The Autumn term for Hogwarts was fairly quiet. Quidditch had kicked off and Harry had fallen in love with the sport immediately. During his flying lesson he'd impressed the instructor with how quickly he'd taken to the broom. She let him know that the school held pick-up games every other week. He'd jumped at the chance and was making a name for himself in the sky.
His classes were becoming a little easier as well. He'd gotten used to switching his mind back and forth from mundane subjects to magical ones depending on what class he was studying for. The teachers continually said to be prepared for the Spring term when they would begin to combine the two worlds, slowly introducing them to how magic will influence their whole lives.
During his time he'd made friends with several of the other first years. Daphne and Tracy were nice to him and made sure he was somewhat exposed to the cultural differences in the wizarding world. Blaise Zabini had the quickest wit of the group but he tended to join them only when he was bored. Harry thought his aloof manner was more of a facade to keep people at a distance. The Patil twins also made an effort to get to know Harry, although with some overt flirting thrown in. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott also hung around quite a bit and were friendly to everyone in their year.
It quickly became clear that Draco Malfoy was going to be a bit of a prat throughout their time at Hogwarts. He had kept his distance from Harry except for a few short conversations when it came to schoolwork. Draco had shown he had a mean streak in him when Harry overheard him talking to Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle about the muggleborn students. The disdain he felt for those he believed to be lesser than him shocked Harry. Although, it had sounded a bit rehearsed.
Harry's core group of friends solidified in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Ron and Neville were mainstays in his daily life. Ron tended to be loud and boisterous, while Neville was much more subdued, leaving Harry firmly in the middle. Seamus Finnigan and Justin Finch-Fletchley tended to hang out with them fairly often.
Of his group, Harry and Neville were the most studious. They had joined a study group with Padma, Parvati, Su Li, Terry Boot, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and Hermione who studied more than all of them.
Harry couldn't quite understand Hermione and her intense devotion to her studies. She was intense when it came to her time management and although Harry also wanted to make good grades, she seemed to consider school with an almost religious fanaticism. She kept to herself most of the time, preferring to study as much as possible. Even with her single-minded devotion she was still an excellent help to any that asked and quickly became the top student in their class.
Harry did wonder if there was more to her dedication than just what he could see. Sometimes he noticed she would pause what she was working on and just stare out the window. He could tell she was grappling with something as her breathing would increase and her eyes had an almost terrified look. It would only last for a second before he could see her force her attention back on her work. He'd wanted to ask her about it but there wasn't ever a time where they were alone and he didn't want to call attention to her if she felt uncomfortable.
So, he kept his thoughts to himself and went about his business.
Harry was walking to Transfiguration and mulling over his thoughts about the Halloween feast happening the following night. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.
On the one hand, most of his friends were excited and looking forward to the celebration, not just of Halloween but also of the night Voldemort fell, freeing the wizarding world of the fear he'd kept them in for decades. Ron especially couldn't wait for the feast. On the other hand, it was the anniversary of the murder of his parents and the beginning of his life with the Dursleys.
Only Neville had picked up on Harry's uncertainty. He'd done his best to steer the conversations away from the celebration and tried to focus on school and their various other activities. Harry appreciated him for that.
He eventually made it to the classroom and took his usual seat, his thoughts still on the next day. When the instructor finally entered, Harry took out his notes on the spell they'd been working on and shifted his attention to the lecture.
An hour and a half later the class was dismissed and he wandered his way back to the first year's common room to study.
The next day started like any other. Harry woke early and readied himself for the day. He was usually one of the first to the Great Hall for breakfast, sending a wave to Hagrid at the staff table. He sat down next to the Weasley twins who seemed to be waiting on something. Harry was about to pour himself something to drink when the twin closest to him stopped him.
"That one's for Ron," he whispered with a wink.
Harry withdrew his hand quickly, not wanting to accidentally become the recipient of whatever prank the twins had in mind.
Eventually, Ron came down and joined them with a grunt of a greeting. His hair was a mess, as usual, and looking like he might fall back asleep at any moment. Harry knew even if he did fall asleep, he'd still finish breakfast mostly on muscle memory.
He loaded his plate with everything within reach he reached for the pitcher and began to pour himself a drink. Harry watched as the pumpkin juice transformed into a bunch of small spiders as they entered Ron's cup. Ron screamed and dropped the pitcher, falling backwards off the bench.
Harry knew something was wrong immediately when the twins launched themselves across the table, one of them vanishing the spiders with a wave of their wand. The other bent down to Ron doing his best to calm him down while apologizing.
