Chapter 9: "A Walk in the Forest"
Frodo and Sam watched the assembled Witches and Wizards file out of the Council Chamber. Frodo watched Snape particularly; he seemed to be very tired. Suddenly he turned and gave Frodo a malevolent stare, his black eyes glittering. Frodo shuddered, involuntarily.
"Come along, dears," said Professor McGonagall, appearing at their side. "Let's go back to Gryffindor."
Frodo replied, "We were thinking of going to the Great Hall for teatime. Hobbits eat…"
"A lot. I know. Run along then," laughed McGonagall.
But on the way to the Great Hall, Sam stopped and said, "Mr. Frodo, I reckon it won't be too much longer before they figure out how to send us back. I'd really like to see Mr. Hagrid's unicorn again, maybe some of his other magical creatures too, before we go. Fancy another trip down to his cottage?"
Smiling, Frodo agreed. On their way, they ran into Harry. "You shouldn't go about the grounds unaccompanied," he said. "I can go with you, but I'm due for detention in an hour."
A professor that Frodo recognized from the Council seemed to overhear them; a dark man with an intimidating manner, he stopped and peered at the trio strangely. However, this professor did not interfere; in fact he walked off briskly as if he had just remembered a forgotten errand.
"Who is that?" asked Frodo, watching the professor leave. Harry sighed. "Professor Dunkelheitzen, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." More quietly, Harry added, "He's a little strange; glad he didn't ask us any questions. Come on."
Harry, Frodo, and Sam made their way to Hagrid's house. They found Hagrid out in front. "Oh…" said Hagrid, greeting Harry and the Hobbits. "Sorry. Tha' unicorn's gone, now. It was just here for a little while, recoverin' from a small wound." Seeing Sam's crestfallen face, Hagrid went on, "But they're about in the forest. If yeh'd like to take a little walk, I'm sure we could find another one."
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea," cautioned Harry, as they walked out towards the forest.
"We'll just stay on the outskirts of the forest, Harry," said Hagrid. "Oh, Sam, there's one!" A unicorn pranced by them in a flash of silvery-white. Sam took off running into the forest after the unicorn, with Frodo close behind.
"Stop!" cried Harry. He and Hagrid tried to follow, but the forest suddenly became very thick and tangled. Harry couldn't see where the Hobbits had gone. A bed of fallen leaves and pine needles seemed to muffle every sound.
"Let's split up," said Harry to Hagrid. "You search east of here, I'll search west."
Alone now, Harry picked his way through the dense undergrowth. He saw something white in the distance, obscured by trees. Drawing nearer, he saw a unicorn, bent low. He could just make out the outline of two Hobbits standing next to it. "Hey!" cried Harry, crashing towards them. "Idiots! Don't run off into the forest like that. Not all of the creatures here are friendly."
"Sorry, Mr. Harry," said Sam, rising and walking towards Harry. "We're fine, really…" Then, suddenly, Sam flew into the air. An enormous, long, black, hairy leg had grabbed him and lifted him up. That leg belonged to a gigantic spider, a creature Harry had first met a few years before.
"Aragog!" Harry cried. "Put him down!"
Then Harry realized this was not Aragog; it was not blind. And it was in no mood for conversation. "One of Aragog's children," thought Harry, grimly. "Drat Hagrid and his 'interesting creatures.'" The spider carefully wrapped Sam's struggling body in fine silk. Frodo, weeping and cursing, drew Sting and tried to charge the giant spider; Harry could barely hold him back. Harry drew his wand. "Impedimentus!" he cried. But the curse bounced harmlessly off the spider's dense, hairy hide. The spider hung the now- cocooned body of Sam high in a tree, and turned to face Harry.
Harry, nearly panicked with fright, remembered a spell he had used last year to complete one of his tasks in the Tri-Wizard Competition. Harry lifted his wand. "Accio Firebolt," he cried. In an instant, Harry's broomstick was in his hand. "Get on behind me," he said to Frodo. Frodo hesitated, mindful of his last experience on a broomstick. Then Harry heard rustling in the trees behind them. More spiders were on their way.
"Get on now!" cried Harry. "You have to!" With a small gasp of terror, Frodo jumped on the broomstick.
Harry rose into the air, coming to eye-level with the spider. It grabbed at him with an enormous arm; Harry just dodged out of the way. Frodo's extra weight put him off balance a bit on the broomstick. Staying just out of reach of the spider, Harry tried to draw it off. When he felt they had gotten the spider far enough away, Harry turned back. The spider was not at all fooled. It whirled about instantly and gave chase, grasping at them with its many legs.
