Next chapter!

Halloween, the troll, and some fun interactions with character's. Now that the Horcrux is once again conscious, I can have some fun with manipulating Merlot in the coming fight.

Will it be in a good way? A bad way?

I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

—0—

Time stood still in the corridor just outside of the Slytherin common room. Flickers of light hung in the air, notes of magic that sparked with righteous anger and unbridled fury.

Dark green eyes stared at the figure before them in awe. Merlot Scortwit, her right arm hanging limply at her side, slightly bloodied, as she clutched her wand in her left, a great bolt of magic blazing from its tip. Her mouth was twisted in a cruel smirk as the magic was unleashed towards her target, a great blubbery mountain troll, standing more than twelve feet tall with a gnarled wooden club raised above its head, preparing to deliver a crushing final blow as its mouth hung open in a great roar.

Another pair of eyes, these ones a deep and intelligent brown, regarded the spectacle with mixed emotions, the chief among all of them being fear.

The sparks of magic in the air crackled as time resumed. Neville Longbottom fell backwards as the wave of magic tore through the air. What remained of the troll slumped as Merlot's eyes flashed a deep red, before she clutched her head and collapsed onto her knees. From her place beside Neville, Hermione Granger threw up.

—0—

Eight hours earlier:

"I'm just saying that she's looking down on us!"

Hermione sat with Neville in one of the astronomy tower alcoves, looking over a book as she pointed out different charms that the boy was having trouble with. The conversation had shifted to her least favorite topic, Merlot Scortwit.

"Do you really think so?" The boy blinked. "It seems like she's just always working really hard… there's no pity in taking breaks sometimes."

"Yes, but we're all working hard." Hermione huffed. "It's insulting to think that she would just let the opportunity be wasted. Then, if that isn't enough, she shows up at the end of the dueling lesson and causes Professor Flitwick to start frothing at the mouth in only thirty seconds!"

Neville sighed. "Forget about Scortwit, I really was just referencing the freezing charm she used. I want to learn it."

Hermione pursed her lips and flipped the pages of the textbook, eventually coming to a page that held the charm they were looking for.

"The freezing spell, Glacius, lowers the temperature of a target until it turns solid. Witches and wizards who are more advanced have been able to simply use this charm to create ice around a target." Hermione read.

"Interesting…"

Hermione nodded. "I'd love to try it, but the areas in which we can use magic are so limited…"

Neville blinked. "There's a practice area in the slytherin common rooms."

Hermione perked up. "There is?"

"Yeah." The boy nodded. "It's made for dueling and dueling practice. We could go down there to try."

Hermione nodded, before her face fell. "On second thought… the slytherins don't really like me…"

Neville pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "I know! What if we go during the start of the feast? Everyone will be in the great hall, not in the common rooms."

"That could work." Hermione nodded, before smiling at the boy. "You're really nice Neville."

"I try." The boy smiled. "Do you remember what other spells she used?"

"A banishing charm and a summoning charm I believe…" Hermione nodded. "She's so far ahead in those areas… those are both third and fifth year spells!"

Neville took the book of charms from the girl's lap and began flipping through the pages. "She uses spells that I didn't think of. I thought that the main dueling spells were the ones that Flitwick put on the board."

"Professor Flitwick. I didn't think of it either. I wonder what other magic we could use in dueling…"

Neville stopped at a page and pointed to another charm. "How about this one, it's a charm that binds your target in ropes."

Hermione leaned in. "That has potential… but knowing Merlot, she'd find a way to dodge it."

"I guess you're right… What about this? A stinging charm. If you put enough power into it, you could probably numb a person's arm or leg."

"Or if you hit the right spots, sort of like acupuncture." Hermione nodded. "Maybe I could make a spell that would do that."

"Spell crafting is really hard." Neville frowned. "You should be really careful if you try things like that."

"It's okay Neville, it can't be much different from experimenting with magic circuits."

"Like runes? You've been working on something with them?" Neville blinked.

Hermione nodded, standing up and pulling out a small canvas satchel. The edges of the satchel bore a ring of runes, carefully stitched into the thick white cloth.

