SABAISM | H. POTTER

SEVEN. | A HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARE

Taking a deep breath, Gemini turned towards Harry. "Harry, Love," she started out, "Will you please carry my books, or drop them off in the common room. I am going to go see where Hermione ran off to, and I don't need the extra weight. Okay?" She had turned around before she could see Harry furiously nodding his head in her direction. Neville whispered out, "Merlin, Harry. You are infatuated with that girl." Harry could only smile at him goofily, "She called me love."
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Gemini sat with Hermione on the floor in a bathroom stall. "I'll have you know I wouldn't do this for just anyone," Gemini said as she held Hermione comfortingly. The girl, in tears, rolled her eyes as she knew Gemini was a secret softie underneath all that sarcasm. "Of course," Hermione responded dryly. Gemini chuckled before whispering, "I mean it, Hermione. I am your friend. It is too late to return me, and you are going to have to learn to put up with me. No matter what anyone says, I will always be here for you. Don't go around thinking you have no one because I will always fight for you. When you feel up to it we can go to the Halloween feast, but for now you can explain to me the basics of a toaster; because I really need new facts to convince my Dad into getting one." Hermione Granger gripped the girl tighter and then began to explain what all could be cooked in a toaster.

Meanwhile, at the feast, Harry Potter could not stop worrying about the whereabouts of Gemini. Her books were sat on the bench beside him. He didn't just want to leave them in their common room, and he wasn't allowed up in the girl's dormitories. She entrusted him with this task. Plus, this way he could save her a seat if she showed up. He could only think about, was she hungry? Did he need to find her and give her food? Merlin, she was so brave for just skipping. "Harry. You look in awe, and I guarantee you are obsessing over Gem not this feast," Ron stated slightly annoyed. Harry's head snapped up in a quick manner. "Why did you call her Gem?," he asked becoming defensive. Ron shook his head whilst taking another bite of his mince pie.

Harry decided to ignore the fact that Ron hadn't answered his question and tried a different approach, "Where are they anyway? Do you know?," Harry asked in concern. Neville quickly answered, "Parvati Patil said that Hermione wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon...crying. Gemini has been comforting her." Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Unexpectedly, Professor Quirrell came flying into the room, screaming, "TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLL IN THE DUNGEON! Thought you'd ought to know," and then he fell over in a dead faint. There was complete silence for a moment, and then chaos erupted. Everyone was freaking out; screaming and running amongst themselves.

"SILENCE," Dumbledore roared, "Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." You could hear the shouts and pleas to stay close to one another. The Professor's even seemed distraught. Snape looked aghast, and he disappeared through a doorway. His actions didn't go unnoticed by Harry.

Percy was leading the Gryffindors down a corridor.

Percy looked shaken up as he instructed, "Gryffindors. Keep up please, and stay alert!" Harry was thoroughly confused, "How could a troll get in?" Ron looked confused himself as he answered, "Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably Peeves' playing jokes." Suddenly, Harry stopped and pulled Ron aside. "What, Harry?", Ron asked slightly scared. "Hermione! She doesn't know! Neither does the love of my life," Harry stated seriously. Ron looked affronted. "Love of your...never mind," Ron shook his head. The two ran off down the hallway. They started running down a corridor when they stopped because there was a grunting noise. The sound made the hair on their arms stand on end. Harry pulled Ron into a doorway, and a large and ugly troll thunked by into the room parallel to their hiding spot.

"Oh no,"Harry whispered horrified, "He's going into the girl's bathroom!"

In the bathroom, Hermione emerged from her stall and wiped her eyes. Gemini was behind her talking animatedly, "So, you are telling me you that you put your pop-tarts in a toaster? How does that-," Gemini was cut off as she ran into Hermione who had suddenly stopped. She was going to ask what the problem was, but a low growl cut off her concerns. The girls gazes locked with an enormous troll. Hermione backed up to the wall, and Gemini stood there in silence. The troll raised it's club and smashed it down on the top of the stall they had previously resided in. Hermione screamed noisily, and Gemini threw a piece of rubble at the beasts head. "Hermione, move!", Gemini yelled. Then the boy's burst into the bathroom.

The troll shattered the remaining stalls. Hermione began to scream louder, "Help!" Gemini and the boy's started throwing wood pieces at the troll. "Hey, pea brain!", Ron exclaimed. He threw a chunk of wood and hit the troll on the side of the head. Hermione escaped from her spot and hid underneath one of the sinks. "Good throw, Ronald!", Gemini yelled encouragingly. The troll saw Hermione in her flurry of movement and tried to smash her. It cracked the sink and barely missed the girl. Harry cringed and Gemini grew angrier, throwing more remains towards the creature. "Ahhh," Hermione yelled frightened.

Harry jumped into action. He grasped his wand firmly. Running forward, Harry grabbed the trolls club and was lifted into the air. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!," Harry exclaimed as he landed on the troll's head. The troll hurled forward, then back, and the movement caused Harry's wand to lodge itself up the troll's nose. "Ew," said Ron. Gemini nodded her head in disgusted agreement. The troll snorted and whipped around. "Ahhh," Harry exclaimed. The troll got Harry off its head, and held him up by one leg. "Bloody hell, Harry! If you want to have a chance with me; don't die," Gemini yelled out trying to give Harry some confidence. Harry screamed, despite the circumstances, "You mean I have a chance?!" As the troll geared up and swiped at Harry; who pulled himself up and down to avoid the bludgeoning. "Do something," Harry yelled. The other children looked at each other; "What?," Ron yelled out. "Anything," Harry exclaimed desperately.

Ron grabbed his wand tightly. Under the sink, Hermione waved her hand to catch his attention. "Swish and flick," she reminded him as calmly as she could. Ron nodded determinedly, "Wingardium Leviosa!" With a flick of his wrist, the troll's club is lifted out of it's gruesome hand. It hovers above it's head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club came crashing back down. "Cool," Gemini muttered as she looked at the situation in front of her. It hit the troll's head repeatedly until it dropped. Harry was released, due to the now unconscious creature, and he instantly crawled away. The troll wavered and came crashing down, hard. After a few moments, Hermione approached it carefully.

"Is it...dead?," she questioned. Harry answered, "I don't think so. Just knocked out." He walked towards the troll and retrieved his wand; which was covered in goo. "Ew, Troll bogies," he added.

Suddenly; McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell rushed in. They all gasped at what they saw.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, all of you," Minnie stated furiously. Gemini tried to cower into the shadows. Ron and Harry began spluttering, "Well, what it is..." Hermione cut them off, "It is my fault, Professor McGonagall." The teachers, Ron and Harry, and Gemini all gaped in shock. "Miss. Granger," McGonagall stuttered out. "I went looking for the troll," Hermione started, "I'd read about them and thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come to help Gemini in persuading me to not do this...I'd probably be dead." All of the professors looked positively shocked. McGonagall cleared her throat and said, "Be that as it may...it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part, Miss. Granger. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgement. As for you three, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points will be awarded to each of you...for sheer dumb luck. Don't think I won't be telling your Father about this, Miss. Lupin-Black." Snape and McGonagall looked around once more before taking their leave.

Professor Quirrell was the only one left behind. He took in the destroyed bathroom and settled in on the children. "Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up..heh," he stuttered out nervously. The children decided to take him seriously for once and hastily exited.

"Don't you have something to say to Hermione, Ronald?", Gemini looked at him almost threateningly. Ron gulped and gave his attention to the the bushy haired girl, "Hermione...that was really cool of you. Thank you, I guess you aren't so bad." Hermione smiled brightly at him because she knew that was the best she was going to get.

Their walk back in silence was abruptly ended by Harry loudly exclaiming, "Wait! You said I had a chance!"