Chapter 10: Halloween
I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter
Daisuke slowly awoke early on Halloween morning to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin that was being magically spread through the corridors of the castle. She yawned softly before giggling when Demi-Veemon fell off the bed in his sleep, sleepwalking in the direction of the delicious smells from the kitchens far down below. "Always thinking with his stomach that one." Salem sighed, stretching his body with an amused smile on his face.
"Yep." Daisuke replied before she looked over at Hermione, the bushy haired girl already out of bed and rushing about to get ready for that day's classes. "I hope that my dream doesn't come true." She then thought as she got ready herself and rushed down the stairs scooping Demi-Veemon up in her arms as she went.
Soon the first year Gryffindors were in the Charms classroom for their lesson, they took their seats as Professor Flitwick was waiting for them atop his mountain of books. "Welcome class, I hope you are all excited for today's lesson. We will be practicing the levitation charm." He explained with a smile.
The students all shared excited looks, most of them had been dying to learn the charm ever since Professor Flitwick had used it to lift Neville's toad and Demi-Veemon into the air above the student's heads. "Now, let's split you all up into pairs." The Charms Professor said, Daisuke sat between Seamus Finnigan and Harry while Ron to his displeasure was paired with Hermione who seemed just as mad about the pairing as he was.
Flitwick waved his wand slightly and a box floated into the air and several white feathers floated out and landed on the desks in front of each student, Daisuke's face going pale at seeing the feather in front of her. "Now then, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Swish and flick, swish and flick." He told them.
The class nodded and took out their wands. "Swish and flick." They muttered, practicing the movement a few times as the professor watched them.
"And also, be sure to pronounce the incantation properly. Pronunciation is very important for spell casting, let us not forget the tale of the wizard Barrufio who said 's' instead of 'f' and wound up with a full-grown buffalo on his chest." Flitwick continued.
It was very difficult, Harry and Seamus swished and flicked their wands over and over at their feathers, but the feathers they were meant to be sending skyward remained on the desktop. Daisuke had a modicum more of success, she swished and flicked her wand at the feather, it twitched a moment or two before going still.
Seamus frowned in frustration and prodded his feather with his wand, the feather burst into flames and quickly turned to ash. "I think we're going to need another feather over here, professor." Harry said softly.
"Are you alright Seamus?" Daisuke asked, shaking the boy who nodded dumbly, his eyes wide in shock.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" they heard Ron exclaim, waving his arms around like windmills at his feather.
"Stop, just stop!" Hermione urged, grabbing his arm. "You're going to poke someone's eye out and you're saying it wrong. Make the 'gar' nice and long."
"You do it then if you think you're so good." Ron huffed, glaring at Hermione who huffed and nodded. She held out her wand and swished and flicked it.
"Wingardium Leviosa." She said, the feather slowly began to rise high into the air as she raised her wand.
The whole class stopped to notice this, while Professor Flitwick beamed in delight. "Oh well done! See here everyone, Ms Granger's done it, five points to Gryffindor!" Ron huffed and rested his chin atop his books and was in a foul temper by the end of the lesson.
Ron, Harry, Dean, Seamus, and Daisuke walked out of the classroom and soon were heading down a corridor into a small courtyard. "It's no wonder nobody likes her, she's a nightmare. Can you believe her?" Ron grumbled to them before someone pushed past Daisuke and Harry, they saw it was Hermione who was sniffling and wiping her eyes.
"I think she heard you." Harry mumbled; Ron shrugged before yelping as Daisuke slapped the back of his head hard.
"What was that for?" he questioned, slowly rubbing his head.
"That was for being an insensitive jerk, Ron." She told him, glaring at the taller boy who was about to open his mouth again. "Don't try to defend what you said, and you should be ashamed for talking about someone who was helping you like that without caring if she could hear you or not."
Ron glanced down a bit and Daisuke stormed away from them. "And for the record she does have a friend, me!" Daisuke shouted back to the four boys before she hurried off trying to find Hermione.
Soon it was almost time for the Halloween feast, Daisuke had been searching for Hermione since she ran off after Charms class, the young girl sighed to herself before she remembered her dream a couple nights ago. "The girl's bathroom." She whispered. Holding Demi-Veemon in her arms she ran off and soon arrived at the door to the bathroom.
