He entered the common room through the door and was greeted by a wild party that he was certain Professor McGonagall wouldn't have approved of.

Thumping music played from a set of speakers that shook the walls while half the castle seemed to be partying in the room. He had to push his way past students towards the fireplace. Meanwhile, fireworks kept going off in theses colorful explosions that lit up the already bright room, blasting and exploding in loud yellow simmers that would've burned off any normal roof. "U Can't Touch This" bounced off his eardrums as students around him danced spiritually. Jason could already feel himself getting sweaty from the heat of all the people and almost all the students seemed to be helping themselves to some butterbeer.

He ducked under Mitch Campbell who was making out with a new girlfriend of his and Jason spotted Lucy on the couch, surrounded by a bunch of people Jason figured would have never wanted to talk to her before today.

Lucy looked pretty contempt, only in a tank top and these baggy sweatpants, cherishing her victory with a butterbeer in hand.

"Oh my God Lucy! I never knew you were so good at quidditch!" One of these fan girls squealed like a pig," You're almost as good as Harry Potter!"

A redhead girl sat in an armchair looking slightly disgruntled," She's good alright, but she's no Harry Potter. Definitely will be a good match when Gryffindor plays them, though I've been training my players to work like a team."

Lucy took a sip of butterbeer and belched unceremoniously," We may have had a rough game today but we're still a good team. We'll give you a fair challenge on our best day alright? Also don't give me any crap about this 'team' stuff, you're the star player by a mile."

Ginny's hair seemed to turn fiery red as she stood up," Your 'team' almost took the worst beating in Hogwarts history today and it wouldn't have been so if they didn't have a star player like you."

Lucy straightened up a bit," That's not true, I'm not nearly as good as Richard Worsley," Lucy chugged the rest of her glass of butterbeer," You'll be in the infirmary for weeks after he's knocked you straight out with a bludger!" She barked.

The girls sitting next to Lucy laughed like annoying hyenas as Ginny's face turned the color of her hair," You'll regret that, you just wait and see," Ginny stormed away.

Lucy finally noticed Jason standing next to the couch who had fallen into the background of the conversation like usual. "Oh hey Jason, didn't see you there."

"Hey, I didn't get to tell you but you played really well!" Jason smiled.

Lucy blushed," Thanks Jason, but if it weren't for the rest of the team we would've lost for sure."

She got up and the pack of hyenas on the couch called back to her," Lucy baby! Where are you going?"

Lucy looked uncomfortably at the girls on the couch," Uh I just need some air I'll see you guys later."

She lead Jason out of the party and they took a walk through the castle.

"Holy thank God you finally showed up Jason." Lucy sighed in relief.

Jason was a bit confused. Everyone was treating her like a Goddess, what could she have wanted to escape for? He asked her why.

"All of these phonies trying to be my friend that's what." She shook her head," I'm happy we won and all, and it's a great party in there but I'd really rather not have a bunch of people telling me how great of a job I did. They're only talking to me now because I've done something. If we hadn't won nobody would care about me. What do I need a bunch of phonies congratulating me for? I'm sure stupid Harper's sulking alone in his room right now, and that would be me if I wasn't lucky. All I did was fly around on a broomstick and catch some ball."

He was a bit shocked to hear her say this, but he didn't want to be too confrontational," It wasn't luck, you worked hard at quidditch and now you're being rewarded. If I were you I'd wholeheartedly accept the hero treatment."

Jason resented her saying this. He didn't mean to, but he really couldn't help it, thinking that she was being way too humble. What could be better than everyone thinking you're a real hero?

When they returned to the common room the party was still going hard, and on it continued until nightfall, when they went to get dinner.

Lucy ate with Jason but they didn't talk much because the whole house seemed to want to crowd around Lucy and keep asking about the game.

"Wow I was so scared when you guys went up into the clouds! That must have been so awesome!" Said a younger girl.

"You really saved me there, Lucy. I won ten galleons betting on Hufflepuff!" Said Mitch Campbell sitting with his new girlfriend, Catherine Warren.

Lucy was visibly annoyed by all this worship but wouldn't say anything to make them go away until Jo, Richard's sister came up to them," Do you know where Richard's been? I haven't seen him since the game."

