Chapter Eleven – Troll!
Professor Sprout showing up in the owlery really spooked Harry.
"Dumbledore has all of his professors working with him to keep us apart. I know they are going to find a way to remove you from Hogwarts."
"I won't allow that to happen," Draco told Harry.
"I won't either, although I share your fear. Professor Trelawney was my ally. Now she's gone."
I took deep breaths to calm myself. I hugged both Draco and Harry. After an hour, I got Harry settled down and told him that we must use our energies to force Dumbledore to allow us to spend more time together.
"How?" Harry plaintively asked me.
"We force the issue," I replied as Draco nodded his assent. "We have a little time after breakfast and lunch, before we need to be in class. Let's just get together at those times every day. There is a lot of time after dinner. We can meet in the library when we both don't have class. You can bring Ron, I'll bring Draco. We don't confront Dumbledore, unless he tries to stop us. What valid reason can he offer for stopping us. It isn't against the rules to hang out with members of another house. Slytherins and Gryffindors aren't required to always be at each other's throats."
I noticed during dinner that Dumbledore eyed Harry, and then Draco and me, several times over dinner. I didn't know what this meant. After dinner, Draco and I walked over to Harry at the Gryffindor table. Ronald Weasley seemed very surprised by this, but did agree to join us.
There was still a little light left, so we walked straight to the main entrance, out the door, and seated ourselves on the top step. I felt very happy as the meat in the middle of a sandwich – Harry was huddled up against my left flank, Draco's hip was touching mine and he had an arm around my shoulder. I felt very secure. It was strange: Ron was seated about four feet on Harry's other side, so he was actually closer to Draco than to Harry. We had a pleasant, if almost empty of significance, chat for about five minutes, before the door opened and Dumbledore walked out.
"Don't mind me, I just wanted to make certain the four of you hadn't wandered off and gotten into trouble. The grounds can be dangerous at night, but you should be safe where you are. Please come in before it is completely dark. Are you certain that you are meant to be a part of this meeting, Ron?"
That gave us something to talk about. Clearly we had been checked up on. Equally clearly, Dumbledore didn't think he could stop us from just sitting and talking. I think our meeting was viewed as suspicious. I wondered what the headmaster's next move would be.
Ron was the most indignant, asking Harry "did Dumbledore's question to me seem like a threat to you? It sounded almost like a threat to me."
"Dunno, Ron."
I felt better and slept well. I told Brinda about my strange encounters.
Draco's father arrived at Hogwarts right after breakfast the following day and demanded as a Hogwarts trustee to be allowed to speak to his son, and to Harry and me. He had apparently told Dumbledore that he had received an alarming owl from his son and that he was worried about the safety of the three of us. At least that was my interpretation of the quick summary we were given when we were summoned to Dumbledore's office and found him meeting with Lucius Malfoy.
"Are you alright?" Lucius asked me, rather than Draco, in a very solicitous tone.
"Yes, I am. Since I know that the headmaster doesn't want me at Hogwarts or in contact with my twin, I was just very frightened when Headmaster Dumbledore got rid of Professor Trelawney. I had felt that, apart from Draco, Professor Trelawney was my only ally. I feel a little safer now."
"What about you Harry? Lucius Malfoy asked.
"I'm still worried that Headmaster Dumbledore will separate me from Emako. She is only here, really she only avoided being 'lost' in a Muggle-world, hell-hole orphanage, because Professor Trelawney rescued her. Professor Trelawney brought both of us to Hogwarts. Now she's gone and it seems fishy."
"Things have definitely been a bit strange around here," Draco told his father.
"Well, Albus, it seems your students are afraid of you. Do they have reason to be frightened of you. I know you are the absolute king of this place. Not the kindly image you like to present to our world, is it? I must agree with Harry and Emako, I can't remember twins ever being sorted, against their will, into different houses. You've been here longer than I can remember. Can you cite an instance of this every happening."
"No, this seems to be a unique situation. The Sorting Hat does what it thinks is best for each child."
"Except, the hat told Emako that it was forced to separate her from Harry. I'm very certain that both twins belong in Slytherin. You should think about that. I will be speaking with the other trustees. Have a good day. I can see that my son's concerns were very well founded."
"More so than you think," Draco hastened to inform him. "I barely got the note off to you. Professor Sprout came to the owl tower to stop me, but she was just barely too late."
"That was a misunderstanding," Dumbledore declared. "Professor Sprout regularly checks on the condition of the owls. It was coincidence that Draco happened to send his message right before her normal daily visit."
"I see. That's certainly one possible explanation. I'll let myself out."
After Lucius departed, Dumbledore requested a minute with just Harry and me. Draco seemed a little worried about me, but after a very brief pause he left Dumbledore's office.
"I wanted to let both of you know that Professor Trelawney's mother's has taken a turn for the better. She will return to Hogwarts two days from now. I also promise you that I am no threat to either of you. I fully accept that Emako belongs at Hogwarts and that Harry needs her. I made a mistake separating you. You are free to spend as much time together as you want. I won't object if you meet after hours, if that is necessary to get together.
"I think that you are both in real danger but not from me. I will teach you some defensive spells. Please stop by my office after dinner."
He smiled at us. It seemed a kindly enough smile. I couldn't possibly judge its sincerity.
We didn't get to meet with the headmaster. We had barely begun eating dinner, when Professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall screaming: "a Troll! There's a Troll in the dungeons. You must help. It nearly killed me."
Dumbledore ordered all of the students back to our dorms. Draco had a protective arm around my shoulder as we left the table and exited the Great Hall. I just happened to look in Harry's direction and saw both Harry and Ron sneak away from the Gryffindors and race down the corridor in the opposite direction.
"Harry!" I screamed as loudly as I could. He slowed a little and almost turned toward me, but then turned back and sprinted down the corridor after Ron.
"I think Harry's in danger," I told Draco. "We have to help him."
Draco hesitated just long enough to recruit Goyle to come with us. Ron and Harry had a lead on us, so we had to run as fast as we could, just to keep them in sight. I just barely saw Harry turning into a room on our right.
"Girls' potty," Goyle announced. "Only Emako can go in."
"You're with us," Draco told Goyle, as he led me into the bathroom. Goyle did follow behind me.
The Troll was in the room and he was smashing the place up with a big club. Ron was hiding under a sink as the Troll smashed the sink next to his. Harry threw a piece of broken sink at the Troll and it left Ron to attack Harry.
I had to protect Harry. I stepped forward, to stand side-by-side with my twin. I picked up a broken sink piece and prepared to throw it, but I just froze as the Troll, did I mention that Trolls are really, really big, raised its club and looked ready to smash us.
"Throw at it!" Harry demanded as he threw a metal sink fixture at the Troll's face.
I just couldn't bring myself to throw the piece of granite I was holding. Harry took it from me and chucked it at the Troll. He hit it in the nose and it screamed at us. The club was starting to come down toward us!
"Troll, club, the whole works, including one of the sinks, were thrown back against the rear wall of the bathroom. The sink struck Mr. Troll in the knees and he went down, slamming his face into the floor.
Just then, one of the stall doors sprung open and Hermione snuck out and hid in back of us.
"Thank you, thank you, thank all of you," she said, barely louder than a whisper.
Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape entered the bathroom.
"You should be in your dorms," Dumbledore told us. "Trolls are VERY dangerous creatures."
"Slytherins and Gryffindors fighting a Troll together," Professor McGonagall seemed stunned. "I've never seen such a thing."
"Back to your dorms," Professor Snape commanded us.