Chapter 13: Forbidden Forest

"This is fun!" cheered Zak as he and Luna twirled around the hall. Luna giggled.

"I hope you are enjoying. I've never have this much fun except in my dreams and sleepwalking. Even though I don't remember much," Luna said with a smile.

"Ok… sleepwalking. Fisk does that all the time."

"Maybe we should join them too," Hermione suggested to Ron.

"I don't like dancing."

Hermione glared at him. "Harry?"

Harry was dateless and he was bored. "Ok… if you want." Ron glared at him. Hermione ignored him and Harry felt awkward.

"Ahh!" A girl shrieked.

"Eek!"

"Eww!"

The shrieking came from one end of the ball and getting nearer to the gang. An invisible thing crawled over the floor and stopped before them. Seeing the ones whom he was familiar with, Komodo revealed himself with Zak's claw in his mouth.

"Komodo?" the gang was bewildered. Komodo ran to Zak and pulled him by the legs of his pants.

"Whoa! Komodo what are you doing here?" Zak asked.

Komodo couldn't really talk. But since his siblings were in danger, he just dragged Zak across the floor without his permission.

"Is your brother okay?" Luna asked.

"What's wrong Komodo?" he lowered his head to ask him. But Komodo immediately dropped his Claw on the floor and turned invisible after seeing the sinister figure coming nearer to them.

Hagrid from the Forbidden forest. Komodo growled.

"Hey Hagrid," Harry greeted the fat guy.

"Oh hello Harry. Fancy meeting you here."

Komodo growled. Zak doesn't like the feeling of Komodo growling at Hagrid. Something was up.

"Hello Zak. Long time no see," Hagrid greeted Zak.

"Uh… hi." When Zak turned back to Komodo, he was already gone. "Komodo?"

"Who are you looking for?"

"Err… no one," he picked up his claw and looked at Harry. Harry just raised his eyebrow, bewildered about Komodo's presence. Then Zak started to think of Komodo.

Why was he doing here? Why did he growl at Hagrid? Where has he gone to now? Zak had too many questions in his head. He needed answers. He tried hinting Harry but Hagrid was blocking his way. Something was definitely wrong. Wrong with Komodo, or wrong with Hagrid?

"Something troubling you, kid?"

"Nothing! Nothing's troubling me," he feigned. Hagrid wasn't convinced. "Err… Harry! Do you remember about the project Snape gave us? Can you teach me right now?"

"Snape's project? It's not due till next week. What's the rush?" asked Ron.

Zak was sweating as Hagrid eyes him suspiciously. He had to get out of here.

"It's not due till next week, Ron. It's day after tomorrow," Hermione retorted. Somehow Hermione seemed to get his hint. "I'll help you Zak. Let's go back to the common room. We need to discuss. Right Harry?"

Harry was puzzled. "What?"

"I'll help you too," Luna suggested. "If you don't mind."

"GREAT! NOW LET'S GET GOING!"

"I thought it's—" Ron couldn't finish his sentence when Hermione elbowed him and glared at him.

"You can just relax for today, kids. Snape won't mind if you pass up your project a few days late," said Hagrid.

"I'm sorry Hagrid. Snape will kill us if we don't get it done soon," Hermione retorted.

"But—" Ron tied to speak.

"Let's just go," she dragged Ron and Harry with her. "See you tomorrow, Hagrid." The gang quickly left.

"Yeah… see you tomorrow," Hagrid hissed.

"What was that all about?" Ron yelled after they reached the Gryffindor's common room.

"Yeah, I don't get it. Why are we running from Hagrid?" Harry was too puzzled by his friends' actions. Hermione was usually the more knowledgeable one. She must have a good reason.

"That is not the real Hagrid," Zak and Hermione spat out their suspicions at the same time.

"Bloody hell, how many punch you had today Hermione?" Ron asked her back.

"First of all, I have a sixth sense that that is not Hagrid. Second of all, drinking too much punch doesn't make me confuse."

"Komodo growled at Hagrid… or whoever that is. Komodo only growls at bad guys," Zak supported Hermione.

"Probably Komodo ate too much spiders," Ron retorted.

"I… agree with Ron. Hagrid is not a bad guy. I trust him. He is my friend for a very long time," somehow Harry supported Ron.

"We're your friends for a very long time too…" Hermione glanced at Zak. "Except Zak. But that's not the point. I believe that Hagrid we saw just now is a hoax."

"So, two against two," Ron looked at Luna. "Luna, which side you're on?"

