AN- Betad by Celran
Thanks to everyone who reviewed; keep 'um coming. (Please...)
Chapter 9
Harry had showered after Tuesdays morning run. The twins had brought Lee Jorden, Caleb More and the whole Quidditch team that Monday. On Tuesday Lavender Brown and Casey Harper made the whole of the Gryffindor First years join the morning run.
The first years were far closer at the table since they had started their runs. Everyone seemed far more cheerful and - as Hermione pointed out - focused. They were discussing a charms lesson when the owls flew into the hall.
Harry noticed at once when the owls brought the broom and dropped it in front of Oliver. Oliver turned to Harry as he noticed the note on the top and Harry nodded in agreement. Nimbus Two thousand.
"Can we come and watch your training, Harry?" Ron asked wanting to see a nimbus two thousand in the sky.
Seamus joined Ron and Draco in watching Harry seeker training on his new broom. Oliver Wood looked fit to squeal when Harry moved as if he knew where the golf balls would be before they had left Oliver's hand. Harry worked with twenty years of instinct; his memories soared as he held onto the broom.
Harry was given facts about how the other team members worked and was warned of the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams.
"Harry, can I ask you something?" Olivers' voice changed as it did whenever he was talking about something none Quidditch related. Harry nodded. "How did you get the twins to draw us into that running?"
"You had told them they needed to be more disciplined. They decided to join me on their own- I don't know why they brought you guys."
"It's a great idea, Harry." Oliver nodded his voice picking up joy. "In the last couple of practices- the twins are so much better more in serious." He smiled. "We're already working better together- the girls too."
"It's getting some- not a lot." Harry rolled his eyes. "Of the twin's extra energy out. They said it will help with their pranks too."
"Oh no- may the gods help us all." Harry laughed at Olivers joke and went back up on his broom.
Two weeks later on the second of October a second broom was dropped in front of Oliver Wood.
"Harry, is this yours?"
"I've got my Nimbus." Harry shrugged.
"It's got your name on it." Oliver told him.
"Open it and have a look- maybe they accidently sent me two." Harry wasn't the world's best liar but he wasn't the worst.
Oliver opened the parcel at the handle. "Ahh."
"What is it Olly?" Oliver glared at Fred but answered.
"It's a Nimbus Astro. A professional keepers broom. The Keeper for the Dublin Dragons has this broom." He looked over the light wood of the broom his eyes very slightly misty.
"Umm why would they send me a keeper's broom. I'm a seeker." Harry was smiling. "Hey, it's your birthday today right Captain? Do you want it?"
"You bought me this broom?"
"Maybe." Harry admitted. "I got a discount because of my broom."
"Oh Merlin Harry. I can't accept this."
"I practice every morning. I can keep running away from you so that you can't give it back."
"Thank you Harry." Oliver shook his head but he was drawling over the semi- custom broom.
Then suddenly, as if by magic- Harry noticed that two months of Hogwarts had gone by. Now, all of the first and second years in the morning runs. There were also most of the third and fifth years; a couple of the other years had been joining the morning runs which were slowly becoming more serious.
Then so were classes. Draco and Harry had joined Hermione's more serious studies; the three of them were dragging Ron and Neville along in the top few spots in Gryffindor.
Harry couldn't help but notice the differences in the way this year was going to the ones he dreamed of. Everyone seemed happier.
Apart from one thing; in his memories Draco had gotten letters and presents from his parents every weekend, whereas in this reality Draco was sending off letters and barley got two words back from his mother.
Harry was worried , but suddenly it was Halloween day. Halloween was Harry's least favourite holiday. Bad things always seemed to happen on Halloween.
He did however notice something good happening that Halloween. Hermione guided Ron through the charms lesson much more calmly than she did last time. Harry guided Seamus with the same patience. Draco was working with Neville and the three groups got the three top scores in this lesson.
Ron didn't send Hermione running into Myrtles bathroom this time.
Then the good luck broke. Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode and Tracy Davis rushed passed the Harry and Draco (Ron was in the bathroom) to 'accidently' nock over Hermione.
"Hey, watch where you're going, Mudblood!" Pansy spat the word at Hermione.
"Shut up, Pansy."
"I don't talk too blood traitors, Malfoy." Pansy told him. "No wonder your parents aren't talking to you; hanging around with filth like this." Harry was helping Hermione up as Draco challenged the girls.
"Hermione has nothing to do with my parents."
"Really, do you think your father wouldn't care." Tracy sniggered. "How naive. Your father will never let you through the door again if he knows your friends with that."
"Shut up! She has nothing to do with this."
"Are you sure?" Pansy asked.
"Just go away." Harry told the girls as he pushed Draco and dragged Hermione away.
"They're not going anywhere until they apologies to Hermione." Draco told his friend.
"They won't mean it if they did." Harry told him as he made sure both of his friends were still moving forward. The Slytherin girls laughed as they walked away.
"Hermione are you okay?" Draco asked.
