𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 // 𝕙. 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣

chapter 8: aragog

your pov

"Harry, I don't like this... I don't like this at all!" ron says as we follow the spiders through the dark forest. we come up to a tunnel and spiders crawl through at all angles.

"do we actually have to go in there?" i ask. spiders freak me out, i don't need them crawling over my head. ron takes my hand. i look at him, and he gives me a reassuring look, even though he seems scared out of his mind as well. when we get through, there are even more spiders, bigger ones. i hold on tight to ron.

"it can't be much further.." harry says, but i don't notice him turning around and seeing ron's hand in mine. he gives us a sad look before continuing through the tunnel.

"Can we go back now?" ron says.

"Come on!" harry says, walking to the middle of the clearing.

"he's mad.." i say to ron as we follow him. then a HUGE spider, and i mean huge, i'm probably the size of one of its eyes, walks out in front of us. i feel all the color drain from my face. ron looks over at me, equally terrified but trying to put on a brave face. he squeezes my hand.

"Who is it?" the spider says.

"Don't panic." harry whispers to us. right. because that's so easy right now.

"Hagrid? Is that you?" the spider says again.

"We're friends of Hagrid's. And you? Y- y-you're Aragog aren't you?" harry replies.

"Yes. Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before." aragog says.

"He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets, like before." harry tells the gigantic spider.

"That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets." aragog says. i knew it!

"Then you're not the monster." harry says.

"No! The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler." aragog explains. then i see ron look up. i follow his gaze, and see even more gigantic spiders over top of us. i think i'm going to pass out.

"can we go now?" ron whispers.

"Shush. But if you're not the monster, then- then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" harry says.

"We do not speak of it. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others." aragog says.

"But have you seen it?" harry asks.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."aragog says. then the spiders above us start to descend, coming closer to us.

"Harry!" i whisper-shout.

"What?" he says, then he looks up, seeing the spiders. i don't know if i've ever seen ron this pale.

"Well, thank you. We'll just...go." harry says, and we start to back away, but we're stopped as spiders circle around us from all sides.

"Go? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friends of Hagrid." aragog says.

"we're gonna die here!" i exclaim, i don't know if i've ever been so scared.

"Can we panic now?" ron says as a big spider lands right next to the us, and Ron points his wand at it in fear, while Harry swings the lantern at it, then at another spider before throwing the it to the ground and taking out his wand. we all stand back to back with our wands out as the spiders surround us.

"Know any spells?" ron asks.

One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them." i say.

"Where's Hermione when you need her?" harry says. The spiders inch closer to us. then, the sound of a car engine is heard. we look in the direction of the noise, to see what i suspect to be the flying car ron and harry drove to school, drive into Aragog's nest, towards us. we back away towards Aragog as the car comes to a stop, then opens its doors for us.

"Let's go!" harry shouts as we run for the car; a pair of spiders come in for the attack; Ron whimpers as he gets in on the driver's side, closing the door on a spider's leg, but it manages to pull itself free. fang and i climb into the back as harry gets in on the passengers side. before he can close the door, a spider grabs him. i point my wand at the spider.

"arania Exumai!" i shout. a beam emits from my wand, blasting the spider away.

"thanks (y/n)!" Harry says as he gets in the car and closes the door, i nod. a spider lands on top of the car, while another lands on the hood.

"Go!" harry and i yell at ron. Ron puts the car in reverse, and it backs away as fast as it can, as we go under a tree root, the spider on the roof falls off onto its back. The car then goes flying backwards over a hill. as the car lands on the forest floor, the spider on the hood falls off; the car then comes to a stop. Ron grips the steering wheel, then turns to face us.

"Glad we're out of there." he says. Suddenly, another spider climbs onto the car and sticks its head through ron's window.

"ron!" i scream as the spider puts its pincers around his neck. taking his hands off the steering wheel, Ron tries to get the spider off, squirming and screaming. i reach into my pocket and pull out my wand, and poin it at him. Ron, his eyes and nostrils wide with terror, moves to the left, giving me a clear shot at the spider trying to eat him.

"Arania Exumai!" i cast. a beam of white light emits from my wand, blasting the spider off Ron and away from the car. he glances out the window and turns to me.

"Thanks for that." he says. i put my wand back in my pocket.

"Don't mention it." i respond. then the spiders appear at the top of the hill, and begin moving towards the car. oh no..

"Get us out of here. Now!" harry shouts. Ron puts the car in reverse.

"Come on! Come on, move faster!" ron says to the car, we scream as Ron makes a sharp turn. Ron puts the car in drive, and steps on the gas as we drive through the forest, the spiders pursue the car, moving almost as fast as cheetahs.

"Get us in the air." harry says. Ron pushes the gear, but nothing happens.

"The flying gear's jammed!" he exclaims. the spiders gather at a tree branch up ahead, intent on intercepting us.

"Come on, ron, Pull!" i yell.

"I'm trying!" he says. As we drive into the pack of spiders, knocking them aside, the car takes the air, with one spider managing to grab hold of the car before falling to the ground. Flying over the trees, the car descends and lands a few feet from Hagrid's house before coming to a complete stop. Harry opens his car door and lets Fang and i out. ron slams the door angrily.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him! I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?" he shouts. i put my hand in his arm, trying to calm him down. he looks down at me.

"We know one thing. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent." i say. harry and ron nod.