Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter only Leo and Fawn
"Chapter 10 Halloween," Snape read.
Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry, Ron and Leo were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.
"Like my son would get caught!" James said smugly.
Indeed, by the next morning Harry, Ron and Leo thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one, Leo especially if they all involved creatures.
"I'm happy that a lot of our adventures include creatures," Leo whispered to Harry.
"I'm not," Harry whispered back thinking about the number of times they had all almost died from different creatures throughout the years, especially the dragons from fourth year.
In the meantime, Harry filled Ron and Leo in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.
"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.
"Or both," said Leo. "Maybe it's a kind of stone."
Lily gasped before clapping a hand over her mouth when everyone looked at her curiously.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
"Do you know what it is?" Andromeda asked shocked that Lily already had an idea about what could be guarded.
Lily nodded but didn't say anything, only stared at the book intensely.
"Wait! No!" Remus gasped, thinking the same thing Lily was.
"What? What is it Moony?" Sirius asked.
"What's this book called?" said Remus.
"Harry Potter and the- Oh!" said James.
"They're hiding the Philosophers Stone in the school?" Regulus asked.
"That was fast," said Ron, looking at everyone shocked that it only took a few chapters of them being at Hogwarts for them to work out what Hogwarts was guarding.
"You'll find out why it's Hogwarts later in the book," said Hermione, gesturing for Snape to continuing reading.
But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.
Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.
"How could you not want to see him again? He is adorable!" Leo said feeling offended on Fluffy's behalf.
"He's a good boy," Hagrid agreed.
Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she did speak to Leo, but only about school work, but she had been such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.
"What happened that made you four friends? You all seem to dislike each other," Remus asked.
"It will explain that this chapter," said Hermione, Ron's arm thrown over her shoulder.
All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.
As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six larger screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazing when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.
"Is that what I think it is?" James asked excitedly.
"What do you think it is?" said Lily.
"It's a broomstick, isn't it? You're first broomstick!" James squealed.
"Who knows?" Harry shrugged.
Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:
DO NO OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TALBE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everyone knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight at the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor McGonagall.
"Minnie!" James gasped a little teary eyed. "You got my son his first broomstick! Thank you so much!"
"The boy would need a broomstick for Quidditch, that's all, Mr Potter," said Professor McGonagall with a small smile.
Harry and Leo grinned at each other; they knew that Professor McGonagall cared about Harry more than she would say.
Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron for, he and Leo to read.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."
They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.
"That's a broomstick," he said,
"Like is wasn't obvious from the packaging," Leo said sarcastically.
-throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."
"Unless your actually good at Quidditch," said Ron making everyone chuckle.
Ron couldn't resist it.
"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."
"Little brat! Jealous of someone else so you go to bring other people down!" Fawn scowled.
"I'm sorry," Narcissa apologised to Ron who was quick to wave it away, they were in the past to change everything so not a lot of the petty things mattered anymore.
"At least Ron isn't a spoiled little prat," Leo sneered.
"You tell him, Leo!" Sirius cheered.
Before Malfoy could say anything back, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.
"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the looked of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.
James and Sirius laughed as they high fived Harry and patted him on the back before going back to their seats feeling proud.
Harry, Ron, and Leo headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "We'll, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team…"
"So, I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.
"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."
"You two were so rude to her!" Andromeda said shocked because the four were so close now.
"Yeah, we were pretty big jerks back then," Ron admitted. "We apologized later on."
"I forgave them, I was a bit uptight sometimes as well," said Hermione.
"I never had a problem with Hermione," said Leo smugly.
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.
"You know, she's not that bad," said Leo frowning at the two boys, but he was ignored.
"You two should have listened to Leo, maybe then you would have become friends earlier," said Fawn.
Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night. He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was easting, and then rushed upstairs with Ron and Leo to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.
"I would it to be known that I was dragged away from my dinner that night," said Leo.
"That was because you were eating too slowly," said Ron.
"Excuse me for having stomach problems," said Leo with his nose in the air as Ron grinned and rolled his eyes.
"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread. Leo who wasn't the most interested in Quidditch was even impressed by the broom.
"How can you not be interested in Quidditch?" Sirius asked his future son.
"If the players were riding hippogriffs or dragons then it would get my attention," Leo shrugged.
Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.
"That sounds like the most beautiful broom ever!" James whispered in awe, ignoring Snapes snort of distain.
As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. He'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They remined Harry of the little plastic sticks' muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.
"Muggle children blow bubbles through hooped sticks?" Narcissa asked a little sceptical.
