Troll

Over the next few days the boys talked thoroughly about what could be under the trap door but as they knew next to nothing they didn't get very far. All they knew for sure was that it was small and someone wanted it badly enough to try to steal it from Gringotts.

On another topic, once Draco got used to the idea that throwing a tantrum wouldn't get him the position of Seeker that year, he was pretty keen on the idea of Harry playing. He and Ron were sure that if Harry was good enough for Snape to put him on the team, they were guaranteed to win the Quidditch cup this year. Draco even wrote his father about it.

The following Monday the Quidditch team managed to sneak Harry into practice without the other teams getting wind of their new 'secret weapon'. The team consisted of Marcus Flint – captain – Adrian Pucey, and Nathan Cooling as Chasers; Robert Bole and Alexander Redpath as Beaters; Brad Bletchly as Keeper, and of course Harry himself as seeker. They played rough and didn't cut Harry any slack for being new. He got the hang of dodging bludgers pretty quick, lucky for him. Harry managed to catch nearly all the practice snitches floating around the pitch; a few got away at first, which Harry blamed, on the poor quality of the school broom. Flint chewed him out saying it was his responsibility to catch the snitch and not the brooms'. Harry didn't miss any more.

Tuesday morning Harry received a letter from an unexpected source.

Mr. Potter,

My son has informed me of your placement on the Quidditch team. Congratulations. I know your father was an excellent player himself. I also know the school brooms are somewhat lacking so I arranged to get a better one. It has been delivered directly to your dorm room. Put it to good use.

Lucius Malfoy

Harry goggled at it for a full minute before showing it to his friends. Ron was impressed and wanted to go back to their dorm immediately to see the new broom, but they had classes so they would have to wait. Draco made an odd choking sound and nearly had a fit. All three of them were distracted during classes that day.

Afterward they dashed downstairs to their room and found a long package lying on Harry's bed. Harry unwrapped it and stood back to admire it.

"That's a Nimbus Two Thousand! I only have a Comet Two Sixty…" Draco pouted.

"Wow! That's the latest model, faster then ever. We really ought to send that Gryffindor boy thank you card!" Ron exclaimed. They all laughed.

When Harry told Marcus and the Quidditch team, they fairly glowed.

"That cup is as good as ours!" Marcus crowed.

With everything going on the boys were very busy and could hardly believe two months had passed already. By now it was the end of October; the Great Hall was decorated beautifully in Halloween themes for the feast.

Just as the feast began Professor Quirrell dashed into the Hall right up to Dumbledore's chair and gasped out something about a troll – and promptly fainted. The Hall erupted in chaos and it took awhile to get everyone's attention again. Professor Dumbledore ordered the prefects to lead the houses back to the dormitories. Since the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories was in the dungeons the prefects led them on a circuitous route along the upper corridors. Fortunately the door was in the upper dungeons.

"How could a troll get in?" Harry wondered.

"Who knows? Maybe peeves let it in as a joke," said Ron.

"I doubt Peeves would have the means to lure a stupid troll here and keep it undetected until it got inside," Draco pointed out.

"Well however it got in, lets go find it!" Ron suggested excitedly.

"You're joking right? Not only will we get in trouble for wandering off but what happens if we do find the thing?"

"Draco is right," a soft voice came from behind them. "It's a silly idea."

The trio turned to find Blaise following just behind them. "I wasn't talking to you, Zabini," Ron told him gruffly.

Blaise shrugged, "No you weren't. It's still a bad idea to go looking for a troll," he passed the three following the rest of the group down the hall.

"Whatever. I want to see a troll and here's the perfect opportunity. I don't want to hug the thing, just see it," Ron said to his friends.

"I guess as long as we can stay out of its reach. Let's do it," Draco agreed.

"Right. Let's try this way," Harry pointed down a hall to their left.

Down the hall, a figure watched them turn down the side passage, then quickly dodged behind a wall tapestry into a hidden door.

The trio crept down the halls searching for the troll. Somehow they managed to stay out of the professor's notice. After a while they still hadn't found any sign of the troll.

"It's probably been taken away by now. We still haven't had dinner. And I need to use the washroom," Draco complained.

"Alright, jeez, stop whining. Let's go back," Ron said.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I need to use the washroom. There's one over there, come on," Draco marched off.

Ron rolled his eyes and opened the door and the three of them went into the washroom. A few moments later someone else opened the door. It was the troll. Its long arms dragging a huge club behind it, it turned a coconut sized head toward them and blinked stupidly. The trio yelped in surprise backing into the corner. It was too late to hide. The troll spotted them and plodded in their direction.

"What'll we do? What'll we do?" Draco cried in a panic.

"Just run, run," Harry yelled.

"We can't run its blocking the door!" Ron yelled back.

"Knock it out!" Draco shouted.

"How? That thing is twelve feet tall!" Harry shouted back.

Backed against the far wall, none of them could come up with an idea. The troll bellowed and came closer. Beside the trio there was another movement. The full length mirror at the end of the row of sinks swung open to reveal a small darkened passage. The three boys scrambled inside and slammed the mirror/door behind them. Back in the washroom the troll turned its head in bewilderment. The boys watched through the two way mirror as moments later the professors found the troll, knocked it out, and took it away.

"I thought we were dead for sure. No more chasing after dangerous creatures, Ron!" Draco chastised his friend.

"I told you it was a silly idea," a soft voice came out of the dark passage.

"You! What … how?" Ron stuttered.

Leaning against the wall, calm as you please, was Blaise Zabini. "I followed you. We should get back to the common room before someone notices we're gone," he turned and gestured down the dark passage. "This way."

"Hang on a minute," Draco called out, "I didn't see anyone following us."

"I used these passages," Blaise told him. "They run all over the castle." All four boys walked down the dark narrow passage, not speaking. After a minute or two, Blaise showed them a small wooden door. He opened the door to reveal a green and silver tapestry with geometric patterns. Pushing the tapestry aside, the four boys stepped into a remote corner of the Slytherin common-room.

The common-room was packed. Everyone was devouring the food that had been sent up. Blaise was about to join the crowd when the other three stopped him, saying "thanks," they all went to get plates together.