See chapter one for disclaimers and warnings.
Harry opened the book with trepidation. "We might get into a spot of trouble during this chapter." He warned, avoiding his godfather's look. Ron snorted quietly.
"Just how much is a 'spot of trouble'?" Remus asked in a resigned voice.
"Er….a lot?" The dark haired teen hedged.
"Would this trouble be life threatening?" Sirius asked rubbing his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on.
Harry gulped. "Well it depends on your definition of life threatening." He answered causing Hermione to roll her eyes.
Tonks groaned and threw herself against the back of her seat. "That doesn't make me feel any better.
Kingsley couldn't help grinning at her dramatics. "You have to admit Harry that your definition of life threatening is vastly different from everyone else's."
"Mr. Weasley." Snape drawled. "As I am to assume that you were with your friend for this adventure would you say your life was threatened in any way?"
Ron gulped, his gaze darting between his suspicious older brothers and his angry father. "Ummm."
"Let's just read shall we?" Harry cut in hurriedly to save his friend. He called out the chapter title.
"What is an Aragog?" Neville whispered to his dorm mate.
Ron shuddered. "My worst nightmare." He mumbled back. He barely heard his friend as he told of the perfect weather as the season warmed.
"How dare it be so enjoyable outside when so much has happened?" Charlie joked feebly when the twins remained silent. "Why aren't you too laughing it up?" He demanded.
Fred just shrugged. "Seems disrespectful to joke at a time like this."
Harry frowned at them. "Which is exactly why we do need jokes. Why I gave you the…."
"Harry's right." Sirius spoke up, giving his godson a searching look for trailing off like that. The kid wouldn't meet his eyes but whether it was from the upcoming trouble or whatever he had done with the twins the man didn't know. "If we can't find something to laugh about then life's pretty miserable."
Fred and George exchanged a look before smiling. "It is isn't it?" They chorused.
Harry gave them a strained smile before he read about how wrong everything felt after Hagrid and Dumbledore left. "It was very depressing."
Ron cleared his throat. "And it probably felt worse to us. No Hagrid or Dumbledore, but also no Hermione."
"Awww. That's so sweet." Molly and Emmeline cooed causing him to blush bright red. Hermione sent him a brilliant smile.
Kingsley shook his head when he heard that visitors were barred from the infirmary. "Does Madam Pomfrey have control issues?" He had never heard of a more territorial nurse.
"Yes." Remus, Sirius, Harry, Neville and Charlie all shouted before looking at each other and laughing.
"You really can't blame her." McGonagall defended her friend. "She doesn't need a lot of unnecessary people around while she is attending to a sick patient. More often than not they just get in the way."
"Was there a possibility the attacker would try and finish them off?" Bill asked shocked, his thoughts diverted from the possible danger his brother could have gotten into.
"It was more of a reaction to Dumbledore being gone than a fear for their safety." His ex-head of house admitted.
"Maybe it would have been better to have sent them to St. Mungo's." Remus suggested with a grave look. "If there was even a doubt of their safety that would have been the sensible thing to do."
"The students did not warrant the level of care offered by the magical hospital." Dumbledore assured them, a slight warning to drop the subject heard in his voice.
"Or you just didn't want to admit to anyone outside the school that you couldn't keep your students safe." Sirius muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear. Harry bit his lip, knowing he was responsible for his godfather's decline in mood.
Snape sneered at his old rival. "People did know hence his removal from the school."
"Wouldn't St. Mungo's have a store of the mandrake potion?" Neville asked hesitantly. He was very familiar with the hospital and the treatments they offered.
Harry's mouth dropped open and he turned to stare accusingly at the headmaster. "You mean Justin, Colin, and Hermione didn't need to stay frozen?" Hermione had gasped while all the Weasley children were glaring.
"I don't think even Dumbledore would go that far." Emmeline reassured him over the growls of the marauders. "I'm sure there's a good reason."
Tonks nodded. "That would almost be classified as abuse if he had the means to help them and didn't."
Dumbledore's eyes flashed as he looked over his glasses at the young auror. "We did indeed inquire for possible cures. It seems as if on the very night Mrs. Norris was attacked someone destroyed their entire batch as well as those in the apothecaries in Diagon alley."
Harry looked at his friends thinking Malfoy senior had been covering his tracks.
"What about apothecaries outside the country?" Charlie asked, thinking about the one he used in Romania.
"I asked him not to." Snape admitted. "Not only are the potions twice as expensive but I don't trust the workmanship." His lip curled. "You wouldn't want to trust your children to inferior or possibly deadly samples, not when we had the ability to brew our own in a few short months."
