Chapter 12 - Feasting, Felling and Fibbing
By the time they reached the Great Hall, it was getting dark outside and there was a gathering of students at the closed entrance. Percy came over to check on Ginny and ask if everything had been worked out between the three of them. Ginny's face got red but she told her brother that it was just a huge misunderstanding and that her temper …
Percy held up a hand and he said that was good enough explanation for him but that she had better catch up with Ron before he did something rash against Harry or Hermione! He was mad at both of them for what he had imagined they had done to his sister.
Ginny hurriedly informed the other two about a vengeful brother and then went searching through the crowd for Ron. Harry and Hermione backed up against a wall just as a precaution as they watched out for Ron themselves. Ginny reappeared with the twins a few minutes later as the Great Hall doors swung open to admit the students. She said that Ron had only half listened to her when she explained that Harry and Hermione weren't at fault. He said she was just saying things to protect them because she liked Harry so much.
(HG): 'Well at least Ron got one thing right!'
(GW): 'The part of liking Harry so much.'
(HP): 'Let's keep a watch out anyway. It's bad enough having to keep an eye out for Malfoy, but Ron is supposed to be on our side!'
Ginny giggled but followed Harry and Hermione into the hall. There was a small cluster of people moving together and Ginny took advantage of the sudden closeness to reach and rub Harry's back momentarily. Harry stiffened for a second then relaxed and Ginny heard a mental thanks come her way. She smiled but saw that Ron was watching the three of them enter the hall. She apologized mentally to her friends and went and sat next to Ron to try to cool him off.
Everyone was looking around at the hall as it was very well decorated. There were lit jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins floating in the air and sitting on the tables. Thousands of what could have been real bats were flying through the air along with all the castle ghosts. The ghosts were surprising the various unwary students who were often caught looking the wrong way. Even Peeves was on his best behavior as he added to the haunting.
Dumbledore stood up at the head table and welcomed everyone to the Halloween feast. He clapped his hands twice and the huge meal appeared from nowhere. Everyone dug in and enjoyed themselves with all the wonderful food.
Hermione stood up after five minutes and excused herself and said she would be back in a few minutes. Ron watch her leave the hall but asked his sister where she was going. She stared at him for ten seconds before she reached out and popped him across the back of the head. "Really, Ron! What business is it of yours if Hermione heads off for the girls bathroom?"
Ron blushed to match his hair but resumed eating immediately. Ginny looked at Harry and shook her head. Harry winked back at her and they both smiled.
Just then the doors of the hall were thrown open and Professor Quirrell staggered into the room! His robes were torn and there were bloody scratches around his face and hands!
"Troll! There's a mountain troll in the dungeons!" With that said, Professor Quirrell either fainted dead away or was overcome by his injuries! He collapsed to the floor as the Great Hall erupted in screams and panic. Mountain trolls were one of the most dangerous creatures that Harry had read about in his studies!
Everyone was yelling and running around trying to get out or go anywhere else. Dumbledore stood and looked at the chaos in the hall for a second and raised his voice to be heard above everyone else "Silence! Silence! Let us not panic. Prefects, please lead your Houses back to your common rooms. The other professors and I will attend to the troll."
Harry was glad for some direction in all the confusion. While he was getting in line behind all the other Gryffindors, Ginny came up and touched his elbow.
(GW): 'Hermione's not back yet!'
(HP): 'Hermione - get back to the tower immediately. There's a troll loose in the castle!'
(HG): 'I'm locked in the girls bathroom. Somebody threw the key after I came in here and the door's bolted somehow. I can't leave!'
(HP): 'We'll come and get you!'
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they moved quietly to get in the line of Hufflepuffs moving out the other doorway. They slipped away from them when the Hufflepuffs descended the stairway that led to their home room.
Ginny and Harry were heading down the corridor when they heard a sound behind them. Harry turned just as Professor Snape crossed the corridor behind them headed up the main stairway! The two stared at each other in surprise for a second but both kept moving. Harry wondered why Snape was headed up the stairs when the troll was supposedly in the dungeons! Of course, Harry thought, Snape was probably wondering why Harry was wandering around the castle during an emergency. Hoping he wouldn't get points taken from him, Harry hurried to catch up with Ginny.
Ginny had stop in shock just before she got to the girls bathroom. Harry almost ran her over in his hurry up the last flight of stairs but saw immediately why she halted. The troll was in that corridor! How the troll got up to the fourth floor was something Harry couldn't figure out. The troll was more ugly in person than any description in a book could do justice to. It was a little over twelve feet tall so it had to duck sometimes as it walked down the corridor. It was a ghastly shade of grey with huge feet and lumps all over its' body. It carried a huge club that it swung idly from side to side as it lurched forward.
