Torie had managed to talk Chris into going exploring and decided to check out the dungeons. He happily lit his wand and glanced at Chris, "Let's go down this way" he whispered. He'd explored as many passages as he had so far managed to find, and that was just inside the castle. There wasn't anything wrong with exploring! Even mum couldn't tell him off for going and exploring what he could find in the castle! So far he'd found a space behind a painting and another passage that he hadn't dared to go all the way though it seemed to go off quite a distance. he was sure one day he'd check it out fully and find out where it led to.

He shone his wand down the passage in front of them, looking as far as he could see in the wand light as he stepped into the passage way.

How...how did Torie manage to talk him into doing these things. Chris walked behind him constantly looking around for professors, Prefects and anyone else who just might want to ruin his day. "If you get me in trouble I'm taking you with me," he whispered as he followed him down the passageway. Not to mention the spiders.... He found himself constantly looking around for the creepy crawly things because YUCK!

Torie snickered at him "You won't be an auror one day. Not with that train of thought" he said teasingly. Heh, he was going to be an auror like mum and dad were. He loved the excitement of the danger too. He'd heard funny things lately of what was happening in the castle and wasn't too thrilled about it. But hey it wasn't going to stop him from exploring the castle either! They were just spiders, right? Heh, well bigger ones could talk he knew too. Heh, there weren't any spiders here "Stop being a fraidy cat, and let's see where this leads." he said shaking his head and walking further into the passage.

"Never said I wanted to be an Auror so HA," Chris said sticking out his tongue. He quickly put it back in and had a momentary freak out as he thought he tasted something weird. Hopefully it wasn't a spider web.. Nope... Chris continued to follow Torie and rolled his eyes, "I'm not a fraidy cat...I just..don't like spiders," he turned around and ran into Torie's back as he tried to bypass what looked like another spiderweb. EW. EW. EW. EW.

"Why are we down here anyway?" There was nothing down here it was dark, damn, cold and...spidery. He shuddered and stood as close to Torie as he could trying not to get in his personal space but he didn't particularly care if he did. Hopefully he wouldn't stop suddenly though.

Leave no stone unturned.

Loyal and obedient to Mother's words, another herd scurried through the dark corridor. Shrouded in darkness, the only thing alerting the two students their presence would be a mysterious clicking.

The clicking of an unknown number of pincers.

"You don't want to be one like your dad?" he asked blinking at him. Oh well, more chance he'll be chosen once he finished his training! Heh, he had a good chance as mum and dad were both aurors. He smirked at Chris about him saying he wasn't a fraidy cat. "Spiders are wriggly, we just need to stay out of the forest and acromantula's will stay away" he said shrugging. He wasn't worried about 'spiders' really. He looked back at him when he ran into his back and snorted "Not scared hmm?" he asked amused.

"Exploring, I've explored most of the school just haven't done much down here in the d..." His eyes turned to the darkness again, "What was that?" he whispered, more curious than afraid.

Chris shook his head but then realized Torie probably couldn't see it, "No. I want to play my guitar." Yup and if he could do that and make a living doing it it would be bonus. He glared at what he hope was the back of Torie's head as he was talking about wriggly spiders. "That's not funny Tor." Nope not at all. He wanted to stick his tongue out at him again but instead sighed.

Wait...what was the clicking.... His eyes widened and he practically clung to Torie, "Can we go back? I don't know enough spells to protect myself." If he died here he was totally coming back as a ghost and haunting Tor forever.

Some remaining grounded while others scurried up both walls, one single acromantula launched the attack from the front. Leaping down from the ceiling, it landed in front of both humans with its two frontal legs waving menancingly in the air as it screeched, "GET THEM!"

He grinned at him, "Guitar huh?" he asked, shaking his head. That wouldn't be all that big on his list, but he hadn't heard Chris play either. Maybe he was actually good...there was that school in London for music and dramatic arts... He smirked though at Chris's response to the idea of wiggly spiders. He'd thought it was! He didn't mind spiders or most bugs for that matter. His sister's were the ones against those, but he wasn't saying that aloud!

