Although the Acromantulas invading Hogwarts at this moment were far less intimidating than the ones Neville and Draco had faced in the Forbidden Forest, dealing with such a large number at once still left them physically and mentally exhausted.
They weren't monsters like Glenn, after all.
Fortunately, more and more young wizards behind them began to join the fray. With chaotic enthusiasm, they hurled every spell that could possibly harm the Acromantulas into the spider horde as if their lives depended on it.
The results of the recent activities of the Dueling Club were beginning to show in this battle.
But it was still far from enough.
"...Why... why does it feel like these Acromantulas are endless?!"
"Where on earth are these blasted things coming from?!"
Draco panted heavily, his magical reserves nearly depleted. Merlin only knew how many Acromantulas he had disabled with Sectumsempra while darting around the frontlines of the students' defensive positions.
"I don't know, but their sizes seem to have gotten much smaller," Neville observed. Gritting his teeth, he swung his great sword again, sending another arc of light slicing toward the spiders. His arms felt so numb that he could barely sense their existence anymore.
Neville's observation was correct. A glance at the battlefield revealed that the first Acromantulas he had taken down were significantly larger and stronger than the ones coming afterward.
The later arrivals were much smaller, almost as if they were stunted or underdeveloped.
"Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!!!!"
Suddenly, a series of deafening, jarring clangs erupted in succession. The noise startled Neville so much that his sword, mid-swing, veered off course and lodged itself in the thorax of an Acromantula.
Fortunately, he had anticipated such mishaps. The moment his sword got stuck, he retracted it into the magically expanded pocket hidden in his sleeve and immediately drew another weapon, finishing off the struggling spider with a swift strike.
"What the bloody hell is that?!"
The irregular, cacophonous noise echoed throughout the Great Hall, forcing Neville to shout his question just to be heard over the din.
Taking a brief moment to catch his breath, he turned toward the source of the noise. To his astonishment, he saw that the students' defensive line was now surrounded by thick, black-gray smoke. Strange movements flickered within the smoke, while the young wizards standing several meters away from it hurled spells into the area with remarkable coordination.
Despite the pained grimaces on their faces—evidently from enduring the unbearable noise—their hands didn't slow in the slightest.
"Step right up, step right up! Presenting the latest creations from the Weasley twins: Faux Fire Smoke Bombs and Never-Late Alarm Clocks!!!"
A loud voice boomed across the hall. Neville parried an Acromantula's leg with his great sword, then decapitated it with a reverse swing. Following the voice, he saw Fred Weasley cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his announcement, his face twisted in a grimace as he shouted.
"Tired of boring classes? Why not stir things up with some chaos? The Faux Fire Smoke Bomb will give you the most authentic fire drill experience! Thick, black smoke guaranteed to bring any lesson to a halt!"
"Or perhaps you want to be an early riser, free from the woes of oversleeping? Then the Never-Late Alarm Clock is your best bet! Its ear-shattering volume will wake not just you but your entire dormitory!"
George Weasley, meanwhile, was pulling an endless array of gadgets from what seemed to be a bottomless bag. After tinkering with each one briefly, he tossed them toward the desired locations, all while chiming in to complement Fred's sales pitch.
"And of course, if you're looking to pull off some pranks—congratulations! You've discovered their best use!"
Fred added with a grin.
"These products are still in development, of course. But after tonight's unforgettable battle, we're sure to gather countless customer reviews to help us refine them further!"
George reminded everyone with a cheeky tone.
"So—stay tuned for more!"
As they finished their pitch, the twins flung at least twenty small, black spheres into the direction from which the Acromantulas were advancing. The spheres scattered like fireworks, their effects immediately apparent.
"WEASLEY TWINS' MAGIC TOOLS ARE THE BEST—(reading aloud)."
Meanwhile, Percy Weasley, clearly roped into helping against his will, muttered the lines Fred and George had assigned him. With a resigned expression, he used magic to guide five or six blaring alarm clocks into the black smoke, maximizing their disruptive effects.
It had to be said—the prank tools were remarkably effective.
The Faux Fire Smoke Bombs obscured vision completely, while the Never-Late Alarm Clocks disoriented the Acromantulas by overwhelming their sensory legs with deafening noise. Within the black fog, the spiders collided chaotically, trying to escape the tormenting sounds, only to crash into one another and end up sprawled on their backs.
"We should retreat. I'm about to collapse."
With a quick sidestep, Draco appeared beside Neville, his body and ears both on the verge of giving out from the relentless strain.
"...Let's go."
Seeing that the situation was now firmly under control thanks to Fred, George, and the other young wizards, Neville finally felt relieved enough to withdraw. Together with Draco, he retreated toward the students' defensive line.
"Ah, Neville, you're back! Here, have some energy drinks to replenish your strength."
As soon as they stepped back from the frontlines, a young girl who had been waiting there rushed forward with a tray of energy drinks originally prepared for the Dueling Club. She handed them to Neville and Draco with a smile.
It was Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff.
"Oh... uh, thanks, Hannah."
Neville blinked, his cheeks reddening slightly. Whether it was from the intense exertion or something else entirely, even he wasn't sure. The fierce aura he had unconsciously displayed during the battle dissipated, leaving him looking a bit bashful as he accepted the drink.
Still, he was straightforward despite his slight embarrassment.
Neville: Just a little embarrassed, okay?
Draco, on the other hand, took the drink with a polite thanks and tactfully moved to a spot farther away, giving Neville and Hannah some space.
As he calmed his breathing and sipped the cool, refreshing energy drink, Draco's gaze remained fixed on the Slytherin students still fighting on the frontlines.
"The training has paid off. Our overall strength is clearly superior to the other houses' wizards."
Surveying the battlefield, Draco couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction as one of the unofficial trainers for Slytherin.
"This will definitely earn us extra points in the House Cup at the end of the term."
"I'm sure Glenn..."
"..."
"Ugh... but seriously, where is Glenn? Why isn't he here yet?"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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