The smell was worse than anything Harry had ever smelled coming out from beneath the twins' door at the Burrow. Thankful that he hadn't had a full meal before they were interrupted, Harry held the sleeve of his robe over his nose and mouth to keep his supper down.
The troll hadn't noticed them yet but was looking around as if he wanted to smash something or someone. Harry and Ginny crept away carefully trying to find someplace to hide and let the troll go by them.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans that day. The club, in its random swinging, crashed through the very door that Hermione had been locked behind! The two heard a loud scream that they knew was Hermione's. The troll heard it also and turned and ducked into the girls bathroom.
Harry with Ginny behind him quickly followed the monster, pulling their wands as they ran! They came in to doorway just in time to watch the troll swing it's club, destroying the stalls along one side of the room!
Harry heard a scream from beneath the pile of wooden rubble as the troll moved toward to where Hermione was trapped!
'I'll distract the troll, Ginny. See if you can get Hermione out of there!'
Picking up odd bits of debris, Harry began throwing it at the troll! One, fortunately or not, hit the troll in the nose and it turned to find the source of that annoyance. Harry began taunting and yelling at the troll and tried to lead it away from the corner where Hermione was trapped. The troll took a couple of steps away and started following Harry. Harry saw Ginny sneak around in back of the troll and wave her wand at the pile. Harry heard a 'Wingardium Leviosa' from his young friend and watched the pile float aside to reveal a conscious but groggy Hermione.
While Harry was distracted watching his friends, the troll had caught up to him. Harry looked up to find the troll swinging the huge club at him. Harry reacted by jumping and catching the club in his arms as it swung through the space his head had been. Harry was hanging on to the big end of the club as the troll tried shaking him off. When the troll raised the club over its head to try and smash Harry straight down, Harry jumped to the trolls shoulder and then to the back of it's massive neck!
The troll was reeling around trying to get Harry off its back. Harry had to dodge and duck the troll's free hand as he tried to think of something to do. He saw Ginny and Hermione shakily standing by the doorway with scared looks on their faces.
Harry pulled himself up with the few tufts of hair that the troll had on its head so he was standing. He jumped over the top of its ugly head and hung in front of its face. The troll was so angry and confused by this time that it swung its other arm at Harry. The one that was still carrying the club. Harry moved just as the troll hit itself with its own club between the eyes!
"Tripping jinx, Ginny", Harry yelled as he tried to jump free! Harry knew Ginny had known that spell since she was three and could get Ron with it. Harry saw Ginny and Hermione join hands as the troll stumbled a little. The joined power of the jinx completely took the troll off its feet and it hit its head against the wall, knocking it completely out!
Harry had tumbled and rolled down the back of the troll and got to his feet slowly. He walked over with the two girls as they cautiously checked on the monster. It was completely out and snoring loudly with extremely bad breath!
Just then the three heard the sound of running of feet and shouting. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell arrived at the ruined door to the bathroom and stopped short at the sight of the fallen and knocked out troll! The three professors looked at the three students in amazement.
Harry felt someone try to gain access to his mind but he lowered his head to keep anyone from looking into his eyes.
Professor McGonagall had recovered and looked angrily at the three. "Why aren't you where you are supposed to be? You could all have been killed!"
The three students all rushed out their explanations to the professors:
"I left the feast after only a couple of minutes because I had to use the loo…"
"Hermione wasn't there to hear the warning about the troll…"
"So Harry and I came to make sure she was ok…"
"But by then the troll had found me and was about to kill me", finished Hermione. "If it hadn't been for Ginny and Harry, I'd probably be dead now. I was totally helpless in there and covered by rubble. Somehow Ginny and Harry pulled me out and tricked the troll into hitting itself."
"That's an unbelievable story", Professor Snape said with his usual sneer.
"Quite re.. remarkable" came from the still shaken and bleeding Professor Quirrell.
"There's not too many adult wizards or witches that can say they have survived an encounter with a full grown mountain troll!" Professor McGonagall's tone had relaxed now that she was sure the children were safe. "I will tell Professor Dumbledore that I have awarded Mr. Potter five points for extraordinary beginner's luck and that I will be providing a special citation for bravery to Miss Weasley's file! Now back to your dorm with you all. We'll deal with cleaning up this mess."
Harry, Ginny and Hermione walked away from the girls bathroom feeling a trifle overwhelmed. They climbed up toward the seventh floor entrance to the Gryffindor tower. Ginny was the one to find a secluded corner this time. She turned to look at both her friends and then took Hermione by her shoulders and pushed her toward Harry!
