"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully summoned Shelob. The One Ring unlock rate has increased by 1%!"
An increase of 1%?
Who even was that?
Altair glanced toward the pending summon area in his space and instantly shuddered all over.
"Isn't that Shelob? The giant brood-mother spider Shelob. So that's how her name is pronounced?"
Altair only knew that this thing lurked near the entrance to Mount Doom. When Frodo and the others escorted the One Ring to the slopes of Mordor, Gollum had lured them there, hoping to use that enormous spider to kill them.
But Frodo and Sam had Sting and the Phial of Galadriel with them. Although Shelob stung Frodo unconscious, she was ultimately driven off by Sam.
This was exactly where plot armor came in. Without it, Frodo and Sam would definitely have become Shelob's meal.
After all, Shelob's mother had been a fallen dark goddess from the ancient ages. Shelob herself was a monstrous creature that had lived for thousands of years, even a neighbor acknowledged by Sauron. In order to keep her near Mount Doom, Sauron had often sent Orcs to her as food.
"All in all, she's far stronger than Hagrid's Acromantula, Aragog."
Altair clearly remembered that Aragog had only lived a few decades before dying of old age. By his forties he had even developed cataracts, and all eight of his eyes had gone blind. The whole thing was utterly ridiculous.
"Why not just throw Shelob into the Forbidden Forest? Then later I'll write another one of Gandalf's diaries, with a special focus on Shelob..."
An idea formed in Altair's mind, and he began silently praying for Aragog.
Because he remembered that Shelob would eat her own mate. Aragog might be weak, but at least he was big enough. If Shelob took a liking to him, she might very well give him a try.
"Old Aragog, do you want a wife? Just say the word, and I'll deliver one to you."
Muttering to himself inwardly, Altair chose to deploy Shelob into the Acromantulas' territory within the Forbidden Forest.
Tonight, the Forbidden Forest was destined to know no peace.
...
The moment Altair released Shelob, Dumbledore, inside the headmaster's office in Hogwarts Castle, suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the Forbidden Forest.
"A very evil power has suddenly appeared in the forest. It seems he can no longer remain patient..."
Dumbledore murmured to himself, glanced at Fawkes, and vanished with a crack.
Inside the hut outside the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was eating rock cakes with Fang when Dumbledore's sudden appearance startled him badly.
"Oh! Professor Dumbledore, this late at night... I mean, would yeh like a rock cake?"
"Thank you."
Dumbledore accepted the rock cake and sat down across from Hagrid. A small campfire burned in front of him, with a cauldron hanging above it, something apparently simmering inside.
"Hagrid, I remember you telling me two weeks ago that things in the Forbidden Forest were not peaceful?"
"Oh, yes, if yeh mean that. The centaur tribe and the Acromantulas have gone to war. Supposedly the spiders ate two poor centaurs, but I don't think it's that simple."
Hagrid took a bite of his rock cake, looking unusually serious.
"Aragog said those two centaurs were delivered there by Inferi. By the time they arrived, their blood had already been drained."
"Inferi?"
Dumbledore's brow twitched.
"That's right. Those terrible things. The centaurs say they've seen them too. A few hundred, I reckon. Not especially strong, but I think behind all this..."
Hagrid did not continue.
Dumbledore understood what he meant.
Back when Voldemort had first risen, he had murdered tens of thousands of Muggles. Rumor said he had used dark magic to turn them into Inferi.
Many people believed it was only a legend, but Dumbledore thought it was real. It was only that no one knew where Voldemort had hidden those creatures.
After all, Voldemort himself had never expected to meet with that accident, so many of his methods and preparations had never had the chance to be used.
"I understand, Hagrid. For the next while, it would be best not to go into the Forbidden Forest. Keep watch here and do not let any students slip inside. I can sense it. A truly formidable creature has appeared in the forest."
After giving his warning, Dumbledore stood up.
He had not touched the food Hagrid offered him. Asking an old man to gnaw on rock-hard rock cakes really was a bit too cruel.
"I must be going. Thank you for your hospitality."
With that, Dumbledore Apparated away again. Hagrid opened his mouth, scratched his wild, tangled hair in a dazed manner, and went back to eating his rock cake.
When Dumbledore appeared once more, he was already inside the Forbidden Forest.
"Is it him? Or something else..."
There was a trace of hesitation on Dumbledore's face. He could clearly sense that the being that had appeared in the Forbidden Forest possessed immense and malevolent power. Even Dumbledore could not make sense of it. If it was Voldemort...
Guided by his perception of Shelob's power, Dumbledore quickly arrived at the Acromantulas' territory.
Dumbledore clearly knew that Hagrid was raising Acromantulas here. He concealed himself with a Disillusionment Charm and, with practiced ease, made his way deep into the heart of the Acromantula colony.