Halle Potter and the first year of madness
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"Ronnie stay still." Said Halle putting a hand on Ronnie's chest as she tried to lift herself up.
She resorted to laying back down as she grunted in pain.
"What's going on? Where's the troll?" Asked Ronnie in quick succession.
"It's knocked out right now. Zabini used the levitation charm on its club to knock it out." Answered Neville.
Ronnie's eyes darted upwards to the boy in surprise.
"You stopped the troll?" Asked Ronnie in disbelief.
"Yes Weasley." Answered Dewei with an irritated sigh.
Ronnie looked stunned before she turned to Halle.
"Are you sure we're not dead or in some other dimension?" Asked Ronnie.
Dewei simply rolled his eyes but Halle and Neville burst out laughing.
Hermione however looked thoughtful at Dewei.
"Why did you come here? I get them, but why you?" Asked Hermione curiously.
Halle and Neville stopped laughing. The air in the bathroom suddenly became thick.
Dewei looked at her for a moment before answering.
"I saw these two running off and I followed them to tell them to not be idiots but I guess you can't stop genetics. We heard you scream, ran forward, saw the troll. Again the two idiots ran in. I was going for help and halfway, figured you'd all die before I was able to reach a teacher in time and believe it or not I don't want your deaths on my conscience. If you die because of your pathetic squabbles and hero complexes I'd like to know that I have no prior knowledge of it so I can rest easy knowing you died like idiots just because you're idiots." Said Dewei in his usual deadpan tone.
"Charming! I bet you say that to all the girls." Said Ronnie sarcastically.
Halle didn't care that Dewei had just insulted her a bunch of times, a building sensation of joy was filling her heart and before she knew what she was doing, she had flung herself at Dewei and wrapped her arms around him.
Dewei seemed almost positively frightened that Halle was even touching him. He sent a searching look at Hermione and Neville who looked just as shocked as he felt and Ronnie who was still laying down in his arms and lap looked downright confused.
Dewei finally spoke.
"Potter! What on earth are you doing?"
Halle pulled back from Dewei and smiled.
"You can lie all you want Zabini. You wanted to help us cause you care." Said Halle confidently.
Ronnie snorted.
Dewei eyed Halle dangerously for a moment.
"I could care less about you Potter! I just didn't need a guilty conscience. Let's make that severely clear." Snapped Dewei but Halle barely bat an eyelash at the sudden change of tone.
She knew this was a defence mechanism. His Slytherin mindset was probably feeling attacked and he was lashing out to protect himself from feeling any kind of care for the Gryffindors that had saved his life and bugged him endlessly for the last two weeks.
How she was deducing this knowledge she wasn't sure, but she was sure that this was the case.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night Dewei but if that was the case you would've got a teacher. Hell, you wouldn't even have followed us in the first place. Play the moody bad boy all you want. I've seen your true colours now Zabini. Now hush and, let's get out of here. I don't want to be here if the troll decides to wake up." Said Halle to Dewei before turning to all of them.
He went to argue but shut his mouth and glared.
Halle then looked toward Hermione.
"How's the foot Granger?" She asked softly.
"It hurts. I don't think I can get up." She said uncomfortably.
"Neville grab her shoe." Said Halle as she began to scoop up the salve again.
"Hey my salve!" Cried out Ronnie.
"It works Ronnie. It really does. I'm gonna use some more on you once we get back to the common room." Said Halle with a smile.
"Well I'll get to making more then." Said Ronnie excitedly.
Neville removed Hermione's left shoe and Halle using one hand, rolled down her sock halfway over her foot revealing an already purple swollen ankle.
"Ok just try to relax." Said Halle. She put the cylinder down and rubbed the paste on her fingers into her hands and slowly took Hermione's ankle and began massaging the paste onto her skin.
Hermione hissed in discomfort but she closed her eyes and did her best to keep her foot still.
Halle watched as the inflammation of Hermione's ankle started to go down and the purple bruising slowly started to disappear. She took a bit more of the paste and rubbed into her ankle until the swelling was completely gone.
