Azkaban: The Fifth House of Hogwarts

I wonder if there is a pure land of You Ye in the quiet forest under the moon. Is the knight transformed into a dark crow accompanying Princess You Ye?

When Rollo followed Hagrid's footsteps and walked into the Forbidden Forest under the moonlight, these somewhat secondary words appeared in Rollo's mind inexplicably.

But it didn't matter, the quiet woods soon attracted all of Rollo's attention. This was simply because the road to the Forbidden Forest was really difficult to walk. The waist-high shrubs could only touch Hagrid's thighs, but for Rollo To say that it is difficult is not an exaggeration.

"Hagrid, are you sure this is the path you usually take?"

After struggling to push away the thorny bushes in front of him, Rollo complained speechlessly.

"Of course, I am sure that I will walk this road basically every half month. After all, Aragog is old and needs me to take care of him."

"Maybe the grass in the forest grows a little fast, but it's okay. You can master the skills by walking a few more times. If you want to cross the woods, you don't have to rely on brute force."

"We'll be there in 15 minutes. Aragog is right in front. I swear, he will be happy to meet you and be friends."

"Is it?"

Rollo, who had already determined that he had a good affinity for beasts in the usual sense, really wanted to see the Acromantula.

Creatures like the Acromantula are very different from ordinary magical creatures. If magical creatures have different levels, then the position of the Acromantula as an arthropod in this list will be relatively at the bottom.

Just like the insect-like magical creatures such as Florob caterpillars and vixenids, which have almost no intelligence at all, Acromantulas in their childhood and youth simply did not have the thinking wisdom possessed by magical creatures. '

But when it enters the aging period of old age, the Acromantula's brain that has not been used for decades will undergo secondary development, advancing from a low-end magical beast to a magical creature with complete intelligence.

Not only can they truly understand human language, they can even learn human language and communicate normally with wizards, although the content and method of communication are often not so pleasant.

The Acromantula is one of the few instances where it has been proven that a magical beast can be upgraded to a magical creature before the fire dragon has been proven to have advanced intelligence.

For scholars who study magical creatures, the old Acromantula and the young and juvenile Acromantula are two completely different creatures.

This 'advanced' characteristic they exhibit is the root of Rollo's keen interest in them.

After the construction of the dragon training farm is completed and the fire dragons are tamed, Rollo will definitely conduct his own experiments and cultivation of the fire dragons. Before that, the Acromantula is an excellent target for him to observe the advancement of wisdom.

Just when Rollo took a breath and pulled off the barbed bush note hanging on his body, some tiny sounds came from the dark Forbidden Forest, and Hagrid also stopped at this moment. , listened carefully for a moment.

"I knew it was them."

Hagrid muttered a few words, then turned to look to their right.

"Is it Firenze?"

Hagrid spoke loudly, his voice traveling far through the quiet jungle.

"It's me, Margery, Hagrid, can you please lower your voice? Your loud voice will spread far. I don't want to see something awakened by your loud voice come back to cause trouble in the clan. Last time That horned camel destroyed four of our houses and almost attracted the troll."

There were some lukewarm sounds in the darkness. A reddish-brown centaur with long black hair and a bow and arrow in his hand walked out of the forest. The rustling sound they heard before was caused by the centaur's mane rubbing against thorns and vines. the sound of.

"As long as it's not that guy Bain. Every time he sees me, he doesn't have a few nice words to say. The last time I gave you meat, he almost stabbed me in the butt with an obsidian hair, you bastard."

After seeing the centaur in front of him, Hagrid complained and touched his good buttocks with lingering fear.

"Because the house that the horned camel knocked down that day was mine! Can you imagine how you felt when the wooden house collapsed with a rumble while you were sleeping soundly?"

A burst of unhappy complaints came from their left side. On the other side where Hagrid didn't even hear the sound, a centaur with the same black hair but a wild beard came out holding a spear. His fur is pure black in color.

"Bain, how come you don't make any sound when you walk?"

With just a glance, Hagrid recognized the identity of the person coming.

"Of course you can't feel it." Bain ignored Hagrid and continued talking to himself, "You will only cause trouble for us in the middle of the night, such as yelling or bringing some pony with you. Wandering around in the woods and stuff like that.”

