Chapter Four – Halloween

The day finally came when Professor Flitwick announced that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. The students were put into pairs to practice. Harry found himself partnered with Millicent, which made him slightly nervous. Millie was incredibly gifted when it came to hexes and jinxes, but was stunningly awful at charms. It was a fact that often led her to get frustrated during class, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Harry cast an imploring glance toward Blaise, who snickered at his plight. He didn't have long to laugh at Harry's expense, as he was quickly paired off with Draco Malfoy. Harry suppressed his own laughter at the look of dismay that overspread Blaise's features.

"Now, don't forget that wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. He was a minuscule man, and had to deliver this speech from the top of a pile of spell-books. "Swish and flick!"

He lifted his arm in a demonstration of the movement, inviting students to practice the correct form themselves. Harry watched a few sparks skip out of the end of Millie's wand with apprehension.

"Very good!" Professor Flitwick said. He hadn't noticed Millicent's pyrotechnic display. "And saying the magic words properly is very important as well! Remember, Wingardium Leviosa!"

It was very difficult. Harry was too preoccupied with keeping Millie's temper in check to really focus on making their feather fly. Though perhaps if he manged it, he could give her the credit and fend off a possible magic fit.

"Did you see that?" Millie asked, "I think it moved just a little, don't you?"

Harry was of the opinion that the draft caused by all their swishing and flicking was the result of the slight shift of their feather, but he quickly agreed that they were certainly making progress. He felt slightly better upon seeing that Malfoy was struggling just as much as them.

"Wingardriam Levioosa!" he shouted, waving his arm about and doing very little to move his feather.

Blaise watched him with a smile on his face, head resting in one hand, elbow propped on the desk. "You're saying it wrong, Draco."

"Well, why don't you give it a try?" Malfoy whined, "You've done nothing but sit there watching me for the past ten minutes!"

"Wingardium Leviosa," Blaise said with a lazy flick of his wand. Harry was astonished to see the feather not only rise off the desk, but float with an easy grace over the heads of the students. It finally came to rest directly on top of Professor Flitwick's head.

"What? What's this? Who's...? Ah, Mr. Zabini! Yes, well done! See here, everyone, Mr. Zabini has got the hang of it! Five points to Slytherin!"

Malfoy made a sour expression, adding to Harry's pleasure at his friend's success. Millie, however, looked just as displeased as Malfoy.

"Show off..." she muttered so that only Harry could hear.

Harry gave her a sympathetic smile. "Relax, you know he'll teach us both how to do it as soon as class is over."

And he was right. Blaise was perfectly happy to describe his spell-casting process to his friends, though they had to wade through all the boasting to get at any useful information.

"Sure, charms are easy. Once you've got the hang of one or two, you basically can figure out how to do them all," he bragged, sounding more like a man who had been practicing wandwork over a long career and not a boy of eleven who had only been studying magic for two months. "The movement and the pronunciation are all well and good, but it's the feeling more than anything else. You just have to know what you want to do, and know that you can do it."

To demonstrate, he pointed his wand at a passing Ravenclaw and said "Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry and Millie laughed as the back of the boy's robes flew up over his head.

"See? Easy as flying."

"Is that another thing I'm supposed to find easy?" Millie asked, her expression suddenly dark. Four more sessions of flying class, and her performance was still abysmal at best. Harry and Blaise exchanged a look, wondering if they were both in for a bat-bogey hex, but then Millie broke into a smile.

"Only joking," she said. "Show me that movement again."

They spent most of the afternoon between classes working out spells, dodging teachers so as not to be caught practicing in the halls. Harry had also promised to give special flying lessons to Blaise and Millie, though he wasn't sure how they, as first-years, were going to get their hands on a broom to practice with.

They were still brain-storming ideas for how to break into the broom storage closet as they headed down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, but the grand holiday decorations quickly blasted any rule-breaking activities far from their minds.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low, black clouds, causing the candles in the many jack-o-lanterns to sputter. The usual banquet fare had already appeared on the long dining tables, though this time there was the added treat of pumpkin pasties, cockroach clusters, and other sweet treats. Harry and his friends settled down at the Slytherin table, each with wide grins on their faces. Clearly, no one knew how to celebrate All-Hallows Eve quite like a bunch of witches and wizards.

Harry was trying to decide if he wanted to start with dessert or save if for later when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, turban askew and terror on his face.

"Troll!" he screeched in a voice so loud it immediately silenced all other conversation in the hall. "Troll in the dungeons!"

He came to a sudden stop halfway toward the staff table, as if his legs would no longer carry him, and sank to the floor.

"Thought you ought to know," he gasped, then fell flat on his face in a dead faint.

Screams of terror broke out among the students. Harry did not join in the general din, though he also felt terrified. Professor Quirrell had recently taught his first-year students a little about trolls during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry knew enough now to realize they were not creatures he was keen on meeting.

Professor Dumbledore fired off several purple firecrackers to restore order, or at least to put an end to the uproar.

