Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The week leading to the next Quidditch match against Hufflepuff came with several things. Harry finds out that Professor Snape is supposed to referee the match. To say it left him feeling uncomfortable was an understatement. He came into the common room while Ron and I were enjoying some downtime playing chess looking sick to his stomach. Ron addressed this and Harry then told us the news.
“Don’t play,” I said instantly.
“Say you're ill,” said Ron.
“I can break your leg,” I added.
Harry explained that if he didn’t play, neither would Gryffindor due to not having a reserve seeker.
That led to another thing I discovered — Malfoy is a bully. Before I could reassure Harry, Neville came in hopping with his legs stuck together from a leg locker curse. Poor guy must have hopped to the Tower. Even I can admit that takes determination. Especially when Neville said he came from the library. Everyone else laughed but after I helped him with the counter curse, I told him to tell Professor McGonagall, but he denied that option to not make it worse. Harry and Ron were trying to encourage him to stand up for himself and let him know he was better than Malfoy when Harry jumped with a shout leading to the next revelation.
He found the information about Nicholas Flamel on the back of a chocolate frog card of all things. Harry looked at me for confirmation which I gave a nod, and he told me about the attempted theft of the stone while it was at Gringotts. I fingered the small necklace Professor Dumbledore had given me with an alert charm on the trapdoor. Now that I know someone is after the stone, I’m going to have to be extra vigilant.
In the end, Harry decided to play which is why I am currently in the stands with Ron, Neville, and a few others. The entire school came to watch. Well except for Xander who was taking a chance to talk to Hagrid about something that’s been going on in the Forbidden Forest. It was all going well until Malfoy decided to pick a fight with Ron and Neville, but I got them out of it by pointing out Harry had seen the snitch. It did not last long however because the boys were at it again in the blink of an eye. This time it was physical with Ron, Neville, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle all wrestling right here in the stands. I just left them to it while I watched and cheered Harry on as he caught the snitch from right behind Professor Snape.
Once that was over, however, I pulled Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle apart and they stayed that way with a glare from me. I went and pulled Ron and Malfoy apart with the same glare and all parties retreated to the school.
Later that evening, Harry told us about a confrontation between Professors Snape and Quirrell that didn’t put Professor Snape in a good light, but I’ll still hold my reservations about the culprit. Anything can be taken out of context.
I had gotten a note from Xander to meet in his classroom after dinner and to be dressed for patrol. Walking into his classroom, I found him staring at the weapons chest and two crossbows on his desk. “What’s up?” I ask as he jumps startled.
“What is with you slayers and the sneaky sneaky? I need to put a bell on you!”
“It’s not our fault you’re unobservant,” I reply.
“Oh, just get over here and grab a crossbow,” he says while grabbing a sword. “Hagrid was told by Gandalf—”
“Professor Dumbledore,” I correct.
“Not my professor. Gandalf told him there had been attacks on unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and you and I are going to go talk to some centaurs about it. We’ll also be patrolling the forest until we can figure it out. Man, I thought my life couldn’t get any weirder, but here we are unicorns and centaurs. I sent Leo with a message for Buffy to tell her to be on standby if we need backup, but I have a feeling she will make her way here just because I said unicorns are in danger with Willow in tow ready to kill at the first opportunity.” Xander walks over, grabs the second crossbow and latches it over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
We make our way to the tree line behind Hagrid’s hut where he is waiting with a crossbow of his own and a simple greeting before leading the way into the forest where we are met by three centaurs. One had white, blonde hair and a palomino body, the second had red hair and a matching beard with a chestnut body, and the third had black hair and body with a wild air about him.
The red-haired centaur stepped forward with a small bow. “Welcome Slayer, Watcher, and Hagrid. I am Ronan, this is Bane and Firenze,” he said gesturing to the Black haired and blonde respectively.
Xander gestured me forward. “I’ve been told there are attacks with unicorns and I would be glad to offer my help in this matter. Could you tell me anything related?” I ask.
“The attacker has been drinking the blood of the unicorns,” Ronan starts. “It is a terrible thing to drink the blood of a unicorn. It leads to a cursed half-life but can keep anyone alive even on the brink of death.”
Bane picks up where Ronan left off, “It has been happening every month, but the attacker does not keep a pattern to his timing aside from that.”
“Be wary, Slayer,” Firenze adds. “There are many creatures who would bring harm in this forest.”
“Thank you, all of you,” I reply. After some discussions about what I could look for—blood the color of silver that glows like the moon— and the date of the last attack, which was last night. Hagrid starts to lead us in a different direction. This area of the forest has a darker feeling to it. It’s denser due to an increasing number of spiderwebs.
“I wanted to introduce you to another friend of mine to see if he could tell you more. Now don’t worry about his family they listen to him,” Hagrid says.
“Just who are you taking us to see,” Xander asks warily.
“A friend. I’ve raised him since he was a baby,” Hagrid says leading us into a cave. “Aragog! It’s Hagrid and I’ve brought someone to speak with you,” he shouts.
I see some movement out of the corner of my eye and jump. “Oh my god!” It’s a bunch of spiders, but not just any spiders. Spiders the size of a Great Dane.
Xander spots the same, “Giant creepy crawlies! I’m having flashbacks to Miss French. She was a giant praying mantis that tried to do unspeakable things to me. Unspeakable.” He says with a shudder. We hear the thuds of something big and witness a spider as large as a house approach from the depths of the cave. “Oh, this is worse, much worse.”
“Aragog! I brought friends to see if you knew anything about the attacks on the unicorns,” Hagrid tells the giant spider.
A deep raspy voice sounds from the creature. “Hagrid, you’ve brought a slayer into my midst?”
I gather my Gryffindor courage while also realizing these are acromantualas— large man-eating spiders. “I have no problems with your kind as long as the school and its inhabitants are safe.”
“That I can agree with, young slayer. I will tell you what I know. It is not much, only that whatever is doing this radiates dark magic. The likes of which I have not felt for 11 years,” Aragog said.
“11 years…” I trail off understanding the meaning behind this. “Are you telling me Voldemort,” Hagrid gasps at the name, “is the one doing this?” I finish.
One can never be certain but stay cautious. Goodbye, young slayer.” With that, Aragog retreats deeper into the cave, and we leave back to the castle for the night.