In Balthazar's class.

Balthazar: Okay class, right now we're gonna follow today's lesson. [He opens the Encantus as the magic projects it on the board]

All: Whooa.

Balthazar: Impressive, isn't it? Well, there's a lot more than that. Matt. Mind doing a little demonstration?

Matthew: Here we go.

Matthew holds his hands apart from each other to make a claw gesture, causing a faint glowing orb to appear.

Ron: Bloody hell.

Harry: He's doing magic without the wand.

Pansy: How?

Draco: That's impossible.

Hermione: The ring. Of course, it all makes sense. Matthew is a sorcerer.

Harry: Just like Mr. Blake.

Matthew fires his plasma bolt.

Baltazar: You all might wanna duck down.

They did as he said and the bolt ricocheted before hitting the floor.

Matthew: Sorry.

Balthazar: Bit rusty, but you're getting better.

Matthew: Really?

Balthazar: No.

Matthew: [deadpan] Oh.

Balthazar: Now what you see from the demonstration of the plasma bolt, at the least loss of concentration, would result in something like that.

Neville: Wicked.

Balthazar: (raises his ring as part of the lecture) The ring is not a piece of jewelry. It projects the electrical energy of his or her nervous system into the physical world. Without his ring, a sorcerer is powerless. The only other thing a sorcerer needs is a nice pair of pointy shoes.

Balthazar tosses a pair of simple yet fancy-looking pointy shoes to Matthew.

Balthazar: [to Matthew] Your rubber soles block the current. Plus, it helps to look classy.

Matthew: (unimpressed) These are old man shoes.

Hermione: Um, Matthew?

Hermione points out that Balthazar wears an identical pair of his own.

Balthazar: Excuse me?

Matthew: (awkwardly with a bit of sarcasm) I love them. A lot.

Hermione: [whispers] Good save.

Matthew: [whispers] Thanks.

Balthazar: Now that's settled, let's move on.

Balthazar shows the steps as Matthew demonstrates, some of which backfired. Matthew struggles to conjure electrons around his palms to no avail he stomps his feet a few times in the attempt before eventually giving up.

Matthew: Nothing. There's nothing.

He manages to form a weak sphere a few attempts later.

Matthew: I got it! I got one! I got one! (the sphere falls and disappears.

Pansy: [mocked] That's underwhelming.

Matthew: [grumbles]

The weak sphere flies out of control in the next attempt.

Matthew: God!

The weak sphere comically backfires, bouncing off his face before flying away.

Matthew: Ow.

Balthazar: Again.

Harry and the other students conjure the plasma bolts perfectly with their wands. Matthew however...

Matthew: Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

A few bolts he made with his hands, ended up hitting himself.

Pansy: [giggled at his failure]

Matthew: I got it.

He makes another bolt and holds it steadily. Balthazar senses the bolt going haywire.

Balthazar: Duck down. Again.

They quickly dodge as the bolt shoots out and bounces before hitting Matthew.

Balthazar: Again.

Matthew groans as he gets up.

Pansy: [mockingly giggles]

Matthew: Bite me.

Matthew throws another plasma bolt. The bolt suddenly returned to the young sorcerer, but he dodged.

Matthew: Ha! It missed! Oof!

But it bounces back and hits him down.
Matthew gets up as he rubs his sore spots.

Matthew: Man...

All Students except Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the House of Gryffindor: [laughing at Matthew]

Pansy: [mockingly] Aww, you poor little mouse.

Matthew: Oh shut up.

Pansy: [giggled] Bloody geek.

Matthew: [growls]

Matthew straightened himself from the bolt.

Matthew: [mumbles] Slithering jerk.

Pansy heard it as she conjured a plasma bolt with her wand and fired at Matthew's rear while his back was turned.

Matthew: Ow! Come on!

Pansy pulls down her eyelid while sticking out her tongue.

Balthazar: Alright, that's enough. We'll continue this tomorrow. Keep practicing your spells. Class dismissed.

The students leave as Matthew glares at Pansy while rubbing his sore bottom. She gave him a sarcastic wave.

The four are walking up a staircase in the Grand Staircase Tower. A railing pulls in, Hermione looks but continues walking.

Ron: I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do.

Harry: Who doesn't?

The staircase shudders and begins to move. The three grab the railings.

Ron: Ahh!

Hermione gasps.

Harry: What's happening?

Matthew: The staircases change, remember?

The staircase stops, leading to a corridor.

Harry: [taps Ron] Let's go this way.

Ron: Before the staircase moves again.

They all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark, and deserted corridor.

Harry: Does anyone feel like we shouldn't be here?

Matthew: Yes.

Hermione: We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden.

Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, comes running in and meows. The group jumps.

Harry: Let's go.

Mrs. Norris meows.

Hermione: It's Filch's cat!

Harry: Run!

The four run through the corridor and flames are lit up on the stone supports, one by one, as they run past. They get to the end of the corridor, to a door.

Harry: Quick! Let's hide through that door!

