Chapter Three

Louise Holden

Everyone was chatting, sitting near steaming cauldrons. It was the Slytherin's and the Gryffindor's. Professor Snape entered the room, making his prescence known by slamming the door shut.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," he said, in a sing-song kind of way. "As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few" - he looked at Malfoy, who smiled - "who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death." Snape notices Harry, writing the notes down. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confidant enough to not...pay...attention."

Hermione, who was sitting in between Louise and Harry, nudged Harry in the ribs. He looked up. and put down his quill.

"Mr. Potter. Our...new...celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione raised her hand, eager to answer. "You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione's hand shot up, yet again.

"I don't know, Sir," Harry admitted, ashamed.

"And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfbane?" Snape asked, knowing that Harry didn't know.

"I don't know, Sir."

Snape smirked. "Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?"

From the corner of her eye, Louise saw Harry glaring at Snape. If she was braver, she would speak up for Harry, but even Ned, who sat on her right side, didn't have the courage to speak up. Michael, Draco and the other Slytherins were laughing at Harry. She shot them a glare, Michael had the decency to stop, but the others just carried on. Michael started laughing again after she looked away. She could hear him.

Hogwarts was going to be interesting. And not at all like she thought it would be.

#2#

Louise watched as Seamus tried a spell on a cup in front of him.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum," he looked into the cup and shook his head. "Eye of rabbit, harp string hum..."

"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Harry asked Ron.

"Turn it into rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before..." Ron answered before being interrupted by a bang.

The cup exploded. The students all laughed at him. Louise looked at him in pity, while laughing. Suddenly, a flock of owls came into the hall from the rafters above.

"Ah. Mail's here!" Ron announced.

The owls soared by, dropping parcels to students.

Louise recieved a letter from Granny. There was nothing overly interesting in it. She was just asking how school was. She wondered how Granny felt about Michael getting into Slytherin. She wouldn't be too happy. Granny hated Slytherin, but she loved Michael. She wouldn't be too hard on him, after all, it wasn't his choice.

"What did she say?" Ned asked.

"Nothing much," Louise answered, putting the letter into her bag.

Neville was unwrapping a gift. It was a clear ball with gold around it. Louise saw Ned with one of these before. They helped you remember things. The only problem was, Ned always forgot where she left it.

"Hey, look! Neville's got a Remembrall!" Seamus told them.

Hermione piped up from beside her. "I've read about those. When the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something."

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten," Neville said, looking at the red ball in his hand.

While Ned told Neville all about the Remembrall and it's functions, Louise was listening to Harry's and Ron's conversation.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said, "somebody broke into Gringotts. Listen, Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to."

Hermione, who had been eavesdropping like Louise had been, shared a suspicious glance with boys.

#3#

They were at flying lessons. Most of the boys looked excited, but Louise was scared stiff, as was Hermione beside her. Neville looked frightened too. Louise was happy she wasn't the only one.

"Good afternoon, class," said Madame Hooch.

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," they chanted.

"Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon," she then spoke to the class."Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!"

"Up," said the class.

Louise's broom twitched on the ground. She groaned in frustration. Harry's immediately flew up to him.

"Whoa," he said, and Hermione stared at him in awe.

"Up!" Draco ordered, and the broom flew up to him. He grinned smugly. Michael's flew up to him a mere second later, the exact same moment that Ned's flew up to her hand.

"With feeling!" Hooch said.

"Up. Up. Up. Up," Hermione tried.

If she wasn't trying desperately to get her broom into her hand, she would just stand there and watch the interesting spectacle.

"Up!" Ron's broom flew up and conked him in the nose. "Ow!" he exclaimed, Harry, Ned and Louise laughed. "Shut up Harry!"

Finally, after a few more 'ups' the broom reached her hand. "Yes!" she quietly exclaimed. Hermione's soon followed.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end," everyone mounted their brooms. "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2..." she blew the whistle.

Neville immediately lifted off. He looked quite frightened.

