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Chapter 276 – Darren, Run!
None of it had anything to do with Darren, of course.
He simply fed Fang the last of the dog treats he'd brought, patted his head, and prepared to set off.
But Harry and Ron still kept tight hold of Fang's collar.
They thought Fang had to count as some kind of protection.
They couldn't rely on Darren alone.
Darren sighed softly, as though deeply worried about bringing Fang with them.
But Harry and Ron quickly forced him to look elsewhere.
"Darren—look! More spiders here," Harry whispered. "They're really heading into the Forbidden Forest. Let's go!"
The moment Harry said it, Darren was already stepping forward with an eager expression.
He clearly couldn't wait anymore.
He even forgot Harry and Ron were still arguing about Fang.
Darren truly was curious about Aragog, the Acromantula from the original timeline.
The creature was a paradox:
Hatched and raised by Hagrid… yet not truly loyal to him.
Even during Hagrid's expulsion fifty years earlier, Aragog never revealed that the monster in the Chamber had been the Basilisk.
Even now, when Harry and Ron came for answers, Aragog had wanted to eat them.
In the end, things hadn't gone well for the creature.
By sixth year, Harry had taken its venom after Aragog's death.
So yes—Darren was curious now.
But when he saw the swarming spiders surrounding them, his curiosity instantly turned to disappointment.
They were hideous.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of small Acromantulas scuttled in dense clusters.
Even Darren's mild trypophobia flared, and he had to fight the urge to blast the entire swarm with magic.
For the sake of appearances, he forced himself to endure it.
"Ugh… this is disgusting," Ron groaned. "Do we really have to follow them? Why can't Hagrid just tell the Ministry the truth?"
"Maybe he didn't have time," Harry said, stepping over a spider with an expression of horror.
"Hagrid must've been desperate. Ron—maybe you and brother should go back and rest. I'll go on alone. You look really unwell."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
Darren accepted the Father points, but his face grew pale.
He was terrified too—obviously.
But he had already decided: Ron and Harry should be safe outside while he went in alone to face whatever awaited them.
"No one is leaving."
A deep voice rumbled before Harry or Ron could respond.
The boys froze.
"We're Hagrid's friends," Darren immediately blurted out. His voice trembled with worry. "We want to know what really happened fifty years ago. Do you… do you know there's a snake in the castle? Do you know where it lives?"
Harry and Ron stared at him—he spoke far too boldly.
And Darren himself regretted it instantly.
Why had he rushed into the question?
He should've stayed quiet and pretended to be shaken.
Instead he was here, talking too fast, because he really just wanted to get this over with and go home.
What a stupid situation.
Why hadn't the Basilisk at least eaten half of these spiders?
But outwardly, Darren looked only frightened and earnest—completely unaware of the spiders' hostility.
"Hagrid's friends?" the massive spider—Aragog—said, its voice low and ancient. "Why did Hagrid not come himself?"
"Hagrid was—he was taken by the Ministry fifty years ago, so—"
"Taken?" Aragog interrupted. "Meaning you came here without anyone knowing?"
Darren's mouth snapped shut.
He looked around.
Sure enough, the three of them were completely surrounded.
"What do you want?" Darren asked sharply.
He drew his wand without hesitation and immediately stepped in front of Harry and Ron.
"Brother—if something happens… you and Ron should run," Darren whispered urgently. "I'll hold them off. Don't worry. I'm strong."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
"How can you possibly fight this many spiders?"
"Yeah—we're trapped!" Ron hissed.
They drew their wands as well, though both of them were shaking.
Was this really what Hagrid sent them into?
Did he want them to be eaten alive?
"Trying to escape?" Aragog asked, almost amused.
But then it laughed darkly.
"You cannot leave. My children surround you completely."
Its many eyes glittered.
"If you had asked anything else, I might have spared you for Hagrid's sake. But this? Even Hagrid never learned the truth. The name of that creature—Basilisk—is something we eight-eyed spiders fear above all. I cannot speak of it. Therefore… you will die here."
Aragog clicked its mandibles thoughtfully.
"Hagrid will never understand why his human friends vanished into the forest. Perhaps I shall tell him you were killed by the centaurs. They despise explanations and look only to the stars."
Aragog stepped back.
Its massive body reared up as it commanded:
"Children—enjoy your feast!"
Thousands of spiders surged forward.
[Ding, sensing a major Holy Father scene approaching, the system now issues a temporary mission:
After Harry and Ron are captured by the spiders, use the Fire-Making Spell to burn most of the spiders.
(Note: While using the Fire-Making Spell, use Father Points to maintain precise control of the flames.)]
[Ding, upon completion, reward: Favor of the Centaurs.
Does the host accept the mission?]
[Accept]
How could Darren refuse such a dramatic mission?
His eyes lit up inside—but his face stayed tense and frightened.
He shoved Harry and Ron behind him, blasting back spiders with basic spells.
But because he was "merciful," the spiders he knocked aside were barely hurt.
They simply scuttled back and attacked again.
In moments, Harry and Ron were overwhelmed—wrapped tightly in spider silk and dragged backward.
"Let them go!" Darren shouted, panicked.
He tried to reach them, but the crawling masses blocked his way.
"I may spare you," Aragog said, impressed by Darren's magic. "As long as you leave the other two behind."
It was offering Darren a twisted kind of respect.
"Darren—run!" Harry yelled, struggling against the silk.
"Go! Find a professor! We'll survive somehow!"
Ron roared with equal desperation.
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