"Oh, is that a challenge?"
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Lmao, thanks for reading.
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Harry's POV
Me, Ron and (Y/N) were having a good laugh at seeing Malfoy's face, shocked at the fact that we're still in the school.
By the next morning we thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure. In the meantime, I filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, we spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.
"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.
"Or both," I said.
"It has to be, or it wouldn't need such protection." (Y/N) told us.
Anyway, neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. Neville seemed scared to death.
Hermione was now refusing to speak to us. All we really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to our great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.
As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Much to my surprise, (and (Y/N)'s), they dropped the two odd parcels right infront of us. Another owl dropped a letter in the middle of the table.
(Y/N) opened the letter and leaned on Harry to read:
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DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE
TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousands, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got broomsticks or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor McGonagall
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I passed the note to Ron, feeling all giddy.
"Nimbus Two Thousands!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."
"C'mon, we'll open them back in the common room!" (Y/N) said, as she practically jumped off her seat at the table, grabbing the parcel and dragging both me and Ron along.
Halfway across the entrance hall we found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from me.
"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to me with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."
"It's not any old broomstick, it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. (Y/N)'s got one too." he said, gesturing to (Y/N) as Malfoy's face turned to another level of jealousy. "What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty? Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."
"I like how you always add finance in this as if it matters." said (Y/N), not looking at Malfoy but twirling her finger around the package, "but you've completely forgotten who's got the brooms. If you were so good on one, what aren't you on the team?"
Malfoy's face returned to anger, buy he didn't say anything and (Y/N) didn't seem the slightest bit of fury. How was she so quick with the comebacks? It was something that I'd found funny and admiring at the same time.
Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.
"Not arguing, I hope?" he squeaked.
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor!" said Malfoy quickly. "So has (L/N)!"
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at us. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, (L/N). You too, wasn't it Potter? And what model is it?"
"Nimbus Two Thousands, they are" I said, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," I added.
We headed upstairs, smothering our laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.
"Well, it's true," I chortled as we reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall we wouldn't be on the team..."
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind us. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in bott mine and (Y/N)'s hands.
"Huh, I guess it is. Full marks again Hermione!" (Y/N) said.
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" I said.
"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.
After lessons and dinner, we bolted upstairs to unwrap the brooms at last. We went into the boys' dormitories ( (Y/N) as well, who didn't seem to mind.)
"Wow," Ron sighed.
"Can't believe I'll be riding this." said (Y/N).
As seven o'clock drew nearer, me and (Y/N) left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. It was very grand, (Y/N) thought so too.
"Bet I can fly better than you." I said to (Y/N) as we waited for Wood.
"Oh, is that a challenge?" she asked, confidently.
"If you want it to be." I shrugged.
"You're all talk, let's go." she said, as she mounted her broom.
"On the count of three." I added, also mounting my broom. "One.. two --"
But before I could finish, she'd already started flying off, her long, (h/c) hair whipping behind her as she laughed at my shock.
"That's not fair!" I yelled.
"Come and do something about it then!" she mocked, sticking her tongue out.
I kicked off the ground, wind rushing through my armd and through ny untameable hair as I flew besides her and stopped.
"These brooms are so much netter than the ones we had in flying class!" she exclaimed.
She was right, at the slightest touch, it would turn the exact way you'd want it to. They were speedy as well.
"How about we do a few laps!" I called out to her.
"Fine by me!" she yelled back.
And we did, it was really fun, actually. Laughing as I almost lost control of my broom, she clutched her stomach, forgetting that she was also a few feet up in the air and lost control. We regained poster as we carried on flying.
"Hey, Potter! (L/N)! Come down!"
Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.
"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant... you two really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."
He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.
"Right," said Wood. "There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."
Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a football.
"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"
"So -- that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"
"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously.
"Never mind," I said quickly.
"Anyways, that's what you (he pointed at (Y/N) ) need to focus on. But you already know that?"
"Yes, I do. I already know the basics." (Y/N) added.
"Good, this'll make it much easier then."
"There's another player on each side who's the Keeper -- I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."
"Okay, got that. So what are they for?" I pointed at the three balls left inside the box.
"Oh no, nasty ones they are." (Y/N) said to me.
"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."
He handed me a small club.
"These two are the Bludgers."
Two balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. They seemed to be straining to escape the straps.
"Stand back," Wood warned me. (Y/N) didn't need telling twice, she moved back almost immediately. He set one free.
The black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at my face. I swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking my nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air -- it zoomed around our heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.
"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team -- the Weasley twins are ours -- it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team."
"(L/N), you've got nothing go worry about. But I'd still say keep an eye on them."
"Nothing I can't handle." she repliedz
"Er -- have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" I asked.
"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers--"
"-- unless they crack my head open."
"You're such a ray of sunshine you are." said (Y/N), as she patted my back.
"Shut up." I muttered as she laughed.
"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers -- I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."
Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.
"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages -- I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.
"Well, that's it, any questions?"
I understood what I had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.
"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."
He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and we were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for me to catch.
I didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. The next fifteen minutes, Wood bought out a Quaffle for (Y/N) as he was doing his job as Keeper. What shocked him was that he missed every one of them to her and as much as he hated it, he was impressed.
After half an our, night had really fallen and we couldn't carry on.
"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."
(Y/N)'s POV
It was Halloween and we were dur in charms. We were going to learn how to make objects fly. I already know how to, so I didn't do much in the lesson. Though, I did get an extra fifteen points for knowing.
Professor Flitwick put the class in pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus. Mine, was Dean. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. Me and Hermione were civil though. We talked a little and grew to like each other too.
