Ron and the Reachling

Written for "Harry Potter and the Writers' Spell " . Task 3: Ron, one of the main characters, is scared of spiders. Write a story or a poem, fiction or non fiction, in less than 250-500 words. Bonus for using references to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.


Ron studies his Quidditch book intently. "This game is rather hard. I'm certainly glad Harry is the Seeker, and not me, but I need to be able to help him not break another limb."

Turning to the next page, out of the corner of his eye, he sees movement. Something in the shadows of his room...slowly creeping into the moonlight.

"YEEP!" He scurries into the corner of his bed and presses his back against the wall. As the spider comes into full view, he slides his back up the wall, desperately trying to get further and further away.

The spider stops. They stare at each other for a moment, or so it appears to Ron.

"Stay away! I'm warning you!" Ron throws his Quidditch book at the spider, missing it be enough the spider doesn't flinch.

"Get!" he yells at the spider.

"Help!" he yells to anyone who can hear him.

Just then, the spider's legs begin to stretch forward, farther and farther forward, father than is natural for any spider's legs to stretch. It reaches for Ron.

"YAAK! A REACHLING! HELP! HELP ME, SOMEONE! ANYONE!"

Just then, Hermione comes rushing into the room.

"Ron? What is it? What's wrong?"

Clearly distressed, pale as the moonlight poured across the floor, Ron screeches and points, "A REACHLING!"

Hermione calmly steps on the tiny creature, ending it quickly. "Ron. They're like most spiders--perfectly harmless unless you're an insect. Just because they can reach really far doesn't mean they're going to hurt you."

"First Hagrid tells us to meet his giant pet spider, Aragog, and we're attacked by the whole colony of Acromantula spiders, and how there's a reachling in my room? I can't take this! I need to learn an anti-spider spell!" He slides down the wall into the corner of his bed, exhausted.

Hermione picks up the Quidditch book and tosses onto the bed. "First, you need to make sure Harry doesn't get hurt again."


Word Count: 329