Chapter 5: Halloween Complications
Severus rose early Saturday morning, as was his habit. He dressed in his usual stark black, with a black button-up instead of a white one. He'd sent Lucius an owl the evening before, and knew the Malfoys were expecting him for breakfast. With that in mind he sent a missive to Dumbledore to inform him of his departure, then left the Castle. No one else was up at such an early hour, with the exception of Pomona Sprout, who was tending to something in the greenhouses and didn't even notice him. He noticed as he passed that Hagrid's pumpkins were looking spectacularly huge for the Feast next Thursday. Then he was at the boundary and Apparating away, his thoughts turning from Halloween to his upcoming conversation with Lucius.
He landed at the gates of Malfoy Manor, which opened to welcome him. A House Elf met him at the door and led him inside, to where Lucius and Narcissa were sitting down to an early morning breakfast. Lucius rose to greet him, filling a glass with elf wine and gesturing him to a seat. Severus bowed politely, as etiquette demanded. "Good morning Lucius, Narcissa." He settled into the chair his host indicated, then sipped the wine as the elves filled his plate with eggs and bacon and wheat toast, setting pots of tea, pitchers of cream and bowls of fruit out for the occupants of the table to serve themselves.
Severus noted the herbal fragrance of the tea, and opted to set aside his wine glass (with a surreptitious Chilling Charm) for a cup of that to go with his breakfast.
Lucius waited until the elves had finished serving and vanished before he spoke. "Forgive me, Severus, but this is rather earlier than is your usual wont to call."
"It is, and it is I who must apologize for the intrusion." Severus dipped his head at the Lord and Lady of the Manor. "I do apologize for coming early, but there are things I must speak with you about. In confidence. It is not...not the usual topic of these visits." He dipped his head once more in apology to Narcissa.
"Then we will speak after breakfast." Lucius offered him a small half-smile, and turned his attention to his plate.
They spoke over breakfast of Lucius's various projects, in and out of the Ministry, and his white peacocks, which he had been successfully breeding. They spoke of Narcissa's gardens, and her social calendar. Most of the people on it were people Severus was unlikely to be invited to associate with at any time in the near future, but it was good to know whom Lucius might be able to introduce him to, if need arose. In turn, he reciprocated with tales of Draco's Potions work, the settling of Slytherin House, and the trivialities of life at Hogwarts.
Finally, the meal ended. Narcissa gracefully excused herself to attend to something in the Manor, while Severus and Lucius retired to the study with the bottle of elf wine and the glasses. Once inside, Severus started a fire in the fireplace and drew up their customary chairs, while Lucius warded the doors. That done, both of them settled into their seats.
Lucius let him relax for perhaps a minute before he broke the silence. "Very well Severus. Tell me, what occasioned your arrival so early this morning?"
"Many things. There are things in motion in Hogwarts that I cannot see the full shape of, but which I believe may require careful watching." Severus sipped his wine, ordering his thoughts.
"Indeed?" Lucius raised one white-blond eyebrow. "I am intrigued. I would have thought, as close to Dumbledore's confidence as you are..."
"Less so since Potter came to Hogwarts. And I am not even sure that he knows the whole truth of the matter. If he does, then he is a fool to let what is transpiring continue." Severus hissed out a breath, irritated at the very thought.
"Very well then. Tell me what it is you feel I need to know." Lucius settled back in his chair.
Severus considered. "You were aware of the break-in at Gringotts?"
"Of course. Before even the papers." Lucius frowned. "But what has that to do with the school?"
"The papers were correct in reporting that the vault was emptied prior to the break-in. However, what they did not report, because they did not know, was who emptied it, and why, and where the contents of the vault ended up." Severus paused. "The vault was emptied of it's contents by none other than Dumbledore's trusted groundskeeper, Hagrid."
"And the contents were brought to Hogwarts?" Lucius raised an eyebrow again. "That seems...a bit unwise, of the Headmaster."
"On that we are in agreement. I cannot tell you what it was that Hagrid brought back, as Dumbledore swore all who knew to secrecy. I can tell you that it is highly dangerous, that it is being guarded in the Castle, and that there are certain parties, and certain rumored parties, that would find it...extremely desirable."
"Ah. You feel this parcel is at risk, then?"
"I feel that the whole school may be at risk because of it's presence, whether the parcel itself is in any danger or no." Severus sighed. "It is well warded and well guarded, but the defenses are by no means impermeable."
"I see. That is concerning. Do you wish me to intervene, as a Governor of the school?"
"No. Not at present. Dumbledore would wonder where you had gotten your information. And there are...other considerations." Severus grimaced and drank a gulp of wine, feeling the smoothness on his tongue and his throat.
