Heroes with Wands

Chapter 30

Percy

Everyone prepared for Hagrid's—whatever he had to tell us must've been important, because the wizards kept saying how tense he was when they'd spoken to him.

Annabeth seemed so stressed lately. I mean, she had to complete an impossible quest by herself. I glanced at her. She strapped her knife to her belt and slipped her drachma into her back pocket. I thought she looked super hot, but that was irrelevant. Kind of. Not that it mattered.

We gathered on the deck once again. Annabeth and the wizards vanished.  As for us seven—we prepared to shadow-travel with Nico and Hazel. I took Nico and Piper's hands—Nico seemed uncomfortable—and we disappeared into the shadows.

When I opened my eyes, the seven of us stood in front of Hagrid's house. A muffled sound like sobbing was getting louder as we walked around to the side of the house.

Standing there next to a crying Hagrid was Professor Slughorn. And the largest spider I'd ever seen lay there. Hagrid cried, "Aragog, don't leave....."

"My friend," the spider spoke, chilling my bones. Piper and Hazel yelped. The spider ignored them and said, "You have been ever so kind to me. I will not forget you as I pass."

Then I heard a shriek so loud, my eardrums felt like they'd explode. Then I heard the hyperventilating. I couldn't see Annabeth, but I'm pretty sure the world could hear her.

"Bronze bulls, girl!" Leo looked around. "Do you want to get us all expelled?"

Aragog laughed with no humor. "I smell wisdom. A child of Athena, no doubt. Reveal yourself, godling. Alas, I cannot hurt you. My mother is the one you should fear. She stands in your way."

He barely had time to choke out his last words before he fell onto his back, his eight legs pointing up into the air. Ron gulped, "I've had bad experiences with that spider I'd like to not recount."

Hagrid bawled. Slughorn patted the big guy's shoulder. "It's all right, Hagrid," he said, trying to sound grim. I smirked. He had a vial in one hand and was staring at the spider. When Hagrid wasn't looking, he took some of the spider's venom.

I felt Annabeth's breath. I took off her cap and she stood there next to me, plaster pale and still. "P-Percy, it's-it's—,"

"I know," I said. "it's a spider."

"N-no." She shook her head, shaking her hands in front of her. "No. He's a child of Arachne. Like, a direct child. Small spiders are her grandkids and stuff. He was her son."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "It's okay. Let's just get going."

Harry approached Hagrid. "Hagrid? I'm sorry about Aragog. I know how much you loved him. But we need to talk."

Ginny whispered, "I didn't know Slughorn would be here. We can get that memory he's been holding onto."

I nodded. We led Hagrid into his house. Slughorn hurried behind, carrying a vial of spider venom. Annabeth shivered. I squeezed her hand for reassurance.

After Hagrid spent a few moments crying (with us sitting there in awkward silence), he finally said, "I-I knew Aragog knew sometin' about yer quest. H-he's a secretive spider, that one. He said sometin' about his mutter bein' the reason yer fightin'."

Mutter. Mother, maybe? Annabeth sniffled. She said, "His mother is Arachne. How could she possibly be the reason we're fighting? Does she mean the Greeks and Romans?"

Hagrid shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "He wouldn't tell me anythin'. I just wanted to tell yer all before-before he-before he—,"

He let out a monstrous sob. Slughorn patted his shoulder. "There there, my friend," he said, trying not to look awkward.