Chapter Ten
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Rosalie was excited. Today was when they would begin learning how to levitate objects in Charms. The redhead had already made Hermione promise her three times that she would help Rosalie if she couldn't make anything levitate, although Hermione didn't see why she thought that.
"You're a witch. Of course you'll be able to levitate things. You've read more than I have on the subject, which I must say is quite impressive. Come on now, we'll be late if we stand around for much longer."
Rosalie disagreed with Hermione; they still had seven minutes to get to class, and they weren't far from the room. However, she had noted that Hermione preferred to get into her classes with at least five minute to spare. She walked alongside her, watching Hermione review her notes for an upcoming test in one of her other classes.
"Oh, I'll never memorize all of this in time!" The frustrated girl stuffed her notes into one of her books, slamming them into her chest with a huff. "I don't see why they don't give us warnings besides the day before the test!"
Rosalie remained silent, choosing not to remind Hermione that in fact the teachers often reminded them of upcoming tests two weeks before the actual test date. Hermione was often the one to remind everyone of the test so many times that she was finally asked to stop. Rosalie decided that the stress of the test on Hermione must have shoved the reminders out of her head as she studied.
Entering the classroom, she took a seat next to Hermione. Hermione promptly pulled two books out of her bag, stacking them neatly on her desk, before carefully laying her wand down next to them. Rosalie took note of the single white feather that was resting on each desk, before reaching out to touch it. It was very soft and light, and she wondered how it didn't float away with ever little gust of air that came.
Ron came in with Harry and Seamus, sitting on the other side of Hermione. He crossed his arms over his desk, on top of his feather, before turning to talk with Harry and Seamus. Hermione shook her head. "He'll never pass his classes if he doesn't start studying soon. I've been talking with some older students, and they say that the material doesn't get any easier." Rosalie sat in silence, pondering this piece of information.
Professor Flitwick began working on teaching levitation when the last student took a seat. He was required to either stand on his desk or on a tall stack of books, in order to be tall enough that he could see the class, and so the students could see him. Rosalie was eager to begin the lesson, as the few stories she had ever read involving witches and wizards talked about flying on brooms, using wands, and being able to levitate things. She listened to what Professor Flitwick told them, still worried that she somehow wouldn't be able to levitate anything.
"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly. Erm, do you have your feathers? Good! Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement that we've been practicing. The swish and flick. Everyone!" The professor waited for everyone to pick up their wands before continuing. "The swish and flick. Good! Oh, and enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go, then."
Everyone picked up their wands again, beginning to practice, attempting to levitate the feather that rested on their desks. Rosalie was hesitant, watching the others first. What if she couldn't do it? What if she couldn't levitate the feather, and was sent back to Aunt Marge's? She shook off her worries. If she had been able to do everything so far, then she must be able to do this.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Rosalie immediately beamed when the feather on her desk floated up a few inches, before gently landing back on her desk. A speck of white caught her eye, and she turned. Hermione's feather floated in the center of the classroom gracefully. Her wand directed it around, keeping it in the air.
"Oh, well done! See here everyone, Miss Granger's done it!" Professor Flitwick cried out, his voice filled with excitement. "Splendid!" Hermione smiled at the praise directed towards her, twirling her feather around.
A small explosion startled Rosalie, along with most of the class. Seamus had somehow managed to explode his feather, and soot covered his shocked face. "I think we're going to ned another feather over here professor," Harry spoke quietly, turning to Professor Flitwick.
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After class, Rosalie walked several paces behind Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean. "It's Leviosa, not Leviosar," Ron drawled, mimicking Hermione. "She's a nightmare, honestly! No wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Hermione shot past Rosalie, causing her to stop as she spotted the tears glistening on Hermione's face. Hermione sped past the group of boys in front of her, bumping into Ron as she hurried past. The group of boys stopped, watching her. "I think she heard you," Harry said to Ron. Rosalie moved forwards, passing Ron. "That wasn't very nice, Ronald." She reprimanded, continuing forwards.
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For Halloween, the professors replaced the usual candles with glowing jack-o-lanterns. Lightning lit up the ceiling, casting eerie lights down over everything. Rosalie listened to everyone talking, eating a chocolate cupcake.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked. She turned to look at the seat in front of her, finishing the last bite of her cupcake. The seat where Hermione usually sat was empty. Neville turned to look at Harry. "Parvati said she wouldn't come out of the girls bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon, crying," he whispered, before turning back to his food. Rosalie, Harry and Ron all looked at each other, Ron lifting his shoulders in a shrug.
The doors to the Great Hall flew open, Professor Quirrell sprinting through them. "Troll! In the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon!" He skittered to a stop in the middle of the Great Hall, all talking ceasing. Dumbledore rose from his seat, eyes fixed on the shaking professor. "Thought you ought to know," Quirrell spoke before passing out, falling forwards onto the ground, everyone twisting to look at him.
With a large clap of thunder, the Great Hall erupted into screaming, startling Rosalie. She jumped, looking around as every student leaped to their feet, screaming. They all began running for the doors to the Great Hall, running around Professor Quirrell, who hadn't come around yet.