Hermione's face began to relax the more Halle kept rubbing and she eventually opened her eyes with a smile.
Hermione twisted her foot a couple times just to test it out and was satisfied that she could move it. She pulled back up her sock and Neville handed her her shoe back. She then got to her feet and put her full weight on her ankle.
"Thank you." Said Hermione grateful to Halle.
She then looked towards Ronnie in amazement.
"How did you make this?" Her tone filled with awe.
"Long story." Answered Ronnie.
"Well, you'll definitely need some more. That cut isn't fully healed." Said Hermione concerned.
"I don't know, maybe you should keep it and match with me." Said Halle smirking.
Ronnie grinned back.
"What and have everyone gawk at me too? Please I'm already famous." Said Ronnie taking her right hand and making it flick her hair over her shoulder.
"Alright miss celebrity. Let's unmark that face before there's no space for any more freckles." Said Halle.
"Touché."
She took another scoop of the paste and smeared it across the pink scar on Ronnie's head. They watched after a moment as the skin began to seal up more and the pink scar was now a faded line of fresh skin.
"How do I look?" Asked Ronnie with a crooked smile.
"Like you haven't got beaten up by a troll." Replied Halle in a mischievous tone.
"Great! Well let's not tempt fate for a second time shall we?" Said Ronnie.
"Please!" Said Neville who looked more than ready to leave the bathroom.
"Ok let's go." Said Halle standing up and coming over to Ronnie's injured side.
She passed the cylinder to Neville who closed it up and went and picked up Ronnie's fallen wand.
Both her and Dewei picked up Ronnie up. Ronnie winced a little but managed to get to her feet. Halle fixed her uniform back.
"Thanks. And thank you for saving my life. I suppose that includes you too Zabini." Said Ronnie to Halle and Neville before turning to Dewei.
She then turned to Hermione.
"And I guess you as well Granger. You did distract the troll from splattering me. Look I'm really sorry about earlier I…"
Before Ronnie could finish her statement, Hermione like Halle bounded toward Ronnie and engulfed her in a hug. She was however careful to avoid Ronnie's injured shoulder.
"No, I'm sorry. I know how I can get and I don't try to be like that. I always knew I was different growing up and so did other people. They would judge me before they got to know me and that stuck. I was lucky that I could understand things from young and I thought if people knew how smart I could be or I worked hard to be the smartest in the room then they wouldn't judge me but that never worked so I relied on my smartness to get me through things and the only validation I got usually came from my parents and my teachers. I thought maybe that could change here but I've been this way for a long time now and when you said what you said I realised how bad it was. I don't mean to be the person who calls you up on your intelligence. It's just… it's all I have. I'm sorry for what I said to you and thank you for my saving life too. If you hadn't the troll would've splattered me too." Said Hermione tearfully.
Ronnie looked a little perplexed before she took her hand and rubbed Hermione's back a little awkwardly.
"Look Granger I know I can be harsh with my words. I get mad and someone else's pays the price. I didn't mean to make you cry and I didn't want to either. It's not that I have anything against your intelligence. You can be a lot to handle yes, but it's not you. It's what you remind me of. I've had a good understanding of life too. I know what certain wizards think of me and my family. Don't get it twisted I'm proud to be a Weasley no matter what anyone says about us but we get the harshest of criticism from family. My grandmother on my mothers side and a few other relatives make it clear what they think of us. It's a wonder how some of them even still associate with us. Some of them also make it clear that our family will never amount to anything. My Grandmother always has harsh words for my mum and she takes it only out of respect for her mother. She doesn't listen but I do. I've always wanted to prove to her and to the rest of the world that we're amazing. Blood traitors or not. My mother and father make do with what they have and still manage to smile everyday and have the kindest hearts. My brothers are talented and smart and my sister is following in the same direction. So I'm very proud of my family but I guess I'm the one who takes it to heart. So I'm sorry for lashing out on you. If I hadn't….you wouldn't have been in the bathroom and neither of us would've needed saving. So I am sorry and I accept your apology." Said Ronnie with a genuine smile to Hermione.
