Chapter 8: Hallows Eve

Lessons continue over the next few days. Then, it's the Halloween Feast. Our friend group, Audrey, Ainsley, Paiyton, Mikayla, Draco, Blaise, Theo, and Pansy, walk into the Great hall together and find seats near the front of the table. After a few minutes, J and Quinn come and join us with their friends. Soon, the whole Great hall is filled with loud chatter. "Welcome! To this year's annual Halloween Feast!" A voice roars over the loud chatter. Everyone shuts up and looks up to see Dumbledore on the platform. "Now that we are all gathered, we shall enjoy this night of celebration for the ghosts that inhabit our home. We thank you all for your-" Dumbledore is cut off by the doors banging open.

"Trooooooll!!!!!! Troll in the dungeon!!!!!" The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirell yells as he enters the hall, running. "Thought you 'ought to know." he says before falling to the ground, passed out. Everyone stands up and screams in fear. Draco's face is all screwed up in fear beside me.

"SILENCE!!!!!" Dumbledore's voice echoes. Everyone goes silent. "Prefects! Escort your house to your common rooms now. Quickly now! Teachers, report to the dungeons." My eyes immediately flip to Wayne. As I start to follow the crowd, I feel someone grab my hand. I turn around, and see Draco gripping my hand tightly. I smile slightly and pull him forward next to me. We start to hurry down the stairs when I hear screams.

"Everyone back!!!" I hear someone yell. I twist around and am pushed back the way we came. People behind me are screaming. It gives me the chills. I hear loud footsteps behind me and I realize that Draco let go of me. I keep running and I hear people calling my name from behind me. I see one of the bathrooms up ahead and I run into it. I think I've lost the troll. I hear one of the stall doors creak open and the Granger girl walks out.

"What are you doing here?!" She asks me in anger.

"I- There is a troll on the loose and it was following me so I ran in here."

"Are you stupid!!?" She yells back. "The troll is going to come in here now!"

"Well, we better hide!" I say as I walk to a back corner. The troll then walks in and swings its club at her. She screams in terror and crouches under one of the sinks. The thing swings its club at her again and she rust under the sinks towards me. Then, she runs into the stall with me and we cover our heads in fear.

"Hermione!!!" A voice I recognise as Ron yells into the bathroom. That means Harry is also here.

"We're back here!!!" I yell out at them.

"Is that Amilee?" Harry asks, seemingly no one. I assume that he is talking to Ron. I don't hear any response. The troll then smashes its club through the wood of the stall. We crawl under the rest of the wooded stalls to where we can see Harry and Ron. Harry is on the toll's back while Ron is hesitantly pointing his wand at it.

"Swish and Flick!" Hermione says to Ron, demonstrating.

"Wingardium Leviosa!!" Ron yells, swishing his wand like we were taught. As he is yelling it, the troll is swinging its club, when after Ron finishes the spell, it flies out of its hand. Ron drops his wand and the club comes crashing down onto the troll's head. It stumbles around for a few steps and then falls backwards with a loud thud. "Eww Troll bogies." Ron says to Harry after he pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. I hear running coming from outside in the hallway. Professors Dumbledore, Quirrell, McGonagall, and Snape come into the bathroom.

"What happened in here?" Professor McGonagall asks the four of us. Harry and Ron stutter at the same time to try to answer.

"It's my fault Professor." Hermione says from behind me. "I thought that I could take on the troll on my own. I was very wrong. If it weren't for Harry, Ron, and Amilee being here, I might be dead."

"Oh, Granger. I thought that you were smarter than this. 50 points from Gryffindor. Each. And 50 from Slytherin as well." Professor McGonagall tells the four of us.

"But- Professor!!" Ron protests.

"Don't make it more, Weasley!" Professor McGonagall says.

"Come, Amilee." Professor Snape calls. I follow him and we walk to his office. "Sit." He snarls. I sit as quickly as I can.

"Y-yes Professor?" I ask.

"Why, may I ask, were you in the bathroom when you had orders to go to the common room?"

"Well," I say grabbing at my neck, "Everyone was heading to the common room, myself included, and I just happened to be at the back of the crowd. When the troll came running up the corridor, most people got out of the way, but I was running so I didn't notice. I kept running, and after I finally noticed that everyone was gone, it was too late. I saw a door up ahead and saw that it was one of the bathrooms and thought 'Oh, he won't be able to come in here' and so I ran in, but I was wrong. The Granger girl was also in there so we hid under the sinks and then Harry and Ron came in and fought the troll." I explained. Snape sat there in silence, thinking.

"I see." He says. "Well, 50 points to Slytherin. You didn't need to lose those points as it wasn't your fault that you were there. Now go to bed." He continues, shooing me away. I walk back to the common room, and when I enter, I see Draco and my roommates pacing.

"Oh my god! You're okay!!!" Audrey yells as she runs up to me and squeezes me.

"We thought you were done for!" Mikayla joins in. They let me go and I see Draco standing there, tears in his eyes.

"I thought that you were going to die." Draco whispers in my ear as he embraces me. I hug him tighter.

That night, I was questioned by my roommates. "Why did it take you so long to get back?" Ainsley asks. "That bathroom isn't that far from here." We are all sitting on the floor in the dorm. I haven't seen Paiyton since the feast. I don't know why she isn't talking to me.

"After Harry and Ron knocked the troll out and the professors came in, Snape took me back to his office to talk. And McGonagall took away 50 points, but he gave them back so we technically didn't lose any." I say.

"Dang." Audrey says. I look up at the clock. 9:30. I yawn while standing up.

"Whacha doing?" Mikayla asks.

"I'm getting tired, plus curfew is soon. I'm going to bed." I respond. I lay in bed and can hear the others whispering. A bed creaks and I hear someone walking.

"Paiyton…" Someone says.

"Why haven't you been talking to Amilee? You clearly like her." Another voice says.

"I don't." A stone cold voice says.

"Well, she obviously misses talking to you. She hasn't been as talkative since y'all stopped talking." The first voice says.

"Well, why do you think I stopped talking to her? She probably has a fucking crush on one of us. Have you guys not thought of that?" I hear an angry Paiyton say. Silence.

A 4th voice enters the conversation. "I have but… it doesn't seem like it." The room goes quiet after that. I fall asleep quickly.