CHAPTER FOURTEEN: HAGRID THE ATTACKER?
Hermione ended up remaining in the Hospital Wing for several weeks. During this time, a rumour was spread that she was another victim. Ron and I, naturally, visited her every day, and when classes started again, we'd bring her the day's homework. Ron was yet to understand why she wanted to do her homework.
I was also been watched closely by my family. Madam Pomfrey had naturally informed Grandfather of Hermione's condition and it didn't take long for Uncle Severus to swoop down upon me. He had noticed his missing ingredients, and when he learnt of Hermione's condition, he naturally put two and two together. I, of course, denied the entire thing, saying that I had no interest in stealing his potion ingredients and had no idea of how Hermione turned into a cat. In the end he dropped the matter, but I could see it in his eyes that he didn't believe me, and he left me with a warning advising me not to do anything stupid or dangerous.
Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free, at the beginning of February when the sun had begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.
While I believed that the attacker had lost his or her nerve, seeing as it must have been getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets with the school so alert and suspicious, Ernie and many other students were still convinced that I was the guilty one and that I had "given myself away" at the Duelling Club. Peeves wasn't helping matters either; he kept popping up in the crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter . . .' with a dance routine to match. Lockhart, however, seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. Uncle Severus had informed me that Lockhart had been bragging during their last staff meeting.
February soon went and the next thing everyone knew, Easter had arrived. The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously.
'It could affect our whole future,' she told Ron and me as we pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.
Neville had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether we thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes. Dean, who had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on. Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything.
However, I ended up sneaking away from Ron and Hermione to Uncle Severus' where I found Grandmother and Grandfather with him.
'Harri, what a pleasant surprise,' Grandmother greeted. 'What are you doing here?'
'I thought that I'd ask for your opinions on choosing my subjects for next year,' I said, sitting on the couch next to Uncle Severus.
'Have you decided on any subjects at all yet?' Uncle Severus asked as I spread the different class information out across the coffee table.
'Honestly, no,' I admitted. 'I have no idea what to choose, though Ron's brother, Percy, suggested Divination, Muggle Studies and that I should play with my strengths like his brother Charlie did. Apparently Charlie is the outdoor type so he chose Care of Magical Creatures.'
'Well, I think you'd be wise to choose Divination,' Grandfather said, making Grandmother choked on her tea. 'Yes, Minerva, you know that it would be wise for Harri to do divination. She may have inherited your mother's seer abilities.'
'Okay, so Divination… but what else do you think?'
'You'd probably enjoy Care of Magical Creatures,' said Uncle Severus, 'and I think you can forget about Muggle Studies. You already know enough about them, having been raised by Muggles.'
'So you don't think that I should do Ancient Runes or Arithmancy?'
'I don't think that you'd enjoy Arithmancy,' said Grandmother. 'As for Ancient Runes, your grandfather can teach you that during the school holidays if you'd like.'
'Huh, that went quicker than I thought,' I said, backing everything up. 'Neville asked his family for help, and they all gave him different advice. He's so confused at the moment.'
'Why doesn't that surprise me?' Uncle Severus muttered.
-THE UNMASKED MYSTERY-
Gryffindor's next Quidditch match was against Hufflepuff and everyone was looking forward to the game, however, little did they know, their happiness would soon disappear and would be replaced with fear.
The day of the Quidditch match was bright and sunny with a refreshing breeze. It was perfect Quidditch conditions, and perfect conditions to hide an unseen attack.
As I left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect my Quidditch belongings, I heard it.
'Kill this time ... let me rip ... tear. . .'
I shouted aloud and Ron and Hermione both jumped away from my in alarm.
'The voice!' I shouted. "I just heard it again - did you?' I had told them all about the voice I heard back when Mrs Norris was attacked.
Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.
'Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!'
And she sprinted away, up the stairs.
'What does she understand?' I asked Ron distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.
'Loads more than I do,' said Ron, shaking his head.
'But why's she got to go to the library?'
'Because that's what Hermione does.' Ron shrugged. 'When in doubt, go to the library.'
