Chapter 33 - Aragog
"Harry, what just happened? Why did they take Hagrid away?"
Neville stood just outside the door to Hagrid's cabin, shivering slightly in the cold evening air. He might have worn Harry's invisibility cloak for whatever warmth it could provide, but it remained clutched in his hand, forgotten for the moment.
Harry was busy poking around Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Bereft of the the orange gourds since the autumn harvest, the soil was now barren, home to only a few dry and decaying vines.
"I'm sorry, Neville, I should have told you before," said Harry, keeping his eyes locked on the dirt under his feet. "They think Hagrid is responsible for the attacks."
He heard Neville gasp, then the sound his footfalls as he came closer.
"Why do they think Hagrid has anything to do with it?" Neville asked. They were completely alone on the grounds, but he kept his voice low, still fearful of being observed.
Harry kept his eyes fixed on the ground, but he finally stopped the relentless pacing that began when he first exited the cabin. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Because the Chamber of Secrets was opened once before, and a girl died. Hagrid was blamed for bringing a monster into the school, and they expelled him. Now... I guess they think he might have done it again."
Neville fell silent while he absorbed this information. While he stood staring into the darkness of the trees bordering the pumpkin patch, Harry continued his search.
"You don't think he really did it. Do you, Harry?" Neville finally asked after several minutes passed without either of them saying a word.
Harry didn't reply. He didn't want to believe that Hagrid would intentionally hurt someone, but he was haunted by the memory he had seen in Riddle's diary. Hagrid had a soft spot for dangerous beasts, and it wasn't inconceivable that he would let one into the school. After all, he had let a massive three-headed dog stay there only last year.
But Harry was willing to give Hagrid a chance to explain himself, and if he wanted Harry to follow the spiders, that's what Harry was going to do.
"I found one!" Harry exclaimed.
A small, black spider moved quickly and steadily across the ground. Harry, careful not to lose sight of it, beckoned for Neville to join him. They made their way carefully, keeping a fair amount of distance between themselves and the spider to avoid crushing it underfoot. It was soon obvious where the tiny arachnid was headed. The spider was leading them toward the Forbidden Forest.
Neville hesitated as Harry took his first few steps into the trees.
"Are we really going to follow it, Harry?" he asked, clearly intimidated.
"We have to, Neville. What if its the only way for us to learn what happened to Hermione?"
At the mention of her name, Neville seemed to find some courage. Without further objection, he stepped forward, passing the invisibility cloak back to Harry, though they didn't use it. The forest was dark and dense enough that there was no danger of being observed by anyone on the outside.
As they continued to walk, following their spider guide, Harry noticed something odd. A second spider joined the first, then another... And another. Before long, the ground itself seemed to be moving with hundreds of tiny, black bodies. The spiders were all flocking to the same point, somewhere deep within the woods.
Harry did his best to watch his feet, afraid of trampling the small creatures. He cast a worried look toward Neville, and saw that the Gryffindor was also walking carefully, his face pale.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
Neville stole a glance at Harry before returning his eyes to the ground. "Yes, why?"
"It's just... It's an awful lot of spiders, isn't it?"
"Yes," Neville agreed, his voice steady as he stepped over a fallen log, "But they're just spiders. It's not like they'll hurt us."
Harry agreed, but Neville's response surprised him. Although a Gryffindor, Neville had a reputation for being one of the most cowardly, spineless boys in school. Harry had expected the notoriously timid Gryffindor to be at least slightly unnerved by the sheer number of eight-legged creatures, however small they might be. Seeing him act so calm encouraged Harry to be brave as well, and he feigned more poise than he felt as they continued deeper into the forest.
They seemed to be walking a very long time. He might have given up sooner, but with Neville by his side and proof of Hagrid's innocence on the line, Harry persevered. They spiders had to be migrating somewhere, and Harry would not turn back until he knew where and why.
"Harry, wait. Where are they going?" Neville asked after they had followed the spiders for what seemed like half an hour.
Harry drew his wand from his pocket. Until now, they had followed the spiders in darkness, knowing their path by moonlight. Trusting that the light was not likely to be seen this far from the school, Harry lifted his wand and murmured, "Lumos."