"Such as?" Lucius blinked at him.
"Draco, for one. If you come to the school seeking answers, it will only excite his curiosity. And he already knows too much. He and Potter." Severus scowled. "Hagrid was foolish enough to bring Potter along on his errand for Dumbledore, and to specifically tell the boy that it was secret, Hogwarts business."
It was Lucius's turn to grimace in distaste. "That was foolish. And Draco's involvement?"
"They have become friends, of a sort. They have been meeting, in secret more or less, at various locations in the school. I gather there is much of studying, and some gossiping, and some snacking, and a little mischief, though nothing I have yet had to intervene in. Fortunately for Draco's status in Slytherin, they are discreet. But there was in incident, earlier this week, in which they were out after curfew. A matter of forgotten time. But when I questioned Draco, he admitted to me that he and Potter had exchanged information. My presence in Draco's life for Potter's knowledge of the mysterious parcel. He further informed me that he and Potter had breached the location where the parcel is being stored, the first level of it at least, and had encountered the primary guardian. One hopes that the incident frightened them enough to preclude further exploration, however, Potter is a Gryffindor..."
"And as such, is sometimes prone to acts of recklessness. And Draco is young, and easily excited by adventure and potential status." Lucius sighed. "Your point is well taken. You will keep an eye on them?"
"Of course." Severus nodded.
"Very well. I shall not intervene then, for the present. Is there anything else I should be made aware of?" Lucius refilled his glass, and topped off Severus's.
"There is one other matter that concerns me. I do not yet know if it is tied to the matter of Dumbledore's parcel or not. Though it is...worrisome if it is." Severus sipped his drink. "Has Draco told you anything of this year's Defense teacher?"
"Only that he considers the man a blithering imbecile, and complains that he is not learning anything worth mentioning in class." Lucius scowled. "I understand the man is timid to the point of being terrified of his own shadow, hardly what one might consider an ideal Defense candidate."
"He was not originally a Defense teacher. A student of the Art, yes, but he originally hired on as a part time assistant in Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies. Last year, he went on sabbatical, and made it known that he wished to apply for the Defense position, if it were open, upon his return. Dumbledore gave him leave and his promise that, should there be a vacancy, he would be welcome to fill it." Severus turned over the information he had on Quirrell in his mind. "He returned over this summer and submitted his application, having also gained his accreditation, and was approved."
"And yet, his demeanor does not inspire confidence?" Lucius queried.
"It does not. The man who left was quiet and reserved, certainly, but hardly as timid as he now seems. He did not stutter then, which he does now, almost constantly. Since his return he has been pale, and possessed always of a hideous, rank turban, which he never removes. The students believe it is meant to ward off a vampire or some such nonsense."
"And your thoughts?" Lucius fixed him with pale gray eyes. "An incompetent is worrisome, but hardly something you would need to speak to me in confidence about."
"Agreed. It is not his competence which concerns me. There is something about him, something...dark. I cannot trace it with any certainty, but I know that Quirrell is somehow...tainted. There is something wrong with him." Severus sipped at his wine. "I might put it off to being overly paranoid, save for two facts. One is that Dumbledore has tasked me with keeping watch over Quirrell, which indicates that he too suspects something is amiss. The other is that I have looked into where Quirrell traveled on his sabbatical, and I discovered that he spent considerable time in one particular place. A forest, in Albania."
"Albania..." Lucius breathed the word. "You think he might have..."
"I do not know. I cannot say with any certainty. I have seen no signs, and the Mark is quiet. It has not darkened, and it does not ache, nor give any sort of reaction in Quirrell's presence. But I find it disconcerting that Quirrell should spend the majority of his sabbatical in the one place where the rumors of him are most prevalent."
"Indeed. And if Dumbledore is wary enough to set you on the hunt, it is indeed reason for concern. You are watchful, I trust?" Lucius leaned back, staring at the fire.
"Of course. As much as I can be. But I can do nothing without further information, without something more than nebulous suspicions with which to work." Severus leaned back as well, relaxing now that the bulk of his news had been imparted. "My fear is that Quirrell will make a move when I am unable to counter him."
"You think it will be soon?"
"I am not certain. But I know that Quirrell is also part of the team that is defending the parcel Dumbledore guards. He knows, as I do, what it is, and at least some of the protections upon it. We were each enjoined not to reveal the secrets of our work, but most will not think to keep secrecy from others who are also wardens. But Dumbledore has spoken of a final protection that will be put in place over the Christmas holidays. If Quirrell is indeed interested in that object, for whatever reason, then it would be better for him to move before Dumbledore's final wards are in place."
