(Next chapter. Hi! Sorry about the long wait. I did a bit of tweaking in this update so I hope I don't anger any Harry Potter fans. I own nothing but Lucy.)

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The next morning breakfast was quiet at the Gryffindor table. Lucy and Hermione arrived at their usual spot together, but neither of them said a verbal word to Ron or Harry.

Ron frowned as he watched the two girls fill their plates with bacon, eggs and toast.

"How long do you reckon they're going to stay mad at us for?" He wondered aloud as Parvati Patil took the seat in front of them.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno." He frowned. "Lucy usually doesn't stay mad about anything for more than an overnight." He poked his spoon through his porridge not really eating it.

Soon the Weasley Twins came to sit with the Potters, the dreadlocked Lee Jordan at their side.

"'Ey there Potter! Where's your sister? I thought you two were joined at the hip." Fred joked as he sat directly in front of Harry.

Harry shrugged and made a face at the joke. Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh bugger off you two! Can't you see he's not in the mood?"

Harry quickly shook his head. "No, it's okay-." A faraway screech cut him off.

Ron's eyes lit up. "Ah...Mail time." He beamed while looking up at the ceiling. Harry followed his gaze.

A swarm of owls in all shapes and sizes flew across the rafters in the Great Hall, dropping letters and an assortment of packages at their owners.

Harry was surprised when he saw Hedwig amongst them this time, carrying a large misshapen package in her talons.

He barely managed to catch it when she dropped it into his lap.

"Harry! Look out!" Ron yelped, pushing Harry's head out of the way just before a large tawny owl could take his ear out.

It dropped a similarly shaped package into Lucy's arms before flying off towards the owlrey.

The twins exchanged a silent glance then Harry carefully set his package on the table. A card was tied to the packaging.

To Harry Potter,

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE!

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but

I don't want everybody knowing you've got a

broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood

will meet you and Lucy again tonight at seven

o clock as usual on the Quidditch Field to help you

practice. Best of Luck!
Professor McGonagall

"What? What's it say Harry? Come on! Let me see!" Ron tried to peek over Harry's shoulder. Harry quickly folded the note.

"I've got a broom." He whispered so only Ron would hear him. The other boy's eyes grew round. "Say what?" Harry put a finger to his lips.

He glanced across the table and saw Lucy with her cheeks glowing as she slipped her own note into the covers of her book.

She looked up to meet Harry's gaze then nodded her head.

Meet you in the common room in five.

Harry nodded his head. He quickly scarfed down the remainder of his breakfast then he left the table picking up his parcel and the note which came with it.

Lucy and Hermione ran ahead of him from the Great Hall.

"Holy Cricket!..It IS a broom!" Hermione's eyebrows skyhopped about three feet up her face when Lucy finally managed to tear open her package in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Lucy said nothing as she carefully lifted her brand new broomstick onto her lap and ran her fingers lightly over the smooth polished handle.

Athene padded over from the fireplace and tried to play with the bristles.

"Those aren't JUST brooms you guys!" Ron shook his head as Harry lifted out a broomstick almost exactly like Lucy's.

The only difference was their bristles. Harry's were reddish in color while Lucy's were more of a goldenrod color.

"Those are Nimbus 2000s! The newest model yet!" Ron reached to touch the handle of Harry's broom.

Harry shook his head. "But...First years aren't ever allowed a broomstick...are they?" He asked uncertainly.

Ron shook his head. "No, but Professor McGonagall must have made an exception for you guys. After all you can't play in the next game with one of the school brooms. Most of them don't worry properly anymore."

He reached to touch Harry's broom again as Lucy gently pulled her broomstick away from the cat.

"Well it's still no excuse for you to go around breaking school rules." Hermione suddenly snapped, causing Lucy to jump slightly.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, Hermione. You're just jealous cause your broom won't even lift off the ground on the first call." He chortled.

Hermione glared at him at that. Without a word she got up from the floor and turned to go down to the girls dorms.

Ron shook his head. "Mental that one." He muttered to Harry so Lucy wouldn't hear.

Lucy glared at him. "You're mental." She muttered at Ron, picking up her broom and dragging it towards the stairs. Athene followed loyally at her heels.

Harry sighed.

...

"Come on Harry have some Pumpkin pudding. It's really good." Ron enticed holding out the bowl of creamy orangish brown mush.

Harry shook his head at the offer. "No thanks. I'm not that hungry." He glanced towards the doors that opened into the Great Hall again.

Lucy and Hermione had not been down at meals together since the day the broomsticks had arrived.

Sometimes Lucy would show up alone, but today neither of them were present and tonight was Halloween.