The pair were instantly bathed in a soft white light. Harry saw that the spiders were moving off the narrow trail, and were now scampering through the underbrush, still moving as a herd.
"What do you think?" Neville asked, this time unable to hide a note of worry in his voice.
"Let's go," Harry said decisively, "We've come this far."
Progress slowed. It was harder to move over fallen branches and twigs ensnaring their robes with every step. Several times, Harry had to stop. Crouching low, he would check to make sure they had not lost their spider-marked path.
Finally, the ground seemed to slope downward, and Harry thought they were walking down towards a stream, or perhaps a small glade. From that direction, Harry thought he could hear something moving. Something very big.
He came to a dead stop, nearly toppling down the sloping ground as Neville, only a few steps behind, stumbled into his back.
"Ow!" Neville said as he ran into Harry.
Harry shushed him as he continued to stare into the trees, trying to make out a shape in the dark. He dismissed the light of his wand with a whisper.
"What is it?" Neville dared to ask.
Harry didn't need to respond. Whatever was down started to move again, and they could hear the snapping of twigs.
They waited, each of them straining to see into the thick darkness around them. Suddenly, the sounds stopped. Harry waited several long minutes before letting out a long, silent breath.
"Come on," he instructed Neville, prepared to continue their journey.
He tried to take a step forward, but Neville seized him by the sleeve of his robes.
"Neville, what...?" Harry started to ask, but then he saw the look on Neville's face. He was pulling Harry backward as quickly as he could, his eyes fixed on a point behind Harry, approximately 10 feet off the ground.
"Harry, do you remember how I said I wasn't afraid of the spiders before?" he asked, drawing his own wand from his pocket.
Harry felt his blood run cold. Suddenly, he couldn't get the memory from Riddle's diary out of his head. He remembered the thing bursting from its hiding place. A grotesque, hairy creature with far too many legs...
Harry was forcibly ripped from Neville's grasp. Something had lifted him right off the ground, and Harry screamed, his legs kicking pointlessly beneath him.
Neville gave a horrified cry and raised his wand against Harry's attacker. He tried to fire a spell, but it missed. Harry watched as a second large form dropped from the trees and plucked Neville off the ground as effortlessly as Harry had been. Neville had managed to keep hold of his wand, but the creature had pinned his arms to his sides, and he was powerless to fight against it.
The next moment, Harry's view of Neville was cut off as the creature that held him turned and began to walk back down the sloping ground.
Harry thought he had been prepared for what he might find since the moment Hagrid said "follow the spiders." But he had not expected the monster to have so many friends. Spiders the size of horses were clustered at the base of the slope. Their massive, hairy bodies stood like sentries around a misty, domed web in the center of the hollow. The spider carrying Harry moved toward the web, while its companions circled around them and closed ranks, their pincers clicking in excitement.
Harry fell to the ground, landing painfully on his knees as the spider released him. He tried not to let the pain show as he he heard Neville strike the ground just behind him. He did not know if the spiders could sense weakness or fear, but he was determined not to reveal his panic.
He risked a glance at Neville's face. The Gryffindor's eyes were open wide, but his mouth was set in a firm line, as if he too were determined not to scream. Harry gave him a very small nod of encouragement, and turned his attention to the webbed mass before them.
The spider who had brought Harry to the hollow began clicking louder than any of the others, and Harry felt sure he was going insane. He thought he could make out some words between the strange sound its pincers made.
"Aragog!" it seemed to shout, "Aragog!"
Another spider emerged from the web. It was enormous, dwarfing the others with its size. Its hairy body was flecked with gray, and as it crawled slowly out of its den, Harry could see the moon reflected off its milky white eyes. It was blind.
"What is it?" said the spider called Aragog, and this time Harry knew he wasn't mistaken. They could talk.
Harry felt a shred of hope. If the spider could talk, then perhaps it could be reasoned with.
"It is man," said the spider, referring to the two boys sitting by its many feet.
"Is it Hagrid?" said the elderly spider, drawing closer.
"We're friends of Hagrid," Harry said quickly.
The spiders around him clicked. Harry could not tell if they were excited, or perhaps nervous. It seemed to take a while for Aragog to respond. When he did, it was with slow, careful words.
