Maribella too was convinced, in the end, that Hagrid had opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was a hard one to swallow, and even Rubeus' comforting peckings were enough to make her burst into tears.
"Riddle does sound like Percy," Ron would tell her in some of those teary moments, giving her an awkward pat on the back. "Who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"
The quartet decided they'd only bring it up with Hagrid if there was another attack. The last attack had been nearly four months ago. Peeves had finally stopped singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter," every time they encountered him, and even the Hufflepuffs, who had been wary of Harry after Justin Finch-Fletchey's petrification, were being nicer. Everything seemed to be getting better.
During their Easter Holidays, the second years were given something else to think about. The time had come to pick their third year classes. Maribella had traded numerous letters with her parents, and both had encouraged her to take whatever felt right. Anna pressured her into studying Ancient Runes, but Maribella refused to waste her time on such a theory-based course. She only decided on one additional class: Care of Magical Creatures, which she made sure all of her friends also picked.
"But you can't choose just that one, Mari," Hermione said, disapproving. "This could affect our whole future."
"I'm going to be a Magizoologist, Hermione," Maribella stated. "I'll only need this class for it."
But she found it she was actually obligated to take on at least two extra courses.
"You're taking Divination?" Ron asked, looking over her shoulder, where Maribella had just ticked the box for the class. "And so are you, Hermione!" He said, observing Hermione's class schedule. "Why? I hear it's hogwash."
"I hope it isn't, because you're also taking it," Maribella said, leaning over Ron and marking the box for him.
"Mari!" he snapped.
"What? You would've needed a second class anyway; it was either that or Ancient Runes. Divination fills a slot we need, and if it's bad, we'll be together to laugh about it."
Having that sorted, they moved on to a much more pleasant subject: Quidditch. Harry had been practicing consistently after classes, before breakfast, during their lunch break- any free time he had, really. The final Quidditch match would take place the following morning, against Hufflepuff. No one was too worried, as Gryffindor clearly had the superior team. They'd cream Hufflepuff.
They were, however, distracted by Neville running down from the second year's dormitory. Somebody had broken into their room and ruffled through Harry's things. Afterwards, Harry found out the only thing missing was the one they needed most: Riddle's diary. Since no one else had their password, it could've only been a Gryffindor.
The news of the diary kept Maribella up for most of the night, though she did manage to get a few hours' sleep- which one of her classmates had stolen the diary? Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to dwell on it. Quidditch was the only topic of discussion over breakfast the next morning, and everyone was buzzing for the upcoming game. Wood was beyond enthusiastic, piling up scrambled eggs on all his teammate's plates. Fred and George chatted with everyone who approached, offering to make bets on the game's score, how long until Harry was able to catch the Snitch (because they were sure he would be the one catching it), and on how many players each could hit with a Bludger during the game (at least three each, but they assured that if they were playing against Slytherin, that number would've doubled). Harry was the least excited of them all, picking around at his food, but not actually eating it. He decided finally he wasn't very hungry at all, and that he'd rather get to the pitch early to warm up. Maribella, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall with him, to go and collect his Quidditch things.
The moment they stepped foot on the marble staircase, Harry shouted.
"The voice!" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again- didn't you?"
"Harry," Maribella said, shaking her head. "You're the only who ever hears it. I think you're the only one who can hear it."
"The only one who-" Hermione mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "Mari! Do you remember a while ago when we went to the library and you were listing possible animals that could be responsible for this-"
"Yeah," Maribella interrupted, sniffing. "And you all just forgot about it, because we chose to work on the Polyjuice Potion. But, alright, I'm not bitter, as you can-"
"Nevermind that!" Hermione said, clearly shaken. "Do you still have it?"
"Ur, yeah, actually," Maribella said, digging inside her robes and fishing out a slip of paper. She gave it to Hermione, who skimmed through it quickly.
"Hermione, is this really a good time for-" Harry started, but Hermione paid him no attention.
"Ashwinder, Selma, Cockatrice, Basilisk, Chameleon Ghouls," she read aloud. "Are any of those possibly snakes?"
