The Divided Dragon - A Dramione Fanfic

Sweets

Harry could only watch from where he was sprawled across the floor as Hermione followed the troll to the ground and collapsed in a graceless pile. He scrambled to stand up, intent on rushing to Hermione's side, but stepped on the hem of his robes and fell back to the ground, banging his knee against the hard stones. Wincing in pain, he tried to stand again; more carefully this time.

"This is not good," Tracy said as she scrambled to her feet beside him. Effortlessly moving her robes out of her way. He supposed if one grew up wearing robes and dresses it became second nature to move wearing them.

"No, Miss Davis, it is most certainly not good."

They jumped and spun, Harry almost tripping on his robes again. Standing at the corner of the corridor were Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Dumbledore. Harry gulped when he realized it was Headmaster Dumbledore that had spoken.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but found no words as sudden fear gripped him. Would they expel them for this? Would he be forced to go back to the Dursleys? All because he had been curious about where Quirrell was going? Had he just ruined Hermione and Tracey's chances as well?

"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss Davis?" Professor McGonagall said coldly, "Care to explain why the two of you are with a mountain troll rather than in the infirmary with your classmates?"

"It's not just them, Minerva. Another child is collapsed here, Miss Granger I believe." As Professor Sprout said this, she strode purposefully over to Hermione and drew her wand to cast a few spells. "She appears only to have fainted, but to be sure I'll take her to Poppy."

Harry and Tracey watched as Hermione was magically lifted into the air and floated off under Professor Sprout's control.

Once the two were gone Professor McGonagall pointedly cleared her throat, "Well? We're waiting."

"Indeed we are. Miss Davis, Mr. Potter?" This icy voice came from behind them, and Harry turned to see Professor Snape — a slight limp in his step — finish descending the staircase that had been magically blocked just moments before.

Harry had no words to say, but luckily Tracey did.

"We had no choice, professors!" As she said this her eyes grew wide, and her entire demeanor shifted as if she now realized that the danger has passed. "We were going to the infirmary, but then one of Harry's trainers came untied. Hermione and I stopped to wait with him while he fixed it. When he finished, we were a—alone." She said the last word with a nervous stutter, her fingers beginning to play nervously with the fastenings on her robes. "We turned to hurry off, but this horrible stench came. I—I almost fainted it was so bad. The—the troll was there! Right behind us! We turned to run towards the infirmary, but Hermione pointed out that we'd be leading the troll to the other students. So we turned to run this way. Harry said we could run up to the third floor, circle around, then come back down and get to the infirmary. But—but," here she let out a sob and tears began to fall, "the stairs were sealed! We were trapped!" She then broke down and began to sob in earnest.

Harry reached over and patted her shoulder, before staring up defiantly at the adults. He didn't like lying to teachers, but he refused to let his friends be punished because he'd wanted to figure out a mystery. And he wasn't exactly new to lying. He didn't like it, but sometimes you had to lie to stop the truth from causing pain. He could thank the Dursleys for that lesson.

"We tried to confuse it, to run around it and back downstairs," he said, continuing Tracey's story, being sure to add enough truth to support the earlier lies. "Hermione and I got at the back, but Tracey was trapped. I threw things at it, but they did nothing. So I leapt on it's back and jammed my wand up its nose. Tracey almost got away, but I fell off and landed on her. We were about to be smashed when Hermione levitated the club and dropped it on the troll's head. Then she fainted."