The Girl Who Lived ☆ D. MALFOY

Chapter 39

A/N- I said I was taking a break, but y'all are too amazing and were so accepting that I couldn't help myself. So, here's another chapter! Sadly, there's no Draco in this one, but it's a chapter nonetheless. Things are about to get interesting. Updates will kinda come whenever because I'm gonna try getting back into this story, but I promise they'll come eventually. Let me know what you think, and tell me if you'd read other stories of mine from different fandoms if I published them. Enjoy! 

Word Count: 1488

Led by Felix Felicis, Harry and I rushed down to Hagrid's hut, where we assumed he would be preparing to bury his old friend, the giant spider, Aragog. Ron and Hermione were confused by our sudden need to visit the groundskeeper, but we both claimed it felt right. Felix was always right, right? We met the exact person we needed to see on our way down, Professor Slughorn, carrying a large handful of leaves from the greenhouse while Professor Sprout walks back into the darkness in the direction of her classroom.

"Good evening, Professor." Harry and I say in unison, pulling the invisibility cloak off of us. I gently pat my hair back into place, so as to not look conspicuous.

"Merlin's beard, you two. Made me jump!" he says, clutching his chest in an attempt to gain his bearings. "How did you both get out of the castle?"

"Filch must have forgotten to lock the doors." I say cheerfully and without hesitation, being the more talented liar out of the two of us. We both were delighted to see him scowl at the mention of the caretaker.

"I'll have to report that man." he says, shaking his head at the ground before looking back at us. "But why are you two out here?"

"Well, sir, it's Hagrid," Harry starts, telling the truth. "He's pretty upset. But you won't tell anyone, will you, Professor? I wouldn't want any trouble for him." I saw the potions master's eyes fill with curiosity, and nearly failed to hold back my glee at how well this was playing out already.

"Well, I can't promise that, but I know Dumbledore trusts him to the hilt, so I'm sure he can't be up to anything dreadful."

"Well, it's this giant spider, he's had it for years. It lived in the forest. Could talk and everything." Harry explains simply, and I just nod solemnly, thinking over the situation we had with these arachnids in our second year. I repress a shiver.

"I heard rumours there were acromantulas in the forest," the professor says softly, looking over at the lights of Hagrid's hut. He went on in patchy sentences, saying something about the spider's venom being valuable, before declaring she would join us at Hagrid's after changing into a proper tie.

~~~~~~~~~~

After burying Aragog behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch, and Slughorn saying a few words of comfort over the spider's unmoving body, -as well as taking several vials of Aragog's venom- we sat at the large table inside Hagrid's house with two bottles of wine in front of us. Slughorn poured most of the first bottle into Hagrid's monstrous goblet, poured the two of us cups, then poured himself a rather generous serving from the last bottle and made a toast.

"To Aragog." he said solemnly while Hagrid just hiccuped and mopped up his tears. Harry and I toasted as well, but when the two adults took deep gulps from their glasses, we merely looked at each other before faking short sips. Partially because Felix told us it wouldn't be a good idea, partially because I never was one for alcohol.

Not long later, after I'd repeatedly refilled the wine bottles using my wand under the table and a wordless incantation, both Hagrid and Slughorn were drunk beyond their wits, to a point where neither would remember much of this night tomorrow. They sang songs of the most random topics, out of tune as can be, but Harry and I don't mind. Soon, while Slughorn is still singing a song about a dying wizard named Odo, the topic turns to our parents.