The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 66: Acromantula

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Three

Chapter Sixty- Six: Acromantula

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The Forbidden Forest had become a sort of sanctuary for Calista Higgs. She often found herself venturing out into the Forbidden Forest after curfew with her notebook and a muggle pen, keeping an ear out for the rustling of magical creatures as she walks. The croaks of the frogs from the Black Lake and the chirping of crickets overwhelming the night air as she ventured deeper and deeper into the forest every time she went. 

Her bowtruckle hated these excursions, often hiding between her hair and peeping out as he kept a lookout for monsters and creatures that she wouldn't be protected from. He often warned her of things that turned out to be harmless like a rabbit passing nearby or the odd Owl that had entered the forest for their dinner. 

She had admitted quietly to the small creature that she had never actually ventured as far as she had as she came across a clearing. She froze immediately at the sight before her, the empty clearing brought the light from the nearly full moon out, shining amongst the various creatures that stood in the clearing, grazing on the grass. Before her were unicorns- mature unicorns at that with a white body and golden hooves with a majestic horn. The bowtruckle was now trying desperately to convince Cali to leave the clearing, wanting to be back in the sanctuary of his own home in her drawer. 

"Oh my," Cali breathed so quietly that it appeared as though none of the Unicorns had even heard her. She sat down, worried that if she took even a single other step that the Unicorns would scatter away. She opened her notebook and began to write notes, noting the differences between the unicorn she had seen a few months ago in Kettleburn's class and everything she could notice between the interactions of the Unicorns themselves. It wasn't until the Unicorn's heads snapped up in alarm, their eyes wide in a direction aimed towards her before they sprinted away that she realized that something was going on.

At first, she thought it was her that they had grown concerned about. But then she realized that there was a light rustling behind her, so she turned her body very slowly and came across a particularly close creature with eight hairy legs that stood taller than her when she was standing. His beady eyes boring into her as the Bowtruckle hid behind her ear nervously. She briefly looked behind the creature and found many more of the same creature just behind this one. "H-Hi," Cali squeaked fearfully.

"Hello," the Acromantula greeted.

"I- I am Cali," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. The Acromantula seemed to just look at her hand and didn't say anything for a moment.

"Aragog," the creature finally spoke.

"Nice to meet you," Cali smiled. "May I go home?"

Aragog laughed shortly as he took a step closer, and Cali found herself stumbling backwards until her back hit a hard surface. "Yeh, you 'ill go home." She turned around, surprised to see that it was Hagrid that she had bumped into.

"Hagrid," Aragog greeted, "How are you?"

"'ine," Hagrid shrugged. "Couldn' comp'ain."

"Nice to hear that," Aragog nodded. "May I have her back?"

"No," Hagrid denied. "She best go home, right?" Hagrid glanced at Cali, gesturing for her to leave but Cali refused to leave the man. 

"Fine," Aragog sighed. "This one time," he warned Hagrid lightly before making a clicking sound as the Acromantulas began to scatter. Once they were all gone, the large man turned to Cali and smiled slightly.

"'Ello. May I as' why yeh 'ere?"

Cali grabbed her notebook off the ground and offered it to him. Hagrid took the book from her, sending her a quizzical look before he began flipping through the notebook that was filled with awful drawings of various magical creatures and notes about different aspects of the creatures. "I," Cali began before clearing her throat. "I sort of research animals."

"You're missing Acromantulas," Hagrid commented slowly once he reached an empty page.

"Yes," Cali confirmed. "Looks like I can add them now."

"Yeh ough' be care'ul in these woo's," Hagrid warned the girl. "If yeh ever wan' learn more, come by meh hut."

"Your hut?" Cali questioned and Hagrid shrugged in response.

"Yeh could say tha' I love crea'res too."