He looked at him curiously "Mum said there's nothing to be scared of at Hogwarts, we're com..." he gasped out when the acromantula lept down from the ceiling landing in front of them. "Merlin!" he gasped out. Get them? THEM? He grabbed Chris and pulled him trying to get away "GOOD IDEA!" he managed to gasp out as he tried to run.

Chris' eyes could not possibly have gotten bigger as he saw the shadow of something landing in front of Torie. Was that a... Then it spoke. Noooo he wouldn't taste good. He let Torie pull him along and started yelling, "HEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!" Nope. "If we die I'm going to kill you Torie. I will find you in the afterlife and kill you again." He ran as fast as he could back the way they came hoping they would make it.

The small group of clicking pincers continued their pursuit of the humans. Each eager to do their duty, it soon became a competition between them as to who would get the first nibble. Pushing and shoving each other with their large abdomens, they were sabotaging their own efforts.

He heard Chris say something but really wasn't paying attention, he was just desperate to get out of there now! "KEEP GOING!" he shouted to Chris though he was close. AND DON'T FALL!!! Was all he could think, don't fall, don't trip or they'd catch them! Torie was desperately trying to get out of there and wasn't looking back to the spiders. Any moment he thought he'd feel one of their legs or their pinchers on him. He'd never look at a spider again. Ever! He'd never tease his sisters again about spiders either, if only they could get to safety.

Chris ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and trying not to trip over his own feet or Torie's. How long had they walked down this passage? It seemed like they were taking forever to get back. He gasped for air and did his best not to turn around to see where the spiders were. Where were the adults?!!!!! "I don't want to get eaten" he gasped as he tried to keep his legs moving.

She was on her way to the Great Hall. Studying takes up lots of energy and this Prefect needed to reenergize, and fast. Beverly would have been half way there if it hadn't been for the cry of help that echoed through the passage way she had explored last term.

Why was it they always needed help?

Her shoulders sagged. She could pretend she hadn't heard it and go have a nice dinner. But...what if whomever was down there ended up like Gregoire. She shuddered at the thought, and reached for her wand. If this was a joke she was going to do some right hexing.

Prank or not, Beverly cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself. If it was a prank she'd catch the scoundrels. If it was really an emergency she would be able to make it out of there fast.

Tugging on her basilisk fang necklace, wand arm out, Beverly went in to investigate.

O___________________O

BIG NOPE. She wasn't going to step in further, she did though, point her wand at the spiders behind the boys, still invisible to the eye. "Adhaero!" Hopefully that would stick the spiders to the ground beneath them and give the kids time to run.

Ruuuuuun, you little fools!

He nearly squealed and fell over at the sound of a spell being cast but gasped instead dragging Chris with him as they managed to get out of the passage. He would have dove into the Hufflepuff barrels but wasn't going to leave Chris so kept running past and up to the entrance hall. Professor or headmistress or someone! They needed to know about the spiders in the dungeons! "We gotta tell someone!" he gasped out as he ran.

The arachnids continued to click their pincers and scurry along, paying no real attention to what the humans were doing in front of them. Suddenly, the front few's legs ceased moving and the ones behind crashed into their abdomens.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? MOVE!" sneered one as it waved its tree trunk legs wildly.

"I CAN'T, PEA BRAIN!" hissed one of the stuck few.

Pincers snapping at one another angrily, they forgot all about chasing after the humans.

Mother would be so disappointed when she found out they had let some get away.

Chris' eyes widened as he heard a female voice but didn't see one and then the spiders didn't seem as close anymore as he continued to run. Maybe he was dead? Nope surely being eaten by spiders would be more painful. He kept running letting Torie pull him along as he searched for who had said the spell. He needed to thank them or something. They were going to be safe!!!! He looked at Torie who had said something but couldn't get enough air in his lungs to speak so just nodded as he ran into the Entrance Hall. Yup...tell someone....and pray no more were on the other side of this hall.

No time to see where or who she was, she knew she'd surprised them. "Just ruuun!" And don't look back, little buds.

Without sparing a backward glance, and making sure the boys were ahead of her, Beverly sprinted after them. Keep running, keep running. The acromantulas had won the element of surprise. Beverly had been prepared for a prank at most.

Entrance Hall? Not a bad idea. There was bound to be professors in the Great Hall they could alert.

Beverly was out.