"Severus?"
He stepped forward. His eyes were full of darkness. Madame Hooch eyes wider. She remembered what Snape had told her earlier. Keep an eyes on the students, yet what happen.
Neville Longbottom got injured. And now he's in hospital. Madame Hooch rose up from chair.
"Severus stop!" Madame Hooch raises her wand to Snape. "I'm not hesitating to cast a spell on you. Back off, Severus!"
"Indeed. What did I tell you, Hooch. What did I ask for you".
"Why do you care, Severus? Since when did you start to care about new students? Suddenly". Hooch sighed. "Is it Mr. Potter you care about".
Snape shaking his head no. "I didn't. Why do I care about Mr. Potter".
"His mum".
"Do not tempt me, Hooch. She has been long gone".
"Yet. You hadn't forgotten about her". Snape stepped forward again. This time Hooch really cast him out with her spell. "Snape.."
He stopped. Sighed out loud. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Hooch. You almost made someone I do care _ hurt today".
"Mr. Longbottom?"
"That boy I don't care! I meant someone".
Madame Hooch blinks. "You found your love, Severus? A student? Are you mad!"
"I didn't say it. You did. I didn't mention anything. You did. I just played my part. And you failed it".
"Are you trying to battle me or something Snape? I will let Dumbledore know about your sudden merlin weird".
"He'll know already, Hooch. Don't bother to say". He turns his feet and walks to the door. He stops, looks over his shoulder. "I meant someone".
Dumbledore office. Madame Hooch rush in. He looks up. "Madame Hooch". She walks forwards. "Something wrong?"
"Severus, Headmaster. Is Severus a problem?".
"What is that?"
"Severus wasn't threatening me but he'll ask me to do him a favor. Before I started my lesson, he came into my office. And then something happened. Like I'd say Severus was right. Mr. Longbottom in hospital wings right now because of me".
Dumbledore smiled, said. "It wasn't your fault, Professor. Severus trying to be protective".
"He mentioned someone".
"Mr. Potter?" Madame Hooch shakes her head no. "So, he meant it". Dumbledore rising up from the chair. "Perhaps you need an ice cream to cheer you up".
Snape and Hermione in the library. Always, alone. Her nose was stuck in a book, again. She didn't notice him behind the books. He was hiding. Why does he always approach this little witch like this, sneaking, stalking her and it is like he knows where she is going next.
"I know you here, Professor". Snape blinked and was shocked. "Come out. Wherever you are. I can feel your presence around here".
Snape smirks, he's out from his hiding place. Hermione looked at him. Annoyed face. "Trying to mock me again, Professor Snape".
Snape dragged the chair and sat on it. Hermione never sees Snape smile, today she did. "Where's your friends, Miss Granger?" ask Snape.
"Why do you care, Professor?".
"Age like you should have enough friends. You friends Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley".
"They don't like me very much. I like to spend time here alone".
Snape smirking. "They don't. I guess my mistake".
"What are you doing here, Professor?". Hermione asks Snape. "Don't you have any place to go".
"This is school, Miss Granger. I can go where I like. I was looking for my books for my next teaching class that I'm sure you will regret before you can say 'Potions'.
Hermione is now smirking at Snape. Impressive this little witch. Snape thought. He pushed the chair.
"Nice to talk with you, Miss Granger. Be prepared".
Hermione watches Snape leave the library. What an odds.
Professor Flitwick's class. Day. A very tiny, gnome-like wizard, stands on a pile of books as he oversees the class. Hermione paired with Ron. Harry paired with Seamus.
"Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Swish and flick. Swish and flick. Wingardium Leviosa. Wingardium Leviosa". Professor Flitwick says.
The students follow him. Until this Ron _ "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" Ron windmills his arm grandly. Hermione watches him. Nothing is happening to Ron feather. Hermione stops Ron.
"Stop! Stop! You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-ohhhh-sa. Not Levi-o-saaaah".
"You do it then, if you're so clever. Go on. Go on".
Hermione glances at him, she raises her wand and points at the feather.
"Wingardium Leviosa". Hermione swish and flick. Instantly the feather rises. Professor Flitwick sees.
"Oh, well done, Hermione!".
Courtyard later. As Harry and Ron cross the courtyard, Ron mimics Hermione.
"It's Levi-ohhhh-sa. Not Levi-o-saaaah. She's a nightmare, honestly. No wonder she hasn't got any friends".
Just then, someone bumps into Harry. He turns, sees Hermione dash by, hugging her books, eyes glittering with tears.
"I think she heard you".
Hermione walks in the corridor until she bumped into something hard that makes her laid back on the ground.
Her books she was hugging scattered. Sobbing, her hand reached the book.
"Foolish girl!"
