Part Seven
Halloween came swiftly. Before they knew it they had been at Hogwarts almost two whole months. They found themselves in Professor Flitwick's Charms class that day, studying the Wingardium Leviosa spell. They had feathers that they were trying to make levitate.
Erin was wearing her hair in two braids and looped up and for some reason Fred and George had taken to following her around during breaks and thought it great fun to play with the girls' hair.
Erin swished and flicked her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa." She turned to see Hermione's also going up in the air and Ron looking very put out.
"Oh, look here! Miss Granger and Miss Lyancomp have done it!" Flitwick said excitedly. The short professor was saying something, but neither Erin nor Harry could hear him since Seamus was trying to make his own feather go up in the air. There was an explosion and Flitwick almost fell from his stack of books. Erin looked over and saw that Seamus' feather had exploded…or something to that effect…the feather was charred and just floating there in the air.
Harry turned to look at Flitwick. "I think we need another feather over here, professor." Seamus' face was classic. He looked so surprised and his face was black and his hair standing straight up in the air. Erin could see the other side of Harry's face was also black. Neither of them were burned…just sooty.
After class Erin walked along with Hermione and knew something was wrong, but Hermione wasn't talking. Ahead of them Ron, Harry, Dean, Seamus and Neville were walking. Ron started to talk. "'It's Leviosa not Leviosar.' She's a nightmare, honestly! She has to notice she doesn't have many friends."
Hermione was crying as she hurried past Ron, bumping into him. "I think she heard you." Harry said.
"You only need one friend, Ron." Erin said walking next to him. He wouldn't look at her. "As long as that friend is true. She was just trying to help you! That is all she ever tries to do! But you see it as bragging and trying to show you up. Did you ever once think that she might actually like you?"
"Like me?" Ron asked startled.
"As a friend." Erin quickly clarified.
"Oh." He said. "No, I never thought that."
"Well, maybe you should have. Ron, I don't want to make you feel bad…but, well…" She really didn't need to finish that sentence.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't know she was listening, but that really isn't an excuse."
"Erin, how do you understand people?" Harry asked quietly, he had noticed her uncanny way of pinning to a tee how people felt or what they were thinking.
Erin smiled. "I guess you could say I know people. When I get close to them things just come very naturally to me…"
"How close?" Harry asked curiously.
"Enough to care for them…or feel strongly."
"Erin, I notice Snape hates you as much as he does me." Harry said. "Do you know why?"
"Snape is an excellent Occlumenist, Harry. I couldn't see his past or feelings unless I were a Master Legilimenist."
"What are those?" Harry asked.
"Occlumency is the magical defense of the mind against external penetration. And Legilimency is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind. I was born with this ability and I expect one of these days I will have to hone the skills so I can do it at will and stuff. It will come in handy when I am studying to be an Auror."
"What's an Auror?" Harry asked.
"Just full of questions today." Erin laughed. "An Auror is—"
"Auror?" Ron asked getting excited and just hearing what the two were talking about. He had been tuning them out since they tended to get boring when they talked. "Auror's are like the Elite, Harry! They're the ones that track down Dark Wizards and stuff. They fight and do all sorts of cool stuff!"
"Yes, well, I would have been a little more technical." Erin said. "But yes, an Auror is someone who hunts down Dark Wizards and works against the Dark Arts. Just because Voldemort—" Ron gasped. "Shut up, Ron. Just because He hasn't been seen in 10 years doesn't mean that the Wizarding world is free from the Dark Arts. His followers are still around causing mischief every so often and in other countries it is just as bad, they have their own Auror's though."
"Do you think Hermione's ok?" Harry asked after a few moments of quiet. They were now walking through the halls towards the Common Room.
"She needs a little time to herself." The girl said gently. "She'd hate it if I rushed right to where she was. So I will give her a little time."
Erin leaned against the sink with her arms crossed in front of her. "Hermione, it's time for the feast. Ron is sorry for what he said. Please just come out! You're my best friend."
Hermione opened the door drying her eyes, but she was smiling a little. "Erin—" she looked up past the other girl and her eyes grew wide. "MOVE!" She yelled.
