In the Afternoon

In Class

Oliver, Ron, and Harry sat together in class, eagerly awaiting their first practical spell lesson.

The professor stood at the front of the class, her voice stern but kind. "One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation... the ability to make objects fly. Do you all have your feathers?" Hermione proudly raised hers. "Good. Now, don't forget the wrist movement we've been practicing—the swish and flick. Everyone, follow along."

The class mimicked her movements, their wands swishing and flicking in unison as they muttered together, "The swish and flick."

The professor smiled. "Good. Oh, and don't forget to enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then."

The students repeated the incantation, some with more confidence than others.

Oliver, glancing at Ron, attempted the spell, his wand following the same motion. "Wingardium Leviosa," he muttered, hoping for the best.

"No, no! Stop!" Hermione suddenly shouted, her eyes wide. "You're going to take someone's eye out with that! And besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar."

Oliver raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Then by all means, darling, show us how it's done."

Hermione, cheeks tinged pink, rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face. She raised her wand with determination, swishing and flicking precisely as instructed. "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather fluttered gently into the air.

"Very nice," Oliver said, giving her a nod of approval. He flicked his wand confidently. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather floated gracefully, joining Hermione's in the air.

"Well done!" the professor exclaimed, beaming. "See here, everyone—Miss Granger and Mr. Queen have done it! Splendid!"

Seamus, however, was still struggling with the incantation. "Wingardium Leviosa, Wingardium Leviosa..." he muttered, his wand waving erratically.

The professor turned to him, trying to hide a smile. "Well done, dear... Mr. Queen, if you wouldn't mind helping Mr. Finnigan?"

Just as she turned her attention back to Seamus, there was a loud bang—an explosion of smoke and sparks erupted from Seamus's direction. The professor whipped around in alarm.

Seamus, covered in black spots, blinked at the class sheepishly.

Harry, staring at the chaos, said with a grin, "I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor." He looked at the professor, then back at Seamus, who was still trying to wipe the soot from his face.

Later

Oliver, Harry, and Ron were strolling down the hallway together when Ron broke the silence.

"Did you hear Hermione correct Oliver earlier?" he said, shaking his head. "'It's Leviosa, not Leviosar.' She's a nightmare, honestly! No wonder she doesn't have any friends."

Oliver's eyes widened as he spotted Hermione walking briskly ahead of them. "Hermione, wait!" he called, immediately picking up his pace.

Ron shot Oliver an amused look, but Harry sighed and spoke quietly. "I think she heard you. Let's just hope Ollie can calm her down."

As the two boys watched Oliver chase after Hermione, Bella appeared from around the corner, giving them a curious look.

"Hey, guys," Bella greeted them. "Where's Ollie running off to?"

Harry shrugged, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "Let's just say, an idiot made a comment about a friend, and now he's off trying to make it right."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess... it was Ron?"

Ron froze mid-step. "Wait, how'd you know it was me?"

Bella smirked, her arms crossed. "He said 'an idiot.' Who else acts like an idiot around here, besides you?"

The boys burst out laughing at Ron's expense.

"That's not funny, guys," Ron muttered, looking slightly embarrassed.

Bella grinned. "Now you know how it feels," she teased, before turning and walking off in the direction Oliver had gone, determined to find him and make sure everything was okay.

Later

At Dinner

Oliver, Harry, and Ron sat at the table in the Great Hall, enjoying their meal when Oliver glanced around and noticed something.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked.

Neville, who was sitting nearby, looked up with a concerned expression. "Parvati said she's been holed up in the girls' bathroom all afternoon, crying."

Oliver exchanged a quick glance with Ron, who shrugged, looking puzzled.

Before they could say more, a loud, panicked voice cut through the noise of the hall. Professor Quirrell came barreling in, looking frantic.

"Troll in the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon!" he yelled. "Thought you ought to know!"

Everyone froze. Then, Quirrell fainted, collapsing onto the floor. Chaos erupted around them, with students screaming at the top of their lungs.