Jason realized he had forgotten about Richard completely. He hadn't been at the party and it had frankly escaped Jason's mind.

"Last I saw him was in the locker room."

Lucy and Jason got up to find Richard. Normally they wouldn't feel obliged to do this, but they figured he was probably feeling a little depressed, especially after Jason had told her what Mr. Worsley said to him.

They went to the infirmary but he wasn't there. Jason's hand was getting worst by the minute, so Madam Pomfrey gave him some burn-healing paste and gauze. The ointment was a bright orange color which looked really funny to Jason but it worked wonders.

They thought real hard about where Richard could be when Lucy all of a sudden had an idea," Follow me."

She took Jason through the castle," Where are we going?"

"Outside."

Jason had no problem with going outside except for the fact that it was dark out and they'd both be in trouble if they were caught," Why? You think he's outside right now?"

"If he is where I suspect he is, then yes."

They were about to exit through the side of the castle through a long hallway when Professor Arnold, their transfiguration teacher, who seemed like he was in a hurry, spotted them. They were walking towards him and he towards them and they all stopped in surprise.

There was no avoiding him so they tried a diplomatic approach," Oh hello Professor Arnold, what are you up to?" Jason asked kindly.

Arnold's forehead was covered in sweat and he looked quite exasperated in his emerald green robes," Oh, I was just chatting with Professor Hagrid down in his cabin," He looked at them accusingly," Where are you headed?"

Lucy stammered trying to find something to say and Jason butted in," Oh I'm so sorry Sir, I know we're not supposed to be outside during the nighttime, but Lucy left her Comet 290 outside at the quidditch stadium. We don't want anyone stealing it so we thought we'd run outside really quickly and see if it's there."

Professor Arnold looked at them suspiciously," That sounds unlikely..." but then his expression changed and became very softened," Very well then, go outside and find your broomstick but be swift! It's not safe out there. Next time you should be more responsible Mrs. Gardener. Losing your broomstick is not what I'd expect from a prefect."

He stood and watched them as they left through the castle and entered into the night air.

"Okay, so now will you tell me where we're going?"

"By the hill near the lake."

Jason didn't question her further because it didn't sound like she was very interested in explaining why.

"Why didn't he stop us? Professor Arnold?" Lucy asked him wearily.

Jason was just as confused as her," I have no idea, we're not allowed to be outside at night without a teacher. I was almost sure he wouldn't allow us to go. I also noticed something else."

Lucy raised her eyebrows," What's that?"

"He said he was talking with Professor Hagrid, right? Was he not at the feast when we were eating dinner?"

Lucy thought for a minute," Well we did spend fifteen minutes in the infirmary, he probably went back to his cabin by then."

Jason thought about this but was not entirely convinced. Professor Hagrid was known to spend a lot of time indulging in wine after dinnertime.

The darkness made their trip a lot more dangerous, however there were a few lamplights every couple hundred feet on the path they were walking on. They passed along the bottom of the lake and entered up on an upward path that passed over a cave that hung below the path but over the lake.

"What's that in the cave over there?" Jason asked.

There was a small lantern hanging on the rock that was connected to their road by a small mountainous path that stretched towards the cave, and to a small rectangular door of an entrance lying within the cave itself.

"No idea actually, I think that may be new; That used to just be an empty cave," Lucy hurried her pace and Jason dropped the subject.

They walked on an upward slope going slightly away from the lake, and after about five minutes they turned off the path and up a grassy hill, adjacent to a dense forest.

As they neared the crescent of the hill Jason shivered from the wind and cooling air.

"Lumos," Lucy's wand lit up like a candle and so did Jason's.

"Richard? You there?" Lucy called out.

Nobody answered and they couldn't see anyone. The forest was only about ten meters to their side and Jason tilted his head,, pointing his wand at the forest to get a better look.

Suddenly there was a cascade of snapping branches and rustling leaves and then — BOOM!

A fiery explosion went off in the forest and Jason could feel the heat rush out and brush against his skin. The visibility was bright now as the trees besides them were on fire, and running out towards them in a frenzy was Richard, with soot on his face and his blonde hair dotted in black ash," RUNNN!" He hurled at them, his eyes fully dilated with terror.

