Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Harry Potter Z and the Sorcerer's Stone ❯ Brief Awakenings ( Chapter 12 )

Brief Awakenings

Halloween started like any "normal" day at Hogwarts. All classes where still going on even though it was supposed to be a holiday. Harry was still a little worried about his first Quidditch practice this coming weekend. He didn't know how he was going to handle flying with a broom since it did nothing for him. He had been practicing his recovered ability of flight very carefully. He first practiced in his room while the others were asleep and then to outside his window and around Gryffindor Tower. He felt accustomed to the ability as if he had it all along. Harry had gotten so much faster that if he were to catch the Remembrall again like the day in the courtyard, he would have caught it almost instantaneously after Malfoy threw it.

Harry walked down from the Gryffindor Tower that morning, heading to his morning class. It was Thursday so he had Charms class with Professor Flitwick, one of his favorite classes. Neither Ron nor Hermione were with Harry this morning, they were in the Dinning Hall already eating breakfast while Harry decided to stay behind. He wanted to "study" a little more before class and said he would just get a double helping at lunch. His stomach thought otherwise, giving a huge growl every so often. Harry's huge appetite became famous since he could out eat Malfoy's overweight goons, Crabb and Goyle. He didn't even gain weight from eating so much either.

Harry's studying consisted of his flying exercises that he created to help learn control. Since it was only mere days before practice, he wanted to make sure that he could do it. He would dash from one end to the other of the large room, randomly appearing upside down, sideways, nose down, nose up, and any which way he could face while holding the broom as if he was actually using it. The speed, in which he traveled from point to point, was like an instant if someone were to witness it.

By the time Harry got to the Dinning Hall, Ron and Hermione were on their way out, they practically bumped into each other in the corridor. Their class wasn't far off from the Dinning Hall, just a set of moving stairs and the occasional dodging of random trash from Peeves. They got to class right as Professor Flitwick was climbing on top his stack of books. He was a short wizard, no bigger than a seven year old, but had the white hair and beard of someone ten times the age.

"Today class, we shall go over levitation, or making things float," the professor started as he stood up at the top of his books. "I shall be partnering you up. Try to get the feather in front of you to fly above the desk."

Harry and Ron were separated. He got paired with Seamus, who was better at magic than Neville but not by much. Ron, on the other hand, got paired up with Hermione. You couldn't tell which one disliked that decision more between the two. "Don't forget our wrist techniques we've been working on," added Flitwick, "Swish and Flick, remember, swish and flick. Say the words, Wingardium Leviosa!"

Harry let Seamus go first since he knew that his wand would automatically make the spell work. Seamus quickly grew impatient at the feather, since no matter how well he swished and flicked, it wouldn't move. He started tapping on it before it exploded into flames. "I think we are going to need another feather of here, professor," said Harry while he sat next to a dumbfounded and charred Seamus.

Ron wasn't having any luck either. He would yell out the words and swish the wand violently like he was trying to beat them into the feather. "Stop - Stop, you are going to poke someone's eye out or worse," Hermione said. "Besides, you are pronouncing it wrong. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa! You aren't saying the `gar' right."

"If you are so clever, let's see you do it," challenged Ron, being agitated by Hermione's contradiction

Hermione picked up her wand from the desk, rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The feather immediately started floating off the desk and above the two's heads.

"Well done, Ms. Granger!" said the professor. Everyone turned to see Hermione smile with pride. Ron, however, sat there even more furious. The rest of the time in class went the same way for him.

"Its Levi-o-sa!" quoted Ron while the class was leaving. "She's a bloody nightmare, honestly. It's no wonder she doesn't have friends."

The rest of the group that followed snickered at Ron's dramatization, all but Harry. He was about to say something to Ron when someone knocked between them. It was Hermione, crying. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked over to Ron. "She heard you, Ron."

"So," he said back uncaringly, "maybe she'll realize that she needs to get her head out of her ass and stop being a bossy know-it-all."

Harry experienced similar ridicules when he was back with the Dursleys and he developed an intolerance in seeing others being the victim of something that he had to go through. He looked over a Ron with a more of a disappointing look than angry, "You know, you sound just like Malfoy."

Harry walked off while leaving Ron with an expression of both disgust from being compared to Malfoy, and realization that what he said was in the way Malfoy would have said it.

Harry sat in the Dinning Hall, waiting for lunch to be served. His appetite was hindered but not forgotten. He kept remembering all the times he was ridiculed and teased back in school when he lived with the Dursleys. Ron sat next to him just before Lunch appeared.

"I'm sorry, Harry," said Ron, "I was in the wrong."

