"Chapter Ten," Gideon narrated. "Halloween."
"Going to be a big one, I take it," Lena said.
"Well, yes," Harry said.
Those who knew waited in anticipation. Those who did not, well they would find out soon enough why there was so much participation.
The aftermath featured Harry and Ron talking about the package and what could need such protection.
"And yet, the fact it's in a school of children and likely should not be, did not cross our minds," Ron said. "Boy, we were naive."
"We were eleven," Harry reminded him.
"An unfortunate side effect of being eleven is being naive," Kara said.
"More concerning is the lack of security to the door," Sara said. "Dumbledore expected a bunch of pre-teens and teenagers not to be curious. How many near misses did we not hear about?"
Harry blinked. That was a good question.
"Unless there was a spell preventing entry that just happened to fail," Nora said. "When Hermione used the unlocking spell."
Everyone looked thoughtful. Could this really be a possibility?
"Why would that happen?" Hermione asked.
"It's a slightly more sane idea than Dumbledore just had faith that no one would meddle around in that corridor that should not," Nora said.
"Why me, though?" Hermione asked.
"Dumbledore knows everything," Harry said. "He must have known about Malfoy's little challenge."
"And yet, he didn't decide to put a stop to it," Ron said.
"You're being paranoid now," Hermione said.
"Either Dumbledore's being negligent or malicious," Sara said. "Pick your poison. Neither tastes good."
"A little bit from Column A and a little bit from Column B," Ron murmured darkly.
Harry nodded next to him. Astra frowned deeply.
Harry's mysterious parcel arrived at the Gryffindor table with the note attached.
"Really Minnie, couldn't really take him aside and give him the broom in private?' John asked.
"Damn good thing you opened the note first instead of the package," Lita said.
"I tend to have a lot of those damn lucky things happen to me," Harry said. "And to answer John's question, that might be something that you're going to have to discuss with her. Later."
"People are going to see the mysterious broomstick shaped package, and figure out, you know something, that might be a broomstick," Astra said.
"Slip up on her part," Sara said.
Next, Malfoy discovers the package and says that Potter has been sent a broomstick.
"President of the obvious club, right there," Lita quipped. "You know with the obvious broomstick shaped package."
Malfoy said nothing. He had been looking for anything to nail Potter and Weasley with since they escaped getting caught by Filch again.
Malfoy and Ron's exchange and Flitwick's information, and Harry's remark about Malfoy being to thank.
"That was a low blow," Malfoy said.
"You brought it on yourself," Kara said. "If you didn't just go after Neville's property, and taunt Harry, none of this would have happened."
"None of it, Malfoy," Harry said.
"I literally hate some of the choices my past self made," Malfoy grumbled.
"Only some?" Sara asked.
"Fine most," Malfoy said. "I wouldn't be sitting here having my past mistakes rubbed in my nose like a naughty puppy if I didn't make those mistakes."
"Do the crime, do the time," Mick sagely said.
"He knows, trust me," Ava said.
Hermione's intervention afterwards and her exchange with Harry and Ron follow.
Everyone turned to Hermione who shook her head.
"You really can't help yourself," Zari said. "At all."
"I didn't understand," Hermione said. "I thought people who broke the rules should be punished."
"And I supposed you thought all rules should be followed, no matter what," Ava said. "Because, I thought that at one point too. And I learned quickly that if a rule is made by a person with bad intentions, then the rule might just be a bad rule."
"But, Harry's lucky, even he said he was lucky," Hermione protested.
"No, you just have to be right," Kara said.
"The broomstick rule is there for a reason, yes," Harry agreed. "Especially with those brooms."
"I concur with Potter," Malfoy said. "For once."
"You should have gotten in trouble, if I did though," Harry said.
Harry seeing his new broomstick for the first time and then flying around on it like a natural
"Never gets old to watch," Kara said with a fond smile.
"Now that you have an actual good broomstick, we can really see what you're capable of," Astra said.
"Good old Nimbus 2000," Harry said. "It was a really good broom. Not like the clunky model that came after it."
"The 2001 broom wasn't bad, they just wore out easier," Malfoy protested.
