Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix [52]
“Oh… just to the theater…” said Harry, slightly oblivious to everything around him. “Password.” The Fat Lady swung the door open, slightly disappointed that she didn’t get any more out of him. Harry walked in, and the majority of the Gryffindors were still up: Aylar was performing some new trick which attracted some attention, Fred and George were showing off their latest invention (Harry didn’t bother to see what it was) and Ron and Hermione who were talking together with each other at a table, away from everyone else. Harry ran up to them.
“Hey guys! Wait until I tell you-” Harry was cut off.
“Keep it down Harry!” said Hermione. “Do you want everyone knowing what we’re doing?” She turned back to a colorful piece of paper on the table.
“Well, that depends, what are you doing?” asked Harry curiously.
“Trying to find the best route to Azkaban!” said Ron.
“Oh! That!” said Harry. During the past few hours, everything about Sirius and Lupin and Azkaban melted away from his brain. “Yeah, how’s that coming?” Ron glared at Harry.
“Very well thank you,” he said. Harry sat down next to them, and looked at the map. It was the photo Hermione took. There were marks all over it. Apparently, Ron and Hermione had been arguing over the best route there.
“This is not going to be an easy trip,” said Hermione, putting her hand to her forehead. “Even the shortest and easiest route contains more obstacles than inside the Forbidden Forest!” She sighed, and buried her head into her folded arms. Just then, Ron’s face lit up.
“I’ve got it!” he said. “Hermione! That’s it, the Forbidden Forest! I know how we can make a distraction that will get rid of everyone!”
“How?” asked Harry and Hermione together, each looking very surprised that Ron came up with an answer before them.
“We’ll use one of the creatures in the forest, Aragog!” said Ron, putting his hand sin the air. Hermione had an expression of confusion, but Harry looked excited.
“Just one look at him in the Great Hall, and we’ll have the entire school running all the way to Mexico!” said Harry excitedly.
“Who is… Aragog?” asked Hermione. She hadn’t been with Ron and Harry during their second year at Hogwarts, when they went into the Forbidden Forest, she was too busy being petrified. There, they encountered a giant spider named Aragog, who wanted to eat Harry and Ron.
“Yeah, okay. One more question… how exactly are we going to get it out of the forest, much less into the school?” Hermione asked. Harry and Ron looked at each other, puzzled. Sure, Aragog was the perfect beast for the job, but how would they get him in? Harry yawned over the thought.
“Hey Ron, what time is it?”
“Um… eleven thirty,” said Ron, looking at his watch. Just then, an idea came to Harry’s mind. He knew how to get Aragog into the school!
“Ron, spiders are afraid of basilisks, right?” asked Harry slowly.
“Yeah… so? It’s not like we have a pet basilisk anywhere though.”
“No, but we do have something else!” said Harry as he left a confused Ron and Hermione at the table, and ran back to his room. He grabbed the watched that Dudley had given him and ran back downstairs. Held up his watch for Hermione and Ron to see. His watch was in the shape of a basilisk, the thing that all spiders feared the most.
“All we got to do is put an Engorgio Charm on this watch’s face, and then chase them right into the Great Hall!” Hermione and Ron looked at him.
“Harry, so many things could go wrong-” Hermione was cut off by Harry:
“So!? This is just a small part of the even more impossible trip Hermione! If you can’t stand up to a spider, how are you going to fare against an army of dementors, sucking the happiness out of you?” Hermione nodded. This was the only way. Aragog was the closest monster, and this was the only way to bring him in.
“So it’s settled then,” said Harry. “Before the Halloween Feast, we’ll all meet outside the Forbidden Forest, and chase the giant spider inside the castle.” Ron and Hermione nodded in approval. “Now, show me the best route to get to Azkaban.” Ron and