By Halloween Harry had settled into a routine, ninety percent of which consisted of ignoring the juvenile behaviors of ninety percent of the inhabitants of Hogwarts. It consisted on Mondays getting up working out, cleaning up, going to breakfast, getting pranked, going to class, going to lunch, going to class, going to the library and studying with Hermione and Neville, going to dinner, going back to the library, then to the dorm where the other snakes made disparaging comments or pranked him. The rest of the week tended to follow the same pattern. With the exception of Friday where at the end of Potions class the Professor inevitably said "Potter a word if you please." and as soon as all the Gryffindors were out of the room he would assign a detention. Harry ignored the pranks, he ignored the stares, he ignored the whispers. He even ignored the occasional shove.
Harry felt proud of his self-control. He had gotten very good at figuring out just how he had been pranked and how to counter it. He had earned a flight with Marcus on the pitch, and he had also found himself second overall in his year Hermione was first. In Potions despite his doubts about Snape's fairness, he was ranked fourth but he made up for it by being first in Astronomy, tied for first in Charms, Defense Against Dark Arts and History of Magic with Hermione,tied three ways with Hermione and Neville in Herbology. And solidly second in transfiguration once again shared with Hermione, Terry Boot of Ravenclaw took the honor of being first in transfiguration.
Harry spent long hours studying in the library with Neville and Hermione. He found himself teaching Neville how to study and gradually Neville had stopped letting Hermione dictate to him all the time, something about her explanations were always too similar to the books for them to always help him. Harry's explanations were always practical visualization and kinetic instead of theoretical and had given him several breakthroughs, although as difficult a time as Neville had, Harry was sure there was something wonky with his wand.
Halloween morning, an owl arrived with a parcel for Harry. Curious Harry opened the attached letter first.
Dear Mr. Potter,
First may I congratulate you on being sorted to my old house. My friend and partner Mr. Blotts was quite distraught and guilty over the last letter you sent him. I reassured him, I would take care of it. Those books on your list are restricted for sale by the ministry. But oddly enough I was buying some books from an estate sale of a retired auror and I found a stack containing those books and a couple others. Tucked inside one of those books was a letter stating he wished for those books to be bequeathed to you, but apparently he misplaced the letter to his solicitors to that effect. Who am I to get in the way of a wizard's last wishes. Since I in good faith paid his estate five galleons for the books I have billed your Gringott's account for the same. Here are the books Mr. Potter, should anyone from the Ministry ask, I will tell them what I have just told you. Keep us in mind for future purchases.
Sincerely, Mr. Jacob M. Flourish
"Yes!" Harry said with a grin. He quickly finished his breakfast before scurrying back to the dorm to properly stow his new books before class. He barely made it to Herbology on time. But he didn't care because he was so happy.
At the end of classes he headed to the library where he met Neville. "Where's Hermione?"
"I'm not sure. Ron Weasley was super mean to her at the end of charms and I haven't seen her since."
"That sucks, how did learning wingardium leviosa go?"
"Poorly."
"Okay let's break it down for you then."
An hour later it was almost time for the feast and Neville had gotten the charm to work, sort of. The two boys packed away their books and headed to their separate dorms. There wouldn't be an after dinner study session due to the Halloween feast. At dinner there was still no sign of Hermione.
Midway through the feast Professor Quirrell barged in bellowing about a troll in the dungeons before passing out. Harry sat there in shock as Dumbledore ordered Prefects to guide the houses back to their common rooms never mind that the Slytherin common room was in the dungeon. In the chaos not one of the Slytherin prefects realized that Harry didn't go with them. And not one of the Gryffindor prefects noticed when Neville slipped away or that Hermione wasn't there at all.
Neville crouched beside Harry at the Slytherin table. "What are we going to do? What about Hermione?"
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course but now isn't the time!"
"No, this precisely the time. I solemnly swear, I'm up to no good." Harry said as he touched his wand to an old parchment.
Neville's jaw dropped as a map of Hogwarts appeared.
Harry touched his wand to the map again "Show me Hermione Granger." A moment later the map zoomed in to the fourth floor girl's loo. "There she is. Mischief managed. Come on."
The two boys moved swiftly through side passages until they reached the fourth floor. When they were twenty feet from the girls loo on the fourth floor, they noticed the door wasn't hanging from the hinges correctly and they could hear a low roar and terrified shrieks. They ran through the door.
Hermione Jean Granger was sure this was it, her life was over. A few minutes ago she had been mourning the fact she didn't have any friends. And now she was going to die at the hands of a giant enormous smelly creature with the intelligence of a mouse. If she had not been bent over trying to muffle her sobs she would already be dead. Her head hurt and was bleeding from where the shards of the shattered stall had hit her.
The troll raised its club, and went to step closer.
Harry in the door did the first spell that he ever learned. "Accio troll's feet!" throwing in a much energy as possible into the spell. The troll was suddenly yanked off its feet as it fell Harry noticed its club half hitting its head as it went down. Harry decided he must have thrown a bit too much power into the spell as he suddenly felt very woozy.
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