I was about to move when I suddenly became light headed. I grabbed hold of Ron's shoulder.
'Harry, what's wrong?' Ron asked, holding on to me, preventing me from falling.
I did not reply.
I had my eyes closed as I had a vision of Hermione, lying like a statue, petrified, in the Hospital Wing with a hand mirror next to her.
'Harry!'
I opened my eyes and looked at Ron.
'I'm fine,' I muttered. 'I'm – I'm going to go and get ready. See you later.'
I hurried off, well aware of Ron's eyes watching me.
I barely paid any attention to my surrounds as I headed down to the Gryffindor changing rooms to get ready.
What was with that image? I thought. Did it have some sort of significance? Or is it just my mind playing tricks on me from late night training?
These thoughts were with her until the teams walked onto the field to boisterous applause. Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics. I was just mounting my broom when Grandmother came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.
My heart dropped like a stone. Surely that hallucination that I saw hadn't come true.
'This match has been cancelled,' Grandmother announced through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward her without getting off his broomstick.
'But, Professor!' he shouted. 'We've got to play - the cup Gryffindor –'
Grandmother ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:
'All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!'
Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned me over to her.
'Harri, I think you'd better come with me …' she said quietly, as Wood went off grumbling.
'It's Hermione, isn't it?' I said quietly.
'Yes, but how -?'
'I don't know. I had a vision or something where I saw her petrified in the Hospital Wing with a hand mirror.'
'Your grandfather was right. You have inherited my mother's seer abilities.'
'You mean, it I had of acted when I saw it, I could have prevented it from happening?'
'We will never know. Now let's find your friend, Ron.'
When we arrived at the Hospital Wing, Grandmother led us straight to Hermione's beside.
'Hermione!' Ron groaned.
Hermione was laying utterly still, her eyes open and glassy. I felt as though I was looking at my vision again.
'She was found near the library,' said Grandmother. Her voice was soft and motherly. 'Come now. I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower. I need to address the students in any case…'
'…All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.' The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Grandmother in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, 'I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.'
She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately. However, I didn't pay any attention to what they were saying. I just couldn't be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone.
-THE UNMASKED MYSTERY-
The next day, Ron and I ended up going over to Hagrid's for afternoon tea. Professor Flitwick had kindly agreed to escort us there.
Seconds after we had knocked on Hagrid's front door, Hagrid flung it open. We found ourselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at us. Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.
'Oh,' he said, lowering the weapon and staring at us. 'It's only you two.'
'What's that for?' I questioned, pointing at the crossbow as Ron and I stepped inside.
'Nothin' - nothin' – 'Hagrid muttered. 'I've bin expectin'… doesn' matter - Sit down - I'll make tea –'
He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.
'Are you okay, Hagrid?' I asked. 'Did you hear about Hermione?'
'Oh, I heard, alrigh',' replied Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.
He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured us all large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door. Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. He quickly seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.
'Good evening, Hagrid.'
I gasped. It was Grandfather. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man. The stranger had rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler. Both the man and Grandfather paused when they saw Ron and me at the table.
'Hello Harri, Mr Weasley,' Grandfather greeted. 'I'm sure you have heard of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!'
'Hello, sir,' I said politely.
'Hello, Harry, Mr Weasley.' Fudge nodded his head at us. 'Why don't you two run along -?'
'Sorry, sir, but students aren't allowed to be out by themselves,' I said innocently. I was actually dying to know why they were here.
'Of course, but –'
'It is alright, Cornelius,' Grandfather interrupted. 'They are good friends of Hagrid's.'
'Very well.' Fudge turned to Hagrid. 'I gather you know why I am here. I had to come. Three attacks on Muggle-borns and a Squib's cat. Things have gone far enough. Ministry's got to act.'
My eyes widened. How could they be blaming Hagrid for these attacks? I looked quickly at Grandfather who looked sad.
'I never,' Hagrid said quickly, looking beseechingly at Grandfather. 'You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir –'
'I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence,' said Grandfather, frowning at Fudge.