Richard ran past them as Jason and Lucy backed away slowly, trying to glimpse what stampeded out of the woods behind him. Leaping from the flames with an enraged look about it, just having been caught in an explosion was a troll livid with anger.

The nasty thing was at least ten feet tall and weighed a ton. It's green skin was covered in these ragged brown fabrics that were doused in flames and burned off as it roared ferociously. Swatting away the fire, the troll's minimal clothing left its big chest bare, and its lumpy face snarled at Lucy and Jason, clenching its jagged orange teeth.

The troll held a massive club with the build of a thick oak tree that was ripped from the ground and snapped into two. But the strangest thing about the troll was not anything about it's appearance, but what it was riding. The troll sat upon this greyish-purple four-legged creature. Jason had no idea what it was, but it had two large golden horns sprouting from its head that Jason didn't want to be at the wrong end of, and its skin looked about as tough as rock, with its humped back supporting the weight of the massive troll on top of it. Its body emitted a feint orange glow as the troll attempted to gain control. The beast flung its head back and forth, perhaps in angst from the flames but the troll held onto its harness to subdue it. The beast's mouth resembled a kraken, with tentacle-like appendages that thrashed around madly.

Then, leaping out from the flames was yet another troll riding a similar beast. This one looked heavily scathed compared to the first. The troll's club was on fire and he jiggled it around in the air trying to put it out.

Richard was about twenty feet ahead of them once they gathered their senses and scrambled after him. They practically flew down the hill towards the main road panting heavily as Jason heard the trotting of the beasts behind them. They grew louder and he became aware that there would be no possibility to outrun these creatures. Jason turned around just in time to see one of the trolls in full charge on a beast.

When it came to point-blank range Jason pointed his wand at the troll, trembling furiously," Reducto!"

Agonizingly, nothing came out of his wand, and Jason heard a large CRACK and a searing pain shot up his legs.

"AGH!" Jason's legs buckled as the troll had smashed its dense club into his knees. Sinking to the ground, Jason saw the other troll charging at Lucy, who had also turned to face their combatants.

"CONFRINGO!" Lucy's wand shot out a ball of light that hit the troll square in the chest. BOOM

On impact the explosion blasted the troll off the beast, which promptly dashed away from the party. The troll laid on his back seemingly unconscious and bloody from the explosion.

Jason tried to stand up but could hardly do so. One of the bones in his leg may have been broken, so he half stood, gripped with pain trying to analyze the situation.

Jason's mind darted back and forth? What are these beasts and how have they gotten to Hogwarts? What were they doing trying to kill Richard?

Jason's questions remained unanswered as the troll that was still trying to kill them galloped around on its beast. It galloped away from them towards the castle in a wide loop, trying to cut off a retreat backwards, while Richard regrouped with Lucy and Jason.

Lucy fired spells at the troll but it was too far away. It seemed to not want to get too close to Lucy's spells after seeing what happened to his friend.

"What the hell is going on— AGH — I can hardly walk!" Jason shouted at Richard.

Richard looked frantic," I've no idea! I heard something in the woods and then these trolls and graphorns appeared out of nowhere and tried clobbering me. They shouldn't even BE on Hogwarts grounds!"

Richard then pointed his wand up into the air, and like a flare gun he shot red sparks high into the night sky which exploded," Hopefully someone from the castle got that."

The troll continued to tread about a hundred feet away from them, not coming closer nor retreating. Then, from the woods at the top of the hill, Jason looked in horror as a goblin appeared, standing in front of the blaze that engulfed the woods now. Despite being far away, Jason could see his black suit and gleaming iron short sword. Glinting in the firelight, the goblin had neatly combed black hair that gave him a look of formality that Jason otherwise wouldn't have had ever thought of in a goblin, and feigned a maddening smile that was so wide his cheeks were nearly pushed up into his eyeballs. Jason shivered at the sight of the possessed-looking creature. Behind him, three more appeared, all wearing shiny golden laced metal armor around their torsos, shoulders and legs, appearing as miniature medieval knights ready to charge into battle. Jason nervously crept backwards, for though they were unequipped with swords, they all held metal rods, which he knew must have been metal wands like the one Bartra had used.