"Did they mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"Would your parents kick you out for being friends with me?"
"Not quite but they wouldn't like it; they would hate me being friends with a Weasley or the famous Harry Potter just as much or maybe even more."
"That's not fair."
"I know it's not."
Hermione looked at her friends she looked a little teary. "I have to go."
"Hermione."
"Harry, Draco please. I just need to be by myself right now."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Harry told her- knowing about the troll that was on its way.
"I'll be back by the feast."
"What about transfiguration?" Harry tried to ask but Hermione had started running off.
Harry went to run after her but Ron grabbed his shoulder. He was panting from running up to meet them. "I wouldn't; Ginny always needs some time when she gets upset. Girls are weird."
"If she's not back by the feast we're going to look for her."
"Hey, we saw Hermione in the girl's toilet. She wouldn't talk to us." Fay told Harry; as they sat at the table.
"Alright we'll go and find her."
"What happened?" Fay asked.
"Some Slytherin girls were being real bitches." Draco told them. "She got upset and ran off."
"How bad was it?" Neville asked.
"They tried to blame Hermione for my parents not talking to me." There was a collective pained sound from the table. "Come on Harry, we need to go find her."
"I'm coming too." Both Ron and Neville told them standing too. Ron looked a little braver than Neville and no one knew about the troll yet.
They were just about to walk off when Quirrell came running into the hall. "Troll in the dungeons- thought you ought to know." He shouted, then fainted on the floor.
Harry knew Quirrell wouldn't make it too the stone today so he pulled his friends to the back of the group. "Guys we need to find Hermione."
"Oh no." Ron gasped.
"Seamus, Neville could you two cover for us." They nodded as Harry took Ron and Draco in the direction of the girl's bathroom.
They ran as quickly as they could, hiding from teachers and prefects. At the corridor adjacent to the toilets footsteps stopped them. Harry pulled his friends to hide behind a statue.
"Snape, why isn't he with the other teachers?" Ron asked.
"Maybe he's trying to find who let the troll in." Harry suggested, he supported Severus Snape even more now that he wasn't bulling him during potions. Harry was excelling in that class but off the point.
"I feel so bad." Draco said as they got closer. "Hermione wouldn't have gone running off if-"
"If it wasn't for those girls. You didn't do anything Draco."
"Let's just find her." Ron said before he turned and when very pale; very quickly. "Thhhee- Troll."
"It's gone into the girl's bathroom." Harry told them. "Hermione."
As if on cue they heard a scream.
Harry pulled his wand out and dragged his friends into the bathroom. Hermione was crouched against the wall with her wand out. She was too scared to cast a spell.
"We need to confuse it. Make noise."
Harry, Ron and Draco all had their wands out. They split up around the bathroom and Ron clanged a pipe against a sink.
Draco had a much more intricate idea. "Confundus!" He cast the spell confusing the troll for a second.
In doing so the troll began moving around more violently but with far less accuracy.
Harry used his own wand. "Locomotor Mortis." He cast and the troll began to fall. It was falling forward ready to squash Harry flat.
Ron then shouted the first spell that came to mind. "Wingardium Leviosa!" It pulled the troll up with is club for a moment- just enough time for Harry to get away. Then both dropped the club landing with a hollow thunk on the troll's head.
Draco spoke first. "You knocked it out with its own club?" He was looking at Ron with shock, and a little awe.
"We should get out of here before it wakes up." Harry looked around at what was left of the bathroom.
In the moment that Harry spoke the door opened and Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrall came into the bathroom.
They looked at the four children and the unconscious Troll.
"What on Earth were you thinking?!" McGonagall shouted with harsh fury. "You could have been killed."
"We were willing to take the risk professor." Harry stood forward ready to shelter the blame. "Some girls insulted Hermione and Draco earlier. They upset Hermione and she came in here to compose herself. She was in here when the troll came in. Draco, Ron and I came to save her as we couldn't find a teacher."
McGonagall went to argue but Snape spoke first. "Who insulted you, Miss Granger?"
"I don't know sir."
"Professor it was Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode and Tracy Davis." Draco was the one who answered. "They called her a Mudblood and myself a Blood Traitor."
Snape shook his head. "Unbelievable." He glared down at the troll. "Well anyway you did all take on a mountain troll. I suggest they each get twenty five points Minerva."
"Severus, they should have been in their dorms."
"Yes, but it was unfortunate circumstances that led to that. They should be rewarded for their skill." Snape finished without letting the Scottish woman argue. "Miss Granger, I will be speaking to all of my students in the morning. I want all of you to tell me immediately if they say anything like that again."
"Sir may I ask- why don't you like that word. More than most people?"
"My best friend died because of that word, Mr Evans." Was all he said. He said more to Harry Evans that he would to Harry Potter.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Back to your dorms now. The headmaster will be informed of what happened."
"Yes sir." Harry dragged his friends out of the bathroom and they ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower.
AN- Tell me what you think. They'll be a new chapter very, very soon. ~Tia