Kitty: Alright, peoples, here's chapter 10.

Yugi: Already at 10?

Kitty: YEP! (grins) I'm so proud!

Lina: But we still have a long way to go…

Kitty: So let's get this party started!

Harry, Ron & Hermione: R&R!

Chapter Ten:
Friends Thanks to A Little White Lie

At dinner, the meal was three times as good as it usually was. There was a lot of candy (that made Diana happy), and different types of Halloween practical jokes. For instance, the bats were trained to fly around someone when they entered (that really scared poor Ryou, who hadn't known they were enchanted).

-Isn't it ironic that I end up with such a pathetic hikari?- Bakura muttered through their mind link.

/Hey, I've been a little nervous of scary surprises ever since Duelist Kingdom,/ Ryou thought defensively, /Cut me some slack./

Bakura snorted, but said nothing.

Diana looked around for Hermione Granger, thinking she should apologize for both her and Ron A.S.A.P.

When she didn't see her at the Gryffindor table, she asked Parvati and Lavender.

"Hey," Diana said, sitting down next to them.

"Oh, hey, Dare," said Parvati, "Didn't expect you to come over and see us. I mean…we're girls."

She and Lavender giggled. They ALWAYS teased her about hanging out with boys instead of with the other girls.

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny," Diana said dryly, "If you're done, I'm looking for Hermione Granger, have you seen her?"

"Hermione Granger?" Lavender repeated in surprise, "I saw her earlier; she went into the girls' bathroom a half hour ago. She was crying."

"I think she's still in there," said Parvati, "Poor girl, I think something was really bothering her."

Diana went back to her seat next to Yugi and sat down, feeling guiltier than before.

"You okay, Dare-kun?" Yugi asked, seeing her pessimism.

Diana attempted a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Right then, Professor Quirrel, their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, came bursting into the Great Hall, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

Every head turned toward him, and Dumbledore stood up, looking directly at Quirrel.

Quirrel, out of breath and sounding terrified, whispered, "Thought you aught to know," and fainted.

All the students screamed, going into a total panic, running toward the exit.

"SILENCE!" yelled Dumbledore, a few sparks shooting from his wand.

Everyone looked toward him.

"Everyone, please do not panic," he said, "Prefects, lead their house back to the Dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons."

The students filed out, the Gryffindors following a very pompous Percy.

Diana grouped with Ron, Harry and Yugi, and they talked.

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked, "Are they from around here?"

"They're anywhere they want to be, but they don't usually go indoors," said Ron, "I'm not positive about this, but I don't think they reside in the Forbidden Forest either."

Diana was going to speak, but then she thought of something.

Hermione.

"Guys…" she started.

She gulped, and then continued, "I was talking to Parvati and Lavender about Hermione Granger so I could apologize…you know, for what I said earlier…and they said she was in the girls' bathroom…she doesn't know about the troll…"

Yugi gave her a piercing look.

"You didn't say anything before?" he said, "We have to go get her!"

"What?" Harry said, "She'd never do that for us!"

"How do we know that?" Yugi asked, "There must be some reason she was put into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. Besides, it's not about if she'd do it for us; it's about the right thing to do."

Diana sighed. "Ron, what d'you think?"

"Well, er…" Ron looked awkward, "Oh, damn bloody consciences! Let's go."

Diana snuck out of line, then Ron, then Harry, and then Yugi.

Diana ran along the hall, the others behind her, toward the girls' bathroom, until they heard footsteps.

"Percy!" Ron hissed, pulling them into an abandoned classroom.

But it wasn't Percy.

It was Snape, and he trotted right past them in a fast and serious manner.

"He's going toward the third floor," whispered Yugi in surprise.

"Toward that dog?" asked Ron.

"Yep," said Harry, frowning, "Wonder what he's doing."

"Forget what Snape's doing," said Diana, "Let's find Granger and go."

They ran out of the classroom and went back on track, until an awful smell filled their nostrils, like a mixture of rotten eggs and gasoline, and a pounding went down the hall nearby.

