Disclaimer: see Chapter One

Chapter Nine: No Rest for the Weary

The Vampire Spider is a very rare species of spider which, as its name implies, feeds on blood. It is drawn by the scent of the blood of magical humans and beasts and will not approach non-magical ones. It is reddish-brown in color and its legspan can reach up to two meters.

This arachnid injects its eggs into a living magical host. The gestation is fast and due to the influx of a magical blood supply the young will reach maturity in hours or days. Up to one hundred young may be hatched from a single egg sack.

Once hatched, their appetite is voracious. They may act as a group (called swarming) attacking the host or some other nearby creature, biting multiple times to feed. Their venom is not poisonous, but causes the victim to become sleepy, thereby increasing the likelihood that the spiders will feed uninterrupted. Multiple bites will require an antivenin potion to counteract the effects of the sleeping venom, otherwise the victim may never awaken. In a swarming, the quick loss of blood can cause death within minutes.

Once fed, these amazing arachnids grow quickly, attaining their adult size within hours.

Excerpt from Those Amazing Arachnids, written by Leonid Lumpkin

§§§§§§

The three thestrals had finished feeding and tried to head back to their forest home, but Hagrid had them tethered outside the Hogwarts back entrance to the hospital wing. They pulled at the bindings, becoming frustrated. One awkward kick backward and a glass jar toppled onto the stone patio, crashing to pieces.

§§§§§§

Inside the ward, the group was finishing its repast. Danger having been averted, the group was in high spirits. Albus stretched back in his armchair and crossed his ankles, simply enjoying the company of his friends. Arthur was telling a story about when he had been called to a Muggle home recently because the unsuspecting owner had run afoul of an unstable old witch who had charmed the poor old man's roast turkey to perform a rude dance while belittling him. The old witch had foolishly charmed the turkey to curse at him in her own voice so she was easily apprehended.

Poppy glanced over her shoulder at her two patients seeing that they still slept soundly. Albus followed her gaze and felt an overwhelming feeling of thanks at having the two back again. Ron would bounce back quickly, he was sure, since the young ones mostly did. He absently ran his hand over his beard as his eyes were drawn to Severus. Severus was unpredictable. He was discovered as a spy so he would be in constant danger from the Death Eaters. He was also deaf, which created another whole set of problems. He and Poppy had discussed what could be done and they had decided to contact the premiere magical ear researcher in Canada.

Magical ears were not nearly as advanced as other magical parts, like eyes, for instance. The patients who had trialed the older models reported headaches, unremitting nausea, vomiting—and those were the ones who could hear with the implants. Up to fifty percent could hear nothing, even with the implants. This Canadian researcher, Otis Graham, had made great strides in the last year. Albus would do anything in his power to see that Healer Graham take on Severus as a test subject.

Albus sighed deeply. If the Canadian cannot help…well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Albus was determined to help Severus either way, to encourage him to do what he wanted, whether it be teaching or research, or something else entirely. Of course, he must stay at Hogwarts until Voldemort is defeated.

Molly kept glancing at her youngest son. "Arthur, maybe I should stay here tonight? Our little Ron's been through so much."

"Molly, Ron would be mortified. He's sixteen now. You can come back in the morning to see him." He covered his mouth as a large yawn stretched it. "Oh, excuse me. I guess I'm past my bedtime. We'd better be getting on. Come, dear." Molly cast one last longing glance to her son and then followed her husband, saying her goodnights along the way. Albus had adjusted the Floo to allow them direct access to and from the Burrow.

"I suppose I should be getting along as well," said Remus, carding a hand through his graying hair. He stood and Hagrid accompanied him, saying he would get the thestrals back home to the forest and dispose of the other things.

Poppy glanced at her patients again. "Peace and quiet," she sighed, smiling. "I guess I'll be off to bed myself, and I would suggest that you do likewise." Albus and Poppy stood and Poppy started off to her room and Albus headed for the doors leading to the interior of the castle.

Remus and Hagrid reached the back door and opened it, heading out into the dark night. "Lumos." Remus' wand lit up and he and Hagrid stopped in their tracks, the door softly clicking shut behind them.

"Blimey!" Hagrid bellowed.