"Prefects," he said into the sudden silence, "lead your houses back to the dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons."

The prefects from the other three houses sprung into action immediately, barking orders and filing the students out of the hall in neat lines. The Slytherin house remained rooted to their seats, looking at one another in fright. There was a very serious problem with Dumbledore's plan. The entrance to the Slytherin common room was located in the dungeons.

"What do we do?" cried Pansy Parkinson, appealing to their own house prefects.

For once, Gemma Farley looked to be at a loss for words. Her eyes were wide and her face was very pale, but to her credit, her voice was steady when she spoke. "We wait here. The teachers are going to the dungeon now to take care of the troll. We'll all stay right here until they come back."

Most of the students seemed appeased by this plan, but Harry and his friends exchanged wary glances. What if the troll hadn't stayed in the dungeon? Or worse, what if there was more than one? Harry wasn't sure how a troll could have crept into Hogwarts in the first place. They weren't supposed to be very intelligent creatures. But if one managed to get in, couldn't there be another?

"We should ask Snape," Millie said, "He's head of house. He'll know what to do."

"Brilliant. Except Snape's gone down to the dungeon with all the other teachers to hunt a troll!" said Blaise.

Millie shook her head, "No he hasn't. I saw him slip out that door."

She pointed her finger at the entrance to another corridor to the right of the staff table. Harry had never been back there before, but he had seen the teachers come and go through it during meals.

"Where do you suppose he's gone off to?" asked Blaise.

"I don't know," said Harry, "But we're about to find out."

Compelled by a combination of curiosity and fear for what would happen to them if they stayed with the others, Harry jumped up from the table and headed straight for the corridor. He half expected Gemma or one of the other prefects to stop him, or perhaps one of his friends would think he was crazy and put an end to his plan. But somehow in the chaos no one noticed him sidle through the door. Blaise and Millie were right behind him, no questions asked.

The corridor was just a hall like any other. Snape was no where in sight. Harry didn't pause to wonder which way he'd gone, he simply proceeded to jog down the hallway, glancing around corners for a sign of Snape's whereabouts as he went. Blaise had caught up to him in a moment. He could have outran Harry with his longer stride, but he kept pace with him instead. Harry could hear Millie's heavy tread behind them as she uncomplainingly thundered along in their wake.

The corridor eventually led them to a familiar part of the castle. They were close to the moving staircases, and Harry could actually hear the sounds of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students hurrying toward their common rooms. Harry stopped short of joining the crowd, glancing left and right for some clue as to where Snape had gone.

"Harry!" Millie whispered urgently. Harry and Blaise both turned to look at her. Millie had stopped a few paces from them and was pointing down a dark, deserted corridor that Harry had passed without a thought.

"It's close. The forbidden corridor."

Harry and Blaise glanced at one another, and Harry knew his friends were thinking the same thing.

"You don't think Snape...?" Blaise started to ask, but he didn't need to finish the thought, Harry was already directing his footsteps toward the corridor that would take them to the third floor, and the location of the forbidden chamber.

They were just in time. Snape was standing at the entrance to the forbidden corridor, his wand at the ready. Acting on instinct, Harry stopped his friends with a wave of his hand, and together they peered around the corner to watch Snape, wondering what he would do next.

Snape glanced from side to side, as if checking to see if the coast was clear. Harry watched him point his wand at the doorknob and murmur, "Alohamora."

There was an audible click as the door unlatched, and Snape gripped the knob to pull it open fully. Harry struggled to see what was located in the darkness of the chamber beyond, but it was impenetrable. Silence reigned for a moment as Snape stepped forward cautiously.

"Lumos," he said in his bored, sonorous voice, and his wand tip ignited.

Harry couldn't hold back his gasp of shock. Blaise stumbled backward and Millie uttered a curse. Illuminated by the glow of Snape's wand was the head of not one, but three massive dogs. Snape heard their noise in the quiet corridor and he turned fiercely on the spot.

"Who's there?" he demanded, but his sharp voice disturbed the sleeping canines. With a chorus of angry growls the beast stood up, and Harry realized that what he thought were three individual hell-hounds was really three heads attached to one monstrous body.

Snape didn't have time to react. The dog lunged at him, one of its gigantic mouths closing around Snape's left leg. Snape gave a cry of pain and fell to the ground as the beast dragged him further into the dark corridor, his wand flying out of his grasp and clattering to the stone floor.

Harry didn't think, he just sprinted down the hall, tearing his own wand from the pocket of robes and pointing it at the beast. But in his panic, no spells came to mind. What was he supposed to use against a three-headed dog?

There was no time to be indecisive. Wand still gripped tightly in his hand, Harry threw himself after Snape and manged to grip onto his teacher's black robes. He kicked the snout of one of its heads, and the dog released Snape with a yelp. Harry began to drag Snape away, but the dog's other two heads were now turning toward him, furious at the violence he'd used against the first.

Harry was sure they were both goners, until he heard the voices of his friends shouting from just behind him.

