Within the mist-shrouded dome of webs, a spider the size of a young elephant slowly emerged. Its body and legs were varying shades of gray, and every eye on its ugly, pincer-bearing head was covered with a milky film.
"What happened?" he asked, his two great pincers moving rapidly with a series of clicks.
"Humans," said a smaller spider beside him.
"Is it Hagrid?" Aragog asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. As he slowly approached, his eight milky-white eyes gazed sightlessly around.
"Strangers."
"Kill them," Aragog said impatiently upon hearing they were strangers, his voice echoing through the night. "Don't disturb me. I was about to rest."
"We're Hagrid's friends." Harry's voice trembled a little, and his heart felt as though it would leap out of his throat.
Clicks rose and fell all around them as the spiders worked their great pincers.
"Hagrid's in trouble," Harry said, breathing rapidly. "That's why we came here for help."
"Trouble?" the old spider asked, a trace of concern seemingly creeping into his clicks.
Harry tried to sit up, but his body seemed to have lost all its strength. He lay on the ground, trying to keep his voice steady.
"The Ministry of Magic thinks Hagrid recently released a creature that's been attacking students. They've taken him to Azkaban."
"But that happened a very, very long time ago," Aragog said angrily. "Many years have passed, but I still remember it perfectly. They expelled Hagrid over it. They thought I was the monster hidden in that so-called Chamber of Secrets, that Hagrid had opened the Chamber of Secrets and released me."
"Me!" Aragog said, his pincers clicking furiously. "I wasn't born in this castle. I came from a distant land, and I've never attacked anyone."
"Then do you know what was really responsible?