On the Sunday morning the young Gryffindors discovered that they would be having flying lessons with the Slytherins. A lot of first years who grew up in the wizarding world began to about flying, Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.

He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly.

"You got any good stories?" Seamus asked her.

"Not really I'd fly over the ocean, which was always calm and peaceful, no big stories I'm afraid. Dad made Remus follow me around on a broom until I was about 10."

Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared the dormitory with Ron, about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. She was there and agrees it's a good sport just as many others are.

Neville told Mim he had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to make the players move. Neville and Hermione had been whispering frantically with the fear of the upcoming lesson. Hermione had gotten out a book from the library and had been mid lecture when a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. The group learned what a Remembrall was and had a small altercation with Malfoy and his goons.

That afternoon the Gryffindors made their way to their flying lesson, the Slytherins were already there. They started with a simple exercise, but it wasn't long until Neville accidently took off, whizzing around the yard before crashing and breaking his arm with a nasty crack echoing through the stones of the castle walls around them. Madam Hooch rushed over to him before turning to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Mim quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Mim yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well.

Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

"You'll have to come down eventually, and before Madam Hooch comes back. I'll just wait you out." she said, shrugging. "Leave it up there and it is just evidence you disobeyed a direct order from a teacher."

"Yeah, smart Potter, but what if I do this!" Malfoy threw the glass ball towards the castle. Mim ran to catch up, jumping high in the air she caught it. Rolled so she landed on her shoulder blades and graceful made her way back to standing hand high with the rememberall intact.

Mim took a bow as the other first years cheered. Malfoy much to his distain ended up being told that he and Madam Hooch were going to make their way down to Professor Snape's office to discuss a reasonable punishment for his disobedience. This left the Gryffindors in a cheerful mood as they got on with the rest of their day. Of course, till Malfoy tried to confront Mim at dinner. He walked up to the table, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"You'll pay for that, Potter. I got detention for a week."

Mim took a bite of her food, and then held her hand up to Malfoy as she chewed. When she finished her bite she turned and spoke to him.

"I don't see how you stealing Neville's rememberall then flying when you were told not to is my fault, Malfoy." She said calmly, before taking another bite. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles and scowled.

"Ooh, scary. You do remember what happened last time you tried to attack us." She said, not realising that the first years around them where staring at her in amazement. "Go back to your own table. I'd like to eat my casserole in peace." She said taking another bite. Still chewing, she made shooing gestures with her hands.

"I challenge you to Wizard's duel." Malfoy said. "Wands only — no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Yeah, I have; but why would I bother? Go back to your table, stop hassling me." she said. "Ron, can you pass the peas?" she said turning to a shocked Ron.

"I will if you face me tonight? Midnight, in the trophy room. Or are you to cowardly."

"Well, I managed to get in Gryffindor, didn't I? So, I don't reckon that's it. Look Malfoy if I say yes will you let me eat in peace?"

"Yes,"

"Then yes, goodbye." She said grabbing the peas of Ron and putting them on her plate. Malfoy and his goons left for their table.

"Excuse me."

They both looked up. It was Hermione.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Ron grumbled.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Mim.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered. Mim elbowed him.

"— and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"What are you on about?" said Mim puzzled.

"The duel tonight you said you would go." Hermione said.

"No, I didn't,"

"Yes, you did, I just heard you say yes." She said putting her hands on her hip.

"I said yes, but not to the duel. I said if I say yes will you leave me alone. Well I'm paraphrasing, but I never said if I say yes to the duel will you leave me alone. I have seen Dad's work. You have to read the small print before you sign. He agreed to leave me alone if I said yes. Not if I said yes to the duel."

Mim took another bite as everyone just stared at her stunned.

"Good-bye," said Ron, Hermione sniffed and stormed away.

"Blimey Mim, what happens when Malfoy confronts you tomorrow." Dean said.

"Simple, demand where he was last night."

"Huh?"

"He isn't going to show up." She said matter-of-factly. "He wants to get me in trouble. Not fight me. He knows I have an identic memory from potions, so spells aren't a problem and he has seen me tackle Goyle to the ground on the train. He'll tell someone I'll be wondering around the trophy room at night. I'll get caught. Then I'll have detention and points taken off too."

"Bloody hell, that's brilliant Mim," Ron said looking at her in astonishment.

"Can I eat my food now?"

Just in case Malfoy had any other plans up his sleeve, Mim decided to spent the night in her father's quarters. That way she knew she would have a solid alibi if he tried anything. The two took advantage of the privacy and invited Sev to come and spend some time with his niece. As he arrived the young girl pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Hello Hatchling," he murmured as he embraced her.

"I've missed you," she mumbled into his robes.

The three ate, and laughed until the late evening when the care takers suggested sleep would be a good idea to the preteen. She hugged Severus tightly one more time before she went into her room and allowed sleep to find her…

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Mim was excited as today was the first day that they were able to perform their first spell. She and Hermione had been able to get their feather to float very quickly. Mim was listening to her two friends bickering, she wished the two would get along. It was in paying attention to this that she jumped as Seamus's feather exploded, covering himself and the left side of Mim black soot.

After class Ron was bad mouthing Hermione, she ran past overhearing him. She scolded Ron before trying to run after her friend. She heard for Lavender and Parvati that she was in the bathroom. When Mim went to talk to her, Hermione has asked her to go, she waited a moment slipping the girl a note under the stall before doing as she asked.

Mim went to the great hall, planning to take some food for Hermione, knowing she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. However, that plan was quickly forgotten when Professor Quirrell revealing that he has discovered a troll in the dungeons before he fainted. As the prefects lead the other students to their houses Mim remembered Hermione. She and Ron made their way to the bathroom where Mim would finally get her wish and her two friends would put their differences aside.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realised 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 Severus and Tony, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Tony ran to his daughter clutching her in his arms.

"Mim! Jesus! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he said frantically pulling her to arm's length to exam her for injuries.

"I'm fine Dad," she said hugging him, over his shoulder Mim could see Severus bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Mim. Mim had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Tony let go of her. Mim looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Severus gave Mim a swift, piercing look. Mim looked at the floor. She wished Ron would put his wand down.

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.

"We knew she wasn't in the hall professor," Mim told her, before Hermione could speak. "She had told me that she was going to the loo first. We knew she didn't know about the troll, and we were just going to get her. We had no idea that it had left the basement." Mim added with the half-truths.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Mim stuck her wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived." Hermione added to the story.

"Jesus," Tony said his fist in his hair as her looked between his daughter and the troll.

"Professor Stark, it may be prudent to tone down the language in front of first years." Severus said silkily. Tony just glared at his friend.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. You each win Gryffindor fifteen points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

"Mim, you will eat your dinner with me tonight."

"But Dad!"

"I don't want to hear it," he said sternly. "You should have got me or another teacher."

"But, we didn't have time–"

"Now, I got to hear it."

"Professor Stark, it really wasn't Mim's fault." Ron said as he tried to help his friend.

"I will sleep in my room tonight, but please let me have dinner with my friends. You can ground me after that please."

Tony looked from Mim, to Ron and Hermione, to McGonagall, and then back to his daughter.

"As it is today, you may eat with your friends. I will be outside the portrait at eight thirty. Do you understand me, Mimosa."

"Yes, thank you Dad." She said hugging him. The two hurried away before he changed his mind. They 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.

The three chatted quietly on their way back to the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout," they said and entered.

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. But from that moment on, Hermione Granger, Mimosa Potter, and Ron Weasley were to be a trio of friends. 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.