Erin whirled around and dived sideways as a huge mountain troll stood there and swung his club at her. Erin had time to chide herself in her mind. 'Great Erin, a troll is in front of you and you can classify what type it is.' The club came down on the sink she had been leaning against only moments before. "Erin, move!"
Erin was surprised to hear Harry's voice as she rolled dodging the club and flying bits of stall and toilet. The troll was going after Hermione now. "Do something!" Erin yelled as the club came down beside her (the troll hadn't been aiming for her and she thought that was a little worse than if he actually had been). Erin somersaulted away from the club and Hermione was scrambling across the floor towards her. The girls were huddled underneath one of the sinks trying to dodge the club that was coming straight for them.
Harry and Ron were now throwing bits of stuff at the troll. "Oy, Peabrain!" Ron yelled. The troll heard his voice more than felt the stuff they were throwing. The troll ignored them though and set his club for Hermione and Erin again. Harry dashed forward and caught hold of the club. Harry fell on the troll's shoulders barely hanging on. The troll was confused and tried to shake Harry off. During this Harry's wand was accidentally jammed up the trolls' nose. "EWWW!" That was everyone's reaction.
The troll grabbed Harry by one of his legs and held him upside down trying to hit the boy with his club. The troll kept missing…but that wouldn't happen for long. Ron stood there frozen and Hermione didn't know what to do. Erin stood and ran in front of the troll. "Erin!" Hermione screamed.
Erin yelled something in troll and the troll looked down at her surprised. She yelled something again and this time the club came around. "ERIN! NO!" Harry shouted when he saw what the troll was going to do. Erin held her ground and stared the troll right in the eye. Harry began hitting the troll in the side trying to get him to turn his attention back to him. It didn't work. The troll's club came around and caught Erin right in the side. The girl was thrown against the wall, hard, and fell to the ground unconscious.
Erin woke to what she thought was only a moment later, but the sun was shining in her eyes. She saw a blurry figure above her with dark hair. "Harry?" She asked shielding her eyes from the light. Her vision cleared after blinking a few times and she saw it was the bespectacled boy.
"Yeah," He said. "How are you feeling?"
"Like a troll hit me with its club. Do I look that bad?""No." He laughed. "A couple scrapes and a few broken ribs. Madam Pomfrey says you'll be fine."
"Madam Pomfrey?" She asked.
"The school nurse." He explained.
"What day is it?"
"Saturday."
"Oh, please tell me—"
"You've only been out about 12 hours…if that." He said.
"Hermione and Ron?"
"They're fine. More than fine. Hey, you can't help ending up liking each other after taking out a twelve-foot mountain troll together."
Erin laughed and winced. "Where are they?"
"They should be here soon. They went to collect some stuff for you."
"What?" She asked confused.
The door to the hospital wing opened. The two turned to see Ron and Hermione. "You're awake!" Hermione said gleefully.
"Yes and not staring down a twelve-foot troll." Erin said gladly.
"Now that took courage." Ron said admiringly. "I was too scared to do anything until you darted forward."
"What happened?" Erin asked eagerly.
"Well, after the troll hit you Ron did the levitation spell on the troll's club. The club fell on the trolls head and he let Harry go before passing out." Hermione said.
"We were gathering around you when McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell came in." Harry continued. "We told them part of the truth that you and Hermione had been in the bathroom and didn't know about the troll. There really hadn't been time to tell anyone. We were awarded five points each and McGonagall awarded you ten."
"For what?" Erin asked surprised.
"For saving our lives." Ron smiled.
"Oh, we brought you some stuff." Hermione said. "To say thank-you, for everything you've done for us."
They dropped three hastily wrapped presents in the girls' lap. "But I haven't done anything…"
"You've done more than you know." Hermione said. "Since the first day you accepted us as your friends, you were always there beside us, making us feel stronger than we might otherwise have been. You loved us for us."
"You don't do anything that is against your character." Ron said. "Harry's famous, but that's not why you're his friend. I'm…you know…not got a lot of stuff and that doesn't phase you. Hermione can be a know-it-all at times, but you still love her."
They laughed no one taking offense. "We wanted you to have this stuff, Erin." Harry said. "Go on."
She opened the first one. "That's from me." Ron said.