"The woods are not a safe place, especially for these foals, and I highly doubt Hogwarts made the wrong choice in hiring you to guard the woods."

"It was that Weasley before, who's turn is it now?"

Bain, who was holding his arms, spoke unforgivingly. Hearing these words, Hagrid frowned, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Those Weasley guys...ugh."

A tired Hagrid waved his hand. He had no good solution for the twin brothers. He could still watch during the day, but at night, the patrols in the forest were basically done by centaurs.

"But I didn't bring Rollo randomly. Professor Dumbledore allowed him to enter the forest. This was a formal permission. He didn't come here to wander around."

"So you're going to take him to feed the spiders?"

Bain sneered and took a closer look. There were some white threads wrapped around the tip of his spear, as if he had just dealt with things like spider webs.

"Aragog will not hurt him. As long as I am here, it will never happen. And I also believe that Rollo can take care of himself."

"This was not the case when our foal was trapped in a spider's web. Do you know what kind of monster you have in the woods, Hagrid?"

"If you don't take care of those damn spiders, sooner or later the whole forest will be covered with their webs."

"The lair of three to five thousand Acromantulas! Even if the fire dragon enters, only bones and scales can come out. You are simply a demon!"

Bain, who was rude to Hagrid, showed no mercy at all. Within a few words, Hagrid was very angry by Bain, even though he was sure that the Acromantula would stay there. In their own territory, it is obvious that the horse people do not believe this.

In the Forbidden Forest, the conflict between the Acromantulas and the Centaurs has been going on for more than ten years, but the weak Centaur people have always been on the weak side, while the number of Acromantulas has only increased. , the conflict has a tendency to intensify.

"I will talk to Aragog, but tonight is not the time to talk about these things. I still have things to do, so you'd better go on patrol."

Hagrid, who had a somewhat dark complexion, waved his hand at Bain. He was also a little annoyed and irritated. Being questioned by a centaur about his control over the Forbidden Forest in front of his face was very upsetting to Hagrid.

The strong wind caused by Hagrid's big slap made Bain's horse's hooves stamp on the ground uneasily. Although Bain would have dealt a heavy blow when he caught Hagrid, Hagrid's big slap was not something that just a centaur could take. Which guy in the Forbidden Forest wouldn't be surprised by Hagrid's combat prowess?

But it was precisely because of this wavering that Bain felt even more angry after reacting. He was already a arrogant and hot-tempered person. If he hadn't been able to defeat Hagrid, he would have already taken advantage of it, and he was still waiting to force him here. Lai Lai?

"If you don't give an explanation about the Acromantula, don't even think about wandering around here tonight. Take this little pony back. The Forbidden Forest is not a place for a little guy like him."

"I told you, I can protect him!"

With a hint of impoliteness in his voice, Hagrid took a big step forward. Although centaurs generally have a standing height of more than two meters, compared with Hagrid, who is 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) tall, They are about the size of a child.

The moonlight passing through the treetops stretched Hagrid's shadow very long, so long that it completely enveloped Bain, but there was still a lot left.

Facing this astonishing pressure, Bain gritted his teeth and held the spear and refused to retreat.

Margery, who was on the side, originally wanted to step forward to dissuade him, but when he reached Hagrid's side not far away, he felt such a huge sense of oppression that he could no longer move his hooves.

At this moment of stalemate, Rollo, who had been treated as a pony by the centaurs and excluded, stepped forward and came to Hagrid and Bain's side.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bain." Rollo put his hand on Bain's hand holding the spear, and grabbed Hagrid's thumb with his other hand. "Hagrid, no one will doubt that you can't Protect me, I trust you.”

With the intervention of this third voice, the solemn atmosphere between the two people also had room to relax. Slowly, the centaur took half a step back, and Hagrid also let out a sullen breath.

"Maybe we can talk about it. Some things are actually not difficult to deal with after we find a solution to the problem."

"It's because of the Acromantula, right?"

But before Rolo could breathe a sigh of relief, Hagrid frowned and said, "I said I would talk to Aragog. The foal was fine last time, right?"

"That's because we arrived in time. Those brainless spiders couldn't understand what you meant by 'talk'. Beasts don't have the possibility of communication. Don't you still know?"