"I suggest… we look for Zak's brother. A lizard like him shouldn't wander off during times like these where cryptids are disappearing. We wouldn't like him disappear too now, huh Zak?"

"Right," said Zak as he rushed to the boys' bedroom. "Fisk! Komodo! Zon?" No one replied.

"Gee great, your brothers are playing hide-and-seek with us," Ron said with sarcasm as he sat on his bed.

"Zon's a girl," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," Ron shoved his hand under his pillow, looking for his stash of snacks. "Bloody hell! Your brothers ate my Fizzing Whizzbees, AGAIN!"

"Ron!" Hermione chided.

"Guys? Fisk? Komodo? Zon? This is not funny!" Zak was starting to panic. He loved his siblings and he doesn't want anything happen to them. Then, something brilliant struck him. He took out his Claw and focused his Kur powers. His eyes and Claw glowed in bright orange. Frantically he searched his siblings' cryptid essence around the room. They were here before but now gone. The trail has gone cold for a long time.

"Anything?" asked Luna.

The orange light died down. "Nothing…" Zak replied sadly. Where are they?

Harry walked to the window over viewing the Forbidden Forest. Suddenly he spotted a huge figure wandering near the woods. It was Hagrid. "Hagrid?" Everyone rushed to the window. Hagrid was there alright, scanning the area, and then disappeared into the forest.

"What is he doing here?"

"Told ya' he's suspicious," said Zak.

"Let's tail him," suggested Hermione.

"Oh no. Last time we ever went into that bloody forest, we were nearly eating by monstrous spiders, frightened by Hagrid's brother, chased by Umbridge, chased by a werewolf…blah blah blah…. That forest never stops to kill me," Ron stepped away sheepishly.

"But you survived," Hermione added.

"I'm picking up Fisk, Zon and Komodo's essence inside that forest. And not only that, I can sense other cryptids as well. We HAVE to go in there. They could be in danger!" Zak emphasized.

"Well then, let's go," Harry led the way. Hermione picked up some useful items in case they needed anything and Luna offered herself to join this adventure.

"Everyone listens to the kid who might lead us to our death and not the young good-looking guy who keeps telling his friends about the danger lurking in that forest!" Ron grumbled.

"Ron! Let's go!"

"Fine…"

The forest was really eerie, especially during the cold nights of winter. Zak took a glimpse into it and trembled. But his siblings need him and there's nothing in the world could stop him.

"Are you sure you're staying, Ron?" Hermione asked the boy once more.

"Yes I am. I like staying outside of the bloody forest, out of danger. I am perfectly fine right here," Ron stomped the ground beneath his feet. Apparently he had issues with the forest.

"Suit yourself," said Harry.

"Good luck," Luna wished him as they went into the forest without turning back.

"Be careful, mate," Ron yelled into the forest. "Don't get yourself killed."

"Yeah we will," Harry yelled back.

The gang wandered into the forest with Zak's powers as navigation. Zak felt tones of pressure above his shoulders. He was afraid that he might lead his friends into a death trap. Or worse, Fisk, Komodo and Zon might die if he couldn't get to them faster. And then, his mum would start nagging. Mums. Being too overprotective of their only children. In this case, Drew would forbid him from any cryptid missions anymore.

If he ever survived this one first.

"I think it's around here," Zak took a left turn.

"Eww… spiders…" Hermione noticed there were billions of spiders crawling beneath their feet. They seemed to be heading into the same direction. Harry had seen this scene before. He never thought of seeing it ever again.

"We should go," Harry stopped and suggested to his friends.

"Why?" asked Luna. Zak stopped dead on his tracks until he heard heavy breathing sounds coming not far from them. Judging by his experiences, it was probably something big.

"Fisk?" he followed the breathing sounds.

"Zak! Wait!" yelled Harry. But Zak didn't stop. He was desperate to save his siblings. He finally found who made those breathing sounds. It wasn't his siblings. It was something very, very big. Very. Lying on a rock, its eight eyes took a glimpse at the boy, making clicking sounds with its huge pincers.

"Oh. My. God," Zak's jaw dropped.

"Oh no…" Harry said as he made it to Zak. The girls reached to them and too shocked at the huge creature staring at them.

"Hello, Harry Potter. Welcome back," Aragog greeted.

Aragog, the acromantula who tried to feast on Harry and Ron in the past is back. What would happen to Zak and his friends?

This is a long chapter. I hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading and please review!