"Malfoy seems flabbergasted that we're still here." I told Ron and Harry the next morning.

They laughed, as we walked down the hall to breakfast. When the owls arrived, Harry and I got identical letters from McGonagall. They basically told us that we would be training with Oliver that night at 7. I was delighted. We had been bought Nimbus Two Thousands, but she didn't want everyone to see them.

I smiled at Dumbledore, who smiled back, obviously having bought mine for me. Sometimes I really do love my uncle!

As Harry and I were walking down the hall with our packages, Draco stopped us and took Harry's broom from him. Then he tossed it back.

"That's a broom, Potter. First Years aren't allowed them." Draco told him.

"Actually, Draco, Dumbledore bought me mine. Harry and I made the Gryffindor Quidditch team." I told him.

Draco's mouth gaped open. "But, First Years can't make the Quidditch teams!"

"Yes, well, they're better than some of the 5th years according to McGonagall and Dumbledore. Even Snape will admit that Lana here is a natural on the broom." Ron snapped. "And it's not just any broom, it's a Nimbus Two Thousand."

Draco tried to smile to hide his jealousy.

"Is there a problem?" Professor Flitwick asked us.

"No." I said quickly. "We were just discussing brooms."

Flitwick smiled. "Well, Miss Langston and Mr. Potter, I have strict instructions for you two to not open those packages until later. What models are they?"

"Nimbus Two Thousands." I told him.

"Very nice." Flitwick said. "Now don't be late to class."

"We won't." I assured him.

He turned around, and went into the classroom, and I looked at Draco.

"Thanks for getting us on the team." I told him.

Harry smiled and nodded. "If you hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall, we never would've made the team."

Draco looked defeated, and Ron laughed.

"So you think that those are rewards for breaking the rules?" Hermione asked us.

"I thought that you weren't talking to us." Harry said.

"Don't stop now. It's doing us all some good." Ron told her.

"Hermione, just ignore them. But yeah, we did get rewarded, and it was nice." I told her.

Hermione hadn't talked to us since the dog, and Neville just never wanted to go near it again. Hermione was angry because of what Ron had said, and turned on her heels and walked off.

"Ron, you shouldn't say things like that to her." I told him.

****

As it neared 7 o'clock, after dinner, I went upstairs and grabbed my broom. I hadn't opened it yet, but I wanted to fly in the stadium before Oliver came to train Harry and I. Hermione stopped me.

"Do you mind if I take a look at it?" She asked me.

I smiled, and unwrapped it. Hermione and I gazed at it. I knew absolutely nothing about brooms, but I did know that it was beautifully crafted. She smiled.

"Good luck." She told me.

I smiled back, and headed to the stadium. When I got outside of the Tower, I saw Harry heading to the stadium as well. I ran and caught up with him.

"You couldn't stay away either?" I asked.

He shook his head. We looked up at the lights around us, and smiled. It was beautiful. We mounted our brooms, and flew around for a few minutes, before Oliver showed up with a wooden crate under his arm.

"Come down you two!" He said.

As we landed, he smiled.

"McGonagall was right, you two are naturals." Oliver told us.

I blushed.

"So, tonight I'm going to tell you guys about the rules of the game. Lana already knows them, so I guess maybe only Harry needs to be here tonight. You two will be coming to practice three times a week after tonight." He told us.

I smiled. "Well, I know the just of the game, but maybe I should stay and make sure that I know the rules by heart. You don't want me slipping up now do you?"

Oliver smiled and shook his head. "All right, so there is a Quaffle that is handled by the Chasers, and put through one of those three hoops. Each hoop is worth ten points."

"So I am responsible for trying to put the ball through one of the other team's hoops to score, and also from keeping the Chasers on the other team from getting near the hoops?" I asked Oliver.

He nodded.

"So it's like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops?" Harry asked.

Oliver was confused. "What's basketball?"

"Never mind." Harry answered.

