4 Ch 4 - Halloween

or

Let's not fight a troll, shall we?

...

It seems like Hermione was more worried about me missing than remembering to not talk with the duo, a fact that Ron didn't seem interested in pointing out, after all, he was explaining their adventure and I was giving him my undivided attention.

"Interesting... so that three-headed dog is guarding something," I said narrowing my eyes

"Exactly, pointed out Hermione, the question is-"

"What exactly," finished Harry

"I bet one Galleon it is the thing that Hagrid retrieved from Gringotts and that someone tried to steal" the two widened their eyes, but Harry was already on it

"That's exactly what I thought as well, there are too many coincidences here to be just that"

"Oh well, I wouldn't think too much of it, not much we can figure out with the information we have at hand anyways," I reasoned, "but, there's something we can do"

"And that is?" asked Ron while still eating gaining a disgusted face from Hermione

"We can work out what the hell is in that package Hedwig is bringing to you Harry," I said looking upwards with a smile.

He frowned "A package? for me?" he asked

...

-Room of Requirements-

The room was everything I needed, it was the perfect place to try out spells.

The ones I wanted to learn were Expelliarmus and Protego.

While the theoretical study was done with Hermione, much to her delight, in the library to avoid gaining suspicion by never being present in anything the group did, the practical was done in the RoR, which gave me the perfect environment.

Do you think magic is easy? Well, think again friend.

The mastery of a spell is gradual, the incantation and wand motion are needed, mastery of a spell doesn't come after a few days of usage, and let's be honest time flies when you try out new charms.

Time in Hogwarts is a lot, but not infinite, if you think you can get down perfectly a spell such as Protego in a week you are in for a rude awakening.

And while I managed to cast it, using it efficiently to block hits gets 100% harder, and that's why it is a spell though later in the curriculum because it requires precise control of magic, something wizards and witches still don't have for it requires experience and practice.

I already got down to the basics of transfiguration which came very naturally to me, I loved it.

Charms were tricky but not hard, the first-year spells were very easy to learn, the important part however is the theoretical knowledge behind them needed to understand harder charms in the later years.

The ones I learned were Knockback Jinx, Severing Charm, and the Locking/Unlocking charm namely Depulso, Diffindo, Alohomora and Colloportus.

Expelliarmus was a second-year spell, I could still cast it but it lacked power, the main reason being it required better control of my magic, it was very easy to let more magic out than needed and fucking up the spell, so I was going for a step-by-step approach.

In the room of requirements, I also found some free gallons people lost and a semi-new wrist holder for my wand, it worked by supplying magic on the item that would in turn reduce the wand in size and at the same time safely hold it in place, by supplying magic again the wand would shoot out and land safely in my hand ready to be used.

The holster just needed a quick wash and it was ready to be used.

...

It was almost Halloween, but that was not my problem at the moment. The problem was the four people surrounding me just at the library's exit.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," asked the most recognizable blonde Slytherin.

"A Gryffindor all alone," said a guy behind me

"Theodore Nott correct?" I asked

"Oh, you know me?" he asked with a bit of surprise

His stupid lackeys were the other two, I could get out of this pretty easily, first I had to down Nott then Draco, and just outrun the other two. Nott is the only one I think is semi-decent with a wand.

"Yes, you have been eyeing me for the whole duration of Potions, I thought you had somehow fallen in love with me" he didn't take that well

"YOU DAR-" he could even complete the phrase, pushing magic into my wrist I summoned my wand while turning towards him so fast he was not even ready for my spell, he was a kid, he still had much to learn about bullying

"Depulso" a strong force hit the Slytherin in the stomach knocking him into the wall

I turned to Draco who managed to get his wand ready and was about to cast something

"Furnunc-" it wasn't fast enough, that spell is a bit slow and a bit harder to cast, I caught him by surprise same for the lackeys, who weren't bright enough to do anything more than watch stupefied.

"Depulso" it was a very quick and easy Spell to cast and very easy to counter, but if you are not prepared then well... it is just as deadly as any other.

As soon as I cast the spell I started running just in time to avoid the two fat pandas from catching me and I run and run heart beating so fast it could explode, both from excitement and a bit of fear. Things could have gone way worse. They are going to be back but at least I know they are going to come, I am not going to leave the library alone anymore.

Contrary to my expectation they never came, but to be sure, it was time to call Gred and Forge.

...

"Fred, Forge" the two looked at me before smiling

"Hey, if it isn't our favorite first year" I raised an eyebrow

"Do you say that to everyone you don't remember their name?" I asked clearly amused

For their part, they just grinned

"Not really"

"Only to those who are in the first year" wink

I chuckled at the humor "Well anyways, I have come to cash in my favor" now they looked interested

"Ohhh, we thought you had forgotten, now shoot"

I looked to the now-grinning twins "I was thinking of something like this...."

If someone were to look at us now they would think the Dark Lord was back.

...

-Halloween-

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him and we saw Hermione herself in tears running.

"Oh come on!" I screamed gaining the attention of the two guys

"Ron please, she was trying to help you, we know she has trouble expressing herself, and you know we are her only friends, did you have to be so mean?"

For his part, Ron looked really cross, and I sighed

"Look here, I am going to bring her to her Hall, I will get her to apologize to you for the way she spoke to you but you have to promise me you will apologize to her for the mean words, we are all good friends, let's not ruin it over nothing, okay?"

Harry was nodding and looking at his friend expectantly "Please Ron."

Peer pressure got to him, and he relented "FINE!, we will be waiting for you in the Hall then"

I smiled, he was a good kid, in the end, I was sure of it.

"Thank you, now, be right back," I said before taking off, like hell, I am going to let kids deal with a Troll.

After asking a few passersby about Hermione I was able to locate her in the girl's bathroom.

A few girls gave me weird looks but then probably understood I was there for the crying girl and smiled at me.

"Hermione are you there?"

"Go away"

"Hermione please, come out" I pleaded

"Go away!"

"Ron is wrong Hermione, you have friends, I am one, you are the first friend I met on that train and my dearest one," I told her, there was silence, and I took it as a cue to continue

"Mione, I understand that you were only trying to help, you always do. You always try to get our house the most points in class but everyone just seems to think you just want to flaunt your knowledge. I don't." silence again, I continued "I understand you, and I appreciate you but not everyone is like me, not everyone will understand you the moment they meet you, hell most people are idiots they are most likely just going to misunderstand" I hear a faint chuckle

"That is why you cannot treat everyone as you treat me, Ron is someone that doesn't like when people try to tell him what to do, that is why you have to find another approach when talking to him... He felt bad, and as soon as he said those words, he promised he would apologize to you, but you have to apologize as well, he didn't appreciate the tone you used with him and thought you were calling him stupid."

"But I wasn't!" she screamed

"I know, that's why" I paused "Please come out and resolve this misunderstanding, let's have a good Halloween together" after a while of nothing I heard a door open. Sighing in relief I smiled.

The red-eyed girl immediately hugged me and I hugged her back, after a while I told her "So, wanna go?" she nodded and we slowly walked towards the Hall.

Crisis averted: mission accomplished.