Daddy’s Boy

Halloween 91

Encouraged by Harry, Hermione also tried to get into the Quidditch team. She proved very good in the tryouts.

"I can't yet put you in the team proper, being a firstie, but I'd like you to be our reserve chaser. It means that you should join our practices and be ready to step in if one of the chasers can't play," Oliver told her.

Hermione was content. She didn't mind the game, but staying close to Harry and flying together was really nice.

Harry proved to be a very good seeker, even when using the school brooms, yet Professor McGonagall thought her new star seeker deserved a better broom. She knew James could afford buying the best for his son, yet she wanted to do it herself. Harry was delighted to get a new Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick, even if it meant more rigorous training with the house team. He was quite proud to have been chosen and even happier that Hermione was proud of him.

On Halloween morning, the first year Gryffindors had double charms, learning the "Wingardium Leviosa" levitation charm. Professor Flitwick divided the class into pairs for practising. Harry wanted to pair with Hermione, as usual, but the professor wanted to pair them with weaker students. Harry had to work with Seamus while Hermione ended up with Ron. None was content. Hermione kept reminding Ron of the correct pronunciation and hand movements to no avail. When she did it, she succeeded on first try, making Ron's disposition become even more sour.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Hermione knocked into Harry as she hurried past him. Harry caught a glimpse of her face and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you," he told Ron, quite annoyed.

"So?" said Ron, not looking even a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Harry looked for her until he had to go to the next class, which Hermione failed to attend. Eventually he gave up, assuming that Hermione probably didn't want to be found, although he was quite worried about her.

On his way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom on the first floor and wanted to be left alone. As he reached the Great Hall he noticed that Hermione was still missing. He decided to look for her as soon as his grumbling stomach was quietened. He was just filling his plate when professor Quirrell ran in, announcing there was a troll in the dungeons.

While the prefects started herding the students to their common rooms, Harry slipped out of the Great Hall and sprinted to the girls' bathroom. His heart started beating faster when he heard a scream. Running into the bathroom he noticed Hermione trying to hide in the corner, while a mountain troll was moving its club carelessly, knocking down the stalls and breaking the sinks on the other wall.

There was only one spell that Harry could remember at the moment – the one they had practised that morning. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted with a swish and a flick, pointing at the troll's club. The club was plucked out of the troll's hand and floated up, way above its head. Before the troll could try to grab it again, Harry let the club fall on its head, stunning it a bit. He then repeated it two more times – floating the club as high as possible and then dropping it on the troll's head.

After the third time, the troll seemed to fall unconscious, breaking a few more sinks as it fell. Harry hurried to Hermione and hugged her tightly, silently letting her feel how much he cared for her. The girl just put her head on his chest and cried, only this time it wasn't out of hurt, but out of relief.

They were soon interrupted as Professor McGonagall came bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, 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 seat.

Professor McGonagall was looking at Harry and Hermione. Harry had never seen her look so angry.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall said, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Please, Professor McGonagall — he was looking for me."

"Miss Granger?!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet.

"I was in the toilet, as I was not feeling well, and Harry came to take me to the dormitories, only the troll arrived first."

This wasn't the exact truth, but it was close enough.

"Hadn't he found me, I'd be dead now. Harry knocked it out with its own club. He didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. The troll was about to finish me off when he arrived."

"Miss Granger, if you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first year students could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You win Gryffindor ten points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You two may go now."

Before they even left the bathroom, Snape raised his wand at the wall and said "Reparo!". The sinks started repairing themselves. Harry still noticed a large hole behind one of them, before it was sealed as the sink returned to its place.

The two hurried to their dorm. Harry was holding Hermione's hand tightly, as if to make sure not to lose her. She didn't seem to mind. She was actually thinking of her knight in shining armour who came to save her from the troll.

Sirius and Remus came to visit the next weekend. James preferred to stay behind, unwilling to let Dumbledore find that he was still alive. While visits of friends and family were quite rare, they were not forbidden, and some magical families used to visit their first-year children regularly, at least during the first few months.

The weather was good, making most of the students and staff stay outside, soaking some rare sunshine. It made it easier for Harry, Hermione and their two visitors to reach the forbidden corridor without being noticed by anybody.

Harry and Hermione had already visited the three headed dog a few times and after some growling it also accepted Remus and Sirius, especially since the two were very good at scratching its heads at the right spots, based on personal experience. They didn't go any farther, though. This was clearly a trap or a test for somebody and they didn't want to interfere prematurely. They only cast several monitoring spells on the trap door under the dog. These would alert them and Harry to any intrusion.