"They do," said Lilly, "I used to love to blow bubbles when I was a kid."
Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling- he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.
"You're a natural!" James said proudly.
"Hey, Potter, come down!"
Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.
"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting.
"Oh no! He's another James!" Sirius said with horror.
"I'm not that bad!" said James, feeling offended.
"You wake us up before dawn for practice. Every. Weekend!" said Sirius.
"So, we can be at our best during our matches!" James rolled his eyes.
"You two are not getting into this right now!" said Remus.
"I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."
He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.
"Is he going to explain Quidditch?" Regulus asked with a groan.
"What's wrong with that?" Sirius asked his brother.
"It's just that we all know what the rules and positions for Quidditch are," said Regulus.
"That is true," said Lily. "Maybe everyone to keep quiet while we read this bit?"
Everyone mumbled their agreement, James and Sirius were reluctant but they understood that not everyone needs to be reminded about what Quidditch entails.
"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."
James smirked at Sirius when his position was mentioned.
"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.
"This ball's called a Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"
"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So- that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, but what's basketball?" Narcissa asked sheepishly.
"It's a muggle sport where you have to throw a ball through a hoop with a net," Lily explained quickly.
"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously.
"Never mind," said Harry quickly.
"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper- I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."
Sirius smirked, he loved to play Keeper.
"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So, what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.
"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."
He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.
"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," said Wood. "These two are the Bludgers."
He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.
"Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.
At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air- it zoomed around their heads and then shot at wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.
"You'd make a decent Beater, Harry," James leaned over and whispered to his son.
"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to know players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team- the Weasley twins are ours- it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So- think you've got all that?"
"Three Chaser try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.
"Very good," said Wood.
"Er- have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.
"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers unless they crack your head open. Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers- I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."
Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.
"I stole one of the Snitch's after a game," James whispered to Lily, grinning at her exasperated face.
"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages- I think the record is three months, they had to keep brining on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. Well, that's it- any questions?"
Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.
"We can talk again, right?" Sirius asked.
"You can talk again, Mr Black," said Professor McGonagall with a fond smile.
"Thank Merlin," Sirius said dramatically before turning to Harry, "You'll be fine."
Harry grinned at his godfather, happy for the support.
"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."
He pulled a bag of ordinary gold balls out of his pocket
"That's what I use when someone new wants to try out for Seeker," said James.
-and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.
Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.
"I'm so proud!" James gushed.
"I've very proud of you, as well, Harry," said Lily with a smile.
"That Quidditch cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."
"Chasing dragons is better," said Leo, grinning mischievously at James's, Sirius's, and Regulus's horrified expressions.
Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.
"Anywhere would feel more like home then that place," Andromeda said.
"At least you're getting into the more fun side of magic now," said Fawn. "I never liked the theory side."
On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.
"Halloween and Christmas at Hogwarts are always so amazing! The food is always amazing!" said Peter.
Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seem him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.
"I loved that lesson!" said Lily.
"You were the only one who was able to make your feather fly, weren't you, Lily?" Fawn asked, she was partnered with Lily in Charms in their first year.
Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief because Neville had been trying to catch his eye).
"In my defence, Neville was very accident prone!" Harry said before anyone could say anything.
Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived. Leo was partnered up with Dean Thomas and was already joking around with him.
"You should have been focusing on the lesson," said Fawn.
"We were, just not at that moment," Leo shrugged.
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
"Did that actually happen or was he just saying that?" Peter asked.
"It really did happen," said Professor McGonagall.
It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got too impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it- Harry had to put it out with his hat.
Everyone let out a laugh as a picture of Harry frantically trying to the on-fire feather out appeared on the screen. You could see Leo in the background throwing his head back laughing.
"We you laughing at me or someone Dean said?" Harry asked.
"You," smirked Leo.
Leo and Dean didn't seem to be having much luck either but they seemed to have made it a game.
"What game did you make?" Sirius asked
"Every attempt that failed you add a piece to something we were drawing. It came out as a monster with three horns, one eye and five legs," said Leo.
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.
"You're going to take someone eye out by doing that," Lily said shocked.
"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snaped. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."
"At least Hermione's there to help you," said Remus.
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
Everyone clapped for Hermione making her blush brightly. Ron grinned at his girlfriend, proud of her even if he was jealous back when he was eleven.
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry and Leo as they pushed their way into a crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
"I'm sorry, I was really mad," said Ron.
"I forgave you years ago," said Hermione with a smile.
