Sean's heart tightened.
It seemed Jovic's next move would be lethal.
Sean stared intently at Jovic's wand. A highly complex magical framework was forming.
"Avada Kedavra."
The most vicious of the three Unforgivable Curses—the Killing Curse.
Sean didn't possess a wand with the same core as Jovic's. He couldn't replicate Harry's miraculous clash with Voldemort using nothing but a disarming spell.
Right now, the simplest and most effective way for Sean to survive was to run.
The Killing Curse had no tracking ability. If it missed, it simply missed. Harry and his friends had often survived by dodging it at the last second.
But Sean had an advantage.
Even before Jovic cast the spell, Sean's Magic vision could predict the trajectory of the magic from the wand's framework.
Jovic's Killing Curse shot forward—
—and missed.
Jovic advanced step by step, raising his wand again.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Sean continued dodging while anxiously glancing toward the cave beneath the slope.
"Is Aragog asleep? With this much noise, why hasn't he come out yet?"
"Ferula Vidu!"
Sean cast a Transfiguration spell on a fallen branch, turning it into a snake. The snake slithered quickly toward the cave entrance.
"Nice Transfiguration," Jovic sneered. "But who exactly are you casting that for?"
He burst out laughing.
"No matter how talented you are, you're still just a kid. You must be terrified."
"Shadow of Bone."
Jovic switched to another Dark spell. The Killing Curse consumed too much magic, so he used a simpler Dark spell instead.
But Shadow of Bone was still beyond Sean's ability to block.
The spell consisted of nine magical frameworks, capable of bypassing Protego. Unless Sean countered it with a spell of equal complexity, the only option was to dodge.
Sean kept running and weaving while watching the cave entrance.
The continuous sprinting drained his stamina. If he slowed even slightly, Jovic would eventually hit him.
Jovic watched him like a butcher watching a trapped lamb, his face twisted with a grotesque smile.
"Finally."
From the corner of his eye, Sean saw dark shapes descending from the tree branches above.
"Ghoul's Kiss!"
Sean cast another Dark spell at Jovic.
But the angle seemed badly off.
Jovic laughed loudly.
"Give up already. Look at you—you can't even aim properly anymore."
Just as he mocked him, a spider the size of a basin dropped beside Jovic's feet.
Sean's spell had knocked it down from the branches above.
Jovic looked down in surprise.
Then he looked up.
And froze.
Above them, countless giant spiders crawled slowly down the tree trunks in waves.
At that moment, Sean summoned his miniature Fawkes.
The spell drained the last of his magic.
He had no Magic Recovery Potion with him. If Fawkes couldn't carry him out of the spider nest, Sean would become the spiders' dinner tonight.
Meanwhile, the cave below revealed a massive shadow.
Aragog, Hagrid's enormous Acromantula, slowly emerged.
He might command his offspring not to harm Hagrid—but he had never shown mercy to other creatures.
Not even Harry Potter had been spared.
Sean and Jovic certainly wouldn't be.
"Grylls! Was this your trick too?!" Jovic roared.
Sean ignored him.
Fawkes flapped its wings and hovered at Sean's head level.
Sean immediately grabbed its talons.
He could no longer cast spells. His only hope was for Fawkes to fly him out of the spiders' territory.
Behind him, Jovic fought desperately against the advancing spiders while sprinting toward Sean.
"Aragog!" Sean shouted loudly.
"Your dinner is escaping!"
"Sean Grylls!" Jovic screamed in fury. "You're not leaving here alive!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The Killing Curse shot toward Sean again.
Using the last of his magic, Sean's Magic vision traced the curse's path.
"Fawkes! Left—now!"
A deadly green flash streaked past Sean's face—the call of death itself.
At the critical moment, Fawkes beat its wings and swerved.
The Killing Curse missed.
Below, Jovic was already surrounded.
He swung his wand wildly, red beams flashing as his Dark Magic blasted spiders away.
But compared to the endless tide of spiders pouring down from the trees, the few he repelled were insignificant.
"Sean Grylls!" Jovic screamed hysterically.
"Bella will never forgive you!"
"I'll be waiting for you in hell!"
Meanwhile, Sean had already risen above the Forbidden Forest canopy.
Fawkes carried him toward the forest's edge.
But the miniature phoenix could only last about four minutes.
That might not be enough time to fly completely out of the forest.
To avoid falling to his death, Sean ordered Fawkes to descend after a little more than three minutes.
They landed on the ground some distance away from the spider nest.
Even so, Sean didn't stop.
He sprinted toward Hagrid's hut as fast as he could.
Before he even reached it, Fawkes vanished from his shoulder as the magic dissipated.
Ahead of him, three lanterns appeared in the darkness.
Behind the lights were three figures.
One of them was enormous.
"Professors…"
Sean's vision blurred as he saw Hagrid running toward him.
Then everything went black.
"Sean!" Professor McGonagall shouted anxiously.
Snape lifted Sean calmly.
"He's fine," Snape said. "Just magical exhaustion. A couple days of rest and he'll recover."
"Professors, you take Sean back," Hagrid said grimly. "I'll go find Jovic."
Hagrid was only wearing gray underclothes.
Earlier, Jovic had knocked him unconscious with a sleeping draught and dragged him into the second-floor girls' bathroom.
After stealing Hagrid's clothes and drinking Polyjuice Potion, Jovic had gone to invite Sean to spend Christmas Eve together.
When Sean woke up, it was noon the next day.
The first thing he saw was a huge figure sitting beside his bed, blocking most of the sunlight.
Hagrid grinned when he saw Sean awake.
"Merry Christmas."
Sean glanced around.
He was in the hospital wing.
He forced a weak smile.
"Merry Christmas."
Last night he had nearly died in the Forbidden Forest.
If things had gone slightly differently, he might already be in a coffin.
Without the Magic vision and the unexpected help from Aragog's offspring, Sean would never have escaped Jovic in a one-on-one fight.
"By the way, Hagrid," Sean asked curiously.
"What happened to Jovic?"
Facing hundreds of spiders, Jovic's magic couldn't have lasted long. With Aragog himself there, Sean doubted there was even a body left.
Hagrid sighed.
"When I got there…"
"Aragog was already eating his left leg."
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