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too -- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
I didn't have to do anytging so I just helped Dean with his. Our attention turned to Harry and Seamus as they swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward hust lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it -- Harry had to put it out with his hat.
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.
"No! Stop, stop stop." Hermione said, taking her arm out. "you're going to take someone's eye out! Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's leviOsa, not leviosAR."
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled. "Go on."
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.
"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. I caught a glimpse of her face -- and was startled to see that she was in tears.
"I think she heard you."
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
I punched Ron on the shoulder.
"Hey, what -- ow! (Y/N)! Ow, ow!" he said, as I gave him one last punch. "What was that for?!"
"What do you think?" I shouted, straightening out my skirt, "you don't think it's okay to say something like that, do you?"
"She --"
"No! You've made her upset, Ronald!"
"Ron." he muttered.
"Ronald!" I exaggerated, annoyed, "she must think you're just as bad as Malfoy!" And with that, I strutted away, following in Hermione's footsteps.
I fighred she must've gone to the girls' toilets as I heard some sobs from a cubicle.
"Hermione.." I said, timidly.
"G-go away." she stuttered, still weeping.
"No." I said, firmly. "Ron didn't mean that."
"D-did h-he?"
"Well.. he's just an idiot who doesn't know the different brtween leviOsa and leviosAR."
I heard a small laugh in response.
"Y-you think so?" her tiny voice came.
"I know so."
She walked out of her cubicle, drying her tears with her hands as I gave her a tissue. She muttered a small 'thanks' and as I tried telling her to go to lessons, she didn't want to.
"Maybe I'm not fit to.. to be a witch."
"What? Why would you say that?" I asked, angrily.
"B-because, people don't like others that come from Muggle families."
"You mean pureblood wizards or witches? Well, I'm pureblood and I don't believe that. Especially not, when you're living proof." I said, gently. "You're top of the class for everything."
"So are you."
"That's where you're wrong. I'm not top of the class for Herbology or Histroy Of Magic or Potions. I'm only good at the practical things, where I can use my wand like Defense Against The Dark Arts, or Transfiguration or Charms.. tying with you of course."
She smiled, and sobbed harder.
"Hermione --!"
"Tears of happiness, (Y/N)!" she said, while laughing.
We stayed there talking for a while till we heard a chaotic noise and we assumed the feast was finished, but it was oddly early.
"Can't be finished, can it?" Hermione asked.
"No, it -- can you smell that?" I asked, covering my nose as a horrible stench filled my lungs.
"What -- oh, yeah! That's nasty!"
Hermione's eyes widened all of a sudden, looking over my shoulder and I realised the stink was getting much more stronger.
I turned around. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, 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.
I backed away only to come to a dead end. Hermione tried grabbing my hand but I didn't let her as she ran into the cubicles. The troll swung its club throughout the top as she screamed.
"Hermione!" I yelled, not knowing what I should do.
It advanced on me, trying to swing its club but my reflexes were much better as I ducked underneath and ran to the door. I knew it was locked from the outside so we had no hope.
Hermione ran out of the cubicles and was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint.
At that exact moment, the lock flicked again and two boys ran in. One with ginger hair and the other with raven coloured hair.
"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.
The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.
"What do I do? What can help" I questioned to myself. I oanicked as I grabbed my wand and pointed it at the broken pieces of the doir. I bewitched them to start throwing themselves at the troll and it actually worked!
It was being hit at a rapid pace, hitting in all sorts. I turned my attention to Hermione, not dropping my wand or the spell.
"Hermione, move!"
But it was no use, it seemed as though she were paralysed.
I lowered my wand looking at Ron to see if he was okay. The troll was now injured and was very clumsy. I made sure to bewitch one that could repeatedly hit its head as hard as it could.
"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron, and he threw a metal pipe at it. It heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.
"Come on, run, run!" Harry 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.
The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.
I raised my and again and shot red sparks at it, protecting Ron.
"incendio!" I yelled, waving my eand in sync as the troll's arm caught fire. It seemed to burn bad as it kept waving it, yelling at the top of its lungs as I gtabbed Ron's hand and pulled him away.
Harry, the idikt, took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.
Howling with pain, with the fire on its arm as well as the wand up its nose, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.
I raised my wand again, thinking of a spell but Ron beat him to it.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over -- and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
"Cool." said Ron, waving his wand.
Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. I put my wand back into my robes, flabbergasted.
It was Hermione who spoke first.
"Is it -- dead?"
"I don't think so," said Harry, I think it's just been knocked out."
"Never mind that, Harry. Are you okay?" I asked. "You couldn't exactly blame me. The stupid boy decided to julp on its head whilst its arm was on fire.
"Yeah.. shaken up a bit though."
He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.
"Urgh -- troll boogers."
He wiped it on the troll's trousers.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realised what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at us. I'd 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."
Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?
"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. (Y/N) set its arm on fire as well as distracting it by bewitching these broken pieces to attack. Harry stuck his wand up its nose 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."
We all tried to look as though this story wasn't new to us.
"Well -- in that case... " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of us, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
Hermione hung her head. We were all speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get us out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.
"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 me, Harry 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."
We hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until we'd 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."
"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," Harry reminded him.
I smiled at them. "Thanks by the way. You saved me too."
"Well, you were doing just fine on your own." said Harry.
"It was rounding on me too, you set its arm on fire." said Ron and muttered a very quiet thanks.
We reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pig snout," we 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. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of us looking at each other, we all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.
But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became our friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.
————————————————-Fabulous four vs some fat ugly troll.
Guess who won?
Word Count: 4352