𝐀𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘┊ᴴᵃʳʳʸ ᴾᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

7 ★ Halloween and Quidditch

࿔₊°༺★༻࿔₊°

HERMIONE DIDN'T TURN UP for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone.

"I told her to stop crying and come out. She's still there..." said Crystal who was walking with Harry as Ron quietly tagged along. She didn't talk to him the whole day and he realized that she was avoiding him.

"I'll go check on her first," said Crystal, Harry nodded as she walked away.

Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.

Crystal knocked on the door of stall where the sniffling sound came from.

"W-Who's there?" said Hermione sniffling.

"Crystal. You're still crying? Come out, that's enough."

"You don't understand. They all hate me."

"So let them hate you. Do they matter so much to you that you're sitting here, alone and crying while they're sitting with everyone and enjoying the feast outside? Don't let them bother you. You'll get sick if you cry too much, get out,"

Hermione didn't say anything but kept sniffling.

"You're right. I don't understand how you feel. People say I was born with the golden spoon, but still I'm an 'illegitimate' who doesn't even know anything about my father, my position as the heiress is in jeopardy. You were among those girls gossiping about me too. But am I crying? Do I hate you?" Crystal added.

Hermione opened her stall with a shocked face.

"Y-You heard that? That was many days ago.... " said Hermione embarrassed, "Why didn't you tell me if you heard that?"

"And what after that? Does it change anything? I don't want to get in any kind of mess or drama. It's really bothersome not my style. But..." said Crystal looking directly at Hermione, "that doesn't mean I'm weak, I just choose not to bother with them because they don't mean anything to me. So, Hermione, be strong and don't let some words bother you."

"We were just curious about your father... I'm sorry, Crystal, I didn't mean -- "

"Well, doesn't matter now. I'm not here to confront you about past. Come, let's go, please? I'm really starving." said Crystal turning around but something felt off. "Why does it suddenly smell so bad here?"

"It wasn't here earlier," said Hermione.

Just then, a grunting and loud thumping came from outside the bathroom door. It felt like the ground was shaking a little in sync with the steps as if large gaint was walking outside. It stopped right in the front of the door.

Crystal stepped towards the door quietly and cautiously and peeked out, hidden behind it. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. The foul smell was coming from it. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

She quietly closed the door back, looking pale, and hurried back to Hermione.

"Hermione, listen, we can't go out right now, that thing is standing righ--" before she could finish her sentence the door burst open and it came inside.

Hermione screamed in fear and Crystal took in sharp breath, thinking what to do now, but nothing came to her mind. She seized Hermione's arm and backed up to wall opposite, to keep as far as possible.