Disclaimer: Same as always, I don't own Harry Potter only my characters.
*~*~*~*
"Knock, knock!"
"Come in," Dumbledore said calmly and in stepped Hagrid, carrying his bow and arrow in his giant hands.
Dumbledore beckoned Hagrid to sit down but Hagrid shook his head. Dumbledore looked up at Hagrid smiling. Hagrid shook his head again.
"Yeh want me teh find Tom out in the forbidden forest don't yah?" Hagrid asked clutching his bow tighter to his chest.
Dumbledore stood up and walked slowly around his desk and put his hands on Hagrid's shoulders and smiled. Hagrid stood there, waiting for Dumbledore's reply.
"Yes, indeed Hagrid, that's exactly what I want you to do, you can control those monsters better than anyone else in this entire castle," Dumbledore said calmly, not even doubting Hagrid for a minute.
Hagrid stood bolt upright and said, "Yes Professor, anything. I'll get right on it!"
Hagrid turned around and grabbed the doorknob but Dumbledore quickly called, "And Hagrid, be careful and do hurry."
Hagrid nodded and said, "You can count on me Professor."
He turned the doorknob and walked out of Dumbledore's office and set off down to the forbidden forest, before it was to late.
*~*~*~*
As Tom lay in the spider's grasp of him, he thought of, if he wasn't going to die, how much he liked to get back at Paul for doing this. Every time he thought about Paul made him want to grab his little throat and squeeze it as hard as he could and chock him.
Tom closed his eyes tightly and thought harder about hurting Paul that was until something hit him on top of his head. Tom opened his eyes and noticed that he was no longer out in the middle of the forbidden forest; he was now in fact inside the spider's hollow.
Everywhere Tom looked he saw spiders coming down and crowding around the spider that held him. A huge shiver went down Tom's spine when he heard someone or something speak from in front of him.
"What have you bought for me?" the voice asked slowly and a bit croaky.
Tom looked in the direction of which the voice came from. If he thought the other spiders were huge, he was wrong. The one before him was even bigger than all the others, nearly twice the size.
The spider that held him chatted something to the bigger spider which Tom couldn't make out. More shivers went down Tom's spine, just thinking about what these spiders were going to do to him.
"Bring the human to me," the bigger spider said.
The spider that held Tom crawled over to it and placed Tom carefully before it. Tom closed his eyes so tightly it hurt. He could the spider's legs feeling all over him.
'It'll be alright, I'm gonna be alright,' Tom told himself rocking back and forwards.
"NO I WON'T!" Tom screamed which echoed throughout the entire hollow.
"No what?" the spider before him asked.
Tom opened his eyes and raised his head slowly until he was looking straight into the spider's many eyes. Tom gulped and mumbled, "Um. there my lines. in a play. up at the school."
Once he finished all the spiders started chattering loudly, as though he'd said something extremely wrong. Tom looked around the hollow, shaking all over with fear, wondering what they were playing to do with him.
"You're a student! We don't trust anyone up at the castle except for Hagrid," said the spider in front of him.
'Why couldn't Hagrid ever be around when you need him,' Tom wondered.
"Who are you?" the spider asked.
"I'm. I'm Tom B-B-Boarder," Tom said, "Tom short for T-Thomas."
"Aragog, I'm Aragog and these little lovely creatures are my sons and daughters," Aragog said clicking his pincers.
"Holy crap, that's a lot of kids mate! Ever thought of telling your wife or girlfriend no?" Tom said shocked, forgetting who he was talking too.
That seemed to offend Aragog and his children, because after he finished the whole hollow was filled with loud chattering. Just then, Tom relised he might have said the wrong thing.
"But then again, a few thousand kids is a reasonable number, why not add on a few more?" Tom asked quaking.
"How dare you come here and insult my family!" Aragog chattered loudly.
"Not insult, more like a rude comment that surely doesn't deserve a punishment. like getting eaten," Tom mumbled nervously.
"Come on children, dinner is served!" Aragog chattered even louder.
All of the spiders started swarming down from everywhere, all wanting to get a piece of Tom. Tom screamed wanting to escape. He shut his eyes and curled up, hoping that they would all disappear.
Tom waited, waiting for the spiders to swarm over him, ripping him to shreds, but nothing happened, except for the spiders chattering loudly and running away from Tom.
Tom nervously opened his eyes and raised his head, taking a look around to see a ring of fire around him. Tom sat upright, his eyes nearly popping out his head. Since when did fire grow in a spider hollow?