"The Ashwinder, the Selma, and the Basilisk, if I'm not mistaken" Maribella listed from memory. "Do any reptiles work? Because the Cockatrice has a lizard's tail… but I guess it resembles more of a rooster than anything," she said, more to herself than to anyone else. "Why, Hermione?"
"Harry-" she exclaimed, instead. "I think- I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" And still clutching the list Maribella had given her tight in her hand, she sprinted away.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked, confused. "What does she understand?"
"Loads more than I do," Harry said, still looking around, presumably for the owner of the voice he had heard.
"And probably more than we'll ever know." Maribella complemented. "But I wonder why she's gone to the library…"
"Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."
"B-but… the match!" Maribella exclaimed. She'd be horrified at the thought of missing a Quidditch match, and she had already missed out on the last one.
"Speaking of, you'd better get moving." Ron said, as a mob emerged from the Great Hall behind them, and directed themselves to the pitch. "It's nearly eleven…"
Thoughts of Hermione's outburst left their minds as Maribella and Ron joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds. They found seats next to Neville, Dean, and Seamus. Even though it didn't seem like Hermione would be joining them, Maribella still saved her a seat. When the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams walked onto the field, they were met with tumultuous applause. The Hufflepuff huddled at the edge of the pitch for a last minute talk, and the Gryffindors were already flying at high speed.
Madam Hooch was about to release the balls, signalizing the beginning of the game, when Professor McGonagall came half-marching and half-running across the pitch. Maribella felt a quick jab of dread. Something was wrong. McGonagall got to the very middle, and called out with a magically enhanced voice:
"The match has been cancelled!" She addressed the stadium. "All students are to make their way back to their House common rooms, where their Head of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"
There were boos and disapproving shouts, but people started to move nonetheless. Maribella and Ron, however, weren't following the crowd; they ran down the stands, pushing through people, and finally reached Harry, who had been pulled aside by McGonagall.
"Potter, I think you'd better come with me…" they heard her say.
Maribella couldn't help but be surprised. She didn't see how McGonagall could blame Harry now. Whatever had happened, there was no way he could've been involved. Then the Professor spotted them.
"Yes, perhaps you two'd better come too, Weasley, Piccinni," Professor McGonagall said, looking between them. Maribella's stomach was tightening even more now.
McGonagall led the three of them up through the castle, but they weren't being escorted to the Gryffindor Common Room, or brought to a classroom to be scolded, like when Mrs. Norris had been petrified. They were going up, up, up, and before they even arrived, Maribella knew where they were going. The Hospital Wing.
"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice, as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack… another double attack."
She opened the door and moved aside. The trio entered. There were two new figures added to the ever-growing line of the petrified. One was an unknown girl, in Ravenclaw robes. And the other-
"Oh, Hermione!" Ron groaned.
Maribella backed away in utter shock. She brought her fingers to her mouth, which was open in a silent scream. Hermione was laying on the same bed she had laid on all those months ago when she had been transformed into a cat, but looked more fragile than ever, with wide glassy eyes and face struck with frozen horror. One of her hands shot straight up from her body, with the tip of her fingers touching, as if she had been holding something up.
"She was found with this," McGonagall broke the silence, showing them a small, circular mirror. "I don't suppose any of you can explain this?"
Maribella let the boys answer. She was still speechless.
"Will she be alright?" She heard Harry ask, but to her, it sounded more like an echo.
McGonagall did not answer, and that spoke volumes.
The recent petrifications changed things drastically. New rules had been implemented that very day. From now on, all students had to be back in their House room by six o'clock in the evening, and were only allowed to leave early the next morning. They'd be escorted by a teacher to and from their classes, their Common Room, and even the bathroom. There'd be no more Quidditch or other student-led activities until this whole ordeal had been solved, and visits to Hogsmeade, the nearby wizarding village, had thereby been postponed indefinitely.
Maribella had been sitting, pale and silent, in the Common Room, with Ron and Harry. She craved privacy, but the only place she'd have a possibility of getting it was up in her dorm, and she wasn't ready to see Hermione's neatly-made bed, empty for the unforeseeable future.
"Guys," she called quietly. She felt like she hadn't spoken in days, and her voice sounded weird to her own ears. "We have to go see Hagrid."