"Interesting." Neville blinked, looking at the bag. "I… don't really know anything about runes…"

Hermione grinned. "Well your advice on runes helped me to crack one of my magical mysteries. I was trying to make a gate between my room and my home outside of Hogwarts. Of course, I was using plants as I thought that they would conduct the magic better."

Neville nodded. "Interesting. So this is a doorway to…"

"Under my bed." Hermione smiled. "I can pull school supplies from my room without going back and forth."

"What an interesting idea." Neville blinked. "Do you charge the rune circles with anything?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't know much about runes."

"My gran charges the wards of our house every few weeks with her magic. I figured this was something similar."

Hermione blinked, before nodding. "Okay. To answer your question, Ihave to charge the bag every morning with my magic, but it lasts the whole day, and it helps develop my magic."

Neville nodded. "Well still, it's very well made. Regardless of that, you should be careful when experimenting with new spells. People have died pursuing their own knowledge."

Hermione smiled, taking the charms book back and letting it disappear into her satchel. "I'll be safe, I promise."

Neville nodded. "Please. I don't want to lose a good friend."

Hermione smiled. "I promise you Neville. I will be safe. I'm going to the library now to look at books about spell making, if you'd like to join me?"

"I have a project that I'm working on for Professor Sprout." Neville bowed his head. "I should probably go work on it a little bit."

Hermione smiled. "That's okay. See you later, then?"

"Definitely, down in the Slytherin common rooms for some magic practice."

"I'll make sure to get some snacks for us." Hermione smiled.

Neville watched as the girl walked away. As she disappeared around a corner he sighed and walked away, towards the dungeons.

"You're a horrible tease for that."

Neville smirked. "Watching from the shadows, Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind a suit of armor. "You're manipulating her, why?"

"Well, someone has to make me smarter, why not her? She's the perfect cover for my magic in class."

"There's more to it than that." Draco glared. "If there wasn't, then why pick Granger?"

Neville smiled, before shaking his head. "It's none of your business, now I have a plant to go tend to."

Draco watched as Neville walked away from him, the bottoms of his shoes clicking on the cobblestones of the castle.

"Oh, and Malfoy?"

Draco blinked as the boy stopped, turning to look at him with threatening eyes. "The next time I find you eavesdropping like that, I'll make sure you are properly dealt with. Perhaps you would like to write your father telling him that you spontaneously went deaf? Or that you can't speak anymore… well. You get the picture."

Draco gulped, causing Neville to chuckle as he began walking away again.

"And that face is all I need from you to be successful. Fear. Enjoy the Halloween feast."

—0—

Merlot finished carving a rune into a large cube of wood as Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking over papers while rubbing one of his temples.

"You really are quite gifted, you know that?" The man sighed, dipping his quill into an ink pot before scribbling a few sentences on the parchment.

"So you say." Merlot flexed her fingers, looking at the block of wood.

It was Halloween and all of the days classes were canceled for the holiday, something which was apparently more significant in wizarding culture than in muggle culture. Because she had time, Merlot had entered the headmasters office and asked to work on her runes research, as she hadn't done it in their first meeting.

What followed was her scribbling out a new theory over top of her three dimensional runic arrays, which layered runic arrays and circles in order to combine effects.

"You entered my office no less than two hours ago to do this and you've already broken yet another theory on runes. I can't even find anything wrong with your equations in this…"

"It's a gift." Merlot shrugged, flipping the wooden cube so that she was working on the third face.

'That and Ella is quiet around you. For all her threats to manipulate me, she still falls short before you.'

"An astounding gift." Dumbledore nodded sagely. "I'm afraid I'll only have time to go over your theory on this multi-layered, multi-array system… please tell me what it is designed to do?"

Merlot smiled and picked up a small wood chisel which Dumbledore had provided. "It's all going to be safe. There's a different function for each side, all centered around your favorite candies."

Dumbledore blinked and looked up. "Lemon drops?"