Professor Dumbledore's commanding voice rose above the clamor. "Silence!" he bellowed. "Everyone, please remain calm. Prefects, lead your house back to the dormitories. Teachers, with me to the dungeons."

The students filed out of the Great Hall, the tension in the air palpable as they shuffled toward the exits.

As they reached the courtyard, Percy Weasley, ever the leader, shouted, "Gryffindors, keep up and stay alert!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked, his voice low with concern.

"Not on its own," Ron said, shaking his head. "Trolls are stupid. It's probably just some prank."

Oliver grabbed both of them by the arms. "Hermione doesn't know!" he said urgently. "We've got to find her."

With no time to waste, the three of them broke into a run, racing down the hall.

After turning left at the end of the corridor, they continued on until another left brought them to a dead stop. The boys froze, seeing something large moving ahead.

"I think the troll's left the dungeon," Ron said, wide-eyed.

Harry pulled Oliver and Ron behind a beam, their hearts pounding in their chests as they saw the massive creature lumbering past, heading straight for the girls' bathroom.

"It's going into the girls' bathroom!" Oliver whispered in horror.

They all exchanged a look and rushed toward the door. Without a second thought, they pushed it open and shouted, "Hermione, move!"

The troll, oblivious to the students' presence, swung its enormous club, smashing stalls and sending debris flying.

"Help! Help!" Hermione screamed, trapped beneath the sink.

Reacting quickly, Harry and Ron grabbed pieces of wood, tossing them at the troll to distract it. Meanwhile, Oliver flicked his wrist, and his wand transformed into a bow.

"Hey, you big idiot!" Ron yelled, tossing a piece of wood at the troll's head.

Oliver aimed carefully, drawing an arrow from thin air as he pulled back the string. He saw the troll about to strike again and knew he had to act fast.

"Bombarda!" Oliver shouted, firing the arrow. The force of the spell hit the troll, sending it stumbling back with a loud crash.

Oliver ran to Hermione, pulling her to her feet. "Come on, let's go!" he urged, dragging her toward the door.

Harry, still trying to distract the troll, jumped onto its back and grabbed its ears, trying to hold on as the troll swung wildly. His wand flew out of his hand and lodged up the troll's nose, which caused a collective groan from everyone nearby.

"Ew," muttered Ron, wrinkling his nose.

The troll, enraged, grabbed Harry by the legs, lifting him high into the air. "Do something!" Harry shouted.

"What do you mean 'do something'?" Ron asked, confused and panicked.

"Anything! Hurry!" Harry shouted again, narrowly avoiding another swing of the troll's bat.

Hermione, taking charge, snapped, "Swish and flick!"

Ron's eyes widened as he understood. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, making the troll's bat lift from the floor and float mid-air.

Oliver, spotting the troll looking confused as it searched for its lost weapon, pulled back on his bow again. "Expulso!" he yelled, launching another arrow that struck the troll square in the chest, knocking it off its feet and sending it crashing to the ground.

The bat came down and struck the troll square on the hand, causing it to howl in pain and collapse.

Hermione, breathing heavily, asked, "Is it dead?"

Oliver shook his head. "No, just knocked out," he said, flicking his bow back into a wand.

Harry groaned as he pulled his wand out of the troll's nose, covered in Troll Boogers. "Ugh. Troll boogers," he muttered, grimacing.

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted their moment of relief. Professor McGonagall, followed by Quirrell, entered the bathroom, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh my goodness!" McGonagall exclaimed, staring at the troll. "Explain yourselves, the three of you!"

The boys immediately tried to explain, but Hermione interrupted.

"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall," she said, stepping forward, her voice trembling. "I went looking for the troll. I read about them and thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. If Ollie, Harry, and Ron hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead."

McGonagall's gaze softened slightly, but she still looked stern. "Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do."

The boys exchanged uneasy looks, aware of their own recklessness, while they noticed Snape limping in, his leg clearly injured. He quickly hid it with his robe, though it didn't go unnoticed.