"You're turn first this time", Ginny said with a wink at Harry. "Hold it! Not quite yet Hermione", Ginny said. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at Harry. "You HAD to get on that thing. You stink now! Scourgify!"
Harry felt better after having the spell cast on him. He had been feeling like he should jump into the lake, clothes and all. He looked up as Hermione approached him.
Hermione shyly looked at Harry. "You and Ginny saved my life back there. I don't know what to say!" But she wasted no time in grabbing Harry into a very fierce hug. And kissing him quickly right on the mouth! "A special reward for life-saving!", Hermione blushingly whispered.
"Isn't this where I started this morning? Hermione snogging Harry?" Ginny laughed as she joined Hermione in embracing Harry and giving him a kiss also!
"Wait a minute; there's something different here", Ginny said as she frowned up in to Harry's face. She let go of Harry's neck and stepped back a few feet to get a good look at her friend. Hermione thought that Ginny was just a little confused after the encounter with the troll, but Ginny just gasped and pointed at Harry's feet. "Your robes Harry! They've shrunk!"
Harry looked down to see that his robes were now a couple of inches shorter that before. He didn't remember getting them wet or anything. He was trying to figure it out when Hermione spoke up. "I don't think that's the problem Ginny. Go stand with your back against Harry's."
Ginny didn't understand but she moved so that her back was against Harry's back. Hermione let out a small gasp of surprise and then asked Ginny and Harry to turn around and face each other!
Harry was shocked when he turned and found out that he could totally look across the top of Ginny's head. His eyes were usually at the level of the middle of her forehead but now they were definitely higher.
"Your robes and pants didn't shrink Harry. You grew!" Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in amazement. Harry was looking from one face to the other in puzzlement.
"You remember that Madame Pomfrey said that you would be catching up to your normal height and weight?" Ginny asked. When Harry nodded that he remembered, Hermione hung her head a little. "It appears that when Ginny and I healed up your bruises and cuts earlier, we may have used a tad too much of the bond magic. It looks like we 'stretched' you out a couple of inches!"
Harry looked at Ginny and then turned to Hermione. 'It's just one surprise after the other. What am I going to do with you two?'
(GW): 'Just promise to keep us around Harry. We're trying really hard not to let you get bored.'
(HG): 'We're doing the very best we can to take care of you Harry. Are you mad at us?'
Harry hung his head for a second and then let out a big laugh! He grabbed up both girls in a hug and they started making their way back to their dorms. Ginny stopped after another twenty feet, pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry. There was a small blue flash and Harry felt his clothes shake a little and readjust themselves.
"There's enough hand-me-downs at the Burrow that I know Mum's clothes altering charm by heart. I'll do your other clothes when I see them."
The Halloween feast was still going on in the Gryffindor common room when Harry and the two girls arrived there. All of Ginny's brothers were anxiously watching the portal and cheered when Ginny, Hermione and Harry entered. They all came over to ask what they had been doing.
Harry, trying to downplay the whole incident, told the four Weasleys facing them the truth. Well, one version of it at least! He said that they had been in the girls bathroom until Professor McGonagall told them to come back to the tower as the troll had been taken care off.
Hermione was about to speak up and let Harry get credit for taking on the troll, but before she could say anything she got nudged by Ginny. 'What do you think my brothers will do if they find out Harry dragged me off to confront a troll?'
(HG): 'Never let you be alone with him again! Sorry, I wasn't thinking.'
(GW): ' I'm probably going to have to tell Mum and Dad what happened but make them promise not to let my brothers know.'
(HP): 'Will that work Ginny?'
(GW): 'Maybe if I tell them that Harry was in his people saving mode and say I only watched him. They like Harry.'
Ron had been looking strangely back and forth between the three that had arrived very late. "Why were you in the girls room with my sister, Harry?"
Ginny moved so that she was right in Ron's face. "Troll, Ron! We were finding and warning Hermione so she didn't wander into it! Think Ronald!"
Ron flinched at the anger in his sisters eyes. "We were just worried when you didn't turn up. And Harry of course. Uhh, and Hermione naturally."
"Right, Ron. What we actually did was save the professors some work. Harry, Hermione and I went and took care of the troll all by ourselves!"
Ron and the rest of the brothers broke out laughing at that statement from their young sister. "Ok, you got us good", Fred spoke up. "Let's go sit down. We saved you three a plate of food apiece."
The twins and Ron sat down at one of the larger tables and talked while the three ate. They were all speculating about the size, appearance, and business of the troll. The Weasleys brothers never noticed the occasional smiles and knowing glances of the three youngsters that were sitting at the table with them!