"Keep reading." Sirius nudged his godson when the teen continued to glare. He wasn't happy with the gloom and doom attitude of the school but it was Remus who spoke up.
"Really this makes me want to go back and pull a prank, just to liven things up." He grumbled causing Tonks to laugh.
"Even you two?" Charlie asked looking at his twin brothers.
Fred shrugged. "Between Percy shushing us every time we opened our mouth, Ginny getting paler by the day and Minnie looking as if her best friend died we didn't get much opportunity."
McGonagall opened her mouth before signing and motioning for Harry to continue.
He did blushing as his thoughts revealed just how little confidence he had in the staff.
All of the adults, minus Dumbledore, exchanged looks. They couldn't dispute the truth of those words.
"Even if I might not have the answers you can still come talk to me." Sirius told his godson. "Maybe together we can figure out the answer." Harry gave the man a lop sided smile, grateful he had someone he could depend on. He couldn't help sighing as the spiders were brought back up, or rather the lack of them.
"They are quite small, maybe you just weren't looking closely enough." Emmeline suggest. "A castle as large as Hogwarts would not be devoid of spiders. There has to be thousands." She pointed out causing Ron to moan.
"No they all ran away in fear." Luna told her earnestly causing the trio to stare at her in shock.
"I think you should leave the spiders alone." Remus muttered knowing the coming danger involved them. He raised an eyebrow at Harry's irritation of the new safety measures.
"Excuse me Mr. Potter?" McGonagall called out icily.
"Er…." Harry looked to his godfather for help eliciting a grin from the man. He got a warm place in his chest every time the kid turned to him.
"He was a twelve year old boy Minnie." Sirius reminded her. "He didn't want to have his hand held on the way to every class."
"Not to mention you couldn't go to the bathroom alone." Neville remembered. It was hard to take care of what you had to when your class mates had to wait outside for you.
"Or have fourth helpings at dinner because everyone else was ready to leave." Ron grumbled.
"It's not like we enjoyed it either." Snape informed them snidely. "Having to escort you to classes then rush back to receive the next students for our own class."
"Scheduling all that was a nightmare." McGonagall sighed. "The seventh years were a great help." Her lips thinned at the strutting being done by Draco Malfoy.
"It could be his way of coping with the atmosphere in the school at the time." Emmeline suggested. "Or not." She amended when everyone gave her incredulous looks.
Hermione rolled her eyes at her friends when Harry revealed he'd overheard the blond gloating. "Why were you sitting behind them in the first place?"
Neville grimaced. "I was sitting there but Malfoy made me move." He shrugged. "I figured it was easier than starting a fight."
"The stupid git wanted to make sure we heard what he was boasting about." Harry grumbled, turning back to the book. His voice was devoid of emotion when he recited Malfoy's claim that Dumbledore was the worst headmaster ever. The way he was feeling the last couple days he could agree with his rival.
"He most certainly is not." McGonagall said hotly.
"I don't think he's the worst headmaster." Kingsley mused. "But maybe a very busy one, especially these last several years."
"Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont." Moody listed.
"I no longer hold either of those positions." Dumbledore reminded him shortly.
"Leader of the order of Phoenix." The grizzled auror continued.
"It does sound like your full attention hasn't been on the school." Bill spoke up.
"The school is always my first priority." The old man insisted. He folded his trembling hands in his robe.
"As evidenced by your students being attacked." Sirius snorted quietly. "Year after year." Not to mention the substandard professors, school wide bulling and unfair punishments, he finished out silently in his head. His head snapped up at Snape's enjoyment at the thought of being headmaster.
"It's a long standing joke between the Malfoys and I from when Draco was little." The potions master told them grudgingly. "That I would be his headmaster when he came to school."
"A goal of yours is it?" Moody grunted watching him suspiciously.
"I can barely stand teaching the little brats. Why would I want to be headmaster?" He sneered back.
"I'm surprised Lucius hasn't used his influence or threatened everyone to procure you the position by now." Arthur gritted out. He glared at the younger man. "I'm sure he would do anything for his lapdog. Or are you more than that to him?"
"Arthur." McGonagall admonished while Sirius and Remus wore mixed expressions.
Snape was looking irritated, though there was hurt lurking deep in his eyes. "I may not like Lucius's tactics or some of his actions and I certainly don't approve of how he is raising his son. But he is my friend, one of the only people that has always been willing to treat me decently. And Draco is the only family I have."