"Then you think he will move soon." Lucius frowned. "Do you need someone on hand to assist?"
"Not at present. Dumbledore is on watch, currently, and the other teachers. Hopefully, it will be enough." Severus sighed. "I fear though, that this will not continue to be a peaceful year at Hogwarts."
Lucius made a noise that, from a less elegant man, would have been a snort. "We both knew it would not be, once Harry Potter returned to the Wizarding World." He leaned forward. "We have been planning for this for over a decade, my friend. And thus far, our plans have held. Draco is performing beautifully, holding his own in Slytherin while also befriending Harry Potter. The Potter boy, from your reports and Draco's, is doing as well as any might expect a First Year raised by Muggles to do, and better than many. There are potential dangers, yes, but thus far nothing beyond the margins of safety we have set and planned for. Indeed, at this point, I suspect my greatest concern should be how to properly reward my son for his accomplishments in the tasks I have asked him to perform." He smirked.
Severus sighed and allowed himself to relax further. "True. Thus far, things are stable. It may be that there will be further opportunities to manage things further in the coming weeks, perhaps even over the holidays. I may be able to...persuade...Quirrell against any serious action." He sneered.
"One would think. That menacing attitude ought to prove useful for something beyond swooping around the dungeons and terrorizing students." Lucius returned the sneer with a cool smile. "In the meantime, if you have no further news, I should prefer to turn our attention to other things." He tilted his head, regarding Severus with a cool, but almost friendly gaze. "Earlier this year, you indicated that you were suffering some difficulty in maintaining your equilibrium with Potter. How have you fared of late? Are you still in difficulties, or have you managed some resolution?"
Severus sighed, but allowed Lucius to draw him into their usual Halloween discourse.
Whatever would come, Lucius was forewarned, at least. He had an ally to turn to. That would have to be enough, for the time being.
***FWBtD***
Harry spent the weekend playing Exploding Snap with Ron, and sneaking off to study with Ron and Draco. They spent some time in speculation about the dog and the mysterious package from Gringotts, but as Draco admitted he hadn't been able to get any more information from either his father or Professor Snape, they gave it up. None of them, despite the urge for another adventure, were particularly keen on facing the three-headed dog again.
Monday brought a change in their routine. Harry had just settled down to breakfast when the mail arrived. He'd been a bit startled by all the owls the first few times it had happened, but now he was quite used to it. He noted idly that Draco had yet another package from home, and wondered if there were anything in it that Draco would share, as he sometimes did in their meetings, when they were in an abandoned classroom where no one would see.
It was the exclamations that made him look up first. Six large screech owls were descending the length of the Great Hall, carrying a large package. It took Harry a moment to register that the owls were headed for the Gryffindor Table. A moment later he realized, with shock and delight, that they were coming to him. Aside from invitations to Hagrid's for Friday teas, he hadn't received anything in the mail. Of course, the Dursleys weren't the sort to send him anything, and he didn't know anyone else.
The owls landed with a thump, depositing a long parcel directly in front of him. A small card was attached, with his name written prominently on the front. Harry seized the card and opened it with impatient fingers, not even noticing when the owls stole his bacon and flew away.
It was lucky that he'd opened the letter first. It turned out to be from McGonagall, and the very first words he read were: DO NOT OPEN THIS PARCEL AT THE TABLE!
Intrigued, Harry read further.
This contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand. I don't want everyone knowing you've got a broomstick, or they'll all want one, and we'll never have the end of it. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight at 7 to let you try it out properly, so do be patient.
- Professor Minerva McGonagall
Ron, reading over his shoulder, let out a breathy sigh of envy. "Blimey Harry..."
Neither of them wanted any breakfast after that. Harry grabbed the package and darted out of the Great Hall, Ron at his heels.
Malfoy met them halfway. Crabbe and Goyle accompanied him. His expression, as it always was in their company, was twisted into an unpleasant sneer. His hand snapped out and seized the package, feeling the contours of it beneath the paper. Then he let go, his expression twisting in spite. "That's a broomstick." Under the sneer, Harry heard a thread of wistful jealousy.
Ron smirked. "It's not just any broomstick. It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. The best. What've you got, Malfoy? A Comet 360?"
"What would you care?" Draco shot the words back. "You couldn't afford either one. Your family probably saves up twig by twig."
"Hello boys! Not fighting, I hope?" Flitwick popped up, bright-eyed and smiling cheerfully.
"Potter's got a broomstick." Draco backed up quickly. If Harry hadn't been paying attention, he'd have had the distinct impression that Draco was trying to get him in trouble.
"That's right!" Flitwick smiled. "I heard about it from Professor McGonagall. And what model is it, Mr. Potter?"