Merlot chuckled, swiftly chiseling out a line of runes across the edge of the cubes face. "Any kind of lemon candy. If I do it correctly, you should have a dice sized block which will generate an effect when you roll it. The first face should give off the scent of lemons. The second, should give the roller a nice magical wave that causes their mouth to cool, as if eating sherbet. The rest will be for you to find out."

Albus nodded. "The block is large, are you certain that the runes won't be damaged when it shrinks?"

Merlot dusted off the wood shavings from the cube and began on another line of runes. From the looks of it she was only doing the perimeter of each face so far.

"That's what the three dimensional array is for. It's going to keep each rune intact and keep the cube at a small size."

Albus nodded and leaned back in his chair, his half moon spectacles perched on the tip of his nose as he continued to read.

"How long have you done runes, Miss Scortwit?"

"Scortwit had purchased me some books on them from time to time and I was quite interested, but I was focused on basic charms and such for the first years on the preserve. I was quite bored in classes, so when Quirrell had a lesson on basic runic arrays, it reminded me of the resources I had. I've been putting most of my extra time into the books I have on the study, and it's led me to this."

Albus nodded, moving one page of her research to the side and looking at the next. "It does explain a lot… Most students who take runes only attend a two hour class every Wednesday. If you've put most of your free time into this-"

"About four hours a day. I read a bit extra in professor Binns class, and it keeps me awake."

Albus nodded. "And on weekends?"

"Six. Leaving time for meals and homework, and any other pursuits."

"With that kind of dedication you are probably on par with a new graduate, so much time to study…"

Merlot smiled, finishing the third face of her cube and moving to the fourth. "It's a gift."

"More than a gift." Albus nodded. "You do the Hufflepuffs qualities justice!"

Merlot smiled as she carved around the perimeter of the fourth face. Albus stood up from his desk and walked over to where she was sitting, watching as she carved runes at a pace comparable to a master.

"You're well beyond that, actually… dear me, this is a conundrum!"

Merlot blinked as she flipped the cube to its fifth face. "A conundrum?"

Albus sat down beside her and summoned her writings in a flurry of parchment. "My dear, you are well beyond the norm when it comes to runes. I'm afraid that you are beyond what Hogwarts itself may be able to teach!"

Merlot chuckled and shook her head. "It's all basic, sir. The only astounding piece is the three dimensional array, which I'm sure has been done before."

"Not in many many years." Albus spoke. "And even then, it was not as well managed as this."

The man placed the writings down and pushed his spectacles up onto the bridge of his nose. "I would urge you to publish this."

Merlot snorted. "Publish it? I'm only eleven, sir."

"Age has no bearing pertaining to magical discoveries. You should publish your works." Albus nodded. "Even just a small book on basic runic arrays and their functions, it would be well worth it."

Merlot shrugged as she finished the fifth face and moved to the final face. "Perhaps, but where would I find a publisher?"

"Flourish and Blotts actually provides a publishing service in Diagon Alley. I can send out an owl if you would like."

Merlot nodded. "Okay. It might be some time before I have it streamlined enough for a book, but starting the process itself would be well worth it."

Albus smiled and returned to his desk, pulling out some parchment and quickly writing a letter in his elegant looping scrawl.

When he finished, he noticed that Merlot was going over the first face once again, carving a ring of runes upon its surface that meshed in with the cardinal runes of the cubes perimeter arrays.

"More?"

Merlot nodded, gesturing to the circle of runes as she finished it. "The perimeter arrays are for generating the effect, while the circles focus it to last for an hour. By linking the cardinal runes together, it uses less magical charge."

"I see… quite brilliant, it also allows free interaction throughout the entire system, displacing the magic evenly."

Merlot nodded as she turned the cube again. Albus watched her chisel out another circle of runes before clearing his throat.

"Let your hands rest for a bit. I have something to show you."

Merlot blinked and set the chisel with the wooden cube. With a grunt she got to her feet, wincing as her knees cracked.

Dumbledore walked over to a bookcase and drew his wand, before tapping down the spines of three books. Merlot blinked as a small section slid out from the piece of furniture and clicked open, revealing a folded up pile of ethereal cloth.

