Harry Potter- The Boy Who Truly Lived
Disclaimer: It all belongs to her! The great J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing with her world. Don't take away my toys.
Last time:
At that, Dumbledore grabbed a pot from his desk, removing the lid and dipping a hand in to grab a small pinch of strange powder. He threw it into the fire, before shoving his head through into the flames. Harry heard little from whomever Dumbledore was talking to, but he heard Dumbledore's words.
By the time Harry left Professor Dumbledore's office, two rooms had been booked at the Leaky Cauldron for the Saturday and Sunday nights following Hallowe'en. Feeling pleased with himself Harry went to be feeling happy with himself, and he fell into bed as was asleep instantly. He slept soundly in dreamless sleep.
Chapter Seven- Hallowe'en
"No, the bishop can only move diagonally"
"Oh, so it's the King that can only go forwards and to the sides?"
"No. There isn't a piece that does that. Pay attention Harry" Ron taunted gently.
Harry and Ron had become quite good friends through working together in classes. Harry found Ron to be a very good friend, as he was not only good fun, a great confidant, intelligent (when he put his mind to it); he was also fiercely loyal and stood up for Harry at every turn, no matter what was going on in his own life, but he was a little sensitive.
If he had to choose out of all of the boys in his dorm, although it would be difficult to say, he would say that Ron was his best friend with Neville as a close second.
With Harry's encouragement, Neville had started to show signs of being a brilliant student. He was extremely clumsy and forgetful, but by focussing more and making lists, he was becoming better all round.
Within lessons the boys were all working hard, and trying to get into as little trouble as possible within lessons, although outside of lessons they all pranked each other mercilessly. When it came to the first flying lesson and Neville got more panicked as the days went on, both Harry and Seamus gave encouraging comments as often as possible. Ron went one better, and managed to procure one of his brother's brooms the weekend before the first flying lesson.
Harry, Dean and Seamus stood near Neville just under the canopy of trees at the edge of the forest. Neville was looking at Ron with trepidation. Ron stood over four inches taller than Neville, but Neville cowered like Ron was 20 feet tall.
"Neville, calm down" Ron advised, placing his hand gently on the boys shoulder. "Here" he placed the broom at Neville's feet. "Just say 'up' nice and clearly with your hand over the broom.
Neville shook from head to toe. "U…up" he stuttered in a weak voice. The broom did not move.
"Try again mate"
"Up?" Neville chirped clearly, but with the upward inflection of a question.
The boys snickered lightly at Neville. Dean jeered "it doesn't want to mate".
Harry smacked Dean lightly on the arm. "Pack it in"
"You can do it Nev" Ron encouraged
"Ok" He made a 'phoo' noise "I can do it." He paused for a moment to take a deep breath and to adjust his posture. "Up!" The broom handle immediately hopped up into his hand. Neville grinned brightly to Ron.
"Told ya you could do it mate" Ron grinned back, changing into a wry smile before he spoke again "Now it's time to sit on the broom".
Ron guided Neville into how he should hold the broom and told him to raise the end of the broom just a little, so that it wasn't parallel anymore. Neville did so but just a little too enthusiastically shooting into the air. However, as soon as he hit his head on a branch of the oak tree he was under, by instinct he pushed the broom handle down again. He landed back on the floor swiftly, but safely. Ron reached for the broom to straighten it out as it came within arm's reach, and Neville managed to land on his feet with the broom still under him without crashing to the floor.
"That's all we have time for- I have to get this back to the broom shed before George notices it's gone."
Harry was disappointed. He had hoped to get a turn on the broom, but he knew that there would be a Quidditch team practice that day and that Ron had expressly said that the broom would have to be back before 10am.
On the day of the Flying lesson, Neville woke nearly as nervous as he had been before Saturday. He was so nervous that he slopped his porridge down his robes. Harry discreetly cast scourgify on the robes, but a greyish hue was left and wouldn't come off. Neville received a parcel in the post, showing the boys that his grandmother had sent him a remembrall. He wrapped it back up and ran off to the dormitory to change robes for ones without a porridge stain, forgetting to put the remembrall in his robe pocket before he came back to join the others.
They had their normal morning classes with little disruption. Dean managed to charm a Ravenclaw student's bookbag instead of the wastepaper bin he had been aiming for. It had taken Professor Flitwick 15 minutes to catch the bookbag that ran around the classroom at a very fast speed. After lunch they went into the courtyard for their first flying lesson.