"I'll wait outside, don't worry I'll keep an eye out." The Digimon chirped, Daisuke smiled and nodded. She placed her partner down before the door and slowly walked inside.
"Hermione?" She called out, hearing crying coming from one of the booths which stopped for a moment after she spoke.
"Daisuke, what're you doing here?" Hermione asked after a short silence.
"I was coming to make sure one of my friends was alright." Daisuke answered with a soft smile as she walked towards the occupied booth.
"Really? I'm your friend?" Hermione asked in disbelief, the door to the booth opening slightly so the bushy haired girl could look at Daisuke.
"Yep. You're my friend, and so is Harry, Demi and even Salem." She chirped with a bright smile. Hermione smiled slightly as she walked out of the booth and sat against the wall, Daisuke joined her as she did so and gave the girl a hug. "Don't listen to what Ron says, he's just a bit jealous you can do things he can't do."
Hermione giggled and rested her head on Daisuke's shoulder. "So, you want to come down to the Halloween feast now?"
"I don't think so. Not yet anyway." She replied.
"Alright, but if you're not there in fifteen minutes I'll come back to find you." Daisuke told her with a grin as she handed the girl a handkerchief.
"Okay." Hermione said, wiping her eyes as Daisuke stood up and left the girl's bathroom. Demi-Veemon jumped into her arms as she walked off down to the Great Hall.
"So, is she going to be okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah, she just needs some time to herself. She'll be down soon, though if she's not down in fifteen minutes I'm going back up to get her." She answered.
Her partner nodded as they soon entered the Great Hall, the Halloween decorations leaving them in awe, a thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceilings while another thousand swooped over the tables, the other students were already eaten the food as it appeared on golden plates, Daisuke took her spot at the Gryffindor table between Percy and Harry.
"So, um…is Hermione okay?" Daisuke glanced over at Ron with a raised eyebrow, the red haired boy looking down at his plate of food.
"She's alright, she's in the girl's bathroom. She'll be down soon." She told the boy with a small smile before she helped herself to a piece of pumpkin pie as Harry ate a jacket potato.
The pumpkins and candles floated overhead, the bats occasionally swooping down at the students before flying back to their perches. The mood of the Great Hall changed however when Professor Quirrell barrelled through the doors and rushed between the tables down to Professor Dumbledore and the others, his turban askew, coming almost undone as he ran.
He hunched over the teacher's table and panted, a look of sheer terror on his face. "Troll…in the dungeons! Thought you'd ought to know…" he got out before he collapsed in a dead faint.
The Great Hall was silent for a few moments, the magnitude of what everyone heard taking time to be processed before there was an uproar, everyone began to panic and scream, and it took several bursts of purple firecrackers from Professor Dumbledore's wand to silence the frantic students.
"Will everyone please not panic. Prefects escort your houses to your dormitories. Hufflepuff and Slytherin students, as your houses are in the dungeons, remain in the Great Hall until further notice. Teachers, will you all follow me to the dungeons." He said calmly, and like that the panic was lessened as Percy and Jun quickly gathered up the Gryffindor house and led them out of the Great Hall, the Ravenclaw students following while the other houses remained.
"A troll?" Daisuke whispered, her eyes going wide as she remained her dream. "A troll is going to attack Hermione…that's what the giant club meant." Quickly she grabbed Ron and Harry's arms pulling both boys aside as the rest of their house hurried up the stairs.
"What?" Ron asked, growing worried at seeing the girl's pale skin and frightened expression.
"Hermione, she doesn't know about the troll!" Daisuke whispered urgently, both boys shared a worried look before they ran off to the girl's bathroom, Demi-Veemon holding onto Daisuke's robes as she ran.
They just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. "Percy/Jun!" Daisuke and Ron said at the same time, dreading the thought of their family member catching them. Harry pulled them both behind a stone griffin beside the wall as the footsteps got closer.
To their confusion as they peered around the statue, they saw not Percy or Jun, but Professor Snape running down the corridor and he turned a corner, disappearing from view.
