Chapter 3

A moth has passed and everything is going great. Harry and I walked to Charms class on the day of Halloween. There were two seats left, one next to Seamus and the other next to Draco. I know that Harry never in a million years would sit next to Draco, so I took that place.

"Hello, Cygnus." he whispered. "How do you know second name?" I ask, surprised.

"Hello everyone. Today we will practice the spell Wingardium Leviosa. Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing" Professor Flitwick squeaked. I mentally groan curse my luck.

"Come on, Cygnus. We don't have all day." growled Draco. "First off all, how do you know my second name? Second, I am not your servant, do it yourself." I say coolly.

"You are my cousin" he whispers. "You thought I didn't know?" he asks matter-of-factly.

"I wish you didn't know" I mumble. "Have you told anyone we are related?"

"Of course not" he says, taken back. "Then, keep it that way. And, by the way, don't call me Cygnus." I say looking away.

"Ah, look everyone Ms. Granger has done it" yelled Professor Flitwick, clapping like a sea dog. Ron was in a very bad temper by the end of the class. I and a few more were capable of making the feather rose of the desk.

"It's Leviosa, not Leviosar" Ron said, mocking Hermione as we walked out of the class. "No wonder why she has got any friends". Then someone shoved Ron and ran off. Hermione. I caught a glimpse of her face – I saw that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you" Harry said.

"Really, Ron? You can be a dumbass sometimes. She was trying to help you. You should be a little more appreciative." I snapped, shoving him off my way, and then I run after her. I ended up following her to girl's bathroom. She entered and I stand still one the door. I knocked one, twice, but she didn't answer. I look around to make sure no one was in the hall, before I come in.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Why is he so mean?" she cried.

"He isn't mean, he is just dumb. Don't listen to him" I told her.

"But he is right. I don't have any friends" she said, sobbing and falling to the ground. I sat down next to her and I put and arm around her shoulder, giving her a hug.

"I'm you friend, Harry is your friend, and so is Ron. He is just jealous he is not as smart as you. You know, man's ego doesn't let him admit you are better at, well… basically everything."

She smiles. I think it's the first time I see her smile, so I smile back. She hugs me back and whispers into my chest "Thank you". For the next two hours we sat, and talked about anything we could think of. Every time a girl came in, I shoot her a death glare and she would leave. Suddenly, my stomach growled and I stood up.

"Go to the feast. I will go in a minute; I need to wash my face and everything"

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded. I left and went to Great Hall, which was decorated with Halloween stuff.

"Tony, over here" the twins yelled, waving at me. I sat between George and Harry. I didn't even fill my plate with food when they started to tease me.

"So, Tony, as you may know this school is very small and we heard a gossip" George began. "And we wanted to know if it was true" Fred continued, who was sitting in front of me. "Is it true that you were on the girl's bathroom?" they asked at the same time. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes I was" I said. "Why?" Fred asked.

"He was probably making out with a girl" Ron says teasingly.

"Are you jealous that I already gave my first kiss and you haven't? I say, smirking. He started to babble something and everyone laughed. His face was redder than his hair. "No, I wasn't making out with a girl. I was comforting her." I say, and shot Ron a death glare.

"With your lips" George said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes, again.

I was about to answer when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped "'Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, '"lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element.

"Follow me! Stick together, first-years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now."

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid" said Ron.

"Maybe Peeves let it in for a Hallowe'en joke." I say. "Some stupid joke" I thought to myself. I remember when Hermione and I were joking a few hours ago… Hermione. She doesn't know about the Troll. I stop and start pushing students,slipped down a deserted side corridor and hurried off towards the girls' toilets. I had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind me. I saw Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view. "He's heading for the third floor" I thought "Why?" A picture comes to my mind. The three-headed dog standing on a trapdoor. "What's is it guarding? I shake my head, there is no time for that now, and I have to save Hermione.

I hear a scream coming from the bathroom and I shout her name. Somehow Ron and Harry managed to follow me and opened the door. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull,its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. Hermione was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron.

"Ohhh, pea-brain"' yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. He turned its ugly snout towards Ron instead, giving me time to run around it.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at us, I was trying to pull her towards the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. I didn't know what to do so; I did the first thing that occurred to me: protect her body with mine; hoping my body stopped the impact of the club.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started towards Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: he took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped – it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

Ron pulled out his own wand – not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: 'Wingardium Leviosa!' The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over – and dropped, on to its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

We were watching the scene before us, when sudden slamming and loud footsteps made us look up. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron,Ron looked at me, and I looked at Harry. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

A small voice came out of the shadows.

"Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

I help Hermione to get on her feet at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I've read all about them." Harry and Ron look at her with disbelief, while I was fighting not to grin. Who would have thought that Hermione Granger was telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now"

'Well – in that case ...' said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of us. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "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."

Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, Ron and I.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go"

From that moment on, Hermione Granger became our friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you think with a review.

-Lobo Sombra.