"Newer isn't always better," Harry said. "And it's the flyer that makes the broom, not the other way around."
"Which means you could put a mountain troll on a Firebolt, and he would still be clunky and uncoordinated," Ron said.
"Exactly," Harry said.
Wood explains to Harry the rules of Quidditch and all of the positions.
Ron chuckled in amusement at how Wood described his twin brothers as a pair of human Bludgers.
"There has never been a more apt way to describe Fred and George, ever," Ron said. "And I thought I explained it to you on the train."
"Kind of all over the place," Harry said. "Wood also had visual aids and a Quidditch Pitch."
"That does help out a lot," Sara said.
"So, did he ever find out what Basketball was?" Lita asked.
"Not sure," Harry said. "Going to have to ask him. Although, I doubt he would be as fanatical to anything else, other than Quidditch."
"Points are a bit skewed though," Nora said. "I mean, if the Seeker can get the snitch earlier, they pretty much win the game."
"Well, there's a lot more to it than that," Harry said. "The Seeker has to keep his eye on everything. Has to remember the right time to catch the Snitch. If you catch it one goal too early, for instance, you could ruin an entire championship season. Points are everything."
"And if the Chasers are terrible, you're not getting very far in that game," Malfoy said. "And with an inept Keeper, you can forget it. And if the Beaters don't time things just right, it's game over as well."
"Still, the Seeker is very important," Harry said. "Because, that's a free one hundred and fifty points you're not going to get, if you don't have a good one."
"There's those Snitch race games they have every year, with just the Seekers," Ron said. "Those can be fun."
"Especially they add the Beaters, for added challenge," Harry added.
"Are we boring you, Granger?" Malfoy asked.
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.
"We'll get to see an actual game pretty soon," Kara said.
"This Gryffindor team was the best," Harry said. "No offense, Ron."
"Hey, Wood's damn good, although I had my moments," Ron said.
"I'm sure it's going to be fantastic," Sara said. "Especially with Harry out there. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks they can outfly him."
"I'm sure if I had a top of the line broom and he had one of the school clunkers, it would be different," Malfoy said.
"Keep telling yourself that , Malfoy," Harry said. "And one daay, you might will it into reality."
Wood's final commentary about Charlie and how Harry could be even better than him.
"Charlie agrees with Wood, for the record," Ron said.
"Oh, did I mention how your brother has the best job?" Astra asked. "Because, dragons are cool."
"They are," Kara agreed.
"The best," Zari added.
They all looked at Harry with a smile and laughed. Sara just snickered as well.
"Maybe I can arrange a visit," Ron said. "If you want me to."
"Hard to do that, isn't it?" John asked. "The Romanian Dragon Preserve, they're pretty strict on who they allow in. Even family members."
"I can tell them Harry and his wives want to visit," Ron said.
"Technically, we're not married yet," Astra said.
"Really, with that soul-binding thing, you're about as good as, aren't you?" Sara asked.
"What soul binding thing?" Hermione asked.
Astra was not in the mood to share that particular personal detail with someone she did not really like.
"That's not important right now," Astra said. "Let's continue."
"That's dark…"
"Here have a brownie," Zari said.
Hermione had been so surprised she took it. Harry raised an eyebrow and leaned closer towards Zari.
"That's one of your brother's, isn't it?" Harry whispered to her.
"Mmm, hmm," Zari said. "She could mellow just a bit."
Ethically dubious, but under the circumstances, Harry would allow it.
Charms class followed with Harry being paired up with Seamus and Ron and Hermione.
"Oh, I smell trouble," Sara said.
"Trouble!" Hermione giggled. "With a capital T, which rhymes with P, which stands for pool!"
"Damn, those things work fast," Lita said, as she eyed Hermione.
A bit too fast Harry thought.
"Which is why you won't be having one," Mick said.
"Dad…"
"No," Mick said.
"They shouldn't work like that," Zari murmured. "Not that fast, and not like that."
"No, they shouldn't," Harry said. "Magic, it does many interesting things."
"Oh, it's our first Charms class," Hermione said. "You know when we levitated feathers. Remember, that, Ron?"