"What's he doing here? The dungeons aren't on this floor, why isn't he with the other teachers?" Harry whispered to his friends.
Ron and Daisuke shrugged before as quietly as possible, they crept down the corridor after the Professor's fading footsteps. "That's the way to the third floor." Demi-Veemon whispered before he caught a terrible smell as he sniffed around. "Ugh…that stench…"
The three humans blinked and sniffed the air also and recoiled from the horrible odour before the floor shook, a faint thump making them look down a passageway to the left to see something coming towards them. Daisuke waved her hand and the three sank into the shadows, Demi-Veemon covering his mouth and sinking into Daisuke's robes as the being crept closer.
As it passed through a patch of moonlight coming in from the windows, a horrible sight stood before them. A twelve-foot tall, dull grey creature with long lumpy arms and short thick legs, a small round head perched on its shoulders, two big floppy ears, a big bulbous nose, and small beady eyes. A torn and tattered hide shirt and a small cloth were the only clothes it wore, a long wooden club was being dragged along the floor by one of its long arms.
The stench from the creature was horrible, it grunted and groaned a moment before lumbering down the corridor and it stopped by an open doorway before poking its head inside and walking into the room.
Harry and Ron were silent, sharing a worried look while Daisuke ran out towards the open door. "Wait, come back!" Ron hissed at her.
"Hermione's in there. It's the girl's bathroom!" Daisuke replied, as she told them that a terrified scream came from the bathroom, followed by the sound of wood splintering and the roar from the troll.
Harry and Ron gasped, and they all ran inside, there now hiding under one of the bathroom sinks, amidst the destroyed bathroom stalls was Hermione curled up shivering in fear as the Troll looked around the bathroom.
"Help!" the bushy haired girl screamed to the three of them.
"Distract it, quick!" Daisuke told the boys, grabbing a piece of wood and hurling it at the back of the troll's head, the troll stopped when it felt the impact and looked around confused before Harry and Ron began hurling wood and other debris at it too.
"Oi, pea brain!" Ron shouted, throwing a large chunk of wood at the troll which glanced off the side of its head.
Demi-Veemon hopped out of Daisuke's hood and landed in front of her as she pulled out her Digivice. "You ready?" she asked her partner.
"Yeah, let's do it!" he shouted bravely.
Daisuke nodded and held her Digivice into the air. "Digi-Armour Energise!" she shouted; a bright light filled the bathroom as Demi-Veemon quickly turned into Veemon before glowing bright orange.
"Veemon armour digivolve to…Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!" he shouted, the troll looking at the Digimon stupidly while Ron, Hermione and Harry stared at the new figure in surprise.
"Wicked!" Ron whispered.
"Demi-Veemon?" Harry asked.
Flamedramon shook his head. "Not now. Now I am Flamedramon. We can explain later, we've got Hermione to rescue." He said before leaping into the air and kicking the troll in the face, the force of the blow sent it stumbling away from Hermione who crawled under the row of sinks.
The troll roared and swung its club at the Digimon who jumped high above it. "Flame Fist!" his left fist was covered in flame, and he shot three orbs of fire at the troll, the attacks hit the chest of the troll making it growl in anger. "What's the matter? Can't handle the heat?" Flamedramon taunted, ducking under another swing of the club, the troll was angered further before swinging the club to the left, but as Flamedramon went to attack the troll swung the club quickly.
"Flamedramon!" Daisuke screamed, seeing her partner get hit and slam into the wall, landing on the destroyed bathroom stalls. She ran over to her partner as the troll swung its club down on the bathroom sink where Hermione was.
She screamed and barely avoided the strike, the sink shattering, and shards of it flew everywhere. "Hey over here!" Ron shouted, running around the troll while throwing a lead pipe from one of the ruined sinks at the troll's head again.
The troll snorted and turned around, roaring at the red haired boy, as it raised its club, Harry did something incredibly brave and stupid at the same time, he took a running jump and grabbed onto the club. "Whoa!" He yelped as he was lifted easily into the air, he slipped off and landed on the troll's shoulders.
The troll didn't notice the young boy landing on it, but it did notice when Harry jammed his wand right up its nostril. It howled in pain and managed to grab Harry by his ankle, yanking the boy off he dangled upside down before lifting himself up as the troll swung its club at him. "Do something!" He shouted to Ron.
