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↯ chapter twenty
➾ follow the spiders
HAGRID TURNED TO THE noise of knocking, he just couldn't believe someone would come and knock on his door so late at night. He held the crossbow in his grasp, and kicked the door open, pointing the weapon outwards, the three kids eyes widen watching the door slam open. "Hello? Hello?"
The trio lifted the invisible cloak off their bodies, a heavy sigh came from Hagrid. "What's that for?" Harry asked, gesturing to the weapon.
"Oh, nothing, I was expecting— it doesn't matter. Come on in, I just made a pot of tea." Hagrid said stepping aside, Rosalyn held onto the invisible cloak and walked in, the boys not far from her.
Hagrid took the teapot off the table to pour some of the tea he prepared, though his mind must have been elsewhere when Rosalyn noticed his shaky hands and when he overfilled the mug causing it to spill.
"Hagrid, are you okay?" Harry asked peering up.
"I'm fine, I'm all right." Hagrid exclaimed, a sad expression on his face. They knew something was about to happen. Rosalyn squints at him. "Did you hear about Hermione?" She asked.
"Oh yeah, I hear about that, all right." Hagrid replied nodding. Rosalyn slowly glanced to Harry. "Look, we have to ask you something." Harry began biting inside of his mouth. "Do you know who's open the chamber of secrets?"
Hagrid exhaled. "What you have to understand about that is—" The man didn't have the change to say anything else when a knock came to the door, alerting Fang. "Quick, under the cloak."
Rosalyn unwrapped the cloak and with Harry's help the three of them hid beneath the cloak and backed up, Hagrid quickly picked up the crossbow. "Don't say a word. Be quiet. The three of ya."
The wooden door was open. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, sir."
"Good evening, Hagrid." Dumbledore greeted. "I wonder, could we...?" He gestured into coming inside. Hagrid nodded. "Of course, come in, come in."
"That's dad's boss." Ron says quietly, Rosalyn watched Dumbledore and some man she didn't recognize walk in. "Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic."
"Bad business, Hagrid, very bad business." Fudge declared feeling sick to the stomach. "Had to come, three attacks on muggle borns. Things have gone far enough, the ministry's got to act."
"You know, I never, professor." Hagrid said glancing at Dumbledore, shocked that they came into his home and accuse him of such a thing.
"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid— has my full confidence." Dumbledore spoke, Rosalyn glanced at the man, Cornelius. "Albus, look, Hagrid's record is against him, I've got to take him."
"Take me? Take me where? Not Azkaban prison!" Hagrid declared looking back to Dumbledore, he hadn't done anything wrong, didn't understand what they wanted from him.
"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid." Fudge tells him, the door flew open and there stood the man who's been nothing but a rightful horrible person, Rosalyn has ever met. "Already here, Fudge? Good." Lucius Malfory entered the hut.
"What are you doing here?" Hagrid spoke through an angry voice. "Get out of my house!"
"I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your..." Lucius trailed off, stepping further into the comfortable home, the three kids stepped back quickly. "You call this a house? Mmh. No, I simply called at the school and was told the headmaster was here."
"Wait, what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore questioned, Lucius spun right around. "The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside."
Rosalyn teared her gaze from the tall blonde to Professor Dumbledore. "This is an order of suspension," Lucius pulled out a scroll and passed it to Dumbledore. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch."
Dumbledore stared him down at his words. Lucius slightly shrugged. "Well, what? With all there attacks, there'll be no muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."
"You can't take professor Dumbledore away." Hagrid declared. "Take him away and the muggle-borns won't stand a chance. You mark my words, there'll be killing next!"
"You think so?" Lucius says calmly.
"Calm yourself, Hagrid." Dumbledore spoke through the chaos. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside." The Headmaster stepped forward to Lucius. "However... you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
Rosalyn eyes when Dumbledore briefly glanced back to them. Lucius followed his gaze not seeing anything and turned back. "Admirable sentiments. Shall we?"
Rosalyn watched the blonde haired man walk out the hut, Dumbledore stared down the children before following Lucius out the door. "Fudge."
"Come, Hagrid." Fudge says peering up at the tall man. "Well?" Hagrid cleared his throat. "If anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'll have to do would be to follow the spiders." Hagrid glanced around the hut. "Yep. That would lead them right. That all I have to say."
Hagrid walked towards the wooden door. "Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away." As soon as the door shut, they removed the invisible cloak.
"Hagrid's right." Ron spoke up. "With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day."
Harry shifted his gaze passed him towards the window. "Look." Rosalyn turned and noticed the dozen of baby spiders. "Come on." Harry reached out and grabbed a lantern off the table.
Rosalyn stopped in her tracks and slowly gaze down at the dog and sighs. "Come on, Fang." The door leaped off the couch and straight out the door. "Always looking for an invite, aren't you?"
Rosalyn promptly shut the door and quickly joined Harry and Ron's side, watching the baby spiders clawing their way into the dark forest. "Come on." Rosalyn says, walking down, Harry and Fang right behind.
"What?" Ron gaped at the spider, feeling as they were all over him. Harry glanced back. "You heard what Hagrid said, follow the spiders."
"They're heading to the dark forest." Ron exclaimed, Rosalyn paused and turned with Harry nearly knocking into her. "Don't be a wuss, Ronald, we'll be back in no time."
Ron grumbled watching his friends continue on their merry way. "Why spiders? Why couldn't it be, follow the butterflies?"