"D'you think they suspect Hagrid?" Ron asked. He was dealing with the whole situation a lot differently than she was. Whereas she closed down on herself, he was becoming more and more agitated.
"I don't know," Harry said. "But I can't believe it's him this time."
"If he set the monster loose last time, he'll at least know where the Chamber of Secrets is," Maribella said gravely.
"There's no way we'll be able to get out of the castle, with them watching us like watchdogs," Ron whispered.
"I think," said Harry, "it's time to get my dad's old invisibility cloak out again."
And so it was set. It'd be the only chance they'd had of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid, without anyone knowing about it. They agreed to meet at midnight. Harry and Ron went to bed in their usual time, as to avoid any suspicion. Maribella decided to stay down in the Common Room, under the pretext of having some work to finish up, but in truth, she just wanted to avoid Lavender's and Parvati's pitying glances, or worse, their sadness, as they too had been friendly with Hermione. Maribella couldn't comfort herself, much less her roommates.
So, for a few hours, Maribella stared placidly at some random school book. At midnight, Harry threw the cloak over them, and they journeyed through the dark castle. They never had such a hard time walking around invisible. All teachers, prefects, ghosts, and portraits were up patrolling the halls for the Slytherin heir, or the monster itself. Twice they had to duck into an alcove to avoid bumping into someone. But alas, they made it outside without too much trouble.
Ironically, it was a beautiful night. There were no clouds in the sky, a half-moon shone brightly and happily, illuminating their way as they hurried down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut, where the lights were still blazing. Harry reached up, knocking on the door as he draped the Cloak over his arm. Maribella could hear Fang the boarhound barking loudly inside, and Hagrid answered a second after, brandishing a crossbow as big as a small child. Immediately, Fang ceased his baking and thumped his tail at the sight of them.
"What's that for?" Harry asked, pointing to the crossbow.
"Ah, nothin', nothin'." He said, lowering the weapon. "I've bin expectin'- Doesn' matter, sit down, I'll make tea."
Hagrid ushered them inside, and clumsily took a teapot in his hands, spilling water everywhere. He was a nervous wreck, and kept knocking things over. Maribella couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Hagrid?" she said softly, "You heard about Hermione?"
"Oh, I heard, all righ',"Hagrid said, his voice wavering as he looked to the windows. Almost instantly, there was a knock on the door
Maribella gave her friends a panicked look, then the three retreated to a corner and Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak over them. Hagrid made sure they were out of sight before opening the door, revealing Dumbledore and-
"Is that the Minister of Magic?" Maribella whispered, her eyes widening, just to have Harry elbow her in the side. But this was definitely Cornelius Fudge. His picture was always in the papers, she recognized him both by his gray balding hair and bowler hat. He wore an anxious expression that matched his rumpled clothes and weary demeanour.
"Bad business, Hagrid," Fudge said without any introduction, and walked into the hut without invitation. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."
"I never!" Hagrid turned to Dumbledore, imploring, "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir-"
"I want it understood, Cornelius," Dumbledore turned to the Minister with a frown, "that Hagrid has my full confidence."
"Look, Albus. Hagrid's record is against him. Ministry's got to do something—the school governors have been in touch-"
"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," Dumbledore said sternly.
Maribella sucked in a breath as they argued. It seemed Fudge was only here to arrest Hagrid for sake of appearances, to make it seem as if he was doing something. But the idea of Hagrid being held in Azkaban, a place infamous for quite literally crushing spirits. Everyone who went in there came back a little less sane, a little more soulless.
There was a knock on the door that made Maribella jump and Dumbledore went to answer it. This time, it was Maribella elbowing Harry, when he let out a gasp from beside her. Lucius Malfoy came in the door, adjusting a long travel cloak. Maribella's insides turned cold at the sight.
"Already here, Fudge?" Mr. Malfoy said with a smile, "Good, good..."
"What're you doin' here?" Hagrid roared, "Get outta my house!"
"My dear man, believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your—you call this a house?" Mr. Malfoy asked with a sneer much like the one his son used. Maribella looked over to her friends and silently pretended to gag.
"I simply called at the school and was told the headmaster was here."
