Ch. 10
The next day Violet sat with Hermione who was pouring over her Charms book. It was their next class. Ron and Harry smirked at Malfoy's outraged expression when he saw them enter the Great Hall, not expelled or in trouble.
"Looks like we'll start with levitation," Hermione was saying as Harry and Ron sat down.
"What's for breakfast?" Ron asked as he looked over the plates of food.
"Whatever you don't eat," Violet muttered. Hermione smiled.
"What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean by what?" she said innocently.
"I've been practicing," Hermione said before Ron could make a snide remark. "I managed to make my quill float last night."
"I practiced some," Violet said vaguely.
Harry smiled. She probably hadn't even lifted her wand or cracked a book all weekend.
"Whatever it is," Ron said quietly to Harry, referring to what the giant monster dog was guarding, "it's either very valuable or very dangerous."
"Or both," Harry agreed.
Neither Neville nor Hermione seemed to care about what the three headed dog was guarding. Neville seemed more concerned with never seeing the beast again. Hermione refused to speak to the boys, but they didn't mind. Violet, constant friends to both sides, managed to bridge the gap just fine and hold separate conversations with both Hermione and Harry and Ron at the same time. She had just brought up the idea of getting back at Malfoy when the mail arrived. To Harry's surprise he received a very long package and a letter. He wisely opened the letter first.
Harry Potter
DO NOT OPEN THE PACKAGE AT THE TABLE! It contains your new broom.
Signed,
Professor McGonagall
Violet and Ron took turns reading the letter, open-mouthed.
"Let's take it upstairs and open it!" Ron said at once.
"You can't," Hermione protested. "Charms starts soon."
"We'll be there on time," Violet assured her. "We best hurry. Come on. See you later, Hermione!"
The three rushed out and were met in the hall by Malfoy.
"What's that, Potter?" the pale boy asked with a sneer.
"Just a package from home."
But Malfoy made a grab at the parcel. The paper ripped revealing the broom handle. The golden lettering of Nimbus 2000 shown brightly in the candlelight. Violet squealed in jealous excitement. Malfoy was less thrilled.
"That's a broom! You can't have a broom at school! You're just a first year!"
Professor Flitwick, with impeccable timing, came into the hall.
"Professor!" Malfoy called. "Potter's got a broom!"
The tiny teacher smiled as he looked at the half opened package.
"Ah yes, Professor Dumbledore told me about the exception he was making for Mr. Potter. Take it up to your room. You can ogle it later. I expect all three of you to make it to class on time."
Harry, Ron and Violet left laughing at the incredulous look on Malfoy's face.
Later that day, Harry started his training with Oliver Wood. Harry was certain there was nothing in the world better than flying and Quidditch.
As promised, Harry made it to his classes on time, but he was having difficulties focusing. He was due to start training with Oliver Wood that evening. Finally, at seven o'clock, he made his way to the Quidditch pitch. He arrived early and couldn't wait to try flying again. Without waiting for Oliver, Harry mounted his broom and kicked off.
What a feeling! The air whooshed all around him. His broom followed the command of his lightest touch as he zoomed through the air. After several minutes he heard a voice.
"Harry! Come on down!"
Harry looked towards the middle of the field and saw Oliver Wood waving him down. Harry performed a sharp turn and dived towards the ground, pulling up just in time and landed lightly next to Wood. Wood smiled at Harry as though all his wildest dreams were coming true.
"McGonagall was right. You are excellent!"
After explaining basic game play and rules, Oliver took a bucket of golf balls and threw them in the air as hard as he could in various directions. Harry caught every single one.
"That quidditch cup will have our name on it for sure this year," Wood exclaimed as they walked back to the castle. "I won't be surprised if you end up better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."
He shook his head, unable to understand his former teammate's priorities.
Harry could hardly believe it when he woke up Halloween morning that it had been two months since he came to Hogwarts. He had begun practicing with the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team. His lessons were becoming more interesting now that they mastered the basics.
Harry and Ron followed the delicious smell of baked pumpkin to the Great Hall. They gazed about in wonder. The Great Hall had been decorated for the occasion with jack o' lanterns big enough for a person to sit in and bats flying about the ceiling. Harry and Ron sat away from Violet, who was once again eating breakfast with Hermione, and enjoyed their pumpkin juice and oatmeal in peace. Afterwards, they made their way to Charms where Professor Flitwick announced they would begin learning levitation spells. The class murmured excitedly. They had been wanted to learn levitation since Flitwick had levitated Neville's toad, Trevor, and made him zoom all over the classroom.
The professor divided the class into pairs. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but their feather remained motionless on the desk. Seamus prodded the feather with the tip of his wand and set it on fire. Harry slammed a large book onto it to snuff out the flames. On Harry's right, Violet encouraged Neville as their feather twitched weakly. On Harry's left, Ron and Hermione worked on the same feather and it was difficult to tell who was more upset by the pairings.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron cried as he waved his arms like a windmill.
"You're saying it wrong," Hermione sighed. "It's wing-gar-dium levi-oh-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long."
"You do it if you're so clever."
Hermione sat up straight and held her wand out like a conductor.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather rose into the air and hovered several feet over their heads. Professor Flitwick squeaked in delight.
"Look here, everyone! Miss Granger's done it. Well done, five points to Gryffindor!"
Ron was in a bad mood for the rest of the lesson.
"'You're saying it wrong!'" Ron said, imitating Hermione's voice as they left class. "She's a nightmare! Honestly!"
Something brushed past him. It was Hermione and she looked close to tears.
"I think she heard you," Harry said.
"So? She must have noticed she hasn't got any friends!"
Violet punched Ron in the arm.
