Spider Lair in the Forbidden Forest

Hagrid was sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore was forced to leave the school.

The news spread like wildfire the next day, and fear spread through the school in an unprecedented way.

Harry, Harry, and his friends remembered Hagrid's advice to follow the spiders before he left, but unfortunately they couldn't find a single spider in the castle.

Animals have a more acute sixth sense than humans, and they may have panicked and fled the castle after realizing that the Basilisk, their natural enemy, had appeared.

In addition, the school was under much stricter martial law than before, so they could only move around in groups with the students, escorted by teachers from one place to another.

The transformation of the once-famous magic school into a serious military camp undoubtedly posed a significant obstacle to their search.

Aaron didn't join them; following the spider would only lead him to Aragog.

Although the Acromantula can speak human language, its identity, like Hagrid's, is that of a scapegoat, and very few people probably know anything about it.

In the gloomy atmosphere of Hogwarts, Draco stood out from the crowd; even in Slytherin, he was the most handsome guy.

Two weeks later, during a Potions Class, Draco casually remarked, "I knew all along that Father would definitely drive Dumbledore away."

Now we'll have a decent principal, someone who won't let the Secret Chamber close.

McGonagall's tenure was short-lived; she was merely a temporary substitute.

I think Professor Snape would be the most suitable headmaster. What do you think, Aaron?

"I probably would have thought the same way under normal circumstances, but not now. People are panicking, and we need a principal who can keep things in check."

Professor Snape, though powerful, was still somewhat inferior to Dumbledore.

"You just love to worry unnecessarily. Once the Muggle-born Warlock are all eliminated, Hogwarts will be in order, and Professor Snape will definitely become the best headmaster."

"What are you talking about?" Snape stood behind the two, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Draco thinks you need to apply to be the principal; no one is more suitable for that position than you."

Snape did not give a definite answer, but his smile became even more smug.

After Potions Class came Herbology, with Professor Snape acting as captain of the guard, leading the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students in two lines to the greenhouse.

Professor Sprout had everyone trim the Shrivelfig, and Harry, Harry, and their friends unexpectedly discovered several spiders. However, since it was during class, they couldn't follow them and could only watch helplessly as they fled towards the Forbidden Forest.

At 6 p. m., all the students returned to the Common Room.

A knock sounded on the door, Aaron sighed helplessly before opening it.

Sure enough, a moment later Harry tore off the Invisibility Cloak, revealing Hermione and Ron who were following him.

"We found the spiders; they're in the Forbidden Forest."

"So you finally figured it out?" Aaron's gaze turned 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 know more about this than you do."

"Following the spider, Hagrid means we should go find Aragog."

Hermione noticed the name sounded familiar, and after a moment's thought, her pupils widened slightly. "Could it be the one Hagrid kept before he was fifty..."

"That's right, that's what I mean."

Aragog is probably as tall as a building now, and the giant Acromantula is a carnivore; who knows if we were even enough to fill its teeth back then."

"No," Harry said firmly. "Hagrid told us to find it, which means there's no danger."

"What you think is just what you think; nobody knows the truth."

"Don't forget, Hagrid isn't at Hogwarts right now, so he might not give you any face." Aaron waved his hand. "I won't go, and I advise you not to go either."

The Acromantula has a limited lifespan and is now quite old. Even if it's not senile, and can only remember things from fifty years ago, it probably knows less than I do.

"You said it yourself, it's possible," Hermione said, somewhat unconvinced. "What if there are other clues in Aragog?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

He's fifty-one; if Hagrid really existed, he would have been exonerated long ago.

"But Hagrid also asked it, and it didn't seem to tell him about the Basilisk."

"This..." Aaron hesitated upon hearing this.

It's better to be safe than sorry; maybe there really are some valuable clues in Aragog!

After a moment's hesitation, Aaron picked up his Wand. "Alright! I'll go with you, but before that, I need to ask you something: you know how to use magic to attack spiders, right?"

This isn't me being petty; it's just that one should always be cautious and wary of others.

"Yes, I've seen it in Riddle's memories," Harry said. "But I only know one."

"One is enough. Tell us in detail on the way."

"If Aragog truly shows no mercy, I'm confident I can escape as long as I can buy myself a little time."

"Let's go! We need to hurry," Hermione said, then looked at Aaron, "Do you have any Invisibility Potion?"

"Uh... of course not." Aaron chuckled awkwardly. "You guys go first, wait for me at Hagrid's Hut, I'll be there soon."

