Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to PenguinLord0029 and Gazaran, who beta this story.
Chapter Forty-Five
Aragog
Getting to Hagrid cabin was more difficult than it normal was. Even with Harry's map out, they still could not avoid all the Professor and prefects that were roaming the halls, walking in groups. When they finally knocked on the door, they found that Hagrid was very nervous.
"Can we come in?" Harry stated forcefully, not really giving Hagrid much of a choice.
"Oh," Hagrid said looking warily around, and obviously wanting to say no, "er... I supposed."
"We're here to ask you about the Chamber..." Ron said bluntly and winched when Hagrid turned pale and looked at them with an odd expression. It was clear that he realize that they knew more about this than they should have and he was searching for what to say about that.
"There's something you need to understand about that," he finally said, but before he could say anymore, there was a knock at the door.
"Put your Cloak on," Hagrid said in a whisper, his expression blanching farther. Harry did not put up any arguments as he draped his Cloak over Ron and himself. Hagrid then got up to open the door to relieve Dumbledore and a man with a lime green bowler. Though he had never met this man before, Harry realized that this was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Harry exchanged a wary look with Ron; this did not look good for Hagrid.
The conversation that followed went from bad to worst. Fudge had come to take Hagrid to Azkaban, the wizarding prison, not because he believed that Hagrid was guilty of what was happening at the school right now, but because he had to 'appear to be doing something'. The more Harry listened to this the more upset it got. It was not fair, he knew that Hagrid had not done anything, and worse he did not get any answers for the questions he had.
Then there was the look of terror on Hagrid face when he heard he had to go to Azkaban. Harry felt sick to his stomach when he realized that Hagrid was going to have to face the Dementor's, the foulest creatures that he knew of, because of appearances. Worse still, was the fact that even Dumbledore could not do anything to help Hagrid, that his words of logic were disregarded. He now understood why Remus called Fudge useless.
Before they could leave Hagrid's hut, there was another knock at the door and Lucius Malfoy walked in, looking smug about something. Harry felt his blood boil as he watch Lucius, knowing that this man was probably the reason that Hermione had been petrified and wanting to do something to him. Of course, there was nothing he could do, and that fact just made him angrier.
The fact that Lucius had come here to inform Dumbledore that he and the other Governors had voted unanimously that he should no longer be the Headmaster in light of the attacks that had been happening only farther Harry's anger. It was clear that everything was working out just how Lucius wanted, and that was never a good things. Dumbledore took the news better than Harry would have, and said something that made him think that Dumbledore was actually talking to him:
"You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
He was not sure what it really meant, but it was sort of comforting hearing that. However, the fact that the school would no longer have either Dumbledore or Hagrid meant that things were only going to get worse at Hogwarts. The others left, Hagrid telling them to follow the spiders (causing Fudge and Lucius to look at him oddly) before he went.
"What the bloody hells are we supposed to do now?" Ron asked after they were gone as Harry took the cloak off of them. "Dumbledore gone... there's going to be an attack everyday now."
Harry grimaced. "I don't know... Argh, this is horrible."
"And what do he mean about never really being gone?" Ron questioned. "It seemed like he was talking to us... did you think he knew we were there."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Harry answered. "I'm more curious about what Hagrid meant about following the spiders."
Ron shuddered at that, obviously wishing it was not spiders that they would have to face. He did not really like how Harry was looking at the floor of Hagrid's hut either. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for spiders," Harry admitted and looked apologetically at his friend. "Sorry... but that's the only lead we have left. We didn't have any chance to talk to Hagrid, but he obvious thinks we'll get answer for this."
"Something tells me they won't be answer we'll want to have," Ron grumbled, but he was now looking for spiders too, hoping that he would not see any.
"There," Harry said finally, pointing at a tiny spider that seemed to be crawling out of the window, towards Forbidden Forest.
"Great," Ron groaned, even more than ever not wanting to follow the spiders.
"Are you going to be okay with this?" Harry asked, knowing that Ron was afraid of spiders.
Ron just looked at his friend for a moment, the answer he wanted to say was no, he was not okay with this. But as he looked around the room and it was painfully obvious that someone else should be with them right now, he nodded his head. He could not get the imagine of Hermione laying still on the hospital bed, her eyes glossy and terrified, out of his head. There was no way that he was going to let this fear get in his way to help found the person who was responsible for putting her there. Not to mention he could not let Harry face this danger alone.
