The Golden Quartet: Year 1

Chapter 6

“What do you think could be through that trap door?” Harry asked at breakfast the next morning.

Ron shrugged and stuffed his face with eggs, “Eh don oh, ‘arry. Ay-ee reh-er?”

Harry blinked in confusion and Astrid said, “He said, ‘I don’t know, Harry. Maybe treasure.’” Then Astrid shook her head, “No, but I don’t think so. I think it would have to be something way more valuable than treasure to be hidden here and guarded by that dog.”

“What’s more valuable than treasure?” Ron asked after he swallowed.

Astrid shrugged and smirked, “That’s what we should figure out.”

Harry smiled lightly and though Ron did enjoy the previous night’s adventure he shook his head and said, “Oh, there’s no way I’m going back to the third floor. Shield Charm or not, that dog-thing will eat us up! But, there is one good thing that came out of almost getting devoured.”

“What’s that?” Harry asked

“Hermione’s refusal to talk to us.” They all grinned.

Since last night, Hermione was very furious with them all. When they had run into her in the Gryffindor common room, and tried to talk about last night, she simply turned away with her nose in the air and left.

Owls swooped into the Great Hall and Astrid immediately recognized Xander from the rest. He landed in front of her with a letter in his beak, but before Astrid could open it, her attention was grabbed by a large, thin parcel that was dropped in front of Harry by six owls. But before Harry could tear it open one more owl flew over and dropped a letter for Harry.

He quickly grabbed it and tore it open and Astrid watched as his green eyes moved across the paper quickly.

He looked at Astrid and Ron and whispered, “It’s a Nimbus Two-Thousand. McGonagall got it for me! She say’s not to open it here.” Harry looked positively gleeful as he stared at the parcel.

They all left the hall quickly to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but as they made their way out of the entrance hall, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle blocked their path. Malfoy quickly grabbed the package and weighed it in his hands.

“That’s a broomstick,” he said and then threw it back to Harry. A mixture of jealousy and spite was written on his face. “You’ll be in a lot of trouble this time, Potter. First years aren’t allowed brooms.”

“Ah, well, here comes Professor Flitwick, why don’t you tell him all about it?” Astrid nodded her head as Flitwick came over to them.

“Not arguing, I hope?” Professor Flitwick said, surveying them all.

“Potter’s got himself a broomstick, Professor.” Malfoy immediately said.

“Ah yes, yes, that’s right. “ Professor Flitwick turned to Harry beaming. “Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. What model is it?”

“A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir.” Harry was holding back his laughter caused by the look of horror on Malfoy’s face and Astrid and Ron smirked. “And it’s really thanks to Malfoy here, that I got it.” Harry added.

They all began to laugh at Malfoy’s confused and enraged face as they left to go up the stairs. “It’s true though, if it wasn’t for Malfoy stealing Neville’s Remembrall I wouldn’t be on the team.”

“Yeah, thank Merlin’s Beard he’s an arse.” Astrid stated.

“Oh, so I suppose that’s an excuse for breaking the rules?” Astrid cringed at Hermione’s angry voice. She stomped up the stairs looking at Harry’s package with a disapproving look.

“I thought you weren’t speaking to us.” Harry said.

“Yeah, don’t stop now, its doing us so much good.” Ron remarked.

“I promise, if you don’t stop talking to us we’ll be forced to break more rules just to get back on your bad side and you wouldn’t want us to break more rules, now would you?” Astrid stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched as Hermione walked away with her nose in the air.

~~~

“Harry…” Astrid said as she watched Harry scarfing down his dinner at a speed that could just not be safe.

“I’m done.” Harry bolted up.

“Whaa..?” Ron was mid-chew. He was only on his second serving and looked very disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to finish it or eat his third serving if he wanted to go with Harry to see the Nimbus 2000.

“You guys go on a head. I haven’t really had a chance to embarrass my sister since we’ve been here.” Astrid grinned and threw her arms around her sister’s neck who was sitting beside her.

Athena suddenly looked worried as Fred, George, and Lee Jordan smiled curiously.

Harry and Ron left and Fred leaned forward, “Oh, Astrid, do tell.”

Astrid laughed lightly, “Alright, well, my sister is flexible, so she wanted to show off this one move to our old Muggle friends-“

“Don’t you dare!” Athena screeched once she realized what story Astrid was telling.

Astrid smiled sinisterly, “the move required my sister to put her legs over her head and right when she did-“

“Don’t!”

“She farted.”

Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and Astrid began laughing at Athena’s expense who’s face was beet red. “You’re the worst sister ever!” She shot up from her seat and stormed off.

“I love you too!” Astrid yelled after her.

“Got any more stories?” George asked.

Astrid grinned, “Loads.”

~~~

“Oh come on, Athena, it’s practically been two months! When are you going to stop being mad at me?” Astrid asked as she followed her sister to Great Hall for breakfast.

