Previously on The Twice Blessed Child…
"That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before any of you guys come up with another clever idea to get us killed…or worse, expelled." Hermione said
She turns and head up to her dorm room.
"She needs to sort out her priorities." Ron said
Harry nods, then looks at me.
"How come it didn't bite your hand off?" Harry asked
"I don't know. I just acted I like if it was a normal dog." I said
All three boys nodded their heads.
"Goodnight boys see you in the morning." I said
Oliver said it was okay for me to tag along with him while he taught Harry about Quidditch. Oliver and Harry were carrying a trunk, they put it down.
"Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each time has seven players, 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and seeker that's you. There are three kinds of balls. (picks up a red one) This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. (points to a faraway Quidditch pitch.) the keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. With me so far?" Oliver asked
"I think so. What are those?" Harry asked
He points to two squirming chained down balls.
"…You better take this, you as well Anastasia." Oliver said
He hands both Harry and I a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two boys watch it.
"Careful now, it's comin' back." Oliver said
The ball comes whizzing down, towards me I it with the bat, the ball soars off through a statue.
"Eh, not bad Anastasia, you'd make a great beater…Uh-oh." Oliver said
The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.
"Bludger, Nasty little buggers. But the only ball I want you to worry about is this… the Golden Snitch." Oliver said
He hands Harry a walnut sized golden ball.
"I like this ball." Harry said
"Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see." Oliver said
"What do I do with it?" Harry asked
"You catch it…before the other team's seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this, Potter, and we win." Oliver said
The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Harry keeps an eye on it.
"Whoa." Harry said
- - - - - Unknown Time Skip to Charms Class - - - - -
October 31st:
Professor Flitwick is standing on a bunch of books. Harry was sitting next to Seamus, I was sitting next to Dudley, and Ron was lucky enough to sit next to Hermione.
"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers? Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone. (All) The swish and flick. Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then." Flitwick asked
"Wingardium Levios-saaa." Draco said
We all start practicing the spell.
"Wingardium Leviosa." I said
I was able to get my feather into the air.
"Well done, Ms. Anastasia. 10 points to Gryffindor." Flitwick said
Flitwick went back to looking around the room. I looked Dudley.
"Well give it a try." I said
"What if something goes wrong?" Dudley said
"Then something goes wrong. You can't learn if you never make a mistake." I said
"Okay. Wingardium Leviosa." Dudley said
The feather came like an inch off the table, before coming back down.
"Good job, Dudley." I said
"I did it. I actually did it." Dudley said
I looked over at Ron who was sitting with Hermione.
"Wingardrium Leviosar." Ron said
He whacks the desk with his wand a couple of times.
"Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosa." Hermione said
"You do it the if you're so clever. Go on, go on." Ron said
Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Hermione said crisply
The feather glows and lifts up. Ron puts his head on his book dejectedly.
"Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Granger's done it.! Oh, splendid!" Flitwick said
I looked over towards Harry and Seamus.
"Wingard Levosa. Wingard Levosa." Seamus said
There was a BOOM! Seamus had made his feather explode. Flitwick gasps.
"Whooaaa! Ooh." Flitwick said
"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor." Harry said
Once class was done and we were walking through the courtyard, to are next class. Harry was in the middle, Ron was on the his right, I was on his left, Dudley was behind me, with Seamus on his right, and Dean Thomas was on his right.
"It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends." Ron said
Hermione bustles past, sniffling.
"I think she heard you." Harry said
- - - - - Time Skip That Night - - - - -
We were all sitting in the Great Hall eating dessert after dinner. I looked around but I couldn't find Hermione.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked
"Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon…crying." Neville said
We all exchange glances. I was about to stand up and go look for her when Professor Quirrell comes flying into the room screaming.
"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! Though you ought to know." Quirrell said
He fall over face first in a dead faint. The room is silent, for a second then everyone freaks, screaming and running.
"SILLLLLEENNNNCEEEEE!" Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." Dumbledore said
We all follow our perfects out of the Great Hall and into towards our Common Room.