"Oh..." Neville said.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch shouted.

"Neville, what are you doing?" a girl asked.

"M-M-Mr. Longbottom Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch cried desperately.

"AHH!" Neville screamed as he rose through the air. Louise put her hand over her mouth, watching Neville carefully like all the other students.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch cried again.

"Down! Down! Ahhhh!" Neville tried, but it didn't work.

Harry shouted Neville's name. "Help!" Neville screamed.

"Come back down this instant!" Hooch ordered, like Neville could land properly. He was just as bad as Louise was, even though she was introduced to Quidditch when she was five.

"AHH!"

He soared through the sky and hit a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he was screaming. He began to zoom back towards the group of students. Hooch held out her wand to stop him.

"Help!" he screamed again.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Neville approached them. The students scattered and Hooch dived out of the way. Neville went through the scatter and up the tower. Now, Louise was really worried.

"Ahhhh! Whoa! Ahhh!" he zoomed past a statue of a man with a sharp speak. Neville's cloak caught in it. He was flipped off of the broom and hung there. "Oh. Ah...help!" He wavered, then the cloak ripped, and he fell, catching on a torch, but then slipping out and falling to the ground.

"Everyone out of the way!" She ran through the group and they scattered once again. "Come on, get up," she said to Neville.

"Is he alright?" a girl asked.

"Owowowow," Neville exclaimed.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist," she tutted. "Good boy, come on now, up you get." Louise saw Malfoy reach down and grab Neville's remembrall, while had fell. Hooch began to lead him to the hospital wing. "Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch." She then left with Neville.

"Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass," Malfoy snickered and, much to Louise's disgust, Michael snickered as well.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry commanded.

Michael made an 'ooo' noise. He had changed. "Shut up, Michael," Ned said coldly. He scowled at her, but before he could retort, Malfoy spoke.

"No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," he hopped on his broom and soared around the group, then through them. "How 'bout up on the roof?" He soared off and hovered in the sky. "What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?"

Harry grabbed his broom and ran to get on it. Hermione stopped him.

"Don't be stupid, Harry," Louise warned.

"Let him do what he wants," Michael said. "If he's stupid enough..."

Hermione cut in. "Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly." Harry flew off. "What an idiot."

"Well done, Granger. Potter is an idiot. At least one Gryffindor has brains," he commented, and all of the Slytherins laughed.

That hurt Louise more than she could admit. He knew that she wasn't very intelligent, and that she was very sensitive about it, but he still chose to insult her intelligence.

"Oh do shut up," Ned said. "Nobody wants to hear your silly comments, Michael. Except for Slytherins. Wait, hold on, let me rephrase that, no intelligent person wants to hear them."

Michael was interrupted once again, just before he was about to add words to his scowl.

"Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry warned.

"Is that so?" Malfoy asked rhetorically. Harry made a dash for him, but Draco twirls around his room."Have it your way, then!" He threw the ball away.
Harry zoomed after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as he was about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working, he caught it, and then headed back to the group. The students all cheered and ran to see him.

"Good job, Harry!" one of the boys said.

"Oh, that was wicked, Harry!" another one added.

"Well done, Harry."

"Harry Potter? Follow me." Harry sullenly followed her. Draco and his goons laughed.

"Potter's going to get expelled," Malfoy said.

Michael laughed. "I suppose no Potter can last too long," Michael added.

The Slytherins laughed while everyone else looked at him in disgust. It wasn't even that funny. Only someone with an extremely twisted sense of humour would find it so.

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked from beside Louise.

Michael shrugged. "Because he wanted to," Malfoy answered for him.

Michael was a bully now. He seemed to have lost all morals he once had. He was mean to her sometimes at Holden Manor, but now he was just plain out horrible.

She wouldn't let herself be bullied by him. By her own brother. She knew him. She knew his good sides and his bad. Just when Ron was about to pounce on him, Hermione, Ned and Louise pulled him back.

"He's not worth it," Ned whispered.

