The Life of Bells Potter PART ONE

17) Troll

As I trooped back inside the castle, I wondered what lay inside the Forbidden Forest...

Harry, Ron, and I made up and shared The Night's adventures. Harry brooded about the mystery and secrecy, and I had nothing to add to it.
Hermione, on the other hand, was cross with me, because she expected me to be more vigilant and careful. But we patched up that too.

Classes were becoming complex and interesting day by day. However, I could not manage Potions. Neville and I were known for blowing up things, and no matter how hard I tried I always messed up the instructions.
Professor McGonagall and Flitwick were pleased with my practical wandwork, and even suggested tricky books for me to practice from- a stage even Hermione hadn't reached yet.

On Halloween, we had Charms. Professor Flitwick was going to teach the levitating charm, which I had mastered a week ago. After earning ten points for Gryffindor by zooming a textbook across the class I sat next to Dean and started to copy out Potions notes.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

"Wingaaardium Levioosa!"

"Wingardiiium Leviosaaa!"

Students kept prodding their feathers.

"It's LeviOsa not LeviosA." Hermione chided Ron, who retorted, "You show it then. Go on."

With a swish and flick, Hermione's feather rose gradually in the air, and everybody clapped in awe.

Ron was in a horrid temper by the end of the class.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

"I think she heard you." I nodded at Hermione who was in tears, jostling past us.

Ron was uncomfortable.

"Hermione?" I peeped in the girls' toilets.

"Go away Bells!" Came her high-pitched voice.

"Oh Hermione," I defiantly stepped in, "C'mon you know that Ron's mouthy and says hurtful things... The feast has started... Let's go have some pumpkin tart, you'll feel better..."

I sounded like a teacher, whose words were shallow. Of course, Hermione was not going to feel better. All she ever did since she came was try to fit in and give her best. She felt out of place, being Muggle-born, and outdid herself everywhere... But she never made any friends. And Ron just pointed that out.

"No." Hermione sniffed, rubbing her eyes, "I wanted to be friends with him, Harry, and you... But you don't like me. And I think it's time that I accepted that."

"Hermione," I started, "You are a brilliant witch. And you're right... If they want to be your friends, they'll come to you. And me? You're not getting rid of me that easily!"

Hermione gave a dry chuckle, but that faded abruptly when we heard a grunt outside. The washroom door opened and a big troll stepped in. Hermione screamed, and I reached for my wand in my robes.

The troll was grey-green coloured, a twelve feet boulder, and bald. It held a big wooden mace and smashed the sinks. How the hell did a troll get into the castle? But I had no time to think about that.

"Oppugno." I pointed my wand at the troll's mace and it started hitting the troll.

"Come on!" I grabbed Hermione's hand and tried to open the door. It was locked. I rattled it desperately.

"Argghhh!" The troll seized his weapon and hurled it to the ground, smashing a sink in the process.

Within seconds, Harry and Ron had slammed open the locked door, and Harry climbed onto the troll's back only to stick his wand up his nose, while Ron knocked him out with his mace.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice, as she stood next to the troll's unconscious body which had crashed loudly as it fell.

Hermione straight down lied to McGonagall, taking all the blame, while the three of us assumed straight faces.

From then on, Hermione became friends with Harry and Ron. Saving someone from a mountain troll just happens to be a quick be-my-friend method.

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