As always your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, and always remember my Golden Rule: ' If you read, you must review.' And speaking of reviews, I'm putting in a thanks section at the end of this chapter. I really feel I should have done it earlier… anywhoooo…
H/H forever!!!
Bye!
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Snape seemed about to start a lecture, but even he thought better of it as he saw Harry's condition. With the help of the Professors, Harry was quickly levitated and rushed to Madame Pomfrey.
As Ron and Hermione followed Snape and McGonagall, Flitwick and the other Professor, whom neither Ron nor Hermione recognized, left back down the corridor leading to the girls' lavatory. Presumably they were going to deal with the troll more permanently, as neither Ron nor Hermione had noticed whether it was dead, or merely unconscious.
As the group traveled towards the hospital wing McGonagall asked… or rather demanded- an explanation of what had happened. Ron did most of the talking as Hermione was too upset about Harry's current condition to do more than add in a few details here and there. Ron went on in great detail about how he had done nothing as the troll smashed Harry into the wall, until McGonagall finally told him to stop being foolish.
' There was nothing you could have done anyway! Just be grateful that any of you are still alive.' McGonagall scolded, both Ron and Hermione. ' What Harry did was certainly very foolish,' McGonagall looked puzzled briefly before continuing, ' even if it did end up saving all of you from having to suffer the same, or worse. However, it was no more foolish than any of you being there in the first place. In fact I'd say that you were the one that acted more reasonably. On top of that, if you had tried to do something as well as Harry then it's likely that Ms. Granger would be the only one in any condition to be walking about, and it may have been to late for you or Mr. Potter by the time she could bring help.'
This seemed to finally get through to Ron.
' You mean it would have been worse for Harry if I had tried to help him sooner?' Ron asked, in an almost desperate tone.
McGonagall looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ' Precisely, Mr. Weasley. Now is there any point in telling you and Ms. Granger to return to your dormitory? Or will you find some other mischief to get into on the way back?'
As much as both Ron and Hermione wanted to stay with their friend, they knew he would be okay, and McGonagall's stern look was enough to make them both shake their heads and mutter their assurances that they would go straight back to the dormitory.
' Mr. Potter is lucky to have such a good friend as you, Mr. Weasley.' Professor McGonagall told Ron in as soft a voice as she ever used, as he turned to leave with Hermione. ' I'm sure he doesn't blame you. From the way you tell it I believe he was ready to trade his life for yours. I'm sure he will tell you much the same when he wakes. You will both be notified when he is able to receive visitors.' Both Ron and Hermione were quite surprised at the almost sympathetic tone in her voice, but it didn't last long.
' Now hurry back to your dormitory. We will have to deal with your being out of the dorms against our orders not to leave, when Harry is conscious.' McGonagall continued in her usual strict tone, which allowed no protest.
Ron and Hermione turned away once more and headed back to their dormitory. Neither was particularly interested in spending time with the other, but they were looking forward to facing the onslaught of questions from their fellow Gryffindors even less. For a while the two walked in awkward silence, taking the longest way back to Gryffindor tower and walking as slow as they could without going backwards. In the end it was Ron who broke the silence.
' I'm, uh- I'm sorry about the whole trapping you with the troll thing.' Ron mutter, his face going slightly red from embarrassment.
Hermione sighed shortly. ' Oh, stop it.' She said, sounding a little annoyed, but not at Ron. ' It wasn't your fault. There was no way you could have known I was in there in the first place, and even if you'd have left the door wide open the troll had me cornered.' Her head slumped a little as she continued. ' If anyone is to blame here, it's me. You guys came to help me and you were put in danger because of it, and worse, Harry was injured.'
' Please! Stop being so…noble.' Ron answered. ' You never would have been in there, Harry and I wouldn't have come looking for you, and Harry wouldn't be in the hospital wing right now if I had just listened to him in the first place and tried being civil to you. I- ' He stated, getting more worked up as he went, until Hermione grabbed his arm.
' We're starting again.' Was all she said giving Ron a sad look and letting his arm go.
Ron stared for a moment then sighed. ' You're right. This kind of thing is what started it all, isn't it? Look, I'm really sorry about how I've been treating you.' He said, stopping and turning to face Hermione. ' I had no right. I guess I was just kind of jealous…' he explained, trailing off.
Hermione frowned. She was used to Ron acting stubborn and lazy, but he usually made sense.