"Hagrid has never sent men to our hollow before."
"He's in trouble," said Harry, "That's why we're here. He told us to come to you."
"In trouble?" repeated Aragog, "What has happened?"
Harry slowly climbed to his feet. The spiders moved restlessly as Neville stood to join Harry's side, but they did not crowd any closer, and the blind eyes of their leader did not notice any change.
"They've taken him to Azakaban," Harry explained, hardly knowing if the spider would recognize the name of the wizard prison. "They think that Hagrid... They're blaming him for what's been going on at the school. Something... Someone has been attacking students."
The spider clicked his pincers together in a decidedly unfriendly manner, and the sound was echoed by the audience of arachnids surrounding them. Harry feared he had said the wrong thing, and insulted their eight-legged host.
"That was years ago!" Aragog protested. "I remember it well. They believed I was the monster that dwells within the Chamber of Secrets, and they sent Hagrid away, because he cared for me."
"So you... You didn't come from the Chamber?" Harry asked.
"I?" said Aragog sounding vaguely insulted. " I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land... Hagrid raised me from an egg. He was only a child himself at the time, but he cared for me, kept me hidden in the castle, feeding me table scraps... When I was discovered and blamed for the death of that girl, it was Hagrid who protected me. Hagrid is a good man, and my friend. I have lived in the forest all these years, and Hagrid still comes to visit me. He even found me a wife, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's kindness..."
Harry felt his confidence swell to hear the spider speak so fondly of their mutual friend. He dared to hope that he had nothing to fear from Aragog or his children, as Hagrid trusted him.
"I knew it!" said Harry, "You never attacked anyone! Hagrid was innocent!"
"Of course," said Aragog, "My instinct would guide me differently, but I never harmed a human, out of respect for Hagrid. The body of the girl was found in a bathroom, and I never saw anything of the castle but the cupboard that was my home, until the night I was discovered."
"But then... They never caught the person who was really responsible," Harry said, thinking instantly of the Slytherin's heir, "And if that's the case, the creature who killed that girl may still be in the castle. Do you... Do you know what actually did it?"
His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking pincers and snapping twigs as the spiders began to move restlessly. Harry felt Neville draw closer to his side, his hand unobtrusively moving to the pocket of his robes.
"The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others," Aragog explained. "There were times, all those years ago, when I could sense the creature moving about the school, and I would beg Hagrid to let me go."
"What was it?" Harry asked.
"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid, though he asked me many times."
Harry broke into a cold sweat. A creature that others feared to name... It reminded him of Lord Voldemort. He had been warned by others against mentioning the name of the dark wizard countless times. If these spiders held the same fear for the creature that lived within the Chamber, then Harry knew it was pointless to press them for more information.
The spiders continued to move about restlessly, and Harry was keenly aware that Neville had his wand gripped tightly in his hand, hidden under long sleeve of his robes.
Harry, desperate to avoid a confrontation, quickly said, "Thank you for telling us all of this. We'd better go back to the castle so we can help Hagrid."
He gripped Neville by the wrist, and together they attempted to back away.
But Aragog stepped forward, saying, "I am afraid you cannot leave." To his credit, he did sound slightly remorseful. "My children do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."
Aragog retreated back into his webbed den. At the same time, the circle of spiders began to creep closer. Neville quickly drew his wand, but Harry stayed his arm, ignoring the look of stupefaction on the Gryffindor's face as Harry called out to Aragog, "Wait!"
The spider hesitated, and Harry cried out, "If you let your children eat us, there will be no one left to save Hagrid!"
Aragog clicked thoughtfully, seeming to reflect on Harry's words. Harry knew his indecision would not be enough to hold back his sons and daughters for long. They were already closing in. Hayrr knew they would never be able to fight them all, and his appeal to Aragog was meant only as a distraction. While Aragog hesitated, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak from his pocket, and quickly threw it over himself and Neville.
Harry, dragging Neville behind him, quickly made for a gap between the giant spiders. There was a tense moment when they all froze, trying to make sense of what had just happened to their prey. Then there came an eruption of movement and sound. The spiders, clicking their pincers together in outrage, began to comb the area.
Invisibility would only get them so far, and Harry could do nothing to conceal the sounds of their feet as they raced through the trees.
