Harry Potter and the Portkey of Time

CHAPTER 7

"He doesn't know about the troll!"

"We can't leave, we'll get in trouble!" Said Hermione, "Maybe we should get a teacher?"

"There's no time! We need to go now," Harry said, pulling them away from safety and towards the bathroom.

"Oh alright," Hermione whispered, although she was clearly conflicted, "As long as Percy doesn't catch us."

The three of them ran towards the bathroom Harry believed Neville would be in and rounded a corner when they heard footsteps behind them.

"Percy!" Cried Ron, pulling them behind a suit of armour. But once they were safely hidden they saw not Percy, but Snape. Harry tried for the life of him to remember what Snape was doing, but he came up blank.

"What's he doing here?" Whispered Hermione, "why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"He's heading for the third floor!" Harry said pointing to the staircase Snape had just climbed onto.

"Can you smell something?" asked Ron, sniffing the air. Harry and Hermione did the same and were met with the stench of old socks and public toilets.

Then they heard it. A low grunting sound came from the end of the hall, and footsteps that made the floor tremble. Something was coming towards them and Harry was certain it was the troll.

The three of them shrank back into the shadows hoping not to get caught and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight. The troll was a horrible sight. Not only was the smell putrid but the way it looked was as well. It stood twelve feet tall with dull grey skin, had a great lumpy body and a small bald patch on the top of its coconut-shaped head. It held a large wooden, blood-stained club that dragged along the floor behind it.

Slowly the troll edged its way down the corridor and peered into a room, making up its tiny mind, it headed inside.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all slowly tip-toed towards the room, when a hand grabbed Harry's arm.

"What are you doing," someone familiar sneered at him. It was Malfoy. He had clearly followed them. "You're going to be in so much trouble when I tell a teacher the 'famous Harry Potter' was sneaking off trying to attack a troll. And look, you brought your pathetic friends along for the ride."

"This doesn't concern you, Malfoy," Harry glared. "Get going."

"Where is the bloody creature anyways?"

"I told you to leave."

"If it's gone in there," he said, nodding to the door, "there is a key in the lock, you can trap it inside." Malfoy looked at the three of them like they were stupid, and then he reached for the key and locked the door.
"Are you bloody stupid, Malfoy!" Ron bellowed. "There was a reason we hadn't locked the door!"

Harry rushed to unlock it.

"What's your problem, Weasley? Can't get enough attention with all your siblings in the way?"

A high-pitched scream echoed from inside the toilet.

"Neville is in there you prat! You just tried to lock him in there with a troll!"

Malfoy's face seemed to get a noticeable shade whiter when what Ron had said dawned upon him.

"I told you to leave Malfoy," Harry growled, "You've done enough damage. Get. Going."

"No."

"Leave!"

"Fine." Malfoy stomped off. Neither Harry, Ron nor Hermione noticed Malfoy hide behind a wall and watch as they rushed inside the boy's toilet.

Neville Longbottom was cowering in the corner of the bathroom, looking quite faint. The troll was slowly advancing on him, a murderous look in its eyes, knocking the sinks from the wall as it went.

"Confuse it!" Yelled Harry desperately to Ron and Hermione. He drew his wand from his robes and the three of them circled it.

"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron called at the troll. Hermione waved her hands around, and Harry racked his brain for any spell that could help. Neville's whimpers didn't cease even after the troll turned its attention to Ron.

"Impedimenta!" Harry bellowed, he knew it would be suspicious that he knew the spell so well, but it was the first one that came to mind to get all four of them out safely. The spell hit the troll right in the middle of its back and it froze immediately. The impediment jinx was not permanent so he had to get Neville, Ron, Hermione and himself out of the bathroom and fast.

"Go! Quick! It won't last long!" Harry called to Ron and Hermione, "I'll grab Neville!"

Harry dashed to where Neville was hiding in the corner of the room and dragged him up from his crouching position. The troll was starting to stir again and all of them were still in the room.

"One of you!" Harry said quickly, turning his head to Ron and Hermione, "Make his club float and drop it on its head!"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick glance, Hermione nodded, and Ron pulled his wand out.

"Remember, swish and flick!" Hermione instructed.

"I'm not daft!" Ron retaliated, "Wingardium Leviosa!" He called. The club left its hand and floated one foot above the troll. Ron then lowered his wand, breaking the spell, making it fall right on the bald patch atop its head. A loud thunk echoed throughout the room, and the troll fell flat on its face.

"Great job! Now let's go," Harry said and they all rushed out of the room. Soon all of the faculty members joined them just outside the boy's bathroom.

Professor McGonagall looked furious. Her lips were pressed so tightly together they were white and her eyes were boring into the four of their souls. Neville looked terrified. Not only Professor McGonagall, but Snape was there as well, peering at each of their faces intently.

"What on earth were you thinking?" McGonagall said with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed! If Mr Malfoy hadn't come and retrieved us... Who knows what could have happened? Why aren't the four of you in your dormitories?"

Hermione looked terrified.

"Professor - please," her voice trembled as she spoke. "It was my fault. Harry told us Neville was missing and it was my idea to go after the Troll. I thought I could take it down because I had read about them. They both wanted to go and get a teacher, but I insisted it would be too late." Ron looked at Hermione like she was crazy, she was straight out lying to a teacher. Harry hid a smile.

"If they hadn't found me, I would probably be dead," came Neville's quiet voice.

"Well, in that case... Miss Granger, how could you think you could tackle a mountain troll? You've endangered Mr Potter and Mr Weasley and I'm very disappointed in you. 20 points from Gryffindor for your foolish behaviour. However, it seems true that if you hadn't found Mr Longbottom he may no longer be with us," Professor McGonagall's voice sounded grim as she said this, "not many first-year students could take on a fully-grown troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points for Gryffindor for the three of you. Neville, please go off to the hospital wing, you three, get back to the dorms."

They were lucky to have escaped detention, but Harry wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Where did you learn that spell?" Asked Hermione, as they rushed back to the common room, "It's supposed to be really advanced."

"I uh- heard Fred and George talking about it and wanted to give it a go. I didn't think it would work so well," Harry responded, coming up with the excuse on the spot.

"That's really impressive, you know."

"Oh, thanks."

From then on, just like the first time around, Ron couldn't deny that the three of them were friends.