Harry, his two friends, and their companions exchanged a glance, then donned their Invisibility Cloak and left the dormitory.

After confirming that there was no one else in the room, Aaron cast an Disillusionment Charm on himself and Abei, entering a state of transparency.

After leaving Hagrid's Hut, the four of them deactivated their invisibility and, holding Fang, headed towards the Forbidden Forest.

After walking for more than twenty minutes, the group finally spotted two lone spiders and then cautiously followed them into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, their clothes were covered in dirt and grime from the low branches and thorny vines.

"Wait a minute." Aaron suddenly stopped the three of them, his expression grave. "Let's run! If we're lucky, we might escape unscathed."

"No," Harry said reluctantly. "We've come this far; we can't just give up halfway!"

"Sometimes you have to know when to back down." Aaron smiled bitterly. "My physical abilities are a tiny bit better than yours, so I can hear sounds from much farther away."

"I have bad news for you three: we're surrounded, and the encirclement is tightening. Judging from the footsteps, there are at least three digits of them coming."

Gollum!

Ron swallowed hard. "Can you figure out what it is?"

"Spider."

"There's no need to worry too much, it's just a spider," Harry said, mustering his courage. "Not every spider is several stories tall."

"Perhaps Aragog smelled Fang's scent and sent someone to pick us up."

"If it were really that simple, I wouldn't have made you stop. I hope you'll still be this optimistic later." Aaron looked at the increasingly close dark figure behind Harry, sneered, then picked up Abei and quickly drew his Wand. "Dislefalmont."

"Harry".

Ron and Hermione pointed behind him, their fear palpable.

"What are you doing... ah..."

Before he could finish speaking, Harry was lifted up by the waist and hung upside down.

Hermione and Ron weren't much better off, receiving similar treatment.

He then realized what was attacking them: spiders, but not ordinary spiders; they were all Acromantula.

They were very large, over a meter tall, covered in dark fur, and their eight eyes gleamed coldly in the night.

The three were too scared to speak. Fang even roared, but its voice sounded weak despite its strong exterior.

"Where's the other person?" a spider asked.

"I don't know, I only saw the three of them when I came here."

"Never mind." It fiddled with its paws, making a clicking sound. "It's been a long time since I've had meat. Let's take them to see Aragog first."

Several people were dragged upside down into the bushes and moved toward the center of the forest.

When they finally stopped, they were stunned by the terrifying scene before them.

The giant tree hole, covered in spider webs, was teeming with Acromantula of varying sizes, most of which were over a meter long.

Several Acromantula released their grip, and the three of them fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

"I really don't like this place," Ron said, his legs trembling and on the verge of tears. "I don't like it at all."

"We should have listened to Aaron and not come here." Hermione's face turned pale with fright, but she still carefully lowered her voice and asked, "Aaron, you should be here!"

"Otherwise what?"

"I don't want to have any close contact with spiders," Aaron said calmly. "Now you've got what you wanted, and you'll be able to see Aragog soon."

Judging from this situation, it's unlikely we'll escape unscathed. I thought our only opponent was Aragog, but it looks like a spider's nest!

"What should we do? I only know one spell," Harry asked nervously.

"What can we do? We'll just have to run away as soon as we're done asking the questions!"

I'm absolutely certain I can escape this spider's lair, but you... good luck!

Don't try to be lucky!

"You absolutely have to help us!" Ron was on the verge of tears. His Wand was now completely useless, unable to even defend itself, making him the most dangerous person.

I'll try my best.

Who is it?

Hagrid, is that you?

A muffled sound came from ahead, followed by an enormous gray spider slowly crawling out; its half-front leg alone was much taller than the group of people.

"Don't panic." Harry suppressed his fear and said in a deep voice, "We are Hagrid's friends."

"Hagrid has never sent anyone to look for me before," Aragog said hesitantly.

"Hagrid is in trouble. He sent us to find you."

"Stop with the nonsense, just ask about the Chamber of Secrets." Aaron said with his back to Harry. The current situation wasn't good; there was no need to waste time on unimportant 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 angrily, and the other spiders in the cave trembled with fear.

"I can tell you with certainty that I know nothing about the castle except for the cupboard that Hagrid kept me in."

"I told you we wouldn't get anything out of it!" Aaron said meaningfully. "Get ready, when I give the signal, run to the exit, don't turn your head."

The three exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

Spiders had already surrounded them from all directions, seemingly determined not to let this delivered dinner slip away.