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir." Harry grinned. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy that I've got it." He shot Draco a grin. Draco made a face that could have been furious, jealous, or amused, or some combination of the three, back at him.
"Excellent! Well, carry on! Carry on!" Flitwick waved them on, and Harry and Ron darted up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.
Once in their dorm room, Harry tore the wrapping off. Then he and Ron stepped back, exhaling in wonder at the sight that met their eyes. Even Harry, who knew nothing about different types of brooms, could tell that this one was special indeed.
The handle was smooth, well polished wood, gleaming from the tip of the grip to the perfectly formed sleek golden bristles. The grip was perfectly shaped, as was the tail. The words 'Nimbus Two Thousand' were embossed in gold letters on the handle. It looked wonderful, and Harry could hardly wait to try it out. Ron was nearly breathless with a combination of excitement and envy.
All too soon, it was time for class. Hermione gave them a sharp look when they came down, but they ignored her.
The day seemed to go by impossibly slow. Harry's thoughts kept straying to the Nimbus, lying under his bed. He itched to take it out, to try it out, to be in the sky. It was a physical effort to keep his mind on his classes, and he found himself doodling broomsticks instead of taking notes in History of Magic.
Finally, it was over. Harry bolted through his dinner as fast as he could manage without choking, then raced upstairs to grab his broom. Wood had told him to meet him at the Pitch, and Harry wasted no time in getting into the stadium, and up into the air.
It was wonderful. The Nimbus seemed to accelerate at the lightest touch, and turn on the gentlest command. Harry did a few laps around the stadium, then went into a series of loops and spins, just for the sheer joy of flying.
"Oi, Potter! Come down!" Harry looked down through the dusk to see Wood standing on the grass, watching him. He darted down, increasing his speed just for the joy of it, then pulled up two feet off the ground and jumped off, breathless with exhilaration.
Wood's eyes gleamed with excitement as Harry approached him. "Not bad. McGonagall was right, you certainly are a natural." He studied Harry's new broom. "Nimbus Two Thousand. Perfect. With a broom like that, and your talents, you'll be unbeatable in the air." He grinned, then pulled a bag of practice balls out of his pocket. "Let's see what you've really got then, Potter."
They spent the next hour-and-a-half up in the air. First, Wood had him chase balls, thrown in every which direction, sometimes more than one at once. Then he had Harry pursue balls enchanted to fly away, while he himself tried to get into Harry's way. Wood was an excellent flier, but his broom wasn't nearly as good as Harry's, and in no time at all, Harry was flying rings around the Keeper. After that, Wood had Harry chase the balls while trying to avoid both him and a lone Bludger. That was harder, as the Bludger was faster in the air than Wood and much harder to see at night, but Harry managed. By the end of the night, he was tired but happy, and he hadn't missed a single ball.
Wood was grinning madly as they trooped back up towards the Castle. Even the bruise he'd got from the Bludger while trying to catch it didn't seem to bother him. "The Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year for sure. Absolutely for sure." He clapped Harry on the back, with enough force to send him stumbling. "You've got the talent, Potter. Keep training, and you'll be better than Charlie Weasley, and he was good enough to play for England, if he hadn't got interested in dragons."
Ron was waiting, breathless and all but bouncing, when Harry returned to the dorms. Harry told him as much as he could, then fell exhausted into bed.
The next two days passed in a blur of classes, homework, and Quidditch. Wood had been informed that theirs would be the first match, the second week of November, and against Slytherin. With that in mind, he'd insisted on longer practices. Between that and his homework, Harry barely had time to meet with Draco, or to think about anything else.
Then, on Thursday, Harry woke to the smell of baking pumpkin, and the excited chatter of his dorm mates. It took him a moment to work out what was going on, but when he did, he felt as excited as the rest of them.
It was Halloween. It was a bit odd, thinking that he'd been at Hogwarts for two months. He felt as if he'd spent no time there at all, and also, curiously, as if he'd lived there forever. Indeed, Hogwarts was more home to him than the Dursley residence had ever been.
Ron spent their trip to breakfast describing the Feast. "Loads of sweets, every kind imaginable according to the twins. And they say the decorations are absolutely spectacular. And it changes every year. I asked Percy, but he won't tell me what they are this year, but they're sure to be brilliant. And everyone says the Halloween Feast is even better than the Welcoming Feast." He was grinning, and Harry found himself grinning back, and getting excited as well.
The Welcoming Feast had been fantastic, more food than he'd ever seen in his life. It was hard to imagine a bigger or better feast, and Harry found himself looking forward to it.
