They passed by Hagrid's hut.
The gamekeeper was preoccupied with his teaching duties and had no time to notice the three young wizards.
Ron was brimming with excitement, striding eagerly behind Harry.
The Forbidden Forest wasn't quite what Ron had imagined. It was eerily quiet, with barely any distinct sounds of animals or birds. Occasionally, there was a rustling sound that made him jump.
But he couldn't tell if it was the footsteps of some creature or just the wind stirring the leaves.
Once they entered the forest, Harry pulled out the Sorting Hat and extracted the map, tapping it with his wand. A detailed magical map materialized.
Gryffindor's penchant for mischief was unmistakable.
The map was enchanted to maintain itself using Hogwarts' magic even after a millennium. Harry, despite his skill, couldn't use a duplication spell on it.
He waved his wand again, summoning his own hand-drawn map for comparison.
"Harry, Dumbledore tried to get the map from me over the summer," the Sorting Hat said smugly. "But I didn't give it to him. Don't you think I deserve some praise?"
"That's thanks to the contract. What does it have to do with you?" Harry retorted casually.
A thousand years ago, this area had been the domain of foxes.
Now… rabbits had claimed it as their territory.
With another wave of his wand, Harry summoned a fresh piece of parchment and began sketching the updated terrain.
The Sorting Hat was indignant. "But he's Dumbledore! If he really wanted to—"
"Get to the point," Harry cut it off, his tone impatient.
The hat hesitated. "What I meant was, recently, Fawkes brought me a magazine—Wizarding Weekly. They were featuring new hat designs, and I was wondering…"
Harry froze, staring at the hat. "Are you in love?"
"Which one caught your eye? I'll buy it for you," he offered, pausing briefly as a thought occurred. "Although… I haven't mastered the Thought Imbuing Charm yet. And I'm male, so if you don't mind…"
The Sorting Hat recoiled in horror. "No! For Merlin's sake, Harry, what are you talking about?"
"You sound just like Rowena."
"What?" Ron leaned in, curious. "What happened with Ravenclaw?"
"She was kind-hearted, as was Helga. They worried I might feel lonely after they left and once asked if I wanted another hat for company," the Sorting Hat explained with a sigh.
"Were they matchmaking for you?" Harry's tone was oddly amused.
The hat nodded solemnly. "Even Godric entertained the idea. But I was resolute in my refusal, and they dropped it."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be the one and only Sorting Hat today."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever considered that if there were another hat, you wouldn't have spent decades as a scratching post for cats?"
The hat froze in realization.
It fell silent, deep in thought.
Harry continued leading the way.
Ron was thrilled. Barely an hour in, he'd already collected a tuft of unicorn hair, some dittany, and several sprigs of monkshood.
At this rate, he might save enough to cover next year's book expenses for the entire family.
The Sorting Hat finally snapped out of its daze. "No, Harry! That's not the issue. That headmaster is long gone, and Dumbledore only has Fawkes now. It rarely bothers me."
"What I wanted to discuss was decoration…"
Harry interrupted, "But Dumbledore is getting old. He'll retire in a few years."
"Then Professor McGonagall will succeed him as headmistress."
The hat wobbled its brim. "Minerva is diligent and reliable—a qualified leader. But what does her succession have to do with anything?"
Ron chimed in, "Well, Professor McGonagall's Animagus form is a cat."
The hat stiffened, its folds deepening.
A new dilemma presented itself.
Even with its vast knowledge, the Sorting Hat wasn't sure if Animagus cats had the same scratching instincts as ordinary felines.
"And what if Hermione becomes headmistress someday? She's brilliant, after all," Harry added, twisting the knife.
The hat's creases grew deeper.
"Uh…"
"Hmm…"
It hesitated, struggling with its thoughts before finally sighing. "Then I suppose I'll just accept it. Being a scratching post wasn't the worst. Thinking about those days, they were oddly joyful… Besides, Godric and the others are long gone. Regrets won't change anything now."
Hermione seized the hat. "In that case, I'll take you back today. Crookshanks misses you."
"No!" the hat shrieked. "Kind, merciful Miss Granger, please spare me! I was only joking. I don't truly enjoy that life."
"You mentioned wanting accessories?" Hermione didn't let go. "Which ones? I'll buy them for you, but you'll have to play with Crookshanks for a few days in return."
