Chapter 2
Hermione found Hagrid when she got off the train and laughed thinking of what Cedric had told her. You definitely couldn't miss Hagrid. Even if she was standing back in London she might have seen him. Hermione figured he must be half giant.
When the first years finally got to the school they met Professor McGonagall who explained to them how they would be sorted into houses and what those houses were.
See if everyone would just read Hogwarts A History then we could get on with the sorting already. Hermione thought.
The first years filed into the Great Hall where all the other students and teachers were already seated. Hermione became nervous. She hated being the center of attention and the thought of sitting up there while everyone watched her terrified her.
What if I don't get sorted? What if I'm in Slytherin? Hermione thought terrified.
After what seemed like eternity for Hermione her name was finally called. She took a deep breath and sat on the stool as McGonagall placed the hat on her head. After a few seconds it said "GRYFFINDOR!"
Hermione smiled and jumped out of the seat. She was so excited about even getting sorted at all and the room was so crowded that she never saw the disappointed look on a certain Hufflepuff's face seated one table over.
She sat next to Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, and Ron Weasley. The boy whose name she had forgotten earlier. They seemed nice, but they could be rather thick… especially Ron. He was a pureblood and didn't even know the ceiling at Hogwarts was made to look like the night sky.
After dinner and announcements she was supposed to follow the Head Boy Percy Weasley to the Gryffindor tower. Instead she got attacked by a Hufflepuff.
Cedric snuck up from behind her and covered her eyes.
"Guess who Granger!"
"Knock it off Diggory my house is leaving the Great Hall." Hermione said trying to get passed him.
"It's alright Granger I know where the Gryffindor tower is." Cedric said like it was no problem.
"Do you know the password?" Hermione said glaring at Cedric.
"Well… no but…"
"Are you daft I'll get in trouble on the first day of school!" She turned to run after the group of first years.
Cedric followed her. She caught up with her class and followed them the rest of the way with Cedric behind her.
"Merlin I forgot. I feel sorry for you for having that stick in the mud as your head boy. He's brutal."
"Shhh Cedric I'm trying to listen." Hermione said as Percy explained to them some interesting facts about Gryffindor, which of course Hermione knew already.
"I forgot how boring first day is. I'm going to catch up with my friends. See ya Hermy." He said running away before she said anything.
Hermione glared after him shaking her head.
He's so infuriating. I think I'll hex him the next time I see him. She thought even though she couldn't wait to see him again.
The next few days went by so fast. Hermione wasn't making any friends. Ron thought she was a know-it-all and everyone else in her class agreed with him. None of the girls liked her either. They all thought her crazy hair was disgusting and she was too nerdy to talk to, but that didn't stop Diggory from bothering her every chance he got. He teased her and she acted like he annoyed her, but truthfully she was happy that someone went out of their way to talk to her even if she couldn't understand why a cute popular Hufflepuff would want to be friends with her. She also met a boy named Draco Malfoy, but she'd rather not think about him. All in all everything was pretty dull. That is until Halloween.
The first years were learning Wingardium Leviosa and Hermione tried to help Ron but he just got mad at her. She didn't mean to sound bossy she just wanted to help. After class she heard Ron making fun of her and all his friends were laughing and agreeing with him. Then he said "She's a nightmare; honestly it's no wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Hermione felt the tears spring up in her eyes. She walked past Ron and ran into the castle heading for the girls bathroom when Cedric walked in front of her. She did not want him to see her like this.
"Hey Granger happy Halloween…Granger what happened?" His face went from happy to concerned.
"Nothing just leave me alone." She said pushing past him without looking at him and running to the bathroom.
Cedric was going to go after her, but his friends came and took him to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. He tried to act normal but kept looking over at the Gryffindor table to see if Hermione had come back from the bathroom but she never did.
All of a sudden professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall yelling about a troll in the dungeon. Everyone panicked. Dumbledore told everyone to go to their common rooms but Cedric had to get Hermione first. He made his way over to Harry and Ron. The two wizards she sits next to everyday and complained to Cedric about.
