Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone (rewrite)

Chapter 8

Days turned into weeks and Harry found himself kept busy with his demanding schedule of Quidditch, classes, homework and the study sessions he and his friends had decided upon. Classes quickly became more exciting now that they had mastered the basics, potions cemented itself as Harrys favourite subject because he and Pansy had yet to find a potion they couldn't brew. Even run ins with the twit Weasely couldn't put a dampener on the joys the old castle brought to Harry.

Halloween was now upon the castle and in the spirit of the spooky season the whole castle was decorated with different Halloween themed decorations. Jack-O-lanterns and Pumpkins littered the halls, real cobwebs hung from the chandeliers around the castle and the suits of armour that guarded various parts of the castle were replaced with dancing skeletons. "Did you here that Hermione been in the bathroom crying because Ron Weasley insulted her" Pansy told Daphnia excitedly, Pansy lived for gossip and knew ins and outs of the Hogwarts gossip mill unlike anyone Harry ever knew. "What did he say" Daphnia asked, fansing her brotch to her school cloak. Before Pansy could speak Theo called for her to "hurry up" as he was anxious to get up to the Halloween feast. "Calm down Teddy we're here" Daphnia called back, "so Pansy what did he say?" Harry didn't really listen to the conversation as he and Draco toke the lead up to the great hall. The decorations in the great hall were far better than anything the muggles had. A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds,making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The pumpkins themselves could have fit five fully grown men and had spooky faces cut into them, "hagrids really out done himself with them" Harry said to Draco as they toke a seat at the Slytherin house table. "Suppose their all right" Draco muttered,of all his friends Draco was the only one not warming up to the big man. While filling his plate high Harry noticed Pansy get up. Shooting her a puzzled look she mouthed the words 'bathroom'. Harry was just helping himself to a jacket potato when the doors of the hall were flung open and Professor Quill came sprinting in. Terror on his face he came to a stop just before to the teachers table, with every eye on the hall on him he stuttered" t-t-troll in the dungeons- thought you should know". He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. The whole hall was silent for a single moment then their was an uproar as students jumped to their feet, many of them letting out an undignified scream in the process. Harry turned to the high table to see Professor Dumbledore press the tip of his wand to his throat. Dumbledores voice filled the hall as he demanded the students remain calm. Having finally regained order Professor McGonnagall called on all prefects to bring their houses back to their common rooms. Scorbius Malfoy took charge of the of the first years and informed the rest of the house that they should, "remain in the great hall due to the fact our common room is in the dungeons". Harry remained seat with the rest of the first years while Scorbius states counting noses. Harry suddenly felt very sick, "Pansy" he wisphered. "What was that Harry" Draco asked curiously,"Pansy is in the bathroom.... She doesn't know about the troll", Harry explained. Draco's normally calm façade dropped instantly, "we have to help her". Harry nodded and pointed to a group of Hullfpuffs walking near by. Harry and Draco quietly slipped in with the Hullfpuffs and once they could they took of running in the direction of the girls bathroom. They had just turned a corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. "Hide" hissed Draco, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin. Peering around it, however, they saw Professor Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view. "What's he doing" Harry whispered, "why isn't he helping the other teacher?" "You tell me" Draco answered. Quietly as possible Harry and Draco crept along the after Snapes fading footsteps. "He's heading for the third floor" Harry said after Snapes footsteps faded completely. Draco opened his mouth as if to say something but a high pitched scream cut him of. Harry and Draco both knew internly that it was Pansy and once they round the next corner they knew why she had screamed. A foul stench filled Harry's nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of muggle pubic toilets that no one seems to clean. A low grunting and shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Draco pointed towards the end of the passage. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, it's great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. It was holding a large wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. Pansy must have been in the process of leaving the bathroom when she saw the troll, screamed and slammed the door. With an excessive swing of its club the troll struck the door, knocking it of its hinges. The troll slumped inside. Harry looked to Draco, both giving each other a reassuring nod they ran into the bathroom after the troll. The troll stood in the middle of the room looking at Pansy, who had her wand pointed at the troll, in the corner beside the sink sat that know-it-all Hermione Granger looking as though she might faint. The troll began advancing on Pansy when she shout red sparks from the tip of her wand, probably to try and scare it. Sinks and wall tiles were torn from the wall as the troll clumsy walk up to Pansy. "Confuse it" Harry said desperately to Draco, seizing a tap that lay near by and threw it at the troll. The tap hit the troll in the back but it didn't seem to notice, it did however notice the red sparks Draco produced from his wand. The troll stopped its advance and turn to face Harry and Draco, in doing so the trolls club collided with the wall, sending bricks and pipes all over the bathroom. Pansy screamed and dived in Grangers direction for cover, Granger herself fainted moments later. Harry and Draco had to through themselves backwards to avoid being hit by the reckage of the wall. 'Surely someone heard that' Harry thought to himself as he got to his feet. In the carnage of the wall caving in the troll dropped his club and Harry saw his chance. "WingardiLeviosa!" he shouted, suddenly the club lifted of the ground and Harry manovered it so that it hover it just above the trolls head. Realising the spell the club came crashing down on top of the trolls head. The troll lost its balance and fell into the near by toilet stalls. "Pansy are you ok" Harry shouted as he climbed over stray bricks to were Pansy lay by Granger. Pansy has dust in her hair and her robes were torn from the way she had landed, their were silent tears streaming from her eyes. "Oh Harry thank god" she cried, throwing herself into Harry's arms. Harry held Pansy until a rumbling came from behind them.  The troll was attempting to get up, "wingardium Leviosa" Draco shouted, sending a large larnten that had hung on the ceiling crashing into the trolls face. It collided with such force Harry swore he could here the trolls nose break. Harry guided Pansy over to were Draco stood.  No one spoke for what seemed like hours until a the sound of hurried footsteps made the three a turn to the door. Professor McGonnagall has come bursting into the room, followed closely by Professor Snape, with Professor Quirrell bringing up the rear, all had their wands our ready for a fight. Quirrell took one look at the troll and let out a faint wimpier grabbed onto what was left of the door frame, clutching his heart. Professor McGonnagall was the first to speak, "what on Earth happened here" she demanded. "I would like to know that myself Miverra" Snape said smoothly, "Draco explain". Harry turned and saw that Draco had paled slightly, "Pansy was in the bathroom sir, she didn't know about the troll so me and Harry came to get her" Draco explained neverously. "It's true Professor" Pansy said, now able to let go of Harry, " I was in the bathroom when I heard Hermione Granger crying in one of the stalls" she said pointing to Hermione who had sat herself against the wall for support. "I would have been back sooner but I tried to she if she was ok" Pansy explained, "I know we don't really get along but I didn't want her sitting in here crying all evening" Pansy said after McGonnagall shot her a sceptic look. "What I would like to know is why you weren't with the rest of your house in your common room" McGonnagall asked the group. Harry was starting to get a little frustrated with the conversation at this stage, "our prefects decide to keep us in the great hall due to the fact our common room is in the dungeons" Harry said a bit more sassy than he had anticipated. Professor Snape was the next to speak, "I believe 10 points each Mr Potter and Malfoy for the heroic rescue of Miss Parksion and Granger". Professor McGonnagall looked a bit shocked at this statement, "Severus really..." she began before Snape cut here of. "The four of you go to the hospital wing to get checked over then return emeditly to your common rooms" Snape instructed. Harry hurried Pansy out the destroyed bathroom followed closely by Draco and Hermione.A suit of armour stood in the middle of the corridor, "please follow to the hospital wing" it announced in a raspy voice. Harry looked to Draco and shrugged, "take the lead" Draco instructed. The four first year students followed the suit of armour up to the hospital wing in complete silence. The hospital wing was a large open room with 12 or so beds lining the walls to your left as well as your write. The room smelled like a Muggle hospital. Almost as soon as they had entered and door of the side was opened and a elderly witch, probably late fifthties Harry thought, dressed in a nurses clothing approached them. "A troll what next" she muttered to herself, "I am Madam Pomfrey now please take a seat" she said as way of greeting, indicating towards the beds closest to her. Harry and the others obliged and seat themselves atop of separate beds, Pansy shoves Draco out of her way in order to take the one closest to Harry's. Madam Pomfrey examined each of them in turn but seemed to take a rather lengthy inspection of Harry." Their seems to nothing other than a few cuts and bruises, so count your blessings that I am not keeping you for observation" Madam Pomfrey told them when she had finally finished with Harry. Draco sighed with relief, "good I just want to go to bed right now" he announced, jumping of his bed. Poor Hermione Granger was still very pale and hurried of before another word was spoken.

The walk down to the common room was uneventful, but the bombardment Of questions they got from Daphnia and Teddy the next morning was insane.