Where Shadows Crawl

Chapter 4:Troll?

Weeks had passed since the flying lesson incident. I've started to call Draco, Blaise, and Theodore by their first names after they insisted that I call them by their first names. We were in Charms class with Professor Flitwick. The lesson of the day was the levitation charm. 

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers?", Granger is the only one raising their feathers. 

"Good. Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone", Flitwick instructs everyone. 

"Wingardium Leviosa", I whispered testing my pronunciation. Even with the time I've spent in Britain my accent still affects my pronunciation.

"Wingardium Leviosa", repeat with confidence along with the swish and flick. The father slowly rises from the table. 

"Well done Mr. Kurayami! 5 points to Slytherin", Flitwick awards. Granger was the second to succeed at the charm. I respect Granger in a way. She has extensive knowledge, but her need to prove it is... strange to be frank. Weasley next to her seem to sulk as she succeeded in proving she was right. 

We all left class. 

"You really are the top of the class in any subject", Draco and Blaise have made it a habit to tease me occasionally about being a know-it-all. It's all jokes and they mean nothing by it, if anything they love the number of points I earn Slytherin. 

"Kuro", I crouched down letting Kuro run up my shoulder. Kuro has started to leave my side more to explore the castle. I've even seen him chasing a certain rat around. Kuro was nuzzling my neck before jumping into my arms making me carry him in my arms. 

"Don't listen to them. They're just jealous of your intelligence", Pansy says playing along with the joke.

"Enough with the jokes we get to the next class", I say walking faster. The four behind me sped up to keep up with me. 

"It's Levioooosa, not Leviosaaaar  She's a nightmare, honestly. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!", I heard Weasley mock Granger as we passed by. Granger ran past right after her head faced down and I could faintly hear sniffling. 

"Those Grinffindor are no more than brutes", Pansy says the rest agreed with her. Not necessarily. Most Gryffindors are overconfident mistaking it for bravery and forgetting the meaning of the word, but some have the core of true bravery.

We move on to our next class I notice Granger missing which was unusual, to say the least. It was the same with the next class as well. I heard some of the female Gryffindor students talking and overheard them saying Granger has been in the bathroom crying. 

I made an excuse and went to the girl's bathroom not entering. 

"Granger, if you can hear me Weasley is an imbecile as are many of the boys in your house don't take it to heart", I say what I came to and leave for the feast. 

I made it to the Great Hall just before the feast started. The quartet of Slytherins waved me over. The feast started, but it was obvious that everyone was more excited about dessert than dinner. 

In the middle of the feast, Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall in a frenzy. 

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!! Just thought you ought to know", screamed Quirrel before passing out. The students all began to panic, running around and screaming their heads off. I was looking around the room before seeing Professor Snape signal me over under the table. 

"SILENCE!!! Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons", Dumbledore takes command of the situation. I took my chance to sneak away and phase through the shadows. Snape goes out the door behind the teacher's table.