A/N: I'm going to make this clear. I don't own the Harry Potter series or it's characters. That right goes to JK Rowling

Then There Were Four

Well practice went well, and Madam Hooch approved Harry joining the team (as long as he uses the school's brooms). Harry spend majority of the next night celebrating with his dad (since Malfoy had detention with James that Saturday night) until Harry was tuckered out and James send Harry back to Gryffindor Common Room.

That night Harry passed the doorway into the third floor corridor when he heard a sound of three dogs growling. The strangest part was it sounded like the dogs were the size of a muggle truck.

Harry thought he was just tired and hearing things as he headed off to the common room.

The next few days was rather peaceful, mostly because Hermione and Ron got into some argument the night Harry was with his dad about breaking the rules that somehow led to them not talking to each other, and since Ron is always around Harry and Neville, Hermione didn't talk to them either.

Harry still waited for news on his first actual Gryffindor Practice from Oliver Wood, since Wood promised Harry that he will keep the Seeker's position reserved for him. Especially since the day after Hooch made it official that Harry could join the Gryffindor Team, Fred and George Weasley saw Oliver skipping with joy down toward the Great Hall acting as if all his wishes just came true.

Harry finally got word a week after Flying lessons when Hedwig dropped a note at his plate.

Meet me tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. Bring a Nimbus Two Thousand.
Oliver Wood

Under normal circumstances, someone might find it weird that a note said 'bring a Nimbus Two Thousand' like it was a weird message, but over the three weeks, students gotten use to Professor Potter's gift to the school. Fred and George were even caught borrowing the school brooms once in a while for some kind of prank.

…

By 6:30, Harry went to the school's storage next to the Quidditch Field to grab a Nimbus Two Thousand and with his new prescription goggles, headed out to the field.

The Stadium had hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end, like one of those muggle plastic sticks Muggle Children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet wide.

Harry grew up knowing plenty about Quidditch. Hard not too when growing up with a dad and uncle who were into the game and of course the Weasleys.

There were seven players on each team. Three of them are called Chasers, who tosses a big bright red balls called a Quaffle (and the only ball in Quidditch that doesn't move on its own) to each other on broomsticks while trying to get it into one of the three hoops on the other team's side, while also bypassing it from the team's Keeper—who guards the three hoops for their team. If they get it through, their team wins ten points. But it's not easy thing to do, even without the Keeper or the other team's Chasers

Then there were two identical jet black balls that were smaller than the quaffle called Bludgers that zooms around trying to knock the other players off their brooms. That's where the Beaters comes in, two players on each team—one for armed with only a small club who uses it to hit the Bludger to the opposing team.

Finally, there is the Seeker. Their jobs are most important in the game as it's up to them to end the game and hopefully win the game for their team. They're also often the smallest and fastest member of the team (which fits Harry's description) and for a good reason. Their job is to find and catch a small golden ball with silver wings called the snitch that flies so fast even most Seekers have a hard time finding them. The game doesn't end until the Snitch is caught, and the team Seeker who catches it earns their team a hundred and fifty points, which almost always wins the game for them—unless of course the other team has manage to keep a lead of over a hundred fifty points.

The best part about playing Quidditch in Hogwarts though is that all the points gain in each game is added to the House points, no matter if they win or lose a game. So the more points a House team gets, the greater chance they have on winning the House Cup. That's why even with the School's Quidditch Cup at stake, they also play for the points.

At this point, Harry was getting too eager to fly again. He strapped on his goggles mounted his broomstick and kicked off the ground. Harry circled around the field, around the goal post.

Harry had a fun time before he heard Oliver Wood calling out, "Hey, Potter, come down!"

Harry looked down to see Oliver waiting for him.

Harry leaned slightly down and landed safely.

"Very nice," Wood said.

"Thanks," Harry said. "I been flying since I was one—before—you know."

Wood nodded. "Well tonight I'm just going to test your skills as a Seeker. With these—"

Wood took out some golf balls. "Once I got a good feel of your skills today, we will start having regular practices three times a week."

"Sounds good," Harry agreed.

A few minutes later they were in the air. Wood threw the golf balls as hard and fast as he could in every direction. Harry caught every single one. After a few good practices Wood call it for the night.

"Not bad, Potter," Wood said.

"Thank you Wood," Harry replied

…

After that, Harry's schedule been nothing but full between homework and Quidditch. Soon it been two months had passed and Hogwarts felt as much as home as the Potter Cottage. Not to mention his lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

However, Harry woke up one morning feeling a sudden dread—as if today was nothing to be excited about. Harry was confused at first until he found out it was October 31, also known as Halloween and the tenth anniversary of his mother's death.

Instead of heading to the Great Hall, Harry headed to his father's living quarters. When it comes to this day, the two of them always need a reminder they both were alive.

…Great Hall…

"Where's Harry?" Hermione couldn't help but ask when she noticed Ron and Neville were at the Gryffindor Table without Harry.