Hermione's tears leaked more prominently but she also gave Ronnie a genuine smile back.
"I accept your apology too." She said whilst wiping her tears.
Halle couldn't believe all that had transpired here and within less than half an hour too but it wasn't over because not a moment later a rush of footsteps were heard and suddenly Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell were tumbling through the hole of the girls bathroom and came across the sight of the five Gryffindors.
Professor McGonagall's eyes skimmed over the troll and then flitted back to Halle and the others and her face went from shock to pure fury.
"Explain yourselves all of you!" Screeched Professor McGonagall.
Halle's heart leaped in her chest. They were going to be expelled.
"It's my fault Professor." Said Hermione.
Halle and Ronnie shared a look of incredulity.
Hermione had just outright told a lie to Professor McGonagall of all people.
She then stated how she went looking for the troll to deal with it herself and if the other four hadn't found her then she would be dead. Halle couldn't believe she was taking the fall for them.
Halle wanted to speak up and tell Professor McGonagall the truth but something else had caught her eye.
For a split second her eyes had diverted to Snape knowing that the bat like phantom of a teacher surely wasn't going to believe Hermione. His face was a straight line and when he looked towards Halle, she looked down and that's when she saw the torn fabric of his trouser leg that exposed a bloody and mangled cut that left a deep crimson blood trail down Snape's leg.
As Halle continued to stare at it, she realised cut probably wasn't the right word to describe the injury. It more looked like a puncture wound as if he had been bitten.
Halle unfortunately had quite the experience with being bitten. Memories of her aunt Marge and her savage 12 bulldogs floated around her mind before she was pulled out of her daze by Professor Snape covering his leg with his cloak as he noticed her staring.
Professor McGonagall had just finished scolding Hermione and took away five points from her.
She then turned to them. She was definitely angry with them by the tone she used as she sort of congratulated them for defeating a mountain troll but instead of punishing them, she awarded each of them five points too.
She also stated that next time they decided to go saving other students that there was enough of them for at least one of them to inform a teacher, though her tone very much suggested that she wasn't inviting them to be in another situation like this and that they shouldn't even consider looking for one either.
With that, she gave instructions to Professor Snape and Quirrell before telling all five Gryffindors to follow her.
They did. Not one of them said a word. They didn't want to give her a reason to take away the points they had just won. Halle kept her head down so she didn't realise the familiar route they had taken to the hospital wing until they were walking inside.
Madam Pomfrey sprung from her office as she heard the door open.
"Minerva is everything alright?" Asked Madam Pomfrey as her eyes took in the sight of herself and the others. Neville and Dewei for the most part looked fine. They had a minimum amount of dust on their robes. Herself, Ronnie and Hermione were a different story. Ronnie and Hermione were covered head to toe in dust and Ronnie who was wearing grey trousers also had patches of blood seeping through the grey material as well as several rips.
Halle herself, had managed to get a little hurt too. Her adrenaline was racing before and seeing Ronnie hurt had obscured her own mind from the fact that she seemed to feel a little pain on her cheek bone. She wasn't sure how but she was. She also seemed to be covered in what she could only assume was grime. When she had touch the troll it felt grainy and that apparently had rubbed onto her robes as she had climbed it and held onto its waistcoat.
Seriously why the hell was a troll wearing a waistcoat?
Like where did the troll get it? Did it make it? Buy it?
'How is thinking about this important?' She asked herself.
It wasn't important and she snapped her thoughts off of the troll and back to Madam Pomfrey.
Did Madam Pomfrey not know there had been a troll loose in the school? Now that Halle thought about it, she hadn't even seen her at Dinner. She didn't even think she had ever seen
Madam Pomfrey outside the Hospital wing, which going there was a bit of an occurrence now. Mostly due to Neville but sometimes because of her own mishaps.