' Jealous? Jealous of what? My hordes of friends and admirers?' Hermione asked in a slightly bitter tone.
' No.' Ron exhaled, a pained look on his face. ' It's just that we're both Harry's friends, but it's always Harry helping me with homework and stuff, while you're able to help Harry with it. It started getting to me that you're a more valuable friend to Harry than I am.' Ron sighed again ' He's talked a lot about how you can always take something from a book and apply it to real life so easily and other things like that.'
' It's not just your fault. I didn't exactly give you a whole lot of reason to want to be friends with me.' Hermione answered. ' And to tell the truth, I was kind of jealous of you as well. I might be able to help Harry with schoolwork, but I can't help him with anything else. You're the one that is always helping him understand the everyday wizarding world. Harry could do just fine without me helping him with his schoolwork, and he helped me to by the way, but he's always laughing about how you're always having to save him from making a fool of himself whenever he encounters some magical device that he's never seen before, but is common knowledge to wizards.'
' How about we just agree that we're both at fault?' Ron suggested, with a tentative smile.
Hermione grinned. ' Sure. Truce?' she asked holding out her hand a little uncertainly.
Ron looked down at her hand for a moment, and then shook it, letting go immediately.
' Truce.' Ron confirmed. ' I don't want to take the chance of something like this happening to Harry again because of us. Even if it was just bad luck this time.'
Ron and Hermione became quiet once more at the thought of Harry lying so motionless in the hospital wing. They turned and walked the rest of the way back to the Gryffindor common room in silence.
Fortunately Ron and Hermione didn't have to answer any questions when they got back to the common room. The Halloween feast was continuing in each house's common room and no one noticed the two entering except for one or two seventh years who seemed to be going about making sure the rather noisy party didn't get too out of hand. They hadn't seen Ron leave with Harry though, and so they didn't ask any questions.
Hermione went straight to the girls' dorm after climbing through the portrait hole, and Ron went to the boys' dorm a few minutes later, earning him odd looks from Dean and Seamus.
Normally Ron would have been eating everything in sight and playing card games or chess with everyone else, but somehow he just didn't feel like celebrating with the others while Harry was missing out.
¿ <'}}}><
Later on in the evening Professor McGonagall came to tell the Gryffindors to quiet down.
' Where are Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger?' she asked, glancing about the crowded common room.
' I think Ron is up in our dormitory.' Offered Seamus ' Shall I go get him?'
' Please do.' McGonagall nodded in his direction. ' I assume that Miss Granger is also in her dorm? Would someone please tell her that I wish to speak to her?'
Lavender got up, with a sour look, from where she had been sitting on a couch with Seamus (who had been trying for most of the evening to get away) and went up the stairs to the girls' dorm.
Seamus returned a moment later pointing out, to an anxious Ron, where McGonagall was waiting by the portrait hole. Seamus then disappeared into the mass of still celebrating students with a furtive glance towards the girls' dorm where Lavender had gone.
Ron opened his mouth to ask if Harry was alright as he approached McGonagall, but she forestalled his question with a stern look.
' Harry is not yet awake, although Madam Pomfrey assures me that he will be fine.' Professor McGonagall explained, looking as though she had other things on her mind, as indeed she did. ' I am not here however, to discuss Mr. Potter's health. When Ms. Granger arrives we will be visiting Professor Dumbledore's office.'
Confused, Ron opened his mouth to ask why, but was once again predicted by McGonagall who told him that the reason for the meeting with the headmaster would be explained when they got there.
Hermione arrived, with slightly red eyes, just as McGonagall finished speaking to Ron.
They left immediately; with Ron and Hermione walking a few steps behind McGonagall as Ron explained to Hermione what was going on or at least what he knew about what was going on, and that he had been assured of Harry's eventual recovery.
Eventually McGonagall stopped in front of one of the uglier, but more comical looking, gargoyles and leaned close, whispering something that neither Ron nor Hermione heard. As McGonagall leaned away again the gargoyle's ears twitched and it shook it's head, as if waking from a nap before stepping aside to reveal a doorway and a spiral staircase.
' So can you tell us why we're here now?' Ron questioned as McGonagall led the two up the spiralling stairs. ' I mean I know it must have something to do with the troll, but I thought that you said that you were going to wait until Harry was awake to deal with that.'