Other spiders, at least ten of them, came out of the woods and joined the chase, climbing into the surrounding trees and jumping out at Harry and Frodo, trying to ensnare them with strands of sticky silk. Weaving and whirling and bobbing, constantly changing direction, Harry flew to the tree where Sam was hanging. "Draw your sword," Harry cried.
Frodo was utterly terrified, both of the spiders and the broomstick. He was clinging desperately to Harry with both hands; to release one hand to draw Sting required every bit of courage that he had. But he did draw Sting, and as they flew by, Frodo cut the silken cord from which Sam was hanging. Sam dropped and Harry dove, down, fast on the broomstick. He pulled up abruptly and caught Sam in his arms. The broomstick wobbled and dropped several feet. Frodo groaned.
"It's all right, I'll put you two down the second we get out of the forest," Harry said, speeding away from the angry spiders. But then Harry felt a sudden shiver. He felt cold and sick. He was losing control of the broomstick; it started to pitch and sway. Harry could hear Frodo crying out with fear. More ominously, Frodo's grip began to loosen. Harry knew he had to land immediately, even though they hadn't quite reached the forest edge.
They landed in a small clearing. With a sick, sinking feeling, Harry realized why he felt so cold. Dementors! Everywhere! "And I am already weary," Harry thought. He raised his wand and tried to think of the happiest thing he could; it was not easy. "Expecto patronus!" he cried. A silvery shape glided out of his wand. It held the Dementors back momentarily, but they pressed in further. Harry looked down. Sam was still wrapped up in spider silk. Frodo was swooning and writhing in agony, clutching at his shoulder.
And then, to Harry's surprise, a unicorn stepped into the clearing. "Unicorn!" gasped Harry. "This is all your fault!" He approached the beast; it backed away. "Oh, unicorn! I know you don't like boys; but you liked these Hobbits. Please carry them out of the forest. I can't protect them for much longer." The unicorn bowed and suffered Harry to put Frodo and Sam across its back. It lightly and carefully pranced away. The Dementors seemed to avoid it.
Harry, alone now in the clearing, raised his wand again. "Expecto patronus," came out weakly, a mere whisper. His silvery patronus dissipated quickly. Harry staggered, then fell. Mist and fog overcame him. He heard screaming: the voice of his mother begging Lord Voldemort to spare his life. 'No, not Harry, not Harry!' A Dementor approached him and began to lift its hood.
"Here, tha' won' do at all!" Hagrid had just run into the clearing. He seized Harry's wand and bellowed, "Expecto patronus!" An enormous silver patronus in the shape of a three-headed dog came charging out of the wand. The Dementors scattered. "Nasty buggers," Hagrid said, helping Harry up. "What are they doin' here at Hogwarts, that's what I'd like teh know!"
As the unicorn bore the Hobbits away from the Dementors, Frodo regained consciousness. He groaned and rubbed his shoulder. The unicorn stopped just at the forest edge and bowed. Frodo jumped off, and lowered Sam down. Drawing Sting, Frodo cut Sam's silken bonds. "Are you all right, Sam?" he cried, anxiously. Sam moaned in answer. He couldn't walk; the spider had poisoned him. Frodo tried vainly to carry him.
"Frodo, Sam!" called a somewhat familiar voice. "Are you injured? Can I help?" A Wizard in pin-striped robes and a lime-green bowler hat dashed over to them. Frodo looked up and recognized him. It was Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.
"Yes, thank you!" cried Frodo, nearly weeping with relief. "We were in the forest and a great spider tried to eat us. It caught Sam. It poisoned him. And then these creatures came, wraith-like creatures, all around us. And then everything was fog and darkness. I thought I was on Weathertop again. I felt the Nazgul wound!" Frodo clutched at his shoulder in anguish.
"Well I believe this proves once and for all that you are not safe here at Hogwarts. Dumbledore has been most careless, I'm afraid. I've come, actually, to take you to Azkaban, which is a much more secure place for you. No giant spiders there at all," said Fudge. Frodo felt cold again; he looked up and saw that a group of Dementors had assembled behind Fudge.
Frodo did not know what Azkaban was, but from Dumbledore's reaction at the council he supposed it was not a nice place. He also guessed there were Dementors there. With the last of his strength, he tried to run away. Fudge waved his wand and said, "Stupefy!" Both Hobbits collapsed, unconscious, on the ground. Fudge tucked one under each arm and walked briskly down the grounds and out the Hogwarts gate, with the Dementors following. Then he vanished.