There was an awkward silence once he'd finished with the Weasleys and marauders all looking down in shame. Harry gave his professor a pensive look before clearing his throat and picking up where he left off, gritting his teeth when Malfoy wished for the second time that Hermione be the first fatality.
"Is that another inside joke you have with the Malfoys Snape?" Moody growled not moved by the man's previous statement. "Do the lot of you sit around the dining table planning how to get rid of all the muggleborns?"
"Alastor, enough." McGonagall snapped furious.
Snape was white and shaking all over. "Does it seem like I heard this the first time around? Does it look like I approve of this type of behavior?" He was shouting by the end.
"No." Emmeline pacified him. "But it does look like you have a lot of work to do to turn him around."
He sighed falling back in his chair. "It's a constant battle to fight against his father's influence."
"Do you think it would help, having him here reading with us?" Remus asked quietly.
Snape snorted. "And combine him with this particular group?" He eyed the faces being made by Harry, Ron and the twins. "No but if there is a way to take him the books after that would help." No one noticed the little flash of light that occurred at his wish.
Harry wasn't sure how he felt at his enemy reading about his private life but he shrugged the feeling away as he read about Ron trying to defend Hermione.
"Good going Ron." Bill smiled proudly at his brother.
"He shouldn't be fighting." Molly murmured though she appeared distracted.
"Mum, he can't let something as bad as that go unnoticed." Her eldest child argued back not noticing.
Hermione squeezed her friend's hand briefly. "Thanks for standing up for me."
"That was really hard." Harry remembered as he told them about their herbology class being short two members. "Professor Sprout kept asking questions and looking for Hermione to answer."
"Then she'd glance over to where Justin usually sat and tear up." Neville added.
"Which would set off the other female puffs." Ron grumbled. "Didn't dare go to Herbology without tissues." He scowled when Harry accepted Ernie's apology.
"You can never stay mad for very long." Hermione praised him with a pleased smile.
Harry shrugged. "It wasn't really his fault. He was just as scared as the rest of us. And he did feel bad about you."
"Harry." Sirius groaned dramatically. "That git doesn't deserve to be forgiven that easily." He whined playfully but everyone could see the pride shining in his eyes.
Tonks looked delighted. "Your Hufflepuff traits are showing Harry."
Kingsley raised his eyebrows when the Hufflepuff turned his attention to Malfoy. "You think he would have learned about throwing out unfounded accusations."
"He's scared and it feels safer to have someone to blame." Emmeline scolded.
"Harry will set him straight." Tonks said confidently.
The tension in the room went up a notch when Harry spotted a couple of spiders and pointed them out to his friend.
Tonks wrinkled her nose. "How about not following them at all?" She suggested.
Harry shrugged. "How else were we supposed to find out answers?"
"Visit me in the infirmary." Hermione muttered under her breath.
Harry paused as he revealed that the spiders were headed for the forest. He warily eyed his godfather.
"I was wondering how following spiders could be dangerous." Bill admitted not altogether happy to have that particular question answered.
Charlie scoffed at his brother. "The forest isn't all bad. There are lots of cool creatures in there."
"Didn't I mention," Sirius started, a conflicted look on his face, " a couple days ago while reading the first book that I would disapprove of you going into the forest again?"
Harry gulped, noting that both Remus and Snape had dangerous looks on their faces. "Um yeah but I didn't have you there to tell me that at the time so...you don't really need to punish me?" He asked hopefully. He felt Ron groan at the mention of punishment while Snape's eyebrows had risen at the word.
"Nice try." Sirius drawled smiling slightly at the boy's antics. "We'll discuss this later, with a few other things I imagine. I'm still allowed to yell at you now though.
"Fair enough." Harry agreed with a small grin that faded as Remus gave a loud growl. He tensed and turned his gaze to the floor, missing the wink his godfather sent him.
"Moony why are you so up upset? We don't even know what happened yet."
"Oh yeah I'm sure it was just tea with unicorns." Tonks shot back sarcastically.
Bill pinched the bridge of his nose as the two boys made plans to go into the forest. "Fangs a great dog but he's a coward." He pointed out tiredly.
"But he does know a lot of creatures in the forest." Charlie reminded him. He turned to the two boys. "Which means if Fang takes off in the opposite direction start running."
"Not helping." Harry mouthed to the dragon keeper as he felt his godfather tense even more.
"Sorry Remus." Ron mumbled, looking embarrassed as the book version of himself asked about werewolves.
"Didn't we already have this conversation in the first book?" Tonks asked in exasperation.
"Weasley wasn't there for that detention." Moody reminded her.
Hermione huffed. "The wizarding world has such a bad view of werewolves that they're even scared when it's not full moon.
