Chapter Eight: Friends At Last

Hey guys, I just wanted to apologize for the long delay, but I've been busy. Anyways, I'm back now and I really hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :D

Patches turned around and started barking. "Oh my gosh run for it!" Ron cried before quickly hurrying into the girl's lavatory after Hermione, but Harry wasn't about to abandon his dog. "Harry come on run!" He cried before Harry bent over and swooped Patches up inside his arms before he ran after them and hid in one of the stalls.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all locked themselves inside, but Patches started to whimper. "Shh! Patches be quiet or he'll hear you!" Harry cried inside a whisper while placing a finger to his lips, but it was already too late. The next thing Harry knew the troll's club was smashing down the stall and Patches quickly scampered underneath the door and Harry crawled before it could collapse on top of them.

That's when suddenly the troll grabbed Harry by his leg and dangled him in the air. As Harry screamed both Ron and Hermione ran out of their stalls. "Harry!" Ron exclaimed as Patches darted out of the room. "We have to do something!" He cried as he turned over to look at Hermione and that's when he remembered that they had been learning the levitation spell in charms class and quickly withdrew his wand and pointed it at the troll's club.

Hermione bit her lip, for she already knew that Ron wasn't the greatest when it came to using that spell but for the time being she also knew that she didn't have much choice since he was going to try it anyways even if she told him not to since he despised her.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" He cried with a swish and flick of his wand and the troll immediately dropped the club that he was going to hit Harry with and dropped Harry as well in a state of confusion while he glanced up at the club that was now hovering a few feet above his head. As soon as Harry hit the ground Ron heaved a sigh of relief to discover that his best friend was alright.

As the club hit the troll on top of his head Harry started scooting out of the way and a few seconds later the troll collapsed on the ground while Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall entered the room both with horrified looks on their faces. "Harry!" Severus scolded. "What on earth are you doing in here!? Don't you realize that that troll could have killed you!?" He cried as Harry slowly got to his feet and hung his head sheepishly but before Harry could apologize Hermione spoke up.

"It's my fault Professor Snape." She began as Professor McGonagall let out an astonished gasp.

"Miss Granger!" She exclaimed while Harry and Ron exchanged rather shocked and bewildered looks. Hermione Granger? Actually covering for them?

"I read about trolls and I thought that I could handle it, but I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't of found me, I would probably be dead." She said and now the boys were even more shocked for now Hermione was lying to a teacher.

"Well I must say that I am highly disappointed in you Miss Granger as that was a rather foolish thing for you to do. Five points will be taken away for your behavior and just be glad that it isn't more." Professor McGonagall began before she turned back around to look at the boys. "As for you two gentlemen, you should consider yourselves lucky. For not many first-year students can say that they have taken on a fully grown mountain troll and lived to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you for sheer dumb luck." She told them before leaving the room.

"I want all three of you to go back to the Gryffindor common room." Professor Snape instructed.

"Yes Father." Harry replied with a nod before he, Ron, and Hermione started walking there on their way with Patches trotting along behind them. "Good boy." Harry said as he quickly glanced back at him rewarding him for getting help with a scratch behind the ears.

"You didn't have to do that you know." Ron said while glancing over at Hermione.

"Neither did you. You could of let that troll kill me and that's what I would have expected you to do since I was acting like such a know-it-all brat." She pointed out.

"No, Harry and I aren't like that. We've both grown up with good parents that taught us good morals. Besides, like it or not all three of us are in the same house and that means that we really should stick together." Ron told her as Harry nodded again in agreement.

"It's true, Ron's right." He said.

"Well for the record I'm sorry for how I was acting, and for getting you expelled from nursery school Harry." Hermione told him but he just simply shrugged at her.

"I was still in training pants back then so it really doesn't even matter anymore anyways." He told her. "That reminds me, why don't you guys go back to the common room and I'll meet you there? I sort of have to go now after all of that excitement." He said. "Oh and take Patches with you." He added.

"Alright, see you in a few minutes then." Ron began. "Come on Patches." He finished while he slowly bent over and picked up the tiny black and white dog and hoisted him inside his arms before he continued walking away with Hermione.

"Maybe I sort of misjudged him, he seems like a really nice dog even though I'm more of a cat person." Hermione said.

"Yeah, he's a really nice dog and Harry's had him ever since he was a puppy. He also has a cat but he's not as friendly. It's just as well he didn't bring him though, I already know one cat who's after my pet rat Scabbers and I don't need two." He told her before they continued walking to the common room together.