"Not him Aragog," said the voice that Tom knew way to well.
Tom looked behind him and saw Hagrid walking up to him, his umbrella tucked under his arm. Hagrid had started the fire with his umbrella. Tom smiled broadly, he was saved, which meant Paul had told someone about him out here.
Hagrid waved his umbrella putting the fire out. Tom stood up, stumbling a little. Hagrid rushed over and untied him and helped him off the ground. When Tom was up on his feet, he threw his arms around Hagrid and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you Hagrid," Tom whispered.
"You can thank me later, we need teh get outta here now," Hagrid whispered back pulling him away.
"Hagrid, what's going on?" Aragog asked.
Hagrid turned to Aragog and said, "Sorry Aragog, not today."
Hagrid grabbed Tom's arm and took him out of the spiders hollow, unharmed and safe. Once they were outside of the hollow, Tom tugged on Hagrid's arm and Hagrid turned around and looked down at Tom.
"How did you know I was here?" Tom asked confused.
Hagrid chuckled and said, "Dumbledore told me."
"How'd he know?" Tom asked again as they started walking again.
"Professor Norton," Hagrid answered pulling a branch out of his way.
Tom looked shocked and asked again, "And w-who told her?"
"Think someone said it was Paul," Hagrid said thinking which way he had come.
Tom's heart started pounding rapidly. Paul had told; even know he was the one who had put him in this mess. This was what he wanted, so why did he back out?
"Come on Tom, just up here and we're out," Hagrid said hurrying him along.
Tom smiled and said, "Coming Hagrid."
*~*~*~*
All the students had finished eating their lunch and were now going off outside, off to the library and in some few certain Gryffindors case, back to their house common room.
Ginny, Emily, Rhys and Paul all had stuffed themselves silly over lunch and now all collapsed onto the couch and chairs in front of the fire.
"Remind me never to do that again," Ginny said holding her stomach.
"OK, if you remind me," Paul said rubbing his stomach.
They all sat there in silence, until Ron came down the stairs from his dormitory and saw Paul sitting with his sister and his girlfriend. He ran over and pulled him off the couch by the scruff of his robes.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ron asked holding him in the air.
"Ron, let him go," Emily said standing up and tried freeing her brother.
"No Em, he's hurt you and Gin and now put that Tom guy into the forest and killed him too, why shouldn't I hurt him?" Ron asked her.
"Because, I'm not dead, he saved me," came Tom's voice from the porthole.
They all looked up and there he was, robes ripped, dirt all over his face and mud in his hair, but it was Tom, who was very much alive. Rhys jumped out of his seat and did something he'd never usually do, and hugged Tom tightly.
Ginny ran over as well and joined in on the hug. Ron let go of Paul in disbelief. Paul got up off the floor and stared at Tom. He was alive, and it was because of him going back and telling Professor Norton that he was standing there.
"Tom, I-I can't believe your alive!" Ginny squealed.
"Neither can I really," Tom laughed.
Tom looked over at Paul. He didn't know how to act towards him. He still hated him but he was the one that got him out of that mess, let alone put him into it. Paul smiled and looked down at the floor.
"You did something right?" Ron asked looking at Paul disgusted.
Paul looked at him and shrugged. What could he say? He couldn't believe it himself. Ron glared at him and turned away. Emily walked over to Ron and said to him, "Don't you owe Paul an apology?"
Ron groaned and rolled his eyes. He taped Paul on the shoulder and Paul turned around grinning and asked, "Yes Ronald?"
Ron made another groan and said, "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Paul asked still grinning.
Ron stamped his foot and yelled, "For blaming you on killing Tom and hurting both Em and Gin!"
Paul laughed and continued grinning. Emily then cleared her throat and said, "Guys, let's leave Tom and Paul for a moment."
The others nodded and walked out of the porthole. Paul tried to tell her not to go, but Emily waved goodbye and went out and closed the porthole behind her. Paul kicked the floor and said, "So, glad to see you're alive."
"Yeah well, it's all thanks to you really," Tom said uncomfortable with the arrangement as well.
"Me? Why? I nearly killed you," Paul said his mouth almost dropping.
"I know that! But, Hagrid told me you were the one that told Norton that I was in the forest," Tom said rather fast.
Paul stood there shocked. How could Tom just forgive him like that? Even he wouldn't forgive himself! Paul shook his head and said, "Tom, no, I deserve something! Give me a punch, a good old yell, anything!"