Since Ron wasn't talking to Hermione, Neville answered the question, "He's probably at his dad's living quarters since it's the anniversary."

"Anniversary—oh," Hermione shut up after that. She still remembers what Harry said back in the train about the books she read not covering everything.

Since then she seen Harry having fun, laughing with his friends, talking about flying, that he actually seemed like a normal everyday student. But being reminded the significant and yet personal this day is to Harry just reminded Hermione that she still doesn't know the full story of the famous Harry Potter.

No one saw Harry until Charms Class with Professor Flitwick. He was late to class, but Flitwick didn't deduct any points from Gryffindor House, mostly because Harry had a note from his father (written so that even Snape couldn't cause Harry any problems), but partly because even Flitwick knew what today meant to the Potters.

Flitwick did try to brighten the mood in the room by announcing that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Neville partnered up with Harry since he was the closest person to understanding what Harry is going through. Unfortunately, that left Ron to partnering up with Hermione after Seamus and Dean ditch him as partners. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this since they were supposed to be on non-speaking terms.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember swish and Flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too—never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Once again, Harry found himself nowhere in the league of his parents (although this time it was his mother). But after a few tries, Harry managed to get his feather to float three inches off the desk before it fell back down, which is more than what Neville has achieved sine his feather remained motionless.

At least Ron wasn't having any more luck than Neville at the next table as he waved his arms around like a windmill shouting, "Wingardium Leviosa."

Finally Hermione couldn't take it anymore as she snapped. "You're saying it wrong. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long.

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up her sleeves and flicked her wand, saying, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads, which was way higher than how high Harry had his hovered.

"Oh, well done!" cried Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron was in a very bad mood by time the class ended.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry and Neville as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Out from behind Harry, Hermione knocked into him and ran off with tears running down her eyes.

"Ron, she heard you," Neville said.

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

…

James day seem to have gotten better when Harry came to visit him this morning. Before that, James was moping over the reminder of what today really was to him. But when Harry came in and looked at him with those green eyes he inherit from Lily, it reminded James of why he was still alive—for their son.

Harry was late to his first lessons, so James wrote him a letter, just incase Snape was in his annual yearly foul mood that he developed this time of year at the reminder of how his trust was crushed and had a run in with Harry.

James came to the great hall for the feast. Dumbledore doesn't make it mandatory for James, but he always attended anyways to be reminded another reason why he's still here—to teach the next generation of wizards and witches.

Unfortunately he arrived to see his son and Ron arguing.

"You need to go apologize to her!" Harry demanded.

"Why should I? She been nothing but pain ever since she came into the compartment on the train!" Ron argued.

"Whoa! What's going on here?" James asked.

"Ron called Hermione a nightmare after she tried to help him in Charms, and she heard him," Neville explained, "Now she's crying in the girl's bathroom, wanting to be alone."

"I told Ron he needs to go apologize," Harry said.

"Why should I? What I said is the truth?" Ron asked. "She didn't help me, she was just bossing me around."

James sighed. "Ron, Harry's right, you need to go apologize to Hermione."

"But—"

"But nothing," James responded. "You're a Gryffindor, and part of being a Gryffindor is to know when they have done something wrong and make it right. That's what sets Gryffindors apart from Slytherin House."

"Fine!" Ron responded.

"Also I'm going to have to deduct a point off Gryffindor House for speaking out of terms about a student behind their backs," James said.

That didn't help Ron's mood even during the feast which is a shame with the decorations in the Great Hall.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Harry helped himself to a baked potato and started eating when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll—in the dungeons—thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element as he started acting as if he been through this scenario a thousand times.

"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

"I bet Peeves let in the Troll as a Halloween joke," Neville said.

"I wouldn't be surprise," Ron agreed.

…

James watched his son leave with the First years, hoping that Harry wasn't stupid enough to face a troll.

He was about to head toward the Dungeons when he noticed Snape going a different direction.

"Going somewhere?" James asked.

"None of your business."

"It is if you're heading to the Third Floor Corridor," James said.

"Why do you care?" Snape snapped.

"Look, Snivelus, I'm just offering my help," James said. "Unlike you, I can distract Fluffy without the need of music incase someone tries to break in."

Snape glared at James. "Fine."

…

Harry Ron and Neville was following Percy as they passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Neville's and Ron's arm.

"I've just thought—Hermione."

"What about her?" Ron asked.

"She doesn't know about the troll."

"He's right," Neville said.

Ron bit his lip.

"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."

Ducking down, they joined a passing group of Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.

"Hide!" Neville yelped.

They hid behind a large stone griffon.

Peering around it, they saw Snape and James crossing the corridor and disappeared from view.

"Why is your dad with Professor Snape?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe Dad is using some kind of hidden passage way to get to the Dungeons faster."

"But why is Snape with him?" Ron asked.

"Search me," Harry said, "But I think it's time we act smart."

Harry opened his bag and took out his cloak of invisibility.

"You carry that everywhere?" Ron asked.

"I never know when I need to go invisible," Harry said.

