12بخش

Katie?

HARRY I know what you did, Malfoy. You hexed her, didn’t you?

Sectumsempra!

Vulnera Sanentur.

Vulnera Sanentur.

Vulnera Sanentur.

You have to get rid of it. Today.

Take my hand.

The Room of Requirement.

We need to hide the Half-Blood Princes book…

…where no one will ever find it, including you.

What was that? What was that?

See?

You never know what you’ll find up here.

So did you and Ginny do it, then?

What?

You know, hide the book?

Oh, yeah.

Ah. Dear, yes.

Still no luck with Slughorn, then, I take it?

Luck.

That’s it. All I needs a bit of luck.

Well, how do you feel?

Excellent.

Really excellent.

Remember…

…Slughorn usually eats early…

…takes a walk, and then returns to his office.

Right.

I’m going down to Hagrid’s. What?

No, Harry, you’ve got to go and speak to Slughorn.

We have a plan. I know…

…but I’ve got a good feeling about Hagrid’s.

I feel its the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?

No. Well, trust me, I know what I’m doing.

Or Felix does.

Hi, Merlin’s beard, Harry!

Sorry, sir. I should’ve announced myself. Cleared my throat, coughed.

You probably feared I was Professor Sprout.

Yes, I did, actually. What makes you think that?

Well, just the general behavior, sir.

The sneaking around, the jumping when you saw me.

Are those Tentacula leaves, sir? They’re very valuable, aren’t they?

Ten Galleons a leaf to the right buyer.

Not that I’m familiar with any such transactions, but one does hear rumors.

My own interests are purely academic, of course.

Personally, these plants always kind of freaked me out.

How did you get out of the castle, Harry?

Through the front door, sir.

I’m off to Hagrid’s. He’s a very dear friend…

…and I fancied paying him a visit.

So if you don’t mind, I will be going now.

Harry!

Sir? It’s nearly nightfall.

Surely you realize I cant allow you to go roaming the grounds by yourself.

Well, then, by all means, come along, sir.

Harry, I must insist you accompany me back to the castle immediately!

That would be counterproductive, sir.

And what makes you say that?

No idea.

Horace.

Merlin’s beard. Is that an actual Acromantula?

A dead one, I think, sir.

Good God.

Dear fellow, however did you manage to kill it?

Kill it? Me oldest friend, he was.

I’m so sorry, I didn’t… Don’t worry yourself, you’re not alone.

Seriously misunderstood creatures, spiders are.

It’s the eyes, I reckon. They unnerve some folk.

Not to mention the pincers.

Yeah, I reckon that too.

Hagrid, the last thing I wish to be is indelicate…

…but Acromantular venom is uncommonly rare.

Would you allow me to extract a vial or two?

Purely for academic purposes, you understand.

Well, I don’t suppose its going to do him much good now, is it?

My thoughts exactly.

Always have a ampoule or two about my person for just such occasions as this.

Old Potions Masters habit, you know.

I wish you could’ve seen him in his prime.

Magnificent, he was. Just magnificent.

Oh, dear.

Would you like me to say a few words? Yes.

He had a family, I trust?

Oh, yeah.

Farewell…

Aragog.

Farewell, Aragog…

…king of the arachnids.

Your body will decay…

…but your spirit lingers on.

And your human friends find solace in the loss they have sustained.