Harry grabs the handle, but it's locked.

Harry: It's locked!

Matthew: Oh, man!

Ron: That's it! We're done for!

Hermione: Oh, move over!

Hermione pushes through and pulls out her wand, aiming it at the lock.

Hermione: Alohomora.

The door's lock lifts magically and it opens. Get in.

Hermione: They bustle in.

Ron: Alohomora?

Hermione: Standard Book of Spells, Chapter 7.

Filch arrives at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looks at him.

Filch: Anyone here, my sweet? [Mrs. Norris meows] Come on. [they leave the corridor.]

Hermione: Filch is gone.

Ron: Probably thinks this door's locked.

Matthew: It was locked.

Harry: And for good reason.

Ron, Matthew, and Hermione turn to stand with Harry. There is a massively huge three-headed dog sleeping in front of them. The dog begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more...noticing the intruders.

All: AHHHHHHH!

The four bolts ran out of the door. They turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. They get the door shut and run.

They return to the Gryffindor Common Room. They are breathless.

Matthew: Was it me, or did we just see a freaking Cerberus?

Ron: What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school.

Hermione: You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?

Ron: I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice. There were three!

They begin to climb the stairs to the dorms.

Hermione: It was standing on a trapdoor. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something.

Harry: Guarding something?

Hermione: That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled.

Hermione turns and leaves, shutting the door to her dormitory.

Ron: She needs to sort out her priorities.

Harry and Matthew nod in agreement.

Matthew: Yeah, she should be better than this.

Outside in the courtyard, daytime. Oliver and Harry appear, carrying a trunk. They put it down.

Oliver: Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each time has seven players. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and a Seeker. That's you. There are three kinds of balls. [picks up a red one] This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. [Points to the hoops in the Quidditch pitch in the distance.] The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. [throws the ball to Harry.] With me so far?

Harry: [throws back] I think so. What are those?

Harry points to two squirming chained-down balls.

Oliver: You better take this.

Oliver hands Harry a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two boys watch it.

Oliver: Careful now, it's coming back.

The ball comes whizzing down, and Harry cracks at them with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue, surprisingly without damaging it.

Oliver: Not bad, Potter. You'd make a fair Beater. Uh-oh.

The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.

Harry: What was that?!

Oliver: Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But you are a Seeker. And the only thing I want you to worry about is this. The Golden Snitch.

He hands Harry a walnut-sized golden ball.

Harry: I like this ball.

Oliver: Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see.

Harry: What do I do with it?

Oliver: You catch it. Before the other team's Seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this, Potter, and we win.

The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Harry keeps an eye on it.

Harry: Whoa!

In Professor Flitwick's class. Flitwick is very short and is standing on a bunch of books to make up for his stature and to see his class.

Flitwick: One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you have your feathers?

Hermione raises hers.

Flitwick: Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone.

All (including Flitwick): The swish and flick.

Flitwick: Good. Oh, and enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go, then.

The class begins to enunciate and do the movements on their feathers.

Draco: Wingardium Levio-saaa.

All: Wingardium Leviosa.

Ron: Wingardrium Leviosar!

He waves his wand fast numerous times because he thinks the spell didn't work. Hermione stops him.

Hermione: No, stop, stop, stop! You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-o-sa, not Leviosar.

Ron: You do it, then, if you're so clever. Go on, go on.

Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.

Hermione: Wingardium Leviosa.

The feather glows and lifts.

Flitwick: Oh, well done! See here, everyone, Miss Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!

Ron puts his head on his books dejectedly. Seamus begins swishing at his feather.

Seamus: Wingard Leviosa. Wingar-

Flitwick: Well done, dear.

An almighty explosion flashes. Flitwick gasps, as Ron and Hermione turn to the source of the explosion.

Flitwick: Whooaaa! Ooh.

We see that Seamus is charred again with his feather, now smoldering to ashes.

Harry: I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor.

Flitwick: Indeed. Mr. Stutler, your turn.

Matthew: Okay, here goes nothing.

Matthew brought his wand. He breathes in and out.

Matthew: Wingard... Leviosa... [Waves the wand]

The spell works. The feather started to glow and levitate.

Flitwick: Oh my, it's better than I expected.

Hermione: Good job, Matthew.

Matthew: Thanks.

Neville, Harry, Matthew, Ron, and Seamus are walking through a courtyard with other students all around.

Ron: [mimicking Hermione] "It's Levioooosa, not Leviosaaaar." [normal voice] She's a nightmare, honestly! No wonder she hasn't got any friends!

Hermione rushes past Ron, hugging her books and sniffling in tears.

Harry: I think she heard you.

Matthew: Not cool, Ron.

Hermione disappears into the crowd, deeply hurt by Ron's words.

That Halloween night, the great hall has floating Jack O'Lanterns in place of the candles. Harry notices an empty spot on the bench.

Harry: Where's Hermione?

Neville: Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon, crying.

Harry and Matthew glance at Ron with a disapproving look on their faces; Ron shrugs. Suddenly, Professor Quirrell comes running into the Great Hall in panic.