"I know you do, but not today, let's just forgive and forget," Tom said even shocked at what he was saying.
Paul grabbed Tom's fist and showed out how to punch him. Tom looked at him backing away as far as he could. Paul let go, closed his eyes and said, "I showed you, know let me have it."
Tom rolled his eyes and said, "If you insist Paul."
Next thing Paul knew Tom's fist collided with the side of his face. Tom pulled his fist away and backed away from Paul.
"Paul I'm so sorry," Tom said begging.
Paul stood up straight and felt the spot where Tom had just punched him. Paul looked over at Tom who still couldn't believe what he had done. Paul smiled weakly.
"Well, that just said it all, thanks," Paul said and headed for the porthole.
"My punch said something? What'd it say?" Tom asked confused.
"You're still angry with me. You don't want to be my friend," Paul said.
Tom narrowed his eyebrows and asked, "How can you tell that just from a punch?"
"Believe me, I've had enough punches to know what the people are thinking when they punch me," Paul said facing Tom.
"You're bloody crazy! I'm trying to be nice but someone doesn't want me too," Tom said angrily.
"See, you yelling at me, you hate me," Paul said turning back around.
"I wasn't yelling, but you're making me so angry that I just have to now!" Tom yelled across at Paul.
"Tom, just admit it, you and me are just people that shouldn't be friends," Paul said.
Tom walked over to the porthole and on the way out he yelled back at Paul, "For once your right Paul, and you can just forget me in this whole 'POH' band thing, don't think I could handle practicing in the same room as you!"
Tom slammed the porthole behind him on his way out. Once outside, the others were staring at him, waiting to hear what had happened between them. Tom glared at them all.
"What you fucking looking at?" Tom yelled at them.
"Tom, what's up?" Rhys asked getting nervous of his friend.
"I try to be nice and this is the way you people treat me?" Tom yelled again.
"We didn't do anything," Ginny said walking over to Tom.
"Leave me alone! I half wish I did die out there!" Tom roared and ran away from them.
Rhys flopped on the floor and asked, "What has happened know?"
Ginny looked at where Tom had run away and said, "I don't know Rhys, I really don't know."
*~*~*~*
Another chappie, hope that one also took yah fancy! PLEASE PLEASE R&R! (I don't ask 4 much!:P)
*~*~*~*
"Knock, knock!"
"Come in," Dumbledore said calmly and in stepped Hagrid, carrying his bow and arrow in his giant hands.
Dumbledore beckoned Hagrid to sit down but Hagrid shook his head. Dumbledore looked up at Hagrid smiling. Hagrid shook his head again.
"Yeh want me teh find Tom out in the forbidden forest don't yah?" Hagrid asked clutching his bow tighter to his chest.
Dumbledore stood up and walked slowly around his desk and put his hands on Hagrid's shoulders and smiled. Hagrid stood there, waiting for Dumbledore's reply.
"Yes, indeed Hagrid, that's exactly what I want you to do, you can control those monsters better than anyone else in this entire castle," Dumbledore said calmly, not even doubting Hagrid for a minute.
Hagrid stood bolt upright and said, "Yes Professor, anything. I'll get right on it!"
Hagrid turned around and grabbed the doorknob but Dumbledore quickly called, "And Hagrid, be careful and do hurry."
Hagrid nodded and said, "You can count on me Professor."
He turned the doorknob and walked out of Dumbledore's office and set off down to the forbidden forest, before it was to late.
*~*~*~*
As Tom lay in the spider's grasp of him, he thought of, if he wasn't going to die, how much he liked to get back at Paul for doing this. Every time he thought about Paul made him want to grab his little throat and squeeze it as hard as he could and chock him.
Tom closed his eyes tightly and thought harder about hurting Paul that was until something hit him on top of his head. Tom opened his eyes and noticed that he was no longer out in the middle of the forbidden forest; he was now in fact inside the spider's hollow.
Everywhere Tom looked he saw spiders coming down and crowding around the spider that held him. A huge shiver went down Tom's spine when he heard someone or something speak from in front of him.
"What have you bought for me?" the voice asked slowly and a bit croaky.
Tom looked in the direction of which the voice came from. If he thought the other spiders were huge, he was wrong. The one before him was even bigger than all the others, nearly twice the size.
The spider that held him chatted something to the bigger spider which Tom couldn't make out. More shivers went down Tom's spine, just thinking about what these spiders were going to do to him.
"Bring the human to me," the bigger spider said.
