Harry Potter and the Room of Things no one Knows About

Chapter 15

What if Ron had an Even Bigger Reaction to the idea of Spiders

By

Jason Richard

"Well this Riddle bloak has to be lying!" said Ron. "Af if we'd trust him over Hagrid."

"I don't know Ron," said Harry. "Hagrid does have a thing about monsters. For goodness sake, he brought an exploding chipmunk to school and thought a giant three-headed dog was a good pet!"

As they walked through the Hogwarts hallways, all three of them were greatly distressed by Riddle's information.

"I'm with Ron," said Hermione. "Besides, giant spiders don't petrify people."

"Ugh," said Ron, feeling sick. "I hate spiders."

Hermione: "Giant spiders do what a lot of spiders do. Spin webs."

Ron: "Hermione? Are you really describing how giant spiders kill people around someone who hates tiny spiders?"

Hermione: "Anything caught in the webs is wrapped up and placed in the web, left paralyzed by venom to await their horrible fate."

Ron: "I really don't need to know this."

Hermione: "Eventually they inject the prey with their digestive enzymes…

Ron: "Please stop…"

Hermione: "...to liquify their organs..."

Ron felt even sicker.

Hermione: "And suck it out like one sucks soda from a straw.

Ron went, "Hrk!" and went to the window, puking outside.

Harry: "Nice going, Hermione."

Hermione chuckled nervously, looking away. Suddenly her eyes grew wide.

Hermione: "Ohmygoshijustthoughtofsomethingbye!"

And she zipped away, leaving Harry rather confused.

…

Harry walked through the Hogwarts hallways getting a little irritated. Apparently, the "Llama who lived" was just the beginning of a string of animals that students themselves were setting up. Their fear of Harry being the heir of Slytherin was nothing compared to their willingness to troll him.

There was the pigeon that lived, the porcupine that lived, the pig that lived, the skunk that lived, the giraffe that lived, the hamster that lived, the lion that lived (and that one got out of its cage and chased students around before professors turned it into a mouse) the kangaroo that lived…

And last, but not least, someone brought the one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater...that lived. Harry had no idea how someone got that into the castle.

But Harry had bigger things to worry about. Quidditch was canceled for that year as there was one more victim, and it was someone close to Harry. Harry followed Professor McGonagall to the hospital wing where he found her.

Hermione Granger had been petrified. He was heartbreaking, but Harry noticed something...odd rather quickly.

"Professor," said Harry. "Why is her face scrunched up like that?"

"Near as we can tell," said McGonagall. "She was petrified mid-sneeze."

Laying there petrified with her eyes scrunched and her lips puckered out was not a flattering look on her.

…

So Harry and Ron agreed, they had to go talk to Hagrid to see what he knew about the Chamber of Secrets. Ron had to take a break as he saw more spiders and started throwing up out the window some more, but aside from that, they were set on their course.

Soon they found themselves at Hagrid's hut. They had to keep a distance from Hagrid's pet dragon Norbert. Harry took one look at the thing and said, "Huh. I forgot he still had that dragon."

Hagrid opened the door to find himself face to face with empty air until Harry and Ron took off the invisibility cloak. Hagrid, sadly, let them inside.

"Hagrid," said Harry. "We need to know…"

"I mean," said Ron. "We've heard things...about the Chamber being opened before…"

Harry: "Did you really unleash a giant spider?"

Ron: "Hrk!"

Harry: "Don't you start throwing up again."

Ron: "I'm sorry! I can't get what Hermione said out of my head! Did she have to go into so much detail?"

"Well, what you need to know about that spider..." Hagrid began, but he was interrupted. He saw out the window someone coming and told the two to hide under the invisibility cloak. They hid and made certain to stay quiet.

And who should enter the little hut but Dumbledore himself and the minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"What's going on?" asked Hagrid.

"I'm afraid we have to take you in," said Fudge.

"Take me where?" asked Hagrid in horror. "Not Azkaban Prison!"

"I do not believe Hagrid is guilty," said Dumbledore. "Would I let Hagrid keep a dragon if I thought he'd unleash it on students?"

"Dumbledore," said Fudge. "Having a dragon without a license is technically against the law."

Dumbledore: "Pfft. You're no fun."

"I'll let that slide," said Fudge. "Only because I know you have a dragon license Dumbledore. But these attacks on students cannot be unanswered, and Hagrid's record is against him. We can't have someone who unleashed a giant spider."

Ron: "Hrk!"

Harry (whisper) "Shut up!"

Fudge: "What was that?"

Hagrid: "Parrots!"

Fudge gave Hagrid a funny look.

"Y...Yes," Hagrid stammered. "There are parrots around here who...imitate students voices...heh...kind of funny...heh...heh...heh…"

"Really?" said Dumbledore. "Parrots? And not two students hiding under an invisibility cloak?"

Ron whispers: "He knows."

Harry whispers: "Shut up!"

Fudge: "Oh don't be ridiculous Dumbledore. Who in their right mind would give troublemaking students an artifact as useful for mischief as an invisibility cloak?"

Dumbledore just sniggered.

Fudge: "Anyway, we do have to take Hagrid in. Like I said, Hagrid's record is against him."

"More than a record," said another voice. Lucius Malfoy entered the room and sneered at everything.

"What are you doing here?" Hagrid demanded. "Get out of my house!"

"No," said Malfoy. "Even though I would love nothing more. I'm here to inform Dumbledore that the ministry is removing him from the post of Hogwarts Headmaster. Several students petrified? Why we all think you're losing your touch, Dumbledore."

"Oh cool," said Dumbledore. "I've been wanting a vacation. See you later."

Then Dumbledore looked directly at Harry and Ron's hiding place and said, "By the way. If you want help at Hogwarts, all you have to do is ask for it." And he winked at them, making the two boys roll their eyes.

Fudge: "Dumbledore, why are you winking at the wall?"

Dumbledore: "The wall and I share a private joke."

And Dumbledore sauntered out.

Lucius: "I don't want to know what that's about."

Hagrid: "If anyone was looking for some stuff, all they have to do is follow the spiders," Ron had to suppress another 'hrk!' and Hagrid continued, "and feed my dog while I'm gone. You'd better do that...wall."

Lucius, "I'm getting out of here before more weird things happen."

Fudge: "I'm right behind you. Hagrid, come on."

Once alone, Harry and Ron felt more worried about Hagrid than ever.

"Well," said Harry. "Guess we have some...creatures to follow."

Ron: "Do we have to? I feel sick enough as it is."

Suddenly Fred and George popped their heads in and said, "GIANT SPIDERS!"

Ron went to a barrel and went, "BARF!"