Disclaimer / I don't own anything
The next few days passed without worries as we settled into our lessons. Harry and I started our Quidditch practice, and we were all loaded with homework. One morning, a few days before Halloween, Ron and Hermione got into an argument in the Gryffindor common room. Harry and I stood a little away, not wanting to get on our friends' bad side. Hermione and Ron didn't notice the other students dispersing to their classes. We tried to get their attention, but every time interrupted, one of them shushed us. After five minutes, I finally yelled we were late. Instantly, Hermione shut up and sprinted out the portrait hole. We closely followed her. Our next class was Transfiguration, and we would surely get detention for being late. As we made our way down all the stairs, the castle decided to move around. The staircase we were on started moving to the right. We stumbled and gripped the sides of the staircase to steady ourselves. Once the stair had attached itself to a corridor, it stopped. Not paying attention to where we were, we ran up it and dashed down the hallway. At the end, we reached a locked door.
"I'm sure this is the way," Hermione says.
Relying on the know-it-all, I step forward and say the charm for unlocking doors.
"Alohomora!"
Instantly, the door unlocks, and I push it open. We go through the door, Ron closing it behind us. When he turns around, we all scream. In front of us is a massive dog with razor-sharp teeth and claws. That isn't the worst part though. The worst part is the three heads. We yank the door open, and run outside, slamming and locking it behind us. Only once we are down another set of stairs, definitely heading the right way this time, thanks to my assurance, do we calm down enough to discuss what we had just seen.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron exclaims.
Harry nods his head, but Hermione rolls her eyes and I huff a little. Hermione and I share a look, then Hermione explains.
"Honestly, you boys never use your eyes. It was standing on something. A door."
"Probably protecting it," I add.
The boys look at us, astounded, but before they can say anything, we reach the Transfiguration classroom. Hermione pushes the door open, and we rush to our desks. We get our books and quills out as Professor McGonagall makes her way over to our desks which are conveniently located next to each other. Before she can say anything though, I apologise.
"Professor McGonagall, we're so sorry. We were completing our homework in the common room, and we lost track of time. I was the last to finish, and when I looked at the time, I realised everyone was gone and we were late. We came as quickly as we could to class. We're so sorry Professor."
I say it all in a rush, hoping to act like I am telling the truth. When I finish, I bite my lip, hoping McGonagall will buy it. The Professor stares at me over her glasses, then looks at the rest of the group.
"Very well," McGonagall says. "As you are all finished, you should be able to hand it in now."
I let out a small sigh of relief and rummage through my belongings to find the parchment. Trying not to smile, I hand over my homework like the other three. Luckily, I had helped the boys finish it, otherwise, we surely would've been caught out. McGonagall looks over the papers and seems to decide I'm telling the truth. Without another word, she walks back over to her desk and resumes the lesson. We don't speak until the lesson is finished.
"That was brilliant, Isobel," Ron says.
I smile a little as we walk to our next lesson. But the three-headed dog is still on my mind. Why is it in the castle, and more importantly, what is it protecting? I try to put the thought to the back of my mind and carry on with the day. But every so often my thoughts wander back to the trap door. Suddenly, I remember what Hagrid said about Hogwarts, how it's the safest place to hide something, and how he said it the day he got the little package out of Gringotts. I voice my thoughts to Harry, and he agrees with me. Despite our best efforts though, we just can't figure out what the package is. But it has to be valuable if it's protected that well.
The next day at breakfast in the Great Hall, the owl's flood in as usual. What catches everyone's eye though, is two long packages carried each by half a dozen screech owls. I am astounded when they drop down in front of Harry and I. Just as they drop the two packages, a letter is dropped off, and Harry catches it. He opens it and shows it to me.
DO NOT OPEN THE PACKAGES AT THE TABLE
They contain your new Nimbus Two Thousand's, but I don't want everybody knowing you two have got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your next training session.
Professor McGonagall
After reading the letter, I hand it to Ron trying to hide my glee. Harry and I had been training on the old school broomsticks, but they are really slow and don't cooperate as much as the ones the rest of the team has. We leave the Great Hall quickly, intending to open the packages privately before class, but we run into Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. I put my broomstick behind my back, but Harry isn't as quick. Malfoy grabs it and runs his hands along the packaging. A mixture of astonishment, glee and jealousy fun across his face as he realises what it is.
"That's a broomstick," he says as he throws the broomstick back to Harry and eyes mine. "First years aren't allowed them," Malfoy spits.
I flash a look at Ron. I can tell he's about to snarl something back, but he backs down at my glare.
"Nose out of it Malfoy," I say, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
Just then Professor Flitwick rounds the corner. Malfoy jumps at the chance to get us in trouble.
"The Potter's have broomsticks Professor," he says quickly.
Instead of getting us in trouble, Flitwick beams at us.
"Yes, I'm aware of the circumstances. I trust you'll use them well," he says, peering up at us.
Harry and I nod quickly, and Flitwick moves on. I smirk at Malfoy, then move the boys on quickly. Unfortunately, Ron just can't hold back.