"I expect more rational behavior from you, Miss Granger," McGonagall continued, disappointment in her voice. "Five points from Gryffindor for your lack of judgment."

The boys winced, but then McGonagall turned to them. "As for you three... I have to say, not many first-years could take on a mountain troll and survive. Five points each, for sheer dumb luck."

The boys grinned at that, their spirits lifting slightly.

Quirrell, still looking shaken, whispered nervously, "Perhaps you ought to leave now. It might wake up."

McGonagall nodded, her voice hardening again. "Quite right. Everyone, leave at once."

With one last look at the still-unconscious troll, the group hurried out of the bathroom, leaving behind the chaos of their wild adventure.

The Next day

Back in the Great Hall

The next morning, the students gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast. Ron, already well into his meal, waved a piece of toast at his friends.

"Take a bit of toast, mates. Go on," he urged.

Oliver and Harry, however, were more interested in twirling their forks around their plates, lost in thought.

Hermione, glancing up from her own breakfast, noticed and gave them a knowing look. "Ron's right, Harry, Ollie. You'll need your strength today."

Oliver gave a nonchalant shrug. "We're not hungry."

Just then, a familiar sneering voice interrupted them. "Good luck today, Potter, Queen," Snape said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The group looked up to find Snape standing beside them, his dark eyes gleaming. "Then again, now that you've proven yourselves against a troll, I suppose a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you two. Even if it is against Slytherin."

He turned and stalked off, but not before Harry and Oliver noticed the faint limp in his stride.

"That explains the blood," Harry murmured.

Hermione, brow furrowed, looked from Harry to Oliver. "Blood?"

Oliver nodded, his expression serious. "Listen, Harry thinks Snape let the troll into the castle as a diversion. He wanted to get past that three-headed dog. But it looks like he didn't get away unscathed. He must've been bitten, which is why he's limping."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But why would anyone go near that dog?"

Harry exchanged a glance with Oliver. "That day at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was 'Hogwarts business,' very secret. Maybe that's what the dog's guarding. And maybe that's what Snape wants."

Hermione stared at them for a moment, trying to process. "So, you're saying...?"

Harry finished her sentence. "That's what Snape's after. And he'll stop at nothing to get it."

Before anyone could say more, a commotion from above interrupted them. Two owls swooped down, each carrying a small parcel wrapped in paper.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Bit early for mail, isn't it?"

Harry shrugged. "I never get mail. Neither does Ollie, unless it's from his mum about something important."

Ron was already reaching for the packages. "Let's open them!" he exclaimed, eager as ever.

The group tore into one of the parcels, revealing a broomstick.

Harry blinked in disbelief. "It's a broomstick."

Ron's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "That's no ordinary broomstick. It's a Nimbus 2000!"

Before anyone could ask further, they noticed Professor McGonagall approaching, her two owls perched on her arm, their wings fluttering.

"Who would send us this?" Harry wondered aloud, but his question was soon answered when McGonagall approached, a small smile on her face. "I believe you've just received your Quidditch brooms."

"Quidditch brooms?" Ron repeated, barely able to contain his excitement.

McGonagall gave them an approving nod. "Indeed. For the Gryffindor team. A little surprise from the headmaster, to get you started."

Ron turned to Oliver. "Why don't you open yours now?"

Oliver, grinning, tore into his package with equal enthusiasm. When he pulled it out, he held up a broom identical to Harry's, except this one was a striking shade of green.

"Woah. Wicked!" Ron exclaimed.

The group burst into smiles, their earlier tension momentarily forgotten. Both Harry and Oliver held up their Nimbus 2000s, their excitement palpable.

McGonagall gave them one last nod of approval. "Enjoy, gentlemen. And good luck today." Then, with a final flutter of wings, she walked off, leaving the boys to marvel at their new brooms.

"Quidditch, here we come," Oliver said with a grin, already imagining the thrill of their first match.

To be continued...