"Ron, she was trying to help you, stop being a git and get over it!" snapped Leo, having enough of Ron bagging on Hermione so much.
"I just realised, we never fight unless it's about Hermione," said Ron giving Leo a weird look.
"I'm over protective," Leo shrugged.
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face- and was startled to see that she was in tears.
"I think she heard you."
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable.
"As you should be!" said Lily.
"She must've noticed she's got no friends. And, Leo, why do you keep sticking up for her? It's not like you two are friends."
"Actually Ron, I would say we're friends," said Leo frowning before he took off running after Hermione.
"Good boy," said Fawn, happy that her son was taking care of his friends.
Hermione and Leo didn't turn up for the next class and weren't seen all afternoon.
"That was my fault," said Leo sheepishly. "I was distracting 'Mione and we didn't realise the time."
On their way down the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overhead Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone, would only let Leo in. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.
"You shouldn't just forget someone you've upset so badly," scolded Lily.
Ron blushed in embarrassment and shame.
A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
"The Great Hall also looks amazing at Halloween!" said Fawn.
"I love the live bats," Andromeda admitted.
Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll- in the dungeons- thought you ought to know."
"How did a troll get in?" Remus asked shocked.
"Trolls are very stupid, it wouldn't have been able to get in on its own, someone must have helped it," said Regulus with a frown.
"Who would let a troll into Hogwarts?" Lily asked.
"I can think of some people," Snape snorted glaring at the Marauders.
"We wouldn't do something so stupid, Snivellus!" Sirius snapped but all Snape did was scoff, not believing the older Black brother.
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.
"He really is pathetic," said Regulus.
There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"
"Wait, the Slytherin common room is in the dungeons!" Narcissa gasped.
"I'm sure they will be fine," said Andromeda trying to reassure her sister.
Percy was in his element.
"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"
"Ugh, I really don't like him!" Sirius whined.
"Percy can be very uptight but he means well," said Ginny.
"How could a troll get it?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Don't asked me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."
"Even Peeves wouldn't do something so stupid and dangerous," said Professor McGonagall.
They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.
"I've just thought- Hermione and Leo."
"You only just remembered us?" Leo asked.
"Sorry, there were other things going on," Harry shrugged.
"What about them?"
"They don't know about the troll."
Ron bit his lip.
"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."
"You two should go and tell Percy and he'll go tell a teacher!" said Lily, worried that her son will be hurt.
"That would have taken too long," said Ron. "And we didn't think of that."
Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girl's bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.
"Percy!" hiss Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.
Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.
"Where are you going, Severus?" Regulus asked his friend.
"How would I know?" Snape asked.
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"
"Search me."
"Are you going after the stone?" James asked with a glare.
"Why would I need the stone?" Snape snapped.
"Dunno, nothing good, that's for sure," sneered James.
"That's enough!" Lily scolded.
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.
"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.
"So, you are after the stone!" Sirius smirked but Snape just rolled his eyes and ignored him.
"Can you smell something?"
Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.
"That's the lovely smell of troll," Remus grimaced.
And then they heard it- a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed- at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.
It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on the top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horned feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.
"I never liked trolls," said Fawn.
"Really? I thought you liked all creatures?" Sirius asked a little surprised.
"I am allowed to have my preferences," Fawn smiled.
"What other creatures don't you like?" Lily asked.
"I can't stand dementors," Fawn shivered just thinking of the horrid creatures.
The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered side. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.
"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."
"That's not a good idea," Leo snorted.
"Why?" Regulus asked.
"You'll see in a moment," said Leo.
"Good idea," said Ron nervously.
They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.
"Yes!"
James and Sirius cheered for Harry's small victory not seeing the winces on Harry and Ron's faces.
Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner, they heard something that made their hearts stop- a high, petrified scream- and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.
"Was that Hermione?" Lily asked concerned.
"I was," said Hermione.
"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.
"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.
"Hermione! Leo!" they said together.
"You locked your two best friends in a bathroom with a troll?" Remus asked stunned.
"We didn't mean to!" Ron defended.
"We didn't know they were in that bathroom, we weren't thinking," Harry admitted.
"We came out all right, though, that's the important thing," said Hermione trying to calm everyone down.
It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.
"At least you're going to save them," said Andromeda.
Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. Leo was standing in front of her, hiding her from the troll's eyesight with his wand out, ready to curse the troll. The troll was advancing on them, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.
"Thank you," said Hermione giving Leo a smile.
"'Course," Leo shrugged.