"Not quite Poppy. These five students of my own house no less were all just cornered by a mountain troll and knocked it out. I would appreciate it if you could check them over and attend to their robes. I'll send for Miss Troggin to collect them." Said Professor McGonagall before swiftly exiting the Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey moved into action. She took all five of them and whisked each of them to a bed. She began asking questions. Neville and Dewei were fine so it was just the girls who needed attending too. Luckily Ronnie's salve had worked, so the injuries didn't look too bad but there was several bruises to look at.
Madam Pomfrey still made sure to give Neville and Dewei a thorough examination. She cleaned off their robes before making them take three small sips of a turquoise potion that Madam Pomfrey had called a calming draught. She made the girls take some too and Halle suddenly felt all her stress go away.
Madam Pomfrey got to work. She healed the small cut that apparently had opened on Halle's cheek. So that's why it was stinging.
She then with a flick of her wand removed all the grime that coated her robes and gave Halle a peachy pink potion that Madam Pomfrey told her to drink.
It didn't taste exactly nice but it wasn't bad either. Suddenly she saw some sort of pink fumes surround her. She looked in alarm at Madam Pomfrey who only chuckled in response.
"The smell of a troll is intensely pungent. I've basically given you a drinkable perfume that has washed out your pores for the next ten to twelve hours dear. The potion will have removed any evidence that you were even near a troll tonight and you will be smelling like a million galleons."
She now noticed the scent as it wafted into her nostrils. It was a mix of Strawberries and freshly baked bread. She smelt amazing.
"Thank you Madam Pomfrey." Said Halle gratefully.
Madam Pomfrey gave her a kind smile, then began to attend to Hermione. She healed Hermione's bruises from her body, cleaned her robes and gave her a potion to drink to relieve any excess pain and proceeded to do the same with Ronnie.
She shrieked when she saw the purple bruise on her shoulder. If she noticed that it had been partially healed, she didn't comment. She began to work on Ronnie's cuts on her knees first whilst the others waited in silence.
Halle sat there in the midst of her own thoughts. She went over the events of tonight. How did, what was meant to be a simple apology turn into a 12 foot nightmare?
Halle felt strange that a troll had somehow gotten into the castle through the dungeons and then left the dungeons, made its way specifically to the first-floor bathroom and just happened to find two little girls by themselves when there was a whole heap of potential victims on the ground floor that were definitely making enough noise to attract its attention.
The thought of Snape crossed her mind too. Herself and Neville had seen him heading for the third floor instead of the dungeons where all the other teachers had headed and he had come back with a bloody leg.
He had no doubt met that three headed dog but why had he been there in the first place? To check that the dog was ok?
Halle didn't think that anyone would want to check on a dog like that. No one would be stupid enough to risk it probably except for the teachers.
The teachers had to know that the dog was here. Professor Dumbledore had announced that the corridor was out of bounds to the whole school. Surely the other teachers would need to know that especially if the dog was guarding something important?
So yes, the teachers probably would check on the dog but something about that didn't seem right.
If Snape went to check on the dog then that would've suggested that he thought possibly that the troll had gotten to the third floor before going back to the first.
The time it had taken Professor Quirrell to come to the hall, and for students to leave had been too short a time for the troll to have gone and left the dungeons, get up to the third floor and then go to the first floor.
That didn't make sense.
Sure, the troll had obviously made its way quite quickly to the first floor considering that they didn't hear the troll pass the great hall after Professor Quirrell had seen the troll in the dungeons but the students were out of the hall practically within five minutes after he fainted and the troll must've already been in the bathroom or at least on its way there.
So what reason would Snape have to check on the dog? Unless he wasn't trying to check on the dog? Perhaps he was trying to bypass it?
It was like a lightbulb had switched in Halle's head.
Neville had said the troll couldn't have got in by itself, that trolls were stupid.