" Hey Harry you wouldn't happen to know if Hermione Granger went to your common room do you?"
"Who cares where that bloody snob is? It was a relief not having her annoy us for one meal." Ron butted in.
Cedric saw red. "Booger off Gingy I wasn't talking to you. Say one more word about Hermione and I'll hex you into next week. You wouldn't happen to know why she was crying before would you!?"
Harry looked guilty and Ron just turned even redder from anger.
"She may have overheard me saying some not so nice things about her." Ron said with a shrug.
"Well she went into the girl's bathroom and I don't think she ever came out. I need to go get Hermione before the troll does. Will you help me?" Cedric asked but didn't wait for an answer before he took off in the direction of the girl's bathroom.
Hermione was washing the tears from her face when a huge mountain troll ran into the bathroom knocking down part of the doorway it couldn't fit through. Hermione screamed and ran back into a stall. The troll growled and started hitting the door. That's when Hermione heard a boys voice yelling at the troll. He said
"Hey pea brain!"
Wait a minute Hermione thought. I know that voice. It's Ron, but what's he doing here?
"Ron don't make it angry just hit it with a spell." Another boy yelled.
That, Hermione knew was Cedric.
"You're the third year don't you know a spell that can stop him?" Ron shouted back.
The troll was now going for Harry. Hermione was able to get out of the bathroom stall in time to see the troll pick Harry up with one hand.
"Do something Cedric!" Hermione screamed.
Cedric was terrified. His mind was completely blank, but as he looked at the terrified faces of the younger students he knew he needed to stop the troll. He raised his wand and said the first thing that popped into his head.
"Rictusempra!" Cedric shouted. The troll went flying backwards into the wall and was knocked out. Harry was cushioned by the trolls big body. He got up and ran to the other three students.
"Bloody hell! Nice one Diggory!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione let out a wail and hugged Cedric.
"Thank you Cedric you saved my life." She turned to Harry and Ron. "You all did." She said as she threw an arm around each of them.
Just then Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape came into the bathroom.
"Oh my goodness she said looking from the troll to the students. Explain yourselves all of you." McGonagall shouted.
They all looked at each other when Ron stepped up for them.
"Well professor I may have said some things to Hermione today that made her come in here crying for the last hour. When Professor Quirrell said there was a troll Cedric knew Hermione was still in here so he got us to help him save Hermione. Really this is all my fault professor."
McGonagall looked like she was shocked more than anything.
"You four should count yourselves lucky. Not many first years or third years could go up against a mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Mr. Diggory did it not cross your mind to go to a teacher instead of trying to save Miss Granger yourself?" McGonagall reprimanded.
Cedric's face flushed and he looked down.
"Well uh… no professor. I just went to Potter and Weasley because I knew they were the reason she was in here. I wasn't really thinking straight."
"Your serious lack of judgment could have killed all of you. You are very lucky no one was hurt. That will be 10 points from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor."
"Sorry professor." Cedric said.
"Perhaps detention is also fitting? Snape said.
"That won't be necessary Severus. You may have endangered other students but I bet it was you who stopped the troll wasn't it?" Dumbledore said to Cedric.
Cedric looked up at Dumbledore and nodded. Dumbledore smiled at him.
"Well it looks like these three boys showed a lot of courage to save their school mate I will award Hufflepuff and Gryfindor 20 points each for their bravery and for sheer dumb luck." Dumbledore said smiling.
Professor Snape and McGonagall looked skeptical of the Headmasters decision but nodded.
"Potter Granger and Weasley come with me. I will escort you to your common room where you will stay for the rest of the night." McGonagall ordered.
"Yes professor." the three of them said at once and followed McGonagall out of the bathroom.
"Severus can you escort Mr. Diggory to his common room on your way to the dungeon?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes professor." Snape said. The he turned to Cedric. "Come on you."
Cedric didn't want to have to walk with Snape to his common room. He never really liked him and was terrified of him to be honest. Not that he would ever admit that. He gave Dumbledore a pleading look, but Dumbledore just smiled as if he could read Cedric's thoughts and patted Cedric on the back as he walked out the door.
