Chapter 237: The Wisdom of Aragog
Aragog's fury wasn't bluster, but it didn't amount to much either. Not in Regulus's estimation.
The Ministry of Magic had classified Acromantulas as maximum danger. Fair enough. But to Regulus, spiders were spiders.
Numbers didn't matter. Spiders feared fire. They feared Fiendfyre even more.
And from a certain angle, more was better. Whether for magical experimentation or for their intrinsic value, a larger population only worked in his favor.
Acromantula venom was a scarce potions ingredient.
Professor Slughorn ranked it alongside phoenix tail feathers as one of those materials you could only acquire through the right connections.
Last Christmas, the head of the family's potions ingredient workshop had mentioned that Acromantula venom from Africa had gone up thirty percent over the previous year.
A pint of high-quality venom was worth a hundred Galleons.
Regulus kept his composure. "No, Aragog. You misunderstand."