Harry and Ron stood side by side, looking into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. The midsummer's sun struggled to penetrate the heavy foliage that spilled from out from between the trees. A cool breeze swept between the robes of the two men, glowing arcane runes catching the light.
"Ready to head in?" Harry asked, summoning his wand into his hand before returning it to the holster on his wrist. A nervous habit developed after joining the Auror Corp.
Ron uncrossed his arms. "I don't like it."
Harry chuckled, "Neither do I, but this should have happened sooner." He strode forward, parting the brush with confident steps. Ron followed with a shake of his head.
/\/\/\/\
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione sat upright, scattering parchments and quills off her desk. Blinking rapidly, she looked at the person who had interrupted her.
Kingsley Shacklebolt stood calmly before her. He quirked an eyebrow at her current hectic state.
"Minister," Hermione breathlessly said, smoothing her robe and patting her hair, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Gesturing to a chair by the desk, Hermione began to collect papers off the ground. Kingsley patiently waited for her to finish.
"Surely we pay you enough for a place to sleep?" He asked.
"Yes, well," Hermione sputtered, "I lost track of time and there is so much paperwork to do and- "
Kingsley held up his hand to stop her rambling. "This visit is about Auror Potter and Weasley."
Hermione slumped into her chair. "What have those two done now?"
"They approached me with a proposal to clear out the Acromantula colony from the Forbidden Forest. I was amicable to the idea, especially after the Battle of Hogwarts."
"Yes, I remember there being a few of them running about during that chaos," Hermione said.
"Their plan was well-thought out. They wanted to move the colony further up Scotland, to magically protected forest. The Acromantula could be monitored more carefully there. However, I can't spare many aurors right now and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is short-staffed."
"Let me guess," Hermione said, straightening up, "Harry started to get frustrated and argue with you, while Ron began to stare into the corner of the room."
"Yes," replied Kingsley, frowning, "How did you know that?"
Hermione sighed, "That is how they act after they make up their minds. Harry tries to convince you while Ron begins to plan how he would go about doing it."
"Two hours after they failed to convince me, I learned that two experimental Auror robes were taken from storage."
Hermione shuffled parchments on her desk. "The robes that were based on my designs?"
Kingsley nodded as she pulled up the final design sketches. Magical runes enhanced the durability of the cloth while decreasing weight and noise.
Hermione ran a hand through her hair, "At least they aren't going in defenseless."
/\/\/\/\
They had been walking for an hour. The forest had become increasingly quiet, sounds like bird song fading into the distance. The size and density of the webbing increased as they approached Aragog's old home.
Ron held the Lumos charm while Harry investigated the spider webs. Skittering and clicking noises began to fill the air.
"Here comes company." Stated Ron, tossing the magical light to stay in the middle of the clearing they occupied. The two men stood back to back, wands at the ready.
Large multi-legged forms emerged from the darkness. From between the trees and down the trunks crawled the Acromantula, beady black eyes focused on the intruders. They formed a ring around Harry and Ron.
"We have come to talk." Harry said loudly to the gathered arachnids.
A spider twice the size as the others came forward, Aragog's firstborn. "You have come to die," it clicked out.
The Acromantula charged, but the duo was already moving. Ron fired off three stunners before casting a sweeping banisher to give him space. Harry cast a blue spell that removed a charging spiders' gravity, but not its momentum. Harry caught the flying spider with a flame whip, using it as an impromptu flail.
Releasing the world's first flying spider, Harry lashed the magical fire around the leg of Aragog's firstborn. He began to pull the towering spider into the clearing. Ron was rapid fire casting stunners and banishers as well as cutting curses. The smell of burnt hair and ichor filled the air with the clicking and screeching of the Acromantula.
Aragog's firstborn charged forward, bowling over the two wizards. The flame whip dissipated and the large spider began to circle the clearing.
"Why should we listen to you?" clicked the great spider, favoring its burnt leg. Smaller arachnids skittered around it, watching the humans warily stand up.
"A couple reasons," replied Ron. "For one, a lot of people aren't happy with how close you are to Hogwarts, as well as the part you played in the final battle."
"Also," said Harry, "Raidus Extremus!"
A white mist blasted towards the spiders, impacting several of them. They keeled over, shrieking and twitching in pain.
Harry spun around and cast the spell again on some spiders trying to sneak up on them. The white mist rolled over the creatures like death, stilling their movements but not their screams.
Harry turned to face the large spider, "Hermione created that spell to deal with magical insects. Works well enough on you lot."
"Enough," stated Aragog's firstborn. "We will listen."
"There is a forest along the coast to the north. Magically protected and monitored," Ron detailed. "Move your colony there and there won't be any more trouble."
The Acromantula stilled, before a signal from Aragog's firstborn sent them scurrying away as fast as their remaining limbs could carry them.
/\/\/\/\
Harry Potter - Hero of the Wizarding World, Winner of the Order of Merlin, First Class, The-Man-Who-Conquered - winced when the infirmary door slammed open. Ron felt a shiver of fear when he spotted the irate bushy-haired witch striding towards them.
"What," Asked Hermione, glaring between the two of them, "where you THINKING?"
"Exposure Therapy," stated Harry, as Ron tried to vanish into his bed. Hermione snapped her head to focus on Harry.
"Exposure," she ground out, not believing what she was hearing. "Therapy."
"Yeah," stuttered Ron, "That."
Hermione scowled over at him, waiting for Harry to continue.
"Everyone knows Ron is afraid of spiders," started Harry. "So, if I got him over that fear, criminals wouldn't be able to use that against him."
Hermione crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "First of all, exposure therapy works by introducing the subject to increasing levels of stimuli."
"You start small and work your way up," Hermione elaborated at the blank looks she received. "Secondly, Kingsley told me about your proposal."
"He didn't approve it," said Harry, trying to keep the whining out of his voice.
"For valid reasons," Hermione shot back, "and thirdly, you didn't tell me what you were going to do."
"We tried," Ron pipped up, "but you were asleep at your desk."
"And we remember what happened last time we tried to wake you at work," Harry chimed in. It had taken several months before his hair had returned to normal. Blonde was not his color.
Hermione deflated. "You're alright at least? No major injuries?"
"Just some bruises," Harry said, "These new robes protected us from anything major."
"Some liquid repellant would be nice," grumbled Ron, "Spider blood smells terrible."
A/N
House: Ravenclaw
Year: Second
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Animal: Spiders]
Word Count: 1239