Ripped Away

Year Two: Arcomantulas, More Card Games and Colin Gets Got

"Are you fucking kidding me right now... ?", Heracles muttered to herself in pissed-off disbelief as she stood in the distance, watching Hagrid as he was escorted out of his hut by the Minister of Magic (who wore the ugliest green bowler hat Heracles had ever seen), and a very caneless Lucius Malfoy, who was also escorting out Dumbledore.

It was a week after Dumbledore and Heracles's go fish game, and after going through all the magical creature books in the library and finding nothing on what the monster could be, she decided to reluctantly do what she had said she would and follow Dumbledore's advice about tracking down Hagrid's acromantula friend for information on the monster in chamber. Unfortunately for her, she was a bit too late to follow her original plan of getting Hagrid to help her because the man was currently being arrested, and Dumbledore was being sacked. Fred, who was standing with her because she had asked him to accompany her, watched the scene with worry in his eyes.

"Oh no! What are we gonna do now?!", the ginger asked in a panicked voice. Heracles sighed heavily.

"I suppose we'll just have to go alone.", Heracles said as the four men returned to the castle. Fred looked at her in alarm.

"G-go alone? Are you serious?", he stuttered. Heracles noticed this and gave him a sharp look.

"No, I'm kidding. The easter bunny is going in there for us. Yes I'm serious! Why? Do you have a problem with that?", Heracles said sarcastically before she asked him her question. Fred shifted nervously.

"I actually kinda do. I'm uh... what's the word for someone who's scared of spiders?", Fred asked, and Heracles was already starting to hate where this was going.

"Arachnophobic?", she supplied. Fred snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"Yeah, arachnophobic! I'm terrified of spiders. Especially big ones.", Fred said with a shudder. Heracles glared at him.

"Then why did you agree to come with me to do this?", she hissed. Fred scowled at her.

"Because I thought Hagrid would be there to keep his friend from eating us! But now he won't be and we're in danger of being turned into lunch meat, so can I please not go? Or better yet, can we both please not go? I don't care how much of a prodigy you are, two kids and a giant spider isn't a good match-up.", Fred pleaded. Heracles was really starting to get annoyed with her situation.

"Come on, don't be like that! We'll bring Fang! We'll be perfectly fine! Worst comes to worst I'll just Avada Kedavra the acromantula and call it a day", she said, despite knowing damn well the dog was a coward and wouldn't be much help in a fight, but Fred just shook his head.

"Still don't wanna go, and the way you are perfectly willing to whip out one of the Unforgivables to solve a problem is alarming. Can't you get someone else to go with you? Or I'll say it again, not go at all?", Fred asked. Heracles glared at him.

"No, because Ginny's been a mess lately, Luna will get sidetracked looking for Wrackspurts or something, Neville will get spooked and run back to the castle at the first sign of danger, Colin will spend the entire time taking pictures, and in case you've forgotten, your brother is currently in the hospital wing with the flu. You are, unfortunately, my only option.", Heracles reminded him, and Fred groaned loudly.

"Okay, fine! I'll go! But you better bring Fang along! And no Avada Kedavra!", Fred stipulated, and Heracles nodded at him in satisfaction.

"Thank you. Now come on, let's go get Fang and a lantern. We're burning moonlight.", the red haired girl said before taking off towards Hagrid's hut, her fourth year friend trailing reluctantly behind.