a/n obviously if you recognize it it isn't mine! Enjoy!

October 1991

September turned into October and before any of them knew it Halloween had arrived. When Ascella saw Harry enter the Great Hall at breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder if he knew that today was the day his parents had died, and the day before her father had murdered all those innocent people. Not that she'd ever tell him, it was bad enough it was bringing her down she didn't need to bring someone else down. Besides Ascella didn't talk about her parents; ever.

She was sitting next to Terry Boot at breakfast. It was thanks to him she hadn't had to spend another night sneaking in and out of Harry's dorm. She'd spent more nights there in the past month than in her own bed. She felt bad but every time she crawled into Harry's bed after hours he merely moved over, never once complaining. Somehow they'd managed to keep it a secret from everyone except for Ron. He'd thought it was a bit strange at first but had gotten on board quickly enough when he realized it meant that she didn't have to leave the Gryffindor common room at curfew. Of course McGonagall had caught her in the common room after hours a few times and had given her detention a few more times but after she kicked her out Ascella always snuck back in; after all it wasn't like she was going to get back into her own common room.

Harry spotted Ascella and grinned at her. He said something to Ron who continued on to the Gryffindor table, and headed towards her. He slipped into the empty seat on her other side and gave her a half hug. She leaned into him and placed her head on his shoulder. Boot looked sideways at them before continuing his conversation about the Halloween decorations with Goldstein.

"Happy Halloween," Ascella said to Harry.

"Happy Halloween," he replied cheerily, grabbing some toast. "Hagrid's pumpkins are great aren't they?"

"Fantastic! He must have been feeding them something amazing for them to get so big," she replied taking a bite of his toast. He pushed her off, glaring as she cackled.

"Get your own toast," he said. "And as for what he's been 'feeding' them, I'm pretty sure it's hidden in his umbrella," Harry said wiggling his eyebrows knowingly.

"Only Hagrid," Ascella rolled her eyes fondly, helping herself to a piece of Harry's bacon.

"Oy!" he said poking her in the side.

"Your's tastes better," she said sweetly, her lips parting in a smile. "Remind me what you've got today?" Harry listed off his classes but she only jumped on the one. "Charms?" she asked excitedly. "Oh we had it yesterday, it's ever so much fun, you actually get to try levitating!" Harry viewed her playfully.

"Wow excited are we Cells? About a class hmm? Maybe you are a real Ravenclaw," he mused.

"Oh stuff it," she said but she was still pleased. She'd come to terms with the fact that while she may never be able to enter the Ravenclaw tower on her own, and she may never obsess over learning like some of her classmates, that despite all this she really was a good fit for Ravenclaw. Well it worked anyway, she had the brains that they valued so maybe it was more that it was the best fit since she hadn't wanted Gryffindor.

"Besides I was the only one in the class to get it right," she said arrogantly to Harry.

Harry snorted at her. "Of course you were. Weren't you doing it weeks ago when we'd just begun the theory."

"Yes, but that's not the point," she said raising a finger as Harry scoffed at her. "The point is that Flitwick was very impressed with me."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "But isn't everyone?" he asked innocently.

"I'm glad you asked. Yes, yes they are."

"You have to be the most arrogant person I have ever met."

"I prefer confident, but you know tomato, tamoto." Harry rolled his eyes fondly.

Later at lunch Ascella slide in next to Harry.

"Um why is Granger crying in the girls lavatory?" she asked tentatively. Harry and Ron looked guilty. Ascella deflated. She'd been hoping it hadn't been because of them. They proceeded to tell her what had happened in Charms that morning.

She grimaced.

"Tactful Ron. Real tactful," she said when they'd finished.

"Yeah well you're one to talk," Ron replied hotly but his tone was filled with guilt too so she let it go and responded softer than she normally would have.

"Yeah but at least when I insult someone I mean to do it and I do it to their face," she replied.

"She has a point," Harry said diplomatically. He shut up quick though when he saw the look Ron was giving him.

At the feast Granger still hadn't appeared. Ascella was about to head to the Gryffindor table to confer with Harry about it, when she felt someone tugging her in the opposite direction.

