Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs。 Harry went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the post heap and found himself face…to…face with Ernie Macmillan。 Ernie took a deep breath and said； very formally； 〃I just want to say； Harry； that I'm sorry I ever suspected you。 I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger； and I apologize for all the stuff I said。 We're all in the same boat now； and； well …〃
He held out a pudgy hand； and Harry shook it。
Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron。
〃That Draco Malfoy character；〃 said Ernie； breaking off dead twigs； 〃he seems very pleased about all this； doesn't he？ D'you know； I think he might be Slytherin's heir。〃
〃That's clever of you；〃 said Ron； who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry。
〃Do you think it's Malfoy； Harry？〃 Ernie asked。
〃No；〃 said Harry； so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared。
A second later； Harry spotted something。
Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass； moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting。 Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears。
〃Ouch！ What're you …〃
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Harry pointed out the spiders； following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun。
〃Oh； yeah；〃 said Ron； trying； and failing； to look pleased。 〃But we can't follow them now …〃
Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously。
Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders。 If they pursued their fixed course； there could be no doubt about where they would end up。
〃Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest 。 。 。 。〃
And Ron looked even unhappier about that。
At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson。 Harry and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot。
〃We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again；〃 Harry told Ron。 〃We can take Fang with us。 He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid； he might be some help。〃
〃Right；〃 said Ron； who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers。 〃Er … aren't there … aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest？〃 he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom。
Preferring not to answer that question； Harry said； 〃There are good things in there； too。 The centaurs are all right； and the unicorns 。。。
Ron had never been into the Forbidden Forest before。 Harry had entered it only once and had hoped never to do so again。
Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him。 Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual； but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant。
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〃e now；〃 he cried； beaming around him。 〃Why all these long faces？〃
People sped exasperated looks； but nobody answered。
〃Don't you people realize；〃 said Lockhart； speaking slowly； as though they were all a bit dim； 〃the danger has passed！ The culprit has been taken away …〃
〃Says who？〃 said Dean Thomas loudly。
〃My dear young man； the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty；〃 said Lockhart； in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two。
〃Oh； yes he would；〃 said Ron； even more loudly than Dean。
〃I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do； Mr。 Weasley；〃 said Lockhart in a self…satisfied tone。
Ron started to say that he didn't think so； somehow； but stopped in midsentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk。
〃We weren't there； remember？〃 Harry muttered。
But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness； his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good； his confidence that the whole business was now at an end； irritated Harry so much that he yearned to throw Gadding with Ghouls right in Lockhart's stupid face。 Instead he contented himself with scrawling a note to Ron： Let's do it tonight。
Ron read the message； swallowed hard； and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione。 The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve； and he nodded。
The Gryffindor mon room was always very crowded these days； because from six o'clock onward the Gryffindors had no …
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where else to go。 They also had plenty to talk about； with the result that the mon room often didn't empty until past midnight。
Harry went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk right after dinner； and spent the evening sitting on it； waiting for the room to clear。 Fred and George challenged Harry and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap； and Ginny sat watching them； very subdued in Hermione's usual chair。 Harry and Ron kept losing on purpose； trying to finish the games quickly； but even so； it was well past midnight when Fred； George； and Ginny finally went to bed。
Harry and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak； throwing it over themselves； and climbing through the portrait hole。
It was another difficult journey through the castle； dodging all the teachers。 At last they reached the entrance hall； slid back the lock on the oak front doors； squeezed between them； trying to stop any creaking； and stepped out into the moonlit grounds。
〃'Course；〃 said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass； 〃we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow。 Those spiders might not've been going there at all。 I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction； but。 。 。〃
His voice trailed away hopefully。
They reached Hagrid's house； sad and sorry…looking with its blank windows。 When Harry pushed the door open； Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them。 Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep； booming barks； they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece； which glued his teeth together。
Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table。 There would be no need for it in the pitch…dark forest。
* 21：L *
〃C'mon； Fang； we're going for a walk；〃 said Harry； patting his leg； and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them； dashed to the edge of the forest； and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree。
Harry took out his wand； murmured； 〃Lumos！〃 and a tiny light appeared at the end of it； just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders。
〃Good thinking；〃 said Ron。 〃Id light mine； too； but you know … it'd probably blow up or something 。。。。。。
Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder； pointing at the grass。 Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wandlight into the shade of the trees。
〃Okay；〃 Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst； 〃I'm ready。 Let's go。〃
So； with Fang scampering around them； sniffing tree roots and leaves； they entered the forest。 By the glow of Harry's wand； they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path。 They walked behind them for about twenty minutes； not speaking； listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves。 Then； when the trees ha