"Aragog is no beast!"

Hagrid, who was furious, almost picked up Bain and shouted into his ear: "He is the child I raised. He can understand what I say and will do what I say!"

"But how long can that spider live? Two years? Three years? No more than five years at most!"

Bain, who was also furious, swung his tail angrily, "When that guy dies, can you control those spiders? There are three to five thousand Acromantulas! Those mindless beasts only eat and mate and lay eggs!" "

"Or are you planning to live there?"

Bain took a few deep breaths and pushed Hagrid's belly provocatively.

"You're going to be their spider emperor, put on a pair of big claws and make a clicking sound, and tell them to stay in the valley and never come out, right?!"

"You should know!"

Bain's voice suddenly rose to a higher pitch.

"How many animals have died at the hands of these savage beasts! They even dare to hunt unicorn cubs, of course..."

Bain curled his lips disdainfully and said: "I would be happy to see the mad and angry unicorns trample that dirty valley, and let their hooves dyed silvery white by the moonlight crush those disgusting spider eggs."

"I will set a fire when the time comes. After the unicorns vent their anger, I will burn it clean so that the Forbidden Forest can return to its previous stability! The stability of 50 years ago!"

After hearing what Bain said, Hagrid did not yell and argue with him, but fell into silence for a moment.

50 years ago, when Baine was still a foal, Hagrid also became the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and regarded this forest as his second home.

The only bad thing was that at that time, Hagrid also placed his pet Acromantula Aragog in the Forbidden Forest. But this was not the worst. The worst thing was that Hagrid found a bride for Aragog. In the next 30 years, the number of Acromantulas increased from two to the overwhelming number today.

After saying everything he wanted to say, Bain's emotions seemed to be released. The wild centaur stopped talking to Hagrid. He lowered his head and looked at Rollo, his eyes falling on himself. On the back of the right hand holding the spear.

Rollo's palm rested on the back of his right hand. Perhaps because Rollo was still just a little pony, Baine, who always hated wizards, did not feel offended.

"Okay kid, little ponies can't run around in the Forbidden Forest. Your castle is where you should stay at night. If this big guy forgets the way he came, I can send you out of the forest."

"I really don't know what he was thinking about bringing you here. Even if you are a centaur, you still need to be vigilant in the Forbidden Forest to avoid..."

Before Bain finished speaking, the centaur who suddenly tensed his body muscles turned around quickly and protected Rollo behind him. The spear he was holding was raised high, and the air was cut with a sound. With a slight whistle, the dark spear flew out, and a dull sound came from the trees not far away, which was the sound of the spear piercing the bark and trunk of the tree.

"Look, Hagrid, these spiders have got their hairy legs down here."

Bain, who was walking forward, disappeared into the dark woods. When he turned back, his spear was impaled by a giant spider that was almost half his body.

The heavy muffled sound was the sound of the spider falling to the ground and crushing dead branches and leaves. The Acromantula, which was struck by the centaur's spear through the upper jaw, chest and abdomen, was almost pierced in half by Bain. After landing, its The armor shattered, revealing the slimy internal organs.

"Want me to take you for a walk, Hagrid."

Bain waved the spear to the side and shook off the mucus stained on it. Then he grabbed Hagrid's hand and pulled him forward a few steps.

"Did you see it? There are traces of being bitten by their big claws here. This is the Acromantula marking their territory. I have cleaned up the spider silk left here, but no matter what, this area should not be Their hunting ground.”

"Before you came to Hogwarts, we centaurs had already settled in this forest. You are the outsider, Hagrid! Although we welcome you because you have helped us a lot, the centaurs do not welcome you. That monster you brought!”

"Wait until that old spider dies! The Acromantula clan is leaderless! I don't believe you can thoroughly discipline those dirty, stupid beasts who only know how to eat and reproduce!"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's not that the centaurs don't trust you, but there are some things that we don't deserve to trust, such as your spider."

"Take the foal out of the woods, if you don't want him to become a spider's meal."

After saying these words, Bain went into the forest without looking back, just as he appeared, his horse's hooves treading silently on the soft soil of the Forbidden Forest, which was a symbol of the best hunter.

