[Summary] – Monster Blood: When James, Peter and Sirius decide to investigate the Forest, they find a lot more than they bargained for.


"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Remus asked doubtfully, but continued before either James or Sirius had a chance to respond. "No, of course you do. You're idiots. Peter," Remus said, turning to face the other boy. "Maybe you can talk some sense into them."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I tried. They think they've found their calling."

"This is ridiculous," he muttered.

"Um, excuse me," Sirius said. "If I could just interject."

"Why are you talking like that?" Peter asked, looking at his friend in confusion.

"Because this is Sirius," James said with a smirk.

"Hey, that's my line." Sirius glared at his friend.

"I have to go," Remus interjected, looking between his three friends.

"What? Again?" Peter asked.

"Yeah. Family emergency," he said. "I'll be back in a couple days. Try not to get yourselves killed while I'm gone," he said, turning and walking back into the castle to the chorus of his friends' farewells.

"Do you think that's what's really going on with him?" Peter asked as soon as Remus was out of earshot.

"Why would he lie?" James asked.

"He's had a family emergency nearly every month since first year."

"We'll work on it once we've finished this," Sirius said. "One mystery at a time."

"Besides," James added. "Tonight's the full moon, so we'd have to wait another month if we don't find it tonight."

.oOo.

The three of them hid under James' invisibility cloak, with Peter in the middle, and silently crept through the halls of Hogwarts. They made it outside without incident, and removed the cloak so that they didn't have to walk so closely together.

"I still think we should wait for Remus," Peter muttered.

"Yeah, okay," James said. "We'll tell him that when he gets back."

They made their way into the Forest, Peter's objections falling on deaf ears.

"What was that?" Sirius whispered, stopping suddenly.

"What?" James and Peter asked at the same time. Peter took a step closer to his friends, while James looked around for whatever Sirius might have heard.

"I think we should go back," Peter whispered. He could hear a rustling in the trees, a snuffling sound. His heart beat fast in his chest, pounding in his ears. He felt bile rising in his throat, but couldn't even open his mouth to scream.

"Yeh shouldn't be out here." Either James or Sirius – Peter didn't turn to see who – let out a yelp at the sudden voice, but Peter only felt crushing relief. Hagrid stepped out of the shadows, closely followed by Fang, holding a lantern up and peering at the three students in the circle of light it produced. "It's no' safe," he said. "I'll take ya back to the castle."

"But Hagrid!" Sirius said, having recovered from his fear. "There's something out here."

"There's lots o' things in the Forest," he said. "No' the best place ter be, even in the day."

"But people could die, Hagrid," James said.

"An' tha's no' something fer you to be sortin' out," Hagrid said firmly, steering them in the direction they had just come.

"But, Hagrid," Sirius whined.

"There's all kinds o' creatures in the Forest," Hagrid reiterated. "Most o' 'em aren't friendly ter strangers."

"But–" Sirius began, but stopped abruptly. "What was that?" he whispered.

"Last time, it was just Hagrid," James said loudly, looking at his friend with mild annoyance.

"Well, Hagrid's here now," Sirius hissed. "So keep your voice down."

"Relax," James said. "Hagrid knows every inch of the Forest."

"Now, I wouldn't say tha'." All three boys turned to face Hagrid, expressions showing varying degrees of alarm. "Keep yer voices down," he said, seemingly oblivious to their fear. "There's no tellin' what tha' was."

"Hagrid, what's–" Peter began.

"Oh." Hagrid seemed to relax. "I's only Aragog."

"Oh, well that's–" Sirius started, but was cut off by James.

"Spider," he shrieked. A large black creature, its body easily the size of a watermelon, had slowly descended from the trees above them and was not wrapping long legs around James. He yelped, instinctively trying to keep his mouth closed. Peter took a step back.

"There's nothin' ter be afraid o'," Hagrid said. "An' tha' one's only a baby." James whimpered. "He's on'y playing," Hagrid said, possibly aiming for reassurance. There was more rustling from the trees. "They'll take care o' ya."

More spiders were coming, crawling forward from the shadows and forming a ring around them.

"Yes," the spider clinging to James whispered. "We'll take care of the children."

"Wh-where are you going?" Peter stuttered.

"Something's disturbin' the spiders," Hagrid said, already making his way into the trees. "They'll get ya back ter the castle." He disappeared before any of the boys could protest further.

"This way, this way," the spiders called to the boys. Peter felt one latch onto his trouser leg and instinctively kicked it away.

Three more had climbed on James, and another was slowly lowering itself to crawl in Peter's hair.

Even more were coming, now, separating James and Peter from Sirius.

A howl startled the spiders, and they latched on tighter to Peter, pulling him into the trees. He could see the same happening to James off to his left.

"Sirius!" James yelled, trying to reach out, but his arms were pinned to his side. Peter turned slowly, dreading what he might see.

Sirius was mostly obscured by the spiders and the trees, now, but even so he could see that the spiders were clearly keeping their distance from Sirius. Another howl, and a large blur leapt from the trees, heading straight for Sirius.

Another scream sounded, though Peter couldn't tell if it was James or Sirius, before Peter's eyes and mouth were covered by long hairy legs.


A/N – Fun fact: there's actually four books in the original Goosebumps series titled Monster Blood, so expect a sequel :)