Chapter 69: Prelude to War
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed when the darkness seemed to recede slightly. The ground, covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves, was now swarming with countless spiders. The trees had been cleared from the area, revealing a hollow bathed in faint starlight, illuminating the most terrifying sight imaginable.
Spiders. Not the small, skittering kind darting through the leaves, but massive ones, each the size of a horse, with eight glossy eyes and hairy, spindly legs. The enormous spider carrying the trio descended the slope into the hollow, heading straight for the mist-shrouded, dome-like web at its center. Its kin encircled it, clicking their sharp pincers in excitement at the sight of the captives.
The spider loosened its grip, and Harry and Ron tumbled to the ground. Augustus landed on his feet, his expression calm but calculating. It was clear they had arrived at the spider's nest. Could this really be what Hagrid intended? Following the spiders had led them deep into the Forbidden Forest, to this enormous spider lair. Now that they were here, what next? Negotiate with these monstrous arachnids for clues about the Chamber of Secrets? Augustus had allowed the spider to carry them here, hoping to uncover the secrets hidden within its den.
"What's this?" came a voice, accompanied by rapid clicks of its pincers.
"Humans," replied the spider that had brought them.
"Is it Hagrid?" asked Aragog, moving closer. Its eight pale eyes were blind and unseeing, gazing blankly ahead.
"No, strangers," the spider answered.
"Kill them," Aragog ordered irritably. Its pincers clicked in annoyance. "I was sleeping…"
"We're friends of Hagrid!" Harry shouted, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his chest.
Clicks and hisses filled the hollow as the other spiders reacted to the news. Aragog hesitated.
"Indeed," Augustus said smoothly, observing the enormous spider with interest. "It was Hagrid who told us to follow the spiders. He clearly intended for us to find you."
"Hagrid has never sent humans to our hollow before," Aragog replied slowly.
"Hagrid's in trouble," Augustus explained succinctly. "That's why we followed his lead to come here."
"Trouble?" The ancient spider's pincers clicked again, and there was a note of concern in its tone. "But why would he send you to me?"
"There's unrest at the school," Augustus continued, his calm demeanor unwavering. "Several students have been petrified, and the Ministry believes Hagrid released something to attack them. He's been taken to Azkaban because of it."
Aragog's pincers clattered furiously, and the other spiders echoed the sound, like a chorus of applause—but far more unsettling.
"That was many, many years ago," Aragog snapped angrily. "They blamed me for the death of a girl. They accused Hagrid of opening the Chamber of Secrets and setting me loose."
"Oh?" Augustus raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with curiosity. "So, the creature in the Chamber wasn't you?"
"Me?" Aragog clicked indignantly. "I was not born in the castle. I came from a distant land, brought to Hagrid as an egg by a traveler. Hagrid cared for me, hid me in a cupboard, and fed me scraps from the table. He protected me when they tried to blame me for the girl's death. That's why I fled to this forest. Hagrid even found me a mate, Mosag. Look at how our family has flourished—all thanks to Hagrid."
"So, the Chamber's monster is something else entirely?" Augustus mused. "Hagrid sent us to you. You must know what the creature in the Chamber is."
"The creature in the castle," Aragog said, its voice heavy with fear, "is an ancient being that we spiders dread above all others. When I sensed it moving through the school all those years ago, I begged Hagrid to let me leave."
An enemy of spiders? Augustus's mind raced. In nature, spiders had many predators, but guessing blindly was pointless. The truth had to come from this ancient spider.
"What is this creature that terrifies you so?" Augustus asked, his tone sharp and commanding. "Describe it in detail."
"We do not speak of it!" Aragog's voice was filled with fear and anger. "Not even to Hagrid, though he asked me many times."
The other spiders began to close in, their movement slow but deliberate. Aragog retreated into its web, clearly unwilling to say more. Its children, however, continued advancing on Harry and Ron, clicking their pincers hungrily.
Harry tugged on Augustus's sleeve and shouted to Aragog, "If that's the case, then we'll be going!"
"Going?" Aragog said slowly, mockingly. "Oh, I think not…"
"But.....but....."
"My children follow my orders not to harm Hagrid," Aragog said. "But fresh meat... brought to their doorstep... I cannot deny them. Farewell, friends of Hagrid…"
How amusing, Augustus thought. So, this spider planned to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. A faint smile flickered in his silver eyes, and his lips curved into a perfect arc. It had been a long time since he'd been surrounded. When was the last time? Perhaps during that fascinating imperial war.
The spiders began to close in, their pincers clicking in anticipation. The air grew tense, and the hollow seemed to hold its breath as darkness pressed in. Deep in the Forbidden Forest, the stage was set for a deadly battle.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09