"Good," Harry said, but he wasn't moving, Ron was sure that he would have started heading towards the door to follow the spider to the forest, but he was just looking thoughtful.
"What's the matter?" Ron questioned.
"I was just think that we don't really know what we're going to find in the forest," Harry said pulling out his map, happy that he had thought to include the forest in the drawing. "Maybe we should tell the others what's going on."
"You want their help?" Ron asked.
"Not really... I just think it might be helpful to have someone know where we are... just in case," Harry frowned.
"That seems a little safer than you like to do things," Ron commented, but he was looking relieved by this (or maybe that was just because he didn't have to go into the forest right away).
"I can play it safe..." Harry said and Ron stared at him incredulously. "Okay not very often, but sometimes I can."
"Whatever Harry," Ron rolled his eyes. "What are you going to tell the others?"
Harry didn't answer but picked up one of the quills in Hagrid's hut and wrote:
I am not sure if any of you are still up but Ron and I are planning on heading into the Forbidden Forest to try and find some information...
"Er... what should I say now?" Harry looked at Ron confused, but his friend did not have anything to say to that. As they tried to think of something else to say, starting to feel like this was ridiculous writing appeared in their map. It seemed to be from Fred and George:
What do you mean information? And why would you find it in the Forbidden Forest? And what the bloody hell are you doing near the forest right now?
"Hm... it seems like their worried?" Ron said almost chuckling, he would not have expected that from them of all people.
Where at Hagrid's hut, we had found out that he might have opened the Chamber of Secrets the last time and we wanted to question him, but before we could Fudge came to take him to Azkaban. Before he left though, he told us, without Fudge knowing, that we should follow the spiders... they are heading for the Forbidden Forest.
"Do you think I should tell them about Dumbledore," Harry asked Ron as he waited for the twin's response to this.
"No... we can tell them about that later," Ron said as writing started forming on the map.
I have no idea what the hell to make of what you just wrote... Is Hagrid really going to Azkaban?
Yes.
Damn! That sucks.
Yeah I know.
Now you have to follow spiders into the forest... are you sure that is a good idea?
It is the only thing we can do... I have to know what happened.
I think this is dangerous Harry... especially since Ron is going to be wetting his pants the whole time...
Shut up!
Before anyone could write anything else, there was a new form of handwriting that Harry recognized as Luna's.
I was just thought I should remind you that most of the creatures in the forest do not like fire much.
Luna? How long have you been there? Harry wrote.
Since the beginning...
How do you know about the creatures in the forest? Fred wrote.
Oh, I was following a Fluster Bug and didn't realize that I was in forest...
Okay... I will remember about the fire, Harry wrote, not really having time to listen to one of Luna's stories right now. Wish me luck people.
Good luck! Fred and Luna both wrote.
"I guess we should go," Harry said, putting his cloak in his pocket, knowing that it would not be much use to him in the forest. Ron took a deep breath and then followed Harry.
It was not his idea of fun to walk into the forest at night, his wand lit lightly so he could see the spiders he was following. Ron was walking behind him and his apprehension was falling off him, but they continued walking. They walked for a long time without knowing where they were going until a noise came from behind them and they turned to see the most horrifying sight they could think of. There were several giant spiders crawling towards them.
Harry raised his wand to cast a spell, not knowing what would help, but before he could do anything something strong grabbed him from behind and soon he was hanging upside down. He heard Ron struggling too and he knew that his friend was just as captured as he was. There was nothing they could do but let the creatures carry them to some unknown location.
"Aragog!" Harry heard a voice call.
They were let loose, which surprised Harry at first, but he realized quickly that he was surrounded by spiders now... there was no way out of the clearing where they were. He looked at Ron, who seemed to beyond fear now, his mouth opened in a silent scream, his eyes bugging out of his head. There was no way that Ron was ever going to get over his fear of spiders after this.
He redirected his attention to the spiders as a giant (even compared to the other spiders that were there) spider seemed to be gray, its eyes were milky white. Harry was sure that this spider had to be blind.
"What is it?" the blind spider that Harry assumed was Aragog asked.
"Men," was the answer call of the first spider.
"Is it Hagrid?" Aragog asked.
"Strangers."
"Kill them."
"Wait... we're friends of Hagrid!" Harry was able to said, though it was difficult to talk right now.
"Hagrid has never sent man into my hallow before," Aragog said.
"He's in trouble," Harry said wildly, award that the other spiders seemed to be inching closer to them. "That's why were here."