Professor Quirrell had seen the troll and had ran to inform Professor Dumbledore which it then made its way to the first floor and when all the other teachers went down to the dungeons, Snape had time to go up because the troll was a distraction to get past the dog.
Halle couldn't help but feel that was a dumb plan. Why cause a big distraction when you could wait late into the night? Figure out a way to tame the dog and go past the trapdoor but nevertheless she was sure this was the case.
Snape wanted whatever the dog was guarding. He had probably charmed the troll to go the first floor after someone had seen it so that the teachers didn't find the troll immediately and he could have time to go snooping around.
That was a big accusation Halle realised as she relayed this information over and over in her head but what other explanation was there?
The thought of C.S did cross her mind but she didn't know how she could connect the dots.
C.S had attacked Dewei two weeks ago. Sent a note. Had orchestrated for Dewei, herself and the others to be in the line of danger. Surely C.S couldn't have known that at least Ronnie would be by herself with Hermione? That herself, Neville and Dewei specifically would've come to their rescue, Could he?
Was it possible that Snape had tried to kill Dewei and possibly frame them? But why? The cloaked figure had been tall and wore black just like Snape but why would Snape want to kill Dewei? He had never shown any disdain to Dewei out of all the Gryffindors.
None of this was making sense.
Could it have been possible that Snape wasn't C.S but was working with him?
There was a mystery in the school and there was mystery with Dewei? Were the two mysteries connected?
Well there was one connection. Herself.
She didn't know what the centre was at either mystery but she had been there for several revealing points of both.
She had been there for the removal of the package. She had seen the dog. Then there was Dewei and Blaise. She had overheard the argument and had stopped C.S from killing Dewei.
The connection was thin at best but she had been there and Dewei and Blaise had been there for dog saga too.
What was the possibility that Dewei knew more about the dog situation?
He knew more about the C.S situation, that was for sure.
She needed to find out if the two situations were connected.
She needed to figure out what was underneath that trapdoor and she needed to find out what Dewei really knew about C.S.
She needed to form a plan.
The sound of the door to the Hospital Wing opening paused her train of thought.
It was Ashley.
"Evening Madam Pomfrey." Said Ashley Politely.
"And to you Miss Troggin. I'm almost finished. Take a seat and they'll be with you shortly." Said Madam Pomfrey.
Ashley nodded her head and came and sat beside Halle's bed.
"So I hear that you lot took on a troll?" She whispered with the tiniest hint of amusement present in her voice.
"I mean it would've killed us otherwise and we didn't go without injury." Whispered back Halle. She wasn't sure why she felt slightly defensive or felt the need to explain that it wasn't some powerful fight they had, had with the troll. She didn't want people getting the wrong impression for some reason.
"Well I'm impressed. You should be proud. Not many people face a mountain troll and live to tell the tale of it. Especially not five first years." Said Ashley winking at Halle.
"That's what Professor McGonagall said." Replied Halle.
"Well it's true. I've never heard of first years fighting trolls and winning." Said Ashley with a chuckle.
"And so you shouldn't!" Snapped Madam Pomfrey.
They all turned to the bustling witch. She looked flustered for a moment whilst giving Ronnie a measured cup of some green potion.
"First years having to fight trolls. It's unacceptable. Whoever let that troll in…if I find them…putting so many lives in danger and no doubt for a practical joke with it being Halloween. We're just lucky that the five of them were competent enough to survive a troll attack. There are grown wizards out there who haven't been so lucky." Said Madam Pomfrey displeased.
"Of course Madam Pomfrey, it's terrible they even had to go through such a thing but wouldn't you say it's impressive that they took out a troll by themselves?" Said Ashley rather upbeat.
"Knocked out." She corrected "And yes it's a great achievement but shouldn't have been a necessary one." Said Madam Pomfrey in a very strict and motherly tone.
Before anyone could say anything else, Ronnie let out a hiss as her face contorted in pain. She was like this for a few seconds before her face relaxed and she took an even breath.
