Disclaimer: One Piece and Harry Potter does not belong to me, each belongs to their respective author.
Challenge by TheBlackSeaReaper.
Beta: TheBlackSeaReaper
-.-Halloween
"Stop right there"
Growl
"You will only end hurt, if you keep doing it"
Growl
The true is that if anyone saw the scene, they would think that the dialog was from the big three head dog and not from the little boy. But this was no little boy; this was Portgas D. Ace, pirate of the grand line who, for a strange reason, was in his 11 years old body. But he was strong, just right now, Ace has the jaws of the center head of a big three head dog between his hands like if it was nothing.
"Well, you ask for it"
With an agile and quick movement, Ace threw the dog to a side of the corridor, as if he had been a normal size puppy.
The dog didn't like that, so he stood ready to jump back on the intruder.
"I say STOP"
The dog growl, but he didn't move, that was a really strange kid, well humans were weird.
"Ah! It is already breakfast time. Sorry doggy I will come back later."
Yes, humans were weird.
Ace went down to breakfast, just to find Ron and Neville chatting already.
"Where have you been" ask Ron.
Ace just smile. "Training the dog. I couldn't sleep."
"How come you cannot sleep?" ask Ron "You always fall asleep suddenly."
"Nah, that's normal"
"There's nothing normal in that" cried the two boys.
Ace began to eat his breakfast while Ron and Neville talked about the classes that they would have that day. However, Ace could see that Hermione Granger was staring at him, apparently, Ron also noticed this, but before he could say anything, she was up and running out of the place.
"She's crazy," Ron muttered.
He ignored it, maybe he must hadn't done that because three days later, on Halloween morning the castle woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.
Ace felt he could die again, with the so delicious temptation, especially knowing that the same night they had a great feast, and he hoped that the little pixies that were in the kitchen, serve his list of suggestions that he had delivered that morning, it was a shame that in this world there weren't Sea King meat if not he could have added it to the list, but still...
... And he fell asleep.
The bell ending class woke Ace up, as usual, when he stand up, after regain mobility on his body the voice of Professor McGonagall called him "Portgas, a word with you, please".
Ron and Neville waited but one look from the Professor was enough to know that they should leave.
"What is it, Minnie?"
"Portgas, please, do not start" Professor took a long breath, just as Madam Pomfrey entered the room… That was weird, "Portgas, had you've problems with training?"
"Excuse me?" ask the young pirate.
"Had it been hard?"
"No", it fact it was all a cakewalk.
"Homework?"
"No", he did not do all of it, but he could say that he was proud of the work he had done, even Marco would be proud.
"Portgas, had you been sleeping well?"
Tricky question.
"Of course, all normal." it wasn't a lie, considering that his sleeping problem was, well, normal.
The professor then made a paused, as if searching for how to continue, while Ace took the opportunity to observe his surrounding, something was not right, something did not fit with the teacher's desk.
"Ace, we could not help to notice, and I mean all the staff, that you sleep in class, the entire staff has seen you at least once falling asleep, and there has not been a single week that they do not tell me you fell asleep spontaneously and without warning." Ace was going to say it was completely normal, that she must not worry; this situation was complicated because it was clearly visible on the face of the teacher the deep concern she have for him, which felt weird. "But two days ago… Someone told me that they heard you say it was completely normal"
"Well, it is," but who could have said that to the teacher.
"Portgas" said Madame Pomfrey "Since when this happened?"
Trick question, "That I fell asleep?"
"Spontaneously, yes, what else could it be?"
Complicated question, he remember that he still lived with Luffy when it start to happened, sometime after the death of Sabo, 12 years or was it 14 years old, he could not say that.
"I don't remember"
"You still lived with the Dursleys?" ask the professor.
"Yes," replied dryly at the memory.
"You fall asleep during the day, even though you slept all night?" ask Madam Pomfrey, her voice very professional.
"Sure"
"By any chance you fall asleep in the middle of some activity and even sleep you keep doing that activity"
"Normally eating" said the boy.
"Trouble Sleeping"
"Ah, just a little"
"Temporal paralysis waking up or before falling sleep" was it him, or she was having fun with this.
"Yes, it happens"
"Hallucinations?"
"None"
Madam Pomfrey directed her sight to Professor McGonagall, and nod.
"Ace" started Minnie "have you ever heard of Narcolepsy?"
The name sounded familiar. "Maybe"
"It's a disorder that causes extreme daytime sleepiness periods" Madam Pomfrey proceeded to take a big white hard cover book of McGonagall's desk; the book was definitely something Ace never thought to see in Hogwarts. It was new, with a colorful cover, and printed large letters, as they open it, the sheets were not of parchment, and the chapter began with:
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. These sudden sleep attacks may occur during any type of activity at any time of the day.
And so it keeps going explaining cause, symptoms while Madame Pomfrey explained what the book was saying.
"Unfortunately there is no cure for this disease"
Not that it was important, he had been fine all his life with this Narcolepsy, "But there are potions to regulate sleep." Still, it doesn't matter "From now on we will provide you with this potions; you must take one bottle every morning."
"Questions, Portgas?"