Lucy and Richard noticed this development as well, and they suddenly had a realization that they were trapped: The troll blocked their way to the castle and the goblins blocked their path up the hill and towards high ground.

Lucy turned to face the goblins while Richard faced the troll, and Jason limped in between them, mostly focusing on the freakish goblin wearing the suit.

The goblin in the suit raised his sword straight up into the air and then pointed his sword right at Jason's heart.

The goblins behind him rushed towards their group, flinging spells at them. They screamed a high pitch war-like battle cry and Jason stumbled backwards as their voices shattered his desire to fight.

Jason quickly considered surrendering their wands in exchange for their lives but realized that these goblins were attacking to kill. They were far enough away to miss almost all of their spells but Jason recognized the green flash of the killing curse soar over their heads and towards the castle. Meanwhile the goblin with the suit and sword walked casually behind his troops.

Lucy and Jason desperately fired spells back at the goblins but they had to move around to avoid being hit by their spells.

"DON'T KILL THE BOY!" Screeched the goblin in the suit.

The goblins stopped for a second and hesitated, which gave Lucy the perfect opportunity to stun one of them in the chest, dropping him on his face.

"Flipendo!" Jason heard Richard shout from behind him, daring to glance over his shoulder as the goblins resumed their attack, and he saw that Richard had thrown the charging troll off his graphorn with a knockback jinx. The ground shook as the troll's massive body dunked into the Earth.

Richard realized his mistake a second too late, for the graphorn had not abandoned his charge despite missing its rider.

With death in its eyes, the beast pounced onto Richard's chest, knocking him onto the ground. They thrashed around violently, the graphorn sinking its claws deep into his skin, procuring bloody red wounds that dug beneath his school robes.

"AHH— GET OFF— ME!" Richard wrestled the graphorn viscously but he wasn't nearly as strong as it.

Jason stood for a second, not knowing what to do, but then he pointed his wand at the beast praying that his lacking wand skills wouldn't fail him now," Everte Statum!"

The graphorn was thrown off Richard and cartwheeled in the air before crashing in the dirt. Richard scrambled to his feet, picking his wand off the ground. He gave Jason a thankful look with his eyes, and Jason nodded back to him, relieved that his spell worked.

Lucy had been holding off the goblins, who advanced more cautiously now. The troll rose to its feet, groggy from its fall, but now without its graphorn, who had hastily retreated into the woods, it had no speed and could not dodge any spells. Richard easily petrified the troll with a body-binding spell. The troll lingered in a standing-up position with its mouth wide open before promptly tilting over like a tree and falling onto the ground.

The goblins had stopped firing killing curses after their leader ordered them so, and were now shooting to stun which Lucy was easily able to deflect, shield or dodge away from.

Jason was in awe as he himself attempted to fire spells at the goblins but had no need of protecting himself as all there efforts were vainly directed at Lucy.

"I could—use a little— help here!" Lucy ducked as a spell nearly hit her in the face.

Jason tried to be of more use but could hardly stand; Richard was bloody and battered but he joined in attacking the goblins who now stood their ground only about thirty feet away from them.

The goblin with the sword had only just caught up with his troops after strolling down to the bottom of the hill and his bizarre smile from before had vanished. He was now inexplicably sulked in disgust, seeing the failure of his troops and beasts. His blue eyes drilled into Jason with desire.

"This is taking too long!" His voice shocked Jason, for it was not scratchy or goblin-sounding like he thought it would. His throat ran like silk in confidence and assertion.

The goblin brandished his sword strangely, pointing it at them, though Jason didn't yet know what capabilities a weapon like that would have in such a fight.

"Protego!" Richard yelled out casting a shield charm but he was too slow.

Then in a rapid blur, Jason was suddenly staring up at the night sky with a monstrous ringing in his ear. Groaning, Jason rubbed his ears and realized he was knocked over on his back. To his side, he saw Richard laying limp on the floor.

His heart stopped.

Jason fell over as tried getting up from the ground, his leg still in pain from earlier and completely disoriented, but he crawled over to Richard whose neck was bloody, while the clothes on his right leg had been completely blown off and chunks of flesh from his calf and thigh were missing.