Remus shrugged knowing there was no point in saying anything. Whether it was a full moon or not he didn't want the kids in there.
Harry groaned loudly as he stared at the page. "What?" Several voices demanded, his godfather's being the loudest. Even Ron looked confused.
"Er… We have to listen to Lockhart run his mouth." He told them.
"That is hardly a reason to scare us like that Mr. Potter." McGonagall scolded while Snape glowered. He didn't particularly want to hear what that idiot had to say.
Sirius was frowning down at the teen. "Why…?"
"It's not likely to improve Moony's mood." Harry mumbled with a worried look at the stern werewolf. Sirius threw a disapproving frown at his friend while nudging the kid to continue.
Emmeline snorted. "Did he really just ask why everyone is so dispirited?
"A monster is attacking the school and three of their friends are frozen that's why." Charlie said sarcastically. "Stupid git."
"He believes that Hagrid really did it?" Kingsley asked amazed.
"Indeed, I'm sure he'll tell you in a minute how he was the one that figured it out." Snape drawled.
"No doubt he believes he did the actual arrest himself." Tonks whispered snidely. Remus gave her a small smile.
Harry went on to tell them how Lockhart's smugness and side comments about Hagrid irritated almost the point of physical violence.
"How is it Mr. Potter, that you're willing to sabotage my class but resisted giving that man what he deserved?" Snape inquired with a tint of amusement.
Harry sighed dramatically. "I had a reason for throwing the fire cracker. This would have just been for my own enjoyment and I figured Professor McGonagall had enough going on."
"While I appreciate that Mr. Potter I doubt I would have been angry in this instance." The transfiguration professor told him, her lips twitching at Sirius's astonished face.
Harry chucked as he turned back to the book where Ron swallowed his fear and agreed to go after the spiders after glancing at Hermione's seat.
"Something we should know about little brother?" George sang as the younger boy turned red. Beside him Fred had an unusual look on his face.
"Oh leave him alone." Bill snapped. "He's facing a fear, that you caused mind, and he's doing it for a friend. I wish I had friends like that."
Ron puffed up at the words and he was able to return the bushy haired girl's smile. He listened as they were held up in the common room by games of exploding snap with the twins.
"Do you think subconsciously you knew they were about to go into a dangerous situation and were trying to delay it?" Kingsley asked looking at the now pouting twins.
Fred shook his head. "If that was the case I would have just sat on them."
George nodded. "We were just excited that we were creaming them."
"Meaning if you had bothered to win just one game they would have gotten bored and gone to bed." Bill pointed out reluctantly.
Ron shrugged. "I wasn't in too much of a hurry to go on this adventure."
"Me neither." His friend muttered, reading as they finally made it down the stairs and outside.
"Did no one notice the huge front door opening?" Tonks asked in disbelief. "Or that those same front doors were unlocked?"
"Poor job of patrolling if you ask me." Moody said gruffly.
McGonagall frowned. "It does seem to have been a poor effort on our part."
"To be fair you had been doing it for several weeks straight." Emmeline reminded the older lady.
Neville turned to look at his two friends. "What would you have done if someone had relocked the doors before you came back?"
Ron glanced at his best friend before shrugging. "Dunno, slept at Hagrid's I guess."
"Poor Fang." Tonks frowned a moment later as the excited dog was let out. "It doesn't sound like Kettleburn is taking too good care of him."
"I think it's just more that Fang's missing Hagrid." Charlie told her. "He's probably hoping that they're going to take him to the big man." He chucked when Harry fed the dog treacle fudge to shut him up.
"Harry!" Hermione scolded narrowing her eyes at him.
He shrugged sheepishly. "He was making a lot of noise."
"But now he can't scare anything away that comes after you." Sirius pointed out fearfully.
"Fang's too much of a coward to guard us." Ron snorted while Harry blushed at the look his godfather aimed at him.
"And yet you're still taking him with you." Arthur huffed angrily.
Kingsley shook his head as Harry lit his wand and began to search for spiders in the small light provided. "You're so focused on finding the spiders that you weren't paying any attention to anything else coming at you."
"They were tiny." Harry protested. "It was hard to find them and keep them in sight."
"How did you not get lost yourself?" Emmeline asked. "It was dark and you weren't paying attention to the direction you were going in."
"As long as they follow the path it won't be a problem." Bill told her. "Hagrid's always saying stay on the path."
"We got out." Ron spoke up, not wanting to admit how far off the path they'd gone. He winced as the younger version of himself resisted lighting his own broken wand.