The spider that held Tom crawled over to it and placed Tom carefully before it. Tom closed his eyes so tightly it hurt. He could the spider's legs feeling all over him.
'It'll be alright, I'm gonna be alright,' Tom told himself rocking back and forwards.
"NO I WON'T!" Tom screamed which echoed throughout the entire hollow.
"No what?" the spider before him asked.
Tom opened his eyes and raised his head slowly until he was looking straight into the spider's many eyes. Tom gulped and mumbled, "Um. there my lines. in a play. up at the school."
Once he finished all the spiders started chattering loudly, as though he'd said something extremely wrong. Tom looked around the hollow, shaking all over with fear, wondering what they were playing to do with him.
"You're a student! We don't trust anyone up at the castle except for Hagrid," said the spider in front of him.
'Why couldn't Hagrid ever be around when you need him,' Tom wondered.
"Who are you?" the spider asked.
"I'm. I'm Tom B-B-Boarder," Tom said, "Tom short for T-Thomas."
"Aragog, I'm Aragog and these little lovely creatures are my sons and daughters," Aragog said clicking his pincers.
"Holy crap, that's a lot of kids mate! Ever thought of telling your wife or girlfriend no?" Tom said shocked, forgetting who he was talking too.
That seemed to offend Aragog and his children, because after he finished the whole hollow was filled with loud chattering. Just then, Tom relised he might have said the wrong thing.
"But then again, a few thousand kids is a reasonable number, why not add on a few more?" Tom asked quaking.
"How dare you come here and insult my family!" Aragog chattered loudly.
"Not insult, more like a rude comment that surely doesn't deserve a punishment. like getting eaten," Tom mumbled nervously.
"Come on children, dinner is served!" Aragog chattered even louder.
All of the spiders started swarming down from everywhere, all wanting to get a piece of Tom. Tom screamed wanting to escape. He shut his eyes and curled up, hoping that they would all disappear.
Tom waited, waiting for the spiders to swarm over him, ripping him to shreds, but nothing happened, except for the spiders chattering loudly and running away from Tom.
Tom nervously opened his eyes and raised his head, taking a look around to see a ring of fire around him. Tom sat upright, his eyes nearly popping out his head. Since when did fire grow in a spider hollow?
"Not him Aragog," said the voice that Tom knew way to well.
Tom looked behind him and saw Hagrid walking up to him, his umbrella tucked under his arm. Hagrid had started the fire with his umbrella. Tom smiled broadly, he was saved, which meant Paul had told someone about him out here.
Hagrid waved his umbrella putting the fire out. Tom stood up, stumbling a little. Hagrid rushed over and untied him and helped him off the ground. When Tom was up on his feet, he threw his arms around Hagrid and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you Hagrid," Tom whispered.
"You can thank me later, we need teh get outta here now," Hagrid whispered back pulling him away.
"Hagrid, what's going on?" Aragog asked.
Hagrid turned to Aragog and said, "Sorry Aragog, not today."
Hagrid grabbed Tom's arm and took him out of the spiders hollow, unharmed and safe. Once they were outside of the hollow, Tom tugged on Hagrid's arm and Hagrid turned around and looked down at Tom.
"How did you know I was here?" Tom asked confused.
Hagrid chuckled and said, "Dumbledore told me."
"How'd he know?" Tom asked again as they started walking again.
"Professor Norton," Hagrid answered pulling a branch out of his way.
Tom looked shocked and asked again, "And w-who told her?"
"Think someone said it was Paul," Hagrid said thinking which way he had come.
Tom's heart started pounding rapidly. Paul had told; even know he was the one who had put him in this mess. This was what he wanted, so why did he back out?
"Come on Tom, just up here and we're out," Hagrid said hurrying him along.
Tom smiled and said, "Coming Hagrid."
*~*~*~*
All the students had finished eating their lunch and were now going off outside, off to the library and in some few certain Gryffindors case, back to their house common room.
Ginny, Emily, Rhys and Paul all had stuffed themselves silly over lunch and now all collapsed onto the couch and chairs in front of the fire.
"Remind me never to do that again," Ginny said holding her stomach.
"OK, if you remind me," Paul said rubbing his stomach.
They all sat there in silence, until Ron came down the stairs from his dormitory and saw Paul sitting with his sister and his girlfriend. He ran over and pulled him off the couch by the scruff of his robes.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ron asked holding him in the air.
"Ron, let him go," Emily said standing up and tried freeing her brother.