Jason desperately put his hand on his neck, his hand becoming covered in blood while checking for a heartbeat.

He was relieved to feel the quiet hum of life still in his friend. His leg was bleeding badly though and was squirting blood out into the air in a high loop back onto Jason, drenching both their robes in red. Jason's insides churned, never seeing a wound nearly as bad as this in his entire life.

Thankfully Lucy was uninjured, though she too had trouble recovering from the blast as her wand was out of her grasp and her blue eyes blurred worriedly for the first time when her and Jason made eye contact.

All the while, the goblins had enclosed on the group and Jason saw that they were not going to be able to fight their way out.

The goblin in the suit had now softened into a triumphant expression, his ears pointing upwards in the moonlight."A rather valiant effort. I must say I am quite impressed with your dazzling performance at such an age." The goblin had tucked his sword back into its sheath, now standing politically with his arms behind his back and his face stern yet upbeat. Despite being a goblin, he was perhaps the tallest of his kind, towering over both Jason and Lucy who were still on the ground. His henchman flanked him, their wands pointed at the trio.

The goblin interrupted into a fake laughter," Oh! How could I have been so barbaric! I have yet to introduce myself." He spread his arms as if he was a humble servant presenting himself to a master," I am Egon."

Lucy gasped," I know you! You're the president of the Goblin Liberation Association," She spat disgustedly.

Egon's face shone brightly," You do! I am glad that my endeavors have had such a particular undertaking on our youth of the day!"

Lucy snarled, rising and meeting Egon face to face for a split second before one of the goblins pointed his wand at her and ropes came barreling out, encroaching her mobility. Bound by thick ropes, she struggled and grunted," You're a fraud! Everyone hates goblins you know! You're a vial, greedy, blood-lusting creature and you'll burn in hell—" Lucy was cut off as another goblin performed a silencing spell on her.

Egon comedically placed a finger on one of the ropes, gentle as a feather before prodding it and Lucy slowly tipped over, unable to move or speak. Jason caught her before her head hit the ground and laid her down comfortably. Her eyes screamed at Jason to do something but his wand was ten feet away and the goblins were pointing theirs at him.

Egon spoke in a disapproving tone,"Civil discourse is so uncommon these days, perhaps you have an untempered tongue unlike your friend, boy?"

Jason scowled, scrunching up his face together," Let her go!" He then looked over towards Richard who was losing a lot of blood," What do you want with him?"

Egon laughed again, this time for real.

"Oh, unfortunately I don't think he's in any state to be of use to me, pity," he motioned over to Richard's near lifeless body in a pool of blood.

Their was a moment of silence where Jason considered dashing to his wand but Egon resumed his speech," For centuries now goblins have lived as inferiors, senselessly subjugated by the ministry of magic, forced to live in the gutters of oppression!" His face grimaced ruthlessly," Meanwhile wizards and witches blissfully and ignorantly believe that we goblins are contempt with this chronic covenant," He unsheathed his sword and yelled," WELL I SAY NO MORE!"

Jason began to crawl backwards while Egon meticulously approached him with his sword," Of course, I am not so ignorant to blame benighted students like yourself. No, no," he scoffed," But as an institution of supposed propriety, Hogwarts has, regrettably, become a beacon of disempowerment for the very beings that invented half of your course material," he scoffed," And unfortunately for you, your magic is simply a wasted gift. Clearly your education has not been sufficient, I expected an older student like yourself to not be so weak! Your friends here have put up valiant efforts to stay alive but I daresay you would have been killed just by that meager troll if they weren't there to help you."

Jason's heart thumped against his chest loudly, and he pushed against the ground with his heels, desperately backing away along the floor as Egon approached him, swinging the sword, his devilish smile back on his face. Jason had not thought that death was a possibility despite the intensity of the fight up until this point, and now desperately reached for his wand in terror. One of the goblins walked alongside Jason and petrified him. Jason was beyond angry, he was devastated. Egon's words stung like a hornet. If he hadn't been so weak, Richard would not be bleeding to death next to him. If he wasn't such a failure Lucy would not be bound by ropes. If people actually respected him, Egon would have retreated before his attack out of fear.

