Neville next to Harry was terrified as his friend staggered beside him. The troll was still conscious and was moving sluggishly. Neville did the first thing that came to mind. He noticed one of the sinks that had been knocked off the wall near the trolls head. " WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" he lifted the heavy sink and dropped it on the troll's head. He was relieved when the troll stopped moving. "Harry?"
"I'm alright think I put a little too much in that spell. Check 'mione." Harry's voice slurred a little but made enough sense. Neville was sure he was right.
"Hermione?Are you alright?" Neville quickly called, reluctant to actually step further into a room designated girls only.
"I thought I was going to die." sobbed a slightly hysterical, bruised and bleeding Hermione as she climbed over the wreckage of broken sinks and stalls and unconscious troll to join the two boys.
"What now?"
Harry looked at Hermione, she definitely needed the infirmary. He was sure all he needed was sleep. Neville seemed fine if slightly shocked by his own daring. "Infirmary."
The three helped each other towards the door. Just as Harry was about to pull it open it was pushed open from the other side knocking him backwards and onto his rump. "Ow."
"What in Heavens name is the meaning of this?"shrieked McGonagall. "You three are supposed to be in your common room not in a girls bathroom with a troll-" she trailed off as she realized that said troll had been neutralized. "Explain. Immediately."
Neville looked at his companions then back at Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirell. Deciding this was no time for pride, "Ron Weasley made Hermione cry after Charms. She wasn't at dinner to hear the announcement about the troll. Harry and I came to get her. The troll was here when we got here so Harry knocked it down and I knocked it out. I think Hermione should go to the infirmary and Harry is wiped out."
Professor McGonagall looked at him in disbelief.
Professor Quirrell said "R-r-really what sp-spells did you boys u-u-uuse?"
"Harry accioed the trolls feet making it fall. And I did Wingardium leviosa on the sink there next to its head to hit it on the head."
"Miss Granger five points from Gryffindor for being out of bounds and being in the bathroom instead of at the feast. Mr. Longbottom for the courage and initiative to go and rescue a class mate five points to Gryffindor." McGonagall intoned.
"Fi-i-ive p-p-points as w-well for a w-well done le-lev-vitation ch-charm." Quirrell stuttered.
"Please escort Miss Granger to the Hospital wing."
"But-"
"Mr. Longbottom, I will look after Mr. Potter." came Professor Snape's sinister purr.
"But-"
"Go on Nev- it'll be fine; 'mione needs looking after." Harry's voice came softly.
Harry looked at his teachers. He knew better than to expect anything but point deductions. He had gotten their measure since school began. Fairness hadn't been part of his life for a long time. "If you professors don't mind, I'm pretty tired I'd like to head back to my dorm."
"I'll escort him back." came Professor Snape's voice.
Once they were out of earshot of the other professors, Snape started. "Stupid, foolish boy. If it weren't against my principles I would remove a hundred points for you acting the Gryffindor. But that would unfairly penalize your housemates. But you will pay for your stupidity. Those weekend detentions you seem so fond of will continue until the end of the fall term. Half of them will be with Filch. Hopefully you'll wake up to the fact you are supposed to be in Slytherin.
"Too bloody proud of your own stupidity? Your have all the arrogance of your father, without any redeeming qualities. You're just like he was minus the honesty that made him a Gryffindor. You are worthless, a burden on all who know you. The Headmaster had such high hopes for you, but he wanted a perfect Gryffindor. Instead he got you, a stupid boy who can't even exemplify the best of his own house, disgusting.
"But how to teach you what is expected, detention obviously isn't enough… To that end I think I'll ground you if you are not in class or at meals or in detention, then you will have to be in the dorm."
"But sir-"
"Slytherins don't rush into danger they use their brains to avoid it, you are a disgrace to your house… and to your family." They were approaching the top of the stairs to the dungeons "Your father must be rolling in his grave, a Potter in Slytherin. I wonder if he would've followed the example of your dammed mutt of a godfather's family, and disowned you. How I would enjoy the look on either of their faces, the horror and shame I'm certain would be there… "
Marcus Flint was frantic, he had done a head count once they returned to the dorm. It hadn't sunk in when Dumbledore had given the order that it moved the Slytherins into danger to follow it, that was until they were already halfway there. He had tightened up the stragglers and had prepared one of the more lethal hexes his father had taught him in case the troll showed up. They got to the dorm safe and sound minus one young, serious minded, Slytherin. He headed back up to the main castle to see if he could find the missing boy or the Professors to let them know. As he approached the stairs he heard Professor Snape's voice there was a note he had never heard before in it. Professor Snape was snarky and sarcastic that was a given, but never in his hearing had this taunting cruelty been part of it. He climbed the last few steps only to see the Professor and Harry. Harry was pale and obviously exhausted and the Professor's last words crept through the darkened hallway and made Marcus flinch. He decided to break into the conversation. "I see you found him sir."
"Yes, Mr. Flint I found our wayward snake. He is to stay in the dorms when not in class or at meals until he learns what it means to be a snake."
"Sir?"
"He ventured off to play hero, he spends too much time with those two lions."
Marcus was appalled. Here was his revered professor attacking a child through the means of taunting him that the boy's dead family would be ashamed of him, and doing his best to sever the only emotional ties the isolated boy had formed at school. This was not the man he respected, this was not the person he looked up to. These words and actions were petty and bitter towards a child who had been nothing but respectful. Furthermore to condemn the boy to the dorms would also deprive the house of the points Potter was earning by being well-versed in his schoolwork through studying in the library with the two lions. What was worse was that Harry seemed to accept such behavior from the Professor as his due. "And if he needs the library for his schoolwork, sir?"
"Why do you care Mr. Flint?"
"He earns the house more points than any other first year, sir."
"Hmm. I suppose he can be in the library if you are there as well Mr. Flint. But there will be no more of the unsupervised interaction with those two lions. He needs to build ties in Slytherin house."
"For how long sir?" Marcus couldn't believe that the Professor really didn't see how dangerous that was for Harry. Having closer ties in Slytherin would make the powers that be that were already nervous over the boy's sorting even more uncomfortable.
"Until the end of fall term at the very least, Mr. Flint."
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