"I remember it well," Ron said.
"Oh, things were said, and well things were done," Hermione cooed.
"Pass me one of those things," Malfoy said.
Harry quickly shoved the last brownie into his mouth.
"Sorry, I just ate the last one," Harry said.
"Why, you can't even get high!" Malfoy crossly said.
"I know," Harry said.
"Oh, Harry can get high, very high, when he's on a broomstick," Hermione said. "When he goes up to the clouds. They're puffy up there. Puff puff. Like Hufflepuff."
Hermione made puffing sounds much to the amusement of everyone.
"Okay, they really shouldn't be affecting her like this," Zari said.
"Again, magic," Harry told her.
"Is that going to be your answer for everything?"
Harry paused and nodded curtly.
"Can we keep this Hermione?" Astra asked.
Harry just patted Astra on the back.
"How long do they last?" Ron asked Zari.
"Don't know, I didn't make them," Zari said. "And they're not so make her this weird."
Flitwick's story about the poor wizard who ended up with a buffalo on his chest.
"This actually happened, didn't it?" Sara asked.
"That must have been a shock," Lena said in amusement.
"The real question is did any wizards try to willingly replicate it?" Nora asked.
"Fred and George did," Ron said.
Absolutely no one who knew Fred and George were surprised.
"Were they successful?" Nora asked.
"Kind of," Ron said. "Flitwick didn't really tell them the full story, so they had to improvise a little bit."
Ron's attempts to perform the spell and Hermione's agitated correction followed.
"It's Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa!" Hermione mocked in a sing song voice. "You have to make the gar nice and large. Honestly, it's a wonder I didn't have any friends. I was such a little spazz."
"How long until it wears off?" Astra asked.
"Any minute now," Zari said. "Maybe."
Honestly, right now, Zari did not know.
"You're not sure?" Sara asked.
"I told you, Behrad made the brownies, not me," Zari said. "And you know he's good at fine-dining. Fine-dining and breathing."
"Please tell me he never forgot his name," Lita said.
"I don't think so," Zari said.
"Wasn't this scene a little bit different in the movie?" Kara asked.
"Don't know, never saw it," Harry said.
"Not even once?" Kara asked.
"I only saw the one clip with Dumbledore in the fourth movie," Harry said. "You know the one."
"Oh, Dumbledore asked calmly," Kara said with an amused smile.
"Yes," Harry said. "That one."
Everyone who knew laughed.
"You're not missing anything at all," Ron said. "Trust me."
Hermione shook her head.
"I feel like I'm going to need another one of those brownies in a moment," Hermione said.
"And she's back," Astra dead panned. "Yay."
"Harry ate the last one," Zari said.
"Make more damn it!" Hermione snapped.
Everyone groaned.
"And she's even more moody when her high wears off," Ava said. "Figures."
Ron snapped at Hermione and told her to do it if she was so clever. And Hermione performed the charm.
"I don't know what I was hoping to accomplish by telling her to do it herself," Ron said.
"You hoped she couldn't and it would make you feel better," Zari said.
"Or maybe you just lost it after two months of her nagging you on and off," Astra said.
"Well, congratulations, you got the spell," Kara said.
"I guess," Hermione said.
The next part was coming. The part which would change everything.
Ron's very cross comments about Hermione, how no one could stand her. And his aftermath in telling Harry that she must have noticed she had no friends.
Everyone sighed. Ron shook his head at the actions of his eleven year old self.
"I think she noticed," Zari said. "Socially awkward, she might be, she's smart enough to notice she's not making any friends."
"Okay, that was a bit harsh," Astra said.
"I know," Ron said. "Thirty years ago and that still stings."
"You were mad," Hermione said. "I get it. I stabbed at your insecurities and you fired back and stabbed at mine. It was the most hurtful thing could could think of."
"Yeah, but it doesn't make it right," Ron said.
"It not being right, doesn't make it unwarranted," Hermione said.
"Really?" Malfoy asked. "You two haven't changed. You're about ready to have an argument about who was more wrong in the past about this situation. You really can't help yourselves, can you?"
"Maybe I should have said something," Harry said.