But as the sword swung past his face, every muscle in his body froze up like stones. His mind ran laps desperately screaming at himself to move or say something, but he lay limp on the grass.

Egon continued his argument," I did not want war, or death of the like. But, death in the name of justice is peace," He breathed in discomfortably," This will concurrently signal the beginnings of our rebellion, a statement against the true house of horror. Your death will become legend, few are so lucky to die for justice."

Egon began to raise the sword above his pale satanic head.

Jason tried to close his eyes but couldn't. A million things crossed his mind, his Mother sobbing for her father, flying on a broomstick over Hogwarts next to Lucy for the first time, and the image of Richard Worsley on the brink of death next to him.

Maybe I'll see him soon, he thought morbidly.

As Jason accepted his fate, all he could do was stare up at Egon who was above him.

With a boom, Egon was wildly thrown over and Jason's entire body decompressed in relief.

Someone had thrown a knockback jinx into his chest and although Jason couldn't move to see who had used it, he heard a chorus of wizards and witches behind him throwing spells at the unprepared goblins.

"FINISH HIM MY KING!" A goblin cried out in despair.

Just then, Professor McGonagall rushed in front of Jason's petrified body," Protego Maxima!" Jason could see the shield McGonagall had conjured and it protected all three of them.

Jason was dumbstruck, he had just escaped death, barely. Millions of questions flooded his mind but he was most thankful to be alive.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Professor Arnold heroically take McGonagall's side, and he kneeled down to where Richard was knocked out," Good God! We need to get this boy to the infirmary! I can patch these up long enough for him to make it there. He'll die quick if we don't!"

"I've got blood-replenishing potion for the boy!" He heard Professor Slughorn behind him.

The goblins had realized they were outmatched as McGonagall and other teachers from the school continued to force them away from the injured party with knockback spells, and Jason could see them in a retreat, running up the hill.

They were about a hundred feet away now and Jason did not doubt they were running for good.

Professor Flitwick came into view at Jason's side," Should we follow them headmistress?"

McGonagall didn't answer him as she freed Lucy from her bonds with a flick of her wand.

Lucy was on her feet in an instant and ran to her wand, then pelted after the goblins.

"GARDENER!" McGonagall roared authoritatively," GET BACK HERE AT ONCE!"

Lucy ignored her, and Jason could just see her fire one last spell at the retreating goblins," SECTUM SEMPRA!" Professor Sprout came up from behind them and waved her wand at Lucy, pulling her back towards her and catching her in a forceful grip.

The goblins were now at the top of the hill, and Jason saw Egon look back at them all one last time, before Lucy's last ditch spell came flying right towards his head, with perfect accuracy.

Even from below, Jason could hear Egon bellow out in agony. His deviled scream shook their ears like a thunderbolt.

Jason could see that Egon was not dead, but he held half the side of his face in his hands. His face was covered in blood, but still, Egon and his forces retreated through the woods.

Flitwick un-petrified Jason and he was able to move and speak again, but his leg hurt worst than ever," What the hell was that all about?" He scanned the large party before him now but everyone was just as confused as him.

McGonagall strictly declared," Now's not the time for that. We must get Worsley to the infirmary and you two should be checked up as well, then we'll find answers. James help me with the boy, Pomona you can come with us too. Rubeus, please deal with the trolls... I want the rest of you to return to the castle at once and patrol the entrances, I don't want those goblins trying to get in." Everyone began to disperse by the command of their marching orders.

Sprout let go of Lucy now as Jason tried to limp back to the castle, and she came over and helped him walk back. Arnold had conjured a stretcher for Richard and he was wheeled back to the castle in front of them, for his bleeding had been dampened but did not stop. Slughorn had forced a blood-replenishing potion down his throat so he wouldn't die of blood loss.

"What was that?" Jason weakly asked Lucy. Everything had happened so fast and unexpectedly that Jason could hardly process the fact that he had almost been killed only minutes ago.

"I don't know," she stared at the ground as they limped along, and suddenly Jason was wrapped in a hug," I thought you were dead, and all I could do was watch," they embraced each other for a long minute, Lucy sniffling and sputtering.

They held each other for some time, and Jason could only shake, for he felt overcome by the gift of life.