She straightened up and began to roll her shoulder before she gave a huge grin and thanked Madam Pomfrey. Her shoulder was completely healed and her robes were fresh and untorn.
"I'm glad to have been of assistance. Now I suggest all of you go straight to your common room and rest." Said Madam Pomfrey authoritatively.
Ashley stood up.
"Come on lions. The feast has been moved to the common room. You guys can eat, enjoy your victory and then rest up." Said Ashley warmly.
Halle jumped off the bed and the others did the same. They all wished Madam Pomfrey a good night and exited the Hospital Wing but they were blocked by another figure.
Lu was standing outside the hospital wing pacing before she saw the six Gryffindors enter the corridor. Immediately she ran forward and scooped Dewei into a massive hug.
"I'm fine Lu. Stop." Said Dewei though his words came out muffled.
When Lu released him from the hug she looked at all of them with concern in her eyes.
"Are you guys alright? What were you thinking? Going after a troll! Have you all lost your minds? I'm just glad you're ok." Said Lu. Her words rushed and panicked.
"Relax Lu. They were barely even hurt, they're all alive and they stopped the troll. They're fine. Aren't you guys?" Asked Ashley.
Halle was far from fine and barely even hurt was definitely an understatement but she nodded her head to make Lu feel better and the others did too.
She looked at all of them clearly not convinced.
She sighed for a moment and then spoke.
"As Head girl it's a duty of mine to look out for the welfare of the students of Hogwarts. As your sister Dewei, it's my duty to look out for you and this is the second time you guys have ended up in some wild situation." Said Lu, stress filling her tone.
"What was the first?" Asked Ashley curiously.
"Not important. What is important is you guys staying safe. Look I'm not telling you don't have fun, everybody at Hogwarts does but no more wild adventures ok. I don't want to see you Dewei or the rest of you get hurt. Understand?" Said Lu seriously.
They all nodded.
"Good! Keep your word." Said Lu. She then spoke directly to Ashley.
"Professor McGonagall says no patrolling tonight. We'll have a meeting with our head of houses and Professor Dumbledore tomorrow. He'll send for us. Lights out by 11 latest tonight." Informed Lu.
"Noted. Thanks." Replied Ashley.
Lu nodded.
She then turned and spoke to Dewei.
"I'll be checking up on you tomorrow. I want to know you're alright"
Dewei rolled his eyes but nodded.
"Alright I won't hold you up any longer. You still have lessons tomorrow. Good night." Said Lu tiredly.
They all wished her goodnight and she walked off heading for the dungeons.
"Come on you lot. Let's get to the common room before you have to slay a giant too." Joked Ashley.
Only Halle and Ronnie found her joke funny. Neville and Hermione grimaced whilst Dewei rolled his eyes.
They followed the deputy head girl back to the common room and entered it to find it packed and noisy. Everyone was eating and no one took notice of them entering.
Ashley turned to them.
"You lot alright?" She asked kindly.
They all nodded.
"Good. Well if anything comes up you let me know. In the meantime Happy Halloween and enjoy the feast. Can't say your first Halloween at Hogwarts was forgettable huh? If you need me I'll be with my friends." Said Ashley with a smirk and she made her way over to a group of seventh years.
They watched her in silence and when they all looked at one another they were at a loss of what to say.
After a moment Dewei broke the silence.
"I'm going to eat!" He announced.
"I'd say don't follow me but I know you're just going to anyway because you're all annoying and pathetic so let's go." Said Dewei and walked off to get a plate.
Halle, Ronnie and Neville shared a look with each other. They shrugged and Neville followed Dewei.
Halle and Ronnie looked at Hermione who looked unsure of herself.
Halle and Ronnie's eyes met.
Ronnie then spoke.
"You coming Granger?" Said Ronnie with a smirk.
"You want me too?" Asked Hermione nervously.
"Friends who knock out trolls together, eat together." Said Halle with a smile.
Hermione's gave them both a large toothy grin and the three of them joined the boys and hurried to get their plates.
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