CHAPTER 48
| FOLLOW THE SPIDERS |
Afterward, the scene changed to the outside of Hagrid's hut. The grass on the ground seemed to be pressed down with the sounds of footsteps. The door of the hut gave off the sound of being knocked on.
The door opened and Hagrid came out with a grim expression and a crossbow in his hands.
"Who’s there?" Hagrid called out into the night. "Hello? Hello?"
Harry, Ryan, Ron and Neville all became visible as Harry pulled the cloak off of them.
"I love that thing." James said. "It's made all my pranks so easy to set up."
"Shh!' Remus told him in case any of the teachers heard him.
"What’s that for?" Harry asked looking at the crossbow.
"Oh, nothing." Hagrid said. He looked behind the boys and his eyes looked tired and fearful. "I- I was expecting, ah... It doesn’t matter- come on in. I just made a pot o’ tea."
Hagrid urshered the boys into his hut and they entered and saw that his dog, Fang, was lying on his stomach. His head raised up when they entered but quickly went back to the floor.
"Hagrid, are you okay?" Ryan asked.
"I’m fine! I’m alright." Hagrid insisted but his voiced wavered.
"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Still can't believe it got her." Sirius said.
"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, all righ’." Hagrid said as he set his crossbow against the door.
"We have to ask you something." Neville said. "We don't want you to take this the wrong way but--"
"Did you opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Ryan cut Neville off. The boys all gave Ryan a pointed look. "What? There's no easy way to ask. Might as well just rip the band aid off."
The boys all looked at Hagrid and saw the strange look on his face.
Hagrid let out a long sigh.
"What you had to understand about that is—"
Before he could say another word, the door to the hut was banged on by someone on the other end.
"Who's that?" Evan wondered.
"Were you expecting someone?" Ryan asked.
"Under the cloak." Hagrid whispered to them. "Don’t say a word. Be quiet, all o’ you.'
The boys all hundled together and Harry threw the cloak over them. As soon as their bodies disappeared, Hagrid slowly opened the door.
"Hello Hagrid." Cathy's voice flowed into the room. The boys expressions all changed to worry and fear.
"Cathy! Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Hagrid greeted.
"Good evening, Hagrid." Professor Dumbledore's voice came in from behind Hagrid who was standing below the doorframe. "I wonder, could we...?"
"What are they doing in his hut?" Frank enquired.
"Of course! Come in! Come in." Hagrid moved aside and let in Cathy, Dumbledore and a small round man with a hat into his hut.
"That’s Dad’s boss! Cornelius Fudge." Ron whispered. "Minister of Magic!"
"The what?" Amelia Bones looked from the screen to Minister Minchum.
"Cornelius Fudge?" Minchum pondered on the name. "Does anyone know who that is?"
The Aurors present all shook their heads and said no.
As soon as Cathy stepped into the hut, her eyes zeroed in to where the boys were standing. Their eyes widened and they grew fearful as Cathy began walking toward them.
"She can't see them, right?" Peter asked.
Harry and the boys all slowly and quietly walked backward until they hit the wall. Cathy raised her hand and reached for the cloak.
"I think she can." Fleamont answered.
Ron let out a small whimper as Cathy gripped the invisible material of the cloak.
But instead of pulling the cloak off, Cathy yanked it downward. Harry and Ryan, who were in front of Neville and Ron looked down and saw that Cathy had simply made sure that the cloak covered what was previously their exposed feet.
"Amateurs." they heard Cathy whisper to them.
"Oh!" A lot of people said in realization.
Cathy turned around and walked closer and stand beside Dumbledore.
"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business." Cornelius Fudge said with a dark expression. "Had to come-- three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry’s got to act."
Hagrid's face turned white. "Oh, but I never...you know I never...Professor!" Hagrid stammered and seemed lost for words to defend himself.
"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore assured the Minister.
Cathy placed her hand into Hagrid's and despite the size difference she managed to close their hands and gave him a squeeze.
"And mine as well." Cathy said.
"Albus, Catherine, look, Hagrid’s record is against him. I’ve got to take him." Fudge insisted.
"Take me?" Hagrid repeated. "Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison?"
Several people in the audience gasped at the idea of sending their gentle half-giant to the Dementor infested prison.
Fudge looked quite distressed at the whole situation.
"I’m afraid we have no choice, Hagrid."
"Already here, Fudge?" A voice came from the outside of the hut. Lucius Malfoy's head poked in before he walked in. When he saw that the Minister was already there, he smiled coldly. "Good..."
"Oh great, it's this fucker." Sirius said gaining a glare from Lucius.