"You know Malfoy," he remarked, "It's actually because of you they have them."
I can't hold back my laughter this time when I see the look on Malfoy's face. We continue up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. Before we reach the Fat Lady though, we meet Hermione.
"You really shouldn't be getting rewarded for breaking the rules you know," she says.
Harry and Ron exchange a look, but I can tell Hermione doesn't really mean it. She's only just holding back a smile.
"Come on, help me open mine, will you?" I ask her.
She begrudgingly agrees and the four of us go through the portrait hole. We sit down in the armchairs in front of the fire, and I lay my broomstick across my lap as Harry does the same. Together, Hermione and I and Ron and Harry open the packages, and we all let out a gasp as the last piece of wrapping falls away. I brush the paper off my lap, and grasp the handle, standing up and turning towards Harry. We have identical smiles on our faces as we admire our newest gifts. I'm itching to get on my broom now and fly around the Quidditch pitch, but I'm aware of the time, and we have Charms in ten minutes. I can tell the others are as crestfallen as I am, but I manage to convince Harry to put his broom away, and I do the same, placing the Nimbus Two Thousand under my bed. I try my hardest to focus on my lessons, but I still count down the hours before Quidditch practice tonight. When dinner comes, all four of us shove our food down, then run up to our dormitories to grab the two brooms. We race down to the Quidditch pitch, and then I realise it's not even seven o'clock yet. But I can tell Harry won't be able to wait, so I mount my broom and kick off the ground. Glancing back, I see my brother is right behind me, so I decide to learn all the tricks to my broom. We circle around the field and through the goalposts, experimenting dives and sharp turns. We race each other three times round, and Harry wins by a millisecond. I can tell he has more natural talent, but I don't mind too much, as I have plenty of my own. When Oliver finally arrives, he calls us down. Not long after, the rest of the team shows up, and we begin practice. With the new additions, I can tell our team has improved loads. I'm able to keep up with the other two chasers, and even able to race ahead of them to get goals in quickly. Harry is able to catch the snitch easier as well because he can keep up with it. By the end of practice, everyone is in a much better mood, and I can tell everyone believes we might have a chance of winning this year. I'd been told that Gryffindor hasn't won the Quidditch Cup in five years. But we are determined to take it home this year.
As the weeks wear on, we are enveloped in schoolwork. Now we have covered the basics, the lessons are getting more interesting. On top of that, we have Quidditch practise three times a week. Hogwarts has started to feel more like home for Harry and I, and we can't believe we've been here for two months.
On Halloween, we learn how to make things fly in Charms. Unfortunately, Ron and Hermione get in a row again. After the lesson, I hang back from the boys to comfort Hermione. In front of us, Ron makes a rude comment.
"It's no wonder no one can stand her, she's a nightmare, honestly."
Beside me, Hermione bursts into tears and speeds up, brushing past Harry. I follow after her, shooting Ron a glare as I do so. Hermione runs to the nearest bathroom and locks herself in a stall. I try to get her to unlock the door, but she tells me to go away. I stay though, leaning back on the sinks and crossing my arms. I wait for a few minutes, but it doesn't seem like she'll be coming out soon.
"Don't mind Ron, Hermione. He was just in a bad mood that he couldn't get the feather to fly. Harry was a bit annoyed at me too. It's not your fault."
I hear a sniffle from her stall, and I breathe a sigh of relief that she is calming down a little.
"Ron says a lot of rude things, but he doesn't really mean most of it. I've learnt the Weasley's have a bit of a temper when they're in a mood."
Hermione laughs a little, and I see the lock turn, and she emerges wiping her tears away. I move forward from my perch and wrap my arms around her small frame. She sniffles into my shoulder a little, but she relaxes in my embrace. We stay like this for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry I ran off like that," Hermione says as she pulls back. "He just got me really upset."
"Hey, it's alright," I console, "Don't apologise. You had every right to get upset. What he said was really hurtful. If it was me, I would've gone over and hexed him to bits. And I don't even know any hexes."
This elicits a proper laugh from her, and I smile.
"I'm sure you would've," she teases.
I laugh in return. But then her smile turns into a frown.
"I just don't get it," she says. "You're just as good with spells as me, better even, but he doesn't mind me."
I sigh, unsure how to answer.
"I don't know Hermione. Maybe he doesn't say anything because I'm Harry's sister."
Hermione doesn't respond. I'm not sure how long we stay in the bathroom, but enough to figure that we probably missed the rest of our classes and most likely dinner. I'm just about to suggest that we head back to the common room when I see the walls of the toilet light up with the golden glow I noticed before. I point it out to Hermione, but she says she doesn't see anything. I start to get a bad feeling.
"Something isn't right," I tell Hermione.