'Look, Albus,' said Fudge, uncomfortably. 'Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something - the school governors have been in touch –'
'Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Grandfather. His blue eyes were full of a fire I had never seen before.
'Look at it from my point of view,' said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. 'I'm under a lot of pressure. I've got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Wouldn't be doing my duty –'
'Take me?' Hagrid questioned. He was trembling. 'Take me where?'
'For a short stretch only,' said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. 'Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology –'
'Not Azkaban?' Hagrid croaked.
Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.
Grandfather answered it, while Ron and I shared mutely looks of revulsion. How could they even think about locking Hagrid away? He was innocent!
Turned out that it was Lucius Malfoy who had knocked at the door seeing as he was now standing inside.
'Already here, Fudge,' he said approvingly. 'Good, good. . .'
'What're you doin' here?' Hagrid said furiously. 'Get outta my house!'
'Believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your - er - d'you call this a house?' Lucius sneered as he looked around the small cabin. 'I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here.'
'And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?' Grandfather questioned politely.
'Dreadful thing, Dumbledore,' Lucius said lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, 'but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension - you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Another one this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school.'
'If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside.'
'You can't, sir!' I exclaimed, unable to stay quiet any longer. Lucius jumped slightly. He hadn't seen Ron and me until now. 'If you go there will be an attack a day!'
'It's alright, Harri.' Grandfather smiled kindly and confidently over at me. 'Just remember that you will find that help will always be available for those who ask for it.'
'Admirable words,' Lucius said in a bored tone, holding the door open for Grandfather.
Grandfather silently left.
With Grandfather and Lucius gone, Fudge turned back to Hagrid.
'Come now, Hagrid,' he said.
'If anyone was lookin' for some answers, all they'd have to do is follow the spiders,' Hagrid said suddenly, glancing at Ron and I, before leaving the hut with a bewildered Fudge, who had forgotten all about us.
'So much for us having to be supervised going back to the castle,' Ron grumbled. 'Come on, we might as well head back. If we're lucky, no teachers will notice us.'
He headed for the door and was about to leave when he saw me staring at a nearby window.
'Earth to Harry.'
'Look,' I said, pointing at the window sill. There were numerous spiders trying to get out.
'So what?' Ron asked uncomfortably.
'Didn't you hear what Hagrid said? He said for us to follow the spiders, so let's go!'
I ran outside and Ron hesitantly followed me.
Once outside, I looked back at the window and then watched as the spiders entered the forest. Without even looking to see if Ron was behind me, I hurried after them, muttering 'Lumos,' as I went. By the glow of my wand, Ron and I followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. We walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves. Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and my wand shone alone in the sea of dark, we saw our spider guides leaving the path.
Without thinking, I followed them, with Ron trying to convince me to forget about the spiders and for us to return to the castle. I stubbornly ignored him. I would not allow Hagrid to be locked away for something he didn't do. True, Hagrid loved monsters, but I knew that he would never let one lose in the castle.
We followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. Unfortunately we couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in our way, barely visible in the near blackness. After a while, we noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.
It was then that we heard something in the shadows.
'What was that?' Ron asked panicked stricken, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping my elbow very hard.
'There's something moving over there,' I breathed. 'Listen... sounds like something big…'
We listened. Some distance to our right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees.
Ron was now starting to panic.
It was at this time that I began to wonder who the boy here was.
The darkness seemed to be pressing on our eyeballs as we stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence.
'What d'you think it's doing? I asked in a whisper to Ron.
'Probably getting ready to pounce,' replied Ron.
We waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.
'D'you think it's gone?' Ron whispered.
'No, it's still there,' I muttered. 'I can just make out something…'
Then, to our right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that we both flung up our hands to shield our eyes.
'Harry!' Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief. 'Harry, it's our car!'
'What?'
'Come on!'
I followed Ron toward the light, stumbling and tripping, and a moment later we had emerged into a clearing.
Mr Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.
'It's been here all the time!' Ron said delightedly, walking around the car. 'Look at it. The forest's turned it wild.'