The day got even better when they got to Charms class. Professor Flitwick announced that they were finally ready to attempt the spell to make objects fly. They'd all be dying to try it, ever since he'd made Neville's toad fly around the room. The Professor sorted them into pairs to practice. Harry found himself partnered with Seamus Finnegan (a half-blood Gryffindor from Ireland with a penchant for alcohol and explosions). Ron was paired with Hermione Granger.
Hermione hadn't spoken to them since the incident involving their late arrival in Gryffindor. Looking at the two of them, it was hard to tell which of them, Hermione or Ron, looked more put out by the assignment.
"Now then..." Professor Flitwick moved to the center of the classroom after handing out a feather to each pair. "Remember the wand movements, the 'swish and flick'. And don't forget to enunciate clearly. Never forget the fate of the wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and wound up on the floor with a buffalo on his chest." He waved at them. "Well, go on! Let's see what you can do!"
Making objects fly turned out to be harder than it looked. No matter how clearly Harry enunciated, or how hard he focused on the 'swish and flick' his feather just lay there. It didn't even twitch. Seamus got so fed up that he prodded the feather with his wand and accidentally set it on fire. Harry had to put it out, then ask the professor for a new feather.
Ron, a few desks over, wasn't having any better luck. "Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!" His arms were waving agitation. There wasn't much swishing either.
"You're saying it all wrong!" Hermione snapped at him. "It's Wing-gar-dium Lev-i-o-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long, and you have to enunciate the 'o' in 'Leviosa' properly."
Ron sat with a huff. "You do it then, if you're so clever."
Harry, by this time, had turned to watch. Hermione glared at Ron, then pushed back the sleeves of her robe and pointed her wand at the feather. "Wingardium Leviosa!" As she spoke, her wrist twisted in a neat, controlled 'swish and flick'.
The feather shivered, then rose off the desk to hover some four feet above their heads.
"Oh, look! She's done it! Miss Granger's done it! Look here!" Flitwick was practically chirping in excitement. "Well done, Miss Granger! Ten points for Gryffindor!"
Ron was in a very bad mood when class let out. He was grumbling as he and Harry pushed their way through the crowded corridors. "Honestly. She's a nightmare. It's no wonder no one can stand her."
Someone bumped hard into Harry from behind, shoving him sideways. Harry looked up to see Hermione's tear streaked face as she pushed past him, head down as she hurried away. He winced. "I think she heard you, mate."
Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Well, she must have noticed she's got no friends." Harry had to agree, but he couldn't help feeling just a little bit awkward, and perhaps ashamed.
The feeling didn't lessen over the day. Hermione didn't show up for lunch, or for afternoon classes. Harry and Ron overheard Lavender telling Parvati that Hermione had been crying in the girls bathroom and wanted to be left alone. That made Harry and Ron feel even more uncomfortable. But there wasn't much they could do about it, so the two of them went down to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast with the others.
The Hall looked fantastic. Live bats fluttered from the walls and the ceiling. Huge pumpkins done up as Jack-o'-lanterns floated above the tables, lit from within by candles that fluttered eerily when the bats swooped by. The table was set with golden plates, on which food appeared, filling the tables nearly to bursting. There was every kind of delicious thing one could eat for dinner, and mountains of sweets besides, along with pitchers of pumpkin juice and apple cider.
Harry had just reached across for a potato when the doors to the Hall were flung open and Quirrell came rushing in, face white and turban askew, shaking like a leaf. "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL!" He stopped, trembling where he stood. "Thought you ought to know." And then he collapsed in a faint.
There was immediate pandemonium in the Hall. People screamed, benches were overturned, food and plates and cups alike dropped. It would have been complete chaos if Professor Dumbledore had not stood up, shot off a number of purple firecrackers with a blast like a cannon shot, and roared for silence. Even then, it took several minutes before they all settled down.
Dumbledore wasted no time. "Prefects, please lead your Houses to their dormitories immediately. Teachers, please accompany me."
Percy took charge at once. "First years! First years, with me please! Stay close! Stick together! Come with me please!" He started herding the lot of them out of the hall and up the stairs.
Harry had just reached the first landing when a horrible thought struck him. He grabbed Ron's sleeve. "Ron. Hermione!"
Ron blinked. "What about her?"
"She doesn't know about the troll!" Harry ducked down behind a statue. "We've got to find her and warn her."
"But..." Ron bit his lip, then nodded sharply. "All right. But Percy had better not catch us."
Another group of students was headed the other way. Harry and Ron ducked into the group, who appeared too concerned with getting to safety to notice them, then dodged out at the nearest convenient hallway. Harry hoped Hermione was in the first floor girls lavatory, because otherwise he hadn't a clue where to look.