“You told Fred the most embarrassing things about me!” She said harshly as she glared at Astrid.

“But it was last month!” Astrid groaned.

“Well they still pick fun about the stuff you told them!” She stopped before they entered the Great Hall. Her hands were on her hips, just like her mother would do when angry, and her eyes were narrowed at Astrid.

Then something dawned on Astrid, “Wait, why did you just say Fred?”

“What?” Athena asked clearly confused.

“Just now, you said that I told Fred the most embarrassing things about you. Why didn’t you say, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan?” Astrid was smirking now as Athena’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “You’re only embarrassed that I told Fred! You like Fr-“

Athena suddenly whipped out her wand and was pointing it between her eyes, “If you don’t keep this a secret, I’ll wipe your memory! You know I’ve always been good at charms and especially this one!”

Astrid rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone-“

“Just like you said you wouldn’t tell anyone about all that embarrassing stuff?!”

“Well, that’s ‘cause you didn’t make me promise not to tell. You know when I make an actual promise, I keep it. So, I promise to not tell anyone that you’re madly in love with Fred.”

“I’m not in love with him. Though, I must be mad to even like him.” Athena mumbled as she put away her wand. “And what about you and Harry?” Athena smirked.

Astrid’s face scrunched up in disdain, “What?! He’s my best friend! I’ll never like him in that way!”

“Sure."

~~~

“… And Hermione Granger with Ron Weasley.” Professor Flitwick finished putting everyone into pairs for the class assignment in Charms.

Harry and Astrid looked over at them, “Who do you think is angrier; Ron or Hermione?” Astrid asked as they watched Ron trudge over to sit next to a very sour looking Hermione.

“It’s hard to say.” Harry stated.

“Now remember, swish and flick and be sure to pronunciation correctly.” Said the professor.

Harry and Astrid watched as Ron waved his arm around while saying this spell but the feather did not move.

“No, no, no, stop, you’re going to poke someone’s eye out!” Hermione said harshly. “And besides, you’re saying it wrong. It’s Levi-o-sa, you’ve got to make the ‘o’ nice and long.”

Ron glared at her, “Well you do it then if you’re so clever.”

“Fine.” Hermione whipped her hair behind her flicked her wands and said, “Wingardium Leviosa!” The feather rose off of the table and hovered over their heads.

“Well, done! Everyone look, Miss Granger’s done it!” Professor Flitwick was clapping. Hermione’s face became very smug as Ron’s contorted into a look of pure loathing.

~~~

“It’s no wonder no one can stand her,” Ron said to Harry and Astrid as they walked through the corridor to get to the Great Hall where they would they would be having a great feast in celebration of Halloween. “She’s a complete nightmare, honestly!”

Someone shoved in between Harry and Astrid and practically ran off. It was Hermione.

“I think she heard you.” Harry said.

“So?” Ron said though he looked a bit uncomfortable. “She must’ve noticed she’s got no friends.”