"It wouldn't have done any good," Hermione said. "I would have snapped at you or told you to go away, or something bad. Ron was right, I was wrong."
"We were both wrong, in our own ways," Ron said.
"I noticed I didn't have any friends, if you must know," Hermione said. "I kept trying to tell myself it didn't matter. Not as long as I had the best grades in the year."
"And how did that work out for you?" Sara asked.
"Well, you saw what just happened," Hermione said. "How much that upset me."
"Proves you're human," Mick said.
"I didn't want to be, sometimes," Hermione said. "I wanted to be perfect. Without any flaws. I worked hard to be the best I could be. No mistakes. Always right."
"And that is the biggest flaw in itself," Ava said.
Hermione hated to admit it, but she was right.
Harry and Ron talking about how Parvati Patil mentioned Hermione was crying in the bathroom and how quickly the Halloween decorations had been put out of their mind.
"I almost forgot you were eleven," Sara said. "And have the attention span of a goldfish."
"Well, it's not like they could follow her into the girl's bathroom," Astra said. "And where is McGonagall in all of this? She's supposed to be Hermione's head of house."
"We might have dismissed her a bit sooner, if we had a couple more questions for her," Ava said. "Guess, we're going to have to make a note and ask her later."
Quirrell's sudden arrival announcing the troll in the Dungeons follows next.
"You've got to be shitting me!" John shouted.
"And there's your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Astra said. "He's pathetic. A joke."
Harry said nothing. In a way, yes. But that was by design.
"There really wasn't anyone better for the job," Sara said.
"Next year, it gets worse," Ron darkly said.
"And fifth year," Harry said.
"Oooh, that's reassuring," Astra said. "So, how did a troll get into Hogwarts? Just how?"
"With assistance," Harry said.
Astra hated this more and more by the moment.
"Just keep going," Astra said.
Dumbledore's announcement about all students returning to their dormitories.
"Yes, to the dungeons," Malfoy said bitingly. "Really shows what Dumbledore thought of the Slytherins. Sending us right where the troll was."
"Did you guys go?" Lita asked.
"No, Farley had enough sense to take us to the library until this all blew over," Malfoy said. "And I swear Granger, if you try to defend Dumbledore on this one."
"I'm not," Hermione said curtly.
"Good," Harry replied. "Don't know what he was thinking."
"Trying to figure out how a troll got into Hogwarts," Astra said.
"Unless he knew," John said. "And was playing some kind of deeper game."
Harry did wonder. In hindsight, he wondered about a lot.
"At least Harry and Ron are going to be safe up in the Gryffindor dormitory," Lena said.
Harry suggests to Ron they go tell Hermione about the troll.
"Or not," Lena said.
"Just when I thought the dog would be the worst thing you had to deal with this year," Astra said.
"Um, we're only at Halloween," Sara said.
"Don't tell me that!" Astra snapped.
"Thanks for thinking about me," Hermione said. "Because, I had the impression that you didn't care too much for me."
"I didn't,' Harry said. "But, I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt by a monster, if I could help it."
"Lily was like that," John said. "She risked her neck more than enough for people who didn't deserve it."
"How do you know?" Harry asked.
"Because she saved my life," John said. "Bet she's kicking herself in the afterlife for that one, given all that happened because I was around. Because, I made a stupid choice."
"You've done some good, some bad," Sara said. "We can't know how much better or worse things would be without you."
"Well, I know some things would be better," John said.
"Harry, you're a good person," Astra said. "Even if she did nothing to deserve being saved, it was the right thing to do."
"I agree," Hermione said. "Saving people thing does come in handy sometimes."
"He's noble," Kara said. "Stubbornly so at times."
"Well, that's the pot calling the kettle black," Harry said. "How many kittens have you rescued this year, Supergirl?"
Kara just flashed him a look of mock indignation. Harry leaned over to kiss her and Kara could not keep a straight face.
"Too many," Kara admitted.
"People really should be more careful with their cats," Lita said. "Because, they keep ending up in trees."
"That's for damn sure," Kara said.
"They're fine with the going up part," Zari said. "It's the getting them down part that's a bit of a problem."
