Falter - A Fred Weasley Sequel

9. Acromantula

"Acromantula Venom?" Addie asked with wide eyes. "Aren't Acromantula..."

"Giant, hairy, disgusting spiders that could eat wizards and witches in a single bite?" Farah filled in. "Yep." She said this casually, almost cheerfully, as she plopped down on the couch beside Addie. They were back in Farah's flat for the evening, and as usual the night ended with Farah needing another ingredient for her potion.

Addie had gathered all sorts of strange and dangerous objects in the weeks that had passed. She had become much too familiar with Knockturn Alley for her liking, the winding road beside Diagon Alley that housed all sorts of small, dark shops that sold even darker objects. But this was something else altogether.

"Where do you even get something like that? I've never saw it for sale in any of the Apothecary Shops."

"You won't find it in any shop," she said. "Not these days."

"Well then where am I supposed to get it?"

Farah smirked. "I know a guy."

"Then why don't you get it?"

"Well," Farah said. "The last time I met him, I robbed him blind and ran like hell before he could kill me. It's safe to say we're not on the best of terms."

Addie gaped at Farah.

"What?" Farah said defensively. "It was an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"For reasons I can't discuss, I was in desperate need of very large amounts of Polyjuice potion and I didn't have the time to make it or the galleons to buy it."

Addie opened her mouth to ask what she could possibly need that for, but Farah held up a hand to stop her. "That's a story I'm not going to share."

"Well where can I find this guy? How will I know I'm in the right place?"

"That's easy," Farah said. "He's always in the same place."

"Where's that?"

"Vatican City."

"You've got to be kidding me."

****

"I can't just waltz into some illegal market and demand some Acromantula venom!" Addie said, pacing around the small storage shed. She had dragged George out of bed and out of the house as soon as she had arrived at the Burrow, explaining in an angry rush what Farah had asked her to do.

"Why not?" George asked. Addie had expected him to be furious, to rant once again about how Farah was up to no good, about how she was only doing this for personal gain, that this was just another way for her to put Addie in a dangerous situation, get her out of the way. His nonchalance stunned her into silence for a few seconds.

"What do you mean 'why not'?" she asked. "Because its dangerous? Because I might not make it back out?"

"It's not that bad," George said. "You just keep your hood up, your head low, and don't give the guy your name."

Addie stared at him incredulously. "You've been there?"

"Loads of times."

"Has...has Fred gone too?"

"Of course."

Addie didn't know why this surprised her. She knew Fred and George would never be held back by something like an illegal market. Not when it came to realizing their dreams of opening a joke shop. But the thought of going herself still terrified her.