"Not so fast Black," Aaron said as he and Kevin dragged her towards the Ravenclaw table. "Tonight you celebrate with us." She pouted at them but gave in. She could always grab Harry after the feast. It really had been awhile since she'd spent a meal with Kevin and Aaron. They were always good for a laugh and good company in class besides.

"Good to see you," Boot smiled at her when she was sat down across from him by Aaron. She grinned back.

"I was kidnapped," she admitted as Kevin and Aaron slide in on either side of her. Padma, who'd been sitting on Boot's left, laughed meeting Ascella's eyes and rolling her's as if to say "boys."

The rest of the meal was spend in laughter, chatter, and stuffing all of their faces with the amazing Hogwarts Halloween feast. Unfortunately all the merriment disappeared and was replaced with panic when Professor Quirrell announced there was a troll in the dungeons. Dumbledore promptly told the prefects to escort their houses back to their common rooms. Ascella was halfway up the marble staircase when she remembered.

"Hermione!" she said and before her classmates could grab her she was gone. She caught up with the Gryffindor's and yanked Harry and Ron out of the crowd.

"Bloody he-" Ron started but she cut him off with a breathless "Hermione," looking pointedly at Harry. His eyes widened in understanding.

"Hermione what?" Ron said confused.

"She doesn't know about the troll," Harry answered for her. Ron's eyes too widened in shock.

"We have to find her," he said. The three of them managed to slip away undetected from the rest of the Gryffindor's. When they ran into Snape they wondered why it was that he wasn't with the other teacher's searching the dungeons and started to follow him.

It was also around then that they noticed the most revolting smell ever. They looked to their right and saw a huge, lumbering, stinky troll.

"I guess it's not in the dungeon anymore," Ascella said weakly. Beside her Harry and Ron shook their heads.

"What's it doing?" Ron finally asked as the troll lumbered through an open doorway.

"No idea, but quick!" Harry called darting forward. Ascella and Ron followed and helped to slam the door shut, locking it as they did so.

Panting they were congratulating each other on a good job when they heard it; an ear splitting scream and it was coming from behind the door they'd just closed. Looking horrified at each other they rushed back. Yanking the door open they discovered that they'd inadvertently locked the troll in the girls lavatory that Hermione had been in. The troll was currently trying to pummel Hermione with its club. Ascella, Harry, and Ron pulled their wands out but none of them knew any spells to use against a fully grown mountain troll, but they had to get the troll away from Hermione somehow. They started shouting at the troll, Ron even threw a pipe at its head. That did the trick and the troll turned to face the three of them.

Harry seeing Ron was now the subject of the troll's attention launched himself on the back of the troll. As he flailed about on the troll's back Ascella began trying to clear a path for Hermione to safely get out, until the troll begins stamping around in annoyance at the first year boy on his back, almost stepping on Hermione. Abruptly Harry's wand went up the trolls nose, further angering the troll. Then just as Ascella was about to shoot whatever jinx she knew at the troll she saw Hermione instructing Ron in the proper swish and flick method. Ron shockingly proceeded to execute a perfect wingardium leviosa on the troll's own club. The club dropped and landed on the trolls head with a sickening crunch.

The troll fell to the ground and Harry come down with it.

"Are you alright?" Ascella asked Harry breathlessly, helping him to his feet.

"Yeah," Harry said taking her hand. "Are you?" he turned to ask Hermione. She nodded. The four of them turned to look at the troll.

"Is it - is it dead?" Hermione asked quietly.

"No I think just knocked out," Harry said bending over it. He retrieved his wand from the troll's nostril. "Ugh. Troll bogey's," he said wiping his wand on his robes. It was at that moment that Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell came rushing into the bathroom. The foursome froze knowing they are about to get into some serious trouble. Instead Ascella, Harry, and Ron watched in shock as Hermione blatantly lied to a teacher. She was sent away in shame a moment later having lost five points for Gryffindor.

McGonagall turned to the rest of them then and grudgingly awarded them each five points before sending them off to bed. Ascella went with Harry and Ron to their common room, knowing full well that with everyone already in her tower that she'd never get in on her own.

Hermione was waiting for them in the common room. Upon seeing Hermione waiting there Ascella grinned. She and the boys thanked Hermione for covering them and Hermione thanked them for saving her and like that Ascella knew they'd just befriended the Gryffindor bookworm.