Chapter 6: Aragog's Return
They followed the large spiders deeper into the Forest until they reached the nesting grounds of the Acromantulas. Ron groaned and Hermione looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong?" "Spiders. Too many spiders." "Oh, yeah. Don't worry, Ron. I'll protect you." Harry stifled a laugh, but was cut short as he noticed what the Spiders were doing. Their guides had left them standing in the middle of the nest while they went to the cave and yelled out, "Aragog!"
Harry looked at Ron, whose face mirrored the shock he felt. Aragog, again?
"What," Aragog yelled out from his cave.
"We have found the Harry Potter for you!"
Slowly, Aragog emerged from his cave and Ron gripped his wand, struggling to decide whether or not he should kill him or wait to hear what he says. Hermione placed a restraining hand on his arm to keep him from using his wand.
Aragog addressed Harry: "We meet again, young Potter. Tell me. Why are you here now? Is Hagrid in trouble again?" He examined Harry with all eight eyes and Harry thought Moody's eye was piercing but it was nothing compared to having eight large spider eyes trained on him.
"Er- no, actually, Hagrid is fine or as fine as he ever is. We were just looking for a boat."
"A boat? Wouldn't the lake be a more appropriate place to look for a boat then the Forest?"
"Yes, but this not just any boat, it's a canoe. I don't know much more about it except that it will help my friends and I defeat the Dark Lord at canoeing."
Aragog looked at Harry; he seemed to be sizing him up for some reason. Finally, he waved one of his back legs in some sort of a gesture and the spiders behind him scurried off into the cave.
Ron looked like he was doing to go into convulsions any second now as the other spiders began to approach. To his credit, Fred and George weren't looking like their usual selves either. Ginny, however, was merely standing there, holding her wand and watching the spiders as one might a butterfly or another common insect.
"Harry Potter," Aragog addressed him again, "Do you remember the first time we met?"
"Yes, you tried to eat us, even though we weren't doing anything wrong," Harry accused.
"Ah, but you weren't doing anything right either." Harry looked at Aragog, confused. "Huh?"
"Do you know why I stayed here, in this forest, when I could have escaped in order to avoid getting murdered as Dippet would have liked?"
Harry shrugged. "No, I don't. I figured it was Hagrid's doing."
"You are partially correct. You see, Dumbledore placed me here to guard something he felt was more important than anything else. He knew I would take care of it because Acromantuals are territorial and always devour all who cross into their territory…unless they have helped them in someway."
Hermione gasped and Ron turned to look at her. "What now?"
"I've…I've just had an epiphany!" She spoke now to Aragog. "You're the Guardian of the Canoe, aren't you? Dumbledore sent you here to guard it. Tom Riddle would have been at the height of his rowing capabilities."
Aragog nodded. "You are very intelligent for a human being. I did not have the pleasure of meeting you before. What is you name?"
"Hermione Granger." He nodded his immensely big head. "Yes, I am the guardian of the canoe and I suppose you want the boat?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, but Dobby (He's a house-elf) said that I would have to do the Guardian a favor in order to get the goat or else I'd be devoured. Why are you so eager to be rid of it now?"
"Young Potter, when you last came here, you hadn't done me a favor yet. But now you have and killing ou greatest enemy is a considerable favor."
"Ah," whispered Hermione, "the Basilisk."
"And here is the boat. You have earned it, Harry Potter." Six spiders emerged from the cave, bearing a green and yellow canoe upon their backs. They set it down in front of Harry and slowly his friends gathered around him. A large red brid was emblazoned on the side. It was a phoenix. Harry ran his hand around the bird. His mind seemed to spin. They had learnt about phoenixes in Care of Magical Creatures on Friday. He looked down at his wand. Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, had given the two feathers used to make his and Voldemort's wand. "Phoenix," he whispered. Ginny looked over at him, questioningly. He shook his head. Later. She nodded understanding his meaning.
"It's name is the Green Flame Torch," Aragog said loftily.
"The Green Flame Torch? Does that bear any relation to the Green Torch we used earlier this year to try and defeat Voldemort with?" Harry asked.
"Ah, you're referring to the History of the Green Torch?" The Group nodded. "No, I'm sorry," Aragog answered. "They have absolutely nothing in common with each other. However, green torch is sometimes mistaken for the Green Flame Torch which actually can drive evil away. Or at least it could until…," he cleared his throat. "The Green Torch, as I'm sure Dumbledore has explained to you, Harry, merely displaces evil and disturbing thoughts."
"Hermione!" Ron groaned, "You mixed them up. The Green Torch doesn't drive away evil, the Green Flame Torch does! We spent all winter trying to kill Voldemort with something that doesn't kill!"
Hermione scowled. "Oh, for god's sake! I'm not perfect! Get over it. Besides, we still found the Green Flame Torch, didn't we?"
"Well," Harry said, standing up. "Let's get this back to the Castle grounds; it's getting late or early as the case may be. We'll carry it with three people on each side. Come on."
They moved to the canoe and heaved it up onto their shoulders and slowly started off, back towards the castle. Harry's mind seemed to be working out a problem he was only learning the question to. The name of their team…
Finally, after they had walked for half an hour, he called a rest break. "I think I know what to name our team," he told them. "The Order of the Phoenix."
"The Order of the Phoenix?" Why that animal?" Fred asked, puzzled.
"Well, for many reasons. Mostly, I guess, because of the fact it's on the side of our boat." Everyone quickly glanced at the side of the canoe. "Then I suppose because of the importance of the phoenix. It can't just be coincidence, can it? This is right. I can feel it."
Hermione nodded. "I like it, Harry." Eventually, the rest of them agreed and they continued their way back up towards the castle.