Poppy and Albus heard the half-giant's yell and whirled toward the back door.

The door opened and Remus stood, white-faced. "One thestral is dead, the other two have been attacked. One of them knocked over the jar of vampire spiders. We're going to need a lot of help!"

"Merlin help us!" Albus crossed quickly to the back door. "Poppy, go to your office and contact the Ministry. Tell them we need some help right away! I'll be out there." As Albus opened the door he could hear the blasts from Remus' wand as he battled the swarm of arachnids which were trying to fell the other thestrals. He quickly shut the door to prevent any from reaching the ward.

Poppy ran to her office and got out her Ministry hand mirror, for use in emergencies. She also decided to call St. Mungos to get some vampire spider antivenin, just in case.

§§§§§§

Severus stirred. He felt rather comfortable and wished to go back to sleep but a pressure in his bladder prevented him. His black eyes opened and he was pleased to feel relatively well. I must not have been asleep long; I still feel the effects of the potions. He slowly moved his head, seeing that Ron Weasley was the only other occupant. Odd. He slowly sat, swinging his legs over the side. He could see the bathroom from here; it really was no more than six meters or so. I can make it that far, surely. He slid his feet to the floor and stood one hand still on the bed. His head started to spin. Oh no! Just stand here for a moment and it'll pass. He was standing still but his mind couldn't register it. His equilibrium was off kilter and he felt like he was falling. He clutched the bed sheets and brought them down with him as he crashed to the floor.

Ron awoke, hearing a loud crash. He sat up, feeling rather dazed and confused. Where am I? The fog clouded his thinking and he saw the blanket from the bed beside his slide to the floor. What's that? He grabbed the water pitcher from beside his bed and slid out, holding it up as a weapon. He licked his lips and swallowed, taking a step. He craned his neck and still could not quite see. He took another step thinking he saw something black. He heard a soft moan and dropped the pitcher, scrambling back to his bed. Suddenly, the brain fog lifted. Professor Snape is in the other bed, isn't he? Ron sprang up and crossed to the other side of the bed, seeing Snape lying on his side on the stone floor. Kneeling down, he touched Severus' shoulder. "Sir? Sir?"

Severus felt hot all over. Bloody hell. So much for the potions staying in my system. He pressed his hot face to the cool stone, moaning softly. He would've enjoyed the blissful coolness more if his bladder would just give him a moment's peace. He squirmed uncomfortably and felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw the young Weasley kneeling beside him. How could this possibly be more humiliating? The answer came rather swiftly. You could be emptying your bladder in front of him. Well, that certainly would be more humiliating. As much as he loathed needing assistance of any kind he had to admit to himself that this boy was the only one currently around who could prevent him from making even more of a fool of himself that he already had. Summoning his courage he spoke. "I need to get to the loo."

Ron gaped at his teacher. He then helped him to a sitting position, which did not last long. Seeing the professor sliding, the young Gryffindor grabbed the pillow from the bed and used it to cushion the Potion Master's head. Ron thought about a solution. Bedpan! He searched the drawer of the bedside table and found not only a bedpan but a urinal as well. He held both out to his teacher.

Severus raised a dark eyebrow as he pondered his choices. Bloody hell. He reached for the urinal, jerking it out of Ron's hand. "Privacy please, Mr. Weasley." he croaked, his request not sounding nearly as condescending as he would've liked.

Ron's ears reddened. He wanted nothing more than to give the professor what he requested. He stood and walked a small distance away, hopefully far enough away to not see or hear anything. He was close to the back door when he thought he heard people talking. What's going on? He pressed his ear to the door. He could swear that he was hearing wand blasts and the voices he was hearing sounded alarmed. Reaching out, he opened the door and froze at the sight he beheld.

Hagrid was picking spiders from the air and throwing them to the ground, smashing them with his shoe. Albus and Remus stood, back-to-back, blasting spiders with their wands. Scores of well-fed spiders, looking like reddish bludgers with hairy legs, scrambled all over the patio. Some saw the open door to the hospital wing and headed straight for it.