The sound of footsteps startled him. He and Ron dashed behind a convenient suit of armor, expecting Percy to come bearing down on them.
It wasn't Percy. It was Snape. He crossed the hall with quick strides and headed up the stairs at the far end. Harry watched him go, brows wrinkled. "Why isn't he with the other teachers?"
"Who cares." Ron shook his head. "Let's just find Hermione and get to the tower, before one of the teachers finds us."
Harry nodded. He had just darted out from behind the armor when a hand closed on his elbow and he spun around. "Malfoy!" He lowered his wand. "What are you doing here?"
"I ought to ask you the same thing." Draco looked pale. "Professor Snape had us go to a spare classroom, since the Slytherin Common Room is down in the dungeons. But I saw you when you joined us. I'd have thought you'd be in Gryffindor Tower by now, and I'd like to know why you're hanging about here." he glanced down the darkened hallway.
Harry grimaced. "It's...Hermione Granger. She wasn't at dinner. She was...upset, and she went to the girls lavatory. But she doesn't know about the troll."
Draco grimaced. Then he seemed to steel himself. "All right. I'll come with you, I suppose."
Ron made a face. "Why would you?"
Draco offered him a faint sneer. "Granger might be muggle-born, but she's smart. Rescuing her might be worth a favor, and a Slytherin never passes up an opportunity for something like that."
Ron sneered back. "And we'd let you, why?"
"Because if you don't, I'll go back in and tell the Slytherin Prefects that I saw you out here, sneaking around." Draco smirked.
Harry sighed. "We don't have time for this. Let's just go." He jerked his head towards the central corridor that led to the girls lavatory. The other two nodded and followed him.
They were just about to the corridor when a smell assaulted them. A horrible, rotten odor, like an uncleaned public lavatory, or a disposal yard, seemed to waft towards them. Harry and Draco both gagged. Then Ron pulled them back, just as a huge shape lumbered into sight around the corner of the hallway.
The troll seemed to have left the dungeon. Harry stared at it in horrified fascination.
It was huge, twelve feet tall at least. It's skin was gray and warty, giving it the appearance of a horribly misshapen boulder, perched on stubby, tree-trunk like legs. It's hairless head perched on top of lumpy shoulders like a badly formed coconut, with deep-set, dull, vicious eyes and ears that stuck out. It was clothed only in trousers and vest, and carrying a club, which dragged on the ground because it's arms were long. The feet were flat wide, and knobbly. It paused at the first door, looking around with it's flat, stupid gaze, then slouched into the room.
Harry traded quick looks with the other two. "It's inside. We could lock it in..."
Ron and Draco nodded. The three of them edged forward, then took a great running leap at the door, slamming it hard and twisting the key frantically in the lock. Harry wrenched the key free, sharing a wild grin with the other two as they darted back down the hall.
They hadn't gotten more than a few steps when they heard it. A high, shrill scream of terror.
They'd locked the troll in the girl's lavatory.
Hermione was still there.
None of them wanted to turn back, but Harry spun anyway. "We've got to get her out of there!" He swallowed hard. "Draco, go find a teacher. Anyone will do. We'll...we'll try to get Hermione out."
Draco nodded and darted away. Harry and Ron pelted back to the door, wrenching it open and sprinting inside.
Hermione had her back against the far wall, wide eyed and screaming shrilly with terror. The troll was stumping toward her, knocking sinks off the wall as it passed.
"Distract it!" Harry ducked, seized a chunk of stone, and hurled it at the troll's head. "Oi!" he threw another chunk at the wall, to hit the pipes with ringing clang.
The troll stopped and turned toward him instead. Just then, Ron threw a chunk of pipe at it. "Hey, peabrain!" The pipe didn't seem to bother the troll at all, but the shout got it's attention. It turned toward Ron.
Harry darted away, toward Hermione, and threw another chunk of masonry at the wall. He seized a tap and threw it as well, just as Ron threw another length of pipe, both of them shouting at the top of their lungs.
The shouts seemed to drive the troll mad. It growled and raised it's club, then turned toward Ron, who was the closest and had accidentally moved too far from the door.
"Hermione..." Hermione hadn't moved, despite Harry's efforts to drag her from her corner. She remained pressed flat against the wall, eyes wide with horror.
The troll cornered Ron and raised it's club high.
Harry did the first thing he could think of. It was brave, and it was stupid, but it was all he could think to do to keep Ron from being smashed flat. He took a great, running leap and jumped on to the troll's back, wrapping his arms around it's bulging head and hanging on for dear life.
The troll might not have noticed Harry's weight at all. But Harry's wand was in his hand when he jumped, and in his desperate grab for purchase, he managed to ram it right up the troll's right nostril. And that, the troll certainly did notice. It roared with pain and flailed back, trying to dislodge Harry and the wand.
