This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Word Count: 1018
Title: Isn't He Beautiful
Note:
Warnings: Do not read if you have arachnophobia.
Hogwarts
Assignment 7: Performing Arts: Circus Skills: Task #4 - Lion Taming: Write about someone's connection with a dangerous animal or beast
UBC: Accessory Set (3 accessories, effects are random) - Price: 600 words, Hagrid
Hagrid had been given the egg that the Aragog hatched from, and it was like love at first sight, as soon as the egg hatched, he was cooing at the little furry creature in the shoebox like it was his very own child.
"Aren't you beautiful?" he whispered to the baby spider in the box. "Let me get you some supplies, perhaps we can make you a nest in here, at least for now, what do you think?"
He had heard these spiders learn to speak the same way human children do, so he insisted on speaking to it until it picked up the words himself. He couldn't be sure it was a male, after all, he didn't have the heart to check, but he was sure he would know sooner or later.
Hagrid went into his room, and pulled some of the fluff out of one of the bottom pillows on his bunk bed, he also dug in his trunk to find an old shirt. The smell of him in the box would comfort the spider, as it was still in infancy, and needed the reassurance. He knew that most spiders weren't particularly maternal; he remembered reading that often spiders would have their young in large numbers and then the mother would die shortly after giving birth to them.
He wasn't sure about these ones, Aragog had been given to him alone, he had no siblings. Although Hagrid couldn't be sure that the man hadn't just given him one spider, in an attempt to try and get more money for selling the rest. Hagrid sighed; he wished he had more pocket money. His father wasn't a very rich man, and with his mother leaving before he started Hogwarts, he and his father just managed to get by. "You know what Father would say if he knew about you?"
The spider seemed to look curiously at the man that was like a father to him. "He would say, Rubeus, dear boy, not another little beastie," Hagrid chuckled.
"Little beastie?" Aragog repeated blankly, the small spider was repeating the words, but clearly had no idea what they meant yet. Hagrid grinned broadly.
"You just said your first words, Aragog," he said to the spider. Of course, he didn't really have many friends; he was probably the strangest Hufflepuff to ever grace the Halls of Hogwarts school. He didn't seem to fit in anywhere. He was friendly and hard-working, that was true, but he ignored the rules, not because of the desire to break them, but simply because his desire to help and befriend all creatures were so much greater.
He set the box down at the foot of his bed, and with a grin, he closed the lid. The lid had large holes poked in, large enough for Aragog to crawl through if the spider really wanted to. But Aragog was happy; he had everything a spider could want. Hagrid fed him, catching flies for him twice a day, and his little house was redecorated every couple of weeks "so ye don't get bored" as Hagrid said.
When the box started getting too small for Aragog, Hagrid wasn't sure what he would do, by this time Aragog spoke English fluently, and Hagrid often had long conversations with the spider before bedtime.
"So Hagrid," Aragog said one night. "Where shall I go?"
Hagrid sighed. "I don't know, Aragog, I really don't want to let you go, but I suppose we will need to take you into the Forbidden Forest, I suppose."
"It doesn't sound too bad out there, Hagrid," Aragog said, and Hagrid could tell the spider was trying to give him some comfort.
"But you're still so little," Hagrid insisted. "What if you get hurt out there?"
Aragog laughed. "I think you forget I'm extremely venomous."
"That won't do if someun steps on ya," Hagrid muttered, sounding slightly put out.
"Hagrid, nobody will find me, not even that nosy Riddle boy," Aragog insisted. "It is the safest place for me."
"I know Groggy," Hagrid sighed. "I know you can't stay here anymore, Tom said that they were going to kill ya." Hagrid shuddered.
"I will be okay," Aragog repeated.
"Okay then, let's go," Hagrid said, a grim determination had crossed his face as he snuck out of the Hufflepuff common room, smelling the sweet scents that constantly filled the air right by the kitchens.
"Is there time for a snack?" Hagrid asked the closed box, he heard Aragog sighing, but he was sure it wouldn't hurt. He popped into the kitchens, it was quiet, but he found a House-elf cheerfully baking cauldron cakes.
"Mr Hagrid, sir," the elf said with a grin. Without even asking, he held out several cauldron cakes towards the large boy, and Hagrid smiled and thanked the House-elf goodnaturedly before leaving again. He was dropping crumbs all over the floor, but he didn't notice as he happily left the kitchen.
Once he reached the big oak doors that led outside the castle, he shivered, and pulled his giant fur coat closer around his shoulders, and taking a breath for courage, he walked into the Forbidden Forest. It was time for Aragog to be free.
He set the box down once he reached a clearing; it was far enough into the woods that nobody would stumble across him by accident. Hagrid took a hollow tree stump and placed the shirt Aragog had been using as a bed for a long time beneath the trunk. Then Hagrid spread the fluff (in the end he had taken the fluff from an entire pillow) and set in there.
"Here you go, Groggy," he grinned. Then he slowly let the spider loose.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Aragog said. "I will never forget all you did for me."
"I will miss you," Hagrid said, choking back a sob.
"As I you, Hagrid," the beast muttered, and with a last look, Hagrid left Aragog in the Forbidden Forest, and returned back to the Hufflepuff common room, he knew it the morning he would be facing explosion, but at least Aragog would be safe.