"What’re you doin’ here? Get outta my house!" Hagrid demanded.
"Believe me, I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your--" Luicus gave his surroundings a dirty look. "--you call this a house?"
"Why are you here, Lucy?" Cathy questioned.
Lucius gave Cathy a dirty looked at the name she had called him but chose to ignore it for the moment.
"I simply called at the school, and was told the headmaster was here."
"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore asked.
"The other governors and I have decided it’s time for you to step aside." Lucius said happily. He handed Dumbledore a rolled up piece of parcement. "This is an order of suspension. You’ll find all twelve signatures on it."
"Can he do that?" Remus questioned and a wave of unsettleness washed over the audience.
Cathy snatched the paper before Dumbledore could receive it and rolled it. "This can't be real." Her expression fell as soon as she finished reading.
"I’m afraid we feel you’ve rather lost your touch." Lucius said smugly. "Well, what, with all these attacks, there’ll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."
Cathy's eyes landed on Lucius with a dark look.
"Yeh can’ take Professor Dumbledore away." Hagrid insisted. "Take him away, an’ the Muggle-borns won’ stand a chance! You mark my words, there’ll be killin’s next!"
"You think so?" Lucuis said dismissively.
Cathy's eyes glowed red as her Chaos magic began to flare up. "You fucking smug--"
"Kill him, kill him, kill him!" James encouraged.
"Calm yourself, Professor." Dumbledore said stopping Cathy from any action. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
"Admirable sentiments." Lucius rolled his eyes before turning to the Minister. "Shall we? Fudge!"
"Come, Hagrid" Fudge told the half giant. He looked up at Hagrid and noticed how he hesitated. "Well?"
Hagrid put the crossbow on the floor and cleared his throat. "Ahem! If, uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they’d have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup! That would lead them right!"
"What?" Cathy looked confused. "Is he having a stroke?"
"That’s all I have to say. Oh, and someone’ll need to feed Fang while I’m away." Hagrid said looking at his dog.
Fang let out a small growl at the Minister as he passed him.
"Good boy." Fudge said to the dog unaware of his true nature.
Cathy was the last to leave the hut. Before she went out, she turned around and looked at the corner of the hut where the boys were. Despite their invisibility, she managed to look at all of them in the eyes.
"You had all better get to your dorms." She whispered. Cathy waved her hand at the fireplace and the flames went out before she closed the door.
As soon as she left, the boys threw off the cloak and ran to a window. Cathy walked over to Fudge and Hagrid.
"I'll be accompanying Hagrid." She declared.
"That shouldn't be necessary." The Minister tried to dissuade her.
"I insist." Cathy said leaving no room for further discussion.
"Is that wise?" Lucius said in a annoying tone that reminded the boys of Draco. "Given your current...dilema."
Cathy looked at Lucius and smiled wickedly.
"Speak to me again and I'll cripple the other leg." She threatened.
"You have quite the temper, don't you?" Evan told her.
"Only when I'm dealing with stupid people." Cathy nodded.
Lucius turned his head away from Catherine and looked toward the Minister and Hagrid. One moment they were all there and the next they vanished into thin air.
As soon as they were gone, the door to Hagrid's hut burst open with Ron leading the boys exit from the hut.
"Hagrid’s right! With Dumbledore gone, there’ll be an attack a day!" Ron said.
"Look!" Harry said pointing to some spiders that were crawling in a line to the Dark Forest. Harry went back into the hut and called out to Hagrid's dog. "Well, come on. Come on, Fang!"
"Uh Hazza," Ryan spoke to his cousin. "What are you doing?"
"Come on!" Harry told them.
"What!" Ron exclaimed.
"You heard what Hagrid said; Follow the spiders." Harry reminded them.
"They’re headed to the Dark Forest!" Ron said in terror.
Ryan and Neville looked at each other. While Neville's face was filled with fear and worry, Ryan's calm demeanor seemed to relax him.
Neville grabbed one of the lanterns that was hanging beside the door to Hagrid's hut and handed the other one to Harry. The boys all walked into the Dark Forest silently.
Well, almost silently.
"Why spiders! " Ron complained. "Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?"
"What's wrong with him?" Lily wondered.
"He mentioned earlier in the film that he isn't fond of spiders." Dorcas reminded her.
The scene showed the boys following the spider throughout the Dark Forest. Soon the four boys came to the hole under the roots of a tree and the spiders continued to crawl in.
"Harry, I don’t like this..." Ron whimpered. "Harry, I don’t like this at all!"
"Shush!" Harry told him.