"Hagrid's in trouble," Harry was surprised about the concern in the giant spiders voice. Clearly, this monster cared about Hagrid. "What has happened?"
"They think he was the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said.
"But that happened years ago," Aragog said gravely. "Many years ago... that is why they had asked him to leave... they had thought that I was the monster that was in the Chamber..."
"You weren't!" Harry said, a feeling of guilt and relief filled him at this news at the same time. "So you never attacked anyone."
"No... it would have been my instinct to attack. But out of respect for Hagrid I never did," Aragog answered, and then added as if it was farther proof that he was innocent, "The girl that had been killed was found in a bathroom and I've never seen any part of the castle other than the cupboard which Hagrid keep me in. My kind like the dark."
Harry mind when to Luna's suggesting as he heard this, but he wasn't done talking to Aragog yet... though he did notice that the other spiders seemed to be getting closer and closer to them. "Do you know what the creature is?"
There was a lot of chattering at that, as the spiders seem to almost shudder at the thought of this monster.
"We do not speak its name," Aragog answered. "The creature in the castle is something that we spiders fear more than anything else. I didn't even tell Hagrid what it was, thought he tried to make me."
Harry stood up then, realizing that he was not going to get any more information out of the spiders now. "Er... well, that's all... I think we should go now..."
"Go?" Aragog said. "I think not..."
Harry gulped and looked at Ron, who was still looking scared out of his mind.
"My sons and daughters do not attack Hagrid on my orders but I can't deny them such a meal when it wonders into our hollow so willingly. Good-bye friends of Hagrid."
Harry grabbed Ron's arm as soon as the words left Aragog's mouth, raising his wind and aimed at the nearest tree, lighting it on fire. All the spiders near there scattered, but there were still several spiders coming at them.
"Come on Ron... light a fire..." Harry said, sending another curse at the ground behind them as he turned to run.
However, there were spiders on the other side of them too, closing in on them. Ron raised his hand in the air and cast the leivating charm on the nearest spider, then made it so that spider crashed into other one.
"Good thinking," Harry said as he sent curse at another spider. He was trying whatever he could think of, but it did not matter. They were out numbered and the spiders just keep coming. He was eventually force to make a circle of flames that surround them, knowing they would have no way of getting out of there and that the spiders could just use the trees to get to them anyway, but there was nothing else he could think of doing.
Just as one of the spiders seemed to figure out how to get through the ring of fire it was blasted out of the tree. Ron and Harry looked around, wondering what happened when they heard a call that made their hearts fill with hope.
"There you two are!" Fred yelled, he was flying on his broom, followed closely by George who was on his own broom. They landed in the ring of fire next to the other two.
"We thought you might need our help," George added.
"Thanks guys," Harry said, climbing on the back of Fred's broom as Ron, wordlessly and very pale did the same only he went on George.
"All in a days work, Harry my boy!" George smiled at him, as Fred cursed another spider that seemed to be trying to get at them.
"I don't think your new friends like us crashing their party... why don't we get out of here," Fred said.
"Yes please," Harry said and they all raised, dodging the spiders that did not seem to want to let them get away. It was not easy getting out of the forest even on the brooms, but somehow they managed it. As soon as they were back to Hagrid's Hut the twins landed and Ron immediately ran to the side of the house... seconds later they could all hear wrenching sounds.
"Told you, you should have picked someone else to go with you," Fred tried to chuckle, but he could not really find this funny at the moment.
"I'm just glad he waited until we landed," George added, he would not have been happy if his brother had thrown up on him.
"Give him a break... we were just attacked my bloody giant man-eating spiders," Harry said to them.
"I know," Fred frowned. "I was just there."
Harry gave them appreciative smile, "thanks... for being there... you really saved us."
"You're welcome," the twins said at the same time.
"We really didn't like the sounds of your plan and when we noticed on the map that you were standing in the same spot for a really long time... we got really worried," George explained.
"We thought you might need us, so we got our brooms and flew to the forest as quickly as we could," Fred added. "Thank Merlin we got there on time."
"So, did you at least find out something that you can use after all this?" George asked.
"No," Ron said rejoining the others. "All we learned was Hagrid was never the one that opened the Chamber in the first place."
"Argh!" the twins groaned in disappointment.
"Well at least that means you're not going to have anymore night time strolls into the forest anytime soon right," George said.
"Probably not," Harry sighed and they all started heading back to the their common room.
