It was a few days later when Magnolia was lost in thought on the stairs. Ron and Hermione were by her arguing about something. It was almost curfew and she and Ron were just coming back to the tower from a detention with Snape when Hermione found them and started berating them.
'I can't take this today. I'm so frustrated. Why did Snape give us that detention? I wasn't even doing anything! Ron was the one who put in a frog's tongue instead of a Newt's!'
Suddenly something carried her out of her thoughts though when the stairs moved of their own accord.
"Ah bloody hell no!" Ron sulked as they missed their flight to the tower.
"They're steering away from Gryffindor tower!" Hermione pointed out the obvious and Magnolia just sent her a look.
When the stairs stopped, they led to the one tower they weren't allowed to go to.
"We can't go in there. We're not allowed!" Hermione whispered scoldingly but Ron didn't listen as always.
"So what? We have no choice! It's the stairs fault, not ours!"
Magnolia rolled her eyes as she opened the creepy door, "We really don't have a choice, Hermione. We have to get to the tower by curfew and our only way there is to take the creepy scenic route."
Hermione grumbled but followed behind.
They opened the door to the corridor and creeped inside. It was dark and smelt heavily of dust. Magnolia was in front followed by Ron and then Hermione. Ron whimpered a little as he felt the soft touch of a cobweb.
"Let's get out of here, Maggie"
"Shhh" she shushed him, "Don't be a whimp"
As they ventured further in, they were met by many strange objects and statues. It was clear no one had been in here for a long time but it didn't explain why Dumbledore told the students never to come in here. It wasn't that bad.
Suddenly they all heard a scuffle and a mew and Ron panicked, "It's Mrs. Norris! Filch's cat!"
"We should turn back" Hermione sounded worried as well but Magnolia wasn't really wanting to turn back so quickly.
"Calm down. Let's go this way!"
She led them to a door on the other side of the corridor just as the amber light of Filch's lantern shone in the dark, "Do you see anything Mrs. Norris!?"
"Mmreew!"
"Go!" Ron bust the door open and push both girls in.
They shut the door and all leaned against it together, listening to the receding footsteps of Filch. Finally they didn't hear him anymore nor the cat.
"Do you think he's gone?" Hermione's face was contorted with worry.
"I think-" Magnolia stopped as she saw the epic terror on Ron's face looking behind them. Magnolia slowly looked in the direction Ron was looking and gulped.
She breathed out a bit in a gasp but slowly gripped Ron's robes, "Let's go" she whispered to him. Hermione looked as well and suddenly started backing up in fear.
"BARK!" All three heads of a large black dog started barking and lunging at the intruders.
The three students screamed in terror and ran to the exit door, barely managing to shut the door in time behind them.
Hermione gasped for breathe, "That was a three-headed dog! A Cerberus!"
"Yeah Hermione! We know!" Magnolia yelled a little harshly, "Let's get the heck out of here!"
"I think it was guarding something" Ron spoke but both girls didn't care about what he had to say at that point. They just all ran.
They all ran back out of the corridor, not worried if Filch saw them at this point or not. The stairs started to change at this point so as quickly as they could, they jumped on the right one and took a breath.
Hermione, "That was too close. You two are a bad influence"
Magnolia pouted a bit, "You followed us. You didn't have to"
"Yeah" Ron agreed intelligently.
Hermione just rolled her eyes as they got to Gryffindor tower, "Well I hope you're proud of yourselves. You two could have gotten us killed back there or worse expelled! See you tomorrow." With that, Hermione marched up to the girl's tower leaving Magnolia and Ron at the bottom of the stairs in the common room.
Ron rolled his eyes, "She's got to sort out her priorities."
Magnolia nodded, "Well I better get to bed too, Ron. See you tomorrow."
Ron nodded, "Tomorrow."
Magnolia ran up the stairs and ignored Hermione. Instead she just went straight to her bed and got ready to sleep.