Erin laughed. "Oh, Ron!"
He had drawn a picture of the girl hitting a troll on the head and then she was standing on the dead trolls head. "Fred and George helped me with the moving parts."
"It's wonderful, Ron." She smiled and then opened the next one.
"From me!" Hermione said.
Erin found a book on Animagi. "Oh, Hermione it's wonderful! Thanks!" She smiled.
Erin picked up the last one. "And that's from me, of course."
"Of course." She said smiling at Harry. After unwrapping the gift she just stared at it. It was a framed moving picture of the four of them. "But—How?"
"Fred and George had Lee taking photos and one with the four of us in it happened to be taken. We weren't walking together. I was walking with Ron and you with Hermione but it looked like we were all walking together and laughing together."
"I love it. Thank you, Harry."
He smiled. "I thought you'd like it."
"We should be getting down to breakfast." Hermione said pulling Ron after her.
"Madam Pomfrey said you could leave when you woke up." Harry said.
He put up the curtains and waited while the girl got dressed. Hermione had brought some clean clothes. "Isn't today Quidditch?" She called over the curtains.
"Yeah. I'm a little nervous."
"You'll be fine." The girl appeared wearing jeans and t-shirt and putting her hair up in ponytail. "Ready?"
"Do you need any help?" He asked.
"No, but let's walk slowly. My ribs still hurt a little."
They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they walked into the Great Hall the Gryffindors suddenly started clapping and whistling. "Is this for you or me?" Erin whispered to him.
"I am not sure." He said.
Harry and Erin sat down across from Ron and Hermione. "Everyone knows about last night." Hermione said a little red. "Fred and George told everyone, embellishing Erin's roll. According to them the troll was practically running for its life when it got off a lucky hit…or five."
"And how would Harry fit into that?" Erin asked incredulously.
"The troll was so desperate that it took Harry hostage and you went after them." Ron said trying to keep a straight face.
"And you two?"
"We caught up after the troll got off the lucky hits, finishing the job, though he was almost down when we got there." Hermione said. "Very interesting to hear a story about yourself."
"Nothing will surprise me anymore." The girl said with her head in my hands. "I didn't do anything heroic. I distracted the troll and got hit."
"Saving our lives." Ron reminded her.
"Be that as it may…" Erin filled her plate with bacon, toast, eggs, kippers, sausage and tomatoes.
"How can you eat?" Harry asked.
"I have to cheer for you today—" Just then arms went tightly around the girl.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" After each 'thank you' a kiss was planted on top of her head. Oliver Wood was kissing her!
"Oliver! Get off!" Erin said in a bit of a strangled voice.
"Hey!" Fred said. "Oliver! You heard the lady!"
They restrained him. "He's just happy that Harry can play today after what happened." George said.
"Oh." Erin said and turned. "Oliver, you're very welcome. I knew that Harry needed to play today so Gryffindor wouldn't lose the Quidditch Cup."
Fred and George managed to get Oliver out of there without laughing too much. "Have a bit of toast, mate, go on." Ron said as he saw that Harry was just picking at his food.
"I'm not hungry." Harry said.
"Good luck today, Potter." They looked up to see Snape standing there. "Then again after taking on a troll a little Quidditch game should be no problem for you, even if it is against Slytherin." He turned and then looked back. "Of course you won't have Miss Lyancomp up there with you to save the day."
He left limping. "That explains the blood." Harry said.
"Blood?" Hermione asked still on Snape's comment about her best friend.
"Last night I'm guessing Snape let the troll in so he could try to get past that three-headed dog."
"Why would anyone go near that thing?" Erin grimaced.
"When Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley before school started we went to Gringott's. Hagrid took something from one of the vaults; he said it was secret, Hogwarts business. That's what the dog's guarding and Snape wants to steal it."
"We don't know that, Harry." Erin said. "You may be right, but we should never jump to conclusions. We need to know more. Now, Harry, you need to eat something, even if it is just a slice of toast. Eat a slice and I won't say another word."
He managed to get a slice down. "Time to go, Harry." Oliver said hugging the girl once more in passing.
"We'll be cheering for you, Harry!" Erin said patting his shoulder. "You'll be just fine."