Author's Note: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, as such all rights, royalties, characters, and settings belong to her.
The Son of Prongs and the Snitch and Stone
Chapter 10: Halloween Horrors
When Harry told Sirius and Remus about what he'd managed to pull on Filch, the two former Marauders had howled with laughter. Until both of them gave him a bit of a lecture about using his Animagus form like that. He could get into real trouble if word got out that he was an unregistered Animagus.
A few days later Harry made his way down to the Quidditch Field for the first day of practice. Arriving before the rest of the team, Harry took advantage and flew around the pitch atop his Nimbus, reveling in the freedom that came with flight. He buzzed the pitch low enough that his feet skimmed the grass and shot through the goals like a bullet, a wild smile plastered on his face
When Oliver Wood arrived with the rest of the team in toe, Harry grinned at the gob smacked expression on his Captain while the Weasley Twins stared at him. Fred and George grinned wildly as the three girls on the team stared at the expression on Wood's face.
"George, I think Wood's in love."
George grinned. "I think you're right."
"I didn't think that he played for the other team." Fred said and the twins laughed.
"Oh he doesn't..." Alicia Spinnet, one of the chasers said with a snort. "Right Wood?"
"Huh... I was just wondering if it was even possible for us to lose." Wood said. "Did you say something?"
"Oliver!" Alicia snapped while the other two chasers, Katie and Angelina, burst into laughter.
"Don't worry Alicia, I'm sure our Captain is just in love with the Quidditch Cup, nothing more." Katie said.
Soon the whole team was in the air and Wood released the tiny golden winged ball that was the snitch. Harry shot around the pitch chasing the tiny ball while the others watched and snatched it after just a few minutes.
"Okay... now I get it." Fred admitted as Harry released the ball and gave chase again. "He's good."
"Bloody hell..." George said as Harry shot between the two of them and went into a barrel roll. "He's better than good."
"The cup is ours for sure." Oliver said.
Over the next few weeks, Harry found himself settling into a comfortable pattern. Oliver Wood proved to be an able Quidditch Captain, and Harry was happy to put his Nimbus 2000 through its paces after pulling it from a secret compartment in his trunk.
It wasn't uncommon for a snitch to be found buzzing around the common room during the evening which Harry would snatch out of the air and release for a bit of practice.
Hermione had harrumphed on learning that he'd snuck a broom into school, but otherwise Harry'd managed to maintain a rather warm friendship with the bushy haired girl.
Ron however hadn't, and the two quarreled almost daily. Finally, on Halloween it reached the breaking point in Charms class. The two had been paired together to work on the levitation charm Wingardium Leviosa, while Harry dealt with Seamus's sometimes explosive attempts.
This classroom was no different, and Harry found himself slapping the burning feather that Seamus had been trying to levitate with his pointed hat. At the same time, Ron windmilled his wand and cried. "Wingardium Leviosa."
Even Harry could see the wand movement was totally off and his pronunciation was terrible, so it was no surprise when Hermione snapped. "What are you doing? It's just a swish and flick and... You're saying it wrong!"
"You do it if you're so smart then?" Ron growled.
Harry knew Ron had made a mistake as Hermione rolled up her sleeves and pointed her wand toward the feather. With a swish and flick accompanied by a rather brusque 'Wingardium Leviosa' the feather lifted off and fluttered overhead.
"Excellent! Look, Miss Granger's done it!" Professor Flitwick squeaked happily, as Hermione gave Ron a rather superior smirk.
Her success would not go unpunished as immediately after class Ron grumbled. "She's a nightmare really, such an insufferable know-it-all, it's no wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Hermione rushed past and Harry caught a glimpse of tears as she ran down the hall. His heart clenched and he turned to Ron. "I think she heard you."
"Who cares?" Ron said as he stepped down stairs toward the Great Hall. "Are you coming?"
"Yeah..." Harry muttered as he headed down the steps. "You know... she is my friend."
Ron scowled. "But... she's such a know it all!"
"She was trying to help you, maybe not nicely, but she was." Harry said as they wandered into the Great Hall. The two of them froze at the entry way and Harry glanced to Fred and George sitting at the Gryffindor table clad in court jesters outfits. They gave him a thumbs-up and then pointed to his robes.
Harry glanced down and swore. Instead of his school robes he found himself wearing a tuxedo with a rather tight collar. Glancing beside him, he saw that Ron's clothes had been morphed as well and that he was dressed as a renaissance era general, complete with armored breastplate and halberd.
Looking around the room, Harry found that everyone's clothes had been transfigured into a costume upon entering the room. Professor McGongall sat looking rather stern with a pair of cat ears in place of her pointed hat and her robes had been transfigured into a set of tight black leathers.
Harry guessed that letting the Twins see the Batman movies was coming back to haunt him when Snape swept through the door. A gasp filled the hall and Harry choked as he saw the man's robes transfigured into a black cape over an armored costume, a rebreather echoed in the sudden quiet and Harry stared up at the imposing figure of Darth Vader. Snape glared at the twins as slowly all the muggleborns and Gryffindors began to snicker.
When Professor Flitwick became an Oompa Loompa and Dumbledore's purple robes were transfigured into a set of threadbare grey robes and a staff appeared in his hands Harry snorted into his pudding. He guessed that Dean had explained Trick-or-Treat to the Twins or something as every single student found themselves in costume as they passed the double doors of the Great Hall.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked as Lavender Brown sat down in a queen's royal dress across from him.