"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked with a politeness Maribella was sure she could have never imitated.
Lucius Malfoy gave Dumbledore a smirk that screamed of misplaced superiority and of self-importance.
"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," he drawled, not sounding like he dreaded anything," but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension." From his robes, Lucius produced a rolled-up parchment, and handed it to Fudge. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. What with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggleborns left at Hogwarts." A shadow of a smile hovered over his face. "And we all know what an awful loss that would be."
Fudge frowned. He straightened the notice in his hand and skimmed it.
"Now, see here, Lucius. Dumbledore suspended. No, no... this is the last thing we want right now... If Dumbledore can't stop these attacks... I mean to say, who can?"
"The appointment- or suspension- of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attack…" He trailed off, looking quite satisfied, considering what a serious issue they were talking about.
Maribella was in disbelief. Minister Fudge sputtered.
"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" Hagrid yelled, making Fang cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killing next."
There wasn't a speck of Hagrid's usual friendliness on show, and had Maribella not known him before, she'd have been terrified. Nevertheless, he had brought an unquestionable point.
But Lucius Malfoy simply scoffed. And again, had she not known the abomination that was Malfoy Jr., Maribella would've been shocked at how uncaring he was toward the Muggleborns. Unluckily, she did know Draco Malfoy, and could see how his father's holier-than-thou attitude was reflected and incorporated by the boy. Her mind flickered towards Hermione, and her heart ached momentarily.
"Calm yourself, Hagrid," Dumbledore said sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy. "If the governors want my removal, I will of course, step aside." He ignored the choruses of No! from the other two men and carried on, without taking his bright eyes off Lucius' dark ones. "However," he spoke loudly and clearly, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
Maribella swore his gaze flickered to their corner.
"Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy, but Maribella noticed the slight roll of his eyes in between a blink. " We shall all miss your- ah, highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any more, er, killings." With that, Lucius opened the door with a stride, and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge started to follow, waiting at the door for Hagrid. The man stood his ground, straightening up, and said loudly:
"If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have to ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'."
They were out the door and Harry pulled the cloak off. The three were alone in the hut, and it felt larger than ever without Hagrid in it. Fang whimpered louder now. Maribella made a mental note to come feed him and keep him some company during the time Hagrid was gone.
"Hagrid's right." Ron said, his voice hoarse. "With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day."
But Harry wasn't listening. He was looking past Ron's shoulder, towards the window. Maribella followed his gaze, which ended up in a trail of around twenty spiders, that scuttled up and out the window, escaping through a crack.
"Have you ever seen them act like that?" Maribella asked darkly, approaching the window. "This is definitely not how spiders act."
"No," said Harry. "Have you, Ron? Ron?"
Maribella turned back toward the boy. Though she and Harry had walked forward, in an attempt to examine the strange behaviour of the arachnids, Ron seemed to have shrunk back against the opposite wall.
"I- don't- like- spiders," said Ron tensely.
Maribella shook her head.
"Hagrid's told us to follow them. Watch how they all are heading to the same place. This," she asserted, "is what he meant. For sure."
"We're sorry, Ron," Harry said firmly. "But we've got to go." He threw his Invisible Cloak on Hagrid's table.
"We should at least bring Fang," Ron said. At the sound of his name, Fang howled, scratching at the door.
"Sure, Ron, if it'll make you feel better." Maribella said, but, truthfully, her last experience in the Forbidden Forest had not been pleasant at all, triggering some dark memories and traumas. She'd feel better with Fang by their side.
"We're going for a walk, boy," Maribella said, scratching behind Fang's ears.
And so, the three, plus the dog, slipped out onto the grounds again, keeping a look for the spiders. Maribella and Harry both lit their wands and warned Ron not to do the same, as his wand wasn't fully working.
"There are some spiders over here," Maribella called quietly, holding out her wand and watching as they disappeared out of the wandlight. Their trail led straight into-
"The Forbidden Forest? We're going in there?" Ron asked, looking slightly green. "Aren't there creatures that could kill us?"
"Oh yes, werewolves, I heard," Maribella said, trying to lighten the mood and Ron gave her a grim smile.
