Chapter 84: Aragog
Chapter 84: Aragog
The Forbidden Forest was dark and windy, and as Harry and his friends walked, they heard nothing but the sound of the wind.
When the voice suddenly rang out, not only did Harry and Ron jump in fright, but even Fluffy whimpered and darted around nervously.
But when they saw the light and the person approaching, Harry immediately called out in surprise.
"Professor Forrest!"
Sherlock glared at Harry and Ron.
"How did you two sneak out of the castle? And why are you in the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry suddenly realized that encountering Sherlock in this situation was not a good thing, and his excitement quickly faded.
"We came to—"
As he hesitated whether to tell Sherlock the truth, the sound of branches snapping came from all around them, clearly indicating that something large was pushing through the underbrush and heading their way.
Fluffy barked wildly, and Harry and Ron exchanged tense glances before being pulled behind Sherlock.
"Stay behind me, and I'll deal with you when we get back to the castle!"
Sherlock's Lumos spell was much brighter than Harry's, and soon they saw the massive creatures that had surrounded them.
They were three giant spiders!
Each one was larger than a human. Upon seeing Sherlock, Harry, Ron, and Fluffy, the spiders slowed their movements, becoming more cautious but still ready to attack at any moment.
"Human."
One of the spiders moved its large pincers rapidly and spoke in a human voice.
Sherlock remained calm, narrowing his eyes as he said,
"Take me to Aragog."
Hearing that name, the three giant spiders immediately stopped moving.
Then, they seemed to exchange glances, and the spider that had spoken continued hesitantly.
"Follow us."
The spiders kept Sherlock, Harry, and Ron surrounded as they moved deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Ron and Harry, following closely behind Sherlock, swallowed nervously. Ron stammered,
"Pro-professor, where are we going with these spiders?"
"To see their ancestor, Hagrid's friend", Sherlock replied coolly. "You were brave enough to sneak into the Forbidden Forest, why are you afraid now?"
Harry and Ron hung their heads in shame, avoiding his gaze.
Sherlock had no intention of scolding them in the forest and added reassuringly,
"As long as you stay behind me, you'll be safe tonight."
But his words only made Harry and Ron's hearts tighten with fear.
They froze in place until the giant spider's pincers nudged them from behind. With grim faces, they resumed following Sherlock.
"Harry, I don't want to die", Ron whispered, his voice trembling.
Harry's face was pale, and his body shook, but he tried to stay calm and comforted him.
"Don't worry, we tested it. It's only a possibility, not a certainty. Think positively, be grateful that the professor didn't say we're definitely getting out of here alive."
Sherlock didn't hear their whispered conversation, as they had already been led by the spiders to a wide, sunken area.
The sunken area, covered with dense foliage, was crawling with enormous spiders. The white webs stretched everywhere, making Harry and Ron, who were already on edge, feel their hair stand on end.
The spiders continued to lead them to the center of the sunken area.
The surrounding spiders, countless in number, began to move their large pincers excitedly, creating a cacophony of clicking sounds.
Then, from the misty white fog, a much larger Acromantula slowly emerged, dwarfing all the others.
Its body and legs were a mix of black and gray, and each eye on its ugly, pincer-equipped head was clouded with a white film. It was blind.
"What have you brought?"
Compared to the other spiders, Aragog's human speech was far more proficient.
"A... person... someone other than Hagrid... is looking for you", the spider said haltingly. At this point, Sherlock introduced himself.
"My name is Sherlock Forest, a friend of Hagrid. Professor Dumbledore has sent me to greet you on his behalf."
"Dumbledore", Aragog repeated the name, as if recalling something.
"I remember him. It was thanks to his help that Hagrid was able to bring me to the Forbidden Forest."
"Now Hagrid is in trouble", Sherlock said loudly. "Hogwarts has been hit by another attack this year. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, and four students have been attacked. The Ministry of Magic can't find the culprit, and they have just taken Hagrid away."
Harry and Ron, who were following behind Sherlock, temporarily forgot their fear. They exchanged a glance, listening intently to the conversation between Sherlock and the spider named Aragog.
"Fifty years ago, it was the same!" Aragog's voice became sharp. "Fifty years ago, they accused Hagrid and me of being guilty! But we never killed anyone, and the attacks had nothing to do with us!"
"But Hagrid protected you. He didn't reveal the truth, so his wand was broken, and he was expelled from Hogwarts, never able to use magic again."
Sherlock stared into Aragog's eight cataract-covered eyes.
"Now the Ministry of Magic has taken him away again. If we don't find the real culprit, they might convict Hagrid for good. This time it's different. Hagrid is an adult now. If he's found guilty, he will spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, living in misery!"
Aragog fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke again.
"What do you want me to do?"
Sherlock explained the purpose of his visit.
"You must know what creature is attacking the students in the castle, right?"
Aragog's large pincers moved rapidly, his emotions intense. "That is our spiders' mortal enemy! I never even told Hagrid the name of that terrifying creature, even though he asked me many times."
"He gave up his life as a wizard for you, and you are so afraid that you won't even tell him a name." Sherlock's tone was full of disdain.
"I don't need to know the name of the monster. I just want to know from you if you know where it is hiding in the castle."
(End of Chapter)
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