I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter Fifteen — Troll in the 'Dungeon'

It has been two weeks since Harry returned to Hogwarts and Halloween was only a few days time. No one noticed that with each passing day Harry grew more and more depressed. No one seemed to care that Halloween was the day that his parents died.

Harry's Morphing abilities still hadn't returned and that was irritating to no end since he couldn't sneak off and be alone without anyone recognizing him. He really didn't like it when people stared at him for something he could barely remember. What he did like, however, was the slight hint of hazel that was now present in his bright green eyes.

Halloween also was a Friday, the day they had Potions. Though they no longer had it with the Slytherins, Snape still tried to make Harry look stupid in front of his classmates. That was something that Snape was failing at. Harry just had a knack for Potions. For that class, Harry kept his head down and avoided looking at the Potions Master. The class didn't go as bad as it could have.

Halloween came and Harry so depressed he didn't eat anything at breakfast. The only class he paid attention in was Herbology and that was only because the plant they were studying was highly venomous. He really didn't want to spend any more time in the Hospital Wing.

Hermione still wasn't talking to Harry that night at the Halloween Feast. In fact, instead of going to the feast she hid herself in one of the girls' bathrooms. Harry assumed that she wasn't in the mood to celebrate. Ron only made Harry feel worse.

"I have no idea why you so miserable that Hermione isn't talking to you. She's just a girl."

"Granger was... is my friend. She's the first person who wasn't too scared to become my friend. She didn't care that my name is Harry Potter. My fame means nothing to her. We understand each other."

"You can make more friends Harry. I bet anyone would want to be your friend; except for the Slytherins. I think they suspect that it was you who gave them the boils."

"That's not the point. Most people would want to be the Boy-Who-Lived's friend and not Harry Potter's friend. They won't be able to see past the title. I know what people are like. I know that people are judgmental and base their opinions on what they want to hear. If the "Daily Prophet' wrote that I was a crazed lunatic the majority of the people would believe it, just as they believe I'm a hero.

"And there is no proof that I had anything to do with the boils. On the day in question, I was unconscious for most of the day. Besides, that was a month ago; no one can punish me if they ever found any proof. The only way I'll get into trouble is if I admit to it and there is no way that I'll do that. They would hate me anyways for what I did to Voldemort." Ron gasped when Harry said Voldemort.

"What did I do now that was so shocking that caused you to be unable to close your mouth? And that is totally disgusting, Ron. I really don't need to see your dinner like that."

"You... you said the name. I have never heard anyone say his name so casually before."

"I say it so you better get used to it. All that You-Know-Who stuff is nonsense. I wish people would just say his name, otherwise it get so confusing. In the Muggle world they wouldn't know who You-Know-Who is. At least when you say the name they could associate a name with a murderer."

"I guess I never thought about it that way. Living in a family like mine, saying Voldemort is forbidden. We were each told the name once and that was that. In a way it's like a swear word."

"You said the name. I bet you thought you were going to be cursed for saying it. You can't be afraid of it of it will consume you."

The rest of the meal passed in a comfortable silence. Ron was thinking about rebelling against his mother and Harry was thing about Hermione. That caused him to return to his depression.

In the silence, Harry's eyes flashed as he had another vision. For once, it wasn't about Neville but it was Hermione. She was screaming under a lavatory sink. Then he sensed it. A troll was in the castle. Harry ran to the Head Table as fast as he could.

"Professor, there's a troll in the castle. I don't know how I know, I just do. Please believe me."

Just when Harry finished talking Professor Quirrell ran in panting. "Troll, in the dungeon." Then he fainted.

Everyone went into a panic except for Harry because he knew that everything was going to be alright. But he couldn't help but think that Quirrell was lying. But that made no sense to Harry. Why would deliberately lie to the headmaster?

The whole of the student body began to panic. However, Harry paid no attention what was going on around him. He was vaguely aware of the fact that everyone was leaving. He had to get to Hermione.

Harry had to rely on instinct to find the girls' bathroom, for being a boy he really didn't care where it was before. His senses kept telling him that he was getting close. He could feel Hermione's terror... terror, that wasn't a good sign. Then he smelt it, the smell of rotting cabbages. It wasn't very pleasant to say the least. He pulled out his wand as he ran into the lavatory.

