Chapter Twelve
The next day Harry awoke later than usual, but it was unsurprisingly earlier than most of the students. When he examined himself in the clear mirror in the bathroom, he noticed he had bags under his eyes and looked exhausted. He went down to breakfast and saw Hermione sitting at the long Gryffindor table alone. She also looked weary and Harry saw that today she wasn't reading a book while at breakfast, which was unusual. When she looked up and saw him, she huffed, grabbed her bag and left the Great Hall in quite a hurry. Harry sighed; he didn't want her to be annoyed with him.
A few minutes later Ron arrived down with Seamus, Dean and Neville. They were talking excitedly and Harry worried for a brief moment whether Ron had told them about the previous night. But Harry caught some of their conversation as they neared where he was sitting; it only calmed him down momentarily. "Anyway, George said that Oliver Wood, the captain, could barely sit still he was so overjoyed. This Seeker must be really good, cause I heard Wood was a hard captain and not easily impressed," Ron was saying. Harry quickly finished his breakfast and left, not wanting to join in their conversation.
The next few weeks flew by and Harry was shocked to find that it was nearly approaching Halloween. He was spending a lot of time in the library, studying and also doing extra research. He was quite interested in magical animals. There were hundreds of books about various beasts and Harry was astounded to find that a lot of these were old Greek legends. He also continued his research of spells and had found a book that focused on offensive and defensive magic. He also continued to practice wandless magic. He could now master a lot of spells without the use of a wand, but he never told anybody because he feared that they would start treating him differently.
He was still slightly detached from the other students. He found that he could talk easily enough with them but he could never talk about himself, he didn't like people knowing anything about him. He thought it interesting how people were capable of openly chatting about their families or what their life was like before Hogwarts. He didn't hang around with Ron and the other boys from his dormitory as much as he used to as he was in the library, but he still spoke to them at dinner time.
He hadn't spoken with Hermione since the night with the three headed dog. He doubted she would ever speak to him again.
Harry had started Quidditch practices. He found that they drained him a lot but also that he enjoyed the training. Still nobody but the team knew about Harry being seeker and even the Weasley twins, who were on the team, didn't tell Ron. Harry had received a Nimbus 2000 from Professor McGonagall a few days after being put on the team. He had thanked her many times until she threatened to put him on detention if he even breathed one more word of thanks. He found this broom a lot faster than the school brooms. He often dived to feel the adrenaline rush he got just before pulling up. The only problem with this was that he often nearly gave the other members of the team a heart attack.
His classes were going smoothly and Harry found that he wasn't behind anyone in the year. He could perform whatever task he was set. Potions was his least favorite class. Snape spent his time criticizing Harry, so Harry retaliated by doing his best so that Snape would have nothing to disapprove of. Hermione tried to ignore him as best she could but they would always end up helping each other in some way, but would always do so without words. This bothered Harry enormously mainly because he couldn't figure out why it bothered him in the first place.
The weather was slowly getting worse with sheets of rain being blown against the castle by the ferocious winds. Harry found it extremely difficult to train in these conditions as he kept being blown off course. One night, after a particularly bad practice, Harry returned to the common room soaked through to the skin. He was already changed but now his school robes were drenched also. "What happened to you? Were you out there in the rain?" Ron asked incredulously. He was sitting on the couch in front of the fire, with Seamus and Dean occupying the other worn armchairs. Neville lay on his stomach on the decorated rug which was set neatly in front of the fireplace.
"Yeah. Did you finish your Charms homework yet?" Harry replied, trying his best to avoid the question. "No, it's too long an essay to write!" Ron groaned. He hated doing homework and was always asking for help. Harry took a seat in front of the blazing fire and leaned back, trying to relax his aching muscles. After a few minutes of listening to the scribbling of Ron's quill, he decided he would get an early night's sleep. "I'm going up, I'm knackered," he said, standing up and stretching. "Get a good night's rest before Halloween, eh Harry," winked Seamus. "I can't wait for the feast," said Ron longingly, looking as if he was picturing the food in his head. "Fred and George said they serve the best food at Hogwarts on Halloween night."