"Gryffindor's…keep up please. And stay alert!" Percy said
"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked
"Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes." Ron asked
Harry stopped in front of us.
"What?" Ron asked
"Hermione! She doesn't know!" Harry said
Dudley, Ron, Harry, and I ran off from the group and went to find Hermione. We stop when we hear a grunting noise. We step into an alcove, the troll thunks by the room, and into the girl bathroom's.
"He's going into the Girl's Bathroom." I said
We run towards the bathroom, we get into the bathroom in time to see the troll raise its club and smash the top part of the stalls. Hermione screams.
"Hermione run." I yell
The troll smashes the remaining stalls.
"Help! Help!" Hermione yells
The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll. I move past the troll and over to Hermione.
"Hey, pea brain!" Ron yells
Ro throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, I move over to her. The troll sees us and goes to mash us, he hits the sinks and it breaks, barely missing us.
"Hurry up guys." I said
"Help." Hermione said
Harry gets out his wand. He runs forward ad grabs the troll's club, and is lifted up.
"Whooa! Whoa, whoa!" Harry said
He lands on the troll's head, and is hurled forward, then back, and his wand goes up the troll's nose.
"Ew." Ron and Dudley said
The troll snorts, and ships around.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Harry said
The troll gets Harry off its head and it holding him by one leg, upside down. It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down. The troll swipes again.
"Do something." Harry yells
"What?" Dudley asked
"Anything! Hurry up!" Harry said
Ron grabs his wand. Hermione who is next to me waves her hand.
"Swish and flick!" Hermione said
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron yelled
The club is lifted out of the troll's hand and hovers above its head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down. It hits the troll's head and the troll wavers, then drops harry, who crawls away. And comes crashing down, hard. Hermione and I approach carefully.
"Are you okay Hermione?" I asked
"Yes, is it…dead?" Hermione asked
"I don't think so. Just knocked out." Harry said
Harry grabs his wand…which is covered in goo.
"Ew. Troll bogies." Ron said
Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell come rushing in. They all gasp.
"Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, all of you!" McGonagall said
"Well, what it is…" I started
"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall." Hermione said
The teachers, Ron, Harry, Dudley, and I all stare at her in gape.
"Ms. Granger?" McGonagall asked
"I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry, Ron, Dudley, and Anastasia hadn't come and found me…I'd probably be dead." Hermione said
"Be that as it may…it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part, Ms. Granger. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgement. As for you four, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points…will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck." McGonagall said
Snap and McGonagall leave the bathroom.
"Perhaps you ought to go…M-might wake up…heh." Quirrell said
The four of us leave the bathroom and head to the common room. I sit down on the couch, and look at the fire. The boys had got up to bed, as had Hermione. I had conjured a cupcake with a candle on it. Lite the candle.
"Happy Birthday Anastasia." I said
I blew out the candle.
- - - - - Next Day - - - - -
I was sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Harry, Neville, Dudley, Ron , and Hermione came and sat down. Harry starts to eat and starts to twirl food on his fork.
"Take a bit of toast, mate, go on." Ron said
"Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today." Hermione said
"I'm not hungry." Harry said
"Come on Harry you need to eat." Dudley said
Snape walks up, behind us.
"Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you…even if it is against Slytherin." Snape leaves
As he walks away I see him limping.
"That explains the blood." Harry said
"Blood?" Hermione asked
"Last night, I'm guessing Snap let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping." Harry said
"But why would anyone go near that dog? It was a miracle that it didn't eat Anastasia." Hermione said
"The day we went to Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret." Harry said
"Couldn't have been that big of a secret if he got it while you were with him." I said
"Ana has a point if it was such a big secret he shouldn't have gotten it while you were with him." Hermione said
"That's what the dog guarding. That's what Snape wants." Harry said
"Also if it was a secret why would Dumbledore broadcast to the entire school where it is being kept. Also wouldn't you make the lock very difficult to unlock." I said
"She has a point." Dudley said
We hear owls screech. It's Hedwig, who is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it in front of Harry, then a owl drops a letter in front of me. I open the letter and start to read it.
