Changing Fates

The Mountain Troll

On Hallowe'en morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. He put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan while Rose's was Neville. Ron however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell who whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. 

"Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" squeaked Professor Flitwick.

"Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on floor with a buffalo on his chest."

It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skywards just lay on the desktop. However Rose was successful in floating her feather.

"Oh, well done, everyone see here, Miss Dursley's done it."

But Ron at the next table wasn't having much more luck than Harry.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he shouted

"You're saying it wrong" they 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 rolled up her sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand and said, "Wingardium Leviosa"

Their feathers rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh well done, even Miss Granger's done it"

Ron was in a very bad temper by the end of the class.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her" he said to Harry and Rose.

"She's a nightmare honestly" Rose was going to scold him when someone knocked into them as they hurried past them. It was Hermione. They caught a glimpse of her face- and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you" said Harry

"So, she must've noticed she's got no friends"

"Ronald Weasley, apologize immediately" screamed Molly Weasley while holding his ears.

"Ouch mom, sorry mum, sorry Mione"

"Ronald Weasley how dare you, you are just jealous that she is smarter than you and moreover she does have a friend and thats me" said Rose angrily, and immediately followed Hermione.

"When did they became friends"

"I have no idea"

Neither Hermione nor Rose turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Hallowe'en feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' toilets and Rose was consoling her.

Harry was just helping himself to a jacket potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons- thought you ought to know"

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was uproar. "Silence" screamed Dumbledore

"Prefects, lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

"Follow me"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be stupid, maybe Peeves let it in for a Hallowe'en joke" said Ron