Chapter 422: The Generous Acromantula
With his haul secured, Kyle left the Forbidden Forest in high spirits.
Nineteen pints of Acromantula venom—equivalent to 1,900 Galleons. The cost of the Tebo warthog legs he gave to Fluffy was returned many times over. The final amount had actually been increased after Aragog, sensing how shameless his initial attempt had been, grudgingly offered more venom. Truthfully, it wasn't that he didn't want to give more, but Acromantula simply couldn't produce more. Every spider in the nest, from Aragog himself down to the smallest ones the size of a finger, had been "milked" dry to reach the total of nineteen pints.
When Kyle left, the spiders lay scattered about in the hollow, weakened and woozy as though intoxicated. Seeing them like this, Kyle felt a rare pang of sympathy and resolved to whip up a batch of Spider Tonic as soon as he returned. He'd ask Hagrid to deliver it to the Acromantulas, hoping it would help them recover quickly, given that their natural recovery rate was painfully slow.
Kyle walked back into the castle, cheerfully oblivious to the fact that a pair of eyes was watching him from the shadows.
"Aha!"
Filch sprang out from a hidden corner, his voice dripping with glee. "Caught you sneakin' around late at night!"
Though startled, Kyle kept his composure. "Sorry, Mr. Filch, but I don't understand what you're talking about. I just got up early for a walk."
"Do you think I'll fall for that?" Filch sneered. "It's only five o'clock—no young wizard gets up this early."
"Maybe I went to bed early last night," Kyle replied coolly. "If you don't believe me, you're welcome to check with the Hufflepuff common room. Everyone knows I was back in my dorm by ten, and I didn't leave all night."
"Or you can ask the portrait in the corridor," he added, looking as calm as ever.
Filch, his confidence wavering, frowned. "I'll do just that. Follow me."