Chapter 183: Spider Cave in the Forbidden Forest
Hagrid was sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore was forced to leave Hogwarts.
This news spread the next day, and fear permeated Hogwarts in an unprecedented way.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione remembered Hagrid's hint before he left—to follow the spiders—but unfortunately, not a single spider could be found inside the Castle.
Animals' sixth sense is much sharper than humans', and perhaps realizing the appearance of the Basilisk, their natural enemy, they hurriedly fled the Castle.
In addition, the security level of Hogwarts was much higher than before, so they could only move in groups with other students, escorted by Professors from one place to another.
The once magical Hogwarts had abruptly turned into a solemn military camp, which undoubtedly posed a significant obstacle to their search.
Aaron, however, did not join them; following the spiders would ultimately only lead to Aragog.
Although Acromantulas can speak, its identity, like Hagrid's, is that of a scapegoat, and it likely knows very little.
In the gloomy Hogwarts, Draco stood out from the crowd; even in Slytherin, he was the most striking.
In a Potion Class two weeks later, Draco nonchalantly said, "I knew my father would definitely get Dumbledoreremoved.
Now it's good; we'll have a proper Principal, someone who won't let the Chamber of Secrets remain closed.
McGonagall won't last long either; she's just a temporary replacement.
I think Professor Snape is the most suitable Principal. What do you think, Aaron?"
"If it were normal times, I'd probably think the same, but not now. Everyone is panicking, and we need a Principalwho can keep things under control.
Although Professor Snape is not weak, he's still a bit lacking compared to Dumbledore."
"You just like to worry unnecessarily. Once the Muggle-born Wizards are cleaned out, Hogwarts' order will stabilize, and then Professor Snape will surely become the best Principal."
"What are you two talking about?" Snape stood behind them, a faint smile on his lips.
"Draco thinks you should apply to be Principal. No one is more suited for that position than you."
Snape didn't explicitly state his position, but the smile on his face grew more smug.
After Potion Class was Herbology Class. Professor Snapeacted as the escort captain, dividing the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students into two lines and sending them to the greenhouse.
Professor Sprout had everyone prune Wrackspurts, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione unexpectedly found a few spiders. However, because it was during class, they couldn't follow them and could only watch them flee towards the Forbidden Forest.
At six in the evening, all the students returned to their common rooms.
A knock on the door sounded, and Aaron sighed helplessly, then opened the door.
Sure enough, a moment later, Harry pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, revealing Hermione and Ron who were with him.
"We found the spiders. They're in the Forbidden Forest."
"Finally found them, have you?" Aaron's gaze became playful. "Let me guess, you're not planning to invite me along, are you?"
"Is there a problem?" Harry asked.
"Yes, of course, there is, and it's a big problem." Aaron said seriously, "Don't forget the premise of our cooperation: I definitely know more than you.
Following the spiders, Hagrid meant for us to find Aragog."
Hermione noticed the name sounded familiar. After pondering for a moment, her pupils widened slightly. "Could it be the one Hagrid raised fifty years ago...?"
"Exactly, that's what I mean.
Aragog must be about a story high by now, and Acromantulas are carnivores. Who knows if we'll be enough to even be a snack for it if we go there."
"No, it won't be." Harry said righteously, "Since Hagrid told us to find it, that means there won't be any danger."
"What you think is just what you think. No one knows the real situation.
Don't forget, Hagrid isn't at Hogwarts right now, and it might not give you face." Aaron waved his hand. "I'm not going, and I advise you not to go either.
Acromantulas have a limited lifespan, and it's already in its old age. Even if it's not senile and can remember things from fifty years ago, it probably doesn't know as much as I do."
"You said 'probably,'" Hermione said somewhat unconvinced. "What if Aragog has other clues?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible.
It's been fifty years. If there really were, Hagrid would have been exonerated long ago."
"But Hagrid did ask it, and it seemed it didn't tell him about the Basilisk."
"This..." Aaron hesitated upon hearing this.
Better safe than sorry; maybe Aragog really does have some valuable clues!
After a moment of thought, Aaron picked up his wand. "Alright! I'll go with you, but before that, I need to ask you something: do you know any spells to attack spiders?
This isn't me being petty, but it's always good to be cautious and guard against others."
"Yes, I saw it in Riddle's memory." Harry said, "But I only know one."
"One is enough. Tell us about it carefully on the way.
If Aragog really shows no mercy, as long as I can buy a little time, I'm confident I can escape."
"Then let's go! We need to be quick." Hermione said, then looked at Aaron. "Do you still have any Invisibility Potion?"
