Pandora Malfoy and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Thirty-One: Troll in the Dungeons

I didn't see Hermione for the rest of the afternoon, and by the time darkness fell, I was really worried.

"Have either of you seen Hermione?" I asked Parvati and Lavender, as we were making our way down to the Halloween feast. "I went to see her after Charms, but she told me to leave her alone — and I haven't seen her since."

"She's crying in the girls' toilets," Parvati said. "Fay and Sophie went to check if she was ok about half an hour ago, but she still wanted to be left alone. Probably best to wait till tonight before you try talking to her again."

I gave a quiet sigh. "Thanks."

We walked into the Great Hall, and I gave a slight gasp at the Halloween decorations. A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling, while thousands more swooped over the tables in low, black clouds, making the candles in the enormous pumpkins stutter. As I sat down, the feast appeared suddenly on golden plates, just as it had done at the start-of-term feast.

I was just putting a ridiculous number of Yorkshire puddings — easily my favourite food — onto my plate, when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Great Hall, his turban askew, and terror on his face.

Something's wrong. Something bad's happened. And Quirrell's acting weirdly again! Why wasn't he at the feast before now?

Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

A troll?! How could a troll get in?! I thought, as people started screaming and running about in a panic. Then, I frowned as I realised something odd. And where was Quirrell's stutter? If he was so scared, it'd surely have been worse, not gone away completely.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled, purple firecrackers exploding from the end of his wand. "Everyone will please not panic!"

The room went completely silent.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your houses back to their common rooms immediately. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons."

"The Slytherin common room's in the dungeons, sir," I called out, glancing over at Draco.

"Ah yes," he said, nodding at me. "Slytherins may go with the Hufflepuffs."

Draco sent me a grateful look as Percy Weasley bustled myself and the rest of the first-year Gryffindors away, clearly in his element.

"Follow me! Stay together, first-years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first-years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a Prefect!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked from behind me, as we climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me," Ron said, "they're supposed to be really stupid. Maybe Peeves let it in as a Halloween joke."

I passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As I jostled my way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, I suddenly stopped still, my breath catching in my throat. There was a lot of angry grumbling as people were forced to walk around me.

"What's wrong, Pandora?" Harry asked, and I spun around, my face pale.

"Hermione," I said, my voice shaking a little. "She doesn't know about the troll."

Harry's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Ron.

"Oh, alright," Ron snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."