"Ouch!"
"I'm her friend! Hermione, wait up!" Violet started to follow Hermione but looked back at Ron over her shoulder. "And she was right. You were saying it wrong."
"She can have her," Ron muttered, but he looked uneasy.
Harry couldn't help feeling a little bad as well. After all, he had been laughing at Ron's imitations.
Hermione and Violet did not turn up to their next class. Harry asked Dean and Seamus at lunch, but neither had seen the girls all afternoon. Lavender finally reported that Hermione had been in the girl's toilet crying and Violet was trying to comfort her. Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.
"I think we should apologize to her," Harry said to Ron as they entered the Great Hall. Ron nodded at his shoes.
Violet came to the table for the Halloween Feast several minutes late. Hermione was nowhere in sight.
"How is she?" Harry asked.
"Well, I finally got her to stop crying," Violet answered as she glared at Ron. "But she's refusing to come out of the bathroom."
Ron's ears turned red, but he said nothing and continued to eat. Half way through dessert, Professor Quarrel stormed into the Great Hall in a panic.
"TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Silence rang like church bells and Dumbledore stood. "Thought you outta know."
Quarrel fainted on the spot. All the students began screaming. Before terror fully set in Dumbledore cried, "SILENCE!"
Everyone froze and looked at him.
"Everyone, remain calm. Prefects, lead the students to the dorms. The teachers and I will go to the dungeons."
"Gryffindors," Percy called, "follow me. Keep up and hurry! First years, this way. NO need to fear the troll if you listen and stay close."
When they left the Hall, Violet pulled Ron and Harry aside.
"What?"
"Hermione! She doesn't know!"
"Let's go," Harry said. "Where is she?"
"This way."
Violet led the way. To avoid detection, they hid behind statues as they went along. A figured rushed passed them. Snape was not heading towards the dungeons, but the opposite direction as he crossed the corridor and disappeared through a tapestry.
"Where's he going?" Harry whispered.
"Search me," Ron answered, just as puzzled.
"Come on you two," Violet hissed, more concerned about her missing friend than the random wanderings of one of the teachers.
Finally, they made it to the girls' bathroom. Unfortunately, they were not the first ones to arrive. A huge, lumbering troll meandered into the girls' bathroom.
"We've got to fetch a teacher!" Violet whispered fearfully.
"There's no time," Ron cried. "She's done for!"
In the bathroom, they heard Hermione scream.
"Come on!" Harry said.
Harry, Ron and Violet rushed into the bathroom. The troll was standing over Hermione who was looking up at it with a look of utmost horror. The beast raised his club high over his head!
"Hermione!"
"Violet, no! Harry!"
Violet rushed past the troll to Hermione, going between his legs. The movement confused the creature and it froze. Harry leapt up, used the troll's calf as a foot hold and then grabbed the club. The beast shook the boy off his club and the lifted him by the ankle.
"Harry!" Violet screamed. "Watch out!"
The troll swung its club at the dangling Harry, but missed as he quickly did an up-side-down sit up and moved out of the way.
"Ron!" Violet cried as she tried to move the frozen Hermione to the exit. "Do something, you prat!"
"What?"
"Anything!" Harry cried as he dodged the club again.
The troll raised its club in the air as Ron whipped out his wand.
"Wingardium leviosa!"
The troll tried to swing the club, but it was frozen in the air. The troll stared blankly at his empty hand, not comprehending how it came to be that way. Slowly, its glance went up. When he locked eyes on his hovering club, Ron stopped the spell and the club crashed down on its skull with a sickening crunch. The troll released Harry who scrambled away just before the beast could fall on top of him.
After several petrified moments, Hermione and Violet stepped forward. Hermione seemed to have finally found her voice.
"Is it… dead?"
"I don't think so," Harry answered, "just knocked out."
"That was wicked," Ron said.
"Congratulations Ron," Violet said, throwing her shoulder around his shoulders, which was quite a task considering how tall he was, "you've just had your first cool moment."
"I doubt there will be many more of those," Harry cracked.
The young children shared a laugh as Ron frowned. Violet nudged him a few times to get him to smile as well.
Suddenly, Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quarrel burst into the room. The children stopped laughing and tried to look appropriately guilty. McGonagall froze and clutched her heart in disbelief. Harry felt an extra stab of guilt as he feared the witch might be having a heart attack.
"Ack…! I… what…? Explain yourselves! All of you!"
"You see, uh…"
"We were just… um…"
"The thing is… Well…"
"It's my fault, Professor," Hermione said boldly.
"Miss Granger?"
"I went looking for the troll. I've read about them and thought I could handle it. If Harry, Ron and Violet hadn't come looking for me, I'd probably be dead."
"I am very disappointed in all of you! Especially you, Miss Granger! Five points from Gryffindor for your severe lack of judgment."
"Auntie," Violet protested. "She's only…"
"As for you three! I hope you know not many first year students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell about it. Five points…"
Harry, Ron and Violet hung their heads in shame.
"… will be awarded to each of you."
The kids smiled and looked at each other.
"For shear dumb luck! Now get to your rooms at once!"
Harry passed the teachers. Violet bumped into Snape's leg and he winced.
"Sorry, Professor," she said.
Harry and Violet looked down and saw a flash of blood through a tear in his robes. He quickly shifted his robes to hide the cut. Harry and the wizard made eye contact for a half second that seemed like an eternity before Violet nudged him on.
When the four children reached the common room, the boys faced Hermione. Violet stood to the side and waited for the inevitable.
"Thanks," the three said in unison.
Violet smiled and rolled her eyes. There are some things people can go through together as enemies and have no choice but to come out as friends. A fight with a fully grown troll is one of those things.
