AU! Aragog is the murderer.

Warnings: mention of students dying, Aragog eating flesh.

Written for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

House: Thunderbird

Class/Task Number: DADA. Hexes: someone who crosses a line without realizing it.

Bonus Prompt:

(Character) Hagrid

Word Count: 1340/4500

The Hogwarts Murderer

Hagrid never realized he was out of line when he was bringing Aragog up.

Rubeus Hagrid had always been interested in dangerous creatures. Even as a child, he spent most of his time with werewolf cubs and Grindylows. He loved the magical creatures; the more dangerous the creature was, the better.

When Hagrid got the large Acromantula egg from Newt Scamander when he came to visit Hogwarts to give his speech on Care of Magical Creatures, he was delighted to have another creature to care for. He hid him in a large box and kept the box in the dungeons far away from the other students.

He regularly brought back scraps of food for Aragog after he hatched, and he made sure to spend time with the baby spider — which was as large as a human toddler. His friendship with Aragog was strong and Hagrid believed that Aragog would never hurt anyone. But he would soon be proven wrong…

When the first attack at Hogwarts happened, Hagrid didn't see the signs. He didn't see the scraps of cloth in Aragog's box, nor did he see the blood smeared on Aragog's pincers. He happily fed his pet Acronmantula the meat he had filched from the kitchens and talked to him about his day.

"Do you know there was an attack today? A Ravenclaw girl's half-eaten body was found on the second floor… It was terrible," Hagrid said as he hand-fed the steak to Aragog, patting his head gently.

Aragog didn't answer, too busy clicking his pincers as he chewed on the tender meat. It didn't taste as good as human meat, but it would do for the time being. He listened to Hagrid talk about the attack and said, "Hagrid, I am tired. I must rest."

Hagrid nodded and said, "Of course… I'll leave you to sleep now. Remember, don't let anyone see you in here."

Aragog watched him leave and thought to himself, 'I'll soon find better meat.'

Aragog didn't get the opportunity to venture forth and search for his next meal, and he decided to wait for things to settle down a bit. Hagrid had told him how the Aurors had arrived to take the Ravenclaw's body away and how scared everyone at Hogwarts was.

When the second attack happened a couple of weeks later, Hagrid still didn't see the obvious signs. Aragog remained silent once more as Hagrid told him how a Hufflepuff boy had been killed by someone. The boy's body had been recovered from the fourth-floor corridor and no one had seen the culprit.

"I wonder what's happenin' at Hogwarts… The Muggle-borns are scared witless… Headmaster Dippet's fixin' to close the school if the killer's not caught. But don't you worry, Aragog, I'll keep you with me," Hagrid said with a radiant smile.

Aragog didn't reply, more focused on the old steak Hagrid had brought for him. It smelled disgusting and he preferred eating fresh meat; he would have to look for another victim soon. After Hagrid left the small room, Aragog thought of the delicious meat he had devoured the night before. The taste of all that blood drizzling down his throat made him shiver with delight.

But when the third attack happened and the Wizarding World started to really talk about the murders, Hagrid started to get suspicious. He didn't want to think about it, but he had been walking past Professor Dumbledore's office when he had heard Dumbledore talking to the Charms professor about the murders.

"Could it be one of Hagrid's creatures, Professor? Merlin knows what he has in his dorm room this time," the Charms professor had said.

Dumbledore had shaken his head and replied, "No, it couldn't be. Hagrid takes care of his creatures well enough — yes, they might be dangerous most of the time, but the boy has a good heart. He means well."

Hagrid had swelled with pride at Dumbledore's praise, but the Charms professor's remarks had sent him spiralling into doubt. He knew Aragog would never hurt anyone, but he had also studied about Acromantulas — they were considered to be the most dangerous spiders alive in the Wizarding World.

With his suspicions starting to get the best of him, Hagrid decided to talk to Aragog about it. Aragog was his friend, he wouldn't lie to Hagrid. Hagrid had brought him up from an egg and raised him all on his own. Hagrid doubted Aragog would ever eat human flesh, but the small flicker of doubt in his heart needed to be extinguished.

The next day, Hagrid entered the dimly-lit room, looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody had seen him enter the closet-like room which was too small for him to stand upright in. Heart thundering against his ribs, he cautiously removed the lid off the box and looked inside. Inside the box, Aragog's body moved up and down rhythmically, asleep.

Hagrid lowered his voice and whispered, "Aragog… Aragog, wake up!"

Aragog stirred, his large eyes flickering open to stare up at Hagrid. "Hagrid, I was enjoying my sleep," he muttered, clicking his pincers sleepily and straightening his eight legs.

"Aragog, did yeh do it?" Hagrid's voice was worried as he gently nudged Aragog's head.

"Did I do what, Hagrid?" Aragog was unconcerned as his many eyes blinked lazily up at Hagrid.

Distraught, Hagrid tried to ask what he needed to. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he asked in a low voice, "Aragog, did yeh kill the students?"

An uncomfortable silence prevailed which made Hagrid fidget nervously. Please, tell me you didn't do it...

Aragog once again stretched his thick legs inside the box; it was getting too small for him. Eventually, he spoke in his low, deep voice. "You think I killed them?"

Rather than responding, Hagrid burst into loud tears that made Aragog click his pincers at him, annoyed.

"I'm disappointed in you, my friend."

Hagrid continued to sob, his cries echoing around the tiny room. Aragog poked his legs out of the box.

"A-Aragog, I-I'm s-sorry, b-but I had to a-ask," Hagrid cried, tears streaming down his face. His friend hadn't done anything wrong. Hagrid's cheeks were wet with his tears of joy when Aragog said something that changed Hagrid's entire life.

"I needed to feed, Hagrid. You deprived me of fresh meat. It was a necessity."

Hagrid's heart skipped a beat and he stared at Aragog with horror and disbelief, his hands dropping to his side. He gawped and stammered, his mind searching for words, but he was unable to find them.

"No," he finally managed to whisper. He couldn't believe it… He didn't want to believe it. His friend couldn't be a — a murderer. No, that was impossible.

"Yes, Hagrid."

"N-no… no, I don't believe it! Aragog, no, yeh would never do somethin' so terrible!"

"You deprive me of my food, Hagrid. I needed to eat."

Before Hagrid could reply, the door burst open and Tom Riddle hurried in. His wand was pointed at Hagrid.

"I've got you, Hagrid," Tom said calmly, his eyes bright with determination.

"No, no, Aragog didn't hurt nobody!" Hagrid insisted, panicking at Aragog's fate. He still didn't want to believe Aragog when he said he had killed the students. No, he wouldn't believe it.

"I can't let this go on," Tom stated. He turned his wand on Aragog and said, "You're hurting innocent people, Hagrid."

"No, no… NO!"

The box Hagrid had raised Aragog in fell over and Aragog scuttled out of it quickly. Before Tom could attack him, Aragog disappeared through the open door and down the corridor, while Hagrid watched the scene with a broken heart.

"You must come to the headmaster," Tom said calmly. "He's looking for you. The Aurors have found Acromantula venom on the corpses."

Too shocked to say anything, Hagrid followed him. There was nothing he could have done. On his way up to the Headmaster's office, Hagrid realized he had done something incredibly wrong. The three students had lost their lives all because Hagrid had wanted an Acromantula as a pet. He would never forgive himself for his terrible mistake.

Please read and review! Thanks!