"Uh... of course." Aaron chuckled. "You go first, wait for me at Hagrid's hut. I'll be there soon."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, put on the Invisibility Cloak, and left the dormitory.
After confirming there was no one else in the room, Aaron directly cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and Abe, entering an invisible state.
Upon reaching Hagrid's hut, all four of them dispelled their invisibility, and with Fang in tow, walked into the Forbidden Forest.
They walked for over twenty minutes before barely spotting two lone spiders, then cautiously followed them deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
After walking for an unknown duration, their clothes were all dirty and disheveled from the low branches and thorny vines.
"Wait." Aaron suddenly called out to the three, saying with a serious expression, "Run back! With luck, we might escape without incident."
"No." Harry said somewhat unwillingly, "We've come all this way, we can't just give up halfway!"
"Sometimes, one must know when to retreat from difficulty." Aaron gave a bitter laugh, "My physical fitness is a tiny bit stronger than yours, so I can hear sounds from further away.
I have bad news for you three: we've been surrounded, and the encirclement is constantly tightening. Judging by the dense footsteps, at least a three-digit number are coming."
Gulp!
Ron swallowed, "Can you tell what it is?"
"Spiders."
"Then there's no need to worry too much, just spiders." Harry said, emboldened, "Not every spider is several stories high.
Perhaps Aragog smelled Fang and sent someone to pick us up, you never know."
"If it were that simple, I wouldn't have made you stop. I hope you're still this optimistic later." Aaron looked at a shadow behind Harry that was getting closer and closer, sneered, then picked up Abe, quickly drew his wand, "Disillu—."
"Harry."
Ron and Hermione trembled, pointing behind him, fear evident on their faces.
"What are you... Ah..."
Before he could finish, Harry was picked up by the waist and hung upside down.
Hermione and Ron were in no better state, receiving the same treatment.
Only then did he see what had attacked them: spiders, but not ordinary spiders; they were all Acromantulas.
They were very large, over a meter tall, covered in dark, dense fur, and their eight eyes gleamed with a cold light in the night.
The three were too scared to speak, and Fang was still barking, but his voice sounded a bit like bluster.
"Where's the other one?" one spider asked.
"I don't know, I only saw these three when I arrived."
"Forget it." It fiddled with its claws, making a clicking sound. "I haven't eaten meat in a long time. Take them to Aragogfirst."
The group was dragged upside down into the bushes, moving towards the center of the forest.
When they stopped, they were stunned by the terrifying sight before them.
The giant tree hollow, covered in cobwebs, was filled with dense Acromantulas; they varied in size, but most were over a meter.
Several Acromantulas released their claws, and the three fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
"I really don't like this place." Ron's legs trembled, and he said, on the verge of tears, "Not one bit."
"We should have listened to Aaron. We shouldn't have come here." Hermione's face was pale with fright, but she still carefully whispered, "Aaron, you should be here, right?"
"Otherwise, what?
I don't want to get up close and personal with spiders." Aaron said indifferently, "Now you've got your wish, you'll see Aragog soon.
But looking at this situation, it's going to be hard for us to get out unscathed. I thought our opponent was only Aragog, but it looks like this is a spider's nest!"
"Then what do we do? I only know one spell." Harry asked nervously.
"What can we do? After we ask our questions, we'll run like hell! Don't look back.
I'm absolutely confident I can escape this spider's lair, but as for you... good luck!"
"Don't say 'good luck'! You have to help us!" Ron was on the verge of tears; his wand was completely ruined now, and he had no ability to defend himself, making him the most vulnerable.
"I'll try my best."
"Who is it?
Hagrid, is that you?"
A muffled sound came from ahead, followed by an incredibly massive gray giant spider slowly crawling out. Just half of its front leg was much taller than the group.
"Don't panic." Harry suppressed the fear in his heart and said in a deep voice, "We are Hagrid's friends."
"Hagrid has never sent anyone to find me before." Aragoghesitated.
"Hagrid is in trouble, and he sent us to find you."
"Stop with the nonsense, just ask it about the Chamber of Secrets." Aaron said with his back to Harry. The situation wasn't good right now; there was no need to waste time on irrelevant questions.
Harry composed himself slightly. "Besides the Basilisk, do you have any other clues about the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Don't mention that creature." Aragog roared furiously, and the other spiders in the cave trembled in fear.
"I'm telling you very clearly, besides the cupboard where Hagrid raised me, I know nothing about the Castle."
"I told you we wouldn't get anything from it!" Aaron said meaningfully, "Get ready. The moment I give the signal, run for the exit. Don't look back."
The three exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
Spiders had already surrounded them from all directions, and it seemed they had no intention of letting go of this ready-made dinner.