"Malfoy was a distraction!" Hermione shouted.
"The little cretin." Ron muttered. Harry nodded in agreement, but where was Hagrid? What had they done with him? Who had done this to him? Did Malfoy plan this, possibly.
Harry searched and searched. He didn't want to give up, but it was getting late and if they stayed out too long they'd get into trouble. He was about to suggest they head inside and tell a teacher or something when he saw someone immerging from the Forbidden Forest. Someone wearing, dirty and torn, Slytherin robes.
Harry nudged Hermione and pointed, she turned and saw the person, "You don't think?"
Ron noticed without them showing him and his face contorted in rage, apparently he had thought the same thing they had. Ron charged at the Slytherin, but thankfully he had enough brains not to scream a battlecry. He ran at the Slytherin and shouted, "Stupefy!" The Slytherin turned to see Ron's spell colide into them and collasped to the ground. Ron grinned and wild grin that made Harry nervous.
Ron bounded over to the Slytherin, loping even while Harry and Hermione jogged on.
"Its Pansy." Ron growled.
"So Malfoy did plan this. But how did he know?" Harry asked.
"I doubt he knew what we were doing, he probably just saw us coming out of the Forest and made an instant decision to..." Hermione started.
"Be a pain in our ass?" Ron finished.
"So, where's Hagid?" Harry asked.
"Why don't we ask her. Renervate!" Hermione shouted.
Pansy who had been still and unconcious was suddenly full of life, and trying to get away, but Ron grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the ground with a little more force than was necessary. She shrieked in protest.
"Let me go! Let me go!" She shouted.
"Not until you tell us what you did with Hagrid!" Harry shouted back.
She turned her head to the side, crossed her arms in defiance, and shut her eyes as if to block them out, then she hissed, "Never!"
"Don't make me hurt you." Harry threatened.
With an almost perfect immitation of Malfoy she sneered and said, "Are you trying to be scary Potter? What a laugh!"
Harry pointed his wand at her throat and said, "Am I scary now."
She still looked like she didn't think so, but he did have his wand at her throat, she didn't want to anger him.
"Now tell us where Hagrid is." He commanded.
She seemed to be debating what to do for a second before she sighed and said, "He's in the forest, tied up."
"Tied up?"
"I couldn't stun him, it just like, bounced off!" She informed them. Harry thought about that for a moment, finding it very interesting.
"What about what he was holding?"
"Holding? Oh, you mean the horn thing, I have it here." She said and he prodded her with his wand. She reluctantly pulled it out of her robe pocket and thrust it at him. He grabbed it and handed it to Hermione.
"Now, take us to him." Harry said. She had said Hagrid was in the Forest, but what did that mean? He could be anywhere and Harry didn't feel like trapsing through the Forbidden Forest calling Hagrid's name.
"Take you to him? Go back in there?" She asked sounding horrified.
"Yep. What's the matter Pansy, you were just in there. You too scared to go back?" Ron taunted in a rasping voice. This was worrying Harry.
Pansy seemed to find this worrying as well because she cave Ron a terrified look before she turned back to Harry and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
"Take us to Hagrid." Harry said again, ignoring her question. Pansy looked at Ron once more, stood up, and began to walk back toward the Forest.
Harry aimed his wand at her back and saw Hermione and Ron do the same. It was starting to get dark, so the three lit their wands, but when Pansy suggested that she do the same they all said in unison, "No." Harry wasn't going to let her even touch her wand.
After a little while of walking Pansy halted and said, "Here, here he is. Can I go?"
"No." Harry said, "Hermione." Hermione walked forward, pointing her wand at Pansy and ussering her toward the side. Pansy frowned, looking uneasy.
Harry walked forward and saw a large object suspended about a foot off the ground and attached to the tree, Hagrid.
"Hagrid, you alright?" Harry called up.
"Yeah, fine." He rumbled down, "But I would be even more fine Harry if ya could, let me down."
Harry nodded and then added, "Alright." He pointed his wand at the ropes and said, "Relashio!" The ropes ignited and burned away to nothing and Hagrid dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
"Thanks." Hagrid muttered as he stood up and brushed himself off, "Was really startin' to feel those ropes."
Harry nodded and then asked, "What happened?"
"Well, I was outside gettin' the milk. I store it outside cause it likes more of a natural temperature, one that changes. So, I was gettin' it when I feel something hit me. Then again, then again. I turn around and saw her, not to far away, pointing her wand at me. Musta been tryin' to stun me. That worked real well. Anyway, I chased was 'bout to start yellin' when suddenly I was bound with ropes. I toppled over and she levitated me into the forest where she stuck me to the tree." He pointed the tree for emphasis.
Harry nodded and he turned around to find Hermione unconcious and Ron gone. Harry's heart began to beat fast as he looked around for him, but he sighed with relief when Ron burst through the trees a moment later, panting like a dog.
"Ron, where were you?" Harry asked.
"Chasing." Was all he said.
"Chasing Pansy?" Harry inquired.
