A chain it is then

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and its world belong to J. K Rowling. I only own the original characters I made.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

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After a week of construction the walls and roof were in place. Now only the enchantments were being prepared. They'll probably be ready before the kids leave for Christmas holidays. Speaking of which Robert was in a pickle. He already had got a present for Mrs. Sprout but what to get for the rest of the staff. Not to mention he has a little pack of midgets to attend to.

"I don't like that look on his face. He's probably thinking something bad about us." Jasmine said to the rest.

"I think he's busy with planning our new facility." Hermione said but her conviction was waning with every giggle Robert's making.

"You do realise that I'm not deaf?" Robert turned to them.

"At least you're not broken, yet." Mindy replied. Making him slightly uncomfortable.

"What were you thinking about old man?" Tonks jabbed at him

"How much I'll save on not giving gifts to naughty children. I already have three on my list." He smirked at their shocked faces.

"Anyway, since we've entered December we'll have to unfortunately look for a change of plans. After all it'll be hard to run in the snow. However I've found a solution. And it's going to be a surprise." He winked.

"Hopefully it's not something dangerous." Harry remarked.

"And here I thought you thrived on doing dangerous stuff Mr. Potter." Robert said. Harry blushed while Hermione cuffed.

"Suspicious." Tonks looked at the munchkins becoming even smaller under her scrutinizing look.

A couple of days ago Robert finally got the rune network to work and not blow up the lightbulb. The phone updated the schematics and after another query it shown a network that had the capability of changing the voltage. After a few tries it seemed to easily power up a VHS that he found oddly enough in a store in Hogsmeade.

'How did that get there I'll never know.' Robert mused.

The electronics could work thanks to this matrix because it had runes within it that somehow stopped the damage sustained by magic. That also explained why it was so difficult to make.

"Robert." Hagrid called him over.

"What seems to be the matter?" He asked.

"I've been talking to Aragog. He's not exactly willing you see."

"What were his conditions?" Robert raised his brow.

"Quite gory I'm afraid." Hagrid didn't seem to happy with the demands of his friend. It was rather surprising the wooly behemoth hadn't done anything yet to the school. It's not as if they truly cared about what would Hagrid say.

"It seems we have to use a slightly different approach. Could you please prepare some cages? We'll have new friends today." Robert's eyes dangerously glinted. Hagrid on the other hand was still oblivious as to what Robert had in mind.

Nightfall approached the Forbidden Forest. Robert was oddly calm about what he was going to do in a couple of hours.

'No blood moon? Check.' Robert was mentally calculating the odds of something terribly going wrong.

Half an hour in and still no spiders were in his sight. He regretted not asking Hagrid where was the nest.

'It's usually at this kind of moment shit hits the fan.' Robert chuckled inwardly.

Robert casted Revelio every couple of minutes. Maybe a long lost treasure awaited him or hidden danger. After another dozen of minutes or so something flashed red in the distance. Robert steadied his footsteps and slowly approached the reddish contour.

'Jackpot!' He smirked.

Two spiders approximately one and a half meter long were before him. They still didn't know of the danger that was stalking them. Robert casted Silencio on the unexpecteding arachnids and throwed a couple of balls of rope to bind his future money makers. He Stupified the spiders and waited for a moment. Just in case something or someone heard or had seen his presence. Seeing as nothing happened he cast Wingardium Leviosa to float the buggers in the air and quickly made his way towards the exit.

Unfortunately when he was at the halfway mark he found himself surrounded by eerie clicking sounds.

"Oho. I knew this was too easy. It seems you're more smarter than I thought."

"Indeed human. We knew you were going to come here. Sooner or later. Now let go of my brethren and you'll get a mostly painless death." A huge acromantula stepped out of the trees and towered over Robert.

"More eager hands to work? You shouldn't have." Robert took out an inconspicuous ball with a button.

"How about we play fetch." He banished the ball towards the giant spiders body. When it hit suddenly a wave of fire engulfed it and some of the smaller spiders.

Without waiting for the enemies to move Robert started casted a ring of fire with a modified Incendio to cover his defenses and make the arachnids reel back from the heat. Next he casted Confringo indiscriminately. Sometimes he dodged or used a Protego to shield himself.

After the first barrage he cast Revelio to find the little vermin. About ten remained with the big one still breathing. Although without a couple of its limbs.

"Since you've given me this gift then I'll take it all." Robert said with a maniacal laught. Santa was coming to town.

He used a modified version of the Slithering Rope. A couple of tendrils appeared and binded the still living creatures. After that he Stupified all of them. Robert casted another Revelio to check if something didn't come here after all this noise.

"It seems the centaurs are minding their business for once. Last thing I'd need was their muttering about Fate and stars." Robert lifted the spiders with his magic and by pulling the chain he dragged them towards Hagrid's Hut. But he didn't like the welcome committee waiting for him there.

"Robert! You insufferable little miscreant!" Professor McGonagall yelled. Making the smirk on Snape's face even more pronounced.

"Why good evening Minnie. Quite the time of day you choose for a walk." Robert continued his walk and started putting each spider in its own cage.

"What's the meaning of this madness!?" Her throat will hurt the next day.

"I didn't know he was going to do this." Hagrid was saying to himself next to the rest of the staff. Only Dumbledore and Quirrell were missing for some reason.

"Well since Hogwarts the best school in the whole world was lacking in funds I decided to do something about this. Severus would you be so kind to help me defang them? You can take what you need for potions." And that's how you make Snape change his expression into a business one.

"It seems that I've been short on acromantula venom and fangs recently." Robert didn't believe that the guy wouldn't just go by himself to get some. He was a beast in his own right.

"Wow. You've really made a mess this time. First the poltergeist and now like a newborn lion you've entered the spider's nest and survived." Sinistra said while Bathsheda nodded in agreement.

"So you won't want free acromantula clothing when the farm starts running?" The women blushed as they couldn't wait for new robes.

"Mr. Crow don't think you won't be in trouble." McGonagall calmed down slightly seeing that only she overreacting.

"Mrs. McGonagall I'd like to freshen your mind that I've finished my newts and I'm an adult. I can handle a couple of itty-bitty spiders. And don't worry. You're first on the list for new garments." He winked towards the now deadpanned and exhausted professor.

"Bathsheda could you and Flitwick help me with the enchantments and rune work." Robert showed them a week ago a couple of networks. But didn't tell for with pet he was preparing them.

"At least now i know why you haven't told us for what you have planned them." The small wizard sighed. But he wa still up for the work. He needs a couple of new robes himself.

"Come on Hagrid. You know what diet they have so I'll need you to prepare food for them. We need their webbing to be strong after all." Robert controlled the situation quite nicely. After this he'll need to take the cages to their final place.