They moved away from them. "Too scared for a fight, Holden?" she heard Malfoy's cold voice asked.

Louise ignored him, partially because she didn't know how to retort and partially because she wanted to get away from Michael.

"You're just excusing his behaviour because he's your brother," Ron accused, scowling at her. "He insulted Harry's parents!"

"I don't excuse his behaviour one bit!" Louise said. "But I don't want him to be beaten up. He is my brother after all."

"But-"

"No," Louise said firmly. "If you're my friend, you won't."

"But he got Harry expelled! Well, Malfoy did, but still!"

Louise sighed. "We don't know if Harry's being expelled. If he is, then, by all means, pummel Malfoy's face in."

"And I'll join you," Ned interjected.

"Fine," Ron gave up. "Let's just hope Harry isn't expelled."

#2#
And he wasn't. Harry was the new Gryffindor seeker. They were in study when Hermione shut her book and walked up to Harry, Louise following her.

"Oh, go on, Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too!" Ron was saying to Harry.

"But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself," Hermione piped. "It's in your blood."

Hermione led them to a trophy case. She pointed to a plaque of Quidditch played. One of them listed Harry's father as a seeker.

"Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too," Ron said.

"Yeah, looks like it runs in the family," Louise smiled. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I-I didn't know," Harry said.

#3#

"I'm telling you, it's spooky," Louise heard Ron say. "She knows more about you than you do."

"Who doesn't?" Harry asked rhetorically.

The staircase shuddered and began to move. They all immediately grabbed the railings. Ron let out a squeal. Hermione gasped. Louise was worrying now. If Hermione didn't know what to do...

"What's happening?" Harry questioned, looking to Hermione.

"The staircases change, remember?"

The staircase stopped, in a different place. Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder. "Let's go this way."
"Before the staircase moves again," they all rushed to the door, then they opened it and walked into a spooky, dark room.
"Does anyone feel like...we shouldn't be here?"

Louise scoffed. "Of course we shouldn't be here," she said. "It's the third floor. Remember Dumbledore's speech?"

"You sound like your brother," Ron commented from behind her.

Louise scoffed once again, ready to bite his head off, but before she could, a flame lit on a tall stone support. At that moment, they heard something. Something was stirring.

"Let's go," Harry offered.

"Good idea," Louise said.

"It's Filch's cat!" Ron exclaimed.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was an ugly thing. Even more so than Salem, Ned's cat.

"Run!" Harry shouted.

They all ran. Flames lit as they went. They reached the end of the corridor, to a door. Harry shook the handle, but it was locked.

"It's locked!" Harry told them.

"That's it, we're done for!" Ron exclaimed, rather dramatically.

"Oh, move over!" Hermione pushed through them and took out a wand. "Alohomora." the door opened. "Get in." They bustled in.

"Brilliant," Louise whispered into Hermione's ear, making her smile.

"Alohomora?" Ron asked.

"Standard book of spells, Chapter Seven," she informed him.

Filch appeared at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looked at him.

"Anyone here, my sweet?" Mrs. Norris meowed. "Come on."

Louise gave a sigh of relief.

"Filch is gone," Hermione told them.

"Probably thinks this door's locked," Ron said. Obviously, Louise thought.

"It was locked," Hermione replied.

"And for good reason," Harry said. They turned to Harry, eyeing the massively huge, three-headed dog sleeping infront of them. The dog began to wake. It growled, yawned... and growled some more, noticing the intruders.

They all screamed, running out of the door. They turned quickly to shut the door, battling against the dog to keep it shut. They got it shut and then ran away from the door as fast as they could.

They got back to the common room, breathless.

"What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school," Ron said.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione questioned.

Louise didn't notice anything, only the dog that had three heads.

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!" they climbed the stairs to the dorms.
"It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something," Hermione told them.

"Guarding something?" Harry asked.

"That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed...or worse, expelled!" Hermione said, and with that, she stormed up to her dorms.

"She needs to sort out her priorities!" Ron said.

