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"Yes," said Harry. "But this one, Aragog, the first one Hagrid ever got, it died last night.
He's devastated. He wants company while he buries it and I said I'd go." "Touching, touching," said Slughorn absentmindedly, his large droopy eyes fixed upon the distant lights of Hagrid's cabin. "But acromantula venom is very valuable ... If the beast only just died it might not yet have dried out. . . . Of course, I wouldn't want to do anything insensitive if Hagrid is upset. . . but if there was any way to procure some ... I mean, its almost impossible to get venom from an acromantula while its alive. ..." Slughorn seemed to be talking more to himself than Harry now. ". . . seems an awful waste not to collect it... might get a hundred Galleons a pint. ... To be frank, my salary is not large. . . ." And now Harry saw clearly what was to be done. "Well," he said, with a most convincing hesitancy, "well, if you wanted to come, Professor, Hagrid would probably be really pleased. . . . Give Aragog a better send-off, you know ..." "Yes, of course," said Slughorn, his eyes now gleaming with enthusiasm. "I tell you what, Harry, I'll meet you down there with a bottle or two. . . . We'll drink the poor beast's — well — not health — but we'll send it off in style, anyway, once it's buried.
And I'll change my tie, this one is a little exuberant for the occasion. . . ." He bustled back into the castle, and Harry sped off to Hagrid's, delighted with himself.
"Yen came," croaked Hagrid, when he opened the door and saw Harry emerging from the Invisibility Cloak in front of him.
"Yeah — Ron and Hermione couldn't, though," said Harry. "They're really sorry." "Don — don matter . . . Hed've bin touched yeh're here, though, Harry. . . ."
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