Hagrid was silent for a long time without moving on the spot, and he let out a long sigh. It was not that he couldn't do anything to the Acromantula, but that he couldn't do anything to Aragog.

If clearing the Acromantula out of the Forbidden Forest is something that must be done, then the time Hagrid hopes to do it is after Aragog leaves. Bain is right, Aragog is about to die, maybe two or three years ago. Years later, perhaps four or five years later, the Acromantula was reaching the last few years of its life.

Compared with other magical creatures, Acromantulas do not have a long lifespan. They make up for their short lifespan with their amazing reproductive capabilities, and in the last ten years of their wisdom, the wise Spider King can also take advantage of this period. Time to arrange everything and allow a new king to take the throne.

It's a pity that Aragog got married a little late. Although after 30 years of hard work, the Forbidden Forest has thousands of Acromantulas, he can really have the wisdom to succeed Aragog as the next tribe. The leader's Acromantula has not yet appeared.

Apart from Aragog, the oldest of its descendants is only thirty. They are still in their youth and are ignorant, driven by their own instincts rather than the wisdom of thinking.

It is impossible for such an Acromantula to become the king.

Hagrid understood what the centaur meant, but Hagrid couldn't do that now. Although he looked rough and had unparalleled brute strength, underneath his rough appearance, he had an emotional heart. Hagrid is a very emotional person, and he cannot let go of this friendship that has lasted for more than 50 years.

Even if Aragog is a spider, even if Hagrid was unjustly expelled because of Aragog, he still has not forgotten this emotion. It is precisely because of this that Aragog will obey Hagrid's orders 100%. It restrained its descendants from expanding wantonly, but as the number of ethnic groups continued to increase, Aragog was inevitably unable to do what he wanted.

These spiders leaving their habitat may not have been ordered by Aragog, but it is an indisputable fact that they left their nests.

Hagrid finally threw the messy thoughts in his mind into the trash can and stopped worrying about these things. He cleared his mind and walked back to his original position. Just when he was about to say hello to Rollo, he saw a scene that made him He was surprised by the scene.

"Rolo, what are you doing?"

"Anatomy."

Without raising his head, Rollo broke off the sharp claws at the end of two spider legs, and then used this simple tool to dismantle the disembowelled Acromantula for study.

Although in his previous life he was a half-baked veterinary student who only received a diploma and could not become a veterinarian, Luo Luo had quite a lot of experience in dissecting and disassembling.

His family has inherited the slaughterhouse, and the craftsmanship left by his ancestors is not bad at all.

Relying on this simple tool, the Acromantula that appeared in front of Hagrid had turned into an orderly "puddle".

"Don't tell me you are planning to...eat the Acromantula?"

"Huh? What?"

Rollo, who was stunned by Hagrid's question, raised his head.

"Of course not. If I want to eat it, just light a fire. Spider legs are quite delicious after roasting. The taste is somewhat similar to crabs. They both belong to the phylum Arthropods and are related."

"I'm studying its body structure, you see, Hagrid."

Rollo picked up a fragment about the size of a ping pong ball.

"If I'm not wrong, this is the brain of an Acromantula. Compared to their body size, I'm quite surprised to have such a big brain."

"However, it may take too long for their brains to develop, so they only have the ability to think after entering old age? Or maybe only after their bodies shrink, the excess energy will be used to support brain development?"

The dissection result of a simple spider could not give Rollo any more clues. After throwing away the tools and getting up, Rollo walked to Hagrid happily.

"Come on, Hagrid, let's go find Aragog. Such precious time cannot be wasted casually."

"But the centaurs..." Hagrid hesitated. He was not someone who couldn't listen. After Bain said so much, Hagrid was also shaken.

“How am I going to find a way around this without going out there and seeing it for myself?”

"Although I have just arrived in the Forbidden Forest, I think it is necessary for me to contribute to the troubles here. After all, this will be the place I visit most frequently during my seven years at Hogwarts."

"Let's go, those spiders can't hurt me. You're still here, right?"

Hearing Rollo say this, Hagrid couldn't help but have a smile on his face, "You're right, I'm here, how can I hurt you, right?"

Hagrid, who regained his energy, simply picked up Rollo, let him sit in the palm of his hand, and then strode forward into the depths of the jungle.