Halloween
Harry had never felt so exhausted in his life. He had spent many weeks hanging out with so many different people. On Sundays, he and Draco hung around the forbidden forest where people rarely hung out. They spent their time comparing their families and likes and dislikes.
Draco, Harry learned, was fun to be around. He felt guilty that they had to poke fun of each other when other people were around.
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, he spent time with Ron. They had fun playing Mission Impossible and pretending to be secret agents. Harry helped Ron with his homework. Ron began to wonder who had been helping Harry with his. He began to stop bombarding Harry with questions and decided to think Snape helped him with his assignments.
On Wednesdays, Harry met Hermione in the library to do homework and to study. This wasn't his cup of tea, but he enjoyed her company and she was a very dependable study partner. She wouldn't do his homework for him, but she would look over the essays to make sure he had the right answers. She also gave him pointers on taking tests and quizzed him the nights before tests.
On Fridays, he would have Quidditch practice and spend the rest of the day with Hagrid. Harry, it seemed, was a very good Seeker. During practice, he made spectacular catches and they were all done within thirty seconds. During one of the practices, Wood cried and said that there was no chance of defeat with Harry on the team.
On Saturdays, Harry hung out with Snape and they worked on potions, any assignments that Hermione didn't help him through, and they went fishing. Sometime Snape would take trips to Diagon Alley and would allow Harry to tag along. Saturday suddenly became 'Father and Son' day.
Between his classes, Quidditch practices, homework, and hanging out with his friends, Harry had been going nonstop. Before he knew it, he had gone through October pretty fast. He had remembered that it was Halloween when he had woken up on a chilly October morning.
Dumbledore had announced during breakfast yesterday morning that the staff and students didn't have to wear their robes. They could wear muggle clothing or Halloween costumes.
Harry decided that he was going to be a vampire for Halloween. He wore a white collared shirt, a pair of black slacks, some black boots, and a black cloak with red that lined the inside. He had asked his dad to use magic to make his face look pale and have dark circles underneath his eyes. He had placed false vampire teeth into his mouth and proceeded to the kitchen.
Snape was at the table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up from his paper when he heard Harry enter the room.
"Blah," said Harry in a sinister voice. "I'm going to suck your blood."
"Yes," said Snape in a matter of fact voice. "And I hope you do enjoy it."
Harry laughed and sat down. He poured himself a bowl of cereal and some milk and began to eat. Snape went back to reading his newspaper.
"How come you're not wearing a costume?" asked Harry with a mouthful of cereal.
Snape was wearing a pair of blue jeans and some white gym shoes. He had pulled a red hoody over his white t-shirt. That wasn't exactly a costume, but to Snape it was.
"I am," said Snape from behind the newspaper. "I'm a muggle."
Harry roared with laughter. He was laughing so hard that milk sprayed out of his nose.
"Manners, Potter," said Snape passing over a napkin. "I don't care what fun event Dumbledore throws tonight. You are always to—"
"—mind my manners," said Harry wiping his mouth and the table with the napkin.
They finished their breakfast in silence and didn't speak until Harry stood up.
"I'll see you later," he said. He grabbed his bag from out of the living room and continued out of the door.
Harry never had so much fun in his classes. In Transfiguration, McGonagall, who was dressed as a green witch, showed them how to transfigure buttons into pumpkins. She then set them to changing Jelly Beans into pumpkin seeds.
In Herbology, Sprout, who was a tangle of wild weed, showed them how to carve an award winning pumpkin. She then let the class carve their own pumpkins and the winner got a large pumpkin pasty. Dean had out done everyone when he made his pumpkin look like himself.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Quirrell had told the class that he wasn't feeling well and allowed them to play games, such as, Hangman, Seven Up, Charades, and Family Feud.
When they finally arrived at Charms, Flitwick, who was dressed up as a little Chihuahua, was showing them how to levitate feathers. He had given them a demonstration, put them in pairs, and let them get on with it.
"Now don't forget the little swish and flick we've been practicing," said Flitwick.
The class was soon filled with people shouting out 'Wingardium Leviosa!' Harry had tried five times to get his feather to levitate, but he just couldn't do it.
Harry looked around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one who was failing to move the feather. Lavender hadn't done it, Seamus hadn't done it, and Neville's feather was nowhere to be seen.
Harry glanced over to where Ron was sitting. He was trying to get his feather to levitate when Hermione stopped him.
"Stop, stop, stop," she said. "You're going to put someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. The gar has to be nice and long."
Ron looked appalled.
"You do it then, since you're so clever," he said folding his arms and looking in the opposite direction.
"Very well," said Hermione. She cleared her throat and raised her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said with a nice swish and flick of her wand.
Ron unfolded his arms and watched as the white feather rose into the air and floated.
"Very good, very good," squeaked Flitwick. "Look everyone! Miss Granger's done it!"
Ron didn't look please.
The bell rang and everyone began to gather their things. They all filed out of the classroom. Ron harping on about Hermione.
"She thinks she's so smart," he was saying as he stomped off down the corridor. "You're doing it wrong! You're going to put someone's eyes out! She's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Dean and Seamus started to laugh. Harry was suddenly pushed out of the way and he could have sworn he saw a brown mane of hair go pass.
"I think she heard you," said Harry.
"So. She must have noticed." Ron looked uneasy as he said this.
Harry did not see Hermione at any time during dinner. He checked up and down the Gryffindor table but there was no sign of her. He looked over at Ron and saw that he was stuffing his face with candy and chips.