"We're so sorry, Ron," he said in the most serious tone Harry had heard from either of them. "It was supposed to be crickets. We must have gotten something wrong on the cup."
At that point, Percy approached the trio who were in the middle of the floor of the Great Hall.
"What happened?" he asked, clearly annoyed but with an undercurrent of concern.
"We tried playing a prank on Ron involving crickets but it came out as spiders."
Percy's face twisted into fury but the twin cut him off.
"Believe me, we never would have intentionally done anything with spiders. We know how much they affect him."
Percy glared at him before nodding and kneeling down to Ron who was nodding back to whatever the other twin was saying into his year. After a moment the twins helped him up and escorted him out of the great hall. Percy turned to the crowd that had gathered and glared them back to their tables.
Harry stepped forward when everyone dispersed, concerned about Ron.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Ron is not…." Percy started before sighing. "Ron is not fond of spiders. After a prank with a teddy bear when he was little, he becomes almost hysterical when it comes to them."
Harry nodded in understanding.
"I'm sure the twins meant nothing by it."
"I'm sure as well," Percy replied. "After the teddy bear prank and the subsequent consequences I know they would never intentionally exploit that particular fear. I just wish they would drop the childish pranking. It's unbecoming."
With that, Percy made his way to the Gryffindor table and began his breakfast. Harry went back up to his room to collect his things for Charms.
He was excited for the class because today was the day they learned how to levitate things. He'd been studying the theory with Hermione and the others in his study group. The anticipation leading up to the class had all of them in a good mood.
When Harry made it to the classroom, Ron was already there. He was in the back corner of the classroom with a clearly agitated look on his face. He looked a bit green still from the shock of the spiders and it was obvious he didn't want to talk to anyone. Harry sat down at his usual desk, nodded at Ron, and waited for the class to begin.
When their instructor, a seventh year Charms mastery student named Marcus, began the class, he quickly ran them through some finer points on the theory and walked them through the wand movement and incantation a few times. Once he was satisfied, he cleared the room of desks and conjured two long and narrow tables that ran down the center of the classroom. He placed a few feathers on each table and randomly paired off students to begin practicing the spell.
Harry was paired with Seamus who let him go first. After a few tries, all he'd been able to do was move the feather around on the table. Seamus didn't have much more luck before getting frustrated and angrily poking the feather with his wand causing it to burst into flames.
Harry was returning to his place next to Seamus when he heard Hermione correcting Ron's pronunciation of the spell. Ron, still clearly upset about the spiders, was snapping back at her before challenging her to do the spell. Hermione rolled up her sleeves and performed the spell perfectly.
"Very well done, Miss Granger!" the instructor exclaimed happily. "Excellent work."
Harry smiled at Hermione who released the spell with a smile, clearly happy to have her hard work noticed. Ron, on the other hand, looked angry. Harry made a mental note to talk to him after class and make sure he was okay.
Eventually, Harry, Seamus and the rest of the class achieved some semblance of levitation with their feathers. Marcus seemed very happy and dismissed them all early.
Harry approached Ron as he was packing away his things. Ron spoke before he could say anything.
"Honestly, I don't know how any of you can stand her," he said, fuming. "She's a nightmare know-it-all who can't leave the rest of us alone."
Harry's anger flared for a second before he wrenched it under control.
"Ron, what the hell is wro-" Before Harry could finish Ron cut him off, glancing over Harry's shoulder before suddenly deflating, the anger leaving his expression in an instant.
"Shit…"
Harry stopped confused before looking back to the front of the class. He saw Hermione rushing away from them and disappearing out the door. He turned back to Ron, ready to read him the riot act when he noticed Ron suddenly looking very tired.
"Shit," Ron said again. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm just in a really bad mood after the spi- after this morning. I'll apologize at the next class. Hopefully I don't put my foot in my mouth…"
Harry nodded in understanding and left the classroom before heading toward his next class. When he got there, Hermione was missing. Ron looked even more uncomfortable knowing it was probably his fault.
Harry was about to go looking for her when the teacher stepped into the room and began class. Harry sat down and shifted his focus to chemistry.
I hope Hermione is okay…
The day kept Harry busy. He wanted to look for Hermione but with class and the feast he was never able. Parvati mentioned that she was in the girls bathroom and wanted to be left alone. When Ron heard that he deflated even more.
Harry sat next to Ron at the feast and they watched as the swarm of bats flew around the ceiling. The distraction above was only overcome when the food appeared before them. Ron dug in like usual. Harry hesitated, still unsure what to think.