Diana looked carefully around the corner.

"What's the troll doing here?" she whispered, holding her nose.

"Good question," Harry replied, also holding his nose, "Isn't it supposed to be near the dungeons?"

"And that's on the other side of the castle!" said Ron.

Yugi looked around the corner.

"It's going into that hall, and there's a door…the key's in the lock, we could lock it in, and then go find Hermione!"

"Good idea, Yugi," Diana acknowledged.

Harry went over and locked the door. Ron and Diana exchanged high-fives, grinning at their success. They were just about to go look for Hermione, when a high-pitched scream came from behind them.

Diana whirled back to the door, her eyes wide.

"Oh, no…" she said, her face becoming ever whiter than usual.

"It's the girls' bathroom…" Harry gasped.

"HERMIONE!" Ron and Yugi said together.

Harry ran over to the door, unlocked it and they ran inside.

The four found Hermione shivering up against the opposite wall, with the troll standing over her, its club raised.

"Granger, move!" Diana yelled.

But Hermione was so scared, she couldn't move a muscle.

"Distract it!" Diana hissed to the others.

Yugi saw a hollow pipe, so he picked up.

"Hey, bakayrou!" Yugi yelled, throwing the pipe at the troll and hitting it on target in the head.

Even if the troll hadn't been smart enough to register getting hit with a pipe, Yugi's yell was enough.

The troll started toward Yugi instead, and Ron went over to Hermione and grabbed her hand.

"C'mon," he muttered, pulling her toward the door, but stopping at a yell of………

"HELP!"

Yugi backed up against the other wall, as the troll looked ready to knock his head off.

"Do something!" Harry implored Diana.

"Uh…I…I…" Diana looked very tense, "W-what should I do?"

"Anything!" Ron yelled, "You're the best witch here besides Granger!"

"Uh…right."

Diana pulled out her wand.

/Swish and flick,/ she mentally reminded herself.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she cried.

The troll was about to smash Yugi with its club when the club soared out of its hand.

The troll looked at its hand in a clueless manner. Then it looked up just in time for the club to fall back down on its owner's head with a loud CLUNK.

"Cool," Ron said.

The troll began to sway, and Yugi ran back toward the others as the troll fell facedown on the floor.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" Harry asked.

"Hai," Yugi breathed, "But remind me never to distract a troll again."

"I-is it…dead?" Hermione asked in a small voice as Diana stepped cautiously around it.

"I don't think so," Diana said, "It's just knocked out."

Right then, McGonagall, Quirrel and Snape arrived. McGonagall looked distressed, but Snape looked suspicious as well.

Diana felt her stomach drop.

/We are in SO much trouble…/

McGonagall's eyes immediately shot to Diana.

"Randall, explain."

"Well, Professor…" Diana started a lie, "It's like this…"

"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall."

Diana and the others stared at Hermione in shock.

Hermione Granger, lying outright to a teacher? It was as unlikely as Draco Malfoy going over to Diana and kissing her full on the mouth!

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall said, sounding as surprised as Diana was.

"I went looking for the troll," Hermione said, "I read about them, and thought I could handle it… but I was wrong. If Diana and the others hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead now. Harry discovered I was in here, Yugi distracted the troll while Ron got me out of the way, and Diana knocked the troll out with its own club. They didn't have time to run and get help. It was going to finish me off when they arrived."

Diana pretended that this wasn't new to her, but when her eyes wandered, she saw a rip near the ankle in Snape's pants. His leg was bleeding, and there was bite marks large enough to belong to a dragon…or bigger…and fluffier.

Diana's eyes widened with realization just as Snape covered his leg with his cloak.

Diana looked at him reproachfully, but didn't say anything.

"Be that it may," said McGonagall, "It was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part, Miss Granger, and I'm very disappointed in you. Five points shall be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment."

Hermione hung her head.

McGonagall turned to the other four.

"Well, I still say you four were lucky, but not many first years students could take on a fully grown mountain troll. Five points shall be awarded to each of you…for sheer dumb luck, I assure you."

