A/N: What was running through Hermione's mind as she was being attacked by the troll in Sorcerer's Stone? That's the question. And this, a drabble little one-shot from Hermione's POV, is the answer.
Disclaimer: All I own in this is my own writing. Not the plot, technically, since it is just a rewriting of JKR's plot. Not the characters. But I do own this version of the scene.
I wiped the tears off of my cheeks, finally beginning to subside in my sobs. My vision still blurred by water, I tried to clear my eyes, brushing them off with the back of my hand. I hated that Ronald Weasley! I really did. It's not my fault that his brain isn't even the size of a pea, or that he took offense in my attempt to correct him before he did something like blow up his feather. Honestly, why does he have to strut around making fun of me, when all I ever did was help?
Hearing lots of footsteps on the floor above me, I gave my face one last wipe with the sleeve of my robe. It sounded like most people were leaving supper, and I wanted a spot to eat before I went up to the common room. Sniffling, trying to clear my plugged nose, and still staring at the floor, I began walking towards the door, when a pair of very, very large feet came into my range of view. Horrified by the thought of what kind of creature would have feet like that, I slowly raised my eyes, looking up. I gasped in shock.
There it was, looking like it had come straight from a book I was reading over the summer about magical creatures. Standing in front of me, leering down at me, was a mountain troll. By my best guess it must have been around eleven or twelve feet tall, and was a sickly gray color. The head, unproportionally small compared to the rest of its body, was about the size of one of its enormous, flat feet. Now that my sinuses were clearing, I could smell a horrendous stench coming from the beast.
Backing away in horror as the troll advanced, its wooden club, which looked to be the size of me, dangling by its leg, I felt my back hit the hard stone wall of the bathroom. I screamed, terrified for my life. Maybe, if I were lucky, then someone, anyone, would hear me and could come try to help. The troll was knocking sinks off the wall as it advanced, and looked like it could take out all of the stalls with one blow of its club. I could feel myself beginning to get nauseous, and felt like I was going to keel over in a faint.
Suddenly, the door to the bathroom banged open, and Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley came tearing in, each of them as pale and scared-looking as I am sure I was. Desperately, I looked at them willing to try to do something to help; but then I realized I was probably done for. Harry might have half of a brain, but having Ronald there minimized my chances of being saved.
"Confuse it!" I heard Harry exclaim to Ronald. The two of them began throwing things at the troll (missing half of the time), but it continued advancing on me, until I was sure that I was going to be killed. Amazingly, it stopped merely feet from me. By this point, I was trembling so hard that I could almost feel myself vibrating the wall.
The troll looked around stupidly (strongly reminding me Ronald in the middle of a class) vainly looking for the source of the small commotion. As I watched breathlessly, it spotted Harry and turned away from me, making its way towards Harry. I let out a huge breath which I hadn't realized I was holding. Ronald, who was standing opposite the bathroom from Harry, noticed that his best friend was in trouble.
"Oy, pea-brain!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Oh yes, I thought to myself snidely. It's going to recognize the fact that you're addressing it, Ronald. Honestly!
Therefore, it was to my complete astonishment that the troll stopped again, this time turning towards Ronald. Harry, spotting his chance for escape, ran around its legs. Grudgingly I had to admit, Ronald was braver then I gave him credit for, putting himself in danger. However, as the troll kept looking around, I knew we weren't out of trouble yet. Terrified, I couldn't make myself move.
"Come on, run, run!" Harry had grabbed my hand, and tried to pull me towards the door. Scared to go anywhere near the troll, and still in a state of shock, I couldn't make my muscles work. Suddenly, with a deafening roar, the troll began to advance on Ronald, who appeared to have no way out. I screamed. Harry, however, leapt into action.
Stupidly, but showing immense courage, he jumped up, and actually caught the troll by the neck. I watched, wide-eyed, my mouth opened in shock and horror. The troll wouldn't feel Harry, I realized, as it continued to advance on Ronald. By either pure luck, or chance, though, Harry had managed to get his wand stuck straight up the troll's fat nose.
The troll let out a deafening roar, causing me to cover my ears and sink to the floor, trying to make myself as little as possible. The troll began twisting and flailing with its club, and Harry was still hanging on for his life. The club was coming dangerously close to his head. But for once, I found that I couldn't focus. I doubt that if I had found my wand, I would have been able to perform any charm with it. Shockingly, Ronald pulled out his own wand.
