✰𝑀𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑠𝑡✰ H. Potter

𝙿𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎-𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 11

           

                 ☞︎︎︎𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒔☜︎︎︎

Growing up, Hestia was concealed from the lurking darkness of the world. The corners of the room that the light couldn't quite reach. The cruel shadows that held daggers behind their backs, waiting for you to show weakness before stabbing you in the back. Hestia didn't grow up fearing the monsters under her bed, or in her wardrobe. And it was all because of Remus. Remus was her beam of light, her guardian angel always ready to fight her battles.

So, on her first day of Hogwarts, Hestia wasn't accustomed to the cruel words that lingered on peoples tongues. Nor was she ready for them to enter hers. She felt terrible for what she had said to Ron, a boy who was supposed to be her friend. Even though deep down she knew it was well deserved, the young girl made a mental note to apologise to the boy later. Of course, after consoling her friend.

Because, Hestia was the undeserved ray of kindness in a world of cruelty.

______________________________________

Upon entering the bathrooms, the young girl felt her heart shatter at the scene before her. Hermione, bubbly, smart, kind and courageous girl sat curled up on the floor. The girls body shook uncontrollably as she sobbed. Everything else in the room began to fade away to Hestia.

"Oh.. Hermione." Hestia whispered, her voice small and filled with sorrow.

Hermione looked up, revealing her red, puffy eyes and blotchy face. Hestia ran over to the girl and engulfed her in a tight hug. Over time, you learn that words don't always say what you mean them to. Words can't express the love, you can feel for a person. Words don't heal the scars embedded in a person's soul. But sometimes, a hug, or a kiss or even a smile can say a million words.

So there they sat in silence, their limbs tangled together and scars slowly healing.

They weren't sure how long they sat there nor did they care. They would pay whatever price they had to as it was worth the cost. Life stories were told and laughs echoed throughout the deserted bathroom, the smile on Hermione's face leaving Hestia proud.

Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn't.

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥

"Troll! Troll in the dungeons!" Professor Quirrel announced. "Just thought you should know."

The man in question collapsed in the middle of the hall and all hell broke loose. Children were screaming and running towards the doors whilst teachers shared looks of panic and confusion.

"SILENCE!" The headmaster bellowed across the hall. All the chatter stopped instantaneously.                         

"Everyone will please not panic. Now, prefects will leads the houses back to their dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." The man ordered. Harry and Ron followed out of the hall. To Harry, the whole ordeal felt as if it wasn't really happening. It was almost like his body was moving without him and he couldn't keep up.

" How could a troll get into the dungeons?" He asked, slightly coming to his senses.

"Not on its own. Trolls are really stupid, someone must be playing a stupid joke on us." He replied with a shudder. If Harry hadn't seen Malfoy scream like a little girl moments before, he would have bet it was him who let it in. Suddenly, his body stopped moving and everything inside him crashed together like a brick wall. Oh no.

He grabbed Ron's sleeve, dragging his friend in the opposite direction of the dormitories. "What the bloody hell are you doing?!"

"Hestia and Hermione. They don't know about the troll!"

Ron's eyes widened in realisation and the two boys sprinted through the stone corridors, not stopping until a large shadow blocked their path. Harry pulled the frozen boy behind a wall, peering slightly at the large shadow.

" The troll, it's going into the girls bathroom!" He whisper-yelled, not wanting to alert the large figure at the end of the hall. "Come on!"

𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬

The smiling girls opened the door, still laughing at their silly jokes when they saw something blocking their exit. Hestia slowly looked up at the creature staring hungrily at her, like a lion watching its prey. The girls breath hitched and her body tensed. Both girls slowly backed away, hoping that if they're slow enough that they would turn invisible. Hestia's back roughly collided with the toilet stall and a gasp escaped her dry throat.

She didn't have time to think. Instead, the pulled Hermione into a stall with her and out of the monsters view. Her clammy hand gripped Hermione's, so tight that the girl could barely feel her fingers. Not even a second later, the troll swung its bat at the stall. Everything collapsed on the girls, burying them under layers of sharp wood. The girls' bodies ached and blood trickled down Hestia's head. But they couldn't stop. Not unless they wanted to be troll food. They pushed themselves free, finding shelter under the sinks.

Meanwhile, two boys stood in the corner, desperately trying to divert the trolls attention. Ron was yelling as loud as his could, his voice going hoarse and his throat growing sore. Whilst a certain bespectacled boy threw anything in sight at the monster. Wood, metal and any scraps that lay by the destroyed stalls. Though, nothing seemed effective until a plank of wood his the trolls face.

"Oi, peabrain!" Ron yelled.

For a moment the beast was distracted, giving Hestia a moment to hide Hermione under the sink.

"Help!" Hermione replied, only just noticing the boys presence.

This brought the trolls attention back onto the young girls and he pulled back his bat, ready to take another swing at the pair. The bat was perfectly aimed at the bushy haired girl and Hestia did the only thing that she could think of to keep her friend out of harms way. She pushed herself up from the sink, completely blocking Hermione from the trolls wrath.

Hestia hadn't thought of death before. It was something that she didn't want to worry about, assuming that her time on earth would be more prolonged. But in that moment, she wasn't afraid. The only thought in her brain was keeping her friend safe and if she died doing that, then she would be content. The day that Hestia met the sorting hat, it said something to her that she merely brushed off at the time.

"You, have the strength of 100 men. Not necessarily physically but mentally. Bravery isn't always facing your fears, but facing others fears."

Hestia finally knew what that meant. She would put her life on the line to protect her friends and that would eventually lead to her demise.