Emrys Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2 of The Four Ribbons Series)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

In The Spiders Web

It was in Herbology a few days later that Harry figured it out, though he didn't tell me, I saw him and Ron watching a trail of spiders that were winding themselves up the wall and through a crack in the glass of the green house. They were heading for the forbidden Forest. I knew that Harry and Ron weren't just going to let me tag along, so I decided that I was going to have to involve my friends. I told Spencer what I had planned, but the problem with asking Jackie was that there was no way to get her alone, and out of earshot of a teacher.

" You can borrow Persephone." Spencer suggested. Persephone was Spencer's pet. A large female Python. " It's gonna freak her out." I said and he shrugged.

" She'll get the message, wont she?"

After everyone went to bed, Spencer brought down Persephone, who immediately took to winding herself off his shoulders, across the couch, and down the arm on my side. " Emrysss." The Python whispered in greeting.

" Can you do something for me, Persephone."

" Does it involve eating the Malfoy boy, or a nice rat?"

" No. I need you to give a message to Jackie."

"  Persssphone likess Jackie. Persssphone will go." She agreed before I carefully placed the small note in her mouth. She slithered away as Spencer opened the passage for her, before turning to me. " We should hurry, if we're going to catch up with Ron and Harry."

When we reached the door leading out onto the grounds, Jackie stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair was a mess, and stuck up in several directions, but she had a huge grin on her face. We started toward Hagrid's hut, but stopped as Fang came bounding outside, with Harry and Ron right behind him. " What are you three doing down here?" Ron asked.

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The five of us were silent as we walked through the trees of the forbidden forest, guided by nothing but wand light, and the trail of spiders that lead us deeper and deeper into the forest. I glanced back toward Spencer and Jackie, to find that Spencer's hair had gone a very pale green. He was putting on a brave face, but it was clear that he was terrified. Ron was scared to, but he wasn't hiding it as well as Spencer.

We found the flying car that had brought Harry and Ron to Hogwarts, but as I was about to remind them that we had to keep up the spiders, I was seized around the middle and pulled into the air. The air left my lungs so quickly that I didn't even get the chance to scream, and spots flew across my vision. I could hear Spencer cussing very loudly from somewhere in the darkness behind me, and he seemed to be competing with Jackie on who could say more in a matter of seconds.

I was dropped to the ground in the middle of a clearing, and as I lifted my head to find that we were completely surrounded by spiders. Not ordinary spiders, these were the size of a small pony. Spencer, Ron, Harry, and Jackie stood behind me and Jackie let out a small squeak when one of the spiders came to close to her. Then from above, a spider much larger then the rest, about the size of elephant. " Mother-" Jackie started to scream but Spencer stepped on her foot, cutting her off.

" What is it?" The large spider asked. They could talk, wonderful.

" Men." Another replied. The one who had seized Harry.

" Is it Hagrid?" The large spider asked.

" Strangers." The spider who had seized Ron replied.

" Kill them." The large spider ordered. " I will sleep."

" We're friends of Hagrids." Harry said quickly.

" Hagrid has never sent humans into our hollow before."

" Hagrid is in trouble. That's why we've come."

" In trouble. Then why has he sent you?"

" They think, up at the school, that Hagrid has been setting something on the students. They've taken him to Azkaban."

" But that was years ago, years and years ago, I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in, what they called, The Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the chamber, and set me free."

" And...and you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said.

" I was not born in the castle, I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me. Hidden in the cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown. All through Hagrid's goodness."

" So you never attacked anyone."

" Never. It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom, I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet."

" Then do you know what did kill that girl? Because what ever it is, it's back, and its killing people again." Harry told him

" The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go when I sensed the beast moving about the school."

" What is it?" Harry asked.

" We do not speak of it." Aragog replied when his children began to grow agitated. " We do not name it, I never even told Hagrid the name of that creature, though he asked me many times."

" I think we'll just go." Harry said, and I slowly withdrew my wand from where it was hidden in my sleeve. I could see Spencer and Jackie doing the same next to me, but before the five of us could fire a single spell the flying car drove into the clearing to save us. We climbed in, the doors slammed closed behind us, and then the car took off on it's own.