Growing up Pureblooded

Troll In The Dungeon

Aries wanted to go back to the third-floor corridor the very next morning in order to test their discovery, but Draco put his foot down. "If a hell-hound is the first obstacle, the others are bound to be worse," he pointed out reasonably. "All the more reason for us to check them out," Aries argued. "We can find out what each obstacle is and then come back and research them." Draco shook his head. "And what will you do when we run into an obstacle that kills us before we can get out of there?" Aries pouted. "So you're giving up then?" His cousin took grave offence at that. "What do you take me for, Aries? I just want to make sure we have a few more tricks up our sleeves before we go barging in where angels fear to tread."

Aries reluctantly conceded that Draco had a point with that, and agreed to wait awhile. Their school work was still very straightforward, so they used their extra time to research spells that might help them get through whatever obstacles were guarding the Philosopher's Stone. Between that and homework - and Quidditch practice for Aries- they kept pretty busy over the next few weeks, though they still managed to find time for a few pranks here and there. They still did not get on particularly well with Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnegan, but the influence of the Weasley twins and the rest of the Quidditch team meant that the other Gryffindors began to be much friendlier with both boys. After a few well-aimed hexes in the corridors, Aries and Draco established something of a reputation among the other Houses as well, and soon even the Slytherins did their best to avoid them.

As for the professors, most were delighted with their high level of achievement. Severus Snape was the sole exception. He never hid his obvious dislike for Aries, and generally did his best to ignore him, except to glare at him darkly from time to time. If he wanted to tell Aries something in class, he almost always addressed Draco, which amused both boys greatly. With the end of October came Halloween, and the grand Halloween feast. Halloween celebrations in the Black family home had been muted, to say the least. Marius and Clytemnestra had thought it indecent to celebrate the anniversary of the Potters' deaths with Aries, and had always found some pretext to avoid it. Sirius had done nothing to alter that tradition, choosing instead to spend the entire day locked in his bedroom with a few bottles of firewhisky the year before. As for the Malfoys, they too avoided Halloween celebrations, if for rather a different reason: for them, the holiday marked the defeat of the Dark Lord.

The school, however, was very much in a mood to celebrate, and Aries and Draco found themselves caught up in the general excitement. The food was excellent, as always. Aries particularly enjoyed the roast beef, whilst Draco savored the stuffed turkey. They sat with Dean Thomas, Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins, much as they always did, and plotted their first joint prank, to take place immediately before the Christmas holidays.

About half an hour into the feast, Quirrell burst in, causing a bit of an uproar. "There's a troll," he stammered. "In the dungeons." Having delivered his message, he promptly fainted. The Hall exploded with terror, and Dumbledore struggled to calm the students down. Aries and Draco, however, grinned at each other in mutual understanding. They thought having a troll loose in the castle was simply wicked. The prefects gathered the students to send them back to their dormitories. The cousins, however, held back with one accord, and slipped into a side corridor. They couldn't let an opportunity like this pass them by.

"How do you suppose we kill a mountain troll?" Draco asked Aries as they ran past a series of locked doors. "Blasting Curse?" Aries suggested. Draco shook his head. "Their skin is awfully tough. How about the Disintegration Hex?" "That won't work either," Aries replied with a frown. "It only works on inanimate objects." He paused. "I think the Blood-Boiling Curse is the best option." Draco nodded. "We haven't learnt the Killing Curse yet."

They turned a corner and found themselves directly in the path of a monstrous troll. It roared when it saw them, troll spit flinging everywhere, and raised its club. Draco aimed his wand. "Sanguiferveo!" he shouted. His curse hit it target, but seemed only to succeed in making the troll angrier. Aries lifted his own wand. "SANGUIFERVEO!" he cried. This time the troll stopped momentarily and hissed in pain, but after less than a minute he raised his club again to attack Draco. Aries drew up all his strength and focus, and cast the spell again, this time hissing it in Parseltongue. The troll roared in agony and fell to its massive knees, shaking the whole corridor. Aries kept his wand trained on the monster as red vapor continued to rise from all its pores. After thirty seconds, the vapor ceased, and the troll collapsed to the floor.

At just that moment, Professor Snape came round the corner at the far side of the corridor, accompanied by Professor McGonagall and Professor Quirrell. "Black, Malfoy!" he called out angrily. "What are you two doing out here? You're supposed to be in your dormitory." Aries smiled widely. "We went looking for the troll, sir," he replied. "You foolish children!" McGonagall snapped. "Have you any idea of the danger you were in?" Draco gestured at the troll's corpse. "I think we managed all right."

The teachers stopped and looked at the troll's body. Quirrell looked as though he was going to be sick, but Snape walked right over to the troll and cast a number of diagnostic spells. "It's dead," he said in surprise. "Dead?" McGonagall was stunned. She turned to the boys. "How did you two manage to kill a twelve-foot mountain troll?" Aries shrugged. "The Blood-Boiling Curse, Professor." Snape's eyes darted to the black-haired boy in shock. "The Blood-Boiling Curse is very Dark magic, Black." "Is it, sir?" Aries replied innocently. "It seemed quite effective."

McGonagall looked flustered for a moment, but quickly recovered her composure. "Not many first-years could handle a mountain troll on their own," she said. "I still say you should have done as you were told, but I am awarding five points each to Gryffindor. Now run off to your Common Room. Students will be finishing the feast in their Houses." Aries and Draco nodded and ran back to Gryffindor Tower as fast as they could, Snape watching them suspiciously as they left. No one noticed a red-eyed Hermione Granger hiding behind a suit of armor, a suspicious frown on her face.