He wasn't even sure they were going in the right direction, and feared that he was leading Neville further into the Forbidden Forest. Worse still, it was hard to move quickly without any light. They kept stumbling over half-concealed roots and jagged rocks. The spiders, drawn by the sound of their retreat, quickly surged after them.
Harry finally ripped off the cloak as they fled further from the hollow, keeping the light fabric clutched in his hand as he ran. They needed to be unencumbered if they stood a chance of getting away, and the cloak had served its purpose.
Neville began firing some spells behind him, but the enchantments seemed to have no effect on the spiders. Harry wasn't sure if they were immune to magic, or if it was simply too difficult to aim while running at full sprint. He screamed to Neville, telling him to leave off with the spells and just run. But it was no use. The spiders could negotiate the uneven terrain much faster on their eight legs than either of the bipedal boys. Even as they broke through the trees, somehow managing to find the path again, Harry knew they were done for.
He stopped running. Neville, panting from exertion, came to a sudden halt when he saw Harry standing before him. Harry wanted to tell him he was sorry, but he couldn't find the right words. He didn't know how to apologize for getting them both killed. He merely hoped Neville could read what he felt from the look on his face.
Then, before either of them could say a word, Harry heard something galloping toward them. Neville screamed and ducked down. Harry instinctively followed his lead just as something large sailed over his head. It came crashing to the ground on four hooves, and Harry lifted his face to see the creature who had come to their rescue.
From the waist up it appeared to be a man, but the lower half of his body was that of a horse. Harry recognized the centaur instantly, though it was the first time he had seen one outside of a book.
He watched with a mixture of shock and fascination as the creature raised itself onto its hind legs, its front hooves kicking and slashing at the air.
The sudden appearance of the centaur seemed to frighten the spiders, and they retreated several yards. The centaur took this opportunity to turn toward Harry and Neville.
"Come quickly," he said in a deep voice as he bent his forelegs to the ground, "They will not hold off very long."
Harry did not need to be told twice. He leapt onto the centaur's broad back, pulling Neville on behind him. The centaur he sprang to his feet, and Harry had to cling desperately to his waist to keep from falling off. Neville had his arms locked so tight around Harry's stomach that he thought he'd never take a full breath again.
The centaur ran as if the two humans on his back weighed nothing at all. They flew over the ground, easily scaling a few fallen trees along the path at a single bound. Harry would have found the trip exhilarating if he wasn't so terrified, and he kept turning his head to check over his shoulder, certain that he would see the swarm of spiders closing in on them.
But they were in luck. The spiders had fallen far behind, reluctant to stray too far from their hollow. As the centaur gradually slowed his speed, Harry realized with immense relief that they were close to the edge of the forest. He could see the dim outline of Hagrid's cabin, and he even heard the mournful howls of Fang as the lamented the loss of his master.
"You will be safe now," said the centaur, and Harry knew that he was right. He slipped off the centaur's back, landing heavily on his feet. Neville dropped to the ground after him with a bit less grace, and immediately threw up on the forest floor. Harry jumped away from the mess to avoid staining his trainers.
Harry noted that the centaur's sides heaved with each breath, and there were dark marks of perspiration down his flanks. The run had tired him more than Harry had guessed, and yet the creature voiced no complaints.
"Thank you for saving us," Harry said, speaking for both himself and Neville, who was still too indisposed for words.
The centaur did not immediately respond. He looked at Harry with large, dark eyes. He had a kind face, but his expression was stern.
"You should not have come to the forest alone. It is not safe. Why was Hagrid not with you?" he demanded.
"You know Hagrid?" asked Harry.
"Hagrid has many friends in these woods," said the centaur cryptically.
Harry did not find this very comforting. Hagrid's last friends had just tried to kill him.
"They've taken him away," Harry said, waving his hand in the direction of the castle, "Some people from the ministry. That's why we came ourselves. He told us to follow the spiders..."
The centaur closed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.
"So trusting," he murmured to himself. Harry wasn't sure if he was disappointed in them for listening to Hagrid, or in Hagrid himself for sending them into danger in the first place. Then the centaur opened his eyes again and looked down at Harry. The stern expression was still there, but he seemed a bit softer now.