Harry and Ron, on their way up, notice Snape heading to the third floor.
Astra's eyes narrowed suddenly.
"What's he doing?" Astra asked.
"Being suspicious," Sara said.
"How is that supposed to look with how he's been acting?" Nora asked.
"Dodgy as all hell," Ron said.
"Thought it was funny he didn't meet us that night," Malfoy said. "What's his game? What's he playing at? Who's side is he on?"
Malfoy did wonder a lot about Snape's actions. If he was on Voldemort's side, they made no sense. If he was with Dumbledore, a lot of what Snape did still did not make any sense.
"We'll try and answer those questions later," Harry said.
Ron and Harry discover the troll and lock it in.
"Nice one," Astra said. "That way you can signal for help."
"Nah," Harry said.
"What now?"
The screams of Hermione Granger could be heard.
"You locked it in with her?" Ava asked.
"We didn't know she was in that particular bathroom," Harry said.
"Didn't you notice the troll?" Sara asked Hermione.
"Only when it started to snarl and grunt," Hermione said. "I was too wrapped up in my own self-pity. And by that time, the door was locked."
"Okay, not your best move," Astra said. "As long as you get the door open and Hermione runs like hell, everything should be fine."
"If only things went that smoothly," Ron said darkly.
Hermione freezes up and Harry and Ron quickly think of a plan.
"Oh, why didn't I just run?" Hermione asked.
'Because, you were terrified out of your wits," Zari said. "And it's easier to think afterward, when you're calm."
"So, your plan is to throw all the rubbish you can find against the troll," John said.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Pretty much," Ron said.
"As far as plans go, it's not the worst," Sara said. "Someone is bound to hear the sound."
"That was the idea," Harry said.
"Before the troll splattered someone's brains all over the bathroom wall," Ron added.
"Well, that's preferred," Zari said.
Harry jumped on the troll's back and stuck his wand up the troll's nose.
"That's a terrible plan, though," John said.
"Are you kidding?" Harry asked dryly. "That's the Greatest Plan!"
"That doesn't work unless you fly a helicopter into something," Lita dryly replied.
"Well, at least Harry's small enough for the troll not to be able to reach him," Astra said.
"That makes me feel so much better," Kara said.
Ron used the levitation spell to knock the troll out before Harry could get splattered against the bathroom wall.
"Nailed it," Ron said, unable to keep a smile off of his face.
"It's a lot harder to pull that off in a combat situation, then it is in a controlled situation like a classroom," Sara said.
Hermione could not dispute it.
"The sound of that club smacking the troll," Kara said. "That was disgusting."
"Trolls have thick heads," Malfoy said. "They're kind of like Crabbe and Goyle with better hygiene. Nothing will damage them for long. Although their clubs are very thick."
"At least you're out of the woods there," Astra said. "You're really nuts for leaping on that thing's back."
"Yeah, but it's not like I knew much magic that I could use," Harry said.
Astra sighed. It was best left unsaid. Harry should not have had to deal with a troll.
"The troll was supposed to be in the dungeons," Lita said. "But, it ended up all the way in that bathroom."
"It was in the dungeons according to Quirrell," Harry told her under his breath. "Consider the source."
Harry wiped the Troll Boogers on the trousers of the troll.
"Mmm, tastes just like Bertie Botts," Sara said.
"With an adventure in every handful," Kara replied.
"That bean wasn't troll flavored, was it?" Nora asked.
"We're seriously not getting in a debate whether troll boogers or human boogers are more disgusting," Zari said
"Do spare us, yes," Nora agreed.
The teachers arrive, in the form of McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell. With Quirrell's reaction of horror when he saw the troll.
"Bit late to the party, aren't we?" Astra asked.
"He can't be this inept," John said with his eyes narrowed.
The scene plays out with Hermione's cover story about how she was looking for the troll.
"Something tells me she wasn't buying that one for a second," Kara said.
"Well, she had to," Harry said. "For her sake."
"It was a clumsy cover story," Hermione admitted. "But, that's the best I could think of. I'm not that good at thinking on my feet."
"At least you didn't throw them under the bus," Astra said.
