Chapter 23: Halloween

The two weeks leading up to the best holiday on earth were boredness broken up by Daphne's inquiries about my magic ability and how to train it. "So you are saying that you carry around these metal cubes all day and when you are not focusing on anything else you morph them into different shapes and materials?" She asked when I explained how I trained, "So basically transfiguration is the gateway to being strong?"

"Yes and no. Transfiguration can help you increase the amount of control as well as the amount of power you have access to. It does nothing to increase the amount of power you can utilise at one time or how strong your duelling strength is. To increase the amount of power utilised you have to rely on the floating method and to improve your duelling strength relies on a multitude of factors."

Nodding at my explanation she started on the exercise, slowly transfiguring the metal cubes into different shapes. After a few minutes of watching to make sure she wasn't going to overload herself, I sat on my bed and reached for the new book I was studying. I had finished the alchemy book I had been reading before and had moved on to a more advanced alchemy notebook, I call it a notebook because it was written by a person studying various artefacts he had discovered.

"What are you studying alchemy for?" Daphne asked taking a momentary pause in the exercise to look at me lounging on my bed. "I am studying it because I find it mildly interesting and believe it may be useful if I ever want to modify muggle items for use in a magical environment," I reply while thinking of all the muggle devices I have missed since coming here.

The morning of Halloween came and I was still trying to figure out whether or not to do something about the troll that would potentially be released into the castle. All through the morning classes, I pondered the issue while observing the interactions between all the possible members involved. While watching I discovered that just like canon Harry and Ron had become friends while Hermione had little to no actual friends due to her bossy rule-abiding nature.

It wasn't until the afternoon charms class that I reached an answer, I would wait to see if Harry and Ron leave to save her and if they did not I would. Not only would it give Daphne a good opportunity to test the limits of her combat power in a real life or death battle but it would also make sure that Hermione lives.

Right before my eyes, I saw Ron get mad because Hermione corrected his pronunciation while speaking in a bossy tone before showing him up and doing the spell almost perfectly. It was after the class that I heard him speaking badly about her when she was walking right behind him, "Weasley, if you are so lacking class to complain about a person giving you help then at least gain enough self-awareness to not speak badly about them when they are standing within 3 ft of you."

Daphne spoke with enough venom in her voice to kill an elephant, causing the boy in question to jump aside enough for the distraught Hermione to storm by. "Nice going Ron, you have made a girl cry. If you continue in this direction you may end up being unable to find a wife or girlfriend." Grace said pointing towards the group of girls in front who saw Hermione leave and their concern for Hermione turned into anger at Ronald.

As we made our way to the great hall while listening to the Gryffindor girls berate Ron about his lack of filter and awareness, Grace had a worried look on her face. "What are you worried about?" My question seemed to catch her off guard as she looked towards me blankly before registering what I had asked, "I am worried that Ron was too harsh on Hermione, she is a bright girl if a bit bossy. She didn't deserve to be insulted for helping the idiot out when he obviously couldn't understand what he was doing wrong."

"You are right, Grace but we cannot change what Ron has said or done but we can try to help comfort her. How about this, if by after the next class, we will look for her before going to dinner. Unless of course, Ronald would like to go apologize to her for being an ass hat." I said before looking pointedly at Ron who took the lifeline my statement provided by agreeing to do so if she didn't appear for dinner.

The next class passed with most of the girls shooting glares at Ron who was doing his best to ignore them while trying to focus on what the professor was teaching. The class couldn't end quickly enough for Ron as he and Harry left the room as soon as possible to get away from the gaggle of glaring girls.

The Halloween feast was progressing normally with Grace throwing looks towards the door hoping to see Hermione enter, "We will go looking for her after dinner, if that would calm your heart." I said after finishing the piece of steak I had placed in my mouth. "Thank you, I just want to make sure she is Ok..." She did not get the chance to finish her sentence because it was at that moment that Quirrell burst through the great hall doors shouting about the troll.