Follow the Spiders
Quidditch was canceled. There had been another attack this time a Half-Blood by the name of Penelope Clearwater, who was the girlfriend of Percy. And…Hermione.
Harry was crushed, both he and Ron had no idea why Hermione would have a mirror; the library was understandable. Dumbledore sat in his office, brooding; he got another letter from the Board of Governors saying that if he didn’t hand over the culprit he would be removed as the Hogwarts.
He needs to think about his next steps carefully. And he sat down behind his desk and began to write a letter “ To the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. In light of recent events I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Do hereby relinquish the perpetrator, Rubeus Hagrid, of the recent attacks at Hogwarts. Please come right away.”
On another sheet of parchment, he wrote a letter to a member of the Board of Governors who was deep in his pocket.
He spells the ink dry and seals both letters and sends Fawkes off to deliver them.
As he was led away from Hagrid’s Hut Albus sent a nonverbal compulsion spell to the place he sensed where Ron and Harry were hiding. The more danger the boy gets into the better prepared he will be to defeat Voldemort. It’s all for The Greater Good. Minutes passed and Harry and Ron bolted from the hut, and sprinted to the forest, following the trail of spiders.
That old fart better increase my pay! Grumbles Ron, He knows I’m afraid of spiders! Not to mention I’m getting dragged into the Forbidden Forest; at night!
They went deeper and deeper to where you can no longer see the distance between the trees. Then there are the webs. The trail of spiders they were following led to an alcove covered in vines, brush, and webs. They looked around and jumped when they heard large, crashing footsteps and a deep, clicking voice spoke “ Hagrid? Is that you?”
Ron whimpered, as Harry gathered the courage to speak, “ We’re friends of Hagrid.” The crashing continues until a 40-foot tarantula ( or what Harry thought was a tarantula) rose over the crest of the ravine.
“You… You’re Aragog, aren’t you?” Harry stammers.
“Yes” came an answer, “Hagrid hasn’t sent others into our hollow before.”
“He’s in trouble, He’s been arrested for opening the Chamber of Secrets; like before”
Hissing and clacks rain around them and Ron made the mistake of looking up, seeing large spiders coming down on threads of spider silk. Whimpering he tries to get Harry’s attention. Who didn’t see. Of course, he ignores me! Bloody bastard.
“Lies” yelled Aragog, Harry looked confused.
“What do you mean?” the boy pressed.
“Hagrid kept me as a pet, he would never open the Chamber of Secrets. The monster you ask of was born in the castle.”
“Then, if you’re not the master. Then what did kill the girl?”
“We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature that we Spiders fear most.”
“But, have you seen it” the boy pressed on.
“ I never saw any part of the castle, except for the box Hagrid kept me in. The girl was discovered dead in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid released me here.”
Ron was now wrenching on his sleeve. “What?” Harry asks and Ron points up. Thousand of smaller but easily as big as a person were all slowly descending from the canopy.
Harry went stark white and gulps. “ Thank you Aragog. We’ll just be going now”
If spiders could smile evilly then Aragog will definitely be smiling, “ I think not. My children don’t attack Hagrid and his dog on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it comes so willingly into our domain”.
With that, the spiders bolted. And he, Ron, and Fang sprinted as fast as they could. Bounding over roots and trees they made their way through the forest.
But the spiders were faster. Harry sent the spell he heard Tom cast in the diary. And it blasted a few spiders back. They were being closed in.
Suddenly a honking of a car horn blasted through the night air and the Weasleys Ford Anglia came barreling in. Doing a half-doughnut running over some spiders before coming to a stop in front of the boys and opening its doors. The boys and Fang dove in and the car took off and flew by itself out of the forest.
Ron stopped up to the headmaster’s office where Albus Dumbledore was sitting. Seeing the boy’s face red from anger spoke before the boy erupted. “ I take it that you’ll want a raise from the ordeal you had tonight?” he said coolly.
“Your Bloody right I do! That bastard put my life in danger again! And spiders! Bloody Fucking Spiders! You know I’m afraid of those filthy creatures!” the boy shouts.
“ Be patient Mr. Weasley, you’ll find the funds in your account as soon as tomorrow morning. And what did you find out.” He says passively.
“ All we found out was some girl died in a bathroom, and that Spiders fear it amongst all beasts.” The redhead reported.
He nods and dismisses the boy. That confirms it then, Dumbledore thought
the monster is indeed a Basilisk.