"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice rang out over the screaming and clamoring, stopping every student in their tracks and they turned to face him. "Everyone will please not panic! Now, prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeon."
Prefects began calling out orders, rounding up their house as they made their way towards the doors. Despite Dumbledore's orders, Rosalie's heart jumped as she realized that Hermione wouldn't know about the troll. She nearly fell standing up from the table, sprinting towards the door.
"Rosalie !" Percy's voice called from behind her, a hand brushing her cloak. "Come back here at once!"
She ignored him, running towards the bathrooms. She skittered into the bathroom, nearly running into Hermione, who had just come out of one of the stalls, wiping her eyes. "Hermione, we've got to go! There's a troll in the dungeon, and we're supposed to go to the dormitories!" She grabbed onto Hermione's sleeve, but Hermione grabbed Rosalie's arm.
"I think the troll has left the dungeon," Hermione whispered. Slowly, Rosalie turned around, her eyes rising up until she was looking a rather large, ugly troll in the face. The girls began backing up as the troll advanced, raising its club. They dove into a stall, locking the door. No sooner had they done that, they were knocked to the ground as smashed stall walls rained down on them. Hermione and Rosalie screamed, covering their heads.
"Hermione, Rosalie, move!" Harry shouted, and the girls began scrambling through the wood. They were forced to stop as the troll smashed more stalls with its club. "Help! Help!" The girls screamed as Ron and Harry threw wood at the troll.
"Hey! Pea brain!" Ron shouted, throwing a shard of wood. The troll turned to face them, getting hit in the face with the piece of wood Ron threw. It shook its head, before noticing Rosalie and Hermione, who had crawled to beneath the sinks. It raised its club, bringing it down just behind Rosalie. A large piece of the sink landed on her shoulder, and she cried out as a jolt of pain ran up her arm.
"Help!" Hermione cried at the boys. Harry drew his wand, jumping onto the end of the club as the troll swung it around again. He dropped down onto the troll's shoulders, before the troll noticed that something was on it and began to buck around. Harry stuck his wand up the troll's nose, and they all grimaced in disgust.
The troll finally grabbed Harry, holding him upside down as it readied its club. "Do something!" Harry yelled out as the troll swung its club, but it also raised Harry at the same time, missing him. "What?" Ron looked around helplessly. "Anything!" Harry yelled back as the troll lowered him again. The troll swung again. "Hurry up!"
Ron pulled his wand out. "Levitate the club!" Rosalie called out to him. "Swish and flick!" Hermione instructed him, doing the hand motions herself.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron preformed the spell, and the club slipped out of the troll's grasp, still hovering in the air, as the troll swung again, not realizing that it didn't have the club anymore. It looked in surprise at its hand when it realized there wasn't a club in its grip, before looking up.
The club came down directly on top of the troll's head, bouncing off to the ground. "Cool," Ron said as the troll dropped Harry to the ground, beginning to sway. Harry scrambled backwards as the troll fell, sending up a cloud of dust.
Hermione and Rosalie climbed out from under the sinks, advancing forwards slowly, Rosalie cradling her injured arm. "Is it... dead?" Hermione questioned. "I don't think so. Just knocked out," Harry replied, before bending down and pulling his wand out from the troll's nose. A line of slime followed it out, and Harry groaned as the others grimaced. "Ugh, troll boogers." He began wiping it off on his robe.
A clamor of footsteps echoed into the bathroom, and the professors all stopped at the entrance. Professor McGonagall grabbed onto the wall beside her, her other hand flying up to her chest. "Ah! Oh heavens! Oh my goodness! Explain yourselves, both of you!" the professor shook her finger at the two boys.
Both Harry and Ron began to speak at the same time. "You see now—" "Well, what it is—"
"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall." Hermione spoke up. Harry and Ron turned to look at each other, while all of the professors turned to look over at the girls. "Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking surprised by the sudden confession.
"I went looking for the troll. I've read about them and thought I could handle it. Rosalie came to try and stop me. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead." Hermione said. Rosalie was surprised. She wasn't expecting Hermione to lie.
Rosalie noticed Harry looking at something. She followed his gaze, which was directed to a nasty gash on Snape's leg. The professor immediately drew his cloak around his leg once he noticed the students looking at it, hiding the injury from view as he gave them a nasty look.
"Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I 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." Professor McGonagall turned to look at Rosalie, Ron and Harry. "As for you three, 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 for sheer dumb luck." The four students couldn't stop the smiles that grew on their faces at the news.
"Rosalie, your arm. Is it injured?" Professor McGonagall asked as she turned away from the others, examining the redhead's arm.
Melanie looked down at her arm. "It might be broken. A piece of sink fell on it." That was a sentence she most definitely never thought she would have to say.
The professor sighed. "Come with me, we'll go to Madam Pomfrey." Rosalie obediently followed Professor McGonagall out of the bathroom, and the other three students quickly followed suit. Professor Snape brought up the rear of the line, Professor Quirrell being elected to stay behind and deal with the troll.
After that, the four students all became friends, even if they didn't really know it. It became obvious when Ron, Harry and Hermione came up to wait with Rosalie as Madam Pomfrey fixed her broken arm, since Hermione stated that was what friends did.
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