Halle Potter and the first year of madness
AN: Hello everyone. Hope you're all well and I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. So, I just want to say I appreciate all the faves, follows and of course reviews. It means a lot, it really does. So, this is chapter 17 and I've realised that I haven't even gotten to Quidditch yet and like I said I'm following canon to get closer to my actual plot.
I had a rough idea of how many chapters book 1 was gonna be which was around thirty but I guess I'm just writing a lot more detail than I had specifically planned so it's probably going to be more now.
This was intended to be a long story anyway but I just want to clarify for anyone who might feel it's taking long which I hope no one is because personally I love the idea that I have and I'm having so much fun writing the story and I hope everyone is having fun reading it and as the Mystery unfolds, I hope it we'll be worth the wait.
I'm going to reread my chapters over and try to check if there are any mistakes, so sorry to anyone if you've read this story so far or new to it and there have been mistakes. I do try but I'm not the best proof reader.
Any who I've waffled on enough please proceed to the chapter and enjoy :)
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Halle and Hermione sat there talking for a little while more. Just small chat. Halle didn't want to give up any more information on the Dursley's so she'd turned the conversation to school subjects which Hermione was more than willing to participate in. It was nice talking about primary school, even if she had been through hell at the place but it was nice to talk about the familiarity of it all with Hermione, something she couldn't do much of with Ronnie and Neville.
As the common room got lighter, other students began to arrive. Some familiar, others not known by name. Matt and Freja were the first of their year to come down. They both said their good mornings before heading down for breakfast. Percy at some point came to say a quick morning before also leaving for breakfast. More students flooded down the spiral staircase, some sat down waiting for their friends, whilst others left also heading down for breakfast.
Eventually Hermione returned to her book and Halle sat silently patient as they both waited for the others to come down.
Halle let her thoughts takeover as she watched the other students bypass her. She knew none of them had no idea how strange the last two months had been for her and her friends considering she was in a school for magic.
Of course, she had experienced quite normal days at Hogwarts so far and the last two months had gone by in a blur but a lot of crazy things had happened already and she doubted that they were happening to the other students, again considering they were in a school for magic.
She got lost in her thoughts as more Gryffindors began to reach the common room. She finally saw Dewei enter and the other boys enter except Neville. He walked behind them with his usual arrogant swagger and of course carried his famously bored expression.
Halle wondered to herself if he was programmed with only a set few emotions and facial expressions.
Maybe he was secretly a half wizard, half robot and that's what he was hiding from them. Perhaps C.S was a wizard working for a government corporation who knew about Wizards and was trying to expose them or learn the secrets of magic by creating a robot and abducting a wizard to create Dewei so that he could record everything he was learning and the muggle world would have a secret weapon against the wizarding world.
She snorted to herself at the ridiculous notion she had just created in her head but then a thought occurred to her. If Wizards existed why couldn't robots exist too? Wait but if robots existed, did Aliens exist? Did Angels and Demons exist? What about God?
She felt a sudden pang in her brain and suddenly she didn't want to know if any of those things existed. It was enough to be learning magic as it was and her uncle had tried to stamp out her belief in that for years.
She didn't need to hurt her head, pondering over the rest of the universe's mysteries.
Dewei looked like he was ready to saunter past them but Halle quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him over to where they were sitting.
He immediately went from slight surprise to looking completely annoyed.
So maybe he wasn't a half robot.
"Look I don't know what any of you think is gonna happen here but just because I saved your scrawny arses last night, that doesn't mean I wanna be…"
"Hush Dewei! I have something I need to tell you but we need to wait for Neville and Ronnie and go somewhere a bit more private." Said Halle interrupting Dewei from ranting.
He looked murderous.
"It's important!" Said Halle defiantly at the look she was receiving.
"Did I not make it exclusively clear to you last night Potter…?" Started Dewei.
"That you don't care about us? Yes, but we still sat with you anyway. Besides like I said I have something I need to tell you guys, then you can continue to be a sour sop all you like." Said Halle with a satisfied smirk as his eyes squinted more.
He begrudgingly sat down and stony silence fell between the two as they stared one another out.
Hermione paid no attention to this.
The common room cleared out some more and eventually Halle saw the fiery hair of Ronnie make her way down the spiral staircase and over to them.
"I see you've replaced me. Make some new friends and all of sudden I'm chopped liver and you're spending your mornings with them. How could you?" Said Ronnie jestingly with her chin high in the air and her hand over her chest.
Dewei rolled his eyes intensely whilst Hermione looked up and made a face before going back to her book.
