Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Their numbers seemingly growing, yet another herd descends upon the entrance hall. A clear destination in mind, they quickly became distracted by some tantalizing smells coming from within the Great Hall itself.

"I smell something juicy," announced one as it began bounding off towards the door.

"We do not have time for that!" sneered another, whacking its companion over the head with one of its great hairy legs.

"Just a quick bite," pleaded a third.

What a sight for anyone happening to pass by, bickering acromantulas.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Just in case the acromantulas get a whiff.

Words spoken too late, Hufflepuff.

Rearing back in its back for legs, the largest of the group waved its front ones wildly to silence the others.

"THIS WAY!" it roared, scurrying across the ground towards the trio of foolish jabbering students. "One for each of us!"

One lone acromantula, the youngest of the bunch, took off towards the inside of the Great Hall. A certain smell in there too tantalizing to resist.

The others followed instructions, one scampering up and along the wall close enough to one of the human's (FearlessLeader19) and grabbing him by the robes with his pincers.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

"Use the webs to find your way around they said. Just use the webs. It's easy," muttered one acromantula as it scurried about the corridors after having been separated from the rest of its herd. "EASY FOR SOME MAYBE!"

Scurrying along the wall now, it came across a close door. DOOR! There had been something about doors in their plan...probably should have been paying more attention instead of chomping away on rats in the Chamber.

Throwing itself against the door, the acromantula broke it down easily due to its size. Front legs flailing wildly at the sight of ADULT HUMAN FLESH, it screeched and tried to force its way forwards. Only there was one problem. Its abnormally large abdomen was stuck in the door frame.

Screeching and swiping its legs towards the nearest (and plumpest) human (TakemetotheBurrow), it clicked its pincers together hungrily while the black colour of its eyes seemed to turn a shade darker.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS! (from the Secret Passage)

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.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

What? Are you guys some super lab modified spiders or something?

Huffing, one of the arachnids ceased their pursuit of another human and turned to face the trapped one (FearlessLeader19). "HOW RUDE!" she retorted, her pincers clicking together rapidly in an agitated state. "How RUDE to assume that I am anything but natural!"

This one was gonna die. Right now.

Out of the ridiculous number of spells being thrown by the humans, one or two managed to hit the spider as she descended upon the boy. Blasting off a few of her front legs and sending the hair black body crashing into the wall, web was not the worst thing that now covered the boy. What remained of her continued to screech and claw at the air, pincers snapping violently with rage.

The one chasing the small human (griffin) was limber enough to avoid most of the spells thrown its way, but soon fire was licking at its abdomen. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" it sneered, being pushed back just slightly by the following spell. Leaping up the stairs, it followed rapidly after her while it still could.

Legs still flailing and web spewing every which direction, the acromantula let out a loud shriek when the book smacked it right between 4 of its eyes. More enraged than before, it began aiming its web towards one of the walls hoping to use that to its advantage of getting back on its feet. And THAT one (Felixir) would be next.

Movements slowing as the flames consumed it, the acromantula could not avoid the spells that came from its target (VRSCIKA). Pincers just barely managing to take a bite out of her leg, there was a sickening SPLAT noise as the acromantula was no more.

Still gleefully running after its whole turkey, the smallest (and youngest) of the invasion managed to get its pincers back around its prize. "I GOT IT AGAIN I GOT IT AGAIN! HUMAN FLESHIE DIDN'T ESCAPE ME!" he declared, bouncing in place to show off its prize to its siblings. Only as it turned it saw one of its brothers blow up at the hand of a human. "THANATOG!" it cried, discarding the turkey and waving its legs in despair.

Aletag was blasted back by one of the spells cast (one by Symphora) and fell to the ground, all 8 of its legs sticking out to its sides as it lay there on the ground motionless. The whole turkey, meanwhile, was discarded nearby.

Victory may have seemed near for the humans...were it not for an ominous clicking sound echoed from through the space. One could have almost mistaken it for a sudden downpour...if it were not for the screeching battle cries that soon followed.

Reinforcements had arrived and their numbers were enough to make the timid wet their trousers.

Originally Posted by Cinn-O-Bun

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.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

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!"

