Outside in the courtyard, day time. Oliver and Mia appear, carrying a trunk. They put it down.
"I have seen Oliver play. You're in good hands," Remus assured Mia.
"I know," Mia replied with a smile.
Oliver, who had overheard their conversation, glanced at the screen and smiled, reassured by their confidence in his abilities.
Oliver: Quidditch is easy enough to understand.
Those with experience playing and understanding Quidditch nodded their heads in agreement with the Gryffindor captain's words.
Meanwhile, those who were new to the sport were excited to learn more about the intricacies of Quidditch, their curiosity piqued by the conversation.
Each time has seven players. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and a Seeker. That's you. There are three kinds of balls. [picks up a red one] This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. [Points to the hoops in the Quidditch pitch in the distance.] The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. [throws ball to Mia.] With me so far?
Mia: [throws back] I think so.
"Won't blame you if you're confused. Your father didn't understand the game until hours before the match," Sirius said with a snicker.
Mia laughed as well. "Really?"
"Yeah, your father wasn't the smartest when it came to figuring things out," Remus told her with a chuckle, sharing in the lighthearted jest about her father's past Quidditch misadventures.
Mia: What are those? [points to two squirming chained down balls.]
"The worst!" a Ravenclaw Quidditch player, who once got hit by a painful Bludger hit, exclaimed.
First-year students looked at him in confusion, wondering why the ball was considered the worst.
After all, at first glance, it was just a ball,
right?
Oliver: You better take this. [hands Mia a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two watch it.] Careful now, it's coming back.
Mia whispered to herself, "Oh, be careful, Mia. This one hurt like crazy."
Remus furrowed his brow. "Why are you reacting as if you've been hit by it before?"
Mia glanced at Remus and then back at the screen. "Well..."
[The balls comes whizzing down, and Mia cracks at it with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue, surprisingly without damaging it.] Not bad, Mia. You'd make a fair Beater. Uh-oh.
"And I still stand by it," Oliver told her.
"That was impressive for a first time, Mia," Dean said.
"I agree," another voice chimed in.
"Thanks, guys," Mia replied, feeling grateful for their encouragement.
[The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.]
Mia: What was that?!
Oliver: Bludger. Nasty little buggers.
"I completely agree with you," Mia said, nodding in agreement with Wood on the screen.
But you are a Seeker. And the only thing I want you to worry about is this. The Golden Snitch. [hands Mia a walnut sized golden ball.]
Mia: I like this ball.
"It's quite pretty," Cho complimented the ball.
"It might be pretty, but it's a nasty one," Draco commented.
"I agree. You don't want it to be getting away from you," Charlie Weasley, a former seeker, added.
"Neither do you want to be chasing after it," Mia concluded with a nod, bringing the conversation to a close.
Oliver: Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see.
Mia: What do I do with it?
Oliver: You catch it. Before the other team's Seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this, Mia, and we win.
[The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Mia keeps an eye on it.]
"No wonder we can't beat her at Quidditch. Her skill at Quidditch is unsurpassable," Marcus Flint, a Slytherin player, lamented.
The other players nodded in agreement, their envy palpable.
"Just like James." Remus told her, and Sirius nodded in agreement.
In Professor Flitwick's class. Filtwick is very short, and is standing on a bunch of books to make up for his stature and to see his class.
"I loved that class," Mia said, longing for the simplicity of those easy classes.
Flitwick: One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you have your feathers? [Hermione raises hers.] Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practising. Hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone.
All (including Flitwick): The swish and flick.
Flitwick: Good. Oh, and enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go, then. [The class begin to enunciate and doing the movements on their feathers]
First-year students watched carefully, eager to learn.
Draco: Wingardium Levio-saaa.
"You're saying it wrong!" Hermione said, her tone firm.
Ron and Mia shared a glance and burst into laughter. Confused, Hermione and the others looked at them,
"Wait, why are you two laughing?" Hermione inquired, puzzled by their amusement. Then, suddenly realizing the reason, she couldn't help but join in the laughter.