"Sir? What is that?"

Albus smiled. "A gift from an old student… I had hoped to give it to his child this year, but alas, they appear to be…"

The man trailed off for a moment, gazing down at the cloth. With a small cough he shook his head. "Apologies. This trinket here is an invisibility cloak."

Merlot blinked as the headmaster took the cloak and draped it over his hand, causing it to fade into nothing. The headmaster's eyes twinkled at the astounded look on Merlot's face.

"Yes, it is quite an incredible item… even more remarkable is the fact that this specific invisibility cloak was passed down for more than five hundred years, and still, its magic remains completely intact, not even worn down in the slightest."

"Do most invisibility cloaks do that?" Merlot blinked, looking closely at the material as Dumbledore re folded it in his hands. On the surface, she could make out hundreds of tiny glints of silver, like a starry night sky.

"In fact, most invisibility cloaks wear out in less than forty years. This item is truly one of a kind." Dumbledore stated at the folded cloak, before holding it out. "I think that it would be well suited in your hands."

Merlot's jaw dropped. "Surely you aren't serious?"

The headmaster chuckled. "I don't need a cloak to become invisible, Miss Scortwit, and besides, I think it may be perfect in your hands. I've done my own research on it, and yet it has yielded nothing to me. Perhaps… someone like you can discover its secrets."

Merlot gingerly took the cloak, marveling at the fluid feeling of its material. "I-I don't know what to say… there must be a way that I can repay you."

Dumbledore smiled, the girl before him shifting once more as he saw her future. Three powerful witches of the same body. He observed that this time, the green eyed witch seemed stronger, more confident. Perhaps these were the paths that Merlot could one day take.

The old wizard knelt down on one knee and placed his hands atop the folded invisibility cloak. "Promise me this… you will grow to love your magic, and you will use it for good."

Merlot sighed, before looking Albus in the eyes. "It's hard sir… and that is a very heavy task for me…"

Albus nodded. "It is quite alright-"

"However." Merlot continued. "Everyone here… they have shown me so much kindness, and Scortwit… Charlie… you all have been the best people I've ever known. I would rather see you happy, than impress the people who did so much to hurt me."

"Quite a mature answer." Albus blinked with a gentle smile. "Thank you."

"No sir, thank you." Merlot smiled. Albus could see tears at the edges of her eyes, and gave her a par on the head before standing up.

"I believe the time for the Halloween feast is drawing near. Would you accompany me to the great hall?"

"What about my things?" Merlot blinked, looking at her rune cube, and then the cloak.

"Ah yes. Blinky!"

A short bald creature with bulbous eyes and large bat like ears appeared beside the headmaster with a *pop*.

It was dressed in plain pants and a shirt, which bore the Hogwarts crest upon its back.

"What can Blinky be doing for sir headmaster Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Merlot, this is Blinky, the head house elf here at the castle. Blinky, would you be so kind as to deliver Miss Scortwit's belongings to her room in the Hufflepuff dormitories?"

The house elf bowed. "Blinky be doings as sir headmaster Dumbledore asks."

With a snap of his fingers, the house elf disappeared along with the invisibility cloak and Merlots cube. Dumbledore smiled. "I think that is all in order. Shall we go to the great hall?"

Merlot nodded and smoothed out her robes as Dumbledore walked to the entrance of his office. "Sugar quills."

The door opened as a spiral staircase rose up to meet them. Merlot smiled as she walked behind Dumbledore, listening to him as he brought up a new topic.

"I think that something you would also find to be incredibly rewarding would be composite charms."

"Composite charms sir?"

Dumbledore nodded. "The most basic charms are single words, take the light spell. It is in itself, one of the most easy, and yet most underappreciated spells in existence."

Merlot watched as the man conjured a light from his wand. "The word of the spell, lumos, simply means light. It conjures a light, pure light. Not many recognize the fact that this spell is not just used to clear away shadows, it is in and of itself an element."

Merlot nodded. "I know how to use the fire charm, and the water conjuring charm."

