The Visit to Aragog

Following Hagrid's cryptic clue, Harry and Ron venture into the Forbidden Forest at night to follow the spiders. They are captured by a colony of giant spiders, the Acromantulas, and brought before their leader, Aragog. Aragog, an old friend of Hagrid's, reveals that he is not the monster of the Chamber of Secrets and that Hagrid was innocent fifty years ago. He tells them that the real monster is something that spiders fear above all else, but he refuses to name it. The spiders then attempt to kill Harry and Ron, but they are rescued by the Weasleys' flying car, which has been living wild in the forest. The escape is harrowing, but they gain crucial information: the monster is not Aragog, and it was responsible for a girl's death in a bathroom.