My Slytherin- Draco Malfoy

Chapter 19 (Year 2)

Draco's POV

Oh, Merlin. What have I gotten myself into?

I thought as we stared up at the giant spider, who held up tightly with his long arms, that were wrapped around us tightly. The spider studied us, I held onto my breath as it got closer, before dropping us. We fell on all fours, panting before staring up at the spider.

I had only realized that the other spiders were speaking until I heard other spiders moving closer to us.

"Is it Hagrid?" The spider called, out,

"Strangers,"

"Kill them. I was sleeping." My heart was racing and my mouth was parted slightly. I tried my best to stay still, or not look at any of the spiders, in fear they will get angered from that.

"We're friends of Hagrid's!" Harry shouted, his voice filled with desperation. The oldest spider paused, turning around to face us again.

"Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before,"

"He's in trouble. That's why we've come."

"In trouble?" The spider repeated, I tried my best to make sure I didn't sink into the ground. I wasn't scared of tiny spiders, but this was no ordinary spider, and I was sure it was going to kill us. I had zoned out again, listening to Ron's quiet whimpers of fear, and trying to control my breathing until I remembered the spider in front of us.

"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 call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."

"And you...you didn't come from the chamber?" Harry asked,

"I! 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 a 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..." The spider snapped, it looked around his family before all of his eyes landed on Harry again.

"So you never - 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..."

"But then do you know what killed that girl?" Harry asked,

"Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again -" There was a sound behind us, and we all froze, Harry looked around but my eyes never left the spiders, terrified, it was going to attack any second now.

"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, the spiders seemed to be getting closer as we heard more noise behind us.

"We'll just go, then," Harry whispered,

"Go?"

"I think not."

"But-but," I said, speaking for the first time, the spider chuckled, as I stood up on shaking legs, I pulled Ron up, just as Harry stood.

"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. Goodbye, a friend of Hagrid."

We could see them all staring at us, hungrily, they walked closer. I pulled out my wand, but what good would it do, when it's against hundreds of spiders?

Then there was a blinding light, and Mr. Weasley's car came storming in, pushing through the spiders, until it stopped in front of us. Harry pulled the car door open,

"Get fangs!" He yelled to Ron, who nodded, and picked fangs up, shoving all four of us in the car. We didn't touch the wheel or the accelerator, but the car knew what to do. It started driving, pushing us through the forest that seemed to fight back, until finally, we stopped, far away from the spiders.

"Are you two okay?" I asked, sitting up. Ron couldn't answer, his eyes were closed and his mouth was parted slightly. Harry nodded,

"Yeah,"

---

"Follow the spiders. I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive." Ron snapped, still trembling.

"I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," Harry explained, Ron scoffed.

"That's exactly Hagrid's problem! He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban! What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, Id like to know?"

"We found out that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets, He was innocent," I explained, but Ron didn't look convinced, in the slightest but still trembling.

---

"There's no point in talking to a petrified person.  She won't hear a word you're saying." Madam Pomfrey said,

"We know that, Madam Pomfrey.  It's just, well, you see, we thought, maybe, we could... be with her for a bit.  She's our... friend, you see, and... even if she can't hear us... I mean, it can't hurt, can it?" Madam Pomfrey stares at Ron a second longer before nodding.

"Very well then.  But be quick about it." She said, before walking away.

"You don't think Lockhart could be the heir of Slytherin, do you? Right.  Forget I said it." Ron signed,

"Wish you were here, Hermione.  We need you.  Now more than ever..." Ron whispered, as Harry stares at something Hermione had in her hand. He struggles for a second before managing to pull it out of her hand.

"' Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk.  Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye.  Spiders flee before it and only the crowing of the rooster can kill it .'Guys!  This is it!  The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk .  That's why I can hear it speak.  It's a snake."

"But it kills by looking people in the eye.  Why is it no one's dead?" Ron asked,

"Because no one did look it in the eye.  Not directly at least...Colin saw it through his camera. Justin -- Justin must've seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick !  Nick got the full blast of it, but he's a ghost -- he couldn't die again. And Hermione... had the mirror !  I bet you anything she was using it to look round corners, in case it came along."

"And Mrs. Norris?  I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, Harry." I asked,

"The water... there was water on the floor that night.  She only saw the Basilisk's reflection. The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it!  That's why Hagrid's roosters were killed!  Spiders flee before it!  It all fits!"

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around?  A dirty great snake.  Someone would have seen..." I stared,

"Hermione answered that too!" Harry yelled pointing to the paper again.

"Pipes...?  It's using the plumbing."

"Moaning Myrtle!" We yelled.