He was slowly building his plate and thinking about his parents when the door to the Great Hall slammed open and Professor Quirrell came running through screaming.
"Troll in the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon!"
He made it about halfway to the staff table before stopping, out of breath. He spoke again when he noticed everyone's attention on him.
"Troll in the dungeon," he said, still breathing hard. "Just thought you ought to know."
Then he fainted.
The students immediately stood and panic would have ensued had Dumbledore not silenced them all. He then ordered the prefects to escort the houses back to their common rooms and the Head Boy and Girl to take the first years to theirs.
As the first years were led out of the Great Hall, Harry pulled Ron aside.
"Hermione doesn't know about the troll," he whispered.
"Bloody hell…" Ron looked tired but nodded back at Harry. "Let's go find her."
They quickly headed toward the girls bathroom they knew Hermione to be in. They moved cautiously so they wouldn't get caught by anyone. Eventually, they made it to the proper corridor.
Harry froze and watched as a massive troll ducked into the very bathroom they were looking for. Harry took off at a dead sprint.
"Why do I have to be such an arse sometimes…" Ron said before following Harry.
Before Harry made it to the door he heard Hermione scream. The sound pushed Harry to a new level of adrenaline. He burst through the door to see Hermione hiding under the sinks at the far side of the room. The troll was trudging toward her and lifting its club.
An instinct Harry didn't know he had forced him to move. He scooped up a piece of shattered sink and threw it at the troll's head. His aim was true and the troll's attention shifted to Harry.
Ron finally came through the door to see Harry dive under a giant club. The troll didn't expect to miss and over swung, falling over with the loss of balance. It crushed the stalls as it fell, groaning.
Harry sprung back to his feet and rushed to Hermione. She was terrified and grasping the pipes under the sink. He tried to coax her up to escape the room but she was too locked into her fear. Harry looked back over his shoulder to see the troll get back to its feet and pick up its club. Ron was at the door shouting for them to move and throwing rocks at the troll.
This time, though, the troll would not be deterred. It rose to its full height and raised its club to strike. Harry still couldn't get Hermione to move.
This is not the way I wanted to die, he thought, moving his body in front of hers bracing for the incoming blow. The club descended in a deadly arc and Harry threw his hands up in a futile attempt to stop it. As he did, he felt something in his chest explode forcing a yell from his mouth and his eyes to snap open.
Ron watched as the club rushed toward Harry and Hermione. He cried out just as Harry threw his hands up as if to block the club and yelled, a yellow light bursting from his skin. Just as the club was about to make contact it shattered against some sort of shield, the shockwave launching the troll through the wall behind it. Ron was flung out of the bathroom door and into the corridor.
He rolled to his feet just as the school faculty came running down the corridor. He was stopped by Madame Pomfrey as the rest of the teachers entered the bathroom. He tried to see what was happening but she refused, already closing some of the smaller cuts he'd received from the club's shrapnel. Her attention was ripped away from him when Professor Dumbledore called her name.
She left Ron then and pushed through the throng of teachers, Ron hot on her heels. When they finally broke through the crowd Ron saw the results of Harry's desperate defense.
The troll was either knocked out or dead, lodged halfway into the wall, pipes leaking water into the destroyed bathroom. Wood chips were scattered around the floor with a few embedded into the walls. The only place that wasn't filthy was the area immediately around Harry and Hermione.
Harry was passed out on the ground, Hermione hovering over him with tears running down her face. Professor McGonagall gently pulled her away with assurances that he was fine and to let Madame Pomfrey work.
The mediwitch was waving her wand over Harry and looking for any damage. After a short moment she nodded and turned to the headmaster.
"He's fine, just unconscious. He should wake up in a moment or two."
Professor Dumbledore nodded and turned to Ron.
"What happened?" He asked, his tone serious.
Ron shuffled his feet embarrassed that his anger had caused all this. He was about to confess when Hermione interrupted him.
"It's my fault, Professor Dumbledore," she said, wiping her eyes. "When I heard there was a troll I was curious and wanted to see if I could handle it on my own." She looked at Harry and continued. "Harry and Ron must have heard the commotion and come looking for me. If it weren't for them, I'd be dead."
She barely finished the sentence before a sob rocked her. Ron didn't know what to do, especially since he'd started everything.
Dumbledore studied Hermione's face for a moment before shifting his focus back to Ron.
"What caused the explosion? I'm quite sure no first year spells can cause this amount of damage."
Ron launched into an explanation of everything he'd seen. Hermione had calmed again and was listening intently. She hadn't been in the right state to really notice what had happened.