The hat hesitated before cautiously asking, "Really?"
"Of course," Hermione replied.
The hat lightly tapped her hand with its brim. "How many days for one accessory?"
"A week?" Hermione offered.
The hat shook its tip vigorously. "One day! Just one day!"
Hermione smirked and released her grip. "Forget it, then."
"Fine! I'll just rely on Harry," the hat muttered, quickly changing its tune. "Harry, I've picked a few…"
"I'm busy," Harry interrupted with a wave of his wand. "Discuss it with Hermione."
Hermione hummed in satisfaction.
The hat reluctantly tapped her hand again. "Two days?"
"Minimum three," Hermione countered, holding up three fingers.
The hat sighed dramatically. "Alright, fine. Three days it is. But I expect top-quality accessories! I have experience with scratching posts, Miss Granger, so don't skimp."
"Do you have a copy of Wizarding Weekly?"
"I'll get it for you when we're back," Hermione promised.
Suddenly, Harry stopped in his tracks.
Ron, too focused on the ground, bumped straight into Harry's back, groaning in pain as his head met Harry's tough leather armor.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"Our first teaching aid has arrived," Harry said, turning with a grin.
Something about that smile sent chills down their spines.
"What… teaching aid?" Ron swallowed nervously.
Harry gestured toward the silent forest. "Something Ron will love. Ah, here they come."
Splat!
A jet of milky white liquid shot out of the forest, aiming straight for Harry.
Harry deflected it with a flick of his wand, flames consuming the liquid midair.
The crunching sound of approaching creatures grew louder, and soon, several large, pitch-black spiders the size of dogs emerged, their pincers clicking menacingly.
Ron turned pale, trembling. "S-s-spiders…"
Hermione, though equally frightened, managed to stammer, "Acromantula… a XXXXX-class magical creature."
"They're highly intelligent. Judging by their size, they should be between twenty and thirty years old."
Harry shook his head. "No, they're barely over ten."
"They're not fully grown yet, but they're all females, which is why they're so large."
"Let's run," Ron suggested decisively.
"Why?" Harry asked calmly. "Because you're scared?"
Ron froze.
"Riddikulus!" Harry cast the spell, his tone calm. "Remember what Professor Lupin said?"
"Conquer your fear."
"You're a wizard, and a talented one at that. With an 'O' in Transfiguration and an 'E' in Charms, you're far more capable than these underdeveloped Acromantulas."
The spiders weren't about to wait for their conversation to finish. One lunged forward, venom glistening on its black pincers.
Boom!
Harry blasted it away with a spell.
"See? They're easy to deal with."
"You can handle three of my spells, but they can't even take one. You're much stronger."
Ron sighed, exasperated. "Harry, I know you mean well, but maybe skip the pep talks next time."
With renewed determination, he cast a spell. Vines sprouted and ensnared a spider sneaking up on Harry, twisting until it tore the creature apart.
Hermione joined in, casting Petrificus Totalus. However, the spiders' natural resistance to magic meant her spells were less effective. Switching tactics, she used Transfiguration instead.
Yet the true danger of Acromantulas lay not just in their XXXXX classification but in their overwhelming numbers.
For every spider defeated, ten or twenty more emerged from the shadows.
As Ron and Hermione adapted, their spells grew faster and more precise.
But no matter how quickly they dispatched the spiders, they couldn't keep up with the flood of reinforcements.
Before long, they were surrounded.
Exhausted and nearly out of magical energy, the forest floor was littered with Acromantula corpses.
"Harry, I'm done," Hermione panted, her face flushed. "I can't go on."
Ron wasn't faring much better, though he had slightly more stamina left.
Harry nodded, still smiling. He waved his wand.
A fallen tree twisted and transformed into a massive serpent. With another tap of his wand, a small pinch of white powder flew from the Sorting Hat onto the snake.
The scent spread, carried by the wind.
The reaction was immediate.
The spiders scattered, fleeing in terror. In moments, the area was cleared.
"Lesson one for today," Harry said, watching his two wide-eyed companions. "Sometimes, the best solution isn't magic. Your brain is a powerful tool."
Hermione's voice was dry. "Oh… right…"
"Basilisks are Acromantulas' natural enemies. You even gave us each a pouch of basilisk powder."
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Powerstones?
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