"But-" he hesitated.
"Ron. Think of Hagrid," Harry urged. "Think of Hermione."
Ron's face changed. A look of resolve fell upon his face, and he undertook an air of resolute, but alert, determination. He nodded.
So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest. With every rustle, Maribella would look over her shoulder. Sometimes she'd see a menacing shadow, but Fang would bark, and she'd snap out of it. She kept telling herself, almost as a mantra, that it didn't matter what happened. They had to do this. For Hagrid, Dumbledore. Hermione. Then, when the trees became so thick the stars overhead were no longer visible, she decided to keep close to Harry the entire time so as to not lose her head. At that point, the spiders had gone off the path marked on the forest.
"What'd you reckon?" Harry said, raising his wand so they could all see each other.
Ron swallowed. "We've come this far."
They followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. Even though it was getting harder to see, with everything outside of the ball of light two of their wands produced being pitch black, the spiders seemed to be increasing in size, much to Ron's chagrin. She hated the silence that had befallen, but was terrified to break it. She needn't worry, because seconds later, Fang suddenly growled at the darkness. Maribella gulped. She could hear something snapping branches and carving its way in their direction. There was a low rumbling, that sounded like faint thunder that wouldn't end.
"There's something coming this way." Maribella quavered, pointing a trembling finger in the direction of the noise. Fang barked.
"I can't hear anything," Ron whispered.
"My hearing is more similar to his," Maribella pointed towards the dog,"than to yours." She shivered. "Trust me, I wouldn't be making this up, we've got to get moving."
It moved closer by the second. They walked a few steps, but Fang was frozen in place, letting great barks out.
"Fang!" Maribella said urgently. "Come! Fang!"
"I can hear it now!" Ron groaned.
"It sounds like something big…"
"Fang! Come on!" Maribella shrieked. She started to sweat.
"Shut up," Harry said, holding onto her arm. "It'll hear you."
"Hear her?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"
There was suddenly a light so bright, it felt just as blinding as the darkness. Maribella yelped, barely seeing over the sheer power of it.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, his voice breaking with relief. "Harry, it's our car!"
"What? What car?"
"Come on!"
Ron blundered after the light, and Maribella hurried after him. The lights came from an old blue Ford Angela, that from the looks of it, had been mistreated by the forest. It was covered in dents, with busted windows, intertwined with vines and dirt. She realized with a start that this was the car they had crashed into the Whomping Willow, at the start of the year. So much had happened in the time between then, she had already forgotten.
"Oh, and we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, hugging the car. "I wondered where it had gone."
Maribella's laugh got stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Above the forest floor, a good few feet above the forest floor, a ginormous spider clicked its claws. It was the size, being generous, of a small horse, with each leg being as long as a flying broomstick. No spider was that big. No, those were Acromantulas. She heard a gag from her side, but before she could turn to check, a hairy pincer grabbed her middle and lifted her off the ground. Maribella let out a scream, that was only obfuscated by Ron's shout of terror, as he too was grabbed.
Maribella knew the Acromantulas had the force that could rival that of a juvenile troll, and there was no use struggling. But she also knew they were classified XXXXX by the Ministry and were, in short, venomous, flesh-eating tarantulas. For that reason, she tried repeatedly to curse the spider's leg with her wand, until it got fed up with her and took her by the feet, so she was hanging upside down. They started moving, until arriving in a clearing, where the three were dropped. Maribella couldn't help but squeak at the sight that met her. They were surrounded by dozens, maybe hundreds of Acromantulas. They were in an Acromantula nest, right at the middle of it. Harry fell by her side on all fours. Fang was cowering behind her legs. Worst of all was Ron, who had doubled over and vomited.
Maribella helped Harry up. The spiders cleared away, as an ancient spider, much more massive than the other ones she had seen, emerged from the mist, towering over,, eight blank eyes unseeing ahead of them. The Acromantulas lived in colonies, Maribella knew. And this was their leader. If they wanted to get out alive, it was at him that they'd need to plead for mercy.
"Aragog! Aragog!" The spiders around them chanted. Harry looked at her with surprise.
"They're sentient," Maribella mouthed to him, but she was sure he couldn't see.