Harry wrapped the cloak around them and they vanished from any muggle and wizard and witch eyes.

They crept along the next corridor. They continued a few more feet before Neville asked. "Do you guys smell something.

Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.

And then they heard it—a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of giant feet. They quickly scuffed to the side to make sure whatever it is doesn't run into them as a large object was moving toward them and emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short thick legs with flat, horny feet. The smell was coming from it, and it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

"The key's in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

"Um, guys," Neville said.

"Good idea," said Ron nervously.

"Guys!"

But Harry and Ron didn't listen as they headed toward the door—leaving Neville in the open as the cloak slipped off him, slammed the door shot and locked it.

"Yes!" Both cheered.

Just then a high, petrified scream was hear coming out of the door.

"That was the girl's bathroom that Hermione was in," Neville reminded Ron and Harry as they slid off the Cloak of Invisibility, "And you just locked the troll in with her."

With no othere choice they panicked and fumbled trying to unlock the door. Once it was unlocked Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside it.

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall on the opposite side of them, looking as if she was going to fain. The troll was advancing on her, knocking sinks off the walls as it went.

"Neville, use this to get Hermione out of here!" Harry tossed Neville the cloak of invisibility. "Ron and I will try to distract it."

"Us?" Ron squeaked.

Neville didn't argue as he wrapped the cloak around him, turning invisible.

Meanwhile, the troll had stopped a few feet from Hermione. It had lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise.

"Hey idiot!" Harry waved his hands around. "Over here."

The troll turned to Harry and noticed him for the first time. Then it made for him, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron yelled form the other side as he threw the metal pipe at it. The troll didn't seem to noticed the pipe hitting it's shoulder but it heard the yell and turned to Harry.

The troll looked between Ron and Harry, trying to decide who to hit first. Finally it roared, and started toward Ron, as he was the closest.

Then Harry did something that even surprised him. He took a great running jump and managed to fastened his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll didn't noticed Harry hanging there until Harry jabbed his wand that he had in his hand when he jumped right into the troll's nostril.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club with Harry clinging on for dear life.

Hermione disappeared from her position, which told Harry that Neville got to her.

"Ron! Do something!" Harry yelped.

Ron took out his wand and cried the first spell that came to his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

With a swish and flick the club flew out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned over and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room trembled.

Harry got to his feet, managing to catch his breath. Ron was standing there with his wand raised, staring at what he done.

Neville and Hermione appeared out of nowhere as Neville removed Harry's cloak.

"Is it—dead?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."

He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose and wiped off the gray glue troll boogers that was on it on the Troll's trousers.

Suddenly there was a slamming nose followed by loud footsteps that made the four of them to look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, James came bursting through with Professor McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell at the rear.

Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Snape bent over the troll. James and McGonagall was looking at Ron Harry and Neville. Professor McGonagall was obviously angry, but Harry didn't dare looking directly at his dad, knowing he was outraged. Harry never done anything this reckless in his whole life.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall spoke first, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Ron lowered his wand shaking with fear. Harry swallowed hard.

"Harry James Potter," James said in a tone Harry never heard his father used, "Answer Professor McGonagall's question."

"Don't be angry with them," Hermione jumped in. "It's not their fault. They came looking for me."

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall responded.

"I went looking for the troll because I—I thought I could deal with it on my own," Hermione explained, "you know, because I've read about them."

At this point Ron dropped his wand and Neville dropped the cloak of invisibility. Hermione was lying to a teacher.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry gave Neville his cloak of invisibility to use to hide me. Then Harry stuck his wand up the troll's nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

James didn't looked convince, which worried Harry. He then remember that he and Ron basically told James where Hermione was.

"Professor Potter, do you believe them?" Professor McGonagall asked.

James looked straight into Harry's eyes.

"I believe Harry Ron and Neville came here searching for Hermione, and judging from the evidence here," James kicked the troll in the leg, "I guess they did indeed save her."

James didn't say anything else, but it was enough to convince Professor McGonagall.

"Well—in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own."

Hermione hung her head.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."

Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall then turned to Harry Ron and Neville.

"Well, I still say you three are lucky. Not many first years could have taken a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this."

"Meantime," James interrupted, picking up the cloak of invisibility. "I'll be confiscating this for the time being, since I have a feeling it has something to do with you three evading your prefect."

Harry didn't argue. James had warned him about misusing the cloak and technically Harry did just that.

"You three may go," Professor McGonagall said.

The three of them hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than fifteen points," Ron grumbled.

"Ten," Neville chipped in. "She's taken five off Hermione's."

"Nine actually," Harry said. "If you include the point Dad took off from Ron. We wouldn't have to save her if Ron kept his mouth shut."

Ron turned pink.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig Snout!" Harry and Ron said. The three of them entered.

The common room was so packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause from all four before they all said, "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

When they sat down to eat, Hermione joined them and Ron didn't complained as an unspoken agreement came between them—Hermione was now their friend—the fourth member of the second generation of Maurders.