A Hogwarts Legend: Round Two [2]

Chapter Twenty Seven

Unedited

Chapter Twenty Seven - "If you don't want to die, clap your hands."

Mr Weasley's car is standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlamps ablaze. As Ron walks, open-mouthed, towards it, it moves slowly towards him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.

"It's been here all the time!" says Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The Forest's turned it wild ..."

The wings of the car are scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it's taken to trundling around the Forest on its own. Fang doesn't seem at all keen on it; he keeps close to me, I can feel him quivering. My breathing slowing down again, I stuff my wand back onto my robes.

"And we thought it was going to attack us!" says Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!"

I squint around on the floodlit ground for signs of more spiders, but they've all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights.

"We've lost the trail," I say. "C'mon, let's go and find them."

Ron doesn't speak. Neither does Harry. They're eyes are fixed on a point some ten feet above the Forest floor, right behind me. They're faces are livid with terror.

I don't even have time to turn around. There's a loud clicking noise and suddenly I feel something long and hairy seize me around the middle and lift me off the ground, so that I'm hanging, face down. Struggling, terrified, I hear more clicking, and see Ron and Harry's legs leave the ground too, hear Fang whimper and howl - next moment, I'm being swept away into the dark trees.

Head hanging, I see that what's holding me is marching on six immensely long, hair legs, the front two clutching me tightly below a pair of shining black pincers. Behind me, I can hear more of the creatures, no doubt carrying Harry and Ron. We're moving into the very heart of the Forest. I can hear Fang fighting to free himself from a fourth monster, whining loudly.

I don't know how long I'm in the creature's clutches; I only know that the darkness suddenly lifts enough for me to see that the lead-strewn ground is now swarming with spiders. Craning my neck sideways, I realise that we've reached the rim of a vast hollow, a hollow which had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shine brightly onto the worst scene I've ever set my eyes on.

Well, this is going to give me nightmares.

Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic. The massive specimen that's carrying me makes its way down the steep slope, towards a misty domed web in the very centre of the hollow, while its fellows close in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.

I'M TOTALLY NOT A SPIDER ENTHUSIAST!

This is Ron's worst nightmare.

"If you happy and you know it clap your hands," I sing, my voice squeaking on certain words.

"I'M SO NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW," Ron shrieks.

"If you don't want to die, clap your hands."

"It's not really the time to be singing," Harry calls shakily.

"I'm sorry! I sing when I'm scared!"

I fall to the ground on all fours as the spider releases me. Ron, Harry and Fang thug down next to me. Fang isn't whining any more, but cowering silently on the spot. Harry is shaking. Ron looks like how I feel. His mouth is stretched wide in a kind of silent scream bad his eyes are popping.