A Noble Gesture

In the Great Hall the students were talking with each other, scared about the troll. The four teachers that had been left to keep watch and in case the troll managed to get past the other teachers somehow, tried to keep people calm. Then finally Professor Snape returned and walked towards the podium in front of the head table. All eyes were on him.

"The troll has been dealt with and doesn't pose a threat anymore. All houses are to follow their prefects back to their common rooms. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors should take the alternative routes that avoid the main staircase as there are still cleaning up and repairs to do. Nobody was hurt by the troll as far as we know at the moment." He said.

"What about Harry and Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Mr Potter wasn't hurt, but is being treated in the hospital wing for a shock after leading away the troll from Miss Granger's position. She too is being treated for a shock. That is all I know about that. Now return to your common rooms." Snape said and walked over to the Slytherin table and gave his prefects more instructions.

Slowly all the students left the Great Hall.

.....

The next morning when Harry awoke, he was confronted with a sobbing and shaking Hermione at the side of his bed.

"Hermione?" He asked confused.

"Oh, Harry. Thank you so much. The troll caught me completely by surprise, I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen on the spot. If you hadn't distracted it, it would have attacked me, it was about to come in and smash me with its club." She said, hugging the dear life out of him.

He was tense, but tried to relax.

"Hey, it's okay, I didn't get hurt." He said.

"But you put yourself in danger just to protect me." She sobbed.

"Indeed a very noble act, Mr Potter." Dumbledore's voice sounded.

Behind Hermione with his usually twinkling eyes Albus Dumbledore was watching them. Hermione let go of Harry embarrassed.

"I only did it because I knew that if you were trapped in the room with the troll there would be nothing anybody could have done to help you. I didn't have any idea how to deal with a troll. All the spells any book mentioned are above my level. I only knew I was faster than it. So I decided to play a game of cat and mouse and get it into the direction from where the teachers would come after Hedwig delivered my note." Harry said. "I kicked the helmet of one of the suits of armour into its face and it followed me. Without Hedwig making me feather light when the stairs I wanted to take disconnected from the floor I was on, I wouldn't have got away like I did."

"Yes, indeed a very interesting act from your familiar. I didn't know moon owls could do that, but then again, there are nearly no documents on moon owls beside how they look like. Madam Pomfrey also told me you could mind talk to her." Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, it happened for the first time yesterday. Hedwig said she didn't know all her powers she is still learning about them." Harry answered.

"Remarkable. Well, Madam Pomfrey wants to examine you one last time, then she will let you return to your common rooms. Oh and before I forget it, Mr Potter, fifty points for Ravenclaw for outstanding thinking on your feet in a dangerous situation." Dumbledore said smiling.

"Thank you, sir." Harry said.

Dumbledore left.

"By the way, Hermione, why were you in that bathroom? I mean, you should have been at the feast." Harry asked.

Hermione looked sad.

"Hey, what happened? Contrary to me you don't have any reason to not like Halloween, do you?" Harry asked.

"No, it wasn't because of Halloween. It was because of Ron Weasley. In Charms I corrected his pronunciation of the charm because with how he said it and how he trashed around with his wand he would have hurt himself or others. After class he told his friends, while I was just behind them, he said that I was an insufferable know-it-all and that I didn't have any friends. And that once Neville and Miranda noticed how unbearable I was and didn't need my help for homework anymore they would leave me as well. And he said that I had no right to correct him as I didn't know anything about the wizarding world as a muggleborn." She said and sobbed again.

Harry, still uncomfortable about much physical contact, put a hand on her back and rubbed it awkwardly. Miranda was right; he wasn't good at relationships with kids his age as he had been isolated from them most of the time. The only ones he got along with better were his team-mates. But that was never really that close beyond playing football and talking about playing and a few non important topics. And he had had a lot of time to get used to them and know how they would react to certain behaviour from him.

"Forget what he said. You know it isn't true. Neville and Miranda are your friends. They would never abandon you. And they don't just use you for their homework. That's probably what Weasley would do. I guess that has happened when you were in primary school?" Harry asked.

"Yes, the other kids always teased me about my large front teeth and that I was a bookworm and a teacher's pet. When another girl was being nice to me, I was so happy. I didn't think anything about helping her with her schoolwork, I thought that was just what a friend would do, but I overheard her talking to some others that asked her why she was even talking to me that I was useful for her homework. It hurt so much, finding out that my only friend only used me to be better in school and didn't like me really." She said.

Harry decided he would corner Weasley and give him a proper dressing down. He hated people who hurt others because they felt inadequate themselves and needed to make themselves feel better about others being miserable.

"If your front teeth are a problem for you, why don't you ask Madam Pomfrey if she could shrink them a bit for you? It would only take a little bit and if it means so much to you, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Harry asked.

"I don't know if my parents would allow that. They're dentists and think I should just use my braces." She answered.

"Well, what can they do if you just have it done? It's nothing harmful and it seems to mean a lot to you. While they may be a bit disgruntled in the beginning, they'll get over it soon when they see how happy it makes you." Harry argued.

"Perhaps, I'll think about it. Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome, Hermione. Uhm, would you mind to leave me alone for a moment so I can change?" He asked.

"Oh, of course, sorry, Harry." She said blushing and practically raced to the other side of the curtains that closed off Harry's bed from view.

Harry changed from his pyjama into his free-time clothes which were placed on a chair next to his bed. When he was done, he came out from behind the curtains. It didn't take long for Madam Pomfrey to clear them both to leave the hospital wing.

....

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