The first day and week were confusing for Halley. There were one hundred and forty two moving staircases that you could easily get lost on. The pictures moved and some didn't help at all.
Halley asked Hermione to help. Hermione was just slightly less lost than everyone else, so Halley stuck with her.
"Potions with the Slytherins," Hermione said on Friday. "Down in the dungeons."
"Dungeons?" Halley said, pausing on a step on the staircase downward and almost going to the wrong staircase.
"That's where the potions class is, with Professor Snape," Hermione explained. "He's the—watch your step—head of the Slytherin house. C'mon Halley, we'll be late."
They finally reached the dungeons and took their seats. The professor called roll and gave the class a talking to. Then he basically started picking on Harry Potter.
"Potter!" Professor Snape said suddenly, "what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Confusion read clear on Harry Potter's face. Hermione raised her hand, which Professor Snape obviously ignored. Harry Potter said that he didn't know, and Halley could tell Professor Snape was about to make some remark, so she intervened.
"Sorry to interrupt, Professor Snape, but I know the answer as well does Hermione, but I'll tell you," Halley said, "if you're so keen on knowing. If you added those to each other, along with maybe another ingredient or two, you'd get the Draught of Living Death. It's a really powerful sleeping potion."
Silence.
Professor Snape looked like he was annoyed with her. "I did not ask you, Starr, I asked Potter. Two points from Gryffindor, one for interrupting and one for being smart with me."
Halley turned red. Just to annoy him, when Professor Snape demanded Harry Potter that if he told him to find a bezoar where would he look, Halley answered that as well.
"A bezoar is a stone from the stomach of a goat so I'm guessing, by chance, in a goat?" Halley said.
Professor Snape narrowed his eyes and took off another two points. He let Harry Potter off the hook for that day but Halley had a feeling next time he wouldn't.
Halloween came. Classes went on as usual, with Hermione getting just about everything right.
Halley and Hermione were walking in the corridors when they overheard Ron and Harry Potter talking.
"It's no wonder no one can stand her!" Ron was saying. "She's a nightmare, honestly."
Hermione blinked and suddenly tears ran down her face. She quickened her pace, bumping into Ron and Harry Potter as she walked off.
"I think she heard you," Harry Potter said.
Looking rather uncomfortable, Ron said, "So?"
"So?" Halley finally spoke up, stopping the two boys, standing in front of them. "So you hurt her feelings you jerk!" Halley slapped Ron, then stomped off, not looking at Ron's shocked face.
The next class Hermione wasn't there. Not in the next class either.
"Hey Parvati, where's Hermione?" Halley heard Lavender ask. She turned to them to listen.
"She's in the bathroom," Parvati said. "She's been crying thee all day. I tried to ask what was wrong, but she just wanted to be alone."
Halley bit her lip and tried to concentrate on the lesson.
Dinner in the Great Hall soon came. Everyone was fine and happy. Until Professor Quirrell came, sprinting to the teacher table. "Troll—in the dungeons—thought you ought to know," he said. Then fainted.
Everybody started freaking out. Halley had to warn Hermione, she had to. While everyone was busy freaking out, Halley went to find Hermione.
Halley found her in the bathroom after calling her name.
"Hermione!" Halley said. "There's a troll in the dungeons, Hermione, we need to get you to the common room right away!"
Hermione was wiping her eyes and they widened. She pointed to behind Halley. Halley looked over her shoulder and gulped.
It was the troll.
"We're dead," Hermione said sullenly.
"Where's that Gryffindor bravery, Hermione?" Halley asked, brandishing her wand. She ran through spells in her head.
The troll swung its club at the two girls, and Hermione shrieked, going under the sinks. The troll had broken a few stalls. It then turned its attention to the shrieking girl under the sink, and clubbed the sink. Luckily, Hermione was able to move, just in time.
"Expelliarmus!" Halley finally remembered, pointing her wand at the troll, the club flying out of its hand and over a stall, hitting the wall. "Hermione, get out from under the sink!" Halley grabbed a nearby piece of wood to throw at the troll, to confuse it.
Hermione crawled from under the sink and stood next to Halley, gripping her wand tightly. The duo looked around wildly for anything that could help them.
"What was that one spell? Confundus?" Halley said.
"Confundo!" Hermione recited, pointing her wand at the troll. they edged their way to the door as the troll was thoroughly confused. It wouldn't last for long, Halley knew.
Halley was right. After a few moments, the troll tried attacking again, with its hands.
"Stupefy!" Halley said, pointing her wand at the troll, hoping that would do the trick. "Stupefy! Stupefy!"
The troll blinked stupidly.
Hermione joined in, yelling "Stupefy," and pointing her wand at the troll.
Finally, after two minutes, the troll blinked a few times and teetered and tottered. Halley and Hermione watched carefully.
In the end, the troll fell backwards onto the stalls, making an even bigger noise and mess. Wood was everywhere, as were the remains of the sinks.
Hermione and Halley glanced at each other. "Let's get out of here," Halley said, and Hermione agreed, following Halley to the Gryffindor common room.