Harry nodded and Louise shrugged. "Good night," she said to the two of them. "And try not to get your head bitten off by a three headed monster of a dog while you sleep."

They laughed as she entered the room. Hermione was getting ready for bed and Louise took off her clothes and put on her pyjamas. Parvati, Lavender, Ned and Fay were already asleep. Louise and Hermione didn't want to wake them. When they were ready, they slipped into bed, Hermione reading one of their textbooks which she had probably already read.

"You shouldn't be so harsh on them," Louise said to Hermione. "They're alright."

"I know that," she replied. "But they can be a bit... stupid."

"Well of course they are!" Louise giggled. "They're boys!"

#3#

Louise's favourite class was Charms. She found it the easiest. She disliked Potions, mainly because of the teacher. The Charms teacher was a kind, small man, who stood on a pile of books so he could see the class. Louise sat beside Hermione, with Ned on the other side.

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers?" Hermione rose hers, "Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone." They all repeated it. "The swish and flick. Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then."

"Wingardium Levio-saaa," said Malfoy.

They all practiced it. Louise found the Charm difficult, despite many attempts.

"Wingardrium Leviosar," she heard Ron go.

"Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, youre saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar," said Hermione bossily.

"You do it then if you're so clever. Go on, go on," Ron snapped, obviously angry at his "brilliance" being underestimated.

Hermione straightened up and swished her wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione chanted crisply. The feather glowed and lifted up. Ron put his head on his books dejectedly.

Everyone stared in amazement at Hermione's feather, everyone except for Ron and the Slytherins.

"Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.

Seamus began swishing at his feather.

"Wingard Levosa. Wingard Levosa," he chanted.

"Well done, dear," Flitwick congradulated Hermione.

There was a loud bang. Seamus' feather had exploded. It seemed to Louise that everything Seamus tried to enchant, it blew up. That or he just had a talent for blowing up objects, thankfully, he hadn't blown up a human. Yet.

Flitwick gasped.

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor," Harry said politely.

Soon enough, the class was finished. Their homework was to perfect the charm, which Louise had done, only mere seconds before the bell rang. They walked through the courtyard, Hermione ranting on about their studies. Ned was with the boys (Harry, Ron, Seamus and Neville). Ned always did get along with boys better than girls.

"It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!" they heard Ron say.

Louise clenched her fists. Hermione bustled through them, sniffling.

"I think she heard you," Harry replied.

She ran past them, trying to catch up with Hermione.

She followed her into the bathroom, yelling "Hermione" repeatedly.

Hermione locked herself into one of the bathroom stalls. Louise could hear her weeping from outside.

"Hermione?" Louise said. "Let me in. Please."

"N-No," she replied, sobbing. "I-I'm f-fine. H-Honestly."

"No you're not, 'Mione," Louise said. "Come on. Open up" - she knocked on the door - "You can't hide in there forever."

Eventually, she opened up the door and Louise slipped in. Hermione sat on the toilet seat. There were tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were red.

"Don't let him get to you," Louise said. "Ronald Weasley is an idiot. You, however, are the brightest witch of your age. Yeah, you're a little bossy, but it comes in handy sometimes. And I am your friend. So is Ned-"

"Ned's their friend," Hermione cut in.

"Yeah, but she's yours too," Louise continued. "Ned likes you. You're the only person she can talk nerdy too."

Hermione giggled. "But why do you like me?"

"Because I know the real you," Louise said. "The kind, sweet, generous funny you. Everyone else can only see the little bossy boots who has her nose stuck in a book most of the time," Louise smiled. "But that's not all of you. And I know that."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Louise, and Louise returned the hug.

"You should get back to class," Hermione said. "I'll be okay."

"You're coming with me," Louise demanded.

"Tell them I'm sick or something," Hermione replied. "Please, Louise. Just this once."

Louise sighed. "Alright. Come to the feast, though. Promise?"

"Maybe," Hermione said.

Louise sighed again and left the bathroom.