'I wonder why that big three-headed dog was in there? Ron said he thought it was guarding something but what? What could it possibly be guarding? Could it be that weird stone that Hagrid and I got from Gringott's?' she fell asleep wondering, not sure if she could even think about it again,
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Ever since Magnolia was accepted onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team a lot of things have happened. For one, Snape hates it. Magnolia had heard from multiple students that he almost constantly argues with McGonagall and Dumbledore about the decision but they won't hear him out.
Also, a week after she was made seeker of the team, Magnolia received a Nimbus 2000 which was the fastest broom of the year. She didn't know who it was from at first but she had a sneaking suspicion that it was from Dumbledore if the glint in his eye and the smile he sent her was anything to go by. Snape absolutely hated the gift she had been given and snarled at her as she showed it to her friends.
The Potions Professor wasn't as mean in class anymore as he was on the first day but he still had a growl in his throat every time she asked a question. It was starting to concern her and she tried asking McGonagall about it but she dismissed her question. Apparently all the other professors just loved Snape and she didn't know why. He was so mean and hateful to everyone and everything!
Magnolia tried telling her aunt and uncle about it too but Aunt Petunia lettered her back almost immediately and told her everything was fine. She had a suspicion it really wasn't though because she wrote the words down on the paper quite shakily. It was all a big mystery to her. Why did Snape hate her so much and everything around him? Why do the professors treat him with such high regard when he treats them like pests? Why did she care? She was only there to learn, not to worry about why one professor didn't like her.
However it was hard to think of anything else especially when it seemed like Professor Snape was everywhere she was. It just got strange one night when she noticed him watching her at Quidditch practice from a distance. She told Ron about it this time and he looked quite creeped out and made an absurd suggestion. This is when Hermione butted in and gave her opinion.
"He's a professor, remember? He's supposed to look out for students. Perhaps he was just worried? He didn't like that you were in Quidditch after all"
"Exactly Hermione!" Ron interrupted, "He hates it that she's in Quidditch so he's watching to see if maybe she'll die one day from practice!"
"Gee Ron thanks. You have so much faith in me" Magnolia replied sarcastically.
Hermione sighed, "I'm sure it's nothing, Magnolia"
That was a few weeks ago and the actual first game of Quidditch was next week. She was nervous for it but Oliver was very convincing. He expressed his enthusiasm that she would do great and she believed him.
Now Magnolia was sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast preparing for her day of classes. She sighed, 'Today's Halloween. This was the night Aunty and Uncle said my parents were killed by that Voldemort guy. I wonder if he'll try to come after me tonight? Nah he's dead. Or so everyone thinks. I don't know. Maybe I'm just being all nervous for no reason.'
Hermione and Ron sat at the table by her and Magnolia noticed that Ron was trying to cover his ears and slap food on his plate at the same time. Hermione was lecturing him on something and Magnolia just rolled her eyes, 'I swear they have a crush on each other or something, the way they bicker and argue with one another'
Magnolia looked around the hall to steer her thoughts away from Halloween and Quidditch. Unfortunately she me the gaze of Malfoy. He caught her gaze as well and the two had a staring contest for a few seconds before Malfoy just smirked at her. Magnolia glared at him and looked away, 'Prick' she thought.
After breakfast it was time for classes and as soon as the day started Magnolia was just ready for it to end. Everyone else was all happy and skipping about the day, all excited about Halloween but here Magnolia was wishing it would already end. It's not as if she hated it but it wasn't her favorite holiday either. Especially now here at Hogwarts. All the teachers seemed to look at her with a pitying look. Except for Snape of course. He just held his normal glare but if Magnolia would have held her own she would have seen the lingering sadness in his eyes.
But she didn't.
Charms came along and oh boy was that exciting. They had to make a feather float in the air and of course Hermione got it down on her first try while the others including her struggled. Magnolia got it down after a few more tries but she felt bad for poor Neville, Ron and Seamus.
