Hey guys! This is Kitz. Here's my first Harry Potter fic. It's a one-shot, as you can probably see. Well, read it and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Winning Friendship

Why don't they like me? I wondered as I walked to Charms class. I looked at my feet as those two boys passed me, laughing at a joke one of them had told the other. The red-headed one glanced at me and sped up. His friend followed him. I sighed.

Is it because I'm bossy? I'm not bossy, am I? I asked myself. Maybe I was a little bossy, but I couldn't help it. I never tried to be bossy. It just happened. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist. Or maybe… my thoughts ended abruptly as I almost walked straight into Professor Flitwick's classroom door. I hurriedly opened it and stepped inside.

I looked around for a seat. There was a vacant one next to the red-headed boy. Ron, I think his name was. I sighed again and walked toward it. Ron turned from talking to his friend, Harry and saw me walking over to where he sat. He looked shocked.

"Umm, is this seat taken?" I asked. He shook his head and I set my books down next to his. Ron looked horrified.

"Man, I have to sit next to her, Harry!" he whispered to his friend. Harry glanced at me and sighed. "Ah well." He answered. "Better you than me."

I looked down at my shoes, fighting back tears. They don't want me to sit here. I thought. But then I was distracted by a girl with long black hair sitting down next to me.

"Hey, Pavarti." I said to her. "Hiya Hermione!" she answered back, excitedly. Parvati was my only friend. She understood my need to be perfect, and she accepted it. "Aren't you excited? We get to learn how to levitate things today! Did you bring your feather? I did. I know Professor Flitwick asked us to bring a white one, but I could only find a brown one. Do you think he'll be mad at me?" Parvati loved to talk. Her face shone with anticipation and excitement as the teacher began to speak.

"Today, class, we will begin our practice on the levitation charm, or Wingardium Leviosa. Now say it with me class. Wingardium Leviosa."

The class echoed him. Choruses of Wingardium Leviosa could be heard from every corner of the classroom. It amazed me at how many people were saying the incantation wrong. But I was brought back to reality by Professor Flitwick's voice.

"You all will be practicing this incantation with a partner. Hmm, let's see. Longbottom, you're paired up with Patil." Parvati gave a frightened little squeak. Neither of us had forgotten the day in transfiguration when he somehow implanted his ears on a cactus. No one ever found out how he did it.

"Potter, you're paired with Finnigan, Weasley, you and Granger work together." Ron looked horrified once more, and I was temporarily in shock. Now's my chance! I can finally win his friendship! Ron groaned rather loudly, and I sighed. I looked up at the professor, who was showing the class the wrist movement we had been learning for the past week, called the "swish and flick". And then he let us go off on our own.

Ron cleared his throat and waved his arms in a long, fluid motion that just barely resembled a swish and flick. He said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and began hitting his feather with his wand. I reached over and grabbed his wand before it hit him.

"Stop, Ron. Just stop. You're going to take someone's eye out." I said, and Parvati laughed. But she quickly stopped, because she caught sight of Neville's eye floating in the air. She looked sick.

"And besides, you're saying it wrong." I continued. Ron shot me a look of disgust. "It's Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sa."

"You do it then, if you're so clever." He snarled at me. I looked taken aback for a fraction of a second then whispered, "OK." I turned to face my feather, relaxed my muscles and said, slowly and clearly, Wingardium Leviosa while swishing my wand and ending the movement with a sharp flick. The feather in front of me began to tremble, and then it rode into the air. I turned back to Ron and gave him a smug smile. He grunted and hunched himself over his books.

"Oh, well done!" cried the professor. "See here, everyone! Miss Granger's done it!" I gave Parvati a pleased smile, and she returned it.

O

As I packed up my things from Charms, I saw Ron and Harry leave the classroom. I grinned and rushed out to follow them. It wasn't until the next day that I realized that I left my Transfiguration homework on my desk. Oops.

I was almost level with the two boys when I heard the sound of my own name.

"…Hermione's such a know-it-all. 'It's Levioooooosa, not Leviosa'." Ron said, in a mocking tone. My face grew hot and my vision became a bit blurry. But he didn't stop there.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare! Honestly." Ron snorted, and tears began to flow down my face. I ran forward and pushed my was passed Harry. I heard him say to Ron as I ran away, "I think she heard you." But it was what Ron said next that made me break down and sprint to the girls' lavatory.