"It's s'okay Ron. I shouldn't have compared you to Malfoy. I honestly don't think anyone can be as bad as him or worse." Harry said with a more upbeat voice than before. "But I am not the one you should say you're sorry to."

"I know, I plan on telling her when I see her next. Do you think she'll be here for lunch?"

"No, I doubt it," replied Harry as he grabbed his first heaping plate of food.

The rest of the day went on rather normal, except that Hermione was missing from every class. Ron and Harry made several trips to the Gryffindor Tower, hoping to catch Hermione in the common room, studying. They had no luck doing so. The Halloween Feast was about to start when they decided to give up the search. They made their way back to the Dinning Hall were the whole school was gathered. Floating jack-o-lanterns were all over the hall. Decorative tassel was strung from one end to another. The night sky showed through the ceiling, revealing the storm that was going on outside. Bats fluttered all around high above the house tables. Harry and Ron took their usual seats, and Hermione's stayed vacant.

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" asked Harry, directing the question towards the rest of the regular Gryffindors that usually sat next to them. Seamus shook his head.

"I overheard Parvati saying that she's been in the girl's bathroom on the east wing all day, crying," said Neville.

An ashamed face befell Ron as Harry looked over to him. At that moment, the doors burst open.

"Toll in the dungeon!" Professor Yamu yelled while quickly approaching Dumbledore. "There is a troll loose in the dungeon!"

All of the students panicked. Everyone got up from their seats and raced over to the doors in terror, yelling and screaming.

"SILENCE!" said Dumbledore, rising from his seat in a calmly but very stern voice. "Everyone, stay calm. Prefects, take all students to your house common room. Professors, you will come with me to the dungeon."

The students did his wishes to their best accord. Each prefect gathered up their house and led them to their common rooms. Harry and Ron were halfway to the tower before Harry stopped. "Ron, Hermione! She doesn't know!"

"Shit! We better not be seen by Percy. Lets go this way!" he responded while taking Harry in the opposite direction than the rest of the Gryffindors. The two ran to the other side of the castle where Hermione was said to be.

"Wait!" exclaimed Harry as he stopped cold. "You smell something?"

THUD, THUD, THUD

Harry pushed Ron against the wall and hid behind the column. A giant grotesque looking creature was walking at the end of the hall. Its body was massive and muscular. It dragged a humongous club about the size of Harry and Ron put together. Its tusks could be seen all the way down the hall, even in the dim light.

"Oh no, its heading into the girl's restroom!"

Hermione opened up the stall door, drying her red puffy eyes from hours of crying. When she looked up, she saw the grotesque creature towering over her. It grinned evilly at her before she let out a scream of terror. Quickly she dove back into the stall as it swung its huge club, taking out the stalls. Harry and Ron entered the room behind the troll without it noticing. The troll stepped closer towards Hermione, getting reading to slam the club onto her.

"Ron, get to Hermione. I'll keep him busy!" Harry ordered as he picked up a chunk of debris and chucked it at the Troll's head, hitting him dead on. Ron kept with the thing's blind side until it turned its full attention on his new prey, Harry. Hermione was struggling to get up from the debris that was on top of her. Ron started freeing her when he got to her.

SLAM

Harry, on the other hand, was dodging the troll's oncoming attacks with ease. Harry would jump back, to the sides, and even over the swing club to escape its path. His "studying" was paying off.

Ron freed Hermione from the pile of smashed metal and wood. She wasn't badly injured, she a few bruises. "I got her Harry!" he yelled. Harry's attention went to Ron, seeing that Hermione was all right. Unfortunately Harry didn't catch the troll's last attack in time. The troll swung with its brute strength and struck Harry in the side, sending him through the wall, leaving a gigantic hole. Rubble fell on top of him, burying him, after he landed into the boy's bathroom, next door.

"HARRY!" yelled both Hermione and Ron as they saw their friend's demise. The troll quickly turned onto them. Ron pushed Hermione behind him as they backed up further into the room. He pushed her into the corner where she went under the sinks while Ron stayed near what was left the stalls.

CRASH

Ron dove under the sinks with Hermione as the Troll destroyed the rest of the stalls. It slowly walked up to the sinks. Hermione hugged Ron tightly in fear. "Close your eyes, Hermione, close your eyes!" cried Ron while trying to shield her.

The troll rose up its club high, getting prepared to deliver the final blow when the ground started to shake tremendously. Pieces of debris started to float upward from their piles. A blast came from the other room and a yell. Not a yell of terror or fear, but of rage.

"LEAVE MY FRIENDS, AAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"</ div>