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They were deep into the forest, the trees seemed taller than before and fog appeared soon after they stepped foot. Ron wouldn't stop turning his head at every sound he heared. Fang mostly lead them into the woods, following the spiders.
"Harry, I don't like this." Ron broke the silence, keeping close to Harry. "Harry, I don't like this at all." Rosalyn turned and shushed him, Harry stretched out the lantern towards where the spiders were crawling to.
"Can we go back now?" Ron cried staring up at the tree branches drenched in spiders. Harry didn't spare him a glance when he stepped into the dark cave. "Come on."
Rosalyn gently shoved the redhead into the cave, before she ducked down, following them with a excited mind, she hadn't seen so many spiders since her last spider had babies, Andromeda made Rosalyn get rid of all the babies her spider did have.
She jumped down the large branch and in amazement she glanced around the woods, there was fog everywhere from below her ankle, the low sound of the spiders crawling made her heart race. Rosalyn stood behind Harry and Ron when they came to a stop.
"Who is it?" A heavy, dark voice spoke, though they didn't see anyone. Fang barked at the sound. "Don't panic." Harry mumbled to Ron.
"Hagrid? Is that you?" The voice asked, the branches thrashed loudly. "We're friends of Hagrid's." Harry says with a nod, the three children took a step back at the sight of a large spider coming out from the shadows.
"And you? You're—" Harry seemed to catch himself by surprise. "You're Aragog, aren't you?"
"Yes. Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before." Aragog answered, blinking its six eyes.
"He's in trouble." Harry exclaimed. "Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the chamber of secrets, like before."
"That's a lie!" Aragog spat. "Hagrid never opened the chamber of secrets."
"Then you're not the monster?" Harry said to him. "No! The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land— in a pocket of a traveler."
Ron launched himself onto Rosalyn's arm with a whimper, Rosalyn slowly turned to meet the frightened look on his face then slowly down to where his hand laid. "But if you're not the monster th—then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry asked curiously.
"Ronald, don't start crying." Rosalyn whispered lowly, letting the redhead cling into her arm.
"We do not speak of it." Aragog says harshly. "It is an ancient creature, we spiders fear above all others."
"Have you seen it?" Rosalyn spoke up, glancing back, admiring the dark features of Aragog. "I never saw any part of the castle, but the books in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."
"Harry..." Ron spoke shaky, using his other hand to shake the boys arm. Harry sighs. "What?" Ron slowly pointed up to the dozen of spiders climbing down, surrounding them. Harry gulps peering back down to Aragog.
"Well, thank you. We'll just go."
Rosalyn removed Ron's arm and slowly took a step back. Aragog tilting his head. "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 midset."
Harry turned back to the girl, noticing the way she stared at the giant spider before her, he reached out and tugged her closer to Ron and himself. "Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."
Ron slowly turned to Harry. "Can we panic now?" Harry ignored him and swings at one spider with the lantern then goes to do the same to another before throwing it down. They pressed their backs together, drawing out their wands.
"Rosalyn, you know any spells?" Ron asked, peering over his shoulder to her. Rosalyn shook her head. "I do, but I don't have my wand. I must have left it at Hagrid's."
"I know one but it's not powerful for all of them." Harry answered glancing at Rosalyn for a moment. "Where's Hermione when you need her." Ron muttered wanting to wake from this nightmare.
The spiders grew closer, surrounding them completely, even managing to grab Fang. That's when the sudden bright light of the Weasley car came into view, a huge relief came over them, as the vehicle crashed through the spiders.
"Let's go!" Rosalyn ran over, climbing into the backseat with Fang, Ron whimpered running to the car and slamming door. "Arania Exumai!" Harry casted a spell, a beam of light shot out.
Harry got inside just as a spider slammed onto the door, another landed above, smashing the windshield. "Go!" Rosalyn yelled, Ron pressed on gas driving out from where they came from, they managed to get away and the redhead stopped the car to catch his breath.
"Glad we're out of there." Ron says, Rosalyn eyes then widen as a giant spider jumped out from behind Ron, launching its arms around his neck, Ron screamed clutching onto the arm. Harry brought out his wand quickly. "Arania Exumai!"
Ron cranked his head back, shutting his eyes at the light. The spider squeals flying back and further down the woods. "Thanks for that." Ron said leaning against the seat.
"Don't mention it." Harry nodded, putting his wand away. Rosalyn leaned forward, closely watching about a dozen of baby spider's crawling out from the ground. "Get us out of here." She ordered. "Now!"
Ron drove back, pressing on the gas pedal, though it seemed like the spiders were catching up. "Come on! Come on, move faster!" Harry exclaimed, the car spun around quickly causing the boys to scream. "Come on! Go!"
Ron drove forward hoping to catch a glimpse of the school but it was pure darkness with spiders trailing quickly behind. "Get us in the air." Ron yanked on the gear, trying to make it work. "The flying gear is jammed!"
Harry launched his hands above Ron's and with his help they worked together and pulled on the flying gear, getting them off the ground and into the air. They floated smoothly above grounds to then crash back down.
Rosalyn stumbled out the car, allowing Fang right after. "Follow the spiders. Follow the spider!" Ron shook his head, circling around the car to Harry. "If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"
The car started up again, backing away and drove back onto the woods. "I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?" Ron asked Harry.
"We know one thing." Harry says nodding. "Hagrid never opened the chamber of secrets. He was innocent."
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