Previous Chapter - Millie talks about what's been happening inside Slytherin. Harry breaks into the hospital wing and discovers the number of records is more massive than he thought. He starts working on an mental avatar to help him sort through the records. Harry and Tom become somewhat suspicious that he is personally given a Nimbus two thousand by McGonagall. During potions Harry begins sabotaging the Slytherin's works culminating in a Snape blaming Malfoy for a rather impressive potion failure.

Chapter 12 - Halloween

"You clumsy fool! You ruined them!" Ron was not having a good day and when Millie accidentally scattered the pile of dried crushed Chanterelle into the other ingredients he lost it.

Millicent teared up and with fled the room sobbing.

Ron grunted in frustration, "Ah hell, Millie. Sorry... don't go..." he turned to look at his friends who were staring at him, "What? I just spend near an hour preparing all that! What's wrong with her today?"

Hermione sighed, "Millie had a real bad night last night. She and another Slytherin were locked out of their dorm till early morning."

Ron sighed as he got up and left the room, "Ahh bugger. Didn't know that. I'll go get her."

After watching him leave the room Hermione looked at Harry and shrugged, "At least he's trying."

Harry sighed, "True, I guess. I'll grind up some more Chanterelle and Dragon skin for them. Can you separate the other ingredients out?"

Whilst Neville continued to carefully stir his own practice potion, Harry and Hermione replaced the ingredients for the second potion. When it was obvious that even if Ron and Millicent returned there wouldn't be enough time to complete the potion they carefully packed the prepared ingredients away using stasis spells to keep them fresh.

Ron returned a few minutes after they had finished and immediately started packing his and Millie's books away, "She wouldn't talk to me."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "You apologised?"

Ron rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh, "I tried. Ended up yelling at her through the girls toilet door. Lost two points. Stupid prefect."

"At least you tried." Hermione stated.

"Yeah well, it's just hard you know. Thinking first is alright for you brainy types." Ron hefted both bags onto his shoulder.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Ron quickly cut her off. "I know, I know, but later, alright? It's dinner time and I don't want to miss any of the feast."

Neville chuckled, "Have you ever missed any part of a meal, Ron?"

Ron nodded, "Yep. In my second week I got lost and only managed to be there for half of the dinner."

Everyone laughed.

"How can he eat so much and not turn into a Dudley?"

'Magic, Harry, magic."

"Haha, very funny, but really?"

'He's burning a lot of magical energy using that wand of his. I would suggest we teach him and Neville how to properly focus using a foreign wand but then he might just turn into a Dudley.'

"So if he got a new wand then he'd get fat?"

'Maybe, though if he keeps up the exercise or refuses to eat like a bottomless pit he may remain his only averagely chubby size.'

-my-friend-tom-

During dinner Ron kept glancing towards the Slytherin table and muttering.

Eventually Hermione asked, "Do you want me to go check on her?"

Ron had just opened his mouth to answer when the doors to the great hall slammed open with a loud bang.

Professor Quirrell sprinted quite fast between the student tables till he was in front of Dumbledore before gasping out., "Troll.. in the dungeons.. thought you ought to know."

Then he fainted. collapsing to the floor.

As Dumbledore began directing the prefects and professors to escort the students to their common rooms Ron, Neville, Hermione and Harry shared horrified looks.

Ron was first to speak, "I'm going to get Millicent."

Hermione was already standing, "You'll need me."

Harry nodded, "I'm with you. Neville, can you let a teacher know where we going and that they should make sure no one else is in a toilet?

"Right." Neville stated and was instantly moving.

"Come on, let's go. Wands out." Ron headed out the door. Hermione and Harry close on his heels.

The three sprinted up two flights of stairs and were smacked in the face by a foul stench.

"Ewww!" Hermione spluttered.

Ron and Harry glanced at each other and spoke together, "The troll!"

They moved as quickly to the next corner and poked their heads around to spot the huge grey creature stooping as it pushed its way through a small doorway.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Ron swore, his knuckles going white as he gripped his wand tightly.

Hermione gasped, "That's the girl's toilet."

They stared frozen until a scream forced them back into action. Ron let loose a roar as he led the charge down the corridor and into the girl's toilet. Harry and Hermione scrambled to keep up.

Inside the narrow room the smell was suffocating. The foul creature was now standing up and towering above them. Its twelve foot height dwarfed the stalls, but was still short of the tall ceiling. Harry entered just in time to see the troll swing its massive club around, demolishing half of the row sinks and two stalls. Debris bounced off the walls and water started spraying from broken pipes. With the way partially cleared, it moved towards Millicent, who was cowering at the far end of the room.

"Tom, which spell should I use? I need a spell that won't hit Millicent too."