Madam Hooch barked their instructions at them of how to make the broom rise.
All five boys stood next to each other in a line. Ron was next to Neville on his left side, and gave a large smile to him and a whispered 'you can do it'. When the whistle was blown for them to commence their shouting of 'up', all five boys clearly and confidently called "Up", having seen or done it before. The brooms jumped into their hands swiftly, but they were in the minority. Several other students, including Draco Malfoy had brooms in their hands but most of the class did not. Madam Hooch looked quizzically at the boys, but did not comment.
They all waited patiently while Madam Hooch gave further advice to the people who were broomless. After a few more minutes, everyone had a broom in their hand. Goyle clearly could not say 'up' in a clear, level tone. It kept coming out as a threat. Harry saw Goyle pick his broom off of the floor when Madam Hooch's back was turned, causing Harry to roll his eyes.
All of the class had brooms in their hands. Two of the Gryffindor girls were standing in front of Harry- Hermione, and a girl called Lavender. Lavender kept whispering to Hermione, who was doing her best to ignore her.
Harry tried to ignore the whispering, but it was grating on him. Surely Lavender couldn't hear what Madam Hooch was instructing the class to do.
"Now, get ready" Harry readjusted his grip at Madam Hooch's command "After my whistle I want you to raise yourself off of the ground just a little, and then bring it back to ground, very gently. Ready? Three, two, w…. no!" Neville had tilted his broom handle up too early, and in his eagerness had tilted it way too steeply. Harry had seen this in his peripheral view at Neville's right side, and had grabbed Neville's robes. Ron's reaction was a little slower, but he managed to grab the left side of the robes, just by Neville's feet. All would have been well, if the broom had been held tightly, but the broom, without a rider rose vertically into the air. Neville, safely back on the ground watched the brooms progress. Without a rider, a broom would guide itself for a few seconds because of the charms on it. When the broom was on its own, with no more rider magic to push it onwards, it began to fall to the floor. The broom flipped over, as the bristled end caught in the air and provided a little resistance to gravity. Essentially, a large stick was now dropping downward, towards Neville's face. Harry nudged Neville out of the way and grabbed the broom before it hit the ground.
"Thank you Potter, Weasley. Mr Longbottom, be more careful. I said 'gently' tilt the broom handle. Remember that everyone! Let me show you all again." Madam Hooch demonstrated the distance that they should tilt the broom handle again. This time everyone was able to just tilt the brooms a little and then to return it to horizontal, and they all rose from the ground and stabilised their brooms at the height they reached. Some people rose only a foot or two. Most rose five or six feet into the air. Others, like Goyle had risen sixteen feet into the air.
"Good. That's a relief. Now, everyone tilt the handle down very slightly and gently, then return it to horizontal just before your feet touch the ground. Go."
Everyone returned to the ground. Goyle, having gone so high overestimated how far he needed to tip the broom handle. He tipped too far, with the broom handle pointing to the ground at an angle, having propelled forward; he hit his toes on the concrete and yowled in pain.
"It's just a little scuff! Get back in line, and listen up. You HAVE to make gentle movements. This is a flying lesson, not a Quidditch lesson. None of you are expected to whizz around. You just need to know how to fly a broom so you can use one if you need to. You're going to take a little flight now. We're going in groups. Rise into the air a little way then fly in a straight line to the flags. Go around a flag VERY GENTLY, and then come back here and land. Ok. First group… the first two on the far left of both rows… Mr Thomas, Mr Weasley, Miss Hartshorn, Miss Dunbar. You're first. Now, everyone else come this way. You four, spread out more. Give everyone a little more room. Ready? Three, Two, one" and she blew the whistle again.
The first group of students all rose into the air gently, Ron much more confidently than the others. He flew quickly to a flag, went swiftly around the post and came back and was standing next to Neville again before the others had even flown to the flags. Fay Dunbar shrieked as she flew around the left flag post at too high a speed. She slowed herself and stopped turning early, so she had to fly in a straight line to the other post, which she grasped desperately, using her hand contact on the post to guide her broom around it. The others managed to get around one post by slowing down to almost stopped, and very slowly edging around the posts.