"Then there are the Keepers." I said.

Oliver nodded. "There is one Keeper for each team. They defend the hoops. I am the Keeper for Gryffindor. I fly around the hoops and make sure that the other team doesn't score."

"So there are 3 Chasers and 1 Keeper, and they all handle the Quaffle?" Harry asked.

Oliver nodded.

"So what are those balls?" Harry asked.

Oliver took out a paddle for both of us, and bent down near the box.

"Stand back." He told us.

He released the ball into the air, and it flew around, looking for someone to hit. It finally came towards Harry, who hit it away from him, and then as it came back, it went for Oliver, who jumped on it and wrestled it back into the box, securing it back in place.

"Was that a Bludger?" I asked him.

Oliver nodded. "They whiz around trying to knock players off of their brooms, so it's important that the Beaters are there to keep them away."

"So the Beaters handle the Bludgers." Harry said.

"I think you've got it Potter." Oliver told him.

"Have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked.

Oliver smiled and shook his head. "No, but we have gotten some broken jaws, head injuries, that sort of thing. But Harry, you're the Seeker. You don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers, all you have to worry about is the Golden Snitch."

"But what if the Bludger kills me?" Harry asked.

"Trust me, Potter, Fred and George are excellent Beaters." Oliver assured him.

Oliver opened up the small compartment inside of the trunk, and took out a small golden ball the size of a walnut. I beamed. It was so beautiful I couldn't help but reach out and touch it.

"Harry, you have to weave through Chasers and Beaters, in order to catch this. If you catch this before the other team's Seeker, then you get 150 points for Gryffindor, and will most likely win us the game. This is an important ball." Oliver said.

I smiled. "Harry can do it."

"Well, we won't practice with the Snitch now. It's too dark and we might lose it, so maybe Harry and I should practice with some golf balls." Oliver told us.

I nodded. "You and Harry practice. I'll see you all during practices this week."

****

Now that we had all mastered the basics, and now that I was busy with practice and homework, I saw Hermione and Ron less and less, and Harry more and more. I realized that I had been at Hogwarts for two months now, and that it was October.

On Halloween, everyone was in the spirit, and there was a rumor about a wonderful feast. Harry, Ron, and I were in Professor Flitwick's class, when he told us that we were going to try and levitate things. I levitated the feather on my first try.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" I said, and I used my wand to make the feather float in the air.

"Well done, Miss Langston." Professor Flitwick said.

Hermione beamed, and then looked over at Harry and Ron who were doing it horribly wrong.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! You're going to put someone's eye out." Hermione told them. "Besides you're doing it wrong. It's Leviosa…not Leviosa."

"Then why don't you do it if you're so clever!" Ron said.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione said, and the feather floated off of the table.

"Look class, Miss Granger has done it! You should learn something from Miss Granger and Miss Langston." Professor Flitwick exclaimed.

After class, I was walking with Ron and Harry. Ron was in a very bad mood.

"She's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends! No one can stand her." Ron said.

A figure bumped past us, and it was Hermione, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. I hit Ron lightly upside the head.

"You idiot!" I cried, and ran after her.

"I think she heard you." Harry told Ron.

"So? She must've noticed that she's got no friends." Ron told him.

****

I followed Hermione into the girl's bathroom, and stood there.

"Hermione, I'm sorry about that. Ron can be really nasty sometimes." I said.

"He had no right!" She cried.

"I know, and trust me, I'm going to make him apologize." I told her.

She came out and shook her head. "No. He has to choose to do it on his own. Don't make him do anything."

"He was wrong. You've got a friend. I'll stay with you if you need it. Forget Afternoon classes. We're the brightest ones right? No one will really miss us...except maybe the teachers." I said.

She smiled slightly, and for the rest of the day we sat there.

When the feast was going to begin, I told Hermione that I would be back, but that I needed to talk to Ron and Harry. When I found them, Ron seemed a little sorry for what he had done.