Originally Posted by Lizasaurus

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.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

It was hard to decipher what spells were hitting and what were not in the fray, but it was becoming clear that the number of acromantulas was dwindling. Just not at a very fast rate.

The initial pair of acromantula on the attack for the two humans (BanaBatGirl and Samia) and already fallen, but were quickly replaced by others to fulfill their cause. And fulfill they did. Wrapping their big hairy tree trunk legs around the human, the pair of acromantula lifted them high above their ugly black heads and let out a loud screech.

A screech that was echoed by the remaining arachnid.

Two humans in their clutches, the acromantula scurried through the fray. Despite being hit by a few spells, their abdomens smoking, their resolve was too strong to please Mother. Bursting forth from the greenhouse, they moved a quickly as their 8 limbs could carry them towards the Forbidden Forest...

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Everything was going according to plan. Mother would be pleased when they took the enter castle and gave her the throne to sit upon.

Through the corridor the three crawled, catching the scent of fresh meat.

They were told not to eat, not yet, but the delicious smell pulled them closer and closer until they came to the humans in this corridor.

Nothing wrong with a little bite...

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

They had learned the hard way when they had attempted to take the two from the Chamber back to their lair. An invisible force had prevented them, but not out smarted them. Drawing from the experience of one of their kind who had ventured down to the wizarding village - and almost blown their cover by eating that one human - the acromantula carrying their newest victims scurried quite a ways away from the castle until they found the place where the invisible force ended.

"This way," sneered the leader carrying one of the humans (BanaBatGirl). "We'll take them to the others."

Which meant they had to scurrying back over the same distance now that they were back in the forest.

Moving swiftly through the trees, but also taking care not to allow any branches or shrubs whack their victims and spoiling them further, it was some time before they arrived at their lair and threw the three humans (BanaBatGirl, Samia, VRSCIKA) into a massive and sturdy web in the middle of their fortress with their previously captured pair (Squishy, Saraie).

"MOTHER! MOTHER!" they chanted excitedly, pincers creating an eerie and terrifying roar filled the ears and chilled the spines of everyone present.

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts castle, their siblings continued to fight.

Except for the one off chasing after that patronus with its turkey clutched gleefully in its pincers.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Hearing her children calling, she moved slowly from the depths of her den.

"Evil? That is all in the eye of the beholder," came an icy cold voice from the darkness.

First to appear were her two front-most legs, terrifying and somehow elegant in their movements, and then her feelers attached to her horrifyingly beautiful head. She paused for a moment to take in the sight as her children continued to chant her name and click their pincers together.

Fully exposed now, her menacing 16 foot height caused her to strike a few lower tree branches as she purposefully move towards the web that held her children's captives. She gazed down upon them each for the first time and her massive pincers clicked together more and more excitedly with each human she gazed upon.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS! (from the Forbidden Forest)

Dooming themselves? If a spider could bark a laugh she would but alas there was nothing but a light chuckle. "I believe you are the one in a web, Headmistress." Who was the doomed one here? Soon her children would feast on not only these caught in there intricately woven web but those she'd gotten word of as being locked away in a secure place until they were ready to collect.

Perfectly at her leisure, the acromantula stretched her long legs, crossing the clearing with that elegant little strut she possessed. "We've minded our own business long enough but that has not stopped you humans from wondering into our presence, desecrating our forest as you go. Your kind doesn't understand boundaries. Your kind is known for tresspassing and it is your kind that is responsible for the death of my mate."

She had had this attack in mind from the very moment she caught sight of the lifeless corpse of her greatest love and Hogwarts was no longer in her good graces.

"It is our turn to tresspass." She hissed, the pent up anger escaping her pincers in much the same way the built up venom now was. It was enough that she could taste it. "Go forth my children; take the castle, it is ours. Go forth and devour as many as you like." The mother watched, a contented glow in her dark eyes as a large portion of her children scampered off back toward the forest.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Having chased the shiny and elusive otter all around the castle, the acromantula had lost visual contact with it about a floor ago. Still clutching the turkey in its pincers, Aletag made his way into a strange room with lots and lots of windows.

"Where did you go?" he hissed excitedly while all eight of his legs scurried eagerly forward. WAS it in here?