Harry hung on hard, terrified that any second he would be snatched off, or the troll would manage to hit him with that club. He didn't think the troll would notice it so much, but he knew he would. He clung tighter. "Ron! Do something!"
Ron clambered forward, raised his wand, and shouted a spell. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The spell struck the troll's club. It wrenched itself from the warty hand, lifted slowly into the air. Then, before their eyes, just as the troll turned its stupid gaze towards it's now empty paw, the club turned over and fell, directly on it's owners head with a crack. The troll wobbled, then crashed to the ground with a thump that shook the floor.
Harry stumbled upright, shaky and panting. Hermione finally managed to stagger a few steps from her corner. "Is it...is it...dead?"
Harry grimaced as he bent to retrieve his wand. "No. I think it's just knocked out." The end of his wand was covered in a thick, lumpy gray substance. Harry grimaced. "Troll bogies." he wiped it clean on the troll's vest.
Anything else they might have done was interrupted by running footsteps. Moments later, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Draco came pelting into the room. Quirrell appeared moments later. He spotted the troll, gave a faint yelp, and sat down hard on the only intact toilet in the room, one hand pressed over his heart.
Professor Snape gestured for Draco to stay back, while he bent over the troll. McGonagall advanced on them, face pale and lips compressed in an angry line. "What exactly is the meaning of this?"
Harry froze. He had been hoping for points, possibly, but now he only hoped he'd get out without trouble. "Err..."
"Please...Professor. They came looking for me." Hermione stepped forward. "I...I..."
"If I may…?" Snape straightened up, looking at them coolly. "When Mr. Malfoy came to me, he said he saw Potter and Weasley coming this way and overheard them speaking. He was under the impression that Miss Granger was...perhaps uninformed, as to the events taking place within the Castle?" He raised one dark eyebrow.
"Err...yeah. Umm..." Ron gulped.
Harry spoke as quickly as he could. "We heard Hermione tell Lavender that she needed to use the loo, just before Professor Quirrell came in. Said she wasn't feeling well, or something. We didn't know if Professor Quirrell had a chance to warn her."
"And why did you not inform a Prefect?" McGonagall's nostrils flared, and Harry winced.
"Well, we thought the troll was in the dungeon...and that we'd be able to...to get her out before anything happened." Ron flushed and clamped his mouth shut.
Harry screwed up his courage. "We did ask Malfoy to go for a teacher when he caught us. But..."
"But there wasn't time for them to go get anyone, because the troll had come in here and cornered me. It was about to finish me off when Harry and Ron showed up and distracted it. And then Harry got it's attention and Ron bashed it with it's own club. But...I'd be dead if they hadn't come for me." Hermione swallowed hard.
"It is true that Mr. Malfoy was seeking a teacher when I encountered him." Professor Snape interjected the words. He sounded faintly disbelieving. "Although, I find it hard to imagine that Potter and Weasley asked for such assistance..."
"Be that as it may, you three are extraordinarily lucky to be alive!" McGonagall glared at them. "I hope realize how fortunate you are. Not many first years would have survived such an encounter." She glared at them. "Five points, for failing to inform your teacher or your prefect that a classmate was missing." Harry and Ron winced.
She turned to Draco. "Ten points, Mr. Malfoy, for doing what your classmates should have done, and finding a Professor. As for you three..." She turned back to glare at them. "Five points...shall be awarded to each of you...for sheer dumb luck!" She stepped aside. "Now then, up to the Tower. The Houses are finishing the Feast in their Common Rooms. And if I hear of any detours..." She fixed them with a stern glare. "I shall remove twice the number of points from each of you!"
They didn't wait to be told twice. Harry followed Ron and Hermione as they scrambled out the door and away up the stairs.
None of them said anything until they reached the landing outside the Fat Lady. Then they paused. Harry cleared his throat to say something, but Hermione beat him to it. "Thank you. For rescuing me."
"Err...You're welcome. Thanks for..." Harry coughed nervously. "Thanks for not telling about...about before. Why you were in the lavatory." Beside him, Ron blushed and looked down.
"Yeah. Err...thanks for that. And...for the spell. Bloody lucky it was that I got it to work right then. But I wouldn't have, if it wasn't for you." Ron mumbled the words at his shoes. Then he looked up. "Pax and all?"
Hermione smiled. It was a very friendly smile, and it made quite a difference in her face. "Pax then." She turned and gave the password (pig snout) and the three of them trooped into the Tower.
