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Time for…
Chapter 9 – Trolls! And not the fun kind. Wait, are there fun trolls?
Defence against the dark arts was even more boring than usual; Professor Quirrell seemed to stammer through his lesson plans constantly and never really addressed questions that students asked. Blaise and Theo usually stole whatever notes Daphne made which she usually copied off Harry since his notes were more detailed than any one else's. The left the class room and headed to the great hall where they found their usual spot at the Slytherin table but Harry continued his march to the staff table where Severus was sitting.
"Potions Master, may I have a word?" he asked
"What is the matter Mr Potter?" he asked
"Sir I know I do not speak for myself when I say defence is a waste of time. Half the time I'm stuck trying to understand what is being said and the other half I'm trying to avoid his constant stare" he said evenly "Please could you address this with the Headmaster?" he asked
"I will talk to the Headmaster Mr Potter" he advised and watched the boy return to his friends who immediately started interrogating him
"What was all that about?" Blaise asked
"I can't take Quirrell anymore, he is hindering our progress" Harry shrugged "We've put up with him for almost two months and what have we learned except the fact the his stutter seems to get worse with every passing class"
"Enjoy your Halloween Harry, no use fighting the festivities" Blaise said and shoved a pumpkin pie in Harry's mouth
"I know where you sleep Zabini" he said menacingly "And…" he said but was cut off by shouting
"Troll! Troll in the castle" Quirrell came barrelling into the great hall "Just thought you ought to know" and then fainted
There was a heartbeat of silence before chaos ensued, the Gryffindor's all pulled their wands and made for the doors which immediately slammed closed.
"Silence!" the Headmaster boomed "Prefects please escort the students to their common rooms" he said and watched as the students were organised and moved out of the hall. Harry walked beside Daphne who was holding his hand, terrified.
"It'll be okay" he said pulling her along "Come on we're right at the back of the group" he said and tried picking up the pace but Daphne stopped in her tracks
Harry stopped to look at his blonde friend; he saw terror in her eyes. The look made her look terribly cute but this was not the fun Daphne that teased Theo about his surname or made horrible puns with it. He followed her line of sight and saw the troll
"Daphne whatever you do, do not…" he started calmly but then she shrieked "Scream" he finished deflated.
The troll turned and barrelled down the hall; when it had halved the distance between them it threw its club at the two kids. Harry pushed Daphne left and he fell to the right; now he had to act. He was happy playing the innocent school child, he assessed the situation; the opponent was bigger than he was but it was slow in close quarters. He slipped a knife from his sleeve and stepped closer to the beast. The troll swung a heavy fist but Harry simply ducked the punch and stab the troll in the ankle with as much force as he could; the knife sunk into the skin and cracked the bone. He'd have to write John and tell him the knives they picked up in Diagon Alley were amazing; he was pulled from his thoughts when the troll slapped him away. He stood and wiped the blood from his lip and pulled a second knife from his sleeve since the first was still stuck in the troll's ankle.
He attacked again this time at a bigger advantage since the troll couldn't put pressure on his left ankle. Harry darted for the right ankle and lodged another knife in the bone causing the troll to let out a scream that shook the walls of the corridor. Stepping on its back Harry pulled his two more knives out of his sleeve and stabbed the creature in the spine and braced as it fell to the ground. Now the beast was flailing around in pain; Harry took his last two knives and lodged them into the brain of the troll and then there was silence.
"What is going on here?" The Deputy Headmistress asked and then saw Harry retrieving his knives "Mr Potter what is the meaning of this?"