The club destroyed two more stalls and some more sinks as it closed on Millicent. Ron and Hermione both sent yelled jinxes at the Troll. Both just fizzled as they contacted the troll's skin. The troll didn't even notice.

"Tom? Tom, can you hear me?"

The troll was close enough that Millicent was now within range of the clubs swing, though one stall partially shielded her. Hermione yelled out a shielding spell whilst Ron swore before casting another jinx. The club came swinging down destroying another stall before it glanced off the glittering shield. The shield collapsed in a shower of sparks and Harry watched as Hermione gave a faint sigh and slumped to the ground. Ron's jinx fizzled.

"Damn it, Harry. Help us!" Ron screamed and tried another screamed a different spell, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The spell grasped hold of the club and the troll roared and held tight preventing the club from flying away.

Ron grunted and fell to one knee as he concentrated on the spell. He whispered barely loud enough to be heard above the splashing water, "Help me."

Harry blinked and repeated Ron's spell, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The Troll roared even louder as the club finally broke free of his grasp and flew across the room towards Harry and Ron. Harry gritted his teeth, narrowed his eyes and focused his anger on the flying club. The club responded by turning and heading back towards the troll. As it flew through the fountains of water it accelerated.

There was a loud thud and crunch as it slammed its heavy end forward into the troll's forehead. The troll moaned a strange "Huh?" before it and the club toppled. The troll landed covering the ruins of three of the stalls.

Harry heard Ron coughing and turned to see him on all fours, gasping trying to catch his breath. He seemed to be okay so Harry quickly moved to check Hermione. Kneeling he gently touched her face and her eyes fluttered open for a moment. Hermione gave him a faint smile, she tried to say something but nothing came out before her eyes closed again.

Ron struggled back to his feet using a broken pipe to help and unsteadily made his way to Millicent. He used the remains of the sinks to support himself as he made his way. He clumsily climbed over the legs of the troll and slumped down into a seating position beside the shaking girl.

"Eh.. hi Millie.. I'm sorry about before.. I'm the idiot. Not you." Ron sighed and slowly toppled over landing with a splash and faint thud in the water.

"Ron? Ron?" Millie started crying as she shook him.

Harry shook his head, "He's okay, Millie. He and Hermione are both just exhausted."

A gasp came from the door behind Harry.

"What the..." Professor McGonagall face was white as she took in the fallen children and the massive troll. She quickly moved to Hermione and started casting a spell.

Harry spoke in a quiet voice, "Just exhausted. Hermione held a shield as the troll hit it. Ronald pulled the club out of the troll's grasp with the levitation charm."

Professor McGonagall briefly nodded as she continued to cast the same spells over Harry, Ron and Millicent. Only when she had finished the spells did she let out a relieved sigh. By this time Harry noticed both Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape had entered the room behind him. The expressions on both professor's faces were unreadable.

"What on earth were you all doing in here fighting a full grown troll?" Professor McGonagall had straightened up and her expression had darkened.

Harry rubbed his eyes as he answered, "Millicent was in the bathroom. Ron and I came with Hermione so that she could warn her."

The troll let out a low moan and shifted a little.

"Severus, Quirinus, please see to that creature." Professor McGonagall snapped as she cast flotation and then drying charms on Ron and Hermione. "Mr Potter are you able to assist Mrs Bulstrode?"

As Harry helped Millicent walk out the door he noted a trail of smeared red blood entering the room. He paused and his gaze followed it to the training edge of Snape's robe. There he saw a patch of dark dampness and something strange with how the bottom of the robe hang. Professor McGonagall called out and he hurried to catch up with his floating friends, Millicent still clinging to his arm.

-my-friend-tom-

Harry's insistence that he was fine fell on deaf ears and, when Madam Pomfrey pointed out the three bleeding scratches on his forearm and face, Harry realised that nothing he could say was going to work. He hadn't even noticed that he had been hit by some of the flying debris. Both Hermione and Ron had also been hit a few times and they were also magically exhausted. Millicent was physically unhurt, just still a little wet, cold and in shock. Madam Pomfrey had their robes transfigured into hospital gowns and in bed before Harry could think up any sort of counter argument about how small the scratches were. He regretted not noticing them earlier and patching them himself.

Harry and Millicent were allowed to keep their wands near them, with the admonishment that if they used them for anything frivolous they would be confiscated like Ron and Hermione's.

Tall ever-filling glasses of water with a mild sedative were placed on their tables and they were informed that if they weren't asleep by half past nine she would be bringing them a sleeping draught.

"Thank you, Harry." Millicent whispered once Madam Pomfrey had retreated to her office.

"It was mostly Ron and Hermione, Millie. I froze." Harry whispered back. It was starting to sink in how close it had been and how ineffectual he had been at the start.

