On the way to The Great Hall Harry and Draco had overheard that one of the Gryffindor girls had locked herself in the bathroom and was crying because of something insensitive Weasley had said to her. Apparently she had been having a hard time fitting in and he was not making it any easier.
Which left Harry and Draco at a loss as to why he would do that; as typical Gryffindors supposedly stuck together through everything and stand up for each other, but on the other hand it was so pleasing to see chaos amongst the other houses.
"I mean, like he's obviously a stupid Gryffindor, but he doesn't even like his own house, what's with that?" Draco said as the group made their way to the great hall for dinner.
"I agree" Blaise interjected as he walked slightly behind Harry and Draco, "It's like we Slytherin's may be cunning masters of deception and the sorts to each other, but when it gets right down to it, like the code that Salazar Slytherin proclaimed, 'Slytherin are we, we are the house, protect all that are within the noble house.' I mean it may sound ancient and old and out of date for this Wizarding era but still, it's a tradition that's been around since the founders." Blaise concluded as they sat down 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 flicker. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato 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, he 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!"
Rebecca, one of the prefects that Harry could remember from the Welcoming Feast stood up immediately and shouted "Everyone sit down and SHUT UP!" She made it very clear that she was in no mood for any nonsense. She turned towards some of the older students next to her which Harry barley knew, but he did see Marcus Flint flinch as she began giving orders, "Flint, you take the first years. You lose them and it'll be your ass." Rebecca made the threat clear as Flint frowned and nodded in a complete agreement.
As Rebecca started delegated others to watch over the younger years, Flint complied with Rebecca's orders but he didn't look very happy at being told what to do by a girl, but her temper was one that could rival with Snape, so he started to round up the first years.
"Get it together you lot. It's just a troll; there's no need to panic." Flint said making sure they were all there. "POTTER, MALFOY, here, now" Flint said in the most serious voice they'd ever heard out of him.
"Ok look, I'm not gonna pretend I know everyone in your year, hell I barely remember you two" Flint said with a smile, obviously trying to ease the tension. "So I need you two to take a good look at the group, is everyone here?" Flint asked in a voice low enough that only Harry and Draco heard. They looked to each other, then to the group. With a quick registry, they counted and recognized everyone in their year was present.
"Yeah, I got everyone, Draco?" Harry said standing at the front of the group to get a better look. Draco nodded. Harry heard Flint breathe a sigh of relief.
"Good you two watch the back, if you see anything you let me know, clear?" Marcus said gesturing with his hand for the group to get into a line of three. "Clear" Harry and Draco said in unison. "Move" Flint said in a commanding voice to the first years. They then continued to make their way to the dungeons.
"What'd you think about this, I mean like Quirrel runs in like the idiot he is, lets the whole school know that there's a bloody troll in the dudgeons and then old Dumbles sends us down just cause we live there" Draco went on, ranting about his obvious distain for the situation. "I could wait"
As the group walked past a stone statue of a lion that Draco distastefully sneered at, Harry laughed and was reminded of the Gryffindor girl in the bathroom. "Draco, come with me" Harry said making his way to the girl's bathroom. "Blaise, Theodore, cover for us". Theodore nodded and Blaise frowned but took his place at the end. As they turned another corner Draco finally snapped.
"Harry where are we going!" Draco said trying to keep up with Harry. Before Harry could reply, they heard a familiar voice that echoed throughout the corridor.
"Flint! There you are, what took you so long? The others are already in the common room. Two, four, six, eight, eleven...FLINT! ELEVEN! DAMMIT ELEVEN! Why are you short two students? Who have you lost you complete imbecile! Can't you do anything right? There is a troll roaming around you idiotic moron! Wait until I get my hands on them..." Harry and Draco just looked at each other and carried on running; not looking back.
"Harry slow down and tell me what's going on" Draco said trying to keep up with Harry. Harry just kept on running. They had long lost the rest of the Slytherin first years. They were now far from the dudgeon.
"Don't you remember cause of Weasley, there's a Gryffindor that doesn't know about the troll" Harry said slowing down to make sure he was going in the right direction.
Harry wasn't quite what he wanted but he knew what he was going to take.