Hermione could have avoided another taunting but she just couldn't help herself this day. She just had to correct Ron on his levitating skills and verbal pronunciation.
At the end of class Ron laughed with some of his other friends around him, "Then she says it's Levi-O-sa not Levio-SA. I swear. No wonder she's got no bloody friends"
Magnolia didn't make it in time to hit Ron upside the head as Hermione stormed past them in tears, clutching her books to her chest. Magnolia sighed, "I think she heard you Ron." She smacked him on the shoulder, "Why did you say something like that?! She doesn't know any better!"
Ron just shrugged, "Oh well. Hey I wonder what they'll have at the feast tonight for Halloween. What do you think they'll have, Maggie?"
Magnolia just rolled her eyes and walked past him. Ron didn't know why but Maggie ignored him for the rest of the day.
Finally it was almost time for the feast but there was no sign of Hermione anywhere. Magnolia spotted Lavender, "Hey Lavender!"
They blonde girl reacted with a smile, "Hello Maggie! What's up?"
Magnolia raced up to her, "Have you seen Hermione? She hasn't been to any of her other classes today. It's worrying"
Lavender looked a bit sad, "Oh yeah. I saw her earlier after Charms. She ran to the girl's bathroom crying. Maybe she's still there?"
Magnolia wanted to berate her but just nodded and ran to the girl's bathroom. Lavender called out to her, "Where are you going?! You'll miss the feast!"
Magnolia just ignored her and ran to the bathroom. When she got there, it started to storm outside and she quietly trotted in.
"Hermione? You in here?"
Magnolia saw that the room was empty but then she looked under the stalls to see a pair of feet. Magnolia sighed sadly, "Hermione I know you're here. Please come out?"
"Leave me alone, Maggie!"
Magnolia was a bit perturbed by her sudden anger but not surprised, "Hermione please. You know how Ron is. He's a prat and always will be one."
"But he's right!" Hermione was crying again, "I'm such a know-it-all! A bother! Everyone hates me!"
Magnolia stomped forward and slammed the door open to reveal Hermione standing in the stall with tear-stained cheeks. Magnolia came in and hugged her, "No one hates you, Hermione. I don't. And Ron doesn't either. He's just a boy. And boys don't know any better on how to behave, didn't you know?"
Hermione laughed a little through the hiccups and hugged Magnolia back, still crying, "Why are you here?"
Magnolia hugged her tightly again before letting go. She looked right in her eyes, "Because I'm your friend, Hermione. I was worried for you. I won't let you feel alone."
Hermione smiled back but before anything else was said, there was a deep rumble and Hermione's eyes bulged.
Magnolia giggled a little, "You hungry too? The feast is just starting. If we hurry we could make it"
Hermione just stared behind Magnolia in fear, "That wasn't me, Maggie. Hurry. Get in the stall. There's a Mountain Troll" she whispered.
Magnolia looked confused and turned around.
She almost let out a high pitched noise when Hermione closed her mouth and dragged her in the stall, "Shhhh!"
The giant mountain troll grumbled and clambered his way in the bathroom stupidly.
The girls stayed as quiet as they could.
Hermione slowly let her hand off of Maggie's mouth and they slowly backed up in the stall more and more as the troll made its way inside. But there was only so far they could step back and Hermione accidentally made a high pitched squeaking noise with her shoes against the floor.
The troll heard the noise right away and roared. He slammed his club down across on the stalls and Magnolia made Hermione duck with her.
"Hurry! Let's run!" Magnolia shouted, "We have to get out of here!"
She pushed Hermione out first just as the troll slammed his club down by them. It almost got Magnolia but she was fast enough to dodge. Hermione ran around the troll as fast as she could and to the door, waiting for Magnolia but the troll managed to slam his club down in between the two to separate them. The troll let out a big stupid roar.
Magnolia fell to the ground at the impact of the club on the floor and could just stare up at the troll in fear, "Oh no"
"Maggie! Run! Get up and run!" Hermione shouted to her from the door but she couldn't feel her legs. It was if they were frozen.