She looked up while gathering her book.
"Eyes up, Miss Granger". Snape noticed her eye. "Miss Granger ..?" Hermione quickly gets her book then runs from Snape straight to the girl's bathroom. She locked herself there.
Great hall night. Candlelit pumpkins flicker throughout the hall, while thousands of live bats flutter overhead.
Snape sits at a high table, eyes wandering at Gryffindors table. Searching for Hermione. She wasn't there. Only he sees Harry sitting quietly, studying an empty chair.
Snape eyes to Ron. Harry sees Ron glumly pushing his food around, listening to Neville speak across the empty chair to Seamus.
"Parvati said she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. Crying".
Harry and Ron eye each other. Just then, Professor Quirrell runs into the room, cries out.
"TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Students and teachers stare at him. "Thought you ought to know .."
He faints to the floor. There is a brief silence, then utter pandemonium breaks out. Students shriek. Panic. Dumbledore rises up from his chair.
"SILENCE!" The hall goes still, all eyes on Dumbledore.
"Everyone. Please do not panic. Prefects, lead your houses back to the dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons".
Girls bathrooms. Hermione sobbing is the most painful. Ron breaks her heart by saying that. What did she do wrong? Oh, Ronald Weasley.
She's out from the stall, wiping her tears. Then she stops, her eyes stare at the giant foot. Slowly she looked up and there was a full troll figure standing right in front of her.
Backing away, she dashes into a stall, bolts the door. Trembling, she peers upward, watching as the troll's face appears over the top, looking in.
Panicked, she drops to the floor and shimmies into the next stall, out of sight. Angered, the troll raises its club and SMASH! - shatters the stall Hermione just vacated. As wood rains down in jagged, splintered pieces ..
Harry and Ron rush in, staring in horror as the troll raises the club high and shatters the next stall. Hermione, still crawling, covers her head and peers back. SMASH! The club comes thundering down yet again, this time just inches from her foot.
"Don't worry, Hermione! We're here!" Shout Ron to her, turning to Harry. "She's dead".
"I heard THAT!"
"What do we do?"
"Confuse it!" said Harry.
"Confuse it?" Harry and Ron grab anything they can and begin to hurl it at the troll. "Hey, pea brain!"
But they might as well be throwing marshmallows. As shards of wood bounce off its pint-sized head and great lumpy shoulders, the troll brings the club down once more and shatters the last stall.
As Harry and Ron look on grimly, the troll jabs its club into the hash of wood before it, poking about for Hermione, when, at the last second .. she scrambles out and dashes under the sink. Grunting, furiously, the troll turns, begins to advance on her.
"HELP!"
Harry, thinking fast, rushes forward and leaps upon the troll's. Harry dropped onto the troll's slimy neck. The troll blinks dimly and, before it can react, Harry purely on instinct shoves his wand straight up the troll's nose.
The troll roars in pain, dropping the club and stamping about. Ron watches helplessly, then glances at the club on the floor, an idea flickering across his face. Raising his wand.
"Swish and flick". Hermione teaches Ron.
"Wingardium Leviosa".
The club rises toward the ceiling. The troll pauses watching in confusion, hanging in magical suspension until .. THANK YOU! It drops smack on the troll's head. Wobbling the troll releases its grip on Harry's leg and.. drops him hard to the floor.
Harry peers up. The troll wobbles one last time and starts to fall.. directly in front of Harry. The troll slams to the floor.
All is quiet for a moment. Then Hermione steps forward. "Is it-dead?"
Just then. A sudden volley of footsteps announces the arrival of Professor Mcgonagall, Snape, and a still queasy Quirrell.
Harry notices a spot of blood on Snape's leg, and sees Snape shift his cloak to cover it.
"Explain yourselves! Both of you".
The boys try to speak, Hermione cuts in. "It's my fault, Professor Mcgonagall". She said,
"Miss Granger!"
Ron is stunned by Hermione's lie. Snape too. He knew Hermione wasn't kind like that girl. He knows her.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindors for your very serious lack of judgment. As for you gentlemen, I hope you realize just how lucky you are. Not many first years could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell a tale. I award each of you five points.. for sheer dumb luck".
The Gryffindors walk out from the girls bathroom. Snape watched Hermione back as she walked with the boys.
Hermione walks silently beside Harry and Ron. "I'm sorry, Hermione". said Ron. She turns to him. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Just.."
"It's alright, Ron. I shouldn't either. I'm being Miss perfect of myself. I wanted to be perfect".
Harry laid his hand on her shoulder. "Ron doesn't mean it, Hermione. Not even me. You're perfect, Hermione".
"Friends?"
Ron and Hermione shake hands. "Friends". She smiled.