Suddenly, the door smashes open, and in the doorframe, something big, giant and ugly stands, holding a massive wooden club. Hermione and I scream. I run for the nearest cubicle, but it does me no good. The club smashes right through it. I glance at Hermione and breathe a sigh of relief that the thing isn't focused on her. Just then, I hear a shout come from the doorway the beast was just in. I turn my head towards the sound and can't believe my eyes. It's my brother and Ron. They pull out their wands, but I can tell they're unsure of what to do. The limited magic we know isn't very handy. But of course, Ron doesn't need magic to do something reckless. He runs towards the smashed cubicles and picks up a few wood pieces. Then, he starts throwing them at the thing in an effort to distract it. It works, but now it's focused on Ron and Harry. Ron seems to realise this and turns to Harry.
"Do something," he shouts desperately.
Harry looks around desperately for something to do but finds nothing. Unfortunately, now the thing has noticed Harry, and it starts towards him. Ron gets out of its way, and I see Hermione moving to stand next to him, looking scared. She hasn't even got her wand out, so I know even though she's good at magic she won't be much help right now. Suddenly, the things grabs Harry and hauls him upside down by his leg. Harry's glasses fall off, and he almost loses his wand, but he manages to tighten his grip in time. I know that we're running out of time to do something. As the thing raises its wooden club with the other hand, I see terror shining on Harry's face. In that moment, I am reminded of all the time's the same terror was reflected on my face. Every time, Harry protected me when we were younger. Whenever I was bullied, Harry would always step in, grab my hand, then yell at the bullies to go away. I remember how I was always so afraid, and how afraid Harry must have also been, but he overcame it protect me. Now, the situation is reversed, and my brother is about to get hurt. Rage builds up inside me as the club swings closer, and just before it hits him, my anger bursts, and I let out a scream. All around me, the things that weren't smashed before, explode into smithereens, and all the mirrors along the walls shatter into tiny glass pieces. The creature holding Harry grunts in surprise as flames sprout all along its skin, and it drops my brother, just before it collapses into a pile of ash and dust. As it does, everything left in the bathroom is blasted into tiny fragments, and only the walls are left still standing. At first, nobody moves as everyone stares silently at me. It is only interrupted by Professors Snape, Quirrell and McGonagall running through the door, and pulling up short as they see the destruction. Professor McGonagall lets out a gasp, then rushes towards Harry, who is on the floor. She checks to make sure he is okay, then helps him up. Snape glares at Ron and Hermione all the way while Quirrell looks at me almost wondrously. McGonagall notices that the other two are still staring at me, so once Harry stands beside them, she makes her way over to me.
"Miss Potter, what happened here?"
I can't read her expression. Anger is obviously evident, but there is also a mixture of worry, confusion and amazement. I then notice I haven't answered.
"I – I'm not sure Professor," I stutter, feeling overwhelmed. "One minute Hermione and I were in the bathroom, the next, that…thing showed up and started attacking us. Harry and Ron showed up, and they tried to distract it. It then grabbed Harry, and…I don't know. Everything exploded. Including the thing," I finish, pointing at the pile of dust that are the only remains of the creature.
Professor McGonagall stares at me for a moment and seems to decide I'm telling the truth. She turns to look at the other three. Before she can say anything, Harry steps in.
"It was the troll Professor," he says.
I blink. A troll? Harry continues on.
"Ron and I knew the girls were in here, and we came here to make sure they were safe. But it was already in here. I knew it would be no good, but I couldn't let it hurt them. So, we tried to distract it, and –"
"That will be enough, Mr Potter," McGonagall cuts in. "Despite the recklessness or your actions, they saved these two girls. 10 points from Gryffindor, for your recklessness."
Ron and Harry's faces fall at this. But then McGonagall continues.
"But 10 for each of you," she says to all four of us, "For your bravery."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, we can't stop the smiles from forming on our faces. I move over to stand next to Harry, and he finds my hand, just like he used to when we were younger. I look over to the other two professors, and Snape is glaring at us while Quirrell is studying the remains of the troll.
"This is marvellous," he mutters.
Everyone stares at him, and he notices the attention.
"Oh, I – I j – just meant the m – magic re – required to do this. S – such p - power is un h – heard of in young w – witch and w – wizards."
Snape frowns as Quirrell speaks. McGonagall scans the four of us.
"Very true, Professor Quirrell," she says stiffly. "However, I think they have had enough excitement for the day. You best be getting back to your houses tonight."
We all nod, and swiftly head for the exit. As I pass the door though, a wave of dizziness hits me, and I fall against Harry, who struggles to keep me upright.
"Isobel," he exclaims. "What's wrong?"
I try to answer but can't find my voice. My surroundings fade in and out of blurriness, and I try to blink black dots from my vision. I attempt to straighten up, but an even bigger wave of dizziness hits me, and if it wasn't for Ron supporting my weight as well, I would've fallen. My limbs feel sluggish, and I feel exhausted. I faintly hear Harry calling my name, and I can barely make out the figure standing in front of me, a look of worry on her face. Professor McGonagall brandishes her wand and casts a spell just as I lose consciousness.
Sorry for the cliff-hanger, but all will be revealed in the next chapter. But for now, see you guys in the next chapter.