Harry shot sparks away from himself and Hermione, who was under the sink as his vision showed him. She was also screaming.

"Granger, stop screaming. Don't move a muscle. I'm coming to get you." He shot more sparks to distract the troll that was standing a few feet from Hermione. When he reached her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her from under the sink.

"Potter," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah."

"If we die I'm going to blame you. Okay?"

"Okay, it is my fault on some level." He grinned at her and shot out some more sparks but he failed to distract the troll. This worried Harry to no end. He then had a brilliant yet stupid idea. He raised his wand and pointed it at the club. "Leviosa!" The club flew out of the troll's hand and rose above its head. He dropped his wand slightly and the club fell onto the troll's head, knocking it unconscious.

When the troll hit the ground, the door to the bathroom swung open. Hermione fainted into Harry's arms due to shock, or perhaps the smell had finally gotten to her. Harry looked up from the unconscious form of Hermione to see Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Quirrell walk in. In a matter of seconds, Quirrell was also on the floor unconscious. Harry thought that was kind of weak for a Defense professor. He could feel pain coming off from Snape. He gave the Potions Master a confused look before looking his enraged Head of House. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"Mr. Potter, explain yourself."

"Well," he began, "it's like this. I heard that Hermione was in the bathroom from one of the Patil girls so when I found out that there was a troll in the castle I felt that I had to find her. I figured that since that the troll was in the dungeons then it would be safe to look for her. I never dreamed that the troll would find itself in the girls' bathroom. I was trying to help a friend. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. I'm very, very sorry." He looked down to avoid Snape's intense glare. It just didn't feel right.

"That was dangerous but also noble and brave; so I award Gryffindor fifty House points." She saw Snape's glare in a broken mirror. "However, you did completely disregard an order; in that case I must take away five points."

Harry grinned stupidly. He saw that Hermione was stirring and offered to take her back to Gryffindor Tower. McGonagall thought that they should have gone to the Hospital Wing but they insisted that they were alright. When Hermione saw that no one was around, she pulled Harry into an empty room. Harry was slightly confused. This was Hermione Granger the girl that hated Harry.

"Why did you do it? Why did you come after me? You know you could have been killed. You are such an idiotic prat. Don't you ever do that again."

"Who are you to call me an idiotic prat? In case you have forgotten, this prat just saved your life. I was just doing what I thought was right. I didn't want to lose you as a friend."

"A friend, Potter. I don't even like you. How can I be your friend? Stay away from me; I don't want your help." Hermione stormed out of the room; leaving a very confused boy in her wake. A moment later Harry also left the room and went up to his dorm room. He saw that Ron was already there.

"Harry, what's wrong? You look like you were in a fight with a trashcan and lost. Where were you?"

"First, nothings wrong. Second, I won that fight. And third that is classified infomation that you won't be getting from me. Now, if you don't mind I would like to be alone so that I can wallow in self-pity."

"If there's nothing wrong then you don't need to wallow. Tell me what's wrong. You need to trust that you'll feel better if you tell someone."

"You will never understand. No one will understand. It's just too much sometimes."

"What's too hard? Explain it to me. I want to know. I want to help."

"No one can help me Ron! I had to live the past ten years hating today and not know why. Halloween is supposed to be a day of fun for kids our age. But you know what I hate it. I hate everything that it represents. It's just not fair. Now, please leave me alone; I can't handle being around people right now."

"Harry, please talk to me." Ron was staring at Harry with hurt in his eyes.

"No!" He turned his back but he knew that Ron was still there. "Halloween is the day that everything went wrong. That's day that I will always remember as the day my parents were murdered; the day that my life turned into hell. There are things about me that I can't tell you right now. I probably will never tell anyone what I have lived through.

"I can't even remember my parents. I can't remember their voices. I can't remember what they looked like. I don't even know if they even loved me. I here stories about them but all that they are stories. For all I knew they could be all lies. I miss them so much and I don't even know them."

Sometime during his speech, Harry began to openly cry. He jumped onto his bed and wept into his pillow. Ron was obviously uncomfortable and went down to the common room. He let Harry sort through his own emotions and not others.