“No friends…” Astrid mumbled. She never really took too much notice to Hermione (besides when Hermione was being a pain in her arse) to see that she had absolutely no friends. A sickening pang of guilt settled deep within Astrid’s stomach, “Aw, curse it! I’ll see you guys at the feast!” Astrid shoved past people to run after Hermione.

~~~

Astrid just caught the sight of Hermione’s bushy hair whipping into a girl’s bathroom before watching the door slam shut. Astrid took a deep breath as she stared at the door.

After a moment she pushed it open and took a step in.

She heard a sniffle then Hermione shout, “Go away!”

Astrid closed the door behind her, “No.”

Hermione’s sobs ceased just long enough to say, “Astrid? W-what do you want? C-can’t you just leave me alone!”

Astrid walked over to the stall Hermione was in and said through its door, “I’ll leave if you come with me. The Halloween feast has probably started already.”

“I don’t care about food!”

Astrid blinked, completely dumbfounded by what Hermione just said, “Don’t… don’t care about food? What is wrong with you! Food is the best thing in the world!”

“Well I don’t care whether you love food or not-“

“And that’s your problem!”

“That I don’t love food like you do?”

Astrid rolled her eyes, “No! That you don’t care! You don’t care about anyone but yourself! You’ll just do or say anything to make yourself look better for the professors.”

“I want to win-“

“Did you just hear yourself? ‘I want to win.’”

“So you don’t want to win Housecup?”

“Of course I do! But I don’t go around being a pretentious know-it-all to get points!”

“But you haven’t even gotten us any points.”

“Well, see, there you go being a know-it-all again.”

Hermione let out a sigh and her crying had seemed to have officially ceased. “I don’t mean to be-“

“Really?”

After a short pause Hermione said, “Alright, maybe sometimes I do mean to be, but I can’t help it. I’ve never known about the wizarding world because I’m Muggleborn and everything is just so interesting and I just-“

“Want to be the best?”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“It is if it makes people not want to be your friend.”

Astrid heard the door open, “Hey, sorry, but would you mind leaving, we’re having a heart-to-heart…” Astrid’s eyes widened.

The thing standing before her seemed to be twelve feet tall with gray, lumpy skin with a small bald head and large ears. Its legs were like tree trunks and had flat horny feet.

Astrid made the mistake of taking a wiff.

She wanted to immediately vomit. It smelled like sewage and old socks.

“Who is it?” Hermione asked.

“A troll.” Astrid began to slowly reach for her wand inside her robe. Her eyes fell on the great big club in it held in its large hands.

Hermione opened the door, “A what-“ Hermione let out a deafening scream which did not please the troll at all. It quickly raised its club.

“GET DOWN!” Astrid practically tackled Hermione back into the stall as the troll swiped it into the stalls. They shattered into large pieces of debris, covering Hermione and Astrid.

“Astrid, Hermione, move!”Astrid saw Ron and Harry standing by the door, picking up chunks of wood and throwing it at the troll.

“Go, Hermione, go!” Astrid pulled Hermione out from under the debris and watched as she crawled under the stalls over to hide under the sinks.

“Oy, pea-brain!” Ron yelled and threw a piece of wood at its head.

Astrid tried to pull herself out, but her right hand was pinned under her and all the debris was much too heavy to move off of her with only one hand.

“Hermione!” Harry yelled as the troll brought down its club down on the sinks. She let out another scream and shoved herself into the corner.

The troll swung his club back and Harry grabbed onto it. Harry flew up with the club and then landed on the trolls shoulders. The troll looked confused at the feeling of Harry around his neck and began to shake around, causing Harry to accidently shove his wand up the trolls nose.

The troll reached up and grabbed Harry by his leg and pulled Harry off of him. He held Harry in mid-air at arms length and with his other arm swung his club to try and hit Harry.

Harry pulled himself in the nick of time, “Do something!” he yelled to Ron.

“What?” Ron asked looking around, not knowing what to do.

“Anything!” yelled Harry.

“Swish and flick, Ron, swish and flick!” Astrid yelled annoyed at Ron’s slow reaction.

Ron quickly pulled out his wand and said with a long 'o', “Wingardium Leviosa!”

The club slipped out of the trolls grasp and hung over his head for a moment before it fell onto the troll’s head. The troll dropped Harry, wavered and stumbled before finally collapsing on the ground, completely knocked out.

Hermione crawled out from under the sink and got up.

“Hey, you know, if you’re not too busy now, would you mind helping me up?” Astrid asked.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione quickly hurried and began to dig Astrid out from under all the debris and helped her up. Astrid dusted herself off and looked over at the troll.

“That was great, Ron.” Hermione said with a smile.

Ron’s ears went slightly pink, “Yeah, thanks.”

Astrid smiled, “So, we’re all getting along now?”

Harry walked over and pulled out his wand from the trolls nose, which was now covered in troll snot. Harry’s face churned in disgust, “Urgh, troll boogers.” Harry wiped it on the troll’s pants.

Bursting into the room came Professor McGonagall, followed by Snape and Quirrell. At the sight of the troll, Quirrell looked as if he was going to faint.

“It’s been knocked out.” Snape said after quickly inspecting the unconscious troll.

“What on earth were you thinking?” McGonagall said with fury. She looked positively livid and her lips were white. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed! Why aren’t you with the other students?!”

“Oh, well, uh, what happened was-“ Ron began but was cut off by a soft voice.

“It’s my fault, professors.” Hermione said.

“You, Miss Granger?” McGonagall said in disbelief.

She nodded slightly, “I went looking for the troll. I thought I could handle it on my own because I’ve read so much about them.” Ron dropped his wand and Astrid rose her eyebrows in shock,

Hermione, telling a lie to the professors?

“If they hadn’t found me,” Hermione continued, “I’d be dead.”

Harry, Ron, and Astrid exchanged looks.

“Well, in that case,” McGonagall looked over all their faces, “Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor. I’m very disappointed in you.” She turned to Ron, Harry, and Astrid. “And as for you three… not many students could take down a fully grown mountain troll and will each be rewarded five points.” Their faces brightened, “For sheer dumb luck.” Their smiles faded. “You may go.”
They all raced out of the lavatory and up the stairs. They stopped and all tried to calm their breathing before entering the common room.

“Thank you… for saving me.” Hermione said looking at all three of them.

Astrid shrugged and her cocky smile spread across her face, “No problemo, but don’t get used to this whole damsel in distress thing.”

She smiled, “And well, I’m also sorry… about how I was acting.”

“It’s okay,” Harry said.

But then Ron quickly added, “As long as you don’t do it again.”