"So? She must've noticed she's got no friends."

O

Why do they hate me? All I did to them was try to save them from getting caught by Filch and put in detention. And I even told them about that awful three headed dog standing on that trapdoor. And what do I get in return? Laughed at and made fun of. I don't even know why I came to this school in the first place…

"Hermione?"

I sniffed and looked up. Parvati was standing in the doorway. She looked really worried. "What's wrong?" she asked, gently. I gulped and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Pavarti knelt down next to me, putting her books down on the floor next to my bag, which I had thrown from me when I entered the bathroom.

"You can tell me, Hermione. I'll listen." I gave her a sad look, and shook my head.

"No…?" she said, bewildered. "Do you want to be left alone?" I nodded. "Well," she said, "I'm going to class, Hermione. I'll meet you when you're ready." She picked up her books and left, giving me a compassionate look.

O

I don't know how long I cried in that bathroom. It must've been hours, since I soon heard a rampage of footsteps outside the door, heading for the Great Hall. Some girls came in, and I retreated to a stall to continue crying. I heard Parvati's voice say, "Hermione? Are you still here? You missed so many classes! We're all really worried."

Ha, I thought. Everyone except Harry and Ron. At that moment, Ron's words echoed in my head. "She's a nightmare, honestly." A fresh wave of tears broke over me, and the echoes of my sobs could be heard throughout the bathroom. I heard the bathroom door close, and Parvati had gone.

O

Ten minutes later, I heard some very loud footsteps coming from the hall outside, and then smaller footsteps following the larger ones. The door to the lavatory creaked open, but I didn't care. All of a sudden, it closed with a bang.

I sniffed heartily and opened the stall door with a creak. I wiped my eyes, but suddenly stopped. There were two enormous feet in front of me. I looked up slowly, and gazed into the face of a fully grown mountain troll. I screamed.

But then the door opened again, and Harry and Ron came inside the room. The troll swung its club behind him, and I darted back into the stall.

The club came crashing through the stalls before me, and I ducked. Just in time, too, for the splintered pieces of wood from the stall next to mine fell on top of me.

"Help! Help!" I screamed. The troll swung its club again, and knocked more wood on top of me. Then I heard Ron yell,

"Oy, pea-brain!" and I saw him throw a rock at its head. The troll looked temporarily dazed, and I wiggled out from under the rubble that had been pinning me to the floor. The troll caught sight of me just as I dove under a sink. Its club fell down through the sink next to me, and I screamed.

Then something miraculous happened. Somehow Harry managed to get onto the troll's shoulders and he thrust his wand up the beast's nose. The troll tried to get the piece of wood out of this nasal cavity, but was rather unsuccessful. Ron then had an idea- he whipped his wand from his pocket and bellowed Wingardium Leviosa!

The troll's club rose into the air and fell upon the creature's head, making Harry fall of and causing the troll to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. I crawled out from under the sink and walked toward the pair who just saved my life. But before I could thank them, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrel ran into the bathroom.

"Oh my goodness… You two, explain yourselves!" McGonagall shouted. Harry and Ron began talking at the same time.

"Well, you see-"

"We were going to-"

I could see where this conversation was going. The two boys who just saved my life were going to be expelled. I quickly spoke up.

"Please, Professor McGonagall. They were looking for me."

Professor McGonagall looked shocked, and Snape's face turned white. Quirrel shuddered. "Miss Granger?" McGonagall said, in a choked and strained voice.

It was my only chance at saving Ron and Harry. I began to speak. "I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and I thought that I could handle one on my own."

I glanced at Ron, who dropped his wand and bent hastily to pick it up. The expression on both of their faces was the same- utter amazement. I bet neither of them would've ever thought that I'd ever lie to a teacher. To tell the truth, neither did I.

"If Harry and Ron hadn't found me, I'd surely be dead." I finished, and I hung my head, guiltily. Man, I thought I'm a pretty good liar. Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. Now, if you are not hurt, you may go up to Gryffindor Tower." She said sternly. I walked from the bathroom, but waited out in the corridor for Harry and Ron to show up.

After a few minutes, they came out of the lavatory, followed by the professors. I looked at my feet, and all of us said, "Thanks" at the same time. I giggled, and we all walked up to Gryffindor Tower, chatting like long-time friends. Ah, my mind said. Nothing like winning the friendship of two guys by knocking a mountain troll out cold.