Hermione looked at Ron with alarm, as though she wanted to scold him for talking to a professor in such a manner, but she also looked equally interested in McGonagall's answer.
McGonagall looked as though she was looking for a reason not to answer, but as they were not yet at the headmaster's office, she found none.
' The reason you are both here is that inspection of the b- *ahem* of the troll, yielded unexpected and rather… suspicious results. That is all I will say for now. The headmaster will explain the rest in due course.'
A minute or two later the three finally reached the door to Dumbledore's office.
The first thing both Ron and Hermione noticed upon entering was a large, brilliant ball of fire.
' Ah! Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, I see you have noticed Fawkes.' Dumbledore greeted them from beside his desk.
At the sound of it's name the ball of fire shook itself and looked up and Ron and Hermione realized that it actually had a head and was sitting on a perch.
' A phoenix!' Hermione breathed in awe. ' They're supposed to quite rare and extremely difficult to tame!'
' Ahem!' McGonagall cleared her throat, ' If we might get on with the reason for this meeting?'
Abashed, Ron and Hermione closed their mouths and turned to a merrily smiling Dumbledore. Even McGonagall's usually expressionless mouth was twitching at the corners.
' Ah, yes. To the matter at hand.' Said Dumbledore, as the perpetual twinkle of his eyes dimmed slightly. ' I have been told your story of what happened of course, although I still fail to see why you and mister Potter did not simply inform a staff member of the situation Mr. Weasley,' he went on in a lighter tone, raising a bushy eyebrow at Ron, ' ; however, I would like to hear it once more from your own mouths.'
Ron shared a nervous look with Hermione before turning back to face the two professors.
' Well, I guess it started in charms class when…'
Ron and Hermione both told the story together, filling in details for each other when Dumbledore or McGonagall asked.
' Hermione, ' Dumbledore questioned, ' did you happen to notice the troll's eyes perhaps? What colour they were?'
' No, sir. I was - I was too scared to really notice.' Hermione said hanging her head and looking very interested in her hands in her lap.
' Very well.' Dumbledore stated with a hint of a sigh. ' Please continue.'
' Well, I guess that all the noise and shouting made it go a little nuts because even when Harry shouted at me it didn't seem to notice and it just kept coming at me. Then Harry ran in front of it and Hermione did some kind of spell or charm that made flashing lights and colours in front of it's eyes, and it started swinging it's club all over.' Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath then went on. ' I - I couldn't even do anything. I just stood there, behind Harry…' Ron stopped and hung his head with his eyes still closed.
Hermione took up the story for Ron with sympathetic look in his direction. ' It must have been the smell, no one can smell something that bad and not be affected by it.'
Ron lifted his head with a snort of unexpected laughter and Dumbledore smiled his approval at Hermione.
' Anyway,' Hermione continued, ' Harry jumped back to get away from the club, but then… he did something- it looked like he just jumped at it and punched it-'
' Where, precisely, did Mr. Potter- hit the troll, Ms. Granger?' McGonagall asked with an inquisitive frown.
' Right here.' Ron said, pointing at his heart. ' Then that's when the troll hit him with it's club and smashed him into the wall. Then it sort of stumbled towards him and that's when Hermione and I cast "Wingardium Leviosa" on the club and dropped in on the troll's head.'
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair stroking his long white beard and looking to be deep in thought.
' Well then Mr. Weasley, I'm sure you can see now that you did in fact help save your friend.' Professor McGonagall said to Ron. ' You may not have acted as quickly as Mr. Potter, but you certainly acted with as much Gryffindor bravery as he in order to protect your friend. As did you Ms. Granger. Twenty points will be awarded to Gryffindor for such fine examples of Gryffindor qualities.'
Both Ron and Hermione's eyes lit up at this and even more at the proud tone evident in their head of house's tone.
' There is still of course the fact that you and Mr. Potter should not have acted on your own Ronald, but we'll deal with that later.' McGonagall admonished, but Ron still grinned at her approval.
Now Dumbledore seemed to have reached some sort of decision, and he reached into a drawer in his desk to pull something out which had been wrapped in a plain grey cloth.
' I am sure you are both curious as to why I would be so interested in hear the story again from you directly, and although I cannot explain everything, I will tell you what I can.' The headmaster told the two first years.