"You made her cry. She's been crying all day." I told him.

"So you skipped classes to be with her?" Ron asked.

"Well, yes, what you did was really mean."

"But she's so bossy." Ron protested.

"No reason to say that too her." I told him.

Harry looked up at Ron and I. "Come on, you two are friends."

"I know that, but he needs to apologize." I said.

Ron nodded. "I do."

Just then, Professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall.

"Troll! There's a troll in the dungeon! Just thought you ought to know." He cried. Then he fainted.

Everyone started screaming except Harry and I.

"Trolls exist too?" I asked.

Harry nodded, and Ron looked like he was going to clobber me.

"Prefects, get your Houses to their rooms, and stay there until you are noted further." Dumbledore said.

Harry, Ron and I were running out of the Hall, following Percy.

"Wait! Hermione!" Harry said.

"She doesn't know about the troll! We have to warn her!" I cried.

Ron sighed. "Fine, but don't let Percy see us."

We got away from Percy and I led them in Hermione's direction, when we saw the troll headed for the Girl's Bathroom, and Snape heading for the third floor without the other teachers.

"Where is he going?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, but right now we need to worry about Hermione." I told him.

We ran to the bathroom, and I walked right in. I whirled on them.

"I don't care if it's a Girl's Bathroom! Get in here and help Hermione!" I yelled.

The troll was the ugliest thing that I had ever seen. It was 12 feet tall, with lumpy skin, and short tree like legs. It had a club in its hand, and it was smashing through the sinks, trying to make its way to Hermione.

Ron got to work trying to distract the troll, while I ran to try and get Hermione to follow me out. Problem was that Harry and I couldn't get her to stand up because she was frozen in fear. Harry then jumped on the Troll's back, and I shrank down next to Hermione. We were doomed.

Harry shoved his wand up the Troll's nose, and then the Troll grabbed Harry off of his back and got ready to hit him with his club.

"Ron!" I cried. "Levitate his club!"

Ron looked terrified. "You do it! You're a natural!"

"Ron! Do as I say!" I screamed.

Surprisingly enough Ron did it with ease, and the Troll was knocked out. Harry retrieved his wand from the Troll's nose, and I got Hermione to stand up. Then the teachers arrived.

"What do you four think you are doing? Why aren't you in your Dormitories?" McGonagall asked us.

"Well you see, Professor…" I began.

"I came looking for the Troll." Hermione interrupted. "I thought that I could handle it because I had…read about them."

I was shocked. Hermione was taking the blame? But it wasn't her fault.

"If Ron, Harry, and Lana hadn't come when they did, I would probably be dead." Hermione finished.

I wanted to say something, but what?

"Well, Miss Granger, I am very disappointed in you. Ten points will be taken from Gryffindor for your lack of judgment. But for you three, not many First Years can take on a fully-grown Mountain Troll and live to tell the tale. Five points to each of you…for sheer dumb luck." McGonagall told us.

Snape had a bad cut on his leg, and he was bending over the Troll. Dumbledore motioned for me to follow him, and I did, feeling dread building up in my throat.

"Lana, you and I both know that there is something that has not been said." He told me.

I nodded. "Well, Hermione was crying and I knew that I had to save her. Since it was well…someone's fault that she was crying, Harry and Ron decided to help me. Then we defeated the Troll. As simple as that." I said quickly.

Uncle Albus smiled. "Lana, I will leave the points as they are, but next time, don't be so reckless, please."

I nodded. "Okay, Uncle Albus."

I hugged him for the first time since I had seen him, and then went off to meet up with Harry and Ron.

"We deserved more than 15 points." Ron said.

"Five, after you take away Hermione's points." Harry told him.

I smiled. "Why give us the points in the first place?"

Hermione walked up to us and smiled once we got through the portrait.

"Thank you." She said.

"Anytime. What are friends for?" Ron asked her.

We all shared a large smile, and from that point on, we were all the best of friends.