It was Halloween.
And despite Oliver's secrecy about the new Seeker, the news somehow managed to leak to the rest of the school. Which, unfortunately for Harry, means more fame than being The-Boy-Who-Lived. Joy.
Then came Charmes Class.
The assignment that day had to be done in pairs and, to Harry and Hermione's annoyance, Hermione was paired with Ron, while Harry was paired with Seamus Finnegan.
Harry felt sorry for Hermione, but he did find something in common between her and Ron.
Both of them get extremely red in the face when angry.
"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."
It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Then Seamus shouted "Wingardium Leviosa!" and accidentally made the feather explode.
Harry, who was staring wid eyed at what was once a feather, said to Professor Flitwick "Sir? I think we'll need a new feather."
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much luck, either.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.
"You're going to take an eye out! And you're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.
Harry didn't pay attention to them after that because he was busy re-doing the spell, this time just as Hermione said.
Harry and Hermione said at the same time "Wingardium Leviosa!" And both their feathers were in the air.
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger and Mr. Potter have done it!"
After class, Hermione somehow convinced Harry to go to Gryffindor Tower on his own because she wanted to speak to Professor Flitwick.
Unfortunately, Ron caught up with him.
"Wing-gaaaaar-dium Levi-oooooo-sa! Honestly, she's a nightmare! No wonder no one can stand her."
Somebody pushed past them, and Harry was startled to see that it was Hermione. With tears in her eyes.
"She's heard you." Harry said.
"Who cares? She must've noticed she hasn't got any friends." Ron replied with his nose in the air.
"I'm her friend!"
Ron looked shocked. As if that was something that wasn't supposed to happen.
Harry took of after her. He's never been so happy that 'Harry Hunting' was Dudley and his gang's favorite game. He was able to build speed and stamina from all the running and dodging, so he was able to catch up with Hermione in no time.
That, and he can hear her heart beat. So even if he lost her, he'll be able to locate her again.
Just as he rounded a corner on the second floor, he found her rushing into the Girl's Loo. Just great.
Pressing his ear to the door, Harry strained himself to her anything other than the sobs that were breaking his heart. But he could only hear her heart beat.
Ba dum... Ba dum... Ba dum...
After being satisfied that it was only Hermione in there, he opened the door and crept in.
"Hermione?" The sobs stopped.
"Who's there? This is the girl's bathroom!" Asked Hermione, though she knew fully well who it was, having heard his heart beat following her. Out of all the students -and staff- in the entire school, she can only hear the heart beat of one single person, so her list on who was it the girl's bathroom was pretty short.
"Hermione, it's Harry." Harry, slowly, opened the stall that Hermione was in, and his heart broke all over again by the sight of her teary eyes that were looking back at him.
Harry immediately went for action.
"W-What are you doing? Hermione asked.
"Repaying you for what you did for me on the train."
"I was only trying to help you."
"And now I'm helping you." Harry said, tightening his arms around her.
They sat there in silence. Comfortable silence. Hermione was crying softly on Harry's chest and he didn't mind.
Thud.
A great stomb shattered the silence.
Thud.
Thud.
Slame.
Click.
"Did somene just lock us in?" Harry asked. Hermione shrugged.
Smash.
A troll ripped the stoll door off its hings.
Harry and Hermione screamed and went of into different directions.
The troll was advancing on Hermione (who froze against the wall), knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.
"Confuse it!" Harry heard someone say, and then a tap zoomed past the troll's head 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.
"Oy, pea-brain!" Harry saw Ron and, Surprisingly, Neville from the other side of the Chamber. Neville threw a metal pipe at the troll. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but 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 Hermione, who was nearest and had no way to escape.
Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He 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 Harry said "Leave. Hermione. ALONE!" Then he stuck his wand (which was still in his hand when he'd jumped) straight up one of the troll's nostrils.
Howling with pain, 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.
Neville, desperate to do something to help, cried the first spell that came to mind: "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 back, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
Unfortunately for Harry, he was still on its back.
Harry screamed in pain. His entire lower body was beneath a 15 ton troll, which effectively shattered both of his legs.
"HARRY!" Hermione shouted, putting his head on his lap. "Someone, get a Professor! NOW!" And Neville took of.
"Hermione...? " Harry whispered, clearly in pain.
"Yes, Harry?" She answered, running her hands through his hair. Harry smiled at her.
"It's all your fault, Granger!" Harry and Hermione looked at the source of the sound, only to find being a red haired (and a red faced) furnace looking back at them.
Or specifically, Hermione.
"My fault? How come it's my fault!" Countered Hermione.
"If it weren't for you, Harry wouldn't've come here! That troll should've finished you off, you little shit!"
"FIVE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDORE, MR. WEASLEY!!" Neville came back. Followed by McGonagll, Snape, and (to Hermione's relief) Madam Pomfrey.