Harry bade them goodnight and made his way up to the dormitory. The wind was howling outside the tower and the windows were rattling against their frames. Harry felt a draught and went over to make sure the window was shut properly. After securing it was shut tightly he turned back around, returning to his bed. But just at that moment, a burning pain shot through his scar and Harry fell to his knees. He felt as if someone was pressing a scalding iron against his forehead. The intensity of the pain decreased and Harry felt completely drained. He keeled over and lay on the hard cold floor, pale and shaking.
When he had recovered slightly he climbed onto his four poster bed. He felt extremely weak but his head seemed to be swimming with thoughts. It was after a while that Harry realized what must have happened. It was Halloween. His parents and his scar's anniversary.
Harry barely slept that night. He kept having terrible nightmares in which he heard a high cruel laugh and then a blinding flash of green light.
After sitting for a few hours in the common room alone he found that the pain from the previous night had evaporated completely. Soon he could smell the food for the delicious feast wafting through the corridors. He heard footsteps coming down the girl's staircase and turned around to see Hermione standing in the doorway. An uneasy silence fell between them; they hadn't spoken for quite a while. Harry was on the verge of asking her why she was avoiding him when Ron came thundering down the staircase and arrived in the common room. "Morning Harry. Happy Halloween," he said cheerfully.
Harry watched as Hermione looked at Ron and then turned her back on the common room and made her way back up the stairs. Suddenly it hit Harry why she had been avoiding him. Not once had Harry seen Ron be civilized towards Hermione. He rarely paid any notice to her and when he did, he never had anything polite or pleasant to say to her. Hermione was not shunning Harry, she was ignoring Ron. She must think I'm like him, he thought worriedly. This puzzled him because he had spoken to her on the train and she'd seemed fine then. Yes, but that was before you met Ron. She probably thinks, that now, you don't like her anymore because Ron doesn't, explained a voice in his head.
Everyone was quite excited that day as Professor Flitwick had informed them that they were to start performing spells as he thought they had had enough theory work. Harry had to admit that he was relieved to find this as he was getting quite bored writing down notes. He had already performed a lot of the spells that Flitwick had said they would be working on.
When they arrived in class they were separated into pairs. Harry went with Neville and Ron was horrified to find he had been put with Hermione. Hermione really didn't seem too happy herself, she flung herself into the seat beside Ron and avoided looking at him, her eyes fixed on Flitwick. They were to start with the levitating charm something which Harry had mastered months ago. Professor Flitwick warned them about getting the pronunciation correct. And so they started everybody in the class swishing and flicking their wands. They were to levitate a feather which they shared one between two. Harry got it on his first go and then left it to Neville to practice. Neville was having a difficult time. His wand had started to smoke at the tip and looked as if it was about to explode. He panicked and ran out of the classroom holding his wand as far from his face as possible. They heard a loud explosion from outside the classroom and Professor Flitwick went to check if Neville was okay.
Over at the other table Ron was getting angrier with every minute as he couldn't correct the spell. He was jabbing at the feather and Harry noted that he was saying the pronunciation incorrectly. "You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the "gar" nice and long." "You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.
Hermione, who was becoming increasingly impatient, rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand and said "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather rose and hovered above the table. As she lowered her wand it descended and took its place on the desk again. "Well done Ms. Granger," squeaked Flitwick returning to the class with an ashen faced, slightly dazed looking Neville.
After class Harry found Ron in an awful temper. "No wonder no one can stand her. She's such a bossy little know it all. Complete nightmare. No wonder she doesn't have any friends," he said loudly. Someone knocked into Harry. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face and was shocked to see it was tear-streaked.
"You idiot," Harry hissed as he rounded on Ron. Ron looked slightly put out. "What? She must have noticed no one wants to hang around with her," he said innocently. Harry thought Ron must feel the slightest bit guilty. But it didn't help to forgive him.
Hermione didn't show up for the next class and Harry didn't see her all afternoon. He had overheard from Lavender Brown that she had spent the day in the girl's toilet, crying. Just before the feast was starting Harry hurried down to the girls bathroom, nervous but also determined to help Hermione. He was relieved to find the bathroom empty except for one cubicle whose door was locked. He stepped forward cautiously. He heard sniffling coming from the other side of the locked door. "Er… Hermione?" he asked quietly through the door. The sniffing immediately stopped. "Who is that? Go away. This is a girl's bathroom," she said forcefully.
"It's me. Harry. I…came to see if you were alright," he said shakily. He was met by silence so he decided to continue. "Listen, Ron didn't mean any of those things he said."
"Yes he did! Don't try and cover up for him. You know he meant it. You probably think those things too," she said before returning to crying.
"NO! I don't think any of those things!" Harry said loudly. Just then the door to the toilets opened and Parvati Patil walked in. She looked startled to see Harry. Harry gave up and decided to head to the feast before Parvati could tell anyone there was a boy in the girls toilets and have him thrown out. He really wanted to talk to Hermione and sort everything out but the state she was in meant he couldn't get a word through to her.
When he arrived in the Great Hall he was dumbfounded by the magnitude of the decorations. Pumpkins the size of carriages were set in every corner. Thousands of live bats were fluttering high over the tables giving the impression that they were large black clouds against the starry sky. The feast had already begun as Harry could hear the clinking of many knives and forks. Ron waved him over. At first he was going to ignore him and sit elsewhere but when he realized that the bench was full he made his way over and sat beside Ron, facing Seamus and Dean.
"I'm sorry Harry, about earlier on," Ron said shamefully. "It's not me you should apologize to," retorted Harry. He understood that Ron felt guilty but he was annoyed he didn't see the answer. "Apologize to Hermione," he said. Ron continued to eat and then said "She wouldn't listen to me anyway. She thinks she's better than us and that…."
"Drop it," Harry said. He was becoming terse with Ron's excuses. Why couldn't he just take responsibility and admit he had been wrong. Suddenly Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall. He ran up to the high table and screamed dramatically "TROLL! Troll in the dungeon," he then fainted in a heap on the floor.
There was instant uproar as people scrambled about screaming and shouting. Dumbledore stood up and fired off shots from his wand into the air, which sent the bats scattering away. "Calm! Prefects, please lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately." Percy immediately started giving out orders. "Line up. Stay close together."
Harry followed a train of people into the Entrance Hall. Then as they climbed the marble staircase a horrible realization struck Harry. He grabbed Ron's arm. I've just thought- Hermione!"
"What about her?" said Ron.
"She doesn't know about the troll. We have to get her," whispered Harry so no one could hear them. "No way Harry. Us…against a troll. Are you barking?"
Harry was becoming desperate. He had to get to Hermione, fast. "What about Hermione, eh?"
Ron thought for a moment. "Find a teacher. Tell them."
Harry grabbed both of Ron's shoulders. "There's no time. You go alert a teacher. I'm going to get Hermione." With that Harry bent down low and rushed through the crowds and veered off through a tapestry, hoping to God that Ron would do as he had told him. It was strangely silent as he couldn't hear the bustle of the students anymore.
Suddenly Harry heard quick footsteps. He jumped behind the statue of a large griffin and hid in the shadows as he watched Snape walk swiftly by. He wondered why Snape wasn't with the other teachers and also why he was heading in the direction of the third floor.
Harry started off once again. After a few moments he smelt a terrible stench making its way through the corridor. Then he heard a low grunting and the loud footfalls of gigantic feet. Harry once again shrank into the shadows and watched as the troll passed him by on the corridor. It stood twelve feet tall, its skin a grayish color. Its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. In its long arms it dragged a wooden club along the floor.
Harry watched horrified as it slouched into a doorway and realized that the doorway lead into the girls toilets. Suddenly Harry heard a high petrified scream and struck like lightening he realized that not for the first time had he heard that scream. He suddenly had a flashback of the day of his accident. The car slamming into him, the screaming. Harry grabbed his head as if the memories pained him. He shook them away and headed for the girls toilets.
He rushed inside and saw Hermione shrinking against the wall opposite. Making up his mind he ran across the room, past the troll and caught Hermione just as she was about to fall to the ground in a faint. Her eyes were still on the troll, she didn't seem to know that Harry was even there.
