The end of October rolled around. Time, being rather constant, was difficult to stop. At least, completely or for any useful period of 'time.' Halloween was looming, and the school was starting to show signs of decorations. Illusory bats, at least everyone hoped they were illusions, twittered and darted along the halls. Skulls and skeletons decorated the odd corner or stand, often with candles set upon them or in empty sockets. The ghosts were in full swing, with several visiting spirits from numerous places around England. And Harry was becoming more depressed which Ron couldn't understand. After all, Halloween meant candy!
The truth of the day was driven through several people's rather thick skulls when Staros walked up to Harry during lunch and offered his condolences on this anniversary of the death of his parents. Ron started out with his typical patented 'Weasly glare of hatred' but quickly turned red with embarrassment when he realized that Harry had indeed lost his parents on Halloween and may not wish to celebrate it for that reason. Hermione and Neville were sympathetic, offering to help Harry with anything he wanted or to listen if he needed to talk, a welcome change since Hermione had been avoiding Harry and Ron after finding out about Harry's 'rule exception,' namely his broom. Harry thanked everyone and promised to try and be more chipper and not drag everyone else down with his sorrow. This of course, was immediately met with protests that he had no reason to be 'happy' just for them. Staros left Harry and Hermione arguing about precedence of feelings and Ron trying to get Hermione to leave them alone.
Later that day, Staros was on his way to the library when Hermione rushed past him crying. Curious, he followed to ask what was wrong, but she had disappeared around a corner and by the time he rounded it, she had either gone further or ducked into the girls' bathroom, neither prospect made him want to continue looking. Shrugging it off as a girl thing, he went back to the library to study up on the rather evil transfiguration topics assigned that week.
Dinner that night was spectacular. Numerous of the Halloween dinner traditions were observed, the main treat being a variety of pumpkin pies. Various kinds of candy were in small dishes set every so often on each table as well. Staros had long known that wizard candy was nothing like mundane candy. After all, with magic, you could change anything's flavor to whatever you want thus making candy delicious, but also healthy, containing a variety of vitamins and minerals that were often lacking in most people's diets and one of the secrets to magicals having somewhat longer effective lifespans than mundanes. Of course, this still didn't explain their horrible dental work.
Everyone was enjoying their meal, with even the Slytherins talking and acting more animatedly than usual, when suddenly Professor Quirrell burst through the main door, ran across the room and up to the staff table.
"T… tr… troll… t… troll in… the dungeons… thought you ought to know," was easily heard in the sudden silence, right before the man collapsed in a boneless heap. Pandemonium ensued.
A long BANG! shut everyone up as they all looked to Professor Dumbledore who put his wand back in his sleeve.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately! Professors, with me. We'll search the castle and remove this intruder."
The prefects jumped into action, calling out to their assigned year groups as they had at the start of term. As everyone gathered together, Blaise wondered aloud how a troll could get into the heavily warded castle. Tracey said that trolls were often stupid enough to bypass wards through shear stubbornness. Many other students speculated that it was Peeves. Suddenly, Staros realized something.
"Um, Gemma," he said to their prefect.
"Yes?"
"Aren't our dorms in the dungeon where the troll was spotted?"
"Shit! Kid's right. Where's Professor Snape? We need an alternate safe spot." She began looking for their head of house, nowhere to be found and assumed to have headed off with the other professors with Dumbledore.
"We'll go to the library," said Fitzroy, taking charge of the whole house. "And someone go remind the 'Puffs that their dorms are down there too."
Staros said he'd let them know and ran off towards the 'Puff prefect he caught sight of. He was pretty sure Fitzroy was not acting out of any compassion or kindness but more likely wanted to have the 'Puffs indebted to him. He was a true Slytherin, taking advantage of any opportunity.
After telling the 'Puff prefect and mentioning that the Slytherins were going to the library to secure themselves, Staros ran into Harry and Ron arguing while making his way back to his own house.
"Damnit, Ron, we need to go tell her!" Harry was saying.
"Tell a prefect," countered Ron, looking quite annoyed. "She's probably nowhere near the dungeons anyway and I don't want to run into that troll!"
"Say what? Harry? Ron? What are you two on about?" asked Staros.
"Hermione! We haven't seen her all day and she wasn't here for dinner! She doesn't know about the troll!" Harry explained. "We need to find her and get her back to the dorms!"
"I'm not going!" declared Ron. "And leave me out of this!"
"It's your fault she's not here!"
"Woah! Slow down! Ron's fault? What… no, never mind. Harry, you can explain later. Let's go find Hermione. I think I know where she might be. I passed her earlier today." Staros and Harry split off from the other students unnoticed. Ron went with the other Gryffindors but looked back frequently until he couldn't see them anymore.
Staros led Harry down to the corridor he'd lost Hermione in. "There's a girls' bathroom down here. If she's upset, she might have gone in there. It's a girl thing."
"Parvati and Lavender said she was in the loo crying. So this must be it," said Harry.
As they approached the bathroom door, Staros suddenly sniffed, loudly.
"What is that horrible smell? I hope it's not from Hermione. Gods, that reeks."
Then they heard it. A low shuffling thump from behind them. Turning, they saw the most hideous creature come around the corner. The smell, like some cross between a high school gym locker and a public toilet, neither of which had ever been cleaned, got terribly strong as both boys stared in horror at the lumbering sight before them.