This was probably the first time Louis had ever properly explored the Forbidden Forest — and he was doing it under the guidance of its official keeper, Hagrid himself.
The last time he'd entered the forest had been to witness Voldemort preying on a unicorn. That flying kick from the unicorn, which had sent Voldemort tumbling, had left quite an impression on him.
A kick to the Dark Lord — that unicorn had truly died a meaningful death.
The trees in the Forbidden Forest were enormous, and among those that looked ordinary were some infused with magical power — the kind of trees that could be crafted into wands.
And where such trees grew, one would always find a nest of Bowtruckles.
Bowtruckles were magical creatures shaped like twigs or stick insects. They only lived on magically charged trees, guarding them diligently and warding off anyone who got too close.
"Careful there — don't let them poke your eyes out," Hagrid warned quickly when he saw Louis showing interest.
"They're not so bad," Louis said, extending his hand to catch a little green Bowtruckle that leapt toward him.
The tiny creature rubbed affectionately against his palm, chirping softly, and only hopped back to the tree when Louis finally moved on.
"You've got real talent, you know that?" Hagrid said with genuine envy. "Not everyone can make friends with magical creatures so easily. Even I have to be careful when I approach those little fellas."
"Maybe it's just because you're so big — they're scared of you," Louis replied casually.
As they ventured deeper, the air grew heavier and gloomier. Though it was just past noon, the forest around them was as dark as night. Thick branches intertwined overhead, blocking out all sunlight.
And in that darkness lurked more than a few unsettling things.
Louis could hear them clearly — aside from his and Hagrid's footsteps crunching on leaves and twigs, there were constant faint rustles all around, the unmistakable sound of many-legged creatures moving quickly, waiting for the right moment to strike.
In fact, there were such predators nearby — the descendants of the Acromantula, Aragog.
But they never dared attack. Not only because Hagrid was present, but because every time they even thought of moving in, a cold, slithering malice washed over them — like the touch of a snake's icy scales gliding across their minds.
That fear froze them in place, denying them even the instinct to attack.
Before long, the forest floor began to change. The carpet of fallen leaves gave way to white webs that muffled all sound beneath their feet.
Small spiders, each the size of a fist, scurried through the webs. Anyone afraid of spiders would've screamed at the sight.
Louis hated spiders, but unlike others, he was forcing himself to resist the powerful urge to simply set everything ablaze.
At last, Hagrid led him to a hollow formed under massive tree roots. It was a tight squeeze — Hagrid had to get down on his hands and knees to crawl through.
Fortunately, the space beyond was large enough for him to stand upright.
"Aragog! Aragog, where are you?" Hagrid called out, dusting off his coat.
A dreadful scraping echoed through the dark hollow. Then the light from Hagrid's lantern caught on something — a massive leg, glistening black and chitinous.
Moments later, an enormous spider emerged from the shadows, eight dark eyes gleaming coldly in the lantern light.
"Hagrid… long time no see," said Aragog in a deep, rasping voice. "And who's this beside you? A gift, perhaps?"
The intelligence of the Acromantula was not to be underestimated; their ability to speak human language was proof enough of that.
"A gift? No, no — this is Louis, my friend," Hagrid said quickly, shaking his head.
"Ah… just a joke," Aragog replied, emitting a harsh, grating laugh. "So, what brings you here, old friend? Merely paying me a visit?"
"Not entirely," Hagrid said cheerfully. "I wanted to show Louis the Acromantulas I raised. What do you think of my friend?"
That question was aimed at both of them — to hear what Louis thought, and what Aragog thought.
Aragog's mandibles twitched. "He looks… pleasant enough," the spider said.
Louis stood silent for a moment before answering dryly, "Big. Very big."
It really was enormous. A normal Acromantula would only be about half of Hagrid's size, but this one—Aragog—was far larger than even Hagrid himself.
"Aragog, was it? I have a question I'd like to ask you," Louis said.
"Speak, little wizard. You seem like a decent one," Aragog replied.
"Fifty years ago—did you kill anyone?" Louis asked directly.
"Kill?" Aragog's mandibles twitched. "I have never killed a human. Back then, Hagrid kept me in a box the whole time. I never left it."
"I see. Then do you have any guesses, or… feelings, perhaps?" Louis continued. "As a highly dangerous magical creature, could you sense the presence of another magical being?"
"I could, yes," Aragog admitted.
"What kind of feeling?"
"That's where I'm at a loss." Aragog shook his huge head. "Just like you wizards, I too must learn to understand certain things. I only know what my instincts tell me—but I can't clearly describe it."
After a pause, the spider added, "But I do know this—it was dangerous. Like my natural enemy. Fifty years ago, and even now, that presence feels the same."
"I see. Thank you for your answer." Louis nodded, then turned to Hagrid. "Alright, Hagrid. Let's head back."
"Already? You're done asking questions?" Hagrid asked reluctantly.
"Yeah. This is enough."
"Well then, wait a bit," Hagrid sighed, stepping up to the massive spider. "Aragog, come here—give us a hug."
Louis's expression twitched.
Aragog obligingly wrapped his sharp, chitinous limbs gently around Hagrid in what could only loosely be called an embrace.
"See that, Louis? Aragog's a good lad," Hagrid said proudly as he turned back. "Want to give him a hug too?"
"No. Absolutely not," Louis refused flatly.
The two of them left together, and once Aragog saw Hagrid and Louis disappear into the darkness, he released the restraining command he'd placed on his offspring.
Friends shouldn't eat friends, after all.
Just as Aragog was about to crawl back into the shadows to rest, a figure appeared before him—
Louis.
"You didn't leave, little wizard who feels so pleasant to look at?" Aragog asked, cautious. "What are you doing here?"
There was no sign of Hagrid nearby. That made Aragog stir.
Hagrid was his friend. This boy was not. True, the human had a presence that was oddly comforting to spiders… but maybe something that looked comfortable might also taste pleasant.
Louis's double smiled faintly, feeling the malice in the air. "Tell me, Aragog—have you heard of the basilisk?"
Aragog's whole body shuddered. Pure, instinctive terror seized his heart.
"H–How do you know about that?" it cried out in panic.
"I don't just know of the basilisk," Louis said coldly. "I know it's coming to eat you—very soon."
As expected, Aragog had lied earlier. It did know about the basilisk's existence.
A creature intelligent enough to speak human language could not possibly be ignorant of its own natural predator.
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