"I have something for you," Sirius said before leaving. He put his hand in his pocket and took out two small hand-mirrors. "These can be used for private communication, just like the Muggle mobile phones. You tap the mirror with your wand and say the marauder name of the one you want to talk with. You know the names?"

"Sure! Prongs, Moony and Padfoot. How do you call Hermione?"

Sirius smiled mischievously. "We had several names in mind, but Kitty seemed just right for her. You are Snow."

Both children nodded. The names fit perfectly.

Harry and Hermione didn't see Ron until the next week and didn't miss him at all. Well, Harry saw him snoring in bed, but that doesn't really count.

Monday morning, as they were going to the Great Hall for breakfast, Ron called after them, "Hey, wait for me!"

Harry was inclined to ignore Ron's call, but Hermione decided she would like to confront him. "He needs to start being responsible for his deeds," she said firmly.

Ron joined them a few seconds later. "Hi, mate. Haven't seen you since Halloween feast. Where have you been?" he asked Harry, ignoring Hermione completely.

"Well, after knocking down a troll, I just stayed with my friend Hermione. I also had some visitors during the weekend," Harry said as a matter of fact.

"Oh, drop it off! You couldn't have knocked down a troll!"

"Yes, he did," Hermione said forcefully. "The troll was threatening me and Harry came to my rescue."

Ron just ignored her. "You're too young and inexperienced to do anything with a troll except for running away from it."

Harry was really annoyed by Ron ignoring Hermione. "Ron, Hermione is my friend. If you want to be my friend then you should treat her nicely and listen to what she says."

Ron didn't seem to understand. "But... She's just a bookworm!"

"I'm a bookworm too. If you don't like bookworms then you can't be my friend. Goodbye!" Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and turned away, walking quite briskly to breakfast and ignoring Ron's mumbled protests.

"Harry, you don't have to give up your friends for me," Hermione told him once her breath calmed down again, after sitting at the table.

"Hermione, I've almost lost you to the troll because of him! I'm sorry I didn't shut his mouth immediately, yet I'll always choose you over anybody else!"

She smiled at him, feeling her eyes getting moist. "Harry, that's really nice of you, yet you can have other friends besides me."

"I have: Neville, Seamus, maybe even Dean. We both have some friends back home. I don't need a back-stabbing friend; I don't need someone greedy and inconsiderate as a friend. If he doesn't act nicely with you then he can't be my friend!"

Hermione just smiled tearfully at him, her heart swelling with some unidentified feelings.

Dumbledore was not sure how he should act. Harry had shown great courage in knocking down a troll, saving his friend, and as a Headmaster, he should show some appreciation to the boy, yet that same boy frustrated him to no end. Well, some of the blame lay on that Weasley fool. Unlike his brothers, that boy seemed to have no talent, unless speed eating is considered one. After being carefully coached and motivated to become close friend with Harry, that boy just blew it. It was now time for damage control.

Harry was sitting in the Headmaster's office once again, looking forward to the Legilimency probe. He had practised and hopefully perfected a new defence.

"You've had quite an eventful Halloween, I've heard. Care to tell me about it?"

Harry shrugged. "It all started after charms. Ron was badmouthing Hermione, feeling bad for her being much better than him in every subject. Hermione heard it and was deeply hurt. She ran to a girl's bathroom and cried there for most of the day. When the troll came, I knew she didn't know about it and could be in danger, so I looked for her. Luckily, she wasn't attacked yet, although the troll was going to smash her shortly. I had to do something to save her – she's my friend since we came here. I knocked it down with its own club before the professors arrived."

"How could you knock it down? Do you know any spells for that?"

"I just used the one we were practising that morning – the levitation charm. I levitated its club and let it fall on its head repeatedly. Luckily, it worked, as I was too frightened to remember any other spell."

Harry felt the Legilimency probe and smiled internally. He had prepared a kaleidoscopic display of swirling colours and sounds for any intruder, which was sure to cause... interesting effects. A moment later he saw Dumbledore pale and hold his head in agony.

"Are you alright, sir?" he asked the old man, holding back his triumphant smile and showing concern instead.

The headmaster waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm alright, Harry. It's just I suddenly got a headache. We shall continue our conversation some other time, if you don't mind."