The girls had no idea what was happening outside, nor that, due to the problems Fudge and Lucius were causing, Dumbledore would not be able to come to their aid immediately. Their path led them deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest, and he wouldn't arrive in time until they were already too far in.
They moved at a brisk pace. Some walked fueled by adrenaline and the excitement of the adventure, others with caution, and several couldn't hide their fear. Evening was falling, and the forest, imposing and indifferent, grew darker and more hostile with every step.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Tracey asked. The initial excitement was fading with each massive tree they passed, and she began to feel the weight of the unknown.
"Relax, Tracey," Parvati replied confidently. "The forest is dangerous, yes, but it's not as if we aren't strong enough to face it."
"We don't know what's out here," Astoria interjected, already starting to fall behind. Even without the curse, her body was the weakest of the group. "And we're supposed to meet an acromantula… those eat human flesh."
"Red didn't train us for anything," Cho said without hesitation, though she slowed her pace slightly and sharpened her gaze like the others. "Besides, we're looking for a spider over fifty years old. Even if it were as large as in the books, at that age it would be too old to do much."
"Acromantulas are dangerous, yes," Hermione added calmly. "But there are many of us, and it's only one spider. If we're careful, nothing bad will happen."
"How do you know it's just one?" Tracey insisted, unable to shake the image of a giant spider devouring people from her mind.
"They originate from Asia," Susan explained. "It's extremely rare for them to appear here. Unless it has found a mate, we shouldn't worry about more than one."
The group continued walking, though some grew more hesitant by the minute. They pressed on for Hagrid, reminding themselves it was for him that they were there. It wasn't that they weren't afraid—they trusted that by working together, they could emerge unscathed, even in such a dangerous place.
They had been trained rigorously, to the point it almost felt like harassment, but that effort had honed their reflexes and senses beyond what was normal for witches their age. They weren't experts—not yet—but they were right about one thing: in a normal situation, the forest wouldn't be a major danger, provided luck didn't turn against them. But this was no normal situation… and bad luck was about to catch up.
They moved in tightly-knit small groups, wands raised and illuminating the path with Lumos. The darkness of the forest thickened around them. Though they tried to appear confident, they were alert to every sound and shadow. Penelope, the eldest, remained more vigilant than the rest. She felt responsible for the group's safety and had warned from the start that this was a bad idea. But in the end, she had agreed to accompany them. If they were going in, she would make sure no one got hurt.
The problem was… nothing happened. Nothing at all. The forest was so silent it didn't seem natural. No snapping branches, no fluttering wings, not even the distant roar of a beast. It was as if it were… empty.
"Don't you feel something weird?" Cho whispered.
"Yes… the air feels different," Parvati responded.
"No, it's not just that…" Cho shook her head, noticing that the air itself seemed charged, strange.
"Everything is too quiet," Daphne said softly. "Not an insect, not a bird."
"And I don't see the spiders we were supposed to follow," Padma commented, pausing. "Have we gotten lost?"
"I don't think so. Look…" Millicent said, pointing toward a nearby tree.
Its bark was strung with thick threads of web. Further ahead, among the trees, they saw more—scattered, but unmistakable.
They felt relieved: it seemed they were heading in the right direction. But they had no idea what they were getting into. Every step drew them further from the exit and closer to the heart of a mystery. That change in the air wasn't a coincidence—it was a sign of a magical field they had unknowingly entered.
They moved closer and closer to the webs, which, although they seemed scattered, were actually arranged throughout the forest in a particular formation… a natural trap, an immense web that created a kind of disorientation. The farther they went, the harder it would be to find the way out. This was one of the reasons the acromantulas had gone unnoticed recently. Even for experienced wizards—or rather, especially for them—the lack of magical resistance and sharp senses that creatures normally have made this trap highly effective.
The journey continued, and with every step more and more webs appeared… but no spiders. Their absence was both relieving and unsettling. And then, between two trees, they found a web so thick and strong it could easily trap creatures far larger than a human. That was when the group began to lose confidence.
The thought of turning back appeared in their minds. Only the absolute silence of the forest—strange, unsettling, yet free of visible threats—pushed them forward.
"Hey, look, I found a red web," Tracey said, pointing to a small, almost normal web at the base of a tree. "I didn't know these existed."
"It looks strange… but beautiful," Parvati murmured, tempted to take a piece as a keepsake.
"We shouldn't get distracted," Hermione intervened, frowning. "We have to complete the mission and get out of the forest… There's almost no sunlight left." Like the others, she felt that strange inner warning that they were in danger.
The warning took effect. Parvati sighed, resigned, and returned to the group. The increasingly abundant webs could mean they were near Aragog… but it also confirmed he wasn't alone. Still, the girls decided to keep going. They had several spells in mind to face multiple enemies, and though they promised themselves they would flee at the first sign of danger, most pressed on, guided by a shared thought: "If the others continue, I can't be the one to retreat."