"It looked like he was shooting light out of his hands and body when the club struck. From there, I was thrown out the door. You were here for the rest."
Dumbledore drew his wand and waved it about the room and over Harry, his eyebrows rising a bit.
"It looks like you three got very lucky," he said. "Mr. Potter's magic reacted to his situation and shielded him. It's not unlike accidental magic with children or when a mother is able to lift a very heavy object when her child is in danger."
Ron nodded, he'd seen his mother break a door down without her wand when Ginny was choking on something in her room. She too had passed out once she had Ginny taken care of.
"What is unusual is the force with which the shield manifested," Dumbledore continued. "The majority of the time a person's accidental shield would just protect them and stop the object of danger. It seems in this situation, Harry's magic wanted to fight back so to say."
Ron glanced at Harry's unconscious form, hoping his friends would wake soon.
Dumbledore stared about the room for a few seconds longer before seeming to remember the others were there. He turned to Madame Pomfrey.
"Take these three down to the hospital wing. I'm sure Mr. Potter will want to make sure these two are safe when he awakes." He then turned to the other professors and gave them instructions to remove the troll and repair the bathroom.
Ron and Hermione followed the floating Harry down to the hospital wing in silence. When they arrived, Madame Pomfrey had them shower and change into clean clothes brought down from their dorms. Eventually, the mediwitch left them to sleep after leaving sleeping draughts for them and Harry if he woke.
Ron stared at the ceiling for more than an hour before looking across Harry to Hermione. She was sitting on the edge of her bed watching Harry, with a worried expression. He stood up and walked to the foot of her bed. After gathering his thoughts, he spoke.
"I'm sorry for what I said in Charms. You didn't deserve that and you never will. My brothers had accidentally rattled me this morning and I took my anger out on you. I hope I can make it up to you."
Hermione had only glanced at him when he approached but her eyes had shifted back to Harry.
"I overreacted a bit," she whispered. "I've been so wound up about school and making sure I was perfect that I became abrasive and bossy."
"That's no-" Ron began but Hermione silenced him with a look.
"Yes it is. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way." She sighed and swung her legs up onto the bed, scooting up to lean against the headboard.
"I've been judging everyone when it comes to their study habits," she continued. "I thought all of you who weren't studying like me were being disrespectful to the knowledge that's held here. I forgot that we're only seventeen and that there are other things to do besides studying."
Ron chuckled, glad she wasn't holding anything against him.
"When Harry gave his little speech about magic in the common room I couldn't help but agree with him. But I just couldn't understand how he could think the way he does and not obsess over the work like I do. I've caught myself thinking about it a lot and struggling to reconcile my own thought process.
"When you said what you did in Charms, it felt like everything I'd worked so hard for was for nothing. It hit me that I could have all the knowledge in the world but if I didn't have friends, it would be useless. I would be useless."
Ron nodded along, throughout her words he felt a shift in his mindset as well. He'd been doing the opposite, too much fun and not enough study.
Hermione drew her knees to her chest and hugged her legs.
"I thought I was going to die tonight… I cowered under that sink and waited for the end. When Harry came in and tried to get me to move I was too scared. I couldn't let go. It was all too much. I just wanted to keep my head down and accept what came. Then he stood up and yelled. It was like watching something gigantic move slowly through water."
Ron looked up, she hadn't mentioned this with Dumbledore.
"I saw Harry with his hands outstretched, his chest and back glowing. Streams of light were pouring down his arms to his hands. When the wood connected, it was like all of the light was forced out of his body, forming a dome around us. At that moment, I knew I would be fine. That whatever was happening, Harry wasn't going to let me get hurt."
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"When it was over, I almost panicked again before I realized that Harry was unconscious. I made it to him right as Madame Pomfrey did. I was still crying but even then I knew it would be fine."
She paused for a while. Ron could tell she was going to say more and stayed silent. After a minute she spoke again.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to slack off as much as you and Harry, but I want to relax more. Make friends. Have fun." She looked back at Harry.
"If he can do what he did tonight without obsessing over books and knowledge, maybe I can slow down too." She hesitated before continuing with a small smile. "Though I think I'll leave the brooms to you guys."
Ron chuckled again, the tension of the day finally draining.
"For what it's worth," he said, heading back towards his bed. "I'm still sorry for what I said."
"And I'm thankful that you were there to save me, too," she replied, grinning and laying back onto her pillow. "I remember someone yelling and throwing rocks at the troll."
Ron smiled back and crawled into his bed, exhaustion finally taking its toll.
Neither of them noticed Harry's grin as they fell asleep.