Quirrell: TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!

Dumbledore rises from his seat in concern. Everyone looks at Quirrell and he stops and there is utter silence.

Quirrell: Thought you ought to know.

Quirrell passes out in fear.

The great hall goes silent, and then everyone freaks out, screaming and running.

Dumbledore: SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE!

Dumbledore: Everyone stops and calms down.

Everyone will please not panic! Now, prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons.

Girl: Hufflepuff, this way!

Boy: Stay together!

Matthew: This troll thing must be dangerous, isn't it?

Snape looks aghast, and he walks out through a doorway. A bit later, Percy is leading the Gryffindors down a dark corridor.

Percy: Gryffindors, keep up, please, and stay alert!

Harry: How could a troll get in?

Ron: Not on its own. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes.

Suddenly, Matthew stops and pulls Ron aside.

Ron: What?

Matthew: Hermione! She doesn't know!

Matthew runs off with Harry and Ron following him. The three separate themselves from the crowd. They run down corridors. They start running down a hall when they stop because there's a grunting noise coming from a large shadow on the wall.

Ron: I think the troll left the dungeon!

Matthew: Don't try to wuss yourself out, Ron, it's still here as it is causing a panic!

Harry and Matthew pull Ron into a doorway, they peer out to see a large, ugly troll thunk by into a room.

Harry: It's going into the girl's bathroom!

In the girl's bathroom, Hermione emerges from a stall, wiping her eyes. She stops when she sees something. The troll is standing there.

Hermione backs up into the stall just as the troll raises its club and smashes the top part of the stall. Hermione screams in terror. Harry, Matthew, and Ron come bursting in.

Harry: Hermione, move!

The troll smashes the remaining stalls.

Hermione: Help! Help!

The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll.

Ron: Hey, pea brain!

Ron throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and then comes over to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Hermione. Harry cringes.

Hermione: (screams) Help!

Harry gets out his wand. He runs forward grabs the troll's club and is lifted.

Harry: Whoa!

He lands on the troll's shoulders and is hurled around back and forth.

Harry's wand shoots up the troll's nose. The troll groans in disgust.

Ron: Ew!

Matthew, Ron, and Hermione were disgusted by Harry's wand in the troll's nose. The troll snorts and whips around.

Harry: Whoa, whoa whoa!

The troll gets Harry off its shoulders and is holding him by one leg, upside down.

Harry: Do something!

It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down.

Ron: Like what?!

Harry: Anything! [the troll swipes at Harry again] Hurry up!

Matthew: Okay, stand back! [Creates a plasma bolt and fires it]

The bolt stunned the Mountain Troll. Harry gets off of the troll as he quickly regroups with them.

Ron: Now what?!

Matthew: I'm thinking!

Harry: Think faster, it's getting back up!

Matthew: I got it! Ron, use the levitation spell!

Ron grabs his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waves her hand.

Hermione: Swish and flick!

Ron: [correctly punctuating the words] Wingardium Leviosa!

Flick! The troll's club is lifted out of one of his hands and hovers above its head.
The troll looks at his hand and opens it, then looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down.

Ron: Cool.

It hits the troll's head so that hard the troll wavers, and slowly comes crashing down, knocked out. Hermione approaches carefully.

Hermione: Is it dead?

Harry: I don't think so. Just knocked out. [He grabs his wand which is covered in mucus.] Ugh! Troll bogies.

Harry wipes his wand on his robes. Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape, Balthazar, and Quirrell come rushing in. They all gasp at the knocked-out troll.

McGonagall: Oh! Oh, my goodness! Explain yourselves, three of you!

Ron, Matthew, and Harry: Well, what it is...

Hermione: It's my fault, Professor McGonagall.

The teachers, Ron, Matthew, and Harry look at her.

McGonagall: Miss Granger?

Hermione: I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry, Matthew, and Ron hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead.

McGonagall: Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do.

Harry notices Snape's leg, which has the trousers' leg torn and a large cut on it. Snape notices and covers it up, glaring at Harry.

McGonagall: I would've expected more rational behavior on your part and am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment.

She turns to Harry, Matthew, and Ron.

McGonagall: As for you three gentlemen, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first-year students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you...

Harry, Matthew, and Ron grin at each other.

McGonagall: ...for sheer dumb luck.

Balthazar, Snape, and McGonagall leave the bathroom.

Quirrell: Perhaps you ought to go. It m-might wake up. Heh.

Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione exit the bathroom. Quirrell looks at the unconscious troll. The troll growls, seemingly going to wake up.

Quirrell: Ahh! Hehe...

Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione are walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room through the corridor.

Harry: [to Hermione] Good for you to get us out of trouble like that.

Ron: Mind you, I mean, we did save her life.

Matthew: Mind you, she didn't need saving if you hadn't insulted her.

Hermione looks at Ron.

Ron: What are friends for?

They both smile at each other as they carry on through the corridor.

End of Chapter 4