"Ronnie it's not what it looks like. I could never even think to replace you. I woke up and you were still asleep and she was awake and we just started talking and it just went from there and then he came down but you know I would never hurt you. You must know that?" Bantered Halle, pretending to be close to tears.
"No! You've betrayed my trust Halle Potter. I can never look at you in the same way again." Said Ronnie dramatically whilst wiping away fake tears.
"Ronnie No! I'll do anything. Please just give me one more chance. I promise, it will never happen again." Cried Halle grabbing onto Ronnie's arm.
"It's too late. Goodbye forever." Said Ronnie wrenching her arm away from Halle.
"Ronnie No!" Said Halle falling to her knees.
Hermione who had looked back up and watched the entire scene unfold with a straight face, raised an eyebrow at the two girls as she noticed they had some on lookers in the common room. Luckily most of it was clearing out as they continued to wait for Neville.
"Honestly!" Huffed Hermione as she fully closed her book in hand.
"Kill me now." They heard Dewei murmur.
Halle and Ronnie both started laughing.
The two girls had grown very close in the last two months and had established a thing of going back and forth with one another in a manner of different ways and if it already annoyed Hermione on her first day as their friend, then she had no idea what she was getting herself into.
Halle sniggered at the thought.
"Good morning grouchy." Said Ronnie to Dewei. He only glared in response.
"And good morning to you too, tree." Said Ronnie as she sat down near Halle.
"Tree?" Questioned Hermione.
"Well, I was gonna say bush because of your hair but I heard my brothers use that joke once in front of my mother and let's just say they regretted it for an entire week. At least with tree it can still be implied." Said Ronnie with a wide toothy grin.
Halle didn't exactly get the joke but Hermione apparently did because her eyes squinted dangerously but before she could say anything they finally saw Neville enter the common room.
He looked a little dishevelled as he walked up to the group with messy hair, an untucked shirt, and was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Morning Nev. Didn't get much sleep?" Said Halle.
"I kept on thinking about the troll. I was tossing and turning half the night." Said Neville before covering a large yawn that was escaping his mouth.
"Same." Said Halle.
"Join the club." Added Ronnie.
"How are you feeling Neville?" Asked Hermione kindly.
"Oh, I'm fine. I mean, I was definitely terrified and was sure I might pass out but I specifically wasn't attacked by a troll, was I?" Said Neville sitting down beside Ronnie.
"Well, you were still very brave last night." Said Hermione with a smile.
His cheeks went bright red but he gratefully smiled back.
"Thanks." Said Neville looking downwards.
"Ok, can we stop with all the sentimental crap and get on to whatever it is that you think is so important enough for us to hear that you're bombarding me with your god forsaken presence more than necessary." Snapped Dewei.
"Sure, but I think, we should go somewhere else. Maybe outside." Said Halle through gritted teeth.
"Ugh do we have too. The fire's so warm and I'm super hungry. If we have to pass the great hall without eating, to walk outside into the depths of the icy wrath that is the beginning of winter's chill, I might just die." Said Ronnie extremely theatrical with puppy dog eyes.
Neville snorted.
"So melodramatic." Said Hermione shaking her head.
"And proud of it Granger." Said Ronnie. She then turned back to Halle. "Come on everyone's gone down to breakfast. Tell us."
Halle looked around. No one else was there.
"Alright, but this stays in this circle and only this circle, got it?" Said Halle to all four of them.
Ronnie, Neville and Hermione nodded. Halle turned her eyes to Dewei.
"I know I'm great to look at but staring at me all day isn't going to inform us of your information." Said Dewei with a sly grin.
Halle wanted to throttle him for a second. Why had they saved him again?
"It's stays in this circle! Right?" Said Halle. Her annoyance emphasising each word.
He stared at her for a long moment.
Ronnie let out a huge annoyed sigh.
"Dewei!" Said Hermione.
"Yes, it stays in the circle. Like I speak to anyone anyways. Just get on with it." He said exasperated.
"What a joy you are to be around Zabini. Such pleasantries this delightful morning." Said Ronnie sarcastically. She purposely said this in a chipper annoying tone which earned her a deadly glare from Dewei.
Both Neville and Hermione hid their smirks.
Halle decided to step in before they weren't able to have this conversation.
"Ok, now that someone isn't being a prat, let me tell you guys this. Ok so remember how there's a massive three headed dog on the third floor?" She stated.
The mood change amongst the four Gryffindors was instantaneous. Neville's face became anxious. Ronnie's cheeks became a tad paler. Even Dewei had dropped his scowl and looked at her curiously.
His curiosity seemed genuine.
"You didn't go looking for it again, did you?" Asked Hermione in a serious tone.
"Of course not! I'm not an idiot." Said Halle.
