no further.

Ivan knew he had to be careful not to let Aragog know that he had re-entered the Forbidden Forest. He accompanied Hermione on the edge of Acromantula territory in search of a hunting spider. They encountered a lone Acromantula, and like Sirius, Ivan used magic to keep it within a certain range, slowing it down.

He left Hermione to fight alone and practice the magic she had just learned.

Hermione waved her wand and read the spell against the Acromantula in front of her. Although she had mastered the technique of the spell, her wand did not react.

"This spell is too difficult, I can't use it." She gasped.

"This spell does not depend on high magical power." Ivan waved his wand and added a Petrificus totalus Curse to the Acromantula. "You should wave your wand faster. Pay attention to getting the speed of the wand to match the speed of the spell."

Following Ivan's instructions, Hermione tried again, but there was no result, "No, no, I really..."

"Come on, Hermione, you must do it!" Ivan encouraged her, "Don't be nervous. Remember, wave your wand a little faster."

Hermione tried several times again, but only to have her wand glow white.

In Ivan's opinion, Hermione's main problem now was not her lack of power to use this spell, but that she was too nervous, and had already determined, in her heart, that she couldn't do it.

Looking at Hermione, who was still hard at work, Ivan didn't think much.

The next second, he reached straight over and took Hermione's small hand, "Let your wand follow my hand, don't force. remember this feeling!"

Hermione didn't expect Ivan to do that, and her body tensed.

Her face turned red and her body heated up.

She curled up in Ivan's arms like a kitten, listening to him speak in her ear, her mind blank, nodding unconsciously.

She didn't know what she was going to do, or what exactly she had to remember...

She only knew that she was so close to Ivan that she could even smell his scent. Her little hand moved under Ivan's control, and her wand moved pointing at the Acromantula in front of her, but she still didn't react because she forgot to recite the spell.

Hermione hurriedly excused herself, forcing herself to concentrate and not think about the mess in her mind.

But that wasn't easy, and it was much more stressful than practicing alone.

In fact, Ivan wasn't much better than Hermione. He didn't think about it when he took Hermione's hand. He wanted to help her cast the spell.

It was just a subconscious move. For Ivan, it was as common as eating and drinking.

When he came to, he realized what he was doing.

He actually came up behind Hermione, holding her small hand.

The bodies of the two people were close, and strange feelings suddenly arose from the back of their minds. It wasn't the first time he had held Hermione's hand, but Ivan had never been as nervous as he was now. What he feared most was Hermione's resistance, or that she would push him away, which would be too embarrassing.

Fortunately, Hermione didn't. She didn't even struggle too much. She just shivered a little and let Ivan hold her.

In the dark, silent, empty forest, Ivan and Hermione were alone.

They were in a strange posture, and Ivan smelled the sweet scent of the girl in front of him, holding her little hand from behind, trying to help her cast the spell.

But in fact, they did not take this matter seriously, and their thoughts drifted farther and farther apart.

The two of them stood like that, and the atmosphere was becoming more and more eccentric.

In front of them, the Acromantula, lying on the ground, looked strangely at the two humans, wondering what they were doing.

She wanted to escape, but her whole body was petrified, unable to move.

But the effect of the spell was diminishing, and the Acromantula felt she could regain control of her own body, and as she looked at the two people who were motionless, she stepped back silently.

Unnoticed by anyone, the Acromantula's large pincers came together.

It changed its mind and was no longer going to escape, but to attack the two humans in front of it. The Acromantula slowly moved forward, moving closer and closer to Ivan and Hermione, and as it was about to jump, Hermione's wand made a light, crisp sound.

The next second, a silvery white light went out.

Hermione's Curse was accompanied by a fierce wind. Like a bolt of lightning, it passed through the Acromantula's body, cutting her in two halves.

Her body fell to the ground, and her eyes refused to look forward....

"I did it!" said Hermione pleasantly surprised.

She raised her hands and cheered, then realized Ivan was still holding her.

They both blushed and hurriedly separated, looking very embarrassed.

Fortunately, there were no other people around; otherwise, looking at the faces of both of them, they would just want to dig a hole in the ground and hide from people's eyes.