Fred shouldn't help snorting. "Took you all year to learn that."
Bill was tapping his foot restlessly. "You really should have borrowed someone's else's wand for this adventure."
"It wouldn't have helped." He could just make out the younger boy mutter.
Harry continued reading as they found a couple of spiders and began following them deeper into the forest, the threes becoming thicker and more dense.
Sirius frowned, thinking about his own trips to the forest, realizing just how deep his tiny, defenseless godson was. His grip tightened reflectively causing the teen look up in question.
With his eyes locked with his godfathers Harry read the words that came next. The spiders had left the path. Sirius sighed but gave a slight shrug as if saying he expected it.
"Don't follow them." Tonks squeaked grabbing Remus's hand.
Arthur lowered his head into his hands, willing himself to calm down. Truly the only thing that ever ignited his temper like this was his children deliberately putting themselves in danger.
Snape's eyes had widened, realizing exactly where they were headed. He had heard from Hagrid often enough about the large family that lived near the center of the forest. He sat forward with horrified excitement, wanting to know exactly how they had gotten out of there alive, making a mental note to be angry at the headmaster for leaving this part of the tale untold.
Bill huffed, getting up to pace behind his couch. "Keep reading Harry." He instructed harshly. He growled when they reiterated Hagrid's instructions to follow the spiders.
"Maybe you should start listening to someone else besides Hagrid." Sirius said gruffly as his stomach began tying itself in knots.
"But he's an adult." Harry couldn't help teasing before jumping at the pinch he received in return. He was chuckling slightly as he told of being startled by Fang's cold nose.
"Constant Vigilance Potter." Moody grumbled without his usual volume.
"Hermione." Ron winced as the witch dug her nails in his arm. "You know what happens.
"Exactly." She hissed back. She listened as Harry described the much harder time they had as they tried to navigate the tree roots and the undergrowth.
Charlie was looking at them in amazement. "You were actually still following them? Two tiny spiders and you didn't lose them or step on them?"
"I doubt they were the same ones." Snape sighed. "They're headed for the nest."
"Nest?" Several people cried out in confusion and alarm. Remus's anger turned into blinding fear. "Spiders don't colonize." He room went silent as Harry continued to read.
"Fang seems more of a hindrance than a help." Kingsley mumbled, his breathing faster than normal. "This is the second time he's scared you."
"And us." Bill muttered, having paced around until he was standing directly behind his youngest brother. His hands reached for the teen, griping his shoulders tightly. He closed his eyes as Harry told of hearing something big moving through the forest.
"So you're just going to stand there listening for it." Snape snarled. Dumbledore reached over and patted him gently on the arm eliciting a low growl from the man.
Sirius wrapped his godson in his arms, burying his face in the messy hair.
"You can yell you know." The teen reminded him rejoicing in the feeling of being loved while feeling guilty for scaring the man.
"Not yet." Came the mumbled reply. "Not until you're safe."
"Run." Tonks and Charlie were chanting together, the dragon keeper losing his enthusiasm for the forest at the thought of something hurling toward his baby brother. He moved to sit between the twins, relaxing slightly when both boys leaned up against him.
Kingsley shuddered as the book kept up the suspense while slowing down the action. He felt like yelling to get on with it and show them what was in the forest already. He couldn't being reminded of some of the horror movies he had watched as a teenager.
Harry leaned more fully into his godfather's chest as he read about the sudden lull of silence before a blazing might struck them.
Everyone besides the trio looked up in confusion. Dumbledore had an odd look on his face as he stared at the floor. Nowhere in the boy's recitation had there been mention of something else in the forest.
"Is there a wizard in there with you?" Remus demanded his mind jumping to death eaters.
"Please let it be a professor." Molly moaned as she hugged her daughter to her. Her sons all turned to her in surprise realizing how silent she'd been.
"They shouldn't have to hear about me getting in trouble when they're so worried about Ginny." Ron mumbled looking down in shame.
Bill heard the words and moved around the couch to wrap his arms around his brother. "Neither one of you should be in danger." He said softly. "But you're just as important to them as Ginny." He gave a laughing gasp of surprise at hearing that it was their family car making all the fuss.
The tension suffocating the room disappeared as several of the group chuckled, the twins going so far as to fall over in shock.
"The car you flew to school?" Neville asked in astonishment.
Even Dumbledore appeared delighted. "Amazing." He marveled.
"You are allowed to laugh you know." Harry reminded his godfather quietly, noticing the man was still grim faced.