' Professors Flitwick and Sinatra were sent to investigate the troll, and if necessary, to deal with it however they saw fit. Upon inspection of the troll they discovered several unusual things. As you may have guessed, it was indeed a mountain troll. They are not entirely uncommon in this area, but there is a rather powerful charm on the Hogwarts grounds designed specifically to deter trolls. I won't get into the details of it, but I will tell you that to get a troll close to the school, much less to get it to enter the school requires considerable- Shall we say persuasion? In short, the troll must have been sent here. I would ask that you not share this information with any of the other students as it may cause useless rumour. Yes, Hermione? What is it?' asked Dumbledore smiling as Hermione raised her hand as if in class.
' Sorry to interrupt, but how could-' Hermione gestured helplessly ' any of this have happened? I know there are more security measures than mere charms and wards to get past to enter Hogwarts.'
The headmaster looked at the two carefully, a calculating look behind the twinkle in his eyes. ' I can see that you will be more likely to inquire more into this, and possibly raise questions in the other students if I don't answer you. I remind you though that sometimes we are not ready for the answers we want. I think I can trust you not to tell anyone other than Harry about whatever I might tell you?' He asked looking Ron and Hermione both carefully.
' Of course you can, sir. Besides, we're Gryffindors!' Ron stated proudly, and Hermione nodded as well.
Dumbledore smiled softly. ' Just because a person is brave does not mean they are a good person, but I understand your meaning. The fact is that dark magic must have been used in order to get a troll into Hogwarts without it being detected. I know this information undoubtedly brings more questions to mind, children, but I must ask that you keep them to yourselves for now, and we must finish our discussion about the troll you took care of. One of the other unusual things that Professors Flitwick and Sinatra found was this.'
Dumbledore began to carefully unwrap the small cloth package on the desk. As though it might bit his fingers if he wasn't careful.
Inside the wrapping was a small knife. It's handle could have been made of bone except it was black and almost shiny, with what looked like foreign writing carved into the side to provide a grip. The blade was plain and straight, about a hand span in length and looked to be in perfect condition.
' It was found in the troll's chest, and it is ultimately what killed the troll. Now it might be that someone found the troll and stabbed it with this in between the time you left and when the two professor's found it's body, except that it was facedown on the floor with the knife underneath it and it would take several people and great effort to roll the troll over, or magic, the residue of which would have been detected by Professor Sinastra.' McGonagall explained.
' Which leads to the conclusion that it was most likely Harry who had the knife and killed the troll.' Dumbledore stated calmly. ' Now the troll would have needed to be "put down" in any case, due to certain factors revealed by Professor Flitwick's charms. There were spells eating away at the troll from the inside that would have caused it to die in great pain, and there are few other ways to deal with such vicious creatures once they have made their way into a populated area, but no Hogwarts student is allowed to carry a non-magical weapon without the knowledge and consent of the staff.'
' But why would any weapon be allowed, sir?' Ron asked, wide eyed.
' There are all sorts of charms and spells and wards all over Hogwarts that prevent the use of any potentially lethal magic by anyone but Hogwarts staff.' Hermione answered. ' It's in "Hogwarts: A History".'
' That is correct Ms. Granger. I'm impressed. I never have actually read the whole book, as good as it is.' Dumbledore said. ' But the question at hand is whether or not the knife is actually Harry's, and why he would have it if it is his.'
Hermione let out a sort of quiet whine from the back of her throat as she thought of the possibility of Harry being expelled for have a knife that had saved her life.
' There is little chance of sever punishment for Harry, of course.' Dumbledore assured her, ' After all he did not know it was not allowed and he certainly used it in an appropriate situation and as a last resort, but can either of you confirm that it is in fact his knife?'
' I've never seen it before now. Not even when we were fighting the troll.' Hermione answered quickly.
' I- I think I might have seen a flash of the blade when Harry punched the troll.' Ron said with uncertainty ' but it might just have been part of Hermione's spell…'
' Then neither of you can say for sure whether or not it is actually Harry's?' McGonagall asked.
Both shook their heads and mumbled apologies.
' That is all then.' Dumbledore said kindly. ' I'm sure you would both like to get back to you dorms now. I'm sorry to have caused you to miss so much of the celebration. Professor McGonagall? Would you please guide them back to their dorms? We can wait until Harry is awake tomorrow to continue this discussion.'
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AN- Criticism please! Not much else to say…
H/H FOREVER!
Bye!