"Then what about it?" Asked Hermione slowly.
"Remember Hermione that you said it was guarding something and standing on a trapdoor?" Replied Halle. Her voice had become close to a whisper even though no other students were in the common room.
"Yes." Answered Hermione in a cautious tone.
"Well, one I'm pretty certain I saw the package of whatever that dog is guarding. I was with Hagrid the day that he took out a package that he specifically said he was taking out on behalf of Professor Dumbledore. He took the package from a vault in Gringotts that later that day was broken into. When I asked Hagrid about it, he said it was top secret and official Hogwarts business. The head boys and girls were told that no one's allowed on the third floor but not the prefects and we've seen why, which means that whatever that package is, it's extremely valuable and worth stealing and I think I know who's trying to steal it." Said Halle, her voice still barely above a whisper.
"Who?" Said Ronnie, Hermione and Neville at the same time.
Halle looked at Dewei for his reaction. He still seemed curious but he gave nothing away to suggest he knew anything about the package.
"I think it's Snape." Said Halle.
"Snape!" Said Ronnie surprised.
"What?" Said Hermione shocked.
"Look I know it sounds crazy, but I think Snape let the troll in last night as a distraction. Neville and I saw him heading for the third floor and when him, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Quirrell entered the bathroom, his leg was bleeding, there were puncture wombs in his leg and when he saw that I saw them, he was quick to cover it up. I think he's after the package." Finished Halle.
"Ok that's a lot of information to process. Look I'm not gonna say that you're wrong about the package stuff but Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher. No matter how much of… a piece of work he can be. Surely Professor Dumbledore would know if he was trying to steal whatever's in that package and keep in mind that Professor Snape has been teaching at Hogwarts for years. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't keep someone like that around if he didn't trust him." Reasoned Hermione.
"Come off it Granger! Professor Dumbledore has kept someone like him around anyway and that package hasn't been here for years to steal. Snape hates anyone that isn't a slimy Slytherin. Look at how he treats us. He clearly hates kids and maybe his job too. Maybe Halle's right. What if this package is so valuable that he thinks it's his way out of a dead-end job. Someone let that troll in and it almost killed us." Said Ronnie heatedly.
"Hold on a minute. Wasn't Snape at the feast though?" Asked Neville.
"He could've let the troll in before that seeming as Quirrell saw the troll in the dungeons first." Answered Halle.
"Hold on minute. Quirrell wasn't even at the feast, who's to say that it wasn't him that let the troll in?" Said Dewei suddenly.
All four of them stared at him. Halle didn't think he would actually grace them with an actual opinion but he had.
Halle took a moment to take in his statement.
Professor Quirrell? There wasn't necessarily a reason for it not to be Professor Quirrell but Halle was sure that he was one jump scare away from losing his head and he hadn't been bitten by a three headed dog.
Granted Dewei had a point. Halle didn't remember him being at the feast but Professor Quirrell trying to steal from Professor Dumbledore? It was questionable if not completely laughable.
Unless he specifically knew that It was Quirrell or he was trying to take the heat off from the real culprit?
"Professor Quirrell? Don't make me laugh Zabini." Chuckled Ronnie.
"Honestly Dewei! That's absolutely absurd. Professor Quirrell is also a Hogwarts teacher. Both him and Professor Snape were chosen by Dumbledore himself to teach here. To suggest that either one would endanger students to steal a valuable package is completely ridiculous. Professor Dumbledore is a worldwide renowned wizard. One that isn't a fool." Said Hermione adamantly.
"Yes, you'd be highly correct Granger. Dumbledore is a renowned wizard known for his, talents and wisdom but he's also old and just a man. A great one sure but a man all the same. A man who could also easily make mistakes and in case you've forgotten, said man put a Cerberus in a school that could possibly endanger students to protect a package that apparently is worth stealing so much that if it's to be believed, someone could let a dangerous mountain troll in as a distraction to try and steal said package." Said Dewei nonchalantly.
Hermione almost seemed taken aback as though she couldn't find the right logic to poke holes into his own.
Her face took up a concentration as she pondered his words. Ronnie almost seemed offended at his insinuation and Neville looked as though he didn't know how process what Dewei had just said.
Halle didn't know how to feel about that statement. She didn't like the idea that Dewei could just question Dumbledore so easily.
Halle of course didn't know the man and she didn't know much about his accomplishments but even from reading one card on the train she held the man in high regard.
Hagrid had spoken highly of him as did a lot of the older students in school. Even Ronnie had said that her father liked Hagrid because of how loyal he was to Dumbledore.
Hearing Dewei question his actions just felt wrong.
