The Rising of Merlin

The One With the Denial

Chapter 32 The One With the Denial

When March came around; so did Ron's birthday. He was a bit disappointed that the Hogsmead visit had been cancelled, which wasn't so hard to understand considering that the last time, a student had almost died.

Katie wasn't quite well enough to play Quidditch just yet, but she had been allowed to fly around a little on her broom, just to get her balance up again.

But the cancelled Hogsmead visit wasn't the worst thing that happened to Ron on March 1st. He accidentally ate a box of chocolate kettles that was laced with love potion. It was the same chocolate box Harry had gotten from Romilda just before Christmas and had accidentally gotten into Ron's pile of presents when Harry had taken it out to look through his trunk after the Marauders map.

As that wasn't bad enough; while recovering from his recently cured love potion, he was poisoned by a bottle of mead and just barely survived because of Harry's quick thinking and a very luckily placed bezoar.

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Earlier the same morning, Merlin was on the way to Hagrid's hut. He had promised Hagrid that he would accompany him when he visited Aragog. Or rather, Merlin had practically forced Hagrid to take him with because Merlin knew he was a bit unstable when it came to his favourite spider.

"Morning, Hagrid." Merlin greeted when he reached the hut. He was dressed in a waterproof light blue cloak; his hood pulled up to shelter him from the drizzling rain; and a red neckerchief round his neck to keep warm.

"Marcus." Hagrid nodded and took up his crossbow after he closed the door behind him. He had a bag slung over his shoulder.

"What's in the bag?" Merlin asked after they had begun walking towards the forest.

"I brought a few books, yeh see." Hagrid answered with a glance towards him. "I'm goin' to read to him."

"Does he like it?" Merlin couldn't stop himself from asking. He had never heard of an Acromantula that liked being read to.

"Oh, very much." Hagrid said with a joyful tone. "He likes hearing my voice. It relaxes him."

"Brilliant." Merlin beamed towards Hagrid and received an equally bright smile back.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, not wanting to disturb the creatures that lived in the forest. After little more than an hour, they reached the nest where Aragog and his family lived.

"Probably best if yeh stay outside the nest at firs', Marcus. Don' wan' them to hurt yeh, ye see." Hagrid said before he made his way into the nest.

"If I hear some weird noises; I will go in after you." Merlin warned and Hagrid gave a reluctant nod in answer.

Merlin knew that the spiders wouldn't do anything to him; they would sense who he was; but he didn't want to impose on Hagrid so he sat down and got ready to wait.

After half an hour, he heard Hagrid call for him.

"Yeh can come now, Marcus." Hagrid called.

"Coming." Merlin answered and quickly gathered himself together and walked in to the nest.

He walked into the nest with careful steps and watchful eyes. Even if he was sure the spiders would recognise him, he couldn't be completely sure they wouldn't try and eat him before that. He saw Hagrid sitting on a log at the other end, a book in his lap and a giant spider lying on the ground next to him. 'Must be Aragog.' Merlin thought, and sure enough.