"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and seizing a tap, he threw it a hard as he could against the wall.
"That's a good idea, trolls are easy to confuse," said Fawn.
The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione and Leo, just as Leo was opening his mouth to cast a spell. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.
"Oh, Merlin!" Lily gasped with a hand over her mouth.
"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.
"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione and Leo, as Leo was trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was till flat against the wall, her mouth open in terror.
"That really isn't the best time to freeze up," said Peter.
"I was so close to just throwing you over my shoulder and running," Leo said to Hermione.
The shouted and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.
Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.
"Why would you do something so dangerous?" James shocked everyone with his question, they all expected Lily to say something like that and for James to encourage Harry.
"I needed to save my friends, it was the only thing I could do at that moment," Harry defended himself.
"You could have been killed!" said Lily.
"I wasn't, I wasn't even hurt, I promise," said Harry.
The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped- it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.
"That's disgusting," Narcissa gagged as Sirius laughed.
Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.
Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand- not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"
At that moment Harry slid off the troll's neck backwards and fell into Leo, who had run forward to catch him, bring them to the ground.
"Thank Merlin," Lily gasped, relieved that Harry was no longer hanging on the troll's neck and was caught before he could fall and hurt himself.
The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over- and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
Everyone started to cheer loudly for Ron. They were all impressed that he was able to think of that, none of them would have.
Ron blushed brightly at everyone's cheers for him but he couldn't help the large grin that took over his face.
Harry got to his feet, helping Leo up as he went. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.
It was Hermione who spoke first.
"Is it- dead?"
"Sadly, it takes more then that to kill a troll," said Regulus.
"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."
He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.
Narcissa gagged again as Andromeda rubbed her back soothingly. Out of the three Black sisters, Narcissa was always the one with the weakest stomach.
"Urgh- troll boogers."
He wiped it on the troll's trousers.
"You better clean that when we get back to the dorm," said Leo with a disgusted look.
"I made you clean that when we got back to the dorms, that was so gross," said Leo with a disgusted look.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the four of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat down quickly on a toilet, clutching his heart.
"So pathetic," said Remus.
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Leo, Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.
"I don't know why you were looking at me, I didn't do anything for once," said Leo.
"For once," Professor McGonagall repeated dryly.
Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his want in the air, and Leo who was standing next to him with wide eyes. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"
"Because you locked your best friends in a bathroom with a troll," Sirius sang.
Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down. Leo was avoiding everyone's eyes.
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.
"Please, Professor McGonagall- they were looking for me."
"Miss Granger!"
Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.
"I went looking for the troll because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own- you know, because I've read all about them."
"Hermione Granger, lying to a teacher?" James asked with mock shock, a hand grasping his chest.
"Wait until he hears what she does in our later years," Leo whispered to Harry who chuckled.
"Pretty sure that was all your influence," said Harry, laughing louder at Leo's proud smirk.
Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? "If they hadn't found me, I've be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club, and Leo protected me and caught Harry when he fell from the troll's neck. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."
Harry, Ron and Leo tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.
"I'm pretty sure Leo was the only one managed to look innocent," Hermione giggled.
"I was innocent!" Leo defended himself.
"Well- in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.
"Hermione is amazing!" Leo said proudly as if he was her father making Hermione beam at him.
"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall.
"At least you weren't expelled," said Remus with a grimace.
"I'm lucky I wasn't killed," said Hermione.
"I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."
Hermione left.
Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, Ron, and Leo.
"Well, I still say you were lucky, not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. Each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."
"Five points? They deserve more then that!" James said.
"They are lucky they didn't get detention, Mr Potter," said Professor McGonagall.
They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.
"We should have gotten more than fifteen points," Ron grumbled.
"Ten, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's"
"You three should have gotten more," Sirius scoffed.
"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."
"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her." Harry reminded him.
"I'm sorry, you locked the troll in the bathroom?" Leo asked shocked. "We could have died!"
"Won't be the last time," Ron joked.
"'Yeah, sorry about that mate," said Ron sheepishly.
They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pig snout," they said and entered.
The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood along by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.
"They're so awkward, it's so cute!" Narcissa gushed with Lily and Fawn.
But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.
"I'm so glad that you guys are all friends now!" said Lily.
"And what a way to become friends, too," Remus added.
"It's time to go to bed, all of you. We can continue tomorrow after dinner," Professor McGonagall announced.
Everyone groaned but followed her orders with goodnights being exchanged before everyone from the past shuffling out of the room and back to their dormitories as the people from the future set up the room so they could go to sleep.