Harry grabbed her and pushed her into the cubicle, he knew the troll could see them, but he needed to buy some time. "Hermione, look at me," he said shaking her. She looked at him as if for the first time. Then she seemed to get back to herself. "What are we going to do," she said, terrified.
Harry then felt the warning pain in his head. He ducked low to the ground, dragging Hermione down with him, and the troll's club swung over their heads smashing the cubicle walls into millions of pieces. They were now very exposed not to mention covered in dust and debris. All that was going through Harry's head was that he had to get Hermione out of harms way. He grabbed her hand and made a go at running across the room to the door. The club came swinging again and Harry let go of Hermione and they both jumped to opposite sides of the room.
Harry knew now that the only way to get out of the girls toilets was to take down the troll. He tried to remember anything he had read about trolls. They were notoriously stupid and also feared fire. "Hermione! Throw things at it, confuse him!" Harry shouted across the room. The shout seemed to have interrupted the troll and it turned slowly around to stare at Harry. Its face then contorted with fury. Hermione picked up a tap and threw it at the troll, but it didn't seem to notice. Harry took out his wand and saw Hermione do the same. He pointed it into the air and several loud bangs rent the air. This seemed to startle the troll. But it quickly recovered and Harry only noticed at the last second that it had swung its large wooden club once again. The hard club crashed into Harry's right side, the force mainly on his leg, the one he had broken a good few months ago. Harry was lifted high off his feet and sent flying into the wall. His wand left his hand and flew across the room. He then hit the ground with considerable force. Bur he was still conscious.
The troll then turned to Hermione. Using her wand she emitted rays of different colored lights in to the air. The troll became fascinated by the different colors. But when it stepped forward to have a closer look they exploded with the noise of a cannon and smoke swirled around the troll's head. It became furious and lifted its club above its head with both enormous hands. In her haste to get away, Hermione tripped and whacked her head off the ground which opened up a cut over her left eye.
Harry used all his inner strength to lift himself off the ground, leaning heavily against the wall for support. He stretched out his hand and his wand zoomed back across the room and he caught it. He aimed his wand just above the troll's head. "Flammora," he shouted. A jet of fire streamed over the troll's head. It lowered its club and cowered under the jet of flame. Harry's legs buckled beneath him. He was exhausted and he had sustained some serious damage to his rib cage. His right leg was issuing blood at an alarming rate; it had nearly been ripped off.
Harry dropped his wand as he fell to the ground. The troll once again looked infuriated at having its weakness used against it. It raised its club for the last time, but Hermione had regained her feet. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The club left the trolls hands and dropped to the floor with a tremendous clatter. The troll turned to Hermione and slouched towards her with its fists raised. Hermione backed away. Harry seeing this used his remaining strength to stand back up and Hermione couldn't help but see the fire burning in his eyes. He picked up his wand and aimed this time at the troll. Gathering all the strength left within him and all the magic he possessed he screamed `STUPEFY!"
The spell shot straight at the troll, who immediately fell to the ground stunned. The ground had shook as the spell had charged up and the blast had also caused the room to shake.
Silence now descended on the room. Hermione couldn't see Harry as there was dust swirling around the room from the ridged form of the troll. Suddenly the door burst open and Professors McGonagall, Snape, Quirrel and Dumbledore entered the room. "What on earth…" said a shocked McGonagall.
The dust cleared and they all turned to look at the other end of the room where Harry stood stock still. He wasn't looking at any of them, his eyes fixed on the troll. Then he dropped his wand, stumbled backwards against the wall and after a moment he slid down the wall into a sitting position. His face was screwed up in pain. Suddenly the silence was ripped apart by a scream of agony from Harry. This seemed to wake up the others. "Harry!" Hermione shouted and ran towards him. "Severus, get Madam Pomfrey, NOW!" said Professor Dumbledore worriedly making his way towards Harry.
I don't know if this is what you would call a cliff hanger. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.
I saw Goblet of Fire the other night. I was quite disappointed but I was also wondering was I the only one who saw much more H/Hr moments in it. I think the film-makers are a bit delusional in my opinion.
So, hope you like the chapter. I have no idea when the next update will be, hopefully soon. How about the weekend|? Thanks for reading (and reviewing)
Take care,
Radagast
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