"The troll was coming for us Deputy Headmistress" he pointed to the club lodged into the wall "I needed to protect Daphne and myself so I took action" he said wiping off his knives
"Oh thank Merlin Albus, you're here" she said as the rest of the Professors arrived
"Mr Potter, what happened?" Albus Dumbledore asked. He was wearing his favourite orange coloured robes once more
"Headmaster as I explained to Deputy Headmistress the troll was coming for us and I needed to protect Daphne and myself so I took action" he said stowing his last knife
"What is that?" Dumbledore caught sight of the knife
"My knives sir" Harry said pulling his sleeve up so that Dumbledore could see
"I'm going to have to ask you to hand those over" Dumbledore said "We can't have you injuring or killing another student"
"Headmaster, Mr Potter has shown nothing but sound judgement even when he has been antagonised. This is the first time I've seen any hint of violence from him and with just cause, I see no reason for taking personal belongings from him" Severus said stepping between the Headmaster and Harry
"Severus I cannot allow a student to brandish weapons in the middle of the school" Dumbledore said eyes twinkling
"You allow it every day Headmaster, every student carries a wand with them which can be used to commit any number of atrocities. My knives have remained firmly in their harness for the entire two months I have been here at Hogwarts, the only exception being tonight. Even when I train I do not use my knives" Harry explained "There are also no rules against them as they are not cursed" he said
"Nevertheless I insist" the Headmaster pressed
"Headmaster…" Severus started
"It's okay Potions Master" Harry said undoing the harness and slipped it off his arm "Here you go Headmaster" he said handing it to the Headmaster
"Thank you Mr Potter, now off you go" he dismissed everyone
Harry went over to where Daphne remained seated
"Hey, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey" he smiled at her
"You k..k..killed it" she stammered out
"I had to protect you Ms Greengrass" he said still smiling "Who would make horrible Nott puns" he asked slipping his arm around her waist
"Thank you Harry" she smiled back at him
They walked in silence to the infirmary followed by Severus; he walked watching the student who he had come to like more than he expected. The boy was brave but not foolish like his father; he was loyal and intelligent like his mother. But there was something else, a ruthlessness that Severus had known all too well. Finding it in this boy was unexpected but not unwelcome
"Oh dear, Mr Potter is Ms Greengrass okay? Severus what happened?" she asked catching sight of the black clad Potions Master
"Ms Greengrass is just suffering some shock Madam, I think a calming draught and a dreamless sleep potion will suffice. Mr Potter fought a troll so maybe he needs a check-up too" he said watching both teens ushered into a seat
Madam Pomfrey gave Daphne the recommended potions after doing a few scans on her; she turned to Harry and shook her head
"You're just like James and Sirius" she said and ran a few scans on Harry "Nothing to be concerned about, here's a dreamless sleep for you too and some balm for your face. It will help for swelling and bruising" she said
"Thanks Madam Pomfrey" he threw the older witch a smile
"Now back to your common rooms" the witch said
The walk to the common rooms went much quicker than the one to the infirmary, thanks to the stairs playing along. Harry and Daphne said good night to Severus who turned and walked to his office, Harry opened the common room door and was face with the back of the crowd
"If it was me I would have used my wand" Malfoy said proudly
"And done what exactly?" Harry asked loudly
"Taken it down like a true Pureblood" he sneered
"Yes but how?" Harry pressed "What spells? From close range or further away?"
"Restraints for a start" Malfoy said thinking hard "And then a cutting curse"
"Would you show us the spells? I'm sure we'd all love to see the restraints" Harry said
"I don't have to prove myself to you Potter" he sneered
"You see Malfoy, I don't need to brag about what I would've done or could've done. You know why? Because when the need arose I acted, I wasn't cowering between two goons and I'm aware that actions have consequences but I did what was necessary" he said giving Malfoy a dressing down "Daphne is here because of those actions, my actions. Next time step up or shut up" he said causing Draco to pale and leave with Crabbe and Goyle
"Bloody hell Harry" Flint said "A troll in your first year? What's next year's trick?" he grinned
"I think I have had enough for the entire seven years" Daphne huffed
"Come on Daph you had the best seat" Theo nudged her
"And you did not" she smiled causing everyone to groan
"I'm going to bed now" Harry said leaving the room behind
Severus Snape thundered through the halls until he arrived at the ghastly gargoyle
"Sugar quills" he growled out
"Come in Severus" he heard the old man call out, when he entered he found the other three heads of house sitting in the office
"We were discussing Mr Potter's actions" he said over his half-moon spectacles with the knives laying on the desk "He didn't have to be a hero"
"Headmaster he saved a student and probably the entire house. He acted bravely and stayed loyal to his friend, he used his smarts knowing that he didn't possess the skill to take a troll down magically so he used the skills he did have" Severus explained which caused all three heads of house to look at their hands
"And it's those skills that worry me Severus, the boy has been living with an assassin for the past three years" Dumbledore said
"Why? He hasn't used them before tonight. He came to me in the first week and explained that he trained every day and enquired about a classroom he could use, I watched him the first time and I deemed it no more dangerous than the things we teach them. He was right Albus, we let children walk around with wands which could easily cast the unforgivable curses and yet you remonstrate him about six knives" Severus defended "The fact that our roles are not reversed in this matter should be enough to convince you that I am right Albus. Had he been in Gryffindor you would have sung his praises but because Harry is an evil snake and reminds you too much of him you're punishing Harry" he said effectively putting the other three in the dark
"I cannot allow another student down that path Severus" he said sadly
"Then don't force him to act in the shadows, if you're right about this guardian then he already feels comfortable there. Do you really want to push him further into the dark?" Severus asked
"I will take your words to heart and think on them Severus" he answered. All four heads of house made for the exit as they knew a dismissal when they heard it. Severus closed the door behind the other three
"One more thing Albus, Quirrell"
AN – I hope everyone has enjoyed it. Please review and favourite and follow.