Harry frowned and returned his gaze to his plate just as Neville slid into his usual seat on Harry's left. "Hi Harry! Have you talked to Lucy today?" He inquired.

Harry shook his head. "Not really, why?"

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Well Parvati Patil said that she and Hermoine have been in the girls bathroom all day together..crying. Just wondered if you knew anything about it."

Harry felt an uncomfortable sensation crawl up his spine. "Um no...no I don't know anything." He grimaced down at his plate.

Suddenly the Pumpkin Cremes didn't taste so good anymore.

Maybe he should leave the feast early to check on Lucy. After all, he was pretty sure he wasn't the one she was mad at.

"TROLL! in the dungeon!" The doors to the Great Hall suddenly burst open cracking against the walls as a roll of thunder sounded through the hall. "Troll in the dungeon!"

The hall became deathly silent as a panic-stricken Professor Quirrell skidded into the hall. Harry and Ron exchanged glances.

"I..I thought you ought to know." The room broke into fresh panic as the nervous old professor fainted on the spot.

"Silence!" Professor Dumbledore suddenly stood from his seat. "Everyone will please...not panic!" Everyone froze as his voice echoed around the large chamber. Ron dropped the drumstick he had been holding.

"Now," Professor Dumbledore began again calmly. "Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories...and Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

Harry got up from his seat. He looked up towards the teacher's table just in time to notice Professor Snape hurriedly sneaking towards a door opposite from the exit the other teachers were using.

He narrowed his eyes, but didn't have time to fully contemplate where the Potions Master might be heading.

"Come on Gryffindors! Keep up!" Percy barked importantly from the head of the double line of students following him from the Great Hall.

Ron grabbed the sleeve of Harry's robes. "How do suppose a troll got into here?" He wondered, causing Harry to stare at him quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"Well they're supposed to be inherently stupid. Trolls I mean. With how heavily guarded the castle is you'd think someone just let it in as a joke."

Harry suddenly grabbed Ron by the arm, causing him to nearly lose his balance. "What?"

"Hermione and Lucy!" Harry's eyes widened to the size of plates. "They don't know!" Ron matched his expression just as the latter ran back in the direction of the girls bathrooms.

...

"Hermione?" Lucy knocked on the locked stall again. "We really shouldn't be hiding in here like this. We'll get in trouble."

The only answer she got was a loud sniff. Lucy started to sigh when she heard something thumping down the hall.

Lucy started to say something when the door to the bathroom swung open and a large ugly troll tromped inside carrying a heavy club over its shoulder.

Lucy's throat went as dry as a thistle as the creature fixated its large beady eyes on her. The stall door next to her slammed open.

Hermione gasped and grabbed Lucy by the sleeve of her robes. Slowly the girls started backing towards the door, but when the troll closed in on them, Hermione pushed open another stall and pulled Lucy in with her.

She barely managed to get the lock in before the troll smashed through the door with his club.

Hermione let out a scream and fell backwards into Lucy who fell against the toilet.

Lucy started to pick herself up just as Harry and Ron suddenly barged into the lavatory.

"Hermoine! Lucy! Move!" Harry called while picking up a piece of splintered wood to throw at the troll. Ron did the same.

Lucy nodded and quickly helped her friend crawl out from the stalls and towards the sinks. The troll went for the stalls again and the two girls dropped down to the ground as more wood showered down around them.

Ron picked up a chunk of wood. "Hey!...Hey Peabrain! Look over here!" He threw the chunk at the troll who finally took his attention off the two girls.

Lucy and Hermione quickly took their chance and crawled under the sinks. The troll noticed them and brought his club down.

Hermione screamed as the sinks splintered and a pipe broke down on top of Lucy's leg. Lucy tried to pull herself free, but she was stuck tight.

"Help!" She cried out towards her brother while desperately trying to free herself. Harry pursed his lips together and drew his wand.

Charging at the beast he grabbed onto the troll's club. Hermione tried to help Lucy lift the pipe but it was far too heavy for them both.

Hermione searched through her robes for her wand, but then she discovered it laying amongst the rubble by the stalls.

Lucy tugged at her leg again.

"Do something!" Harry screeched suddenly causing both girls to look up. The troll had a hold of Harry by his legs and was holding him at crushing distance from his club.

Ron looked around himself. "Like what?"

Harry narrowly dodged a swing. "Anything!" Ron bit his lip. He looked at Harry, then he looked at the girls. Quickly he pulled out his wand.

"Ron!" Hermione called from the remains of the sinks. "Swish and Flick!" She quickly demonstrated for him. Ron nodded his head.