The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own.
'And we thought it was going to attack us!' said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. 'I wondered where it had gone!'
'Who cares? We've got to follow those spiders,' I said before walking off.
Ron quickly hurried after me.
The spiders ended up leading us to the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene we had ever laid eyes on. There were spiders everywhere, and not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. They were the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, and gigantic.
From the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was grey in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincer head was milky white. He was blind.
'Hagrid, is that you?' he asked.
'We're a friend of Hagrid's,' I replied, trying to remain calm.
Ron, however, was having trouble to remain calm. It was as though he had walked into one of his nightmares, times ten. He hated spiders with a passion and wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run. To prevent himself from doing this, he was standing uncomfortably close to me and had a killer grip on my left arm.
'Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before,' the spider said slowly.
'Hagrid's in trouble,' I explained. 'That's why we've come.'
'In trouble?' the aged spider questioned. 'But why has he sent you?'
'Because we are the only ones who can help him,' I replied. 'Up at the school, they think that Hagrid's been setting something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban.'
Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders.
'But that was years ago,' Aragog said fretfully. 'I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free, but I was not born in the castle. I came from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, who died in a bathroom, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since.'
'You wouldn't happen to know what did kill that girl, would you,' I asked hopefully. 'Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again.'
'The thing that lives in the castle,' Aragog responded gruffly. 'It is an ancient creature; a creature we spiders fear above all others. We do not speak of it and we do not name it!'
Why does this remind me of Voldemort? I thought, before addressing the elderly spider.
'We thank you for your help,' I said with a slight bow, before turning to leave, pulling Ron along with me, put we found our path blocked by the spider family.
I looked back at Aragog questioning, while trying not to panic. Had Ron and I walked to our deaths?
'My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command,' the old spider explained, 'but I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friends of Hagrid.'
I looked back at the solid wall of spiders with their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads. Even as I reached for my wand, I knew that it was no good for there were too many of them.
'Do you have any ideas?' Ron asked me. He too had taken out his wand, but his hand was shaking that badly that he was having trouble holding it still.
'No,' I admitted. I was trying to do some quick thinking, but I saw no possible way out of this situation.
My thoughts were interrupted when a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow. Mr Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs with their legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Ron and me, before the doors flew open.
We dove into the car, Ron in the driver's seat and me into the passenger's seat. The moment we were inside, the car doors slammed shut and the car sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and we were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.
I looked sideways at Ron, whose mouth was still open in a silent scream.
'Are you okay?' I asked.
Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.
When we reached the edge of the forest I immediately got out and, after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff-necked and staring. I gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.
'Follow the spiders,' Ron growled angrily, finally finding his voice. 'If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him! I'll never forgive him! We're lucky to be alive!'
'He probably thought that Aragog wouldn't hurt friends,' I said patiently.
'That's exactly Hagrid's problem!' Ron snapped. 'He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! It got him a cell in Azkaban!' He was shivering uncontrollably now. 'What was the point of sending us in there, anyway? What have we found out?'
'Ron, you do not have to be Hermione to figure that out,' I replied. 'We now know that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent.'
'If you call hatching Aragog in a cupboard innocent,' Ron grumbled.
I gave him a look as we returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.
'That's the least of our problems. Our main problem is finding out who the attacker is.'
'Pity there's no one we can ask who was here fifty years ago,' Ron muttered.
'Or maybe there is,' I muttered, thinking back to what Aragog said. 'Remember what Aragog said about that girl who died in a bathroom fifty years ago?'
'What about her?'
'What if she never left?'
Ron stared at me blankly, before his eyes widened with understanding.
'You don't think - not Moaning Myrtle?'
'That is exactly who I was thinking about.'
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Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page: link on profile
Written: 19 November 2012
Updated: N/A
Beta: BETA WANTED
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY. I DO, HOWEVER, CLAIM SOME COPYRIGHT OVER HARRI SINCE SHE IS HALF BASED ON MY ORIGINAL VALKYRIE CHARACTER, PRINCESS HARRIETTA.