"I wouldn't be here if I did," Hermione said. "It would have been all over for me."
"It was really hard to keep a straight face," Ron said.
"I doubt McGonagall bought it," Harry admitted.
"And we know Snape didn't," Ron said.
"Even if he had more pressing matters to deal with that night," Harry agreed.
"Not complaining, are you?" Malfoy asked. "I can't believe you got away with this one."
"Believe me, Malfoy, we didn't either," Harry said.
"Teachers might be feeling a bit guilty that the troll got so far without them stopping it," Lena said. "They really dropped the ball here."
"That's becoming a disturbing pattern," Astra said.
Harry nodded. It was only going to get worse over the next seven years.
McGonagall lectured Hermione about her foolishness. And took points off of Hermione while giving five a piece for Harry and Ron.
"Not that much, given what you did," Nora said.
"Given we expected to be expelled, take the W," Harry said.
"Right," Nora agreed.
"Your commentary about Snape giving out sweets, I wouldn't trust that," Kara said. "At all."
"He should be on a PSA about why you shouldn't take candy from strangers," Mick said.
"He does look like a stranger danger warning poster," Lita agreed.
Harry and Ron arrived at the Common Room where Hermione thanked them. And that's how they became friends.
"That's a bit simplified," Hermione said. "Ron and Harry kept checking up on me, I got a bit more comfortable around them. And things just spiraled from there."
"Things were kind of awkward for a few days," Harry remembered.
"Mistakes were made during that entire situation," Ron said.
"And many more would be made in the future," Harry agreed.
"Yes," Hermione said. "I still don't know why McGonagall just swallowed that story."
"Going to have to ask her next time," Kara said.
"I had multiple chances to run," Hermione said.
"You were eleven and terrified," Nora said. "It happens."
"I was twelve by that point," Hermione argued.
"My point still stands," Nora said.
"So, that's how it happened," Astra said. "It does seem like most of the friction was between Hermione and Ron. And Harry just happened to be pulled in there."
"He was the one who suggested we go after her, though," Ron said.
"You know, if I did have those memories, I would have been fixated on finding a way to rescue you from Hell," Harry said.
"You would have gotten yourself killed," John said. "And you wouldn't have found that magic in Hogwarts."
"Knockturn Alley might have had something," Malfoy said. "Although, there are a lot of con-artists who would likely fleece you out of your galleons. So, I wouldn't recommend doing business there, unless you know exactly how to deal with these people."
"So, that's the chapter," Sara said. "That begins your friendship, I guess."
"Yes," Hermione said. "If only we knew what would happen."
"Maybe we would have done something different," Harry said. "Or maybe not."
"Maybe we would have made different mistakes," Ron said. "Because, we can't help ourselves."
"Something's really off about Quirrell," John said.
"What do you mean?" Astra asked.
"I'll let you know if I'm right," John said.
John tried to get a reading from Harry just how right he was.
"Snape sounds like the one who is up to something," Lena said. "He just happens to be lurking around."
"He's not too pleasant," Astra agreed. "But, he seems too…I don''t know…obvious."
"We better keep going," Zari said.
"And before we start, we have some special guests," Gideon said. "The returning Oliver Wood. Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet. And the legendary Fred and George Weasley."
Ron hid the sad smile on his face when seeing his twin brothers show up, both alive and with all of their ears intact. Likely had been pulled out of the timeline sometime during Ron's sixth year, early, before it had all gone wrong. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina looked to be pulled from a similiar time. And Wood was still from the present day.
"Harry!" George yelled. "And Ron?"
Fred and George looked at the physical state of their youngest brother, concern etched in their eyes.
"What happened to your eye, Ron?" Fred asked.
"And your leg?" George asked.
"I'm from the future, in case you couldn't tell," Ron said. "And that's a long story."
"You two know what's up, right?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, that bloke Gary told us all about why we're here," George said.
"It's good to see you again," Angelina said.
"Glad to have the old team back together," Wood said in his booming voice.
"It's been years," Katie said.
"Ladies, gentlemen, Fred, and George," Sara said. "Why don't we have some introductions and then we can begin the next chapter?"
To Be Continued.