"Still, if you hadn't led them to me..."

"Again it was Ron, Millie. We just followed him."

"Ohh.." Millicent went quiet, leaving Harry to his own thoughts and worries.

"Tom? Tom? Can you hear me?"

He waited a few minutes before trying again.

"Can you hear me, Tom? Do you need help finding your way back?"

It was closer to ten and he was pretending to sleep by the time he finally got a response.

"Can you hear me, Tom? Please come back!"

'Harry. I can hear you. Call again, please.' Tom's voice was faint and far away.

"Tom! I was so worried. Are you okay?"

'I'm fine, Harry. Thanks. We were talking about Ron getting fat and then the darkness came back. I fled to the quiet and for a moment all was okay, then the dark came on stronger and I had to move further into it. Too far. What happened?'

Harry took a few deep breaths. He needed to be honest, though he knew Tom was going to be far from happy at his poor performance.

"Professor Quirrell discovered a troll in the dungeon. He came into the hall to warn us. Ron, Hermione and I went to warn Millie but the troll had already found her. Hermione managed to cast a shield spell and saved Millie, but knocked herself out. Ron used the levitation charm to pull the club out of the troll's grasp and I used the same spell to knock the troll out with the club. Ron was also exhausted."

'You didn't get hurt?'

"Just a few scratches. But.. but I froze. I didn't do anything for ages. If Hermione and Ron hadn't been casting spells, Millie would have been dead before I did anything." Harry's body shook slightly as he repressed the urge to break into sobs.

'You were scared?' Tom didn't sound upset, just curious.

"I guess. I was trying to call you and you didn't answer. I just didn't know what to do."

Tom was quiet for awhile, 'This is my fault. Tell me what spells you considered using?'

"Confringo, Expulso, Bombarda and Reducto but Millie was behind the Troll and the room was so narrow I couldn't use those."

'All effective spells if you care little about causing damage to property or others. Sadly, that reflects more on my state of mind when I practised those spells than anything else. I will review alternatives for facing magically resistant creatures and for dealing with situations where friends are in the line of fire. You should sleep now, Harry.'

"But I froze when I couldn't speak to you."

'I think that was just because I have taught you too narrow a selection of spells for that particular event. Don't worry about it, Harry. I'm sure you did your best.'

Harry didn't answer for a while. He didn't really think that was the case but he couldn't think of any words to express his concerns so in the end, as he yawned, he just said to Tom, "Goodnight."

'Goodnight, Harry.'

-my-friend-tom-

Neville was beside his bed when he woke and already talking before his eyes had even fully opened.

"Harry, everyone is saying that you and Ron knocked out the troll. Did you really?"

Harry yawned and blinked a few times as he grinned at Neville. The room had curtains drawn and was only partially lit by the sun outside.

"Yeah, I guess so. We both used the levitation charm to hit it with its own club. Are Ron and Hermione okay?" Harry sat up and looked towards the area where they were but it was curtained off. He could see Millicent still sleeping just past Neville.

"Yep. Madam Pomfrey said they are both fine and will wake up a little before lunch time. So, what happened?"

Harry related the details of the event excluding his attempt to talk to Tom during the battle. He told Neville that he just couldn't think of a useful spell. Neville was supportive, but Harry wasn't reassured.

'Don't worry about it, Harry. I'll help you work on improving your repertoire and also try and work out why I was pushed back into the quiet. I have some more ideas that we can discuss later.'

Harry sent Tom a mental nod and addressed some of the chocolate frogs that Neville had brought in.

"Thanks, Neville. I think I'm just going to have to study harder. Learn more spells. Did they work out how the troll got in?"

Neville shrugged, "They announced at breakfast that one of the outer doors' lock had been broken, but some of the senior years said there are wards that are meant to prevent trolls and other creatures even approaching the grounds."

'Indeed. Such wards are part of the permanent ward scheme of the castle and only the Headmaster and the Keeper of the Keys can disable them and then only temporarily.'

Madam Pomfrey walked out of the curtained area and gave Harry a quick smile, "Let's just do a quick diagnostic and then you can go out and meet up with all your friends outside. Please see if you can take them away."

Neville grinned as Madam Pomfrey started casting spells on Harry, "We've been taking turns since breakfast coming in waiting for you to wake. Potions was cancelled as Professor Snape is busy investigating the troll still."

"Did they say anything about how Snape was hurt?"

Neville frowned, "He got hurt? I didn't hear that, he wasn't at breakfast which was when they announced the class cancellation and mentioned he was busy investigating still."

'He was hurt, Harry?'

"Yeah Tom, he was bleeding from the leg, I think. He was trailing blood and the bottom of his robe was bloodied and I think maybe the robe had been quickly repaired as it didn't look right."