"Yeah, yeah, I said it before, didn't I?" Hermione remarked wryly.
Mia and Ron nodded in agreement. "You did," they confirmed, still smiling.
All: Wingardium Leviosa.
Ron: Wingardrium Leviosar! [He waves his wand really fast numerous times because he thinks the spell didn't work. Hermione stops him.]
Hermione: No, stop, stop, stop! You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-o-sa, not Leviosar.
The rest of the group, who were initially perplexed by Ron and Mia's laughter, also joined in when they heard Hermione's remark. The room filled with lighthearted amusement.
"It's Levi-o-sa, not Leviosar," Draco mimicked her along with his friends as they all laughed at her.
Mia, who obviously overheard them, glared at the group. Draco felt someone was looking his way. He turned around and his eyes fell on Mia, whose glare hardened. He shrieked and quickly looked away, avoiding her intense gaze.
Ron: You do it, then, if you're so clever. Go on, go on. [Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.]
Hermione: Wingardium Leviosa. [The feather glows and lifts up.]
Flitwick: Oh, well done! See here, everyone, Miss Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!
"Miss Granger, that was quite an impressive," Professor Flitwick remarked, nodding in admiration. "Your magical prowess is truly commendable."
"Thank you, Professor Flitwick," Hermione replied with a modest smile, appreciating the praise from her esteemed teacher.
[Ron puts his head on his books dejectedly. Seamus begins swishing at his feather.]
Seamus: Wingard Leviosa. Wingar-
Flitwick: Well done, dear.
[An almighty explosion flashes. Flitwick gasps, as Ron and Hermione turn to the source of the explosion]
The entire Hall was caught off guard by the explosion Seamus had caused, yet again.
"Honestly, Seamus," Neville exclaimed, exasperated. "Do you ever think before you cast a spell?"
Seamus looked sheepish as he tried to avoid the attention. "Sorry. It was an accident, I swear!"
Mia chuckled. "At this rate, you'll be auditioning for the role of Hogwarts' resident pyrotechnics expert soon, Seamus."
Amidst the laughter filling the great hall, Professor McGonagall, with her stern yet amused expression. "Mr. Finnigan, I trust that you will be more mindful in the future. Or I'll have to reconsider the safety of having you in any class."
"Of course, Professor McGonagall."
[Neville, Mia, Ron and Seamus are walking through a courtyard with other students all around.]
Ron: [mimicking Hermione] "It's Levioooosa, not Leviosaaaar." [normal voice] She's a nightmare, honestly!
"Ronald!"
Fred and George clicked their tongues at their brother and shook their heads disapprovingly.
The rest of the Weasley family were disappointed by Ron's actions and his hurtful words.
Ginny gave Ron a disapproving glance. "You really need to consider your words before speaking, Ron."
Mia: It's not funny stop it Ron!
Ron: No wonder she hasn't got any friends
Mia: She got me.
Hermione looked at Mia with a thankful expression, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "Mia, I want to express my gratitude for your constant support. You've always been there for me, and I truly appreciate it."
Returning the smile, Mia replied, "Of course, Hermione. You mean a lot to me, and I'll always have your back."
Ron knit his brows. "What about me?"
Hermione let out a soft sigh. "Ron, you know we appreciate you too, but can you give us a moment?"
"Fine," Ron huffed.
Mia gave Hermione a knowing look, and they both giggled softly, understanding Ron's overbearing nature.
[Hermione rushes past Ron, hugging her books and sniffling in tears.]
Mia: I think she heard you [shaking her head in disappointment. Hermione disappears into the crowd, deeply hurt by Ron's words.]
"RONALD!"
Molly and Arthur Weasley sternly addressed their son.
"I did offer an apology to her afterwards," Ron insisted, defending himself.
"That's true. He did," affirmed Hermione.
"And we nearly faced a life-threatening situation because of it," Mia added, then clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized her slip.
Remus and Sirius looked alarmed.