"Who's the letter from?" Dudley asked
"Your mother. She wished a Happy Birthday, looks like the it came late." I said
"Oh my god." Harry said
"What?" Ron asked
"I'm so sorry Anastasia, I forgot your birthday was yesterday." Harry said
"It's okay it was a crazy night." I said
"That doesn't matter. Harry and I still should have said something earlier." Dudley said
"Well Happy Late Birthday." everyone said
"Now then let's open this package." I said
We all open the package.
"It's a broomstick!" Harry said
"That is not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!" Ron said
"But who…?" Harry asked
Harry looks up at the head table, to see Professor McGonagall stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.
- - - - - Time Skip to Quidditch Game - - - - -
We are sitting in the stands waiting for the game to starts. We see the players come out of where they were. They mount their brooms and zoom up into the air. The commentator, Lee Jordan is talking from the teacher stands.
"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Lee said
Everyone starts cheering.
"Gryffindor!" Neville yells
The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest amongst everyone. He looks down.
"The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game." Lee said
"How, I want a nice clean game…from all of you." Hooch said
She said that looking straight at the Slytherin team, She kicks the trunk and the bludgers zoom out.
"The bludgers are up…followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game." Lee said
The snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle.
"The Quaffle is released…and the game begins!" Lee said
Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and a chaser, Angelina Johnson, zooms past Slytherins towards their goal, and throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.
"Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor!" Lee said
He presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindor's name. Harry who is in the air, claps. A bludger zooms by him. Everyone in the Gryffindor stands cheer.
"Well done!" Hagrid said
"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint." Lee said
Flint dodges people and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Flint, who glares. Anglea Johnson and Katie Bell pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Anglea takes it, throws, and once again scores.
"Yay!" Ron and Seamus yell
"Another 10 pints to Gryffindor!" Lee said
"Yay!" all the Gryffindor's yell
The Slytherins decide to get messy. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Oliver blocks.
"Give me that!" Flint yells
Flint grabs a beaters bat from one and whacks a bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver in the stomach and he falls to the ground. The crowed starts booing. The Gryffindor's are visible upset, and Slytherin laughs. The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over George (or Fred) and scores. Slytherin members cheer.
"Take that side." Flint said
The box Johnson in and sent her into capes covering one of the towers. She falls down in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again. Suddenly, Harry sees the Snitch. He starts to head off after it and then his broom starts bucking and turning.
"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid asked
Hermione looks through binoculars at Harry, then at Snape, who is muttering something.
"It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!" Hermione said
"Jinxing the broom? I doubt that." I said
"What do we do?" Ron asked
"Leave it to me." Hermione said
Hermione hands me the binoculars and leaves. Harry is knocked around, then falls, dangling by one arm from the broom.
"Come on, Hermione!" Ron said
We look over towards where the teachers are sitting. We see Snape's cloak catches fire.
"Fire! You're on fire!" a Man yelled
"What? Oh!" Snape said
A man falls back into Quirrell, who then also falls. Snap bats out the fire and acts as though nothing happened. The broom stops bucking, and harry climbs back on. The Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. Harry takes off.
"Go!" Ron yelled
"Go go go!" Hagrid said
Harry rams the Slytherin Seeker, then is butted out. He returns, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. The boys follow, but they approach the ground quickly. The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and Harry pulls up his broom as he follows the Snitch, feet above the ground. Harry stands up, and steps forward, trying to grab the ball. He goes too far, and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling on the ground. He gets up and lurches. The entire crowd gasps. Hermione appears beside a tower to see.
"Looks like he's gonna be sick!" Hagrid yells
Harry lurches and the Snitch pops out of his mouth. It lands in his hands.
"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!" Lee yells
"Gryffindor wins!" Hooch yells after she blew the whistle
"Yay!" all the Gryffindor's yell
"No!" Draco yells
"Yes!" Hagrid yells
"Whoo-Whoo." Hermione yells
"He did it. He actually did it." I said
Harry raises the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and his team, cheers
"Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor!" the crowd yells