Looking around and seeing no silvery otter, the acromantula made its way towards one of the MANY windows and looked down. A large dark moving mass had emerged from the Forbidden Forest and was quickly making its way towards the castle. A large mass that, had Aletag known how to use a telescope to take a closer look, was in fact his brothers and sisters once again descending upon the castle.

And they would be here SOON.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Moving quickly over the Hogwarts' grounds, the second wave of Mother's invasion were soon clamoring to enter the castle and begin their feast. The sea of hairy tree trunk legs pounded against the stone floors, creating a loud drumming sound to announce their approach while their pincers clicked hungrily.

It would only be a matter of seconds before they would come pouring into the entrance hall...

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Staggering where they stood, the black beady eyes on each acromantula glistened with an unnatural sheen.

And then came screeching. Loud and shrill.

Some began waving their front legs wildly, smacking others and toppling them over, while others clicked their pincers together apprehensively.

"HOW!?" bellowed one as it toppled over on to its back after being struck by another.

"THE ENEMY!" lamented another who, in its haste to run away, had crashed right into a wall.

The entrance hall was now a sea of panicked moving black masses, each trying to find the exit but never quite managing to do so.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Continuing to throw themselves against walls and into each other, the acromantulas were only helping their prey defeat them. Their panic was sent over the edge when yet another of their mortal foes appeared.

"TWO?! HOW DO THEY HAVE TWO?!" shrieked a large arachnid who used its abdomen to whack one of its smaller siblings towards the basilisks. "BETTER YOU THAN ME!"

Very few continued to attack, but they were blasted back by spells that sent them crashing into the back wall or their fellow arachnids.

Aletag, having just scurried all the way down from the highest part of the castle, stopped and nearly dropped his turkey at the sight while secreting some venom right there on the stone floor. The appearance of shiny blue lights from somewhere reminded him of the otter he had just been chasing around and became distracted with after those. Still with his turkey.

The moving mass of dark hairy bodies began to dwindle some as more and more became stunned in their panic. There were even some who, upon looking at the basilisks, fell over on to their backs assuming they had died.

"DO NOT CAST YOUR EYES UPON IT!" ordered one as it turned its back towards the oncoming serpents.

"SHAME WE DO NOT HAVE FLESH FLAPS ON OUR EYES!" barked another.

"RETREAT!" hissed a third.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

Scrambling and climbing all over one another, the acromantulas' numbers were visibly less and enough so that the floor to the entrance hall could actually be seen. There was an uncomfortable sheen covering parts of it, no doubt due to some involuntary secretion.

Meanwhile Aletag continued to try and whack the flaming balls with his hairy legs. The turkey, that had quite literally been through war and back, was now missing one of its legs that had fallen off a few moments earlier and lay forgotten on the floor.

"SAVE YOUR SPINNERETS! MOVE OUT! RETREAT!"

Steady stream leaving the castle, the horde moved towards their home in the Forbidden Forest. Those that remaining fell into four categories: thought they were dead from the 'basilisks'' gaze, were actually dead, were in the middle of fleeing, or were Aletag.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULAS!

They were not threatened by the wild stick waving that immediately took place, nor were they swayed by the hollow words of protection and peace that were being handed out. Mother had been specific in her plan and when some fell, others were there to take their place. Not even the attempts at taming them with magic could prove effective for the highly intelligent creatures.

The number that remained, however, was not great enough to keep rising when their siblings fell so when that man (Sabel) raised his wand and sent the blast, it took some time before any others could move into action.

But then they heard it, there was a stampede heading towards them. Pincers clicking wildly, heavy thuds and quick steps. Soon the forest came alive with the shrill cries of hundreds of acromantulas all rushing and pushing in an effort to be anywhere else. "RUN!" One shouted.

"Get away if you can! The enemy is near!"

The spiders in the clearing though confused at first, quickly jumped into motion with the others at the sudden, dreaded mention of two 'basilisks' in the castle. The giant swarm grew even bigger as now they were joined by those who had once been watching the hostages. In one large movement they swept across the forest floor in obvious retreat, wailing and shrieking of the horrors that they had seen until finally the swarm was no longer visible and the forest fell silent once more.

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl