" Wingardium Leviosa !"
The trolls club smashed down onto its own head just as Harry was thrown off. The troll gave a groan as it dropped to its knees and then slumped to the ground.
Ron stood shocked at what he'd managed to do. Then he noticed the creature walking towards him. Yet as it walked, Ron saw its hair shrinking and its features changing. By the time it reached Ron, it was a topless human Harry Potter in baggy pants.
Harry clapped Ron on the shoulder. "I'm glad you learned that spell." Ron was too stunned to speak.
"What the bloody hell was that?" a new voice shrieked.
Standing in the doorway was a drenched Hermione Granger. She was looking at Harry with wide eyes. She was also holding the rest of Harry's clothes.
Harry frowned and said, "Look, we don't have time for this right now. The professors are almost here. We just tell them what happened but not mention my other form, okay? I'll explain later."
Ron said okay, but Hermione just nodded and held out Harry's clothes. Harry smiled but first went over to one of the water sprays to wash off the troll blood. He'd just gotten his robe and shoes back on when McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell burst into the room.
McGonagall took in the unconscious troll, the destruction of the room and her three First years. Quirrell looked ready to faint and Snape went to check on the troll but McGonagall turned on her students demanding what had happened.
Harry started to talk but was cut off by Hermione.
"I wanted to research my assignment for Charms and missed dinner. I was on my way back to the dorm when the troll found me. It chased me in here. Harry and Ron realized I didn't know about the troll and came to find me. If they hadn't the troll would have killed me."
Ron was staring at the girl in shock. The little know-it-all and rules follower was lying to a teacher? He was impressed.
A modified version of the story came out starting from Hermione's point of view and then Harry took over at the point he and Ron arrived. For once, Ron was able to keep his mouth shut and not mess things up. McGonagall actually looked impressed at Ron's use of the Levitation Charm to knock out the troll.
"Very well, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley five points each for managing to defeat a full-grown mountain troll and help a fellow student. I would give more but if you had simply told a prefect you wouldn't have had to do so. It is one thing to be brave and another to be foolish. Now off with you."
They thanked the professor and left immediately. The trio remained quiet the whole walk back to Gryffindor tower. Just before they reached the entrance to the tower, Hermion grabbed both of them and pulled them into an unused classroom. She shut the door behind them and fixed Harry with a stern look.
"Now, what was that?" she demanded.
.....
Hermione Granger was a witch on a mission. She had been having the worst day of her life. And she hadn't been having a very good year so far either.
Adjusting to her new school had not been easy. She had been disappointed when rather than being impressed by her magical knowledge, many of the students and staff of Hogwarts reacted no better than her old school did. She honestly couldn't see why people reacted negatively to her efforts to achieve her full potential. If they wanted to waste their potential that was their issue, but why did they look down on her for trying to fulfil hers?
Today had been the worst. Her mother's letter that morning hinted at pulling her from Hogwarts to send her to her parents' alma mater of St. Agnes School for Ladies and Gentlemen. Her mother was still stunned by the revelation her daughter was a witch and was concerned about Hermione's future career without a university degree. Then after breakfast that senseless oaf Ronald Weasley was made her partner working on the Levitation Charm. Honestly, the boy must be more than a bit slow not being able to cast such a simple spell. He had no cause to snap at her for merely trying to assist him. But it was his comments after class was over that was the final breaking point.
It didn't help that the person Ronald Weasley was complaining about her to was Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived seemed rather quiet but confident in himself. He didn't use his fame but still seemed quite popular. He appeared to do well in class but not to the point he attracted the professors' attention or gain many points. Professor Snape seemed to hate Harry Potter but since their second class had left the boy alone aside from a few verbal barbs. In fact he seemed to wince every time he so much as looked at Harry Potter. It was very odd.
Logically, she knew it was pointless to spend the whole day crying in the girls bathroom all day. She actually missed all of her classes! But that final rejection hurt too much. Several girls had come in during the day. The Patil sisters came in with her other roommate Lavender and another girl from Ravenclaw. They tried to get her to come to lunch but she just couldn't go.
Eventually, her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She was probably late for dinner but she was sure she could find something to eat. After washing her face one last time, Hermione opened the door to leave the bathroom.
And immediately wished she hadn't.
Stomping down the hall towards her was a huge humanoid creature she recognized from her books as an adult male mountain troll! What was that thing doing in Hogwarts?
Hermione heard someone scream. It was only when the troll fixed its eyes on her that she realized she was the one screaming. The hideous creature made a snarling noise before raising its club and charging forward.
The troll smashed through the door with a ferocious roar. Its club quickly turned the nearby stalls into so much kindling. It accidently smashed one of the toilets sending out a spray of water that hit it directly in the face. The enraged troll just started smashing everything in sight including two more of the toilets. Water was now spraying everywhere. The just made the creature angrier. Hermione huddled down against the wall in her drenched school robes praying the troll didn't notice her.
That was when the boys arrived. She couldn't see that huddled in her robe but she could hear them. Ron started yelling at the troll and then suddenly Harry was there pulling at her arm, telling her to get up; to run.
Hermione found her muscles wouldn't move. She could only stand there in shock watching Ronald Weasly jump about waving his arms and yelling. Was that boy trying to get smashed to a pulp?