"Who's there," an old-sounding voice rang out through a large web pit.
"Don't panic," Harry told his friend as they heard movement like giant tree trunks falling.
"Hagrid, it that you," the voice called out as eight giant hairy legs crawled out of the pit and made their way out. It was enough to make Samael pop out from Harry's shirt to see what was going on.
"We're friends of Hagrid," Harry said as he and Ron were face to face with an Acromantula the size of a small elephant with legs that reached 18 feet long. Ron was stuttering as he was looking at the spider in the face, turning so pale he could be mistaken for a ghost. But as for Harry, he was looking in amazement at how big the spider was. Licking his dry lips, he asked the obvious. "Y-you're Aragog, aren't you?"
"Yes, Hagrid has never sent men into these woods before," Aragog said looking at them with his many black eyes.
"He's in trouble. There have been attacks at the school. The Basilisk-"
"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT NAME," Aragog yelled at the Prince of Hell which made him and Ron step back a foot. "We spiders fear that creature more than anything."
"Right, sorry about that," Harry muttered to himself before rephrasing his previous sentence. "The creature that's been attacking the school is petrifying everyone. We want to know who truly opened the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone thinks Hagrid opened the Chamber before."
"That's a lie," Aragog hissed. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land in the pocket of a traveler."
"Harry," Ron whimpered as he pulled on his friend's sleeve, trying to warn him of the other spiders in the colony.
"Shush, Ron. We need to figure out when this all... started," Harry said as he realized what to ask Aragog next. "Do you know where that girl died all that time ago?"
"I haven't seen much of the castle outside of the box and cupboards that Hagrid kept me in. But I do know that the girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here to this forest. Away from the school so I wouldn't be killed," Aragog stated.
"Harry," Ron whimpered again.
"What is it, Ron," Harry asked before seeing his friend point up. Following his finger, Harry saw dozens of large spiders the size of dogs lowering down from the trees above them. Clearing his throat, Harry faced Aragog once more. "Well... thank you for your time and for answering my questions. We'll just go and clear Hagrid's name."
"Go? I think not," Aragog said as the spiders began to swarm around the area. "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."
"Can we panic now," Ron croaked in fear.
"No," Harry said. "There is something I must tell you. You aren't the only dangerous animal companion that Hagrid takes care of and sees on a regular basis," he told the gargantuan spider just as a light appeared behind Harry. With a loud roar, Norbet landed above the grove and shot out warning flames at the large spiders to make them scatter. "Let us go free, we'll have Norbert scare some new fresh food your way. I'm positive that when Hagrid returns, he won't like seeing our corpses webbed up in your home. Plus, we won't be able to feed all your kids anyway."
Aragog simply stared at the Prince of Hell and the dragon that arrived, then clicked and hissed toward his children. "So, you're that boy Hagrid talks about. Very well. We'll allow you to leave. Go and keep your deal, Harry," Aragog told the boy.
"Thank you," the prince said with a small bow to the giant spider. "Okay, now we go, Ron," he said as he turned to face Ron, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. "Ron?"
"What are you waiting for," Ron said as he squeaked out from on top of Nobert's back.
"Typical," Harry chuckled to himself before he and Fang got on the red dragon and had him fly above the trees to Hagrid's hut after spooking some local creatures toward Aragog's colony. Once Norbert was close enough, he landed smoothly next to the flowerbed and Harry quickly put the collar back on him.
"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! When Hagrid gets out of wherever he is headed, I'll kill him," Ron shouted angrily. "I mean, what was the point of sending us in there!?"
"We actually got a big hint," Harry told his best friend, who looked confused if anything. 'He was probably too scared to think about the situation.' He gave a deep breath before repeating what Aragog told them. "70 years ago, the Basilisk killed a girl in a bathroom. What if she never left?"
It took a second before Ron realized what Harry meant. "Moaning Myrtle," he said in realization. "What now, we go to her bathroom?"
"Not yet. My sister should be here by tomorrow. Once she arrives, we'll go over what happened with her, then we find out if Myrtle knows anything about the chamber," Harry told his friend as they both got under the Invisibility Cloak and headed back to the castle.
And this is where I am going to leave this chapter off. I know this one is shorter than the previous ones but what can I say? It was an easy one to write. Thanks again to WaterDragonMaverick for editing and suggestions. Next time, Harry will be facing off against the Basilisk once and for all. Until then, see you in Hell!