"No Em, he's hurt you and Gin and now put that Tom guy into the forest and killed him too, why shouldn't I hurt him?" Ron asked her.
"Because, I'm not dead, he saved me," came Tom's voice from the porthole.
They all looked up and there he was, robes ripped, dirt all over his face and mud in his hair, but it was Tom, who was very much alive. Rhys jumped out of his seat and did something he'd never usually do, and hugged Tom tightly.
Ginny ran over as well and joined in on the hug. Ron let go of Paul in disbelief. Paul got up off the floor and stared at Tom. He was alive, and it was because of him going back and telling Professor Norton that he was standing there.
"Tom, I-I can't believe your alive!" Ginny squealed.
"Neither can I really," Tom laughed.
Tom looked over at Paul. He didn't know how to act towards him. He still hated him but he was the one that got him out of that mess, let alone put him into it. Paul smiled and looked down at the floor.
"You did something right?" Ron asked looking at Paul disgusted.
Paul looked at him and shrugged. What could he say? He couldn't believe it himself. Ron glared at him and turned away. Emily walked over to Ron and said to him, "Don't you owe Paul an apology?"
Ron groaned and rolled his eyes. He taped Paul on the shoulder and Paul turned around grinning and asked, "Yes Ronald?"
Ron made another groan and said, "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Paul asked still grinning.
Ron stamped his foot and yelled, "For blaming you on killing Tom and hurting both Em and Gin!"
Paul laughed and continued grinning. Emily then cleared her throat and said, "Guys, let's leave Tom and Paul for a moment."
The others nodded and walked out of the porthole. Paul tried to tell her not to go, but Emily waved goodbye and went out and closed the porthole behind her. Paul kicked the floor and said, "So, glad to see you're alive."
"Yeah well, it's all thanks to you really," Tom said uncomfortable with the arrangement as well.
"Me? Why? I nearly killed you," Paul said his mouth almost dropping.
"I know that! But, Hagrid told me you were the one that told Norton that I was in the forest," Tom said rather fast.
Paul stood there shocked. How could Tom just forgive him like that? Even he wouldn't forgive himself! Paul shook his head and said, "Tom, no, I deserve something! Give me a punch, a good old yell, anything!"
"I know you do, but not today, let's just forgive and forget," Tom said even shocked at what he was saying.
Paul grabbed Tom's fist and showed out how to punch him. Tom looked at him backing away as far as he could. Paul let go, closed his eyes and said, "I showed you, know let me have it."
Tom rolled his eyes and said, "If you insist Paul."
Next thing Paul knew Tom's fist collided with the side of his face. Tom pulled his fist away and backed away from Paul.
"Paul I'm so sorry," Tom said begging.
Paul stood up straight and felt the spot where Tom had just punched him. Paul looked over at Tom who still couldn't believe what he had done. Paul smiled weakly.
"Well, that just said it all, thanks," Paul said and headed for the porthole.
"My punch said something? What'd it say?" Tom asked confused.
"You're still angry with me. You don't want to be my friend," Paul said.
Tom narrowed his eyebrows and asked, "How can you tell that just from a punch?"
"Believe me, I've had enough punches to know what the people are thinking when they punch me," Paul said facing Tom.
"You're bloody crazy! I'm trying to be nice but someone doesn't want me too," Tom said angrily.
"See, you yelling at me, you hate me," Paul said turning back around.
"I wasn't yelling, but you're making me so angry that I just have to now!" Tom yelled across at Paul.
"Tom, just admit it, you and me are just people that shouldn't be friends," Paul said.
Tom walked over to the porthole and on the way out he yelled back at Paul, "For once your right Paul, and you can just forget me in this whole 'POH' band thing, don't think I could handle practicing in the same room as you!"
Tom slammed the porthole behind him on his way out. Once outside, the others were staring at him, waiting to hear what had happened between them. Tom glared at them all.
"What you fucking looking at?" Tom yelled at them.
"Tom, what's up?" Rhys asked getting nervous of his friend.
"I try to be nice and this is the way you people treat me?" Tom yelled again.
"We didn't do anything," Ginny said walking over to Tom.
"Leave me alone! I half wish I did die out there!" Tom roared and ran away from them.
Rhys flopped on the floor and asked, "What has happened know?"
Ginny looked at where Tom had run away and said, "I don't know Rhys, I really don't know."
*~*~*~*
Another chappie, hope that one also took yah fancy! PLEASE PLEASE R&R! (I don't ask 4 much!:P)