I groaned inwardly. Please do something right for a change…please. I felt myself willing him to perform the right charm, and to not hit Harry in the process.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he yelled, waving his wand. The club, inches away from Harry's head, jerked out of the troll's hand and began to rise above the scene. Slowly, it stopped ascending, and then, it fell. There was a horrible cracking noise as it collided with the troll's head, and the troll suddenly dropped to the floor, knocked unconscious. Harry delicately got to his feet, amazingly unharmed.
There was a silence, the first quiet since the episode had begun. Trying to break it, I asked the first thing that came to mind.
"Is it – dead?"
"I don't think so," replied Harry. "I think it's just been knocked out." Bending down, he pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was coated in foul, gray liquid. "Urgh- troll boogers." Bending down, he wiped the wand off on the troll's trousers. A loud slamming sound, followed by rushed footsteps, alerted me of someone else's sudden presence on the scene. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell hurried into the bathroom.
Quirrell took one look at the troll and sat down, mirroring the fear that was still running through my veins. However, I was at last beginning to manage my emotions, and slowly rose to my feet, remaining silent. Snape was bent over the unconscious troll, appearing to examine it. McGonagall though, was surveying Ronald and Harry with a look of pure fury. She seemed to not have noticed me.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" she questioned angrily, her voice trembling with fury. I saw Ronald and Harry exchange glances. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" All of the professors were glaring at the two of them, each looking angrier then the next. I comprehended what was about to happen, and then knew I couldn't let it. Ronald and Harry had saved my life after all, and it wasn't fair for them to get the blame.
"Please, Professor McGonagall- they were looking for me." My voice was very quiet, and slightly higher than usual, but the three teachers became aware of my presence.
"Miss Granger!" McGonagall looked at me. I realized suddenly that I didn't have any excuse for the events. Thinking fast, I stepped forward, into the light.
"I went looking for the troll because I—" I paused, unsure of what to say next. Then it came to an answer, one that would sound plausible because of my, unfortunately negative, reputation. "I thought I could deal with it on my own— you know, because I've read all about them."
Ronald dropped his wand, which he had been holding at arm's level the entire time. He exchanged shocked looks with Harry. I prayed that they would look as if that was exactly what had happened, instead of being idiotic and not catching on, as they seemed to be doing now.
"If they hadn't found me," I continued, trying to buy the duo time to recover. At the moment, I wasn't thinking of what this could potentially do to my academic record. I just wanted to get out of this smelly bathroom and back to the common room. "I'd be dead by now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose, and Ron-" Wait, did I actually just call him Ron? "-knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived." At least I ended my lie with a grain of truth. The troll had been about to finish me off when the two arrived."
McGonagall surveyed the three of us, apparently trying to figure out if the story was the truth. "Well- in that case…" She paused, and turned her gaze to me. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
I hung my head, trying my best to look ashamed. Not that it was hard to do. One look like that from McGonagall and you could feel ashamed even if you had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. However, I wanted to get Harry and Ron out of trouble, though perhaps my true efforts were to keep Gryffindor from losing points.
"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," McGonagall said to me. I sighed. It hadn't come to mind that I would lose points (my first ever, I may add) but now I suppose that was wishful thinking. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."
Without another word, I trudged out of the bathroom and up towards our common room. I began thinking that now that I had done all that for Ron and Harry, it was only polite to thank them for saving me. And now, the more I think about it, I realize that this meant that they actually felt I was someone who they should save. True, it may only have been because you would try to save someone's life if they were in a situation like that, but perhaps this could mean I had actually made some friends at Hogwarts.
"Pig snout," I muttered, reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady. Once inside the common room, my ears met a lot of noise, a mixture of chatter and the occasional magical cracker being pulled. Making up my mind, I didn't go for food straight away, but loitered by the door, waiting for the two boys to come in. Sooner then I would have guessed, given their undeniable tendency to get lost, the portrait swung open, and they walked in.
They stopped upon seeing me, and no one spoke. I wasn't sure what to say, so I waited for someone else to break the silence. After a few seconds, when it became apparent that no one was going to talk first, I looked at the floor.
"Thanks," I said embarrassedly, but heard them both say the same thing as well. Suddenly hungry, the three of us made our way towards the table. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.