"Ah." Dumbledore nodded. "They are both related to their elements, and yet they are not their purest form."

Merlot cocked her head as Dumbledore smiled, whispering to his wand. "Igni."

The globe of fire at the tip of the headmasters wand changed into a flickering flame, like that of a candle. Merlot blinked as the headmaster extinguished the flame.

"The root word for fire in latin. Ignis. Derived from that, we have the most basic form of fire, Igni, or what others know as the candlewick charm. However, what happens if we change the incantation?"

Merlot watched as Dumbledore stopped at a window, waving his wand and causing it to open and give them a passage out into the twilight sky.

"Ventale Igni Lumen Lancius!"

A jet of swirling light fired from the tip of Dumbledore's wand, crackling through the air like a firework, before detonating in a massive flash of light that lit up the sky.

"Quietus."

Wind from the explosion hit the castle, but there was no sound, leaving none the wiser as to what had just happened.

"Root words, single word spells. They can be altered and put together to create new things. Put some time into them, you will surely find new magic to help you disarm and restrain anyone who you may need to defend against."

Merlot nodded and thanked the Headmaster as they walked into the great hall. Many of the students were filtering in, and Merlot fell into line beside Hannah as the Hufflepuffs walked to their table.

"Were you with the Headmaster that entire time?"

Merlot smiled. "Working on a runes project. He gave me some good insight into the matter."

"Oh did he now?"

Merlot smiled as a loud crack drew their attention to the headmaster, who stood and splayed his arms out. "A wonderful first few weeks we have all enjoyed, and I am sure that a reward is in order… Your heads of house have informed me that you have all gone above and beyond their expectations, especially the young first years. So therefore, I am awarding fifty points to each house. Keep up the good work, and let the feast begin!"

Merlot gazed up at the ceiling as she felt a shift of magic. Each of the candles was suddenly surrounded by a pumpkin, with many of the first years gasping as they realized that they had carved some of them.

Merlot reached up and tapped the pumpkin which bore her carving of Jubenard, Professor Dumbledore's rat. A squeak drew her attention to a bowl of roasted pumpkin seeds, and Merlot huffed.

"Despereaux, if you keep that up you'll get all fat, and then you won't be able to be as quick as the bravest knight, will you?"

"Urp* Des-pir-oooo!"

Hannah giggled as the rat scampered across the table to his witch, running up onto Merlot's shoulder and sitting down with a pumpkin seed.

"Fine… but only because it's Halloween. Now… what do we have…"

Merlot gazed at the table, which held a few common dinner dishes, such as rolls, chicken, fish, beef, sausage, and veal, as well as greens and roasted vegetables.

Of course, between each dish was a heaping bowl of sweets. Merlot shied away from the closest bowl which held an astounding amount of lemon drops and began building a balanced plate.

Merlot made small conversation with Hannah and a few of her housemates. She waved to Tamsin Applebee and Alden Summers, who waved back before signaling to check the quidditch board in the commonroom.

Although it was faint, Merlot could feel the consciousness of the horcrux in the back of her mind. It chose only to observe, every so often sending hints of sadness or anger through their connection, and laughing as Merlot tried to hide it.

Roughly an hour and a half into the feast, when the kids were mainly talking to each other after eating their fill, the doors slammed open and in ran professor Quirrel.

"TROOOOOLL! IN THE DUNGEOON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

Everyone froze and stared as the professor's face sweated heavily. "Thought you ought to know…"

As the man fainted and fell to the floor, the Great hall detonated into a chaotic array of panic. Dumbledore stood and raised his wand.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone froze and looked up to the headmaster. "Prefects, gather your houses and lead them back to your dormitories. For Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, The professors shall accompany you to your commonrooms, and protect you as you make your way there. Hagrid, I will need you to come with me."

Everyone remained silent as Dumbledore marched from the great hall with his wand drawn, Hagrid following behind him, a grim look upon his face.

"Alrighty then Puffs!" Merlot's attention was drawn to professor Sprout, who stood next to Professor Flitwick with her wand drawn. "Onward to the dormitories! Chop chop!"