The troll lifted its club over his head and was about to strike.
"Maggie!"
The troll let out a wail as he was about to slam his club down upon her.
"Wingardium LeviOsa!" a new voice came out of nowhere and bewitched the club. Magnolia just stared with the troll as the club began to float in the air.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted, "You did it!"
'Ron?' Magnolia's thoughts came back to her, 'He saved me?'
Magnolia turned to see Ron with his wand in the air levitating the club but suddenly he released it and the club fell heavily on the troll, causing the large being to fall unconscious.
Magnolia still laid on the ground a bit petrified, her heart racing as Hermione and Ron came over by her.
"Maggie, are you alright?!" Ron asked her, "What . . . . Your necklace . . . it's glowing"
Magnolia was a bit surprised at the sudden statement and bent her head to see that he was right. Her locket that her aunt Petunia had given her a while ago was sporadically glowing. More like flickering furiously. She didn't know what the make of it.
But she didn't have to worry for long as the flickering stopped and suddenly there were more voices coming in the bathroom, "What in the devil is going on here?!"
It was Professor McGonagall.
She saw the troll and then she saw the three children on the floor. Following her were the teachers, Quirrel and Snape.
Ron was the first to speak, "Professor McGonagall! The troll tried to kill us! We were just defending ourselves!"
"That does not explain why you three were not at the feast, Weasley! Granger! Potter! How did this happen!?"
Ron looked terrified to answer her so Hermione spoke up, "I'm sorry Professor. This is all my fault. I heard about the troll being loose and I thought that since I knew so many spells and I've read about them that perhaps I could take it on. I was wrong. Ron and Maggie saved me"
Magnolia stared at her and Ron just looked at Hermione with astonishment and admiration.
McGonagall didn't look as if she believed her at first but soon sighed, "You seriously thought that you, a first year student, could take on a full grown mountain troll!? Are you mad, Granger?! Five points from Gryffindor! And Weasley and Potter! You thought that you both could just interfere and save the day?! How stupid of you both!"
Snape smirked at them in contempt.
"But I suppose you all are very lucky. Not many first year students could defeat a mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you to Gryffindor. For sheer dumb luck!"
Snape's face lost his smirk but that's not what caught Magnolia's attention. Magnolia found her gaze being drawn to the blood on Snape's leg and his torn trousers. Snape suddenly realized his mistake and swished his robes over to cover his legs from Magnolia's view. Magnolia looked up at him in confusion but didn't dare to say a word.
"No up! All of you! I'll be taking you all to your dormitories myself!" Professor McGonagall quipped.
Magnolia had forgotten that she was on the floor even and blushed slightly when Ron and Hermione got up at once and helped her up. She was still a bit shaken from the mountain troll's attack and it was clearly visible to everyone.
Professor McGonagall sighed, "Ms. Potter. Are you alright? You're shaking like a leaf, dear"
Magnolia nodded, "I-I'm F-fine mam" she scolded herself mentally for stuttering like an idiot. Now she was starting to sound like Quirrel!
The strict woman just raised a brow at her, "I doubt it. It's clear you're still suffering from the attack, dear. Professor Snape. Would you be a dear and take Ms. Potter to get a calming draught?"
Snape was about to reply when Magnolia suddenly snapped, "I'm fine! I don't need a calming draught!" she suddenly realized she spoke too loudly and quieted down, "I'm fine"
Snape scoffed sarcastically, "Clearly." He took out a bottle from his robes, "But there's no need to go down to my office anyways for a draught when I have one right here. Ms. Potter!"
Magnolia flinched a little as the Potions master came closer to her, stalking forth as if his leg injury wasn't hurting him at all, "Take this draught. It will calm your nerves and your mind."