It was worse because Halle herself had even thought that it was irresponsible to put such a creature in the school filled with young children.
Hermione came out of her stupor.
"Perhaps you're right. Dumbledore is a man and perhaps he makes mistakes too but that's still no indication that Professor Snape or Professor Quirrell are trying to steal whatever that dog is guarding. If you say you saw Professor Snape head towards the third floor, then you saw him and I won't dispute that but that's still not proof. Yes, it's strange but not proof enough of the accusation." Argued Hermione.
Halle regarded her for a moment. Hermione had said she only ever gained validation from her family and teachers. Of course, she wouldn't be willing to just accept that Snape was trying to steal something no matter how bad he was.
Hermione was right though. She needed proof; she wasn't sure how she would go about getting such proof though.
She wasn't about to walk up to him in their potion's lesson later on and ask him.
"I think you're too willing to defend Snape, Hermione." Said Ronnie.
"I think you're too willing to attack him, Ronnie." Replied Hermione.
"Either way. He went to the third floor and he got his leg bitten, so until the theory is proven or disproven, I'm inclined to believe it's him. I just can't see it being Quirrell but I'll take it into consideration. Anything's possible in a magic school. Which means we need to keep an eye out." Said Halle seriously.
Ronnie and Neville nodded their heads. Dewei looked like he was pondering his own thoughts.
Hermione looked unsure for a second.
She clearly thought that they might be ready to break certain rules.
Halle wanted to stop her train of thought.
"Hermione that's not the only thing. There's more." Said Halle.
Hermione's attention became rapt once more.
Neville and Ronnie shifted in their seats. They knew what was coming this time.
Halle took quick glance at Dewei. His expression for once was practically interested but she knew it was about to attempt to glare a hole into the side of her head momentarily.
She took a sigh.
"Hermione, if you're going to be our friend, then you need to know something. It's important that we tell you this. Your life could depend on it. That's not a certainty but there's no guarantee that you're entirely safe either but I'm telling you anyway. Two and a half weeks ago Zabini was attacked." Said Halle.
Hermione eyes went wide as she looked from Halle to Dewei.
Dewei looked positively pissed at Halle.
"Potter!" He shouted.
Halle ignored him.
"What happened?" Asked Hermione shocked.
"That's none of your business Granger and she shouldn't be telling you mine." Said Dewei dangerously.
"It's my business too Dewei. The same goes for, Ronnie and Neville and if Hermione is gonna start hanging out with us then she deserves to know the truth." Said Halle unyielding from his tone.
"I told you to drop it." Spat Dewei.
"And we chose not to listen. You almost died and we might've too. All of us possibly still could. We did what you asked and we didn't go to a teacher which we should've done but we respected your wish, however the possibility of danger isn't gone and we weren't going to sit around and do nothing." Said Halle heatedly.
"Yeah, and now Hermione's with us and if something like that happens again, we've got the brains of the school to protect your grouchy arse. She needs to know. He could be anywhere Zabini. You might want to pretend it didn't happen and act soulless but we were scared. Really scared and we don't know if the dangers over yet." Added Ronnie. Her tone just serious as Halle's.
He looked like was about to start shouting again but Neville cut in.
"They're right Dewei." Said Neville not quite being able to look him in the eye.
"Hermione is extremely smart and she'll probably be able to help us." He continued.
Halle saw Hermione blush but she was too preoccupied with the conversation to hide the fact.
"Help with what Longbottom?" Dewei spat. "It happened once, it's over. Nothing's happened since. We don't need to talk about it and I don't need anyone's protection." He said angrily.
"Yes, maybe you don't but something could happen again and that's why we need to be prepared and Hermione needs to know because if something does happen again and everyone gets notes, she might be the next one getting pushed off the balcony or attacked anywhere else, and as I recall, it was you who said just only last night that you didn't need death on your conscience. We don't know why we were brought there and we don't know why you were attacked but we were there. We saved your life and C.S failed. If he tries again to kill you or one of us Hermione needs to be made aware of the situation. Unless you know for sure that C.S isn't gonna attack someone again or know the reason why he attacked in the first place, then we need to be prepared. Besides I'm saying this because there could always be a possibility that the package and C.S are connected. We've seen the dog and C.S attacked with minus two people that night. That's no coincidence. So, we're telling her." Said Halle adamantly.
Just the mention of the balcony incident was enough to rattle Dewei whereas the Snape news had only gotten a theory and a curious look.
Although she had just said there was a possibility of them being connected, she was closer to believing that the two incidents weren't connected at tall but she didn't believe that it was a coincidence that both mysteries were involving them either.