"My name is Firenze," said the centaur.
"I'm Harry Potter."
"I know."
"Oh... Er, right..."
"I have learned of your pathos from the stars," Firenze explained, inclining his chin toward the heavens, "You're in very grave danger."
"So I'm told," said Harry, who was beginning to wonder what it would feel like to be completely safe for once.
The centaur glanced down at him again. He said nothing, and Harry wondered if centaurs understood sarcasm.
"Look," said Harry, "I'm not the only one in danger right now. The whole school is at risk if we can't find out who's really behind this. If I can capture them, I can prove that Hagrid is innocent."
Firenze looked to the sky again and shook his head sadly, "To do that, you will need to put yourself at great personal risk. You may not survive the attempt."
"Well, do the stars tell you what sort of creature is hiding in the Chamber of Secrets? I'm pretty sure it's a snake of some sort, but I could really use a hint right about now."
"The stars do not give the sort of knowledge you seek," Firenze said without emotion, but Harry swore he saw his lip tilt ever so slightly upward. "But there may be hope for you, yet. An opportunity will soon present itself, and I have faith you will succeed. You were destined for greatness."
Harry did not feel encouraged by these words. Greatness was exactly what the Sorting Hat had promised when it placed him in Slytherin, though it was something Harry had never asked for. Now, standing in the dark, his robes torn and muddy, and unable to shake the feeling of being covered in cobwebs, Harry didn't feel destined for anything, much less "greatness."
Neville finally seemed to recover from his heaving enough to thank Firenze for saving them. The centaur inclined his head toward the Gryffindor, and spared a final glance at Harry. He hoped that Firenze would have something more helpful to say, but the centaur merely wished for a speedy return of Hagrid, then he turned and cantered off through the trees.
Harry and Neville turned their backs to the woods, and began the long march toward the castle.
"We should wear the cloak," Harry said, "We'll be spotted otherwise, and the last thing I need right now is detention with Snape."
Neville gave a slight shudder at the thought, and appeared more frightened by this notion than he had at any point in the Forbidden Forest.
"You're right," he said "Let's put it on."
The boys huddled together as Harry pulled the invisibility cloak over them once again. They made their way silently through the vacant halls, the nightly curfew long since in effect. Pairs of teachers and ghosts stalked the passageways, on the alert more than just students sneaking out of bed. Talking was impossible, but Harry allowed Neville to lead, figuring he would see him as far as the Gryffindor common room.
Neville led him straight toward a portrait of a large woman in a florid pink gown. When they were close enough, Neville popped his head out of the cloak to give the password. The portrait gave a small shriek of surprise, but she swung herself open on hidden hinges, revealing the warm, bright colors of the Gryffindor common room. Harry peered around Neville curiously as he slipped inside.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked teasingly, "Now I know the location of your common room. And the password, as well."
"If you were the heir, I might be worried. But I know you're not," said Neville, smiling at the empty space where he knew Harry stood, "Besides, the password has been changing every week as it is. I can barely keep up with it, myself."
Harry slipped the hood of the cloak off his head to look Neville in the eye.
"Look, you were really brave back there. With the spiders, I mean. I'm glad you came with me."
Neville looked down to his feet in embarrassment. Harry could tell he wasn't used to compliments. When he'd recovered enough return Harry's gaze, he offered him a shy smile, saying, "Thanks, Harry. You know, you were pretty cool, too. It took a lot of cunning to talk to that spider."
Harry pulled a face at him. "Cunning... right."
Neville, seeing Harry's discomfort, scrambled to recover from his error.
"I'm sorry! Cunning isn't the right word... I meant you were resourceful! Using the cloak like that so we could get away..."
"It's alright, Neville. I understand," said Harry.
He knew Neville was only trying to give him a compliment, but the remark still gave him a strange feeling. Everyone knew that Slytherins were branded as cunning and ambitious, but Harry had never considered himself truly one of them.
He waved goodbye to Neville, and the portrait swung shut. With a vague feeling of regret, Harry watched the gold and scarlet of the Gryffindor common room disappear from view.
Alone again, Harry pulled the cloak back over his head, and made his was down to the dungeons.