"Wasn't that the gamekeeper who went with the headmaster?" Hannah whispered to Merlot.

"Yes. His name is Hagrid, he's very nice."

Hannah nodded and they continued with the rest of their house. Merlot blinked as they passed the stairwell down to the dungeons, which was close to the wine cellar doorway.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Merlot raised a finger to her lips and silently split from the rest of the group as Professor Sprout had the Hufflepuffs enter their common room two by two. Hannah's eyes widened as Merlot drew her wand.

"Are you crazy?" Hannah hissed to her.

"It's down in front of the Slytherin common room… I hear it… stomping."

"Don't go after it!"

"The Slytherins are still in the great hall, who will warn them?"

"They have Professor McGonagall with them. I'm sure they will be fine." Hannah nodded, before the quiet sound of a scream emanated from below them.

Professor Sprout straightened and gripped her wand tighter. "Faster now everyone."

"They aren't helping!" Merlot whispered to Hannah.

"Their first responsibility is us!" The girl spoke back lowly.

"Cover for me then… I'm going to help."

Another scream came from below, and Flitwick drew his wand next to professor Sprout.

"Merlot-"

"Cover for me!"

Hannah reached out but was too late as Merlot slipped away into the corridor and down the stairwell towards the dungeons.

"Idiot…"

Merlot held her wand tightly in one hand as she descended the stairs into the dungeons. She knew that she was risking a fight by walking into danger, but her head was buzzing in retaliation from standing still, especially after hearing screams.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the screams more clearly.

'Hermione?'

Merlot ducked around the corner and stuck to the wall as she hear the sounds of a fight draw closer, accompanied by a horrid smell.

As she peeked into the wide chamber before the Slytherin's common room, her eyes widened.

Shards of ice lay scattered all over the floor, along with shards of broken stone from the walls. Neville Longbottom was doing his best to hold off the Troll as Hermione cowered against a wall, her foot bent at an odd angle.

Neville rolled to the side as the Troll, a blubbery mass of green flesh, let out a roar and charged. Hermione ducked and screamed as the troll crashed through a stone pillar, showering the room in shards of stone.

Merlot quickly ran over to Hermione, ducking low as she took out a bit of parchment and transfigured it into cloth. "Bite down on this."

The ravenclaw girl took the cloth and bit down as Merlot grabbed her ankle and corrected it with a quick pop. Hermione let out a groan of pain, but was able to stand nevertheless.

"Okay, now let's get you-"

"Watch out!"

Hermione pulled Merlot to the side as a great club came down right where they had been standing. Merlot shouted as her right shoulder was clipped by the crude weapon.

The troll roared as Neville ran over to them. "Shit! Are you two okay?"

The troll roared again and swung towards the slytherin boy as Merlot raised her wand.

"DEPULSO!"

Before the strike could hit, the troll was thrown back by a blast of magic. Neville's eyes widened as he watched the spectacle. "How did you do that? None of my spells have had an effect on that thing!"

Merlot huffed as she got to her feet, gripping her wand in her left hand. "Get behind me."

Hermione drew her wand and moved to help, but Neville stopped her. "She seems serious about this Hermione."

"But she's hurt."

"Hermione." Merlot spoke. "I'm sorry, but you'll only get in my way."

Hermione's face froze, before she nodded. "Fine."

Merlot gripped her wand as she faced down the troll, watching as it got to its feet and picked up its club.

"Accio."

The club twisted out of the troll's grip and flew towards Merlot, who quickly banished it back at the troll, smacking it in the chest and causing the beast to wheeze.

"Stupefy!"

A jet of red light smacked the troll's left hand, causing it to twitch. Merlot grunted. "Not enough…"

"Well that's obvious. Surely you have something else."

"I do, but it would kill it." Merlot answered.

"Wonderful!" Hermione spoke shrilly. "So your two modes are disarm and lethal, please, by all means don't try to injure or maim it."

Merlot shot the Ravenclaw a glare. "There is something I could try."