"Incendio!" Millie roared. A stunningly bright tongue of flame burst from her wand. It lashed out at the dog, whose three heads yelped in fear and outrage rather than pain as it cowered away from the blast.

While Millie fended them off with her well-aimed jinx, Blaise grabbed on to Snape and helped Harry pull him to safety. Once they were clear of the door, Millie ceased her fire spell and Blaise slammed the door shut again.

"Colloportus," he gasped, short of breath, and Harry heard the latch click shut again, sealing the door. He could still hear the growls of the beast on the other side.

The three students looked to their teacher. Snape was panting heavily. He seemed more than a little dazed by the attack. His leg was covered in blood and had an unpleasant, mangled look about it. It might even have been broken.

"Professor," said Harry cautiously, "Are you alright?"

Snape snapped back to the present in an instant and turned toward Harry with an expression of utter loathing, mixed with just a splash of amazement.

"Potter! What exactly do you think you and your friends are doing?"

"Er... Saving your life?" Harry guessed.

Snape's pale face turned purple with rage, "You should be in your dormitories! And this is the forbidden corridor! Stepping foot in this hall is grounds for expulsion!"

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Was Snape really going to lecture them for saving his life?

"If we hadn't followed you, that dog would be tearing you to shreds right now!" he protested.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" Snape seethed, "And don't you dare speak of what you saw here. Be thankful that I'm not sending you back to your muggle family!"

"Wait, Professor!" Blaise interrupted, "Harry's right! We were only trying to find out what to do since the troll was in the dungeon! And it's lucky we did. Otherwise... What might have happened?"

Snape glared at him, but begrudgingly added, "Fine. Ten points to you Ms. Bulstrode for your excellent use of the fire-making charm. And to you as well, Mr. Zabini. I had no idea Professor Flitwick taught the locking charm this early in his course.

"He doesn't," Blaise said with a touch of his usual pride, "What about Harry, Professor?"

Snape ignored the question and began carefully pushing himself to his feet. He winced in pain as he tried to place weight on his injured leg. Harry, in spite of the anger he felt toward Snape's unjustifiable behavior, offered to help him.

But when Harry reached for him Snape snatched his arm away and aimed another glare of complete hatred toward him. Harry couldn't understand. He'd never experienced such complete dislike from someone, not even from the Dursleys.

"Fine. Don't accept my help," Harry said, his exasperation making him more bold than he would normally be in front of a teacher, "But you've got to get to the hospital wing."

"Don't be stupid, Potter. Who do you think supplies Madame Pomfrey with her potions and salves? I will be fine once I've reached my office."

"At least let me help you..."

"No!" Snape said, his eyes flashing. "Zabini, you will assist me to my office. Bulstrode, see that Potter reaches the common room. I dare say the other teachers will have subdued the troll by now."

Blaise cast Harry a slightly worried look before joining Snape's side. Snape accepted his shoulder for support and began hobbling away, shouting a last warning to Harry and Millie to get out of the forbidden corridor immediately. Then they disappeared around the corner.

Millie and Harry began the trek down to their common room, neither one of them uttering a single syllable. Harry was still too angry for words. What was Snape's problem? Harry had literally saved his life, and rather than thanking him, he takes away house points and threatens expulsion? Harry could only shake his head in disbelief. He hadn't done anything to make Professor Snape hate him, but his contempt was obvious, especially now.

"He's completely ridiculous!" Harry fumed as soon as they entered the Slytherin common room. It was completely empty. Apparently, the rest of the Slytherins were still waiting for instructions down in the Great Hall.

"At least he got the house mixed up," Millie remarked, "He said Gryffindor again."

"That's not the point! He shouldn't have taken points in the first place! I've done nothing except rescue him from a bloodthirsty dog, and he still hates me? Why? What did I ever do to him? It is just because I'm famous? I can't help it that an evil wizard murdered my parents and left me alone! I didn't ask for any of this to happen! I didn't even want to be in his stupid house!"

Millie settled into one of the leather armchairs and quietly let Harry have his rant. Once he'd lost some steam and calmed down, she said, "Well, at least we know we were right about Dumbledore's hiding place."

"What?" asked Harry, his mind still on Snape and his brush with death.

"The package from Gringotts. The dog must be guarding it. So whatever it is, he has hidden it in the forbidden corridor after all."

"Oh. Right. But we still don't know what it is."

Millie shrugged. "No, but we know Snape must want it pretty badly. That's the first place he went when everyone else was distracted."

She was right, Snape was obviously out to get whatever the dog was guarding, and took advantage of the troll's appearance to test the corridor. And who's to say he didn't let the troll in himself to create an opportunity? It occurred to Harry that at least part of Snape's anger must have come from having his plan discovered by a group of students.

"Well, he isn't going to get it," Harry declared. He had his mind made up in an instant, fueled by a spiteful desire to thwart Snape.

"Why not?" asked Millie.

"Because we're going to steal it first."