She made sure to glare at Ron every chance she got. And she was delighted that he saw her.

#3#

Louise was a little disappointed that Hermione didn't show up that night. She decided to go to the bathroom after the feast. For now, she was enjoying the delicious candy and the sight of Ned stuffing everything sweet into her mouth.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon...crying," Neville told them.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Suddenly, Professor Quirell ran into the room, screaming.

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!" he stopped running. The Great Hall is utterly silent."Thought you ought to know." And with that, he fell over in a dead faint.

The room was silent, but soon enough, everyone was screaming and running about.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled, and everyone stopped. "Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

"Stay together!" yelled Percy Weasley.

Louise saw Snape disappear through a door.

Percy led them all to their dormitories. "Gryffindors...keep up please. And stay alert!" he shouted.

She was walking beside Ned when Harry and Ron came up to the both of them and said, "Come on, we have to find Hermione."

The four of them ran off, unnoticed by the group. They started running down a hall. Louise heard a grunting noise. Harry pulled them into a doorway and a large, ugly troll thunked by into a room.

"He's going into the Girl's Bathroom!" Harry announced.

"Hermione's in there!" Louise exclaimed. "If only Ronald hadn't insulted Hermione, then we wouldn't have to go and get her!"

"There's no point in arguing," Ned said. "Come on," she jogged off to the bathroom, followed by the other three.

Louise heard Hermione scream. They burst into the bathroom.

"Hermione, move!" Harry yelled.

The troll smashed the remaining stalls.

"Help! Help!" Hermione pleaded and they started throwing wooden pieces at the troll.

"Hey, pea brain!" Ron shouted. Ron threw wood and hitted the troll on the head. Hermione escaped from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll saw her and goes to smash her. It cracked the sink and barely missed Hermione. Harry and Louise cringed.

"Ahhh! Help!" Hermione said.

Harry got out his want. He ran forward and grabbed the troll's club, and was lifted up.

"Whooa! Whoa, whoa!" Harry exclaimed. He landed on the troll's head and was hurled forward, then back, and his wand went up the troll's nose.

"Ew," said Ron.

"Be careful Harry!" Louise yelled, and threw another piece of wood at the troll.

The troll snorted and whipped around. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed again.

The troll got Harry off its head and was holding him by one leg, upside down. It geared up its club and swiped at Harry. He pulled himself up, the down. The troll swiped once again.

"Do something!" Harry begged and the troll swiped at him again.

"What?" Ron asked, another swipe.

"Anything! Hurry up!" Harry pleaded.

Ron grabbed his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waved her hand.

"Swish and flick!" she guided.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he flicked his wand. The club was lifted out of the troll's grasp and hovered above his head. The troll looked up, confused, just as the club came crashing back down. "Cool," said Ron. It hit the troll on the head and he wavered, then dropped Harry, who crawled away. The troll crashed down on the ground.

Hermione approached carefully.

"Is it...dead?" she asked.

Louise shrugged. "Don't think so. I think it's just knocked out," Ned answered.

Harry grabbed his wand, which was covered in snot. "Ew... troll boggies."

McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell came rushing in. They gasped.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, all of you!"

"Well, what it is..." Harry, Ned and Ron all started.

"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall," said Hermione. The teachers, and Ron, Ned, Harry and Louise all gaped.

"Ms. Granger?" said McGonagall, shocked.

"I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If they hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead," Hermione lied.

"Be that as it may...it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part, Ms. Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. As for you four, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points...will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck." Snape and McGonagall exitted.

"Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh," the five of them left for the common room.

The trip back to the common was in silence. Once they were in the common room, Harry said, "don't you have something to say to Hermione, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Oh, um, yeah, sorry for that," Ron said clumsily. Hermione smiled.

"It's alright," Hermione said.

"So that means... you're all... um... friends?" Ned questioned.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked to Louise. "Okay," Louise said, smiling as well.

And ever since that dangerous, possibly tragic near-death experience, they had all been the bestest of friends.