"Wingardium LeviOsa!" He waved his wand at the troll. The troll swung in for another kill shot. He stopped in surprise when his club was suddenly no longer in his hand.

Confused, he let out a grunt.

Lucy looked up and giggled. The troll's club was floating in the air right above its wielder's head.

Course the poor creature was too stupid to realize that.

Ron lowered his wand.

The club fell crashing down on the troll's skull knocking it unconscious. Harry let out a startled yell as he skidded across the ruined bathroom floor.

Ron shook his head. "Wicked." He grinned slightly.

Hermione sighed. She quickly scrambled across the room to grab her wand just as Harry picked himself up and dusted his robes off.

Lucy stared at the troll.

"Is it..dead?" She asked as Hermione hurried back to her side with her wand in hand. Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. Just knocked out."

He bent over and reached for his wand which was lodged in the troll's nostrils. "Ugh!...Troll bogies." Harry groaned as he gingerly wiped the tip of his wand off on his robes.

Lucy made a sick face.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Hermione quickly waved her wand at the broken sink pipe and it immediately lifted itself off of Lucy's ankle.

Lucy quickly pulled her leg out and rubbed it tenderly. "Thanks Hermione." She smiled gratefully at her friend just as Professor McGonagall, followed by Professor Snape and Quirrell rushed into the bathroom.

"Oh!..Oh my goodness!" Professor McGonagall settled her hand over her heart. "E-explain yourselves both of you!" She snapped at the two boys.

Lucy started to crawl out from under the sinks, listening as Harry and Ron attempted to explain everything.

"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall." Hermione spoke up loudly, causing everyone except Lucy of course to turn towards her.

"Oh!...Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall went pale. Lucy bit her lip.

"Actually it was both our faults." She amended, not wanting Hermione to take all the blame. Hermione glanced at her then nodded her head.

"Yes well...I went looking for the troll you see. And Lucy followed me. We read about them and thought we could handle it." Hermione looked down at her feet.

"But we were wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found us, we'd probably be dead." She lowered her eyes. Lucy did the same.

"Oh be that as it may!" Professor McGonagall sounded like she might have a fit. "It was an extremely foolish thing to do and I would have expected more rational behavior on both your parts! I'm very disappointed in the two of you. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor from both of you, for your serious lack of judgement."

Lucy nodded her head at this. She glanced at Harry and saw him giving her the questioning look which he often gave her whenever she'd take the blame for him from the Dursleys. She fought the urge to smile at him.

"As for you two gentleman! Well I just hope you know how fortunate you are. Not many first years can take on a fully grown Mountain Troll and live to tell the tale." Professor McGonagall turned her attention back to the boys.

"Five points!...Will be awarded to each of you." Professor McGonagall finally lowered her voice. "For sheer dumb luck." Harry and Ron exchanged glances with each other.

Lucy and Hermione smiled slightly at this.

Lucy met Harry's eyes. You're welcome.

Harry snorted at that.

"Bloody he**!" Ron exclaimed once Professor McGonagall had excused them to the dormitories.

"Did you see that? It's like we didn't lose any points at all! That Professor McGonagall!" He grinned at Hermione who scowled slightly back at him.

"It's still no excuse for-!"

"I know! I know! It's no excuse for breaking rules!" Ron cut her off looking equally as annoyed as she did.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Actually I was going to say that it was no excuse for what I did. If I had just listened to Lucy and gone to the feast, none of this would have happened!" She crossed her arms firmly across her chest.

Ron's eyes widened to the size of plates. "Really?" His jaw started to go slack. Hermione turned and punched him in the arm.

"Ow!...What in Merlin's beard was that for?" Ron whined and rubbed his arm. Hermione shook her head trying to conceal her smile.

"For being a bloody thickhead." She retorted walking ahead of the others slightly. Ron walked after her. "Hey! I resent that!"

Harry and Lucy shook their heads after them. "I think they're going to get along just fine now, don't you?" Harry said cheekily to his twin.

Lucy nodded her head in agreement with him. "Yeah." She turned to smile back at her brother.

"Thanks for coming to save us, Harry. I'm sorry I've been cross." You have dirt on your nose, did you know? She smirked and reached to wipe a smudge off of Harry's nose.

Harry squirmed and shrugged his shoulders. "Ahh...What's a brother for anyway?" He asked, reaching to pull a wood splinter from his sister's hair.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

"Oi!...Are you two coming or what?" Ron called from the bottom of the stairs that led up to the Gryffindor Tower.

Harry and Lucy exchanged glances. "Coming!" Harry called back to him. He and Lucy raced each other to the stairs.

...