"What are you referring to, Mia?" Remus asked, concerned for the answer.
Mia, Ron, and Hermione wore a smiles.
"Well..." Hermione began.
"The movie will clarify everything later," Mia interjected, creating a sense of mystery around the situation.
[That Halloween night, the great hall has floating Jack O'Lanterns in place of the candles. Mia notices an empty spot on the bench.]
Mia: Where's Hermione?
Neville: Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon, crying.
Ron, sensing the weight of disapproval from those around him, grew increasingly uncomfortable. "I apologized to her, people!" he announced, hoping to be heard by everyone in the room.
"He did," Hermione confirmed. "He apologized, and I forgave him anyway."
"Thank you," Ron muttered, clearly feeling the tension.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Mia had something to do with it," Fred chimed in, sharing a knowing look with George.
George nodded in agreement. "Definitely."
Mia shook her head and let out a snort. "Why do you have to bring my name into everything?"
"Because everything that happens, happened because of you," Neville teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Neville!" Mia responded, choosing to deflect the attention away from herself.
[Mia glances at Ron with a disapproving look on her face]
"You see, that's what I'm talking about," Fred interjected, emphasizing his point.
"Oh, yes," Ginny added. "The famous Potter glare."
Remus, amused by the conversation, inquired, "What's the Potter glare?"
"It's when Mia glares at someone, her eyes kind of become pitch black; it's quite frightening," Ginny explained.
"Yeah, it's scary," Fred emphasized, nodding in agreement.
Draco silently concurred with their assessment, though he made no effort to show it.
Meanwhile, Snape's eyes drifted to Mia as the conversation revolved around her glare. As he observed her, he couldn't help but notice how much her glare reminded him of her mother. The similarity in their disapproving looks struck him as uncannily familiar.
Suddenly, Professor Quirrell comes running into the Great Hall in panic.
Quirrell: TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON! [Dumbledore rises from his seat in concern. Everyone looks at Quirrell and he stops and there is utter silence.] Thought you ought to know. [Quirrell passes out in fear. The great hall goes silent, and then everyone freaks out, screaming and running.]
"A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that is afraid of trolls." Sirius snorted as he expressed his frustration, clearly unhappy with the choice of a teacher who faints at the first sign of trouble.
"And he fainted," Remus added, turning his gaze to the trio, who paled slightly at the memory of their recent encounter with a troll.
"What did you three do?" Bill inquired, noticing their reaction and seeking an explanation.
Dumbledore: SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE! [Everyone stops and calms down.] Everyone will please not panic! Now, prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons.
"What about Slytherin? Their house is in the dungeons." Luna's question brought to light a critical oversight, one that hadn't occurred to the teachers until now. Dumbledore had nearly sent an entire house to potential danger, a fact that they had completely forgotten.
"Actually, when we got there, we found no evidence of the troll being anywhere near us." Malfoy inquired. "It's almost as is the Professor was lying."
At this, the trio exchanged looks and the others noticed it.
"Mia..." Remus called out, detecting the unspoken communication between the three of them. There was a note of warning in his voice, prompting the rest of the hall to turn their attention towards the trio.
"Remus...."
Girl: Hufflepuff, this way!
Boy: Stay together! [Snape looks aghast, and he walks out through a doorway. A bit later, Percy is leading the Gryffindors down a dark corridor.]
"And where is he going?" Sirius questioned, his voice filled with palpable hatred.
"I hate to say it," Mia began, giving her godfather a pointed look, "But he is innocent in this situation."
As Mia made her statement, Snape's surprised look went unnoticed by the others, lost in the somber atmosphere of the conversation.
Percy: Gryffindors, keep up, please, and stay alert!
Mia: How could a troll get in?
Ron: Not on its own. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes. [Suddenly, Mia stops and pulls Ron aside.] What?
Mia: Hermione! She doesn't know!
Exclamations reverberated throughout the hall as Charlie's voice cut through the tension.