If she was correct then C.S was someone other than Snape. This would put the two mysteries back in separate boxes. The possibility of Snape and C.S working together could still be a factor but on Dewei's side he didn't appear to know anything about the package otherwise his reaction wouldn't have been so calm compared to his vastly irate one right now.
He was a quite the good actor and could've been acting just now but surely then he would be able to control the anger flowing through him if that were the case? And Halle was sure his anger was real. It certainly felt real.
Dewei for a second looked like he was going to hit one of them but he seemed to take a calming breath as he shut his eyes tightly.
When he opened them a moment later, he stood abruptly.
"Fine, tell her. I don't care. I don't know why he brought me or any of you to that balcony but I do know that for the last two and a half weeks, I haven't got my wand in a knot about it. If you want to walk around scared of some idiot that probably wanted to play a stupid joke, be my guest but I'm not going to walk around in fear and I'm not going to a teacher about it either. It's old news. Now I've heard your information. I don't care if anyone is trying steal anything. If the package and C.S are connected and Snape, Quirrell or anyone else tries anything, like I said before I'll be on my guard. Now I'm going to breakfast and that's not an invitation." He said before picking up his bag and storming out the common room.
"Well that went well." Said Ronnie.
"Should we go after him?" Asked Neville.
Halle wanted to say yes but decided against it. He needed a moment to cool off and Hermione still needed an explanation.
She was sure Dewei knew nothing about package now but C.S was another story.
She didn't know how she knew it, but she knew he had just lied to her again, to all of them. About not knowing the reason C.S had attacked and he hadn't given an answer on whether he thought C.S would attack but he was adamant about not going to a teacher once again.
"No, we'll give him some space. Hermione you ready to hear the full the story?" Said Halle turning to Hermione.
That was not how she wanted the conversation to go but she should've expected Dewei to be difficult but it was no matter. She had still made a vow to find the truth and protect Dewei even if he didn't deserve it, and annoying or not she didn't want his death on her conscience either.
If it was the case that some student had played a practical joke, then it wasn't very funny and she would find who did it and make sure they got into severe trouble. The only plus side was they would do much better in charms and defence against the dark arts now.
Halle though didn't believe for a second that it had been a joke and she knew Dewei didn't either.
She would get to the bottom of this mystery whether he liked it or not.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Said Hermione.
Halle, Neville and Ronnie began to fill Hermione in about the incident in full detail.
They kept to their word about not telling Hermione about their uncertainty in trusting Dewei. Hermione didn't need those thoughts in her head. They told her about the note which Halle actually showed to her. She kept the note on her at all times. She wasn't sure why but she did.
They explained about Ronnie's potion collection and the potions they had been carrying on them at all times but didn't go into detail about what other kinds of potions she had in her collection.
They then told her about their practice sessions they had been doing to be prepared if C.S tried anything again and the spells they had already learnt and the spell they had been failing to learn, the full body bind curse.
Hermione sat and listened to them with a set expression. Halle couldn't help but think she was mad at them and wondered if telling her was a mistake?
However, Hermione's face eased into a smile.
Not only was she happy to be told what was going on but she was proud at the initiative they were taking to protect themselves and Dewei. She was more than onboard to help.
Halle felt immense relief. Hermione was top of their class and her helping meant she would hopefully be able to protect herself too.
Now it was just convincing Dewei which would be more than difficult but they would have to work something out.
"Right with all that said and done, can we go and eat? I'm starving." Said Ronnie pouting.
"You're always starving." Snorted Halle.
"Yeah, and if I don't eat soon, I'm going to eat you." Said Ronnie with a straight face.
"Yeah, alright Hannibal, let's go eat." Said Halle smirking.
"Hannibal?" Asked Ronnie confused.
"He's a character from a popular muggle book and movie although I wouldn't consider it an age-appropriate reference." Said Hermione in slight disapproval.
Halle only smirked.
"What's a movie?" Asked Neville in the same confused tone as Ronnie.
"We'll tell you on the way down. Come on." Said Halle still smirking as she stood up.
The four of them picked up their bags and left the common room, heading down for the great hall.
While the four Gryffindors made their way down to breakfast, they were unaware that the secret conversation they had just had, was overheard.
A scurry of legs scaled the armchair that Halle Potter had just been sitting on and in sight was a white and red lizard. Its eyes scanned the common room as though it was looking for something.
There was silence in the common room other than the flickering flames of the roaring fire but the silence was disturbed by the lower half of an unseen figure entering the room. There footsteps echoed in volumes amongst the silence.
The figure stopped before the armchair and with one quick motion the lizard was swept up in the hand of the figure and they exited to common room unbeknownst to them that another figure was in the room and had seen and heard everything too.
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