The Common Room was crowded and noisy, with everyone helping themselves to the food and drink that had been sent up. The three of them exchanged shy glances, then moved toward a table. Somehow, they wound up sitting together, and Harry found that he didn't mind at all.
In fact, it rather felt like Hermione Granger had become a friend. But then, he supposed that it was quite reasonable. After all, they'd just knocked out a mountain troll together. Being friends seemed only natural after that.
***FWBtD***
Severus cursed as he limped up the dungeon corridor. With the troll disposed of, the Slytherins had been sent to their Common Room, with one exception. He'd seen them safely there. Now he needed to get to his office.
His leg hurt, and the blood was cold and sticky where it coated his calf, his ankle and his foot, seeping through his shredded trousers and his boots.
Damn Hagrid and his bloody three-headed dog. And damn himself for forgetting that one needed music to keep the thing quiet. He'd gone to the third floor corridor, suspecting the troll was a diversion. After all, Quirrell had made a specialty of fighting trolls, as part of his training for Defense. He had a knack for it, and therefore for controlling the beasts. And it was far too convenient that Quirinus had been left in the Great Hall to recover from his faint, while the rest of the Professors rushed off to the dungeons.
He'd had to see to his Slytherins before he could leave. Sending them into a possibly troll infested dungeon was the height of stupidity, and he'd had to make certain they were safe before he left. That had taken precious time.
He'd been afraid that Quirrell would get there before he did, and had been preoccupied enough that he hadn't bothered to set a music spell before he'd thrown the door open and dodged inside. That had proved a mistake. The dog had been awake, and quite unhappy at being disturbed. He'd dodged two heads and almost made the door when the third had snapped at him and gashed his leg. He'd managed to get away and lock the door behind him, but the bite hurt. He was just lucky it hadn't gotten it's teeth set properly. It might have taken his leg off otherwise.
The worst of it was that he'd encountered Quirrell on the second floor on his way back. He'd managed to intercept the man and turn him aside, but it grated that he'd wound up getting mauled for nothing.
He hurt, he was frustrated, he was worried, and he was tired. And the night still wasn't over yet.
He set his face into an impassive expression, then entered his office.
Draco Malfoy was there, waiting nervously. He looked up at the sound of the door, then jumped to his feet. "Professor..."
"Sit down. You are not in trouble." Not much, at any rate. Severus limped to the chair on the other side of his desk. "What happened? The truth."
Draco nodded and resumed his seat. "Potter and Weasley joined us at the first staircase. I saw them turn out of the Gryffindor crowd, then duck out of our line and hide behind a statue."
He hadn't noticed that, too concerned about Quirrell. He cursed in his head. He'd have to recover his wits and his skills quickly, or there'd be hell to pay. Clearly, ten years of peace and quiet had dulled his wits. Still, he kept his face impassive. "And?"
"I followed them to see what they were up to. I caught up to them when they ducked down to hide from you."
They'd heard him coming. That was worse than he'd thought. He nodded for Draco to continue.
"I confronted them, and they said the Granger girl had been upset and never came to the Feast. That she was in the girl's lavatory and they were going to get her, because they thought she didn't know about the troll." Draco straightened. "We were about to go on when the troll appeared. We saw it go into a room, and Harry suggested we lock it inside. So we did. Only, we realized just after that we'd locked it in the girl's bathroom, with the Granger girl inside."
"Ah." That explained a great deal.
"Potter told me to go for a Professor, while he and Weasley tried to distract it. I'm not Gryffindor enough to go after a troll like that, so I did what Potter said. I told them I was helping so Granger would owe me a favor, and I told you I'd been spying on them so that if anyone else from our House overheard me, they'd think I was trying to get them in trouble."
"Very well. Return to the Common Room. And do not speak of this to anyone." Severus waved his hand to dismiss the boy.
Draco stayed where he was. "Professor..." He paused. "You're hurt, sir."
"A trifling wound. And one you will not mention to anyone." Severus glared at his godson. "There are things happening in this school that you would do well to keep yourself and your associates well away from."
"Like the dog on the third floor?" Draco spoke softly.
Damn the boy for paying attention at exactly the wrong moment. "Indeed. Like the dog. Which you should stay away from." He pulled his cloak away to reveal his shredded trousers, and Draco blanched. "I trust you will heed the warning, and pass it along."
"Yes sir." Draco stood, then turned and darted away when Severus waved a hand. Severus waved the office door shut behind him, then rose painfully and went in search of healing potions for his leg. He could have had Madam Pomfrey mend his wounds, of course, but his own potions would do just as well, and keep him out of the Matron's wrathful eye.
Author's Note: So...we have our Gryffindor Trio, plus one. And Lucius has been warned.
Next up...Quidditch...and some other things.