Aragog of the Forbidden Forest

On the second day of school, the routine was exactly the same as it had been the day before. When morning classes ended, Evita packed her things and went to the Great Hall for lunch with her schoolbag on her back.

After lunch and a short rest, it was time for the afternoon class: Flying Class, held on the lawn outside. It lasted two periods in a row, and the teacher, Madam Hooch, was a stern-faced witch.

"Everyone stand beside a broom," Madam Hooch said sharply. "Come on, hurry up."

The students immediately did as they were told. Evita looked down at the school broom beside her and saw that it was terribly battered.

Then Madam Hooch began her explanation. "Hold out your right hand over your broomstick and say 'Up.'"

"Up," Evita called, and the broom jumped nimbly into her hand.

Madam Hooch then began correcting the way they held their brooms. Only then did Evita realize that James's grip had evidently sacrificed some safety in favor of agility, speed, ease of movement and... looking cool.

Under Madam Hooch's stern gaze, Evita silently corrected her grip and condemned James to herself.

Of course, if she made the house team and played in a Quidditch Match later on, she would be happy to show off using James's method too.

Once the last class ended, it was time for free activities or clubs. Instead of returning to the common room, Evita decided to scout out the Forbidden Forest first—she had never been able to resist the allure of a place she was forbidden to enter.

*

But her bold venture to the very edge of rule-breaking came to an untimely end before it had even begun. Looking into the distance, Evita saw a giant standing beside the enormous wooden hut next to the Forbidden Forest. He was the man who had led the first-years across the Black Lake, and his name was Hagrid.

A hound lay beside him, wagging its tail contentedly.

"Oh, hello," Hagrid said, looking over. "Are you a first-year? You mustn't go running around here."

Evita stepped out. "I'm just a little curious."

"Curious?" Hagrid looked surprised. "There's nothing here worth being curious about."

"That forest," Evita said, pointing at the deep, dark woods. "I heard there are lots of dangerous animals in there, aren't there?"

"Interested in those animals, are you?" Hagrid sounded much more enthusiastic. "There are plenty of animals living freely in those woods."

Evita nodded, then waved and said goodbye.

But she didn't leave. Instead, she hid behind a tree, took the Invisibility Cloak from a pocket inside her robes, and put it on. She slipped around Hagrid's Hut and ran into the Forbidden Forest.

When she reached a clearing, Evita thought for a moment, then found one of her Fantastic Beasts that liked dark environments and asked in a low voice, "Heloise? Would you like to come out?"

The Acromantula lazily agreed.

A giant spider appeared, her body covered in thick black hair and her legs stretching up to fifteen feet from side to side. She raised a foreleg and patted the girl's head very gently, then said with great disdain, "That hat is ugly."

"Hmph, don't force your taste on me." Evita pushed up her hat, which had begun to slip over her eyes, and led the way with her hands behind her back, skipping along and humming a cheerful tune.

"I'm going to blow up the school~ Nobody will ever know~ La la la, good, good, good~"

Her scarf fluttered into the air now and then as the Acromantula crawled slowly behind her, as though taking a stroll.

Then they encountered another group of spiders.

Strangely, both sides ignored Evita without a word and faced off.

"Aragog!" one of the spiders shouted. "Aragog!"

Heloise was far too big for them to handle.

A spider nearly the size of an elephant emerged. "What's going on?" he asked irritably, his great pincers clicking and clacking.

Heloise's pincers clicked loudly too, and the slightly smaller spider called out again, "A person and a spider!"

"What person?" Aragog moved slowly. "Is it Hagrid?"

"It's not Hagrid," answered a very young, clear voice. "It's Evita. My friend's name is Heloise."

"Friend?" Aragog was still moving as Heloise reached out with two long legs, scooped Evita up and settled her on her back. All her eyes turned toward the member of her "own kind" before her.

Acromantulas, however, felt little kinship for their own kind. The corpses of their own species were a delicacy to them too.

Kneeling on Heloise's back, Evita began to wonder whether the other side meant them any harm.

Heloise was female, and much larger than a male spider. Among animals, size alone could often decide the outcome of a fight.

The other side soon retreated. Acromantulas understood human speech and were highly intelligent animals; a head-on clash was not a good plan.

"Is this your territory?" Evita asked. "I'll avoid it next time."

Aragog's pincers clicked more frequently, perhaps because he felt threatened. "The Acromantulas here won't interfere with you."

"Thank you," Evita replied loudly. "I'm glad to meet you too."

Heloise suddenly moved backward, making Evita sway. She hurriedly grabbed hold of the short bristles and pulled the Marauder's Map from inside her robes, deciding to fill in the Forbidden Forest section herself.

This was... an Acromantula habitat, with a giant spider named Aragog...

Evita couldn't help thinking that if this news got out, Newt would be utterly astonished. After all, Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest was now home to a whole gathering of Acromantulas!

After saying goodbye to Aragog and his colony, Evita and Heloise continued exploring deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

The clop of hooves approached. The newcomer was human above the waist, with red hair and a beard, but below the waist he had the glossy chestnut body of a horse, with a long red tail trailing behind him.

Clearly, the unexpected encounter surprised both sides.

Stars shone in Evita's eyes. "Wow, a centaur!"

"A student trespassing in the Forbidden Forest?" the centaur asked. Then he looked the girl up and down, and his tone grew slightly surprised. "A first-year who just started school?"

Evita, who had ventured into the Forbidden Forest less than a week after starting school, looked up at the sky and answered with an awkward laugh, "Just passing through. Only passing through."

"Jupiter is bright tonight," the centaur said.

"Well, it is." Evita looked up and studied the stars, noticing that they were a little unusually bright. She nodded and introduced herself.

The centaur didn't reply, but she didn't mind. Instead, she realized how late it had gotten, hurriedly waved goodbye, and sprinted all the way back to the castle under her cloak. Hunger brought her to a halt, and she began searching for the kitchen.