"Well by all means try it or we're going to die!"

'Composite magic works off of root words.'

"Aeolo Igni Depulso!"

A hall of fire grew into existence at the tip of Merlots wand, before rocketing forwards and blasting across the troll's chest, causing it to howl.

"You did it!" Hermione cheered.

"I think it just made it angrier." Neville spoke softly, watching as the troll bared its teeth and gripped its club. "If you've got anything that will save us, now's the time to use it!"

Merlot nodded, raising her wand and reciting the spell that Dumbledore had shown her. "Ventale igni lumen-"

Merlot was overwhelmed as the Horcrux pushed against her mind, shoving a word into her head in place of what she was going to use.

'Perdere!'

"-PERDERE!"

Merlot's face twisted with the expression of Ella, her eyes flashing red as a bolt of white hot fire tore through the air and blasted through the body of the mountain troll. The beast groaned quietly as it fell back, dead. Its chest turned to ash by the spell that Merlot had cast.

Hermione looked upon the dead troll in horror, bile rising in her throat as Merlot clutched her head, before falling to her knees. Hermione retched and threw up as footsteps echoed from the corridor.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE- Miss Scortwit? Why aren't you with Pomona? And Granger, Longbottom?"

Merlot shook as she clutched her head, tears falling from her eyes and spattering upon the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

"What happened here?" Minerva asked, running over to the distressed witch. "Is that the troll?"

Neville and Hermione stared at the troll's body, before looking back at the deputy headmistress. "A troll?"

"Did you not hear Quirinus at the feast? The poor sap fainted!" Minerva spoke.

"Ma'am… we left the feast forty minutes ago. Neville said we could use part of the Slytherin common room to practice our magic."

"Out of all of the times, why- oh… I understand." McGonagall drew her wand and began casting calming charms over Merlots shaking form. "It still doesn't explain why Miss Scortwit is here."

The girl continued to shake from her position upon the ground. Hermione looked down at her for a moment.

The girl had dropped everything to save her and Neville. From what professor McGonagall was saying, it sounded like she knew about the troll. Still… she couldn't help but remember how Merlot had spoken to her and Neville.

'You'll just get in my way.'

"She came to fight the troll." Hermione said. "She told us to stay out of her way."

McGonagall pursed her lips and nodded. "And I assume that this is from the magic she used?"

"I read that dark magic can have an emotional effect on others, so I assume that-"

"That is quite enough."

The Headmaster strode into the chamber, his wand gripped in one hand. "Minerva, thank you for helping the students. Miss Granger, thirty points to Ravenclaw for surviving against a mountain troll, the same to Slytherin for you, Mr. Longbottom. All of you to your dormitories, Hagrid, help me move Miss Scortwit."

"Surely something must be done about her actions here Albus!" Minerva spoke as she followed the man away. Hermione smiled and turned back to Neville.

"See you tomorrow?"

The boy, caught completely off guard by the underhanded lie that Hermione had just blared through the entirety of his house, nodded dumbly. "Yeah… tomorrow…"

Hermione smirked and skipped away, heading to the Ravenclaws tower with a bit of glee.

She had finally pulled one on Merlot Scortwit.

—0—

Halloween is done!

I expect you didn't expect Hermione to lie. In this case, her jealousy will be her (Sort of) undoing, at least in the first few books. I've done my part to make her a snobby know it all who uses science and magic in tandem, but once we get past the chamber of secrets arc, she will begin to change, and you will see why a few chapters after christmas!

Anyways, sorry if this was fast paced. I wanted to fit in a bit on Merlot's runes, and a bit more on Neville and Hermione, giving a reason for the troll fight was also high on my list. Can't just be, "Merlot saves everyone in the great hall from the troll."

Also, I wanted a version of the story where Harry, or in this case, Merlot, gets in trouble for defeating the troll. It shows how much she can do, but it also shows the new struggles she is beginning to have with the horcrux waking up, and trouble with bullies, even if Hermione isn['t a super big bully yet.

As always, leave a review, and until next time

Adios.