She was hesitant to take it from him and Professor McGonagall groaned, "Do you honestly think he'd poison you, deary? Just take the potion"
Magnolia reluctantly took the potion from Professor Snape's hands and shakily drank it. She almost sighed in relief when she recognized it to actually be what he said it was.
When she was done, Snape grabbed the vial back from her and turned back around sharply to leave, "McGonagall. Quirrel."
With that he left. 'Probably to bandage his leg' she thought.
Her shaking stopped and Magnolia suddenly caught a glimpse of Quirrel staring at her. More like glaring. It wasn't a Snape glare that was full of hate. No this glare was full of murderous intent and Magnolia didn't know what to make of it. It only lasted a second and Quirrel smiled at her quickly but Magnolia knew better. She saw murder in his eyes and she instantly feared him.
Something inside of her just told her that she should trust Snape more.
When Quirrel left, McGonagall gathered the children to follow her and they all traveled in silence up to Gryffindor tower. Magnolia was quick to notice Ron's sudden change towards Hermione along the way as he asked her if she was feeling alright and if she needed anything to eat. Magnolia found it kind of cute the way they acted with one another as Hermione blushed and politely declined.
When they reached the tower, McGonagall ushered Hermione and Ron inside but made Magnolia stay behind.
"Dear I need to ask you something. Will you be honest with me?" McGonagall asked her.
Magnolia looked a bit surprised but nodded cautiously, "Yes mam. What is it?"
The stern old woman smiled at her softly, "You were shaking quite a storm after the bout with the troll. I have to wonder. Will you be alright for your first Quidditch match, deary? It's just next week. Next Friday to be exact."
Magnolia was silent for a moment. Not really believing what she was hearing, "Mam no offense but I think Quidditch is a lot different than going against a troll"
"How do you mean?"
"Well for one I didn't expect the troll. In Quidditch I can at least expect that I'll be beaten up a bit and I know what to go after. With the troll it was so sudden and I honestly had no idea what to do. If Ron hadn't shown up then"
"Wait just a moment, Potter. Are you telling me that you didn't go find the troll with Mr. Weasley as Ms. Granger suggested?"
Magnolia was silent before sighing. There was no way she could lie to a teacher, "I'm sorry Professor. Hermione wasn't at any of her other classes today after Ron had made fun of her in Charms. I found her in the restroom crying and that's when the troll came and Ron saved us both"
McGonagall stared at her for a moment before humming, "Ten points to Gryffindor for your honesty, Ms. Potter and for going to help a friend in need. That was a very good thing to do."
Magnolia blushed at the compliment but immediately remembered something that had happened after the troll fell, "Oh Professor! I just remembered! After the troll fell unconscious it was strange. Ron noticed it first actually. My locket had started glowing and flickering for some odd reason. I don't know what it was. Aunt Petunia had given it to me years ago I remember and it had never done that before. I thought it was just a normal necklace. Do you know what it could possibly mean?"
McGonagall in fact did know about her locket. She was there when Dumbledore had received the pleading letter from Petunia Dursley years ago, requesting help. But she knew it wasn't her place to tell Ms. Potter of this secret just yet. She wasn't ready.
McGonagall just smiled, "Oh deary, all is fine and well. Perhaps your locket was just reacting with your upset magical core. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing. Now off to bed with you! I'll see you in class next week. Good luck in potions tomorrow."
With that the Professor made a hasty leave. Magnolia just stood there a bit dumbfounded but she trusted her teacher.
She went through the portrait and into the tower up to her bed.
'It feels different than that though' she thought as she cuddled up in her blankets, 'It was like something was trying to come out, not reacting. I don't know. Perhaps I'm just tired.' She sighed and closed her eyes.
'I should be worried more about my class with Snape tomorrow. And Quidditch . . . and Malfoy . . . Slytherins'
Softly in her thoughts, the tired girl finally fell asleep, leaving her worries behind for the night.
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R&R
Sorry for the late update guys but college has been rough haha Hope you guys liked it! Let me know