"No"
"Just one more question" said Professor McGonagall. "There is one more symptom... Ace, by any chance you suffer for depression?"
"…No..."
-.-
Minutes later, Ace left the transformations classroom, seriously thinking of not going to Charms Class, but the class soon would end, and just when he arrived, the bell announced the end of class, and as Ron and Neville came out, the young pirate notice one thing right away: Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.
"What's wrong with him?" he asks Neville.
"He had to work in pairs with Hermione Granger"
"It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron said to no one as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
Someone knocked into Neville as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Ace caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears, something that Neville notice too.
"I think she heard you." Said Neville.
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
"That is very insensibly" even when it is true.
-.-
Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon.
On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, the boys overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone.
Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations and, in Ace case, the food, put Hermione out of their minds.
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.
Those little creatures in the kitchen truly had made things of the list of suggestions de Ace, maybe he will visit them tonight to say "thank you". But 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 he just faint.
There was a high scream and everyone start to run to the door. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.
The only one who was still at the table was Ace, eating.
"Prefects," Professor Dumbledor rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"
Percy was in his element, but few listened.
"How could a troll get in?" Neville asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."
"What are you thinking, Ace?" ask one of the twins that had just came.
"Don't tell me you are thinking of going to fight the troll"
The young pirate turn to look the frighten face of the four boys "That's a good idea, but am thinking that there is something I should remember right now."
They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Neville suddenly grabbed Ace's arm.
"I've just thought - Hermione."
"What about her?" ask Ron.
"She doesn't know about the troll." said Ace. "Cover me" and he went among a group of Hufflepuffs toward the girls bathroom.
"Don't leave like that" said Neville and Ron bit his lip to follow.
The Twins were just ready to go with them when: "Fred, George, stay with the group"
"Stupid Prefect Percy"
Meanwhile Neville and Ron had lost Ace in a deserted side corridor, when something pulls them behind a large stone griffin. It was Ace who cover Neville's mouth preventing him for scream just as Snape crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.
"What's he doing?" Ron whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"
"Let's see." murmured Ace.
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape.
"He's heading for the third floor," Ace said, but Ron held up his hand.
"Can you smell something?"
Ace and Neville sniffed and thought for a moment that they would lose their nose; it was like a cross between ... dirty clothes of the Whitebeard pirates after a day work under the sun in a summer island and the old socks of Garp. Not good. But what came next was unexpected. They heard a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows, Ron and Neville pulling Ace and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.
After Oars, this was a joke: Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from 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 funny long ears, making up its tiny mind, and then slouched slowly into the room.
"The keys in the lock," Ron muttered nervously.
He and Ace edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Ron managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.
'Yes!"
Neville left his state of panic, and process what was happening, seeing the door closed. "Isn't that the girls' bathroom?"
"Oh, no" said Ron.
And then they heard it a high, petrified scream coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.
"Hermione!" they said all together.
It was the last thing they wanted to do, but Ron and Neville follow Ace as the pirate turned the key, he pulled the door open and they ran inside.
Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.
A pipe was hanging in the middle of the disasters and Ace did the first thing he thought. He grabs the pipe; hit it hard with the foot to separate it from the wall. He ran fast and hit the troll in the leg. The creature lost his step and turned to see who hit him; meanwhile Ace had hit him on the side.
"Confuse it!" Ron said desperately to Neville, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.
The troll lost interest in Hermione and Ace, and tried to focus on whatever was hitting him.
Ace took the opportunity to run around it.
"Come on, run, run!" Ace yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. "Listen, you can just stay there, hoping that someone came to make things right or stand by yourself and make things right"
The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Neville, who was nearest and had no way to escape.
And Ace did the only thing he could do, he let go the pipe, took a great running jump and with his fist hit hard on the troll's head. The next thing everyone knows was that the troll was against the other side wall, and falling then on the water. In the middle of the bathroom Ace stood as if nothing had happened.
It was Hermione who spoke first.
"Is it - dead?"
"Nah, probably just knocked out." answer Ace.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, that and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart. "That man is really weird" thought Ace.
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron, Neville and Ace. Ace had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.
"Please, Professor McGonagall... they were looking for me."
"Miss Granger!"
Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.
"I went looking for the troll because I... I thought I could deal with it on my own... you know, because I've read all about them. If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. They..." she gave a pause looking at Ace, probably thinking if they could believe that Ace knock it off with just his fist, Ace could see in her eyes that she didn't believe it herself " hit him with stones and pipes and... Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."
Neville and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them. Ace was just smiling at her.
"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'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."
Hermione left.
Professor McGonagall turned to Ace, Neville and Ron.
"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."
They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all 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, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's." answer Neville, still surprise by the events of the night.
"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."
"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Ace reminded him.
They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pig snout," they said and entered.
The common room was 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. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.
But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, like beating a pathetic excuse of a pirate, or living one hundred day trying to kill the strongest man in the world, but for four eleven years old kid knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.
…
"You left us behind" yell Fred
"And you fight a Troll" follow George.
"That's not fair"
Well the castle is big maybe they will knock a dragon the next time.
-.-
Author's Note
Sorry for the delay.
Wow. 150 reviews, thanks!