Ron gulped before he pulled out his wand and waved it, he shouted the first spell he could think of. "Wingardium Leviosa!" suddenly the club flew out of the troll's hand as it went to swing it at Harry again, it flew high into the air before turning over and dropping onto its owner's head with a sickening crack.
Harry fell from the troll's hand as it stumbled around, its eyes rolled back into its head as Flamedramon stirred and got back to his feet. The troll began to fall forwards towards Harry, it would have crushed the boy had Flamedramon not rushed in and carried him out of harm's way.
The entire room shook from the troll's collapse, everyone was silent, shaking and out of breath. Ron stared at his wand, amazed at what he had just done. "I…is it…d…dead?" Hermione was the first to speak, slowly walking over to the others.
"I don't think so. Probably just knocked out." Flamedramon said, he set Harry down who quickly pulled his wand out of the troll's nostril.
"Ugh…troll bogies." He groaned, wiping the grey sludge off his wand using his sleeve. The four students turned to the door as it was slammed open by Professor McGonagall who rushed inside followed by Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell.
Professor McGonagall gasped, holding a hand to her chest as she took in the scene of destruction and the unconscious troll. "Oh, my goodness, explain yourselves, all of you!" she demanded, pointing at the troll and then the students.
"It's my fault Professor McGonagall!" Daisuke quickly said, before Hermione could say anything. "I told Hermione that if she didn't make it down to the feast, that I would come looking for her. When I heard that a troll was in the castle, I wanted to make sure my friend was safe. Harry and Ron followed me, if they hadn't…I think Hermione and I would probably be dead by now."
Harry and Ron shared a look as Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and composed herself, she then noticed Flamedramon standing nearby. "I take it this is your Digimon, Ms Ainsworth?"
"Yes. His name is Flamedramon, he helped against the troll." Daisuke answered with a small smile as her partner de-digivolved into Veemon who waved at the Head of Gryffindor House.
"Well…I hope you realise how foolish you were Ms Ainsworth, to rush into danger so recklessly and risk your life and the lives of your friends. Five points, will be taken from Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall said sternly.
Daisuke nodded, lowering her head in shame as Harry noticed Professor Snape's robes were torn around his left leg, which was bleeding, he glanced up at the Potion's Master who blocked the view with his robes and gave Harry a pointed glare.
"As for Mr Potter and Mr Weasley." Professor McGonagall continued, glaring at both boys. "I hope you realise how lucky you are. Not many first years can take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale." Ron and Harry nodded quickly. "As such, five points…will be awarded to both of you."
Both boys blinked and shared a smile. "For sheer dumb luck!" their professor added. "Now all of you, return to Gryffindor House, the feast is being continued there." She told them, turning, and marching out of the bathroom with Professor Snape following with a noticeable limp.
Professor Quirrell looked at the students and nervously smiled. "P…perhaps you ought to go. H…he might wake up soon." He told the students. The four nodded and walked off, Veemon jumping into Daisuke's arms as Professor Quirrell stepped closer to the troll which suddenly growled in its slumber, the professor yelped and tripping over his own feet.
Soon, Daisuke, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Veemon reached the Fat Lady's portrait and it swung open as they uttered the password. They stood in the doorway, seeing the entire house enjoying the food that had been sent up.
"Th…thanks for coming to save me." Hermione whispered to the others.
"Don't mention it. And…sorry for, ya know…" Ron muttered embarrassedly while scratching the back of his neck.
Hermione didn't say anything, but she nodded, and they walked into the Common Room and grabbed some food, moving to the side of the room they began eating quietly. "Jun is gonna be so mad when she finds out about this." Veemon muttered as he and Daisuke sat on an armchair together.
"That goes double for my parents. I can't believe my dream came true." Daisuke whispered. "What should I do?" she asked him.
"Write your parents, they need to know as soon as possible. Before another dream happens." Veemon answered.
"I'll do it tomorrow; we've got a free period. I can send it to them with Jun's owl." She said and her partner nodded as they continued to enjoy the food and the company of their friends.
The end of the chapter
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