'Tonight I think we should conduct our own investigation.'

Soon Harry was allowed to use the hospital showers and change into a set of casual clothes that the house elves had brought down for him. By the time he was ready, Millicent had also got up and was in the girl's bathroom. He waited and the three of them left the hospital together to find all of the Gryffindor first years, the quidditch team, Lee Jordan, Susan, Hannah and surprisingly Tracey, Daphne and Zabini waiting outside.

The Slytherins were sitting a little distance from the rest and looking rather uncomfortable but that faded as they came forward to check on Millicent. Harry was soon retelling the story with Millicent adding her own comments, mostly rather complementary words at how Harry, Ron and Hermione had saved her. Both she and Harry skipped over the reason for why she was in the toilet.

As they waited in the hallway just down from the hospital entrance, a few other first years from various houses and some of more second year Gryffindors visited. The story had to be told a few more times, though Fred and George were now doing most of the retelling with Harry and the others only interrupting to correct some of the wildest exaggerations.

When Ron and Hermione were finally released from the hospital, the entire group trekked down to the great hall to hear the story again from them as they waited for lunch to be served.

Harry had noticed, since becoming the Gryffindor seeker, that many of the second and third year Gryffindors would introduce themselves and occasionally spare a moment to chat or just greet him. Quidditch had turned out to be a great bridge between the years within his house. Now some of those had brought their friends from the other houses to come over to be introduced and and hear the story. While mostly Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, there were also three third year Slytherins.

Tom was very pleased with what was happening and told Harry so, Quidditch and the troll were helping Harry bridge the barriers between the years and the houses faster than he could have ever hoped for. Still he also admitted to being rather concerned, there were so many questions about what was happening within the school that he had no answers for. This was not the first year of schooling for Harry that he had expected or planned for.

-my-friend-tom-

Once everyone was asleep and Ron snoring loudly Harry left the dorm under his silencing and notice-me-not charms. It was a pain having to dodge or cast spells on every individual portrait but so far all he could achieve with the disillusionment charm was to make himself look like a large blob of water. It would certainly hide his identity, but not his presence.

The bathroom was now partially blocked off. At least someone had cancelled all the charms on the pipes that had been creating all the water, though very little else had been done to clean the room. The floor outside, however, had been scrubbed and the trail of blood was gone.

This wasn't unexpected and Tom quickly taught Harry the charm to reveal blood stains. Without any actual blood present, the charm wouldn't be useful to identify who the blood belonged to but that wasn't important in this case. Harry was able to keep the charm running for only about thirty seconds whilst walking so he found himself having to cast it five times before it led him to a door on the third floor corridor.

A series of detection spells showed a rather strong alert ward and a very simple locking charm. A charm that could easily be opened by the simplest and lowest powered unlocking charm.

'If that isn't an obvious trap my name isn't Tom. Check deeper, Harry.'

Harry cast a number of more complex detection charms. He cast them first non-verbally then switched to verbally casting them to make sure they worked properly. He was pleased to see that apart from the charm to detect fire spells he was able to cast them all non-verbally the first time.

'Well done, Harry. Next week I suggest you try a few during Astronomy for practice in a classroom setting. Now do a temporary redirection on the alarm ward and let's very carefully see what's on the other side of this door.'

Harry decided a few seconds was long enough to stare at the massive three headed dog before he quietly closed the door.

'That certainly was unexpected.'

"A giant three headed dog? Why the hell would they have one here?"

'It's a cerberus. A magical guard dog presumably guarding whatever is through that trap door it's standing above. They are famous for their magical resistance which is why they make such great guard dogs for wizards. At least it's chained so it can't get out of the room.'

"It wouldn't fit through the door."

'I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hogwarts is an extremely magical building and they would have had to bring it into that room somehow, expanding doorways isn't that complex an enchantment and wouldn't have been detected by the charms you cast earlier.'

Harry took an involuntary step back from the door.

'Not to worry Harry, I would imagine that until you took a step inside that room it wouldn't pay you any attention. Let's take a moment and I'll teach you how to cancel the redirection and then add a second target for that alert ward. We can work out how to get past the cerberus later.'

"Get past it? Why would we want to do that?" Harry certainly wasn't keen on that idea at all.

'I want to know what is important enough that they would risk bringing a cerberus into a school and how it involves Severus.'

"I'm not sure I want to know."

'Enough of that Harry. Where is your sense of adventure? Okay let's get started on modifying this ward.'

Author Notes: This and the next chapter have progressed rather slower than previous chapters. Thanks as always to Aletheya for proofreading. Replies to reviews posted at www fanfiction net/topic/135718/89507238/1/