DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, etc. No money was made from the creation of this story.
Chapter Ten: The Christmas Ball
The month of November quickly flew by and as the students had dreaded the Fall examinations had fallen upon them. Students were scrambling around during the examinations week, trying to do their last minute studying and preparation for the exams they had that day. Unfortunately some students pushed themselves too far that they forgot to sleep and decided to make it up during a few of their exams.
Harry slowly made his way to the Fat Lady's portrait. He was completely exhausted and very thankful that today was Friday. It meant that he didn't have any more exams and that for the next several weeks, he and his friends could relax and spend their time doing nothing. What he really wanted to do was to spend time with Hermione.
Nancy and Hermione had been somewhat distant with Ron and Harry during the past week. The girls needed as much peace and quiet as possible to complete all their studying, and they felt that the boys would have been too much of a distraction. Ron handled their temporary separation better than Harry did. His cheerfulness hadn't changed since the night that Nancy accepted his invitation to the dance.
Harry, on the other hand was a different story. He wanted to know what Hermione was planning and how they were suppose to go to the dance together. He tried to approach her with that question one night when she was studying alone in front of the fire, but she didn't answer him. Actually she didn't even look at him. He decided to give up on asking her and since then, been waiting patiently for her to do something.
After dinner that night, Harry told the others to go ahead because Dobby needed to talk to him about something. To his surprise, when he met with Dobby, the house-elf was asking what he should get everyone for Christmas. Harry's mood lightened a bit when looked at the wide-eyed elf, wearing green socks, one of Hermione's knitted caps, brown trousers, and the shrunken sweater Ron had given to him two years ago.
Knowing that Dobby wasn't going to go out to buy anything, he told Dobby a few suggestions of things that he could make them instead. The suggestions consisted of knitting clothing and making treats like pies and cakes. During that time, Harry's mind went through his checklist making sure that he had bought everything he needed to everyone's Christmas present.
He had bought Ron a broom polishing kit, the same kind that Hermione had bought for his thirteenth birthday. For Nancy, he bought a very interesting pocket dictionary that not only will state the definition of words, but could also read through a parchment and mark the spelling errors. Shopping for Hermione was a bit tricky. He wanted to buy something for her that contained sentimental value, but he had no idea on what to buy. After pacing back and forth between several stores in Hogsmeade, he decided to buy her an enchanted diary, a sparkling hair clip, and a book of love poems. The book was suggested by Ginny, when she realized that Harry was shopping for a girl that he liked.
"Rectatis Ignoramus," Harry muttered to the Fat Lady. She bowed her head slightly and the door opened. Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room and found that it was still somewhat empty. Harry figured that they must of the Gryffindors were still been down at dinner, since plenty of sweets were being served on the count of it being the end of the term.
Harry looked towards the fireplace and saw Nancy and Ron trying to comfort a crying Hermione. Harry's heart suddenly fell when he saw her shuddering in an armchair. He quickly made his way over and took a spot next to them.
"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked urgently as he looked at her. He then turned to Nancy and Ron who both had truly sympathetic expressions covering their faces. "What happened? What's going on?"
"Hermione's date canceled on her," Nancy replied softly as Hermione let out a soft wale, burying her head into Nancy's shoulder. Nancy wrapped her arms around her, rubbing her back softly.
"Why would he want to cancel?" Harry asked with a look of shock on his face. His shock wasn't caused by the fact that Hermione's date had canceled on her, but of how dramatic she had made it. However, nonetheless, she was crying, and he felt something inside him die every time she did it.
"The dirty jackal," Ron growled as she stood to his feet. "That monster said that he didn't know that she was a Muggle-born and when he found out, he canceled their date."
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Harry said to her softly as he placed his hand on her arm and squeezed it affectionately.
She took her head off of Nancy's shoulder and tried to give him a weak smile, but couldn't do it. Harry pulled her into a hug, allowing her to rest against his chest.
"Who did this?" Harry asked.
"We don't know," Nancy replied as she stroked the back of Hermione's head. "She won't tell us who it is."
"Though once we find out," Ron said as he stomped back and forth around them, "believe me Hermione, we'll make him pay."
Harry tightened his arms around her and her shuddering started to subside. Hermione loved being in his arms. All her worries and anxieties melted way when his arms were around her; a feeling of warmth she could never find anywhere else.
"Could someone get me some water?" Hermione asked with a weak voice.
"We'll get it for you," Nancy said as she looked over at Ron. Ron nodded and they made their way to the other side of the common room where the glasses and water pitcher was.
"A bit dramatic, don't you think?" Harry whispered to her, not releasing her from his hold.
"Nothing wrong with being a little dramatic," she said softly as wiped her eyes with her hands. "And I'm happy that crying charm is starting to wear off…it's really hurting my eyes."
"Here you go," Nancy said as she handed a glass of water to Hermione.
Harry released her and she slumped back into the armchair, slowly sipping her water. Ron offered a glass to Harry. Harry accepted it and sat on the floor in front of Hermione, trying to wear his most concern face. Nancy reached over and rubbed Hermione's shoulder gently.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked with a comforting smile on her face.
"I guess," she replied after taking a deep breath, her eyes still watery. "It's not so much that I'm upset about not going to the ball with him, but I really enjoyed the idea of going to the ball. You know...I haven't been to a dance since our fourth year."
"Yeah," Nancy nodded as she gave Hermione a weak smile. She then turned to look at Harry and her eyes lit up. "Harry, have you found a date for the Christmas ball?"
"No," Harry replied as he lowered his glass. His mind suddenly realized what Hermione was trying to do.
"Well then it's settled," Ron said as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Will you go with Hermione?"
"Yeah," Harry said trying to keep his voice under control. "I mean, if she wants to."
"I'd like that," Hermione said with a weak smile, which caused Harry's heart to start pounding erratically.
He looked over at Ron and Nancy, and they were both wearing big smiles on their faces. Harry allowed his bright smile to form and looked into Hermione's brown eyes. You did it, Hermione. That was bloody brilliant.
Harry found Ron sitting on a log overlooking the lake, behind the castle. The ground was blanketed with snow and Harry wondered why Ron would want to be sitting out there on his own. The day had finally come. It was Christmas Eve. Ron should have been excited about this day, not only because Christmas coming right after it, but also that tonight was the night of the Christmas Ball.
"What you thinking about?" Harry asked as he took a seat next to Ron.
"A few things," he replied, his face red from the cold. Harry looked out towards the lake and couldn't help but be mesmerized of how the sunlight reflected off it. "It's just…"
"Just what?" Harry asked as he turned to look back at Ron.
"Do I…am I attractive?" he said quickly before he looked down towards his shoes.
The question nearly made Harry fall off the log, but he was able to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"I've been thinking," Ron replied as he looked back out towards the water. "What…what does Nancy see in me?"
"Oh, come off it Ron," Harry said in a reassuring voice. "She cares for you. I mean she pretty much told you that she's been waiting for you to ask her."
"Yeah, but…what does she see in me?" Ron asked as he turned and looked Harry.
Harry took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "You have loads of good qualities…you're funny…you're an outstanding Quidditch keeper…you're a good brother…you're a great friend…if I was a girl, I'd go out with you."
Ron's expression changed to a questionable one. "Oh, that makes me feel a whole lot better."
"What?" Harry said as he tried to fight off his laughter. "You mean to say that you wouldn't be honored if the boy…I mean, the girl-who-lived wanted to be your girlfriend?"
Ron started to laugh uncontrollably, his cheeks turning redder. Harry could no longer hold his laughter back and laughed with Ron for several minutes, tears slowly escaping their eyes.
"You scare me sometimes, Harry," Ron chuckled as he steadied himself on the log.
"I scare myself sometimes too," he replied as he took in deep breaths to calm his aching chest. "Hey, let's get back to the castle. It's freezing out here."
"So is there a lucky girl at school you fancy?" Ron asked him as the two started to make their way across the grounds towards the castle.
Harry wanted to tell him everything about him and Hermione, but he couldn't. Ron was feeling happy and confident about himself. He didn't want to do or say anything that would make him feel like he had betrayed his trust.
"I don't know," Harry replied with hesitation. "I think so…but I don't know."
"Think so?" Ron responded, his eyebrows rose. "It's not Cho Chang, is it?"
"Oh no," Harry replied as he shook his head. "That was ages ago. It's someone else."
"Well who?" Ron started to grow impatient. "Someone I know?"
"Well…yeah," Harry said, but his voice still hesitated. "I'll tell you soon, I promise. I just need to think about it for a little bit more.'
"Bloody hell," Ron grumbled as he paced back and forth in front of the fire. He was wearing his new hunter green dress robes that Fred and George had bought him the previous year. Harry, wearing navy blue dress robes he had recently bought when he was at Diagon Alley, sat in his usual armchair with his arms crossed. "We've been waiting for almost an hour."
"It's only been fifteen minutes, Ron," Harry said as he watched his friend work himself into a frenzy. "Sit down a relax. They'll be here soon."
"But they said they'd be here by quarter-to-eight," he replied, still pacing. "It's already eight, we're going to miss the ball."
"Ron, the ball isn't going anywhere. It'll be there if we're late. Besides, you're talking about Nancy and Hermione. You know girls are never on time about this sort of thing." Harry wanted Ron to relax. Watching his friend pace back and forth wasn't doing anything good in terms of his nerves. The more Ron paced, the more nervous Harry started to get.
Ron finally took a seat on the couch next to Harry's armchair, but he didn't seem to calm down. He kept fidgeting in his seat, crossing his leg, then not, and moving his arms around as if he couldn't get comfortable. Harry did his best to ignore him, but it was really hard to ignore someone when they were acting in such a strange manner.
"Sorry, didn't mean to keep you waiting," Nancy said from behind them.
"It's about…bloody…" Ron's mouth dropped.
Nancy was standing in front of him wearing shimmering green dress robes that truly brought out the color of her eyes. Her hair was done in a one stylish braid and she had a hint of make up, with her lips now the color of deep red. She started blushing from Ron's stare, unable to hide her flattered smiled.
Ron swallowed hard and he gave her a warm smile, "You look really nice."
"Thanks," she said her cheeks getting pinker. Ron walked over to her and stuck out his right arm. She gave him a soft smile as she took his arm and leaned against him. "Oh Harry, Hermione will be down in a second."
"Oh thanks," Harry replied as he took a deep breath. He got out of his chair and walked over to the two, straightening out his robes as he walked. When he stopped in front of them, he started to feel his hands tremble and his palms getting sweaty. He gave them a nervous smile and in turn, started to pace.
"Hey Harry," a soft voice came from behind him.
He turned and found Hermione, a soft smile forming on his face. She was wearing the deep blue dress robes she once described in one of her letters to him. A light silver design moved across it, resembling flowing wind. Her hair was done in a fashion he's never seen before. While some of her hair was wrapped into an elegant bun, she also had some flow down behind her in soft curls. She had on light make up and a hint of pink lipstick. Harry was completely entranced by her.
She blushed slightly before saying, "What do you think?"
"You look wonderful," he said with a smile as she walked over to him and took hold of his left arm.
"You don't look half bad yourself, Harry," she replied as she tried to fix his hair, only to have it fall back into place.
The four friends smiled at each other and left the Gryffindor common room. They bumped into several of their friends along the way to the Great Hall. They stopped a few times so the girls could comment on their dress robes with the other girls, leaving the guys to stand around and simply ponder about what the girls were thinking.
After several stops, they were finally at the entrance of the Great Hall. They were completely captivated by the look of the hall. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky with falling snow and the room was lit only by the stars from the enchanted ceiling. They looked towards the front entrance of the hall and saw the Weird Sister singing their newest hit.
They made their way into the Great Hall and they all smiled when they saw all the students dancing and laughing. Hermione leaned against Harry, and he smiled as he wrapped his arm affectionately around her. He looked over and smiled at Ron, who started to move his head with the beat of the song, causing Nancy to giggle at him.
Harry felt something pulling on his robes and he looked down to see Dobby looking at him. Dobby grabbed Harry's hand and started to pull on his arm. Harry looked into his eyes and he could tell that Dobby needed to tell him something incredibly urgent.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said next to her ear. "Dobby needs me to tell me something. I'll be right back."
Before Hermione could respond, Harry allowed himself to be dragged out of the Great Hall by Dobby. Dobby pulled him behind a corner and looked around to make sure that no one was listening.
"What's wrong, Dobby?" Harry asked as he looked back into the Great Hall, unable to see Hermione, Ron, or Nancy.
"Harry Potter sir," Dobby squeaked as he looked up at him, his body trembling. "Danger is coming. Danger is coming to Hogwarts."
"What do you mean Dobby?" Harry quickly asked as he sank onto one knee so he could look straight at Dobby. "What danger?"
"Dobby does not know," Dobby replied as his body started to shake even more. "Dobby saw strange things outside Hogwarts today. Harry Potter sir, Dobby is afraid. Dobby is afraid danger will harm Harry Potter sir, his wheezy, and his girlie."
"Don't worry Dobby," Harry said with a worried smiled, placing his hand on Dobby's shoulder. "Whatever it is, Professor Dumbledore will handle it. Calm down."
Harry stood up and gave him a quick smile before he made his way back into the Great Hall. His mind started to race around what Dobby could of possibly meant when he told him about danger approaching. There is no way Magnolia Reins would just storm Hogwarts castle. If Voldemort wouldn't dare try such a thing, Magnolia surely wouldn't.
When Harry finally found Hermione, but he felt his heart sink when he saw that William was talking to her. Harry quickly made his way through the dancing students. He was somewhat surprised to see Luna Lovegood dancing with Seamus Finnigan. He felt himself smile as he continued to make his way through the dance until he was next to Hermione.
"Ah Harry," William smiled as he looked over to him. "Good to see you. I was just telling Hermione how wonderfully her new play worked at our last Quidditch match."
"Yes," Harry gave him a fake smile. "It's a really brilliant play."
"So, my assumptions were correct," he grinned as he looked from Hermione to Harry. "I always figured you two would come together. I guess it was only a matter of time."
"Who's your date?" Harry asked as he moved closer to Hermione.
"Hi Harry," he heard a voice from behind William. To his surprise he saw Cho walked forward and stood by William. Harry's mouth dropped, unsure on what to say to either of them.
"Hi Cho," Hermione said with a soft smile. "How are you?"
"I am just fine," Cho responded with a smile, but Harry noticed the glare she was giving Hermione.
"Well, we're going to get going now," Harry quickly interrupted as he gently took Hermione's hand with his. "We'll see you later William…Cho…have fun."
Harry and Hermione walked towards the center of the crowd and they found Ron and Nancy dancing near Ginny and Dean. Harry smiled at Hermione when they reached the others and they took their spots next Ron and Nancy. Harry couldn't stop laughing when he watched Ron move his body insanely with the music. He felt Hermione grab his arm and when she started to dance, he to took this as his cue to begin embarrassing himself.
Harry moved his body to the best of his ability, but felt incredibly self-conscious about his performance. Hermione moved closer to him and gave him a sweet smile and with that, he no longer cared how odd he might have looked. He did, however, made a mental note to find someone who could teach him how to dance.
When the song ended, the students started to clap and cheer. The Weird Sisters took a bow and announced that they would be taking short break. Hermione moved towards Harry and leaned gently against him, his arm wrapping around her waist. Ron and Nancy smiled at each other, their faces completely flushed from their wild dancing.
"Hello there Harry," he heard someone say from behind him. He turned to find Luna and Seamus smiling at him. "It's been ages, hasn't it?"
"Yes it has," Harry replied with a smile. "How have you been?"
"I've been all right," she responded as she looked up at Seamus. "My dad has been really busy and I've been helping him as much as I can. I spend a lot of time reading over his new articles."
"How is The Quibbler doing?" Hermione asked as memories of the previous year filled her mind.
To help spread Harry's knowledge of Voldemort to the public, Hermione had set up an interview between Harry and Rita Skeeter, an incredibly irritating and snoopy reporter. The interview was published in Luna's father's paper, The Quibbler, and it made headline news that not only informed the public but shocked the Ministry of Magic.
"It's going great," Luna smiled as she looked at Hermione. "Ever since Harry's article was published in the paper, the popularity of it grew almost ten fold."
"That's fantastic. I'm really happy for you," Harry smiled. He then turned and looked at Seamus. "Hey Seamus, did you hear that Andrew won't be playing Quidditch anymore."
"What?" Seamus gasped. "Why, what happened?"
"After he took the hit by the bludger during the Slytherin game," Harry said as he took a breath, "he refuses to get back up on his broom. I don't think he'll be ready to play again until next year."
"What does that mean?" Seamus said, his voice full of worry.
"Well, since you're our reserve player…it means that you will taking his spot."
"You mean…I'll be a beater?" Seamus' voice filled with more fear than anything else.
"You'll do fine, Seamus," Harry smiled as he gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Our first practice will be coming up soon. You best be ready."
Seamus stood there dumbstruck by Harry's comment. The music started again and as the fast beat started to fill the Great Hall, a round of cheers came from the students. Harry felt someone place their hand onto his shoulder and he turned to find Hermione smiling at them.
"If you boys are done talking about your game," Hermione said with a sweet voice, "mind if we get back to dancing."
Harry smiled at Hermione as he took her hand with his. He looked over one last time at Seamus as he started to walk towards Ron and Nancy with Hermione. "Don't forget Seamus, you're our new beater."
When Harry and Hermione reached Ron and Nancy, they found the two dancing wildly again. Hermione started to dance with a bright grin on her face and Harry couldn't help but smile as he did the same. He occasionally bumped into Ron, who only gave him a small shrug as he continued to hop about the place. Harry smiled at him as he watched his best friend dance even wilder than before.
"You know, you look really odd," Harry shouted over to Ron.
"Well, isn't that what dancing is?" Ron replied as he smiled at Nancy. "I reckon we all look like fools at the moment."
"No silly," Nancy giggled as she looked over at Hermione. "Hermione and I look fine, it's only you two that look odd."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and then turned to look at the girls with frowns on their faces, causing the girls to give them pouting expressions. The boys' frowns soon turned into smiles and they moved closer to their dates and whirled them around.
Hermione mesmerized Harry. Her hair bounced freely, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glistened as she danced with him. Her smile was wide and he could tell that she was having a wonderful time. Harry's heart pounded faster and faster as his eyes focused on Hermione. She looked completely amazing tonight.
"Something wrong?" she asked as looked into his eyes.
"Oh no," Harry replied as he gave her a warm smile. "I'm just really happy, that's all."
"Why's that?" she asked with her sweetest voice.
"Oh, I'm just here with the most incredible girl in Hogwarts," he answered.
Hermione blushed a deeper pink as they noticed that the song had softly started to die down. The students slowly stopped dancing and applauded again for the Weird Sisters. They all took a bow before the started playing another song; however this time, it was a slow one. The students grew somewhat quiet and Harry knew exactly what that meant.
He looked at Hermione and she gave him a soft smile. He took a few steps towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on his shoulders. They slowly started to sway their bodies, Harry leading them into a slow turn. Harry enjoyed dancing this way a lot more compared to the erratic form. With this kind of dance, Harry could hold onto Hermione, control the pace that they were moving at, and most importantly, he didn't seem to be making a fool of himself.
Hermione allowed her hands to move to his chest and she laid her head against him. His right arm soon moved up from her waist and wrapped itself around her back. He was holding her tightly against him and he felt more alive than he has ever had. Hermione looked up at him and he looked intensely into her eyes. She laid her head against his chest again, and he moved his head so that his cheek was resting gently on top of her head.
Harry could hear several students whispering about something as he and Hermione continued to dance. Harry didn't care what they were saying. He no longer cared about keeping his relationship with Hermione a secret. He wanted nothing more than to tell the world that he wanted to be with Hermione Granger. He wanted nothing more than to hear Hermione announce to the world that she wanted to be with him.
Harry opened his eyes and looked over to find Ron dancing with Nancy. Nancy's head was resting against Ron's shoulder and Ron looked incredibly happy. His and Nancy's eyes were closed as they softly moved around in a circle. Harry looked back Hermione and a soft smile formed on his face.
"We need to tell them," Harry whispered to her.
"I know, we do," she replied as she took her head off his chest and looked at him.
"You look beautiful," Harry said softly as he removed her right arm from her back and gently touched her cheek with his hand. Her face felt incredibly warm and she placed her hand over his as she gently turned and kissed it. Harry and her eyes met again, able to look into each other's soul.
Harry swallowed hard before he lowered his head towards hers. She raised herself on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. They closed their eyes and their lips grew closer together. Harry could feel her breath on his lips and wanted nothing more than to take hers with his. Hermione…Hermione…
"Trolls!" a man shouted as he came bursting into the Great Hall.
Harry and Hermione let out sighs of frustration as they turned their heads to see Professor Spencer running towards the front tables where Dumbledore and they other professors had been sitting. Harry and Hermione quickly made their way up towards the front table in an attempt to eavesdrop on what Spencer needed to say.
"Headmaster, several mountain trolls have just entered the castle," he said as he took a deep breath. The music soon stopped playing as they watched Professor Dumbledore rise from his seat.
"How can that be possible, Marcus?" McGonagall asked as she in turn stood from her seat.
"I don't know, Minerva," Spencer responded with a shrug. "I was on my way to the Great Hall and I saw the front doors of the castle were wide open and when I went to investigate, I found at least three sets of footprints made by what looked like mountain trolls."
"Students," Dumbledore started with his booming voice, causing everyone to turn their heads towards them. "There has been a temporary situation in Hogwarts. I will please ask you to remain in the Great Hall. Prefects please make sure that all the doors to the Great Hall remain closed until the other professors and I return."
With that said, Dumbledore along with the majority of the professors from the front table made their way out of the main entrance of the Great Hall. The only professors that stayed behind were Professor Sprout and Professor Spencer. Hermione and Harry found Nancy and Ron standing by the front doors.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked as he looked at Harry and Hermione.
"Mountain trolls are in the castle," Hermione replied as she took a breath.
"Again?" Ron responded as his jaw dropped, memories of their first year entering his mind.
"Professor Dumbledore will handle it," Harry replied as he leaned up against the door.
The door suddenly jolted as if something large had just hit it. Harry's eyes went wide as he turned and took several steps away from the door. Professor Spencer and Professor Sprout quickly moved in front of the four with their wands ready. The other students started to scream when the pounding got louder and more frequent.
Suddenly they saw the door slowly started to fold, releasing small pieces of wood as it contorted from all the pounding. Within minutes the door was completely warped and was barely being held on by its hinges. Sprout and Spencer readied themselves. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and nodded as they took out their wands. Ron and Nancy nodded as well as they withdrew theirs.
The door suddenly burst open flying towards them. Spencer and the four were able to maneuver away from one door, but Sprout wasn't so fortunate. She tried to run, but the door hit her back, knocking her over onto the floor. Spencer ran over to her to check on her condition and was relieved that she was only knocked unconscious.
The four looked at the entrance but was unable to see what was doing all the pounding due to all the dust that was filling the air. Harry looked over at his friends and took a cautious step forward, with his wand out in front of him. Spencer noticed this and quickly got to his feet.
"You four, please do not do anything foolish," Spencer said as he quickly moved over towards them.
"It's okay Professor," Ron said as he gave him a weak smile. "We've taken a mountain troll once."
"I know," he replied as he looked Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "But from what Professor McGonagall has told me, it was what…dumb luck that saved you."
"We can handle ourselves," Hermione replied as Harry took one more cautious step forward.
Suddenly the mountain troll entered the Great Hall causing many of the students to scream. Several of the prefects started ordering the students to move towards the front of Great Hall, doing their best to distance the students from the huge beast.
Harry looked up at the huge beast but noticed something different about it from the last one he had seen. This mountain troll didn't look stupid or lost, but extraordinarily furious. It had drool spilling out of its mouth and its eyes were glowing an eerie yellow color. The troll looked around and finally looked down at Harry.
"This doesn't look good," Ron said with a cowering voice.
"What are you waiting for?" Spencer roared as he took a step forward, "Stupefy!"
Sparks left Spencer's wand and flew towards the troll's head with incredible speed. It struck the troll directly in the forehead, but the troll didn't seem to be affected by it. He took a menacing step towards Harry with his club raised in the air.
"Harry, get back!" Hermione screamed as the troll swung his club.
Harry jumped back a few moments before the club came crashing down on the floor, causing bits of stone to fly up into the air. Harry turned and looked at his friends as he raised his wand. The three did as well and with a deep breath they all shouted.
"Stupefy!"
However the spells didn't work. It was as if some sort of shield protected the troll, either that or the troll was simply immune to it. The four started to move back towards the wall of the hall with the troll slowly advancing towards them.
"Hey!" Spencer shouted at it as he started to move his arms wildly in the air to attract it. "Come after me you mangy oaf! Look over here!"
The troll ignored the yelling by Spencer and focused his eyes on a determined Harry. Spencer grew incredibly impatient as he ran towards the back of the troll and leapt into the air, wrapping his strong arms around the troll's neck. This time the troll started to move his body wildly trying to get the professor off his back.
"Adfligo!" Spencer shouted as released one arm from the troll's neck and pointed his wand towards the ground behind it.
The stone floor shattered, leaving broken rocks and a small hole. Spencer used all his strength to pull the troll back. The troll soon found itself stepping into the hole, causing it to lose its balance. With loud thud, the troll fell onto its back, his head hitting the ground hard.
Spencer had managed to jump out of the way just before the troll landed on the ground. He got up and dusted himself off as he walked over to the four stunned students, his expression a seemingly light one. "That wasn't too bad," he said to them as he took a deep breath and looked at the fallen troll. Spencer noticed the other students started to gather around to examine to fallen beast.
"Get back! You don't know if it'll wake up or not!"
The other students obeyed and they took several steps back. Harry looked at Hermione and gave her a soft smile. She had been tense during the entire ordeal and when she noticed Harry's smile, her body finally relaxed. He wrapped his arm around her and she gently rested her body against his.
"Blimey that was brilliant!" Ron said with a large grin on his face as he looked at Nancy. "Never seen that before."
Nancy smiled at Ron as she lowered her wand and took a deep breath. Spencer looked at the fallen troll and started to walk towards it. He noticed that the troll's breathing was steady, and he raised his wand as he took several more steps towards it. He stopped near its head and looked at it, noticing some sort of symbol marked on its forehead. His eyes suddenly went wide and he turned and looked at Harry.
"This troll is being controlled by someone. It has…" Spencer stopped when he felt the troll grab his leg. Spencer tried to pull his leg free from the troll's grasp, but the troll's grip was firm. As the troll rose back to its full height, it held a completely powerless Spencer upside down.
"We've got to help," Nancy shouted as the four took several steps forward, their wands raised again.
However before they could do anything, the troll had thrown the professor over them and onto several tables, causing them to break under the force of his impact. The students started to scream and panic as they all took several more steps back, their backs against the front walls of the hall.
The four quickly ran over to Spencer to find that he had been knocked unconscious. Harry looked up at Ron and their gaze fell upon the large beast that was now taking several steps towards them. Harry and Ron nodded at each other as the got up and took several steps towards the beast, but before they could do anything, it swung its club at them.
Ron and Harry quickly jumped out of the way as the club came crashing down onto the floor. Nancy quickly got up and ran to Ron's aid as Hermione went to Harry. Hermione helped Harry up and the two were completely shocked as it moved towards them. It swung again. Harry grabbed Hermione and pulled her out of the way, moving them towards the tables and chairs, which were moved to the side of the large hall.
"Incendio!" Nancy screamed as she sent a fireball into the troll's back, burning his skin. To her bewilderment, the troll wasn't even the least affected by this. It kept advancing towards Harry and Hermione, walking slowly with his club raised in the air.
"Hey, look over here!" Ron shouted as he moved over towards the troll's right and started jumping in the air with his arms flailing. The troll didn't bother to take notice, his eyes still focused on Harry and Hermione.
"I knew it," Harry muttered to himself as he and Hermione moved towards the wall.
"What?" Hermione asked she looked up at him, dirt covering his cheeks and body.
"He's here for me," he replied as he looked at her.
Before she could say anything, the troll swung again, causing a table to be hurled at them. Harry pulled Hermione out of the away as the fell onto the floor. They quickly crawled under another table and could hear Ron and Nancy firing an endless stream of spells at troll, but nothing seemed to work.
"You promised me that you would not play the hero!" Hermione shouted at him as she grabbed his sleeve.
Harry looked at her and gave her a weak smile as he rubbed her cheek with his hand. "I'm sorry. I would never break a promise unless I really needed to. And your safety is definitely more important to me than my own."
Hermione's eyes started to water as she opened her mouth to argue with him, but he silenced her by putting his finger onto her lips. "Don't worry. I've been through tougher spots than this. Besides I can't die, I haven't even got a chance to kiss you yet."
"Harry!" she screamed as he got out from underneath the table and ran for the door of the Great Hall. The troll immediately turned and looked at Harry.
"What are you doing, Harry?" Ron asked as he looked over to his friend.
"What I can," Harry replied as gave Ron and Nancy a reassured nod.
Harry quickly ran out of the door, causing the troll to move quickly after him. Harry looked behind him and was relieved to see the troll following him. He looked around and decided the best thing to do was to run outside; it would give him the more room to maneuver and outrun the beast.
He ran as fast he could and was surprised that the troll was keeping up with him. He quickly turned towards the door leading outside and he decided that now was his best chance. He pushed himself and increased his speed as he ran out of the castle faster than his legs had ever carried him before. He heard a loud roar behind him and was incredibly shocked to see that the troll was not only keeping up with him, but in fact he was gaining.
Harry looked forward and noticed that he was running towards the Forbidden Forest. He thought to himself that he would make his stand there and hope that the trees would give him some sort of advantage. He felt his legs ache, but he knew that he couldn't stop until he made it into the Forbidden Forest.
When Harry finally made it, he moved towards a particular spot that was covered by many trees. He turned and watched the troll move towards him with his club raised. Harry took several deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down, when he noticed that the troll was steadily advancing towards him. It was now acting incredibly erratic as he swung his club into the nearest tree, causing it to fall.
"Well that isn't very good," Harry muttered to himself as he watched the troll slowly make its way towards him. Harry thought to himself for several moments, wondering how he could harm the beast the desperately wanted to harm him. He looked back into the troll's glowing eyes and nodded.
He lowered himself and raised his wand as he watched the troll's progress. Within several minutes, the troll had finally made his way towards him. Harry aimed his wand towards the troll's head and waited patiently for it to get closer. The troll did just that with his club raised again, ready to crush Harry.
"Conjunctiva!" Harry shouted as he fired several sparks directly into one of the troll's eyes.
This did it, the troll was howling in pain as he started to rub one of his eyes with its huge fist. However to Harry's dismay, it seemed to only anger the beast as he kept swing his club even more furiously at him.
Harry quickly moved as the club smashed the spot he was just standing on. Harry rolled on the forest floor and quickly got up. He tried to run into the forest, but tripped on the root of a nearby tree. He quickly moved again as the club came falling down, literally causing the tree to uproot itself.
"Think Harry," he said softly to himself as he looked around for a way to escape.
The troll advanced towards him again and Harry decided to make his way up a large boulder in front of him. He climbed as fast as he could and rolled over the top as he looked down at the screaming troll. Harry took several deep breaths as he let out a sigh of relief, hoping the troll would give up. His body ached from exhaustion and he decided to relax on his back for a few moments as the troll grunted to itself.
Harry felt a sudden jolt, which caused him to get up and look over the edge towards the troll. The troll was swinging his club madly at the rock face and to Harry's utter horror; the rock face was starting to crack. Harry looked around and realized that he had nowhere to go but down. Harry noticed a patch of shrubs below the right side of the boulder and decided that that was the safest route to go.
Harry held his breath, but before he could jump, the troll swung his club against the rock, causing the rock to crumble. Harry fell, covering his face with his arms as he hit the ground. Harry rolled over slowly and felt a sharp pain in his left arm as he looked up at the towering troll in front of him. His panic had left him, leaving a sense of peace inside his chest. He tried to move his body, but it wouldn't respond.
Harry took a deep breath as he watched the troll walk towards him. He let out his breath as his mind wondered onto Hermione's smiling face. He closed his eyes and his world went black.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harry opened his eyes and found himself hanging upside down by his feet. He noticed a fire by him and he could sense several things move around him. He tried to free himself but he was too exhausted to keep it up for long. His left arm hurt incredibly and he realized that he must of broken it when he fell from the large boulder.
"Mountain troll…" Harry muttered as he tried to see if it was still around.
"There is no longer a mountain troll here, son of man!" someone roared out to him.
Harry turned his head and he watched what looked like a horse approaching him. He let out a sigh of complete regret as he watched an angered centaur walk into the light of the fire.
"How dare you bring such a beast into our forest!"
"I didn't mean to," Harry quickly replied, his voice pleading. "It attacked Hogwarts castle and I had to lead it away. The only place I had to run was into the forest."
"Into the forest!" the centaur roared as he growled at Harry, his hands clenched in tight fists. "Two died trying to fight off that beast! All you humans ever do is worry about your own hides!"
"I'm really sorry," Harry said with a sincere voice.
"An apology from a human isn't worth anything in this forest!" the centaur roared as he started to move towards Harry. "You should of just given your life to the troll! You will regret ever coming into our forest!"
"But you are noble beings. You would never kill the foal of anything," Harry replied remembering Hermione and his unfortunate experience with the centaurs last year.
"First of all, you look like a full grown human to me. And second, for leading such a heinous monster into our forest and causing the death of two our kind, the only punishment suited for you is death!" The other centaurs started to roar and stomped their hooves into the soft forest floor.
Harry swallowed hard as he looked around at all the centaurs approaching him. He tried to say something but there was nothing he could possibly say to calm all the infuriated centaurs. He watched them walk menacingly towards him and he let out sigh, knowing that there was nothing he could do about his current situation.
A centaur was suddenly thrown back, causing all the centaurs to turn towards their fallen comrade. They all roared, and from what Harry could tell, there was a large fight occurring somewhere behind him. He tried to swing his body around, but wasn't able to muster the strength to do it.
He watched in amazement as a centaur collapsed next to him. He immediately realized that the thing that could be harming the centaurs could be another mountain troll. He used the remaining of his strength to try to free himself, but failed again. He wasn't able to locate his wand and cursed to himself when he realized that the centaurs must have taken it from him when he was knocked out.
"Are you trying to escape?" a centaur growled as he watched Harry struggling. The centaur walked over to Harry and gave him a menacing grin. "You will die, son of man! You will die!"
Harry saw the centaur pull back his arm, and Harry instinctively move his arms to protect himself. Harry let out a gasp of air when he felt the fist of the centaur drive into his stomach. He started coughing uncontrollably as his eyes grew wide, focusing on the creature.
His eyesight started to fade again as he felt his body grow limp. His left arm and his stomach hurt incredibly. He closed his eyes and allowed his lungs to take in short and quick breaths of air as he tried to subdue the pain. He opened his eyes again and noticed the centaur pull back for another punch, however before he could release it, something had hit him from the side, causing the centaur to fall over.
"You'll be okay now, Harry," Harry heard a voice say as he closed his eyes again, allowing his mind to grow blank, his world in darkness again.