When the remaining students had landed back on the courtyard, Madam Hooch called out again, "Mr Longbottom, Mr Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Brown- your turn." She blew her whistle hard again. Harry paused just a moment, to make sure that Neville was ok now. Neville seemed to have relaxed, because he was already in the air, and slowly making his way across to the flags. Harry positioned himself correctly, and tilted the broom handle up, so that he could get going. As he sped up into the air, he realised how fantastic flying was. He leaned forward on the broom to really get going and see what it could do. He did so, speeding down the fly zone, whipping around the flagpole in the blink of an eye, and speeding back to the start point again.
Hermione and Lavender were just reaching the flag poles as Harry neared the start point, but they went for the same post at the same time, at the same height. Lavender made a small "Ugh" sound as she noticed that she was going to crash.
Harry whipped around, and sped towards them without even thinking. He flew directly at Hermione's back as she was slightly closer to him, and grabbed her by the wrist as he yanked her and the broom upwards. Hermione was tugged onto Harry's broom and Lavender was smacked in the shoulder by the retreating broom that's trajectory had been altered in Harry's grab.
Lavender grabbed the retreating broom though after it had slowed due to smacking her shoulder, and brought it with her back to the courtyard. Harry came back with Hermione on the back of his broom, who screamed as Harry slowly, for him, approached and landed gracefully back onto the concrete.
When Harry arrived back in front of his classmates, he realised that Madam Hooch had jumped onto her broom, and started towards the impending crash. All of his Gryffindor classmates, and a couple of the Slytherin group were applauding him. He felt a little proud of helping the girls avoid collision, but also embarrassed at being the centre of attention.
"Really, it was nothing…"
"Well done Mr Potter. You'd make a fantastic Quidditch player! But, for now- back to the lesson. Mr. Finnegan, Mr Zabini, Miss Patil, Miss Greengrass- your turn."
The lesson carried on with no significant further upheaval. Parvati and Seamus were accustomed to brooms, having both been on the back of one before. Draco Malfoy was informed that his grip was wrong but he flew well and fast, but with him as an exception, the Slytherin's all took the route at a jogging pace.
Hallowe'en arrived quickly. The part that was most on students minds, was the feast. Rumours had spread about what entertainment Dumbledore had booked.
"I've heard that Dumbledore booked the Crooning Crones"
"No, it's the Shrieking Skeletons"
"Well I heard it's the Old Miser's"
The last lesson before lunch was charms, which the boys all entered and sat in their now customary places. Harry sat beside Dean in this class, Seamus with Neville, and Ron was the one who had no one from their group to sit next to within this class. As a result, he sat next to the odd one out from the girls in Gryffindor, Hermione Granger, the frizzy whirlwind.
"Ok class, today we will learn how to make objects levitate, or, if you prefer, to fly!"
The class got underway, with much shouting of the magical words "Wingardium Leviosa". Ron tried his hardest, but he didn't quite seem to get it right.
"I don't think you're saying it right" Hermione chirped quietly after Ron had tried five times to get the feather to float, "I think its win-GAR-dee-um Lev-ee-oh-sah… make the 'gar' a little longer".
Ron turned to her swiftly, planning to snap at her. She had an expression of complete genuineness on her face, and Ron could tell that she was just trying to help. He took a deep breath.
"Ok… here we go… Wingardium leviosa!" His wand movement had been perfect but his pronunciation was off, so when he pronounced it properly, the feather rose slowly a few feet off of the table. Ron grinned at Hermione who grinned back.
"See here, Mr Weasley's done it!"
Hermione gave it a go and did it on her first try, but it didn't dissipate Ron's pride of being the first to perfect a spell in charms. It also taught him a lesson, to listen carefully when teachers instructed how to say incantations.
When the evening came, the student body were all seated, awaiting the Hallowe'en feast and eagerly chatting amongst themselves.
"Welcome everyone" Professor Dumbledore started, carefully pacing his words to draw everyone's attention, and to signify the start of a speech "to the Hallowe'en feast. I know you've all been eagerly awaiting these words: dig in!"
Everyone laughed as his words heralded the food appearing on giant serving dishes all across the house tables. Harry and his friends all grabbed a little of almost everything on the table. Ron had invited Hermione to join the boys, as she had been kind to him and he noticed that she didn't really have any friends. The other four girls in the first year had divided into friendship pairs and left Hermione out the majority of the time. Ron was happily chatting to Hermione about his favourite story book as a child, when a quick scuffle up the length of the aisle up the Great Hall got the attention of most people in the school.