"Yeah...Hermione...unconcious...Pansy...away...chased...she...esca...ped." He managed to puff out.
Harry pointed his wand at Hermione and shouted, "Rennnervate!"
Hermione sat bolt upright again, looked around and let out a loud moan, "Not again."
"Hermione, you let Pansy get away? How?" Harry asked, he was confused about this fact.
"Wild boy here distracted me and she took the moment and stunned me." Hermione said, sounding thoroughly irritated as she got to her feet.
Harry looked at the two of them, chuckled a bit, and then said, "Yeah, well, we should really fix Ron's arm."
They all head back to Hagrid's hut, this time making sure that no one was inside when they arrived, besides the still unconcious Slytherins. Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, Ron kick Malfoy's side, this made him snicker a bit.
"Alrigh' Ron." Hagrid said as he took the spine from Hermione and placed it next to a jug full of a wierd blue liquid and an empty bowl, "You ready?"
"Yeah, ready." Ron grunted and sat down.
Hagrid took the jug full of blue liquid which Harry supposed was Calopus milk and poured it into the empty bowl. The stuff wasn't gross, it was just...weird. It had like a shininess about it that was almost unnerving. Then Hagrid picked up the Spine.
"Hagrid, how to you get the venom out?" Harry asked, curious. It couldn't be just squeezing it or waiting for it to drip.
"You squeeze it out. Real hard." Hagrid said and squeezed the spine with both hands over the empty bowl. The end of the spine burst open and a green liquid flowed into the bowl mixing with the blue liquid. "There it is."
Ron moaned and said, "I have to stick my arm in...that?"
"Yeah. Like I said, be grateful ya don't have ta drink it."
Ron nodded, took a deep breadth, and plunged his hand into the mixture. At first he was grimacing and had an 'ick' face on, but then his facial muscles relaxed and he said,,
"How is it?" Hermione asked.
"Hey this isn't so bad. Kinda nice. Its cool, like temperature."
"How's your arm?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, right. I don't know. I can't feel a thing. Hagrid, how long do I have to dunk?"
"Not too long, fifteen more minutes or so. You'll feel it soon though." He said warningly.
Ron frowned and said, "Why me?"
"You had to be the chivalrous one." Hermione scolded and rolled her eyes.
"Would you have Harry have these eggs? Hmmm?" Ron asked defensively.
Hermione rolled her eyes again, "No Ron, I would rather have them...than you." She continued slowly.
Ron's eyes widened and they had a blush moment which passed quickly when Ron yelped.
"What is it?" Hermione asked worried.
"I dunno, it just..stung." Ron replied.
"What do you mean it stung?"
"It felt like something bit me."
Hagrid turned to Ron and frowned, "Told ya you'd feel it."
"Do you mean...its gonna...hurt...a lot?" Ron said slowly.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, but its gonna hurt." Hargid responded and turned away.
Ron looked down at his hand immersed in the gunk and grimaced, then he let out another yelp. Two more followed after until it, until he began to scream nonstop.
Hermione had turned away and was covering her ears, her eyes were scrunched closed and she was shaking slightly. Harry was tranfixed, he was stunned, he couldn't do anything to help. Helpless was the word that came to mind and he didn't like the feeling. Sure, Ron was being cured. Sure this was saving Ron's life, but Harry wished it didn't have to be so painful. After about ten minutes Ron's yelling began to become hoarse and he was now slumping over a bit.
Harry turned to Hagrid worried. Hagrid was fixing something, his eyes averted though his face looked pale and he seemed to be very tense. Fang was at Ron's feet, licking his other hand and whimpering loudly.
Then, Ron began to thrash. He shook violently, his body tremling, his other arm flapping about, his legs slamming into the chair over and over again. Harry looked at Ron's face, he had stopped screaming, but his face was contorted in agony and he saw that Ron's fist, the one stuck in the mixture was clenched and something Red was leaking out of it. Harry stood up abruptly and turned to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, make it stop! Why is this happening?" Harry shouted in anger.
Hagrid didn't looked at him, he just kept on working, fixing a mug or something and this made Harry angry.
"HAGRID! STOP! FIX RON! NOT WHATEVER THAT BLOODY THING IS!" Harry bellowed.
Hagrid turned at Harry's shouts, stood up slowly and said, "There is nothin' I can do, he has ta wait it out."
Harry was shaking himself now, but not from fear, but anger, "WHY!?"
"Cause that's the way it works. Don't worry, it'll...it'll be over soon." Hagrid mumbled.
Harry turned to Ron again and then back at Hagrid, "Why is this happening?" He said in a calmer voice.
"Because we're killin' somethin' Harry. We're killin' a magical creature and ya know how they are. They can be sweey as anythin' but when ya try and kill 'em they'll fight until there is no fight left in 'em. They'll struggle and hurt ya, try and take ya with 'em or at least a piece of 'em. They'll do anything, try anything. Tricky little buggers they are. That's why its happenin' Harry, that's why." Hagrid explained and then turned away, his hands shaking.