"Something tells me the danger's not past yet. I'm still worried." He responded stubbornly, sharing a long look with Remus
Harry thought about protesting before realizing that Bill still had his own arms secure around Ron. He went on to describe the car as acting like a friendly dog as it moved toward the red head.
"Aww Ronnie it remembers you." The twins cooed before getting excited. "Do you think it would remember us?"
"You will not be finding out." Molly, Bill, and McGonagall all shouted
"Seriously guys I don't need to hear about any more of my family being in the forest." Bill warned them.
"We'll make sure you don't hear about it." Fred muttered under his breath rebelliously causing George to grin.
Harry yelped after reading the nest paragraph about how he had been relieved enough to put away his wand. He rubbed his side and tilting his head back to look at his godfather. "What?"
"You're in the middle of the forest with danger all around you in the dark." The man scolded. "Keep your wand in your hand and ready at all times."
"Careless." Moody scowled. "Where's your brain boy?"
"It's obvious he doesn't have one." Snape snorted. "And don't look at me like that Black. You disapprove of it too."
"Disapprove and insulting him are two different things." Sirius snarled back.
"I was twelve." Harry reminded them with a furious blush. "I've learned this lesson, the hard way." He added thinking about tossing his wand away in the chamber. He could just imagine their comments when they heard that. He quickly turned back to the book.
Arthur was looking bashful as he heard more and more about his car. . "This is exactly why it's against the law to enchant objects. They often attain a will of their own and could potentially become dangerous, especially to muggles."
"Um, dad, are you lecturing us or yourself?" George asked in amusement. His father just grinned sheepishly. He sighed as the boys decided they needed to get back to their search.
"No, stay with the car." Emmeline instructed. "Lots of light. No reason to go back into the darkness."
"We didn't have a choice." Ron mumbled, scaring Bill as the younger boy's hands clutched at his brother. He closed his eyes tightly as Harry read about his Ron's terror.
Everyone stopped breathing as they stared at the boys in horror. "Ten feet up?" Charlie croaked out.
Hermione tightened her grip on the cushion as she was overcome with guilt. She should have been there to help her friends.
"That's a small one then." Luna said softly but she looked slightly relieved. "They usually get a lot bigger."
"That's it." Sirius breathed in his godson's ear. "We're going to be having a very long talk tonight." He promised making the boy cringe.
"Harry Potter." Tonks suddenly shouted, reaching over to smack his knee. "You continue reading right now young man."
"Yes ma'am." He answered automatically, hiding behind the book as her glare intensified.
"What?" Remus shouted a moment later was Harry described being picked off the ground
Sirius's gripped tightened even more. Hermione recused the book as it tumbled to the ground, indicating to the trapped boy that she would continue reading.
"What does that mean? What lifted you up?" Tonks asked, her hair turning black as she curled up into a ball. Snape was gripping the armrests tightly, watching in disgust as Charlie's eyes lit up with equal parts excitement and fear.
McGonagall was holding her chest and glaring at the headmaster who was frowning thoughtfully.
Hermione quickly began reading, describing the creatures that had her two best friends.
Fred and George exchanged horrified looks and moved to kneel in front of their brother who had buried his face in Bill's robes. "Ronnie that sounds like a spider."
"Hmpf." Came the garbled reply.
"A really really large spider." George whispered feeling as if he was drowning in guilt.
Hermione's voice pitched unevenly as the spiders and their burdens made it to a hollow in the forest and came upon a scene that Harry described as being the worst he'd ever laid eyes on.
"Second worst now." He muttered thinking of the graveyard. "But it's still up there." Sirius's strangled gasp indicated he had heard the words.
Hermione pretended not to hear Ron's whimper of fear as she kept reading.
Tonks squealed at the image of hundreds of spiders as large as carthorses, clutching at the pale man beside her. Remus was not quite silent as he reviewed everything he knew about the treacherous creatures causing several others to glare at him.
"How many were there?" Kingsley asked astonished, never having imagined such a nest in the forest. His arms were curved protectively around a shaking Emmeline.
Charlie snapped his eyes to his younger brother while Fred and George pressed against the boy's legs. On the next couch Neville was trembling as he started at his friends in horror. He'd take Fluffy any day.
Luna looked pleased at hearing that the spiders were talking. . "These ones must be large enough for you to hear them."
Snape looked astonished. "I don't doubt that acromantula are able to communicate but you're saying they speak English?"
"Er..I think so." Harry replied. "Course I thought I was speaking english when I spoke to the snake too."
"Definitely English." Ron's garbled voice was heard.
Hermione continued as Aragog was described and asked for Hagrid.
