A/N: You know? It's a wonder I haven't run out of ideas tonight. This is the third story I have updated since I got home from University.
Dedications: Following chapter goes out too:KingdomHeartsNerd, Fan of Fics, HotaruKenobi, 10th Squad 3rd Seat and Angel JJK. Thanks for the lovely feedback.
I'm too tired to do in responses I will get back to you when I can.
Name: Acromantula.
Ministry of Magic Classification: Known wizard killer/impossible to domesticate.
"Mhmm," Phoebe murmured as she swept her black hair over her shoulder, her stormy grey eyes scanning the page in front of her. It was 7:45pm and she was sat in the school library researching possible creatures that could pass as Slytherin's monster; the library was deserted except for her and Madam Pince the librarian, who was working quietly at her desk in the front of the library.
Acromantula, a monstrous eight-eyed spider capable of human speech. It originated in Borneo, where it's inhabits a dense jungle. Its distinctive features include the thick black hair that covers its body; its leg span, which may reach up to fifteen feet; its pincers, which produced a distinctive clicking sound when the Acromantula is excited or angry; and a poisonous secretion. The Acromantula is carnivorous and prefers large prey. It spins dome-shaped webs on the ground. The female is larger than the male and may lay up to one hundred eggs at a time. Soft and white, these are as large as beach balls. The young hatch in six or eight weeks. Acromantula eggs are defined as Class A Non-Tradable Goods by the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, meaning that severe penalties are attached to their importation or sale.
This beast is believed to be wizard-bred, possible intended to guard wizard dwellings or treasure, as is often the case with magical created monsters. Despite its near-human intelligence, the Acromantula is untrainable and highly dangerous to wizard and Muggle alive.
This looked promising. A monstrous spider that was highly dangerous to both wizards and Muggles? Was it possible that this was the creature inside the Chamber of Secrets? But even if it was it raised an awful lot more questions than it did answers. Like; how was the creature getting around? Clearly a monstrous eight-eyed spider with a leg span of fifteen feet would be seen scuttling around the place.
However, as Phoebe sat mulling over the ideas of the creature within the Chamber being an Acromantula and how it was getting about the school before, during and after the attacks, she failed to notice Terence approach her from behind.
"What are you doing in here?" said Terence.
Phoebe jumped completely out of her seat; her hand flew to her throat as her heart hammered in her chest. Terence chuckled. "Oh, don't do that!" the Elemental scolded. "Scared me half to death!"
"I'll ask again 'What are you doing in here?'" the Slytherin repeated.
"Research." Phoebe answered "I have a possible lead on Slytherin's monster. I think it might be an Acromantula, they are highly dangerous to both Wizards and Muggles alike, the only thing that I don't understand is how it's getting around, I mean, these creatures can grow up to 30ft high, there is no possible way that someone didn't see this thing."
Terence sighed and closed the book "Phoebe, i'm glad you found some relevant information, but did you forget that there was the dueling club tonight?"
"No." Phoebe shook her head. "I just thought this was more important."
"We had a deal, Phoebe."
The Gryffindor blinked and looked up "I have to know what we are up against. My friends are in danger, I can't think of anything else."
"One night." said Terence. "Just one night away from the library, won't kill you, even Granger is down there."
He held out his hand for her to take.
Phoebe stared at him for a long moment, before sighing and taking his hand. "Fine. Just one night."
~*Phoebe*~
When she entered the Great Hall the first thing Phoebe noticed was that the long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The celling was velvety black once more and the entire school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.
Being the last to arrive Terence and Phoebe hung back near the doorway and watched as Lockhart and Snape stood facing one another on the platform for all to see.
"...Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry," Lockhart was saying. "You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"
The two Professors bowed at one another; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"One - two - three -"
Both of them swung their wands up and over their shoulders.
Snape cried: "Experlliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet; he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.
Malfoy and some of the other Slytherin's cheered. Phoebe gave a startled gasp and started forwards, but Terence held her back. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.
"Who cares?" said Terence.
Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end. "Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Black. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."
Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed because he said "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me..."
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed James with Ashlyn, Terence with Oliver, Katie with Roxanna -
"And Miss Blackheart," Lockhart smiled.
"Uh, no Professor," Phoebe interrupted quickly "I'm not here to take part, i'm only here to observe."
Lockhart patted her shoulder "Nonsense Miss Blackheart; now let's see...ah, yes, how about you Mr. Flint."
Phoebe felt her heart plummet as Marcus Flint turned in direction. He grinned. "Of course, Professor." he said as he approached.
"There. See, everything will fine." Lockhart continued, oblivious to the hatred that Phoebe was radiating towards him at this given moment in time. He hurried off to finish pairing up the rest of the students and left Marcus alone with Phoebe.
"Hello, poppet." Marcus smirked.
Phoebe looked around in hopes of spotting someone who could help her, she caught Oliver's gaze and silently pleaded with him to help her. He didn't look any happier with the pairings than she did.
"Face your partners," called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"
Marcus bowed but Phoebe didn't move. "So untrusting..."
"Can you blame me?" Phoebe spat "You attacked me!"
"And your friend attacked me. I thought we would be past that by now."