The group moved forward until, exhausted and with the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, they stopped. The silence of the forest weighed like a slab. They decided to sit for a few minutes, eat, and drink water, trying to regain their strength. Some were so restless they almost suggested calling Aragog's name, though they knew it would be reckless.
"All right, girls… let's go," Pansy ordered, gripping her wand adorned with unicorn carvings, the gift that gave her the most confidence.
"Right, let's go," several repeated, standing with renewed effort.
"Susan?" they called, noticing the redhead wasn't paying attention.
"Huh? Sorry, I… noticed something strange," she said hurriedly. "Haven't you realized it still seems like afternoon? It should be night by now, there shouldn't be light."
She showed the others a small pocket watch, a gift from her aunt. The time was clear: night should have fallen long ago.
The girls looked up. The sky still held that yellowish, dark hue of sunset, as if suspended in an endless moment.
"Yes… it's strange," Millicent commented, having noticed too, feeling in her stomach that it was already dinner time.
"Maybe your watch is wrong," Tracey suggested, though she didn't sound very convinced.
"We can't just stay here waiting to see what happens," Penelope, the eldest, declared, with a seriousness that commanded respect. "The forest will become much more dangerous in full darkness. I think we should turn back. What do you think?"
The girls looked at each other, and all agreed. Perhaps this impromptu outing hadn't been the best decision. After a few minutes of discussion, they agreed to return and try again the next day. If they left in the morning, they would have more time, more resources… and above all, fewer risks. Now they knew part of the path, which would work in their favor.
"All right, let's go back," Penelope said, and for safety—like she often did—began counting the girls to make sure everyone was present. Then she noticed the only one who hadn't spoken the entire time. "Luna… is something wrong?"
"Nothing in particular, I was just looking at the tree behind Hermione. I've never seen one like this," the blonde replied calmly, pointing.
Everyone turned and saw a strange pine: its trunk, up to nearly two-thirds of its height, was covered with dozens of spherical white protrusions with reddish centers, each the size of a child's fist. There was no space to see the wood, and the sight resembled an excessive and grotesque rash. Despite being unsettling, there was something aesthetically striking about it, enough to capture Lovegood's curiosity.
"It must be some kind of fungus. They grow on some trees; it's not unusual for them to cover the bark. Although… this one is quite peculiar," Cho commented thoughtfully.
Hermione, who was closest, also found it curious. Perhaps it was a spark of childish fascination that led her to gently touch one of the protrusions with the tip of her wand.
At first contact, nothing happened. No vibration, no movement, no scent. Hermione even considered taking a sample to Snape for identification. But a second later, the forest erupted in motion: all the supposed spheres began to tremble and move in unison.
"Wh-what—!?" several exclaimed at once, hearts in their throats, initially thinking it was some kind of magical plant.
But it was no fungus. They were hundreds of tiny white spiders, falling from the trunk like a living rain onto the ground… and onto the girls.
"AHhhHhh!" "Kyaaaa!" "Aggghhh!"
The screams tore through the forest's silence, loud enough to attract any nearby predator. But in that moment, nothing else mattered: several of them had spiders crawling on their bodies, across their arms, shoulders, and hair. Hermione, being closest, ended up practically covered, moving blindly in stifling panic.
"Ventus!" Penelope reacted with admirable reflexes. A violent whirlwind swept through, removing most of the creatures from the clothes and skin of her companions.
The others also hurried to help, casting spells and swatting in desperation until they freed themselves from the tiny legs crawling on them. To everyone's relief, the spiders showed no intention of attacking: they were juveniles, without developed fangs or venom. In fact, those that hadn't landed on the girls scurried away in all directions.
A few seconds later, not a trace remained of the living cloud that had descended on them. The trunk looked as ordinary as any other, as if it had never harbored those creatures. But the girls had changed. Fear and disgust still marked their expressions, some trembling with rigid hands.
"Are you okay?" Pansy asked, frowning.
"No! I think one of those spiders touched my mouth!" Parvati cried, rubbing her lips as if trying to remove the sensation.
"I don't have any more, do I? Check my back!" Padma asked, nervously turning around.
"What kind of spiders were those…?" Millicent murmured, still feeling a chill on the nape where one had climbed.
"Relax, they're gone now," Penelope reassured, trying to sound firm while scanning them with her eyes. "We'd better go back to the castle. We all need a rest."
No one protested. Everyone nodded, a knot in their stomachs. That experience had been too intense, and all they wanted now was a hot bath, clean clothes, and the safety of Hogwarts' stone walls. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them developed a spider phobia like Ron Weasley's after this ordeal.
Without looking back more than once, just to make sure no traces of the white creatures remained, they began the journey back. Some were already thinking of excuses to avoid returning the next day and leave the mission to the braver ones.
Hermione walked in painful silence: she was on the verge of tears, still trembling, and whispered my name barely audibly, as if hoping I would appear to protect her. Even so, she tried to hide her reddened eyes, burying her fear deep inside.