Neville clutched Ryan's shoulder as they followed the spiders and Ron was almost shaking as they went into the hole. Soon they came to a large opening with an incredible number of spiders were crawling everywhere.
Some of them were as big as dogs and they all seemed to watch as the boys entered their home.
"Can we go back now?" Ron whispered in terror.
"Who is it?" a loud raspy voice roared from in front of them.
"What was that?" Regulus enquired.
"Don’t panic." Harry quickly told Ron.
"Hagrid? Is that you?" the voice spoke again.
Soon an enomous spider, the size of a large car, came crawling in front of them.
"Oh, that's a big one." Ryan commented.
"Fucking hell." Fabian cursed.
"We’re friends of Hagrid’s." Harry said. "And you? Y- y-you’re Aragog aren’t you?"
"Yes." The giant spider replied. "Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before."
"Men?" Bellatrix repeated. "That's a bit of a stretch."
"He’s in trouble." Harry told him. "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 screeched. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"I knew it." Cathy said.
"Then you’re not the monster." Ryan said. "I knew it."
"No!" Aragog confirmed. "The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler."
"Neville." Ron pulled at Neville's arm.
Neville looked at Ron and the terrified ginger pointed up. Neville looked up and immediately turned white.
"What's that?" Alice asked.
"But if you’re not the monster, then...then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry questioned.
"We do not speak of it." Aragog stated. "It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."
"Ryan." Neville pulled on his arm in fear.
"Hmm?" Ryan turned to Neville who, like Ron, pointed to upward. Ryan looked up and his eyes widened.
"What are they looking at?" Regulus wondered.
"But have you seen it?"
"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me." Aragog informed them. "The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."
"Hazza." Ryan's hand went up to Harry's shoulder and patted around until he stopped at the top of his head.
"What?" Harry looked annoyed at his cousin and saw that he, Neville and Ron were all looking up.
Ryan's fingers gripped Harry's hair and he pulled down making Harry's face look up.
The camera finally moved upward and revealed what Ron had first spotted. Above the boys were hundreds, if not thousands of spiders on webs slowly descending toward them.
"Ahh- hhh..." Ron opened his mouth but his words didn't seem to come out.
"That's is not good." Euphemia mumbled.
"Well, thank you." Harry told Aragog politely. "We’ll just...go."
"Go?" Aragog repeated.
"Hmm-mm." Ron nodded as he came close to tears.
"I think he's about to piss hinself." Gideon predicted.
"I think not." Aragog declared. "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, friend of Hagrid."
"Are you shitting me!" Ryan cursed.
"Can we panic now?" Ron whimpered.
As some of the spiders came from behind them, Neville threw the lantern he was holding at them. The lantern broke and the flames spread all over the ground.
"Oh no!" Neville said.
"No, that's good." Ryan insisted.
His eyes glowed their golden yellow color and pointed his arm toward the flames. Ryan dragged the flames around them until he made a circle of fire around them. He clapped his hands together and separated them.
When he did the flames spread out in a flash and burned all the spiders that were on the ground and walls into a crisp. The camera's view showed that the only spot that wasn't burnt black in the spiders nest was a circle where the boys were standing.
"That was--" Harry began.
"Amazing." Orion said.
"How dare you!"
The boys looked up and saw that Aragog was black and burnt and his eyes were focused on them with rage.
"Haul ass!" Ryan shouted and they all took off running.
The camera showed the boys running out of the hole as several spiders landed on the ground. Ryan used magic to make the roots of the tree block the entrance.
Afterward they kept running through the dark forest. When they finally made it back to Hagrid's hut. They stopped and attempted to catch their breath.
Neville immediately hugged Ryan and burst into tears. Ryan patted Neville on the back to reassure him.
"He's really sensitive, isn't he?" Marlene said.
"Nev, I know you were sacred but you gotta stop crying like this." Ryan told him.
"I'm sorry!" Neville sobbed.
"Poor thing." Alice said feeling sorry for her future child.
"There, there Nev. We're out of the woods now. We're completely and utterly--" Ryan stopped midsentence when he saw a spider crawling on his back. He quickly flicked it away before Neville noticed. "We're safe now.'
"Follow the spiders." Ron said. "Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I’ll kill him!"
"Calm down, Ron." Ryan said. Neville released him from the hug and started to dry his tears.
"I mean, what was the point of sending us in there?" Ron demanded to know.
"What have we found out?"
"We know one thing." Harry told them. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent."
There was a small pause between what Harry said and Ron's continued outburst.
"I still say we kill him!"
"Ron." Ryan tried to calm the angry ginger.
"We should at the very least hit him really hard!" Ron insisted.