"Hagrid knows these beasts? This is what he meant when he said follow the spiders? He sent you in there on purpose?" Sirius shouted. Harry winced and rubbed his ear.
"Maybe it's a good thing." Tonks pointed out, voice wavering. "Maybe they won't hurt them."
"Are you still willing to let the brats continue their visits to him?" Snape asked with a triumphant look.
"What do you have against Hagrid?" Charlie demanded.
"Everything as long as he continues to put them in danger." The dour man tossed back.
Harry was staring anxiously at his godfather. "Don't ask me right now Harry. Now is definitely not the time."
"Do you think the centaurs or unicorns would complain if we rid the forest of this infestation?" Fred snarled with an ugly look on his face.
"I'll help." Charlie promised, all fascination gone.
"I know a good fire spell." Remus growled, glaring darkly at the book.
"Calm down." Moody barked. "I want to know how Potter and Weasley got out of this." His magical eye whirled madly when Harry had the presence of mind to tell the creatures they were friends of Hagrids. Of course the spider was doubtful, Hagrid had never sent people to him before.
"Of course not. You're threatening to kill the ones that have come." McGonagall snarled. Dumbledore patted her calmly on the back, the persistent twinkle missing from his eyes.
"How…" Sirius started but was unable to finish.
"How were you able to stay calm and and reasonable at a time like this?" Remus finished for him.
Harry shrugged as much as he could with the hands gripping him. "When I get into these types of situations everything becomes clearer." He shrugged again. "It's sort of hard to understand." Moody was watching him closely clearly impressed with what he was hearing.
Neville blinked when Harry told the spider what had happened to Hagrid. "Why'd you stutter?" He asked having never heard Harry do that before.
"Well in the memory it was a spider but I didn't want to come out and accuse one of Aragog's family members."
"Thank goodness you didn't." Ron breathed shifting in his brother's arms. He was slightly ashamed of his initial reaction to the story. 'What a baby.' He mentally berated. 'You lived through this for merlin's sake.' But he was cheered up slightly noticing the twins huddled on the floor in front of him.
"Is it just me or is that spider shockingly intelligent?" Kingsley asked with raised eyebrows as Aragog recited what had happened fifty years ago.
"Not just you." Emmeline confirmed. She was intrigued despite the mind numbing fear she was experiencing. She winced as Harry went on to confirm that Aragog wasn't the chamber's monster.
"I can't decide if you're brave or suicidal, asking him that." Tonks hissed not noticing the way her cousin's face darkened. "What if he was the one that's petrifying everyone?"
Harry shrugged. "We were surrounded by hundreds of very large spiders that wanted to eat us. I couldn't have made it worse."
"So Hagrid is responsible for the entire population? He bred them?" Bill asked angrily a moment later.
"You can't blame him for that." Charlie protested. "Acromantula's venom and the silk of their webs are very useful."
"But they're dangerous." His brother shouted back.
"Maybe, but in the fifty years they've existed in the forest no one has even known they were there. It's only because Harry and Ron went to their nest that they were attacked."
"Indeed Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore agreed.
Moody's eyebrows rose when he heard that the body of the girl that had been killed the first time had been found in a bathroom but looking around everyone was too upset to notice anything significant in that statement.
Hermione continued reading telling of the spiders agitation as they thought about what the real monster was.
"Don't make them angry Harry." Sirius pleaded. "Just leave."
"Well snakes do eat spiders so of course they would be scared." Emmeline mused.
"How big would that snake have to be to eat a spider the size of an elephant?" Remus choked out, going even paler.
"Big, very very big." Ginny whispered. She listened as aragog withdrew leaving his family staring hungrily at the boys.
"No." Arthur cried, jumping up from his seat. "Leave, get out." His eyes were roving around the room wildly.
Ron disentangled himself from his brothers and hurried over to the distraught man. "I'm here dad, its okay. We got out, we're just fine."
"But how?" He asked brokenly.
"You helped us." Ron told him as they settled back down on the couch, Ron sitting between his two parents with his sister on his mum's lap. "You saved us." He couldn't help feeling envious of his friends courage as Harry decided if he was going to die then he was going to do it fighting.
"NO." Sirius and Snape both shouted, interrupting Hermione as she tried to fly through this part.
Harry was about to point out that he wasn't going to just lie there and let them kill him but the furious expression on his potions professor's face and Sirius's low growl in his ear stopped him. He let out a relieved sigh when the car showed back up.
As one everyone relaxed back into their seats and weak chuckles fill the room.
"I'm not going to approve of you flying that car to school but thank goodness you did." McGonagall sighed. Really she was getting too old to be hearing these type of adventures.
