Magic? || Years 5-7

The Defense of the Guilty: Year 6

Rather shocked at this sudden turn of events, Amisty wasn't quite sure what to do with a sobbing Hagrid. Thankfully, Hermione was much quicker on her feet when it came to crying people.

"Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed, hurrying around the table - as far away from the bucket of maggots as possible - to embrace him. "What is it?"

"It's. . . him. . ." Hagrid swallowed, wiping away his tears with his apron. "It's. . . Aragog. . . I think he's dyin'. . . He got ill over the summer an' he's not gettin' better. . . I don' know what I'll do if he. . . if he. . . We've bin tergether so long. . ."

Hermione patted his shoulders, looking rather lost. Amisty was at a bit of a crossroads, considering Aragog was the spider who had tried to feed her, Harry, and Ron to his sons and daughters during their trip to the Forbidden Forest in their second year.

"Is there - is there anything we can do?" Hermione asked hesitantly as Ron shook his head violently.

"I don' think there is, Hermione," Hagrid choked out, now rubbing his eyes with his hands. "See, the rest o' the tribe. . . Aragog's family. . . they're gettin' a bit funny now he's ill. . . bit restive. . ."

"Yeah, I think we saw a bit of that side of them," Ron murmured, wincing as Amisty pinched him.

". . . I don' reckon it'd be safe fer anyone but me ter go near the colony at the mo'," He blew his nose on his apron. "But thanks fer offerin', Hermione. . . It means a lot. . ."

Thankfully, however, Hermione's readiness - or considerable ability to lie - seemed to convince Hagrid that they truly did mean well and that it was about time for him to forgive them.

"Ar, I always knew yeh'd find it hard ter squeeze me inter yer timetables," He cleared his throat, pouring them more tea. "Even if yeh applied fer Time-Turners - "

"We couldn't have done," Hermione replied quickly. "We smashed the entire stock of Ministry Time-Turners when we were there last summer. It was in the Daily Prophet."

"Are, well then," Hagrid sighed. "There's no way yeh could've done it. . . I'm sorry I've bin - yeh know - I've jus' bin worried abou' Aragog. . . an' I did wonder whether, if Professor Grubbly-Plank had bit teachin' yeh - "

Immediately, the four of them started rambling on and on about how Grubbly-Plank was a terrible teacher and that Hagrid was so, so much better at introducing all. . . fascinating creatures they. . . adored. It seemed as if it worked very well, considering he was in a much happier mood when he waved them goodbye just before dinner.

"I'm starving," Harry announced, leading the way through the grounds and up to the castle. "And I've got that detention with Snape tonight, I haven't got much time for dinner. . ."

Just as they rounded the corner to the Great Hall, they were greeted by Cormac McLaggen struggling stupendously to walk through the door. He ran right into the frame on his first attempt, scowling and rubbing his head as he stumbled through. Ron, of course, found this endlessly amusing, following McLaggen with quite a bit of grace in comparison.

Amisty snickered, picking up her pace to catch up with him.

"He is not having a good day, is he?" She poked him.

"Oh, isn't it great!" Ron's grin was wicked. "This is hilarious, isn't it, Harry - "

They turned as one, expecting to see Harry and Hermione a few steps behind and instead finding no one.

Ron's eyes narrowed, "Where'd they go?"

"Maybe their shoe came untied or something," Amisty soothed. "C'mon, let's go get our seats and - "