"What is it?" Aragog demanded, in a deep, raspy voice. As it spoke, its pincers clicked wildly.
"Humans."
"Is it Hagrid?" inquired Aragog, moving closer.
"Strangers."
"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping…"
Ron let out a whimper.
"Sir!" Maribella shouted, as to be heard over all the enthusiastic noises the spiders had started to make. They all fell silent. "Sir, please! We were sent by Hagrid!" It was a desperate try. Acromantulas were smart and had enough emotional intelligence to feel, and if Aragog had had a bond with Hagrid… this was their only chance.
This made Aragog pause.
"Hagrid has never sent other humans into our hollow before," he said slowly.
"He's not at Hogwarts," Harry found his voice, though it was higher than normal. "He's in trouble- sir. They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a- a- something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."
Aragog clicked on his pincers furiously, and the other spiders followed his suit. Maribella moved closer to Harry and Ron. The spider could not be angered. She clutched her wand tightly.
"We were sent to get help," Maribella once again shouted. "Hagrid- Hagrid trusted you to help him end the Chamber of Secrets." she affirmed, feeding his ego.
"The Chamber of Secrets! That was years and years ago, I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school," Aragog raged. "They believe that I was the monster that dwells in that Chamber of Secrets. They thought Hagrid opened the Chamber and set me free."
"And… you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I!" Aragog said, clicking angrily. " I came from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler." As he spoke, Maribella saw from the corner of her eyes two crawling silhouettes inching forward. Waiting. Watching. "I was given to Hagrid, who cared for me when I was still an egg. He hid me! Fed me scraps! Protected me, when he was accused, and found me a wife! It is, thanks to him, that my family has grown."
A spider scrambled up a tree. Another crouched on a branch above, dropping downward.
"I saw no other part of the castle, except the cupboard I was raised in, and they still believe that I had killed that girl!" Aragog roared.
"We never believed you were," Maribella was quick to reassure. "Of course we never believed- would never believe- ah, then, you, of course, know what creature the actual creature is- sir."
"We do not speak of it," Aragog hissed fiercely. "We do not name it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others!"
There was more rustling. Maribella looked at Harry, who seemed to be fighting the urge to press the subject. She shook his head at him. Instead, he said:
"We'll just go then," he called desperately.
"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not... "
Oh no.
"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst." He backed away as he spoke.
"We are friends of Hagrid's!" Maribella screamed, all respect thrown out the window, as a last resort. She was petrified. They were about to be swarmed by the spiders.
"Good-bye," Aragog said, "friends of Hagrid." He retreated at last.
Maribella quickly turned her back to Harry and Ron, keeping Fang protectively in between them. The three, even Ron, who had been terrified, but not enough to not fight, started throwing around as many spells as they could. But it wasn't enough. There were just too many spiders. Just as she was losing hope, a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow. It was the car, and it thundered down the slope as if charging into battle, headlights glaring, horn screeching, knocking spiders aside as it travelled. It stopped with a screech in front of them, and the doors flew open.
Maribella grabbed Fang without a second thought, and jumped into the back seat of the car. Ron drove through the forest, skimming past trees as the spiders chased after. They sat in silence as the car rolled on. Maribella had never been in a car before, she hadn't even been on the Knight Bus, but they were moving with such haste that it made it impossible to take anything in.
Acromantulas! Her mother ought to be told, even though she'd probably never believe Maribella. She, herself, couldn't begin to comprehend that she had encountered live Acromantulas, in Scotland, and had come out alive to tell the tale. On second thought, maybe this should not be mentioned to her Mama.
The car died at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and they all piled out, exhausted. Fang went around licking everyone's face back to life. He was the one that recovered the fastest. The rest of them would take a longer time.
Hagrid hadn't, after all, opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was always innocent. And whatever the monster was, spiders didn't like it. The trio went to bed that night, in for an unrestful night of sleep, with those thoughts haunting their dreams.
A.N.: Hi, everyone, I'm back! These last few weeks have been chaotic, but I think I'll be able to follow my posting schedule again. Thank you all for the patience, and to all new readers, welcome! If you'd like, please leave a review, they make my day!
~MJP