Hagrid patted the two living thestrals and said, "Off with yeh now, I'll fin' yeh two in a bit an' bring yeh somethin' to make yeh strong again." The half-giant watched the thestrals walk toward the forest. They had not sustained very many bites, since the spiders had just finished with poor Tenebrus when Remus and Hagrid had come upon them. Hagrid picked a spider off his sleeve and threw it to the patio, crushing it with his foot. He then noticed that a small group of them were now running for the—open door to the hospital wing! "Blimey, Ron! Ge' back inside!"

Albus' head jerked toward the door. "Hagrid, help Remus here!" He then ran to the still frozen Ron and jerked him inside, brushing off the spider that had just crawled onto Ron's foot and blasting it. Slamming the door shut, he pulled the unresisting Ron along with him. As they went along, Albus blasted any spiders that he saw. "Poppy?"

Poppy came from her office. "Help is on the way. The Ministry is sending two Exterminators. What happened?"

"Ron opened the door. I don't think he was bitten but he's shaken up pretty badly."

Ron felt like he was dreaming. None of this is real. I'm going to wake up and I'll be in my room at the Burrow. He saw something skitter toward where Severus lay on the floor. He's not in any danger because this is a dream. He chuckled softly. "This is some odd dream. I just saw a spider go for Professor Snape."

Albus looked at Ron's silly grin and then to the empty mussed bed where Severus had been. Albus' long strides quickly took him to Severus and he blasted a spider just as it was about to bite the sleeping man on his thigh. He levitated Severus onto his bed and shook out the bed sheet to be sure there were no more. He gently lay the sheet over the Potions Master. "I've got to get back out there Poppy. When the Exterminators arrive send them directly back." As he headed for the door two Exterminators came through the Floo and the three left to continue the fight outside.

Poppy took Ron's arm and led him to his bed. She shook out his sheet. Satisfied that the bed was okay, she directed him to get in and he followed her instructions compliantly. "Go back to sleep now." She saw another spider skittering across the floor and went after it. She then began to search everywhere in the room for any others. After a few minutes she was satisfied that the room was clean. Sighing deeply, she was just about to sink her weary body into a chair when the door opened.

Albus led the way with the two Exterminators behind him. Hagrid was behind them, holding onto Remus who looked pale. The Exterminators instantly began a magical scan to see if any other spiders were inside the hospital wing.

Albus spoke. "They swarmed Remus. He's got quite a few bites."

Hagrid lowered Remus onto the bed beside Ron, while Poppy ran to get supplies. He then looked down at Albus, sadness in his eyes. "They killed me baby, me Tenebrus. He was the firs' one born here." He wiped his eyes with a big beefy hand. "I need teh get back teh me thestrals."

"Of course, Hagrid, go on ahead." Albus walked Hagrid to the door, patting the half-giant's arm. "I'm sure the others will be fine."

Poppy came out of the storeroom, and began to treat Remus. She stripped off his shirt and pants. He had bites all over his shoulders and arms and some on his one thigh. She cleansed his skin and performed a quick spell to check for eggs. There were none. She then tried to awaken him enough to give him antivenin potion with blood building potion added.

Remus struggled to wake up. He felt Poppy patting his face and tried to open his eyes, but the lure of sleep was too great. The day's events drained him as much as the spiders and he was unable to claw his way back to complete awareness.

Poppy called Albus over. She had him pour the potion in Remus' mouth while she placed her wand to his throat, causing him to swallow. In just a few moments she had given him his dosage.

In a few more minutes the Exterminators had finished their job. Albus led the way to his office, hoping that their questions, for their report to the Committee for the Disposal of Magical Creatures, would not take long. He was bone tired.

Poppy watched Albus leave. She pulled up an armchair so she would be able to be close to her patients if needed. She sat for less than a minute. She was feeling rather keyed up so she made rounds, checking on each patient and then tidying the ward a bit. She then set alarms over the three beds so if someone tried to get up she would be alerted instantly. She had some concerns about Remus and the number of bites that he had sustained. She would need to get more information in the morning. She set a special alarm above his bed to alert her if his breathing or heart rate slowed or quickened too much. She then felt like she could relax and she sunk into the armchair, closing her eyes, thinking that a quick nap would revive her.

§§§§§§

§§§§§§