"You foolish lot! There's a troll on the loose. That means 'go to the common room and stay there,' not 'let's just run straight into danger and harm's way,'" Charlie scolded, his concern evident in his tone.
In response, the trio maintained innocent smiles, seemingly unaffected by Charlie's strong words.
The three of them smiled innocently in response, seemingly unfazed by the gravity of their recent actions.
The two separate themselves from the crowd. They run down corridors. They start running down a hall when they stop because there's a grunting noise coming from a large shadow on the wall.
"The number one rule is to never go towards danger, ever," Cho emphasized.
"You still don't know us, do you?" Mia quipped in response.
"I hate that about us," Ron muttered, prompting both Mia and Hermione to turn their attention to him.
Ron: I think the troll's left the dungeon!
[Mia pulls Ron into a doorway, they peer out to see a large, ugly troll thunks by into a room.]
Mia: It's going into the girl's bathroom!
"NO!" The majority of the Hall cried out in desperation, but their warning fell on deaf ears.
"Oh my goodness!" Dean exclaimed in shock as the realization sank in.
"Why aren't you getting away from it?" Sirius's voice came out frantic, filled with concern.
Mia, her complexion paling, replied with urgency, "It's heading toward the girls' bathroom, where Hermione is right now."
The panic spread through the room like wildfire, and the urgency of the situation was undeniably felt by everyone present.
In the girl's bathroom, Hermione emerges from a stall, wiping her eyes. She stops when she sees something. The troll is standing there. Hermione backs up into the stall just as the troll raises its club and smashes the top part of the stalls. Hermione screams in terror. Mia and Ron come bursting in.
Silence and fear permeated the room as everyone remained captivated by the movie, rendering them unable to focus on anything else.
Mia: Hermione, move!
[The troll smashes the remaining stalls.]
Relief and happiness washed over the onlookers as Mia and Ron arrived to rescue Hermione.
Hermione: Help! Help! [The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll.]
Ron: Hey, pea brain! [Ron throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and then comes over to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Hermione. Mia cringes.]
Hermione: (screams) Help! [Mia gets out her wand. She runs forward and grabs the troll's club and is lifted up.]
"I can't watch this," Remus confessed with a grimace.
"Just wait. It gets better," Mia said, a hint of smugness in her tone, prompting nods from Ron and Hermione.
"What are you talking about, Mia?" Remus inquired through clenched teeth.
"Just wait seconds and you shall see," Mia replied with a knowing smile.
Mia: Whoa! [She lands on the troll's shoulders and is hurled around back and forth.]
[Mia's wand shoots up the troll's nose. The troll groans in disgust.]
Ron: Ew!
"EW,"
a few students exclaimed, eliciting chuckles from some and looks of disgust from others.
[Ron and Hermione were disgusted by Mia's wand in the troll's nose. The troll snorts, and whips around.]
Mia: Whoa, whoa-whoa! [The troll gets Mia off its shoulders and is holding her by one leg, upside down.]
"Oh no!"
"What the hell were you thinking?" Remus asked in frustration.
"Saving Hermione's life?" Mia retorted as if it's the most obvious question ever.
Mia: Do something!
[It gears up its club and swipes at Mia. She pulls herself up, then down.]
Ron: What?
Mia: Anything! [the troll swipes at Mia again] Hurry up!
[Ron grabs his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waves her hand.]
Hermione: Swish and flick!
Ron: [correctly punctuating the words] Wingardium Leviosa!
"Yes, use the spell that didn't work," Fred said sarcastically, his fear for his friends and brother palpable.
"And don't know how to pronounce." George added
The room fell into stunned silence as everyone held their breath, anxious about the impending outcome.
[Flick! The troll's club is lifted out of one of his hands and hovers above its head. The troll looks at his hand and opens it, then looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down.] Cool. [It hits the troll's head that hard and the troll wavers, then drops Mia, who crawls away, and slowly comes crashing down, knocked out. Hermione approaches carefully.]
The golden trio exchanged triumphant smiles with each other. Hermione, sporting the most radiant smile, turned to her friends.
"Thank you, guys. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for both of you," she expressed sincerely, her gratitude overflowing.
Ron and Mia looked at each other, sharing a silent moment of understanding and camaraderie before turning back to Hermione with warm smiles.
Hermione: Is it dead?
Mia: I don't think so. Just knocked out. [She grabs her wand which is covered in mucus.] Ugh! Troll bogies.
An audible sigh of relief filled the room as the tension dissipated.
[Mia wipes her wand on her robes. Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell come rushing in. They all gasp at the knocked out troll.]
"Oh no!!!"
McGonagall: Oh! Oh, my goodness! Explain yourselves, both of you!
Ron and Mia: Well, what it is...
Hermione: It's my fault, Professor McGonagall.
The room fell into stunned silence with wide-eyed looks on everyone's faces.
"Miss Granger, why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Professor McGonagall inquired firmly, fixing her gaze on her student.
"I don't know," Hermione replied in a subdued tone, giving a small shrug.
"You took on a full-grown mountain troll and survived?" Draco asked, his incredulity evident.
"Yes?" Mia replied, taken aback by the unexpected question.
Draco's friends displayed impressed expressions, contrasting with his hidden reaction.
Lucius and Narcissa also appeared impressed, yet there was an underlying concern in their demeanor. They understood that while the troll posed no threat to their Dark Lord, Voldemort, the fact that a first-year student could defeat it, despite limited magical knowledge, left them speculating about the potential threat Mia Potter might pose with advanced magical skills when facing their lord.
[The teachers, Ron and Mia look at her.]
McGonagall: Miss Granger?
Hermione: I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Mia and Ron hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead.
"Oh Hermione."
McGonagall: Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. [Mia notices Snape's leg, which has the trousers' leg torn and a large cut on it. Snape notices and covers it up, glaring at Mia.]
Snape noticed the eyes turning towards him and glared at the room, prompting surprise from everyone.
Few couldn't believe it as the shocking notion arose:
Could it be possible that Professor Snape let the troll inside Hogwarts?
I would've expected more rational behavior on your part and am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. [she turns to Mia and Ron] As for you two gentlemen, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first-year students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you... [Mia and Ron grin at each other] ...for sheer dumb luck.
"Only 5 points each for facing a fully-grown mountain troll and surviving?" Charlie exclaimed,
"Given that Miss Granger didn't seek out the troll, those five points will be returned. However, I cannot endorse their involvement in life-threatening situations. Not that it seems to matter to the three of them anyway," McGonagall explained, justifying her decision.
[Snape and McGonagall leave the bathroom]
Quirrell: Perhaps you ought to go. It m-might wake up. Heh. [Mia, Ron and Hermione exit the bathroom. Quirrell looks at the unconscious troll. The troll growls, seemingly going to wake up.] Ahh! Hehe....
"What's wrong with him?" Bill inquired.
"You'll understand later," Mia replied, frustrating the rest of the group with her cryptic response.
[Mia, Ron and Hermione are walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room through the corridor.]
Mia: [to Hermione] Good for you to get us out of trouble like that.
Ron: Mind you, I mean, we did save her life.
Mia: Mind you, she didn't need saving if you hadn't insulted her. [Hermione looks at Ron.]
"That's correct," Dean affirmed.
"Yeah, Ron. This is all because of you," Ginny accused her brother.
"Shut it, Ginny," Ron retorted.
"Don't tell her to shut up," Hermione intervened. "But it is true, Ron. It's all your fault."
Ron raised his eyebrows and turned to Mia. "Mia! Come on, say something."
"I hate to say it, but they're right," Mia replied, her tone laced with disappointment.
Ron: What are friends for? [They both smile at each other as they carry on through the corridor.]
The room erupted into a chorus of "awws" as everyone reacted to close friendships.
Some people even exchanged amused glances and chuckled at the heartwarming sight.