Percy Jackson and the School Of Witchcraft And Wizadry (PJO/HP crossover/AU)

Chapter 16: Hermione's Horrible Halloween Rescue~Percy

When I imagined Halloween at Hogwarts, I didn't think of the possibility that we'd have to do a rescue mission.

But here we were ducking down among the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipping down a deserted side corridor, and off toward the girl's bathroom like we were spys.

We had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.

"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry and myself behind a large stone griffin.

I decided to not make a comment on that because I preferred not to ruin the rescue mission.

Peering around the corner, however, we noticed it was not Percy Weasley, but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Search me."

Quietly as possible, we continued to creep along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.

"Can you smell something?"

I took a breath and gagged as an awful smell reached my nose, a mixture of old socks and a port-a-potty.

And then we heard it-a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of huge feet. Ron pointed-at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. We shrank back into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible.

It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."
"Good idea," said Ron nervously as I nodded in agreement.

We edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it.

With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.

"Yes!"

Hushed with our victory, we started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner we heard a sound that made our hearts stop-a high, petrified scream-and it coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.

"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.

"Oh, we didn't?" I said facepalming.

"It's the girl's bathroom!" Harry gasped.

"Hermione" we said together.

It was the last thing we wanted to do, but what choice did we have? Wheeling around, we sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron and I. Ron grabbed a tap and he threw it as hard as he could against the wall. I followed his lead.

The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him
lifting its club as it went.