Phoebe glared. "Obviously not. I will never trust you!"
"But you will trust Higgs? Interesting."
"He's not like you," Phoebe retorted. "He's different. He's -"
"Weak. Disposable. Easily manipulated. And I have easy access to him."
Phoebe tensed "Leave him alone!"
"You're going to have to make me, Princess." Marcus taunted, licking his lips. "Make me a deal and I'll leave your little boyfriend alone."
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent - only to disarm - we don't want any accidents here. One...two...three..."
Phoebe turned her head to the side as Flint's spell grazed her cheek; her eyes flashed as she rounded on the older Slytherin, flourished her wand and blasted him with an unknown Charm. The spell collided with him and the Quidditch captain was thrown several feet across the room and collided with the brick wall.
The elemental stood frozen as he stirred slightly, she hadn't expected the spell to be that strong -granted it had been unknown- but she then figured that the extra burst of power came from her elemental core not her magical, there was no way she had that much strength without relying on a secondary source of magic.
"So much for laying low," Phoebe muttered to herself, as Flint started to get unsteadily back to her feet.
He fired off another spell at her, one that changed Phoebe's hair to luminous pink.
"Rictumsempra!" yelled Phoebe, brandishing her wand.
"Tarantallegra!" Flint retorted, flourishing his own wand.
The two spells collided and shot off into the crowd, hitting Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, who were dueling near-by. Phoebe's spell had hit Draco who was now a crumpled mess on the floor, clutching his stomach and laughing; while Flint's spell had hit Harry whose legs were jerking around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.
"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart.
"Finite Incantatem!" Snape shouted, taking charge of the situation. Harry's legs stopped dancing and Malfoy stopped laughing.
Everyone turned in Marcus and Phoebe's direction.
"I said disarm only!" said Lockhart, bearing down on the two of them.
"He started it!" yelled Phoebe. Everyone gasped. "I told you that I wasn't here to take part! I don't know why I bothered to turn up in the first place; it was all just a big mistake!"
Serefina -who had been there since the beginning- swept across the Great Hall towards her Goddaughter. The older Blackheart wrapped her arms around Phoebe and lead her away from the pompous fool of a Defence professor. "Come Phoebe, you must calm down." and she led her towards the back of the Hall, while Lockhart and Snape suggested a demonstration on blocking unfriendly spells.
"Excellent idea, Professor Snape," agreed Lockhart. "Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?"
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up the hospital wing in a matchbox! How about Malfoy and Potter?"
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the Hall as the crowd backed away to give them room. "Now, Harry, when Draco points his wand at you, you do this."
He flourished in a complicated fashion before dropping it.
"Whoops. My wands a little over-excited."
Snape smirked and moved closer to Malfoy, bent down and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Harry glanced around nervously and spotted Phoebe staring at him with wide-eyes from the back of the Hall. He remembered what Flint had tried to do to her and his blood boiled at the mere thought; he may not have been able to get at Flint, but he could take down one Slytherin, by taking down Malfoy.
"Three - two - one - go!" shouted Lockhart.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Phoebe watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them and raised itself, ready to strike.
There were screams as the crowd backed away quickly.
Phoebe shot to her feet, but Serefina held her back.
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye-to-eye with the angry serpent. "I'll get rid of it for you!"
"Serefina. He gave Draco that spell." Phoebe whispered in her native tongue. "There is no way Draco thought of that alone. You have to get rid of it. Before someone gets hurt!"
Serefina considered her goddaughter for a split second before nodding and turning towards the snake, only to find that it wasn't there. Lockhart had only thrown it ten feet into the air. With a thump the snake landed and turned angrily in Amelia's direction.
"Puffer -" Phoebe breathed as she darted forwards through the crowd towards her friend. The elemental brushed past Terence and Oliver, but the latter caught her quickly around the middle and held her back as a hiss from Harry's direction caused both of them to freeze.
From the corner of her eye, Phoebe watched as Harry stepped closer to her Hufflepuff friend and the snake. The Snake turned its head in Harry's direction before slumping to the ground like a thick, black garden hose.
Fear flickered across Amelia's face as seconds later she burst into tears.
"Puffer!" Ashlyn exclaimed, throwing herself across the hall and wrapping her arms around her friend. Phoebe broke away from Oliver and threw herself at the Hufflepuff and Slytherin, followed my Sarah and James.
The crowd, meanwhile, was torn between the public display of affection between the five friends and Harry who was looking utterly confused what had just happened. He had expected Amelia to look grateful, not scared fearful.
"What do you think you're playing at?" shouted another Hufflepuff, by the name of Ernie McMillian.
Stepping forward into the crowd, Serefina waved her wand and the Snake disappeared. "Dismissed. Students are to return to their house dormitories immediately. No students other than prefects and the Head boy and Girl are to be wandering the corridors after this hour. Understand?"
"Yes, Professor Blackheart." the students chimed.
"Good. Now go!"
The rest of the student body filed out of the Great Hall, leaving Ashlyn, Phoebe, James and Sarah behind. Amelia was still a weeping mess but seemed to be taking comfort in her friends' embraces.
Copyrighted ©
Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 4:08am