Aragog

"They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets."

- Aragog

Aragog was an Acromantula, owned by Rubeus Hagrid, with the ability to communicate with humans. Like the rest of his species, Aragog had a taste for human flesh, and in his youth was the size of a Pekingese, and near the end of his life was the size of a small elephant. Aragog had a wife, Mosag, and was the leader of a large Acromantula colony composed of all of his sons and daughters. During his life, Aragog was accused of being Slytherin's Monster, although this was really a basilisk. After the large tarantula died, some of his venom was taken by Horace Slughorn.

Early life
"I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg."

- Aragog

Aragog was originally brought as an egg in a distant land, and came to Britain in the pocket of a traveller. Somehow, the egg came into possession of Rubeus Hagrid, who at the time was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After Aragog hatched from it, Hagrid kept him in a cupboard in one of the school's dungeons, feeding him scraps, and over time developed a close friendship.

Tom Riddle
"It wasn't him! He wouldn'! He never!"

- Rubeus Hagrid, after an accusation by Tom Riddle

When Tom Marvolo Riddle began unleashing Slytherin's Monster, the Basilisk upon the castle to exterminate its Muggle-born population, Aragog was framed as being the monster and Hagrid was accused of being Slytherin's heir. When one of its victims, Moaning Myrtle, died, it motivated the school's governors to consider closing the school. Tom, who considered Hogwarts his only home, somehow found out about Aragog and blamed it for the monster's rampage. Tom came to capture the creature, but Hagrid helped Aragog escape to the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid, though, was later punished with expulsion from the school. Aragog, meanwhile, had to flee into the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid, though expelled, was placed into the position of Game keeper at Hogwarts, thus allowing him to stay in contact with Aragog. Hagrid would visit Aragog now and then, bringing him food. On one particular visit, Hagrid brought Aragog a wife, Mosag, another Acromantula. The two Acromantulas started a large colony. Sometime before 1993, however, Mosag died. Aragog also became blind.

History repeats itself
"...Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent."

- Harry Potter, after speaking to Aragog and barely surviving an attack

In 1993, Slytherin's Monster was unleashed on the castle again. This time, however, the rampage did not result in any deaths, only pretrification of many students. Once again, however, the governors considered closing the school due to the attacks. Governors of the school once again accused Hagrid of being the Heir of Slytherin. Hagrid vaguely told the governors to "follow the spiders," which was overheard by two students, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Though reluctantly, the two decided to continue their investigation of the monster and follow the spiders like Hagrid had indirectly told them. There the two found Aragog and his colony. They subsequently learned that Aragog was not the monster. After this, the two students actually found the real monster and the real heir, Tom Riddle.

Later life
"Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot."

- Ron Weasley

In 1996, Harry and Hermione Granger, in an attempt to lure Dolores Umbridge into a trap in the Forest, took the path towards Aragog's colony, but the immediate danger of running into Aragog's children was avoided when the local Centaurs intercepted them.

In 1997, Aragog contracted an illness over the summer, and despite Hagrid's attempts to help Aragog heal and be comfortable, he eventually died. Hagrid was able to get Aragog's corpse out of the colony before his children could attempt to cannibalise it. Aragog was buried in a deep pit near Hagrid's house. His funeral was attended by Hagrid, Harry and Professor Horace Slughorn, who took the opportunity to "acquire" Aragog's highly valuable Acromantula venom.

Legacy
"Don't hurt 'em, don't hurt 'em!"

- Hagrid, warning people not to hurt the attacking acromantulas

In 1998, the Acromantula colony was taken over by Voldemort, his Death Eaters and his assembled army of magical creatures, and established their camp there as a prelude to the Battle of Hogwarts. Aragog's children survived, however, and were driven to fight alongside the Death Eaters. It is unknown if the colony and its population survived following the conclusion of the battle, which was in favor of the Order of the Phoenix.

Personality and traits
"But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst."

- Aragog

Aragog had a close friendship with his owner, Hagrid, and was the only human that he stopped his sons and daughters from eating. Otherwise, he would not deprive them of fresh meat, and would order his sons and daughters to attack the unsuspecting humans. One such case was when Ron Weasley and Harry Potter found Aragog. However, these two escaped.

Aragog, like all spiders, feared basilisks, and would not speak of it, not even to Hagrid, who had asked him many times.

Behind the scenes
In the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Aragog was voiced by Julian Glover.

It is possible that Aragog could have been based on another giant spider in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Shelob.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows