Into the Lion's Den

Chapter 16

Deimos wakes up Halloween morning and feeds his creatures before heading down for breakfast "You ready for Charms?" Hermione asks him. "Yeah, apparently we're going to start the levitation charm today." Deimos responds. "That'll be great, I've been looking forward to that since Flitwick made Trevor fly round the room." Hermione smiles, Deimos nodding in confirmation. Fred and George walk over and sit either side of Deimos "Hey baby brother." Fred starts. "Could we borrow Scuttle?" George asks him. "...why?" Deimos asks. "For a prank obviously." the twins tell him. "No, I'm all for pranks but I'm not letting you get my creatures involved." Deimos tell them. "Fair enough." George tells him. "Just thought we'd ask." Fred nods.

In charms, Deimos sits next to Hermione with Dean the other side of him, Ron sat next to Hermione as her partner "Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing! Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too, never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest." Flitwick tells them all. Deimos lets Dean have a go at levitating the feather first, the boy having trouble with it. Looking over, Deimos stuffles a laugh when he sees Seamus accidentally set his and Harry's father alight "Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouts, waving his arm wildly. "You're saying it wrong. It's Wing- gar -dium Levi- o -sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." Hermione tells him. "You do it, then, if you're so clever." Ron snarls. Hermione clears her throat and points her wand at the feather "Wingardium Leviosa!" she says, giving her wand a swish and flick. Deimos smiles for his friend "Well done Mione." he tells her. "Oh, well done! Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!" Professor Flitwick cheers. Deimos looks at the feather in front of him and recites the spell "Wingardium Leviosa." he says, swishing and flicking his wand. The feather starts flying up, joining Hermione's above their heads. "Well Done Mr Malfoy-Weasley." Flitwick praises.

Hermione and Deimos walk out of class together, close behind Ron and Harry "It's no wonder no one can stand her, she's a nightmare, honestly." Ron says, talking about Hemione. Deimos goes to say something as Hermione's eyes tear up, but doesn't get a chance as she storms off past the boys "I think she heard you." Harry tells Ron. "So? She must've noticed she's got no friends." Ron tells him, looking slightly uncomfortable. Deimos pushes between the two of them, shoving his brother "You're a real git Ronald Billius." he glares, running after his best friend. Hermione runs into the girls bathroom, locking herself in a cubicle. Deimos hesitates and looks round to make sure he's alone, before following after Hermione "Mione? Hey, don't listen to Ron he's just a git." he tells her. Hermione snuffles slightly "He's right though, I don't have any friends. None other than you." she tells him through the cubicle door. "Neither do I, I have the twins but they're family. You're not just my friend Hermione, you're my best friend. I'd probably be flunking if it weren't for you." Deimos tells her. There's a shuffling noise followed by a click, Hermione unlocking the door of the cubicle and opening it to reveal her puffy red eyes from where she's been crying. Deimos hugs her "Please don't cry Mione. Especially not over something my git of a brother has said." he tells her. Hermione snuffles and wipes her eyes "I...I don't think I can go back to class." she says. "Okay, then I'll stay with you." Deimos nods, sitting on the bathroom floor with Hermione. "I can't ask you to do that." Hermione tells him. "You're not, I'm offering." Deimos smiles.

Deimos and Hemione sit together talking about family, Hermione teaching him different things about the muggle world "So a television is like our moving pictures but it runs on electricity?" Deimos asks. "Yeah, it plays films, shows and music." she nods. Just then there is a disgusting smell, turning the two friends see a fully grown Mountain Troll in the bathroom with them. Hermione screams as Deimos drags her back against the wall, the door being blocked by the Troll. Harry and Ron run as the Troll advances on the two friends, the sinks being knocked off the wall "Confuse it!" Harry shouts to Ron, the two of them throwing broken bits of door and sink at the Troll. "Oy, pea-brain!" Ron yells as the Troll goes to swing at Harry."Come on, run, run!" Harry yells at Hermione and Deimos, trying to pull them toward the door. Deimos holds Hermione's hand and pulls her under the remaining sinks as Harry runs and jumps onto the Troll's back, his wand going straight up its nose. Ron pulls out his wand "Swish and flick!" Deimos tells him. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouts, the Troll's club flying out of his hand and into the air. The club raises higher and higher, eventually falling onto the Troll'e head with a sickening crack. The troll sways on the spot before falling flat on its face with a thud, making the whole room tremble. The four of them head over to the Troll "Is it... dead?" Hermione asks. "I don't think so, I think it's just been knocked out." Harry tells her, pulling his wand out of the Troll's nose "Urgh, troll boogers." he grimaces, wiping his wand on the Troll's trousers.

The door suddenly swings open, Professor McGonagall bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape and Quirrell. Quirrell takes one look at the troll and lets out a faint whimper, sitting down on a toilet and clutching his heart. Snape bends over the Troll, Professor McGonagall turns to the four students "What on earth were you thinking of? You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" she asks. "Please, Professor McGonagall they were looking for us." Hermione pipes up. "Miss Granger! Mr Malfoy-Weasley!" McGonagall exclaims. "I wasn't feeling well so Hermione was checking on me. As we were heading to the feast we got cornered by the troll. We ran in here to try and escape but it followed us." Deimos lies. "If they hadn't found us, we'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived." Hermione adds. "If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses. Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. Mr Weasley, Mr Potter, you each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go." McGonagall tells the four of them. They quickly nod and rush out the room "We should have gotten more than ten points." Ron grumbles. "Be happy we lied for you." Deimos tells him. "Yeah...thanks." Ron says. "Yeah, you early helped us out." Harry nods as they reach the Fat Lady. "Pig snout." Deimos tells her, the four of them walking inside.