"She's crying in the first floor bathroom... I tried to get her to come out but, she was really upset." She said before glaring at the Twins.
Harry glared at Ron as a cloud of bats fluttered overhead and enchanted jack-o-lanterns bobbed through the air. Hermione's absence was soon forgotten as more and more students and teachers were pranked on their arrival. By the time they'd finished with the feast, Harry saw that every one of the students had been hit with the prank and that Snape had set the helmet of Darth Vader on his knee while he ate.
Dumbledore stood and made his way to the podium before his seat and cleared his throat. "I would like to thank our resident pranksters, whoever they may be, for livening up this day. At this time I'd like to take a moment to remember the loss of James and Lily Potter, ten years ago today..."
Harry felt tears fill his eyes as he glanced down at the table top, and felt a bit sick at the realization that he'd been enjoying himself when the doors burst open. He looked up to find Professor Quirrell, clad as an Arabian prince running to the High Table.
"TROLLLL IN THE DUNGEONS! I thought you ought to know." Then he keeled over in a dead faint.
Panicked screams filled the Great Hall as students stood and ran toward the doors. Harry swore as three loud crackers exploded from Dumbledore's wand and echoed overhead. Dumbledore's magically amplified voice called out. "Prefects, lead your houses to the dormitories! Slytherin will go to the Library."
As they were hustled out of the Great Hall, Harry stumbled beside Ron. "How could a troll get in, aren't they supposed to be really stupid?"
"Maybe Peeves let him in as a Halloween joke." Ron said.
"It doesn't sound like his style." Harry said before suddenly freezing in his tracks. "Hermione!"
"What?" Ron asked.
"She doesn't know about the troll! We have to tell her." Harry said.
Ron swore. "Fine, but Percy better not see us."
A noise from a side corridor drew Harry's attention and he froze as he caught sight of Snape heading up the stairs. Beside him, Ron asked. "Where's he going? I thought the troll was in the Dungeons."
"No idea." Harry said as he hurried into the first floor corridor.
Harry ran toward the first floor girl's bathroom. As he did, a dull shuffling noise came from the end of the hall and he skidded to a stop before diving into a rescess in the corridor. A hulking grey figure stepped into view as the smell hit him. It was reminiscent of a latrine that no one had bothered to ever clean, mixed with old gym socks and Padfoot after a bath.
"I thought the troll was in the Dungeons." Ron said as he skidded to a stop beside him.
The massive troll stepped to a side door, dragging a club the size and shape of a log behind him, and sniffed the air before stepping inside. Ron leaned around him. "The keys in the lock, we could lock it in." He suggested.
Harry thought for a second before swearing. "We can't, that's the Girl's bathroom."
"Maybe she's not—" Ron's complaint was cut off by a high-pitched scream.
"HERMIONE!" Harry shouted. He lunged through the door, his wand out and swore.
With a swing of his club, the troll smashed the stalls as Hermione scrambled toward the sink. With a roar, the troll swung again, knocking a sink from the wall as he advanced on her.
Harry swung his wand on the threat. "Stupefy!" Harry shouted and the jet of red light from the spell bounced harmlessly off the troll's hide. Harry's eyes widened as the troll shambled around and lifted its club and started toward him.
"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Harry chanted, sending stunning spell after stunning spell toward the troll, and each bounced worthlessly off the creature without even slowing it. Harry was backing way and braced himself for an impact as the troll lifted the club over its head.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron cried as he ran into the room. Immediately the massive club slipped from the Troll's grip and lifted into the air. Slowly the troll turned to look up, stupidly at its club before Ron ended the charm.
The club struck with a sickening crack and the massive troll tumbled to the floor before them with a thunderous crash. Harry swore as it barely missed him and stared down at the creature.
"Is... is it dead?" Hermione asked from where she stood.
Harry shook his head. "I don't think so, just knocked out."
With a bang, the door swung open and Professor Snape, Professor McGongall, and Quirrel scrambled into the room. Quirrel clutched at his heart and turned away, shaking with fear as Snape and McGongall glared at the two of them.
"In all my years... You could have been killed taking on a full grown mountain troll!" McGongall said.
"We didn't have a choice professor. Hermione didn't know about the troll, we went to find her but when we did... the troll had her cornered." Harry said quickly, cutting Hermione off.
Hermione gaped at him and Ron stood, with his wand still in hand, and looked a bit stunned by what he'd accomplished.
"I... I see." McGongall said glancing between the three of them. "Ten points for looking out for a Housemate."
"You should have informed a prefect about the situation Potter, at least with a bit more experience you wouldn't have had to rely on sheer dumb luck." Snape growled. "I suggest you return to your dorm."
No sooner than they had escaped the professor then Hermione suddenly hugged Ron, her face filled with tears. "Thank you!"
"Blimey." Ron murmured as Hermione backed away and blushed to the roots of his hair.
"My hero." Hermione giggled before looking between them. "What's with the costumes anyway?"
"Prank at the feast." Harry said.
"I missed it!" She cried. "Was it fun, who was everyone?"
Harry smiled. Things were good now... there were some things that you couldn't go through without becoming friends. It seems that fighting a Mountain Troll was one of them. From that point on, Hermione Granger was their friend... Both his and Ron's, and that, Harry thought, was a great improvement.