"Troll…. In the dungeons! TROLL in the dungeons! Thought you ought to know" Professor Quirrell fell in a dead faint near the foot of the head table.
Shouting and panicking started before Quirrell had even hit the floor.
"Quiet!" Professor Dumbledore yelled. "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, to your dormitories. Slytherin students to the Astronomy tower, Hufflepuff, to the North Tower. Head boy, Head girl and Prefects, lead the way. Teachers, come with me". The teachers were the first to leave the Great Hall, who left running.
The Prefects, under the guidance of the head boy and girl tried to cajole the students to the towers, but there was confusion amongst everyone, especially as the older students were all already leaving, blocking all of the exits to adjoining corridors.
.
"Okay" the head boy called. Gryffindor prefects, Ravenclaw prefects… get your students to your own tower once we're all gone, Hufflepuff prefects, follow the Head girl Hufflepuff students, follow them. Slytherin prefects and students, we're going this way." The head boy started walking purposefully, so the Slytherin students all started to follow him. The head girl led the way to a different door, taking the Hufflepuffs away. Most of the older students had already left. Less than 15 students from Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw remained still near their house tables, all third year or below, as they were blocked from exiting the Great Hall by the throngs of people leaving via the different exits.
"Well, let's get going too" Dean said, as soon as the main exit from the Great Hall was clear enough to leave from. They all started to walk towards the door, but a scream reached their ears. The last few people who had walked out of the doors leading to the entrance hall ran back in, pale and scared.
Those students all ran to the very last door which was free in the Great Hall, which no one had attempted to go through- the one to the trophy room which had no exit.
The reason became apparent very quickly. The increasing volume and shake of heavy footfall could be heard and felt, moving steadily closer. Within seconds, a dull thud knocked the doors inwards, and they swung open presenting a huge, stinking mountain troll.
The Ravenclaws remaining in the Great Hall shrieked and hid under the house tables. Harry, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ron and Hermione all stood with their wands drawn, facing the troll.
"Oh Merlin, the stink!" Dean yelled covering his nose.
"Keep your wand ready!" Harry yelled back to him. Dean shook his head from side to side, and backed up, hand over his nose under the nearest house table with some Ravenclaws.
"There's enough of us… surround it. Get it to drop its club or it'll kill us all! Harry called to the assembled Gryffindors.
They all tried all of the spells they could think of that they had mastered, flinging spells, and objects at the troll. Eventually, Ron yelled "Wingardium Leviosa!" swishing and flicking with careful determination. The spell caught the club, raising it into the air and turning it over to hit it on its head. Once the troll was dizzy, Ron flung himself at the troll, landing on the trolls back as it crashed to the floor face first. He scrambled up its head, to hold it to the ground. Neville and Seamus ran to hold down the two arms. Harry and Hermione went to the feet of the troll, but did not attempt to hold it down. They each transfigured fallen plates into long, strong ropes and tied the feet together. They each then went to a hand, and tied them behind its own back, and the ropes to theose tying the feet together.
After they had caused the troll to fall, all of the Ravenclaws and Dean came out from under the house tables, and all of the students who hid in the trophy room came out to see what had happened. When it was tied up securely, Dean gave a low appreciative whistle and started applauding the other Gryffindors. The other students followed suit.
The applause must have attracted the attention of the teachers, who had failed to find the troll in the Dungeons, because their feet could be heard sprinting across the entrance hall. Dumbledore shoved the doors open with both hands as he ran in, stopping as soon as he came through the doors to find five Gryffindor students standing next to a hog-tied mountain troll, with a large contingent of students clapping at them.
After a detailed explanation, filled in by a large number of students, Professor Dumbledore announced that he was very proud of the Gryffindors and awarded them each15 house points for bravery and protecting the student body at large; which made all five of the Gryffindors proud. It had boosted the Gryffindor house points by 75 points in one go.
Please review. What would you like to happen? I have a plan now so might not be able to squeeze your ideas in, but feedback is greatly appreciated.
Oh, in case you didn't realise, I don't know how to play chess. I found a list of how the pieces move online, so if any of that bit is wrong, it's not my fault. In fact- if you find anything wrong, don't blame me only joking. Helpful criticism is welcome as always.
