David's voice rang out over the din of battle. "Bain, when did you find them like this?"
Bain, his bowstring taut, released an arrow that whistled through the air. The shaft struck a screeching eight-eyed giant spider, piercing one of its many glistening eyes before embedding deeper into its skull. The monstrous creature let out a shrill wail and collapsed.
Satisfied, Bain turned away from the front lines and approached David, while another centaur swiftly took his place, continuing the relentless assault against the spiders.
"I noticed the changes a few days ago," Bain admitted. "At first, it was only a few, nothing we couldn't handle. But this morning..."
His eyes flicked toward the battlefield, where more of the grotesque creatures surged forward, their movements erratic, filled with a mindless fury.
"Are there other animals like this?" David asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
Bain hesitated, then shook his head. "Not that we've seen."
David ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. What could cause this? Some kind of disease? A toxin? But an entire species succumbing at once… it didn't add up. Without proper laboratory equipment, Hogwarts offered little hope for a biological analysis. Maybe their lair would hold answers?
Nearby, the centaurs were growing weary. Hours of relentless battle had slowed their movements. The spiders, however, remained relentless, their crazed charges unceasing. Even Snape looked drained, his wand arm less steady, his spells more ruthless. Initially, he had tried to preserve spider corpses intact for study, but their unrelenting aggression forced him to abandon that approach—now, his spells tore them apart with grim efficiency.
A sudden burst of magic lit up the battlefield as Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and others arrived, having finally secured the safety of the students.
"You arrived just in time," McGonagall exhaled in relief. "Any later, and we might have been overwhelmed."
Flitwick barely paused before raising his wand and joining the fight, his magic bolstering their defenses.
David, watching the tide of battle shift, made a decision. "Professor McGonagall, I need to return to the castle and look for information."
"Do you need an escort?" she asked, transfiguring a spider into a harmless puff of smoke with a flick of her wand.
"No, I'll take the same route back. I'll be fine."
McGonagall considered briefly before nodding. "Be careful. If anything changes, retreat immediately."
With that, David turned and sprinted toward the castle. But once he was far from the battle, he abruptly halted. Scanning the surroundings, he confirmed there were no threats before turning toward the Forbidden Forest.
He knew where he had to go. Hagrid had shown him the lair of the eight-eyed giant spiders before. If answers existed, they were there.
The forest loomed ahead, dense and foreboding. A towering tree with sprawling roots marked the entrance to the lair—a gaping hole, large enough for an elephant to pass through, lined with thick, white webs. But something was off.
Silence.
The lair was empty.
Cautiously, David levitated a dead branch and flicked it into the darkness. It clattered against unseen surfaces, but there was no answering movement. No scuttling limbs. No hissing threats.
They were all out.
David exhaled, stepping inside. His wand illuminated the cavern, and as the light spread, an eerie sight unfolded before him.
Blood. So much blood.
The webs that lined the cave were stained deep crimson. Corpses of the eight-eyed giants lay piled in heaps, their bodies mutilated. Stomachs slashed open, intestines dragging behind them as if they had been attacked mid-motion, too frenzied to notice their own evisceration. Poisonous stingers impaled one another, evidence of a violent massacre.
They had turned on each other.
David swallowed hard, the stench of decay thick in the air. He fought the rising bile in his throat and forced himself to move forward, stepping cautiously over the grotesque remains.
The deeper he went, the worse it became.
Then, a noise.
A faint, scraping sound.
David tensed, gripping his wand as he scanned the shadows. Near the far end of the cavern, half-hidden by the corpses, lay an enormous eight-eyed giant spider—larger than any he had ever seen, its sheer size dwarfing an elephant. It twitched, its grotesque limbs scraping weakly against the ground.
David recognized it instantly.
"Aragog?"
The ancient spider stirred, turning its milky-white, blinded eyes toward the sound of his voice. Its body shuddered, and it rasped, "Human?"
"It's me, David. Hagrid's friend. We met before."
"Hagrid…?" Aragog's massive form trembled, recognition flickering through its damaged mind.
David pressed forward. "What happened here?"
At the question, Aragog let out a deep, rattling growl. "Humans… humans! You did this! You killed Mosag!" The spider thrashed violently, its movements erratic and filled with rage.
"Calm down! I'm here to help—" David barely finished before Aragog lunged.
Instinct took over. With a flash of magic, David disappeared, reappearing behind the maddened creature. But Aragog, regaining its sight, turned with terrifying speed.
David had one last trick. Raising his wand, he summoned a soft white glow, the healing magic of a unicorn's blessing. The light touched Aragog's body.
For a moment, the great spider stilled.
Then, its eyes snapped open—scarlet, bloodthirsty.
David's stomach sank.
"Well… that's unfortunate."
Aragog charged.
David reacted instantly, casting barriers and obstacles, but the enraged beast tore through them. Realizing the creature was beyond reason, he changed tactics. His eyes flashed yellow as he activated his most dangerous spell.
Aragog's monstrous form shuddered, its body slowly petrifying, stone creeping over its limbs. David wavered, his energy nearly spent, but held firm until the great spider stood frozen.
Panting, he leaned against the wall. "That… was not easy."
Regaining his breath, he sealed Aragog within the cave. Once a cure was found, Hagrid would want to save his old friend.
As he turned to leave, a new sound reached his ears.
Clicking. Many, many legs scuttling across the ground outside.
David peered out, and what he saw chilled him.
A sea of glowing red eyes filled the darkness. The horde had returned.
A chorus of hissing voices rose: "Human! Eat him! Eat him!"
David didn't hesitate. A blazing dragon made of fire burst from his wand, sending the spiders recoiling. But something was wrong. They didn't flee. Instead, they stopped at the threshold, unable to cross.
Realization dawned.
They wouldn't step near the corpse of the massive spider at the cave's entrance.
David smirked. "Well, that's interesting."
Though he still had no answers, he now had something better—a way to stop them.
And he wasn't done yet.