The five Gryffindors left the bathroom, and started back toward the Gryffindor common room.

At first, neither of them said anything.

Then, when they were completely out of earshot of the professors, Diana spoke.

"Thanks for getting us out of trouble like that."

And for the first time, Hermione smiled at Diana.

"You guys did save my life."

"Well, you wouldn't have needed saving if Dare and I hadn't insulted you earlier," said Ron, looking slightly guilty, "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's quite alright," Hermione said, "I suppose this is a truce between us?"

"If that's all you want to call it," Diana said, putting out her hand, "But if you want, you can take the red pill, and see how far the rabbit hole really goes."

She winked, hoping that Hermione had seen the Matrix.

Hermione grinned, gripping Diana's hand.

"I'll take the red pill," she said, "But on one condition."

"Yeah?"

"Don't get me into too much trouble," Hermione teased.

"Dare, get you in trouble?" Yugi said innocently, "Why would she do that?"

Diana grinned devilishly.

"I'll try not to, Mione," she said, "You don't mind if I call you 'Mione,' d'you?"

"I like it," said Hermione, smiling, "I can't say I've ever had a nickname before."

Yugi smiled. "Well, there's a first time for everything, Mione-kun."

And ever since then, Hermione Granger was their friend.

Kitty: Sorry for the lack of updates. There was something wrong with this website, I SWEAR! (glares at her computer) It wouldn't let me post it!

Lina: Anyway…reviews?

Yugi: (types on Kitty's computer) First is Avemtilla. She says, "DAMN! THE BLOODY THING exited out on me! Damn. Anyway, great chapter! And you're welcome! Atem, don't listen to them. The reason they tease you is 'cause they're jealous. I mean, what's not to be jealous about? You're a Pharaoh, handsome, not completely perfect, (which is a good thing in my book!) and powerful! And did I mention handsome? Anyway, update soon please! I loved it! Goodbye! (kisses all the guys on the cheek and gives Atem a hug 'cause everyone picks on him) Adios Amigos!"

Atem: (grins proudly)

Yugi: (rolls his eyes) Inflate his ego ever MORE, why don't ya…

Bakura: I can deflate it a bit. (grins devilishly)

Atem: What-?

Bakura: (dumps a bucket of water on Atem, making his hair flop over his face like Mokuba's)

Atem: (sweatdrop)

Kitty: (smiles sympathetically) It's okay, Atem…(pats his shoulder) I give you permission to chase him if it would make you feel better.

Atem: (grins, and his hair magically goes up again!) Hee, hee, hee… (picks up a chainsaw) Oh, Tomb Robber…

Bakura: OH, IN THE NAME OF RA-! (runs as fast as he can away from Atem)

Lina: (rolls her eyes) Don't pick fights with people who are loved by the authoress, my dear Bakura-chan…

Kitty: (sighs) I can sympathize with computer problems. I get them ALL the time.

Yugi: (types on Kitty's computer) Next one's from Katt. She says, "I love your story! I wish I could write as good as you. One time when I wrote a few chapters for a story & posted it here, I got this really mean review (sob, sob) so I've quit writing (until I find that evil reviewer & give a bad review to them...see how they like it.) Please continue. I can't wait till the next chapter!"

Kitty: (smiles sympathdically) I really do know how that feels. If you ever post another story on here, I'll be sure to review it. (winks) And sometimes the evil reviewers don't ever post stories because they have no talent, and all they feel like doing is complaining about other fanfictions.

Yugi: (gives Katt a bar of chocolate) Here. This'll make you feel better.

Remus: (appears out of nowhere) It does. Trust me. (vanishes)

Kitty: (smiles) Thank you, Professor Remy.

Yugi: (types on Kitty's computer) Last is Daisaigai697832, who says, "Dorobo here. You should update this fic; it's turned out a lot better than I expected. Well done, please update!"

Kitty: Than you expected? That's nice to know. (smiles) And I did update, after this damn Internet gave me so much grief. (glares at her computer)

Lina: R&R, peoples!