"Where's Hermione?" he asked him.
Ron shrugged. "Probably in the library."
Lavender leaned forward towards Harry. "My friend, Pavarti, sister's friend told me that she's been in the bathroom crying her eyes out."
Ron swallowed his food with a loud 'gulp'.
"You don't think that this is about me making fun of her, do you?"
Harry opened his mouth to tell Ron that he shouldn't have said that about Hermione. He was about to tell him that he had befriended Hermione weeks ago. But the Great Hall door opened and a pale-faced Quirrell came running inside. Yelling as if the British were coming.
"Troll!" he screamed. "There's a troll in the dungeon!"
There was a moments of silence. Suddenly, the students all began to panic and run around the Great Hall. They began to bump into each other and knocked food on the floor.
"Silence!" said Dumbledore standing up. The students stopped running and looked up at the headmaster. "Prefects, you will lead your house to the common rooms. Teachers, follow me to the dungeon."
Harry's stomach contracted with fear. How exactly close was that troll to his apartment. He stood up and began to follow the other Gryffindors out of the Hall.
"How'd a troll get inside the school anyway?" Harry asked Ron.
"I don't know," said Ron. "Trolls' are supposed to be very stupid."
"Hermione," said Harry stopping very suddenly.
Ron stopped too.
"What about her?"
"She doesn't know about the troll. We have to tell her."
Harry and Ron pushed against the crowd. They forced there way back to the first floor and found it completely deserted. That was until they heard footsteps.
"Percy!" whispered Ron. He pushed Harry behind a statue and waited. But it wasn't Percy who passed. It was Snape.
"What's he doing here?" said Ron. "Shouldn't he be in the dungeons?"
There was suddenly a foul smell. It smelled like PBS and it brought tears to Harry's eyes.
"Um…" said Ron. "Did you brush your teeth before you put those fake teeth on?"
"Why is it that every time something weird happens, you ask me something stupid?"
Ron opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out except a gasp. Harry saw it too. Fat, tall, smelly, and ugly, the troll came from around the corner and continued to walk.
"Look's like it escaped the dungeon," said Ron.
They watched as the troll went inside of a door. They rushed over to it, not knowing what to do.
"Let's lock it in." Harry said to Ron.
Ron turned the lock and it clicked. They had done it. They were just high-fiving each other when a loud scream issued from the door.
Harry turned and saw that the door had a sign on it marked girls.
"It's the girls bathroom!" said Harry. "We've just lock the troll in with Hermione!"
They rushed into the bathroom and saw Hermione crouched down inside of one of the stalls. The troll raised its club and swung it horizontally breaking all the stalls. Hermione began to crawl over all the debris to a new hiding spot.
Harry and Ron tried to take the troll's mind off Hermione. They began to pick up the splintered pieces of wood and throw it at the troll. It did nothing.
"Hey, ugly," said Ron. "Turn around."
"Hm?" said the troll as it turned around to face Ron.
Ron threw a piece of wood that bounced off of the troll's head. It didn't do anything but make the troll angrier. It turned his club on Ron.
Harry rushed over and grabbed the club so when it raised its arm, Harry rose with the club. Once he was close enough to it's head, Harry jumped on top. He began to tap dance on the troll's head.
The troll was irritated by the quick movement of Harry's feet that he constantly tried to brush Harry off. Harry dodged the large hands and continued to dance.
Everything seemed to happen so slowly. Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry and the troll raised its club.
"Remember, swish and flick." Hermione told him from under the sinks.
The club slowly came down, Harry jumped, Ron shouted Wingardium Leviosa, making Harry hover a while before landing safely on the ground. The club that was meant for Harry hit the troll on top of the head with a loud thwack.
The troll teetered for a moment before falling unconsciously to the ground that shook the whole bathroom.
For a while no one move a muscle or spoke.
"Is it dead?" Hermione asked as she moved from under the sink.
"I don't think so," said Harry. "Just knocked out. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm—"
The door burst open and in came Professors McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape.
They looked at the unconscious troll to the three Gryffindor students.
"What the—" began McGonagall. "How did—how dare—" she was speechless.
"Explain yourself." Snape said sternly to Harry.
"Well, we—" he began but Hermione interrupted.
"It's my fault, Professor," she said. "I went looking for the troll. I read all about them and thought that I could handle everything on my own. If Harry and Ron hadn't stepped in to save me…I would probably be dead."
"I am very disappointed in you Miss Granger," said McGonagall. "That was a very foolish thing to do. You could have been killed. Five points from Gryffindor." She then turned to Harry and Ron. "Not many first year students are able to knock out a troll and live to tell the tale. Five points each will be awarded to Gryffindor for shear dumb luck." She looked at the troll before addressing them again. "I suggest you make your way to Gryffindor common room. The feast is continuing in there."
"And I suggest that you make your way to your room," Snape said in a voice full of disappointment. "There you will be served a bowl of plain broth."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked out of the bathroom allowing the teachers to take care of the troll. They didn't speak until they were on the stairway that was between the second and the ground floor.
"Thanks," whispered Hermione.
"Yeah," said Ron. "Sorry about the feast."
"Don't worry about it." Harry replied. "I'm sure he's not done with me."
"How much more can he do to you?"
"You know, the usual. No company, no fun, no nothing."
"In other words, you're grounded," said Hermione.
"Pretty much," he answered. "Doesn't it sucks to have a parent who's your teacher here?"
They all started to laugh. And that laughter was a beautiful start to a beautiful friendship.