They planned their prank for early November. But first was Halloween. Harry was moping, and he knew it. Today was the anniversary of his parent's deaths, and he'd never thought about it in context before. All of a sudden the years he'd spent having fun trick or treating made him feel inexplicably guilty. He knew, logically, his parents would want him to be happy. But being in Hogwarts he was reminded of them almost constantly.

To make things worse, Hermione had corrected Ron in charms, and he'd called her a nasty know-it-all. Harry had stood up for her, and Ron had sneered at him.

"Course, a slimy Slytherin like you would befriend a horrid swot like her."

Now they were in the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, and Ron kept glaring at him. He glanced around. Hermione wasn't anywhere at the table.

Someone sprinted into the room.

"TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! Thought you ought to know." Professor Quirrell screamed, then fainted. The whole school erupted into chaos. Dumbledore instructed everyone to return to their dormitories. Harry wasn't having any of that.

"Where's Hermione?" He hissed. Draco shrugged.

"Come on." He dragged Draco over to the Ravenclaw table.

"I heard she'd been in the girl's bathroom all afternoon." Someone told him. He looked for Papa, but couldn't see him anywhere. Neville and Ron overheard them.

"We've got to try to find her!" Ron said, and ran off with Neville in tow.

"Idiots! They can't take on a troll." Draco hissed.

"Let's get Dad." They sprinted to Papa and Dad's quarters and saw Padfoot racing along the corridor toward them. Dad shifted back.

"Why can I smell a troll?" He growled.

"Woah." Draco said in awe. Harry would have rolled his eyes if he'd had the time.

"Hermione is in the girl's bathroom, and Ron and Neville have gone to save her, but there's a troll somewhere in the castle!"

"Shit." Sirius took off running and they followed behind him. They caught up with Ron and Neville. Before them stood what Harry supposed to be the troll. It towered over them, snot dropping from it's nostrils, and a club in one hand.

"Oi!" Sirius shouted. The troll turned toward them.

"To your dormitories, boys." Harry grabbed Neville and tugged him back.

"Come on Ron."

"Incarcerus!" Sirius cried, and the troll was encased in ropes. It tumbled to the floor with a roar. Hermione dashed out the bathroom and stared at the troll in horror.

"Hermione!" She ran to join them.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked. Harry glanced at her. She seemed fine, physically. He glanced back at the troll. With a bellow it snapped through the ropes Sirius had conjured.

"Conjunctivitus!" Harry cried. The troll roared, raised its hands to its eyes, and promptly knocked itself out with the club.

"Nice one Harry." Dad said, and ruffled his hair. Professors McGonagall, Quirrell and Papa ran into the corridor.

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor McGonagall asked. Harry half listened to Dad explain what had happened (leaving out the mention of Padfoot), but was occupied was a gash on Papa's leg. He knew better than to confront him right now, and Papa hid it from sight when he caught him staring.

"Why were you even in the bathroom, Miss Granger?"

"Well," She started, when Ron interrupted.

"It's my fault. I said something mean to her, and she got upset and left the Feast." He stared at the floor.

"Sorry Hermione." He glanced sideways at Harry.

"Thanks for getting Sirius. Sorry I was mean to you too." Harry smiled at him. Maybe now he'd have his friend back.

"We do not tolerate bullying of any form in Hogwarts, although it seems you have learnt your lesson. Five points from Gryffindor, a five points to Slytherin for sheer common sense. Now, to your dormitories, all of you."

"I'll catch you up." Harry mumbled to Draco, who nodded and left with the others.

"Yes Mr Potter?" Harry looked at Papa.

"I was hoping to speak to Dad and Papa, if that's okay." Professor McGonagall sighed.

"I can't very well stop you. Of you go then, the three of you." Papa narrowed his eyes at Quirrell, nodded to Professor McGonagall, and swept away. He and Dad followed. They walked in silence to the dungeons, and Harry stepped into their quarters.

Dad swept him into a hug.

"Thanks for having my back there. Should've known a troll could break through those ropes. Splendid hex work."

"Thanks Dad." He said absently. Papa had collapsed into the sofa, and before he could complain, Harry grabbed his robe and revealed the injury.

"Sev!" Dad gasped. Papa rolled his eyes.

"It is merely a scratch. You're too interfering for your own good." He told Harry.

"You may as well try healing it. It's good practise." Harry glanced up.

"Are you sure? What should I use? Episkey?" Papa nodded.

"Episkey. Tergeo." He muttered. He then grabbed a pain reducing potion from the cabinet. Papa took it with a sigh.

"How did it happen?" Harry asked. Dad and Papa exchanged glances. They had several different types. This was a should-we-tell-him? glance. Dad eventually nodded.

"You're going to be the death of me." Papa muttered.

"The school is protecting something called the Philosopher's Stone. We think that Quirrell is trying to get it. Guarding the Stone is a Cerberus, and it bit me while I was fending off Quirell." Trust Papa to try to save the day."

"Well don't do it again." Harry said, and they laughed.

"Yes son. Now off you go, it's nearly curfew." Harry pouted.

"I miss you guys." Papa pulled him in for a hug.

"You see me every day, and Dad every weekend." Harry shrugged.

"It's not the same."

"I know. We miss you too." Dad said. Harry scrambled away from Papa, hugged Dad, then opened the door.

"Don't get into trouble." Papa called.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Dad called, and he heard the sound of Papa wacking Dad on the arm.

"Don't do anything your Dad would do either!" Papa added.

"Goodnight!" Harry said with amusement, and headed back to the dorms.