"I had nightmares for weeks after that." Ron admitted causing his parents to exchange startled glances.
"But you were fine when you got home." Arthur remembered.
Ron shook his head. "I was just really careful not to disturb anyone. You guys were already worried out of your mind about Ginny."
"Ronnie." Molly spoke up finally, her eyes red and swollen. "We would have wanted to know. No matter what."
"Harry?" Sirius whispered wanting to know if his godson had laid at the muggles dreaming of murdering spiders.
"I had nightmares but not about this." He admitted slowly not wanting his godfather to start worrying about was coming.
Hermione read quickly as the car deposited them outside Hagrid's hut and fang took off with his tail between his legs.
"Don't blame him." Neville muttered. "I don't think he's going to be going anywhere with you soon."
Harry chuckled. "He still drools on us when we visit Hagrid but he won't be alone in a room with us."
No one commented at hearing about Ron being sick though Snape privately was impressed that it hadn't happened sooner given the child's fear. He did raise his eyebrows when the redhead accused Hagrid.
"You are lucky to be alive and you shouldn't forgive him." Bill said firmly. "I know its going to be a long time before I forget what he did."
Harry used all the willpower he had not to turn questioning eyes to his godfather, knowing if he pushed it he wouldn't like the answer. He listened as Ron questioned what the point of their little adventure had been.
"I'd like to know that too." Tonks muttered. "I didn't hear anything worth that experience." She missed the disappointed look that her mentor sent her.
Harry shook his head as his thought pointed out how the monster was the Voldemort of the spiders in that like most people they wouldn't say it's name. "Which is just stupid really." He muttered. "Who ever got hurt saying a name? It's not like Voldemort or the basilisk is going to suddenly show up if you say it."
"Basilisk?" Remus asked trying to stay calm.
Across the room Charlie's eyes widened in realization and horror. "That's what the snake is?"
"Is that worse than a regular snake?" Tonks asked hesitantly.
"It doesn't usually petrify. In fact I'm not sure how it's petrifying." He rambled. "It kills, one look at its eyes and you're dead.
"Not to mention that it's incredibly big and has foot long fangs." Charlie threw in.
"Lovely." Tonks swallowed hard. "Just what I wanted to hear."
Hermione read the last of the chapter as Harry came to the realization that the girl who had died in the bathroom might have ever left.
"Good Potter." Moody commended as most of the other adults looked surprised.
"Are you saying Myrtle is the one that was killed by the monster?" Emmeline asked in astonishment.
"But this is a good thing." Bill declared. "Go talk to Myrtle and get all the answers. No reason to get near the big snake. No reason at all."
Hermione shut the book with a sigh. "We really should eat lunch before we continue."
"Sounds good." Harry chirped as he tried to lift Sirius's arms off.
"I don't think so young man." Sirius said in his sternest voice. "Now I get to yell."
Harry nodded in resignation but there was a small smile playing about his lips. "Go ahead." He said sinking back down onto the couch."
"Do you know how close you came to getting killed?" He gritted out, turning the boy around on in the seat so he could stare into his eyes. "And you would have if that car hadn't come when it did."
They didn't notice as first the Weasley family left as a group then one by one the others slipped out, Snape resisting until forced from the room by only Sirius and Harry remained.
"You could have died in your second year and I would have never got to know you." The dog animagus said before falling silent.
Harry waited but the man continued to stare at him with grief filled eyes. "It's okay Sirius. You can yell. I know I deserve it."
Sirius gave a huff of laughter. "Damn right you do." He shrugged. "Guess I just don't feel like it right now." He hurried on before the kid could take that as a sign that he didn't want him anymore or some such nonsense. "Don't think you're being let off. We will be talking about this."
"But you're okay right?" The teen asked anxiously.
"Harry I don't think any parent is okay hearing about their kid almost dying like that but having you here in front of me helps. You allowing me to cling to you despite the fact that you're fifteen and it's probably embarrassing helps."
The teen chuckled. "Feel free to hold on me all you want if it makes it better for you. I don't mind."
"You're a good kid Harry." Sirius pulled him in for a hug. "I know that it must seem like its not fair to you, getting in trouble for things you were doing to help other people. Saving Hermione from the troll, the school from Voldemort and now facing giant spiders to stop this monster. You're not in trouble for being a hero, that's part of what makes you so special."
"But I am in trouble." Harry pointed out confused.
"Big trouble" Sirius confirmed, his arms tightening "Because each of those instances put your life in jeopardy. If you insist on being so brave you need to find a way to do it without risking your life."