They followed the large spiders deeper into the Forest until they reached the nesting grounds of the Acromantulas. Ron groaned and Hermione looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong?" "Spiders. Too many spiders." "Oh, yeah. Don't worry, Ron. I'll protect you." Harry stifled a laugh, but was cut short as he noticed what the Spiders were doing. Their guides had left them standing in the middle of the nest while they went to the cave and yelled out, "Aragog!"
Harry looked at Ron, whose face mirrored the shock he felt. Aragog, again?
"What," Aragog yelled out from his cave.
"We have found the Harry Potter for you!"
Slowly, Aragog emerged from his cave and Ron gripped his wand, struggling to decide whether or not he should kill him or wait to hear what he says. Hermione placed a restraining hand on his arm to keep him from using his wand.
Aragog addressed Harry: "We meet again, young Potter. Tell me. Why are you here now? Is Hagrid in trouble again?" He examined Harry with all eight eyes and Harry thought Moody's eye was piercing but it was nothing compared to having eight large spider eyes trained on him.
"Er- no, actually, Hagrid is fine or as fine as he ever is. We were just looking for a boat."
"A boat? Wouldn't the lake be a more appropriate place to look for a boat then the Forest?"
"Yes, but this not just any boat, it's a canoe. I don't know much more about it except that it will help my friends and I defeat the Dark Lord at canoeing."
Aragog looked at Harry; he seemed to be sizing him up for some reason. Finally, he waved one of his back legs in some sort of a gesture and the spiders behind him scurried off into the cave.
Ron looked like he was doing to go into convulsions any second now as the other spiders began to approach. To his credit, Fred and George weren't looking like their usual selves either. Ginny, however, was merely standing there, holding her wand and watching the spiders as one might a butterfly or another common insect.
"Harry Potter," Aragog addressed him again, "Do you remember the first time we met?"
"Yes, you tried to eat us, even though we weren't doing anything wrong," Harry accused.
"Ah, but you weren't doing anything right either." Harry looked at Aragog, confused. "Huh?"
"Do you know why I stayed here, in this forest, when I could have escaped in order to avoid getting murdered as Dippet would have liked?"
Harry shrugged. "No, I don't. I figured it was Hagrid's doing."
"You are partially correct. You see, Dumbledore placed me here to guard something he felt was more important than anything else. He knew I would take care of it because Acromantuals are territorial and always devour all who cross into their territory…unless they have helped them in someway."
Hermione gasped and Ron turned to look at her. "What now?"
"I've…I've just had an epiphany!" She spoke now to Aragog. "You're the Guardian of the Canoe, aren't you? Dumbledore sent you here to guard it. Tom Riddle would have been at the height of his rowing capabilities."
Aragog nodded. "You are very intelligent for a human being. I did not have the pleasure of meeting you before. What is you name?"
"Hermione Granger." He nodded his immensely big head. "Yes, I am the guardian of the canoe and I suppose you want the boat?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, but Dobby (He's a house-elf) said that I would have to do the Guardian a favor in order to get the goat or else I'd be devoured. Why are you so eager to be rid of it now?"
"Young Potter, when you last came here, you hadn't done me a favor yet. But now you have and killing ou greatest enemy is a considerable favor."
"Ah," whispered Hermione, "the Basilisk."
"And here is the boat. You have earned it, Harry Potter." Six spiders emerged from the cave, bearing a green and yellow canoe upon their backs. They set it down in front of Harry and slowly his friends gathered around him. A large red brid was emblazoned on the side. It was a phoenix. Harry ran his hand around the bird. His mind seemed to spin. They had learnt about phoenixes in Care of Magical Creatures on Friday. He looked down at his wand. Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, had given the two feathers used to make his and Voldemort's wand. "Phoenix," he whispered. Ginny looked over at him, questioningly. He shook his head. Later. She nodded understanding his meaning.
"It's name is the Green Flame Torch," Aragog said loftily.
"The Green Flame Torch? Does that bear any relation to the Green Torch we used earlier this year to try and defeat Voldemort with?" Harry asked.
"Ah, you're referring to the History of the Green Torch?" The Group nodded. "No, I'm sorry," Aragog answered. "They have absolutely nothing in common with each other. However, green torch is sometimes mistaken for the Green Flame Torch which actually can drive evil away. Or at least it could until…," he cleared his throat. "The Green Torch, as I'm sure Dumbledore has explained to you, Harry, merely displaces evil and disturbing thoughts."
"Hermione!" Ron groaned, "You mixed them up. The Green Torch doesn't drive away evil, the Green Flame Torch does! We spent all winter trying to kill Voldemort with something that doesn't kill!"
Hermione scowled. "Oh, for god's sake! I'm not perfect! Get over it. Besides, we still found the Green Flame Torch, didn't we?"
"Well," Harry said, standing up. "Let's get this back to the Castle grounds; it's getting late or early as the case may be. We'll carry it with three people on each side. Come on."
They moved to the canoe and heaved it up onto their shoulders and slowly started off, back towards the castle. Harry's mind seemed to be working out a problem he was only learning the question to. The name of their team…
Finally, after they had walked for half an hour, he called a rest break. "I think I know what to name our team," he told them. "The Order of the Phoenix."
"The Order of the Phoenix?" Why that animal?" Fred asked, puzzled.
"Well, for many reasons. Mostly, I guess, because of the fact it's on the side of our boat." Everyone quickly glanced at the side of the canoe. "Then I suppose because of the importance of the phoenix. It can't just be coincidence, can it? This is right. I can feel it."
Hermione nodded. "I like it, Harry." Eventually, the rest of them agreed and they continued their way back up towards the castle.