Of Bathrooms, Trolls And Midnight Quidditch

In the following two months I reread Bridge to Terabithia three times, each time overwhelmed by the ending of the tenth chapter. Crying when Jess yells at his family, insisting that Leslie was still very much alive. "It's a lie. Leslie ain't dead." he'd say and I'd cry. I also don't understand why this would be my favourite book. Read so many times the pages were almost falling apart.
I seem to have read the last chapters more than any others... why would I have been so fascinated with it? Did my old me find joy in other peoples pain? Many of the songs I used to listen to had the same motive of pain, longing and heartbreak. But many of them were happy, something one could dance to. And the book is brilliant in its own way. A children's book that decides to kill one of the main characters at the end.
I meet Cedric every Saturday at 4pm. He's really worth playing dumb, to have him take my hand and show me how the wand movements are done correctly. He is by far the most handsome person I have ever come to know. He is tall, smells like literal heaven. I can get lost in his perfect grey eyes for hours while he goes on and on about some charm with his smooth, deep voice.
On Halloween morning Im awoken by Nia who throws my robes into my face "Wilderwald get up." She commands.
I let out a long yawn as I slowly open my eyes to be startled by her staring at me "Nia, even Pansy is still sleeping" I mumble pointing at her.
"I don't care what Parkinson is doing. Cant you smell it?"
"Hm?" I ask but take a deep breath through my nose "Oh."
The delicious smell of breakfast had made it all the way from the great hall down to the dungeons.
"Now, come on. I dont want to miss out on anything just because you cant ever get up on time."
"Hey! Not my fault McGonagall gives us so much homework."
"We don't have Transfigurations until Monday. Could do your homework at normal times."
I roll my eyes but get up. I stretch my tired arms and tie my messy bed-hair into a somewhat decent knot.
"Lorinda is on the toilet. Shell hopefully be out in a second." Nia answers the question I was just about to ask.
I yawn again, put on a black sweater, my robes and some shoes. As soon as Lorinda comes out of the bathroom Nia struts away to the door. Lorinda seems just as tired as me.
"You'd think we were starving her." I whisper to Lorinda who laughs in response.
We meet Aidan and Elijah in the common room and go on to climb the stairs up from the dungeon.
The breakfast is a disappointing mix of pumpkin, pumpkin and more pumpkin so I just drink some tea and mentally prepare for defence against the dark arts class.
After my first class I am more happy to escape the room and bring as much distance between Quirrell and me, who today gave me even more vicious looks than ever before.
I spot Harry and Ron walking down the corridors, with Ron looking rather upset. I smile at Hermione whose face appears behind the boys. She's in tears as she bumps into Harry hurrying past him.
"Hey!" I say as she runs past me. "Hermione?" I give Harry a confused look and spot some guilt in his face.
"Hermione, wait." I yell, now running after her. I follow her through the hallways, up the stairs and finally into the girls bathroom.
"Hermione, what happened?" I ask her knocking softly against the door of the stall she locked herself into.
"Everybody hates me." She cries.
"Not true!" I insist.
"Oh yeah? Thats what Ron just said."
"Ron's an idiot."
More crying "Hes right. I am a nightmare!"
"Bullshit! You're awesome."
Sobbing.
"Come on Hermione, ignore those boys. They're stupid."
"If they"re so stupid, why are you friends with them?" her tone is judgemental.
"I'm friends with Harry, he's nice enough. Besides, Ron is just insecure."
"Maybe, but he's still right."
"What did he say anyways?"
"That it's no wonder nobody can stand me." Imitating Rons voice "She's a nightmare, honestly." She cries again.
"See, he's wrong. I can stand you."
She cries. All right, not good enough.
"Hermione, I'm begging you just come out of there. We can ditch and hang out in the library or something." I'm beginning to feel very uncomfortable in this specific bathroom, the feeling of danger shivering in my spine.
"No." says Hermione quietly "Just leave me alone for a while. I need some time."
"Hermione come on I dont want you to be alone. It was a stupid thing he said."
"But he has a point!"
"We can keep running in circles. He doesn't have a point."
"All the Gryffindors hate me. You should see how they look at me. I dont want to go back out there and have them hate me some more."
"I bet they'd apologize."
"Of course they would. They still wouldn't like me."
I sigh as I look at the time "Hermione, please. Class is about to start. Just come out."
"No. Go to class. I'm fine."
I roll my eyes. It's not like I'd miss out on anything, considering my next class is history of magic but I don't want to ruin my perfect attendance.
"Hermione..." I say quietly.
"Just go! I'm fine."
"Fine. I'll give you some time but I'll come back later."
"Fine." She whispers.
Therefore, I go, suffer through History of Magic and go to lunch. I peek over to the Gryffindor table to see an empty spot where Hermione usually is seated. I catch Harrys eye. He looks very apologetic but I just glare at him.
"You'd think class with a ghost would be the most interesting thing ever." Complains Aidan.
"I have to reread the chapters after every class because I keep zoning out." adds Lorinda.
"Quirrell's just as bad. Defence against the dark arts is supposed to be one of the most interesting subjects but this man is scared of his own shadow." Laughs Nia.
"Not to mention the smell." Mumbles Elijah, talking about the strong stank of garlic surrounding Quirrell at all times.
"You're weirdly quiet." Says Aidan, nudging me with his elbow.
"Sorry, I have to talk to someone." I say as I get up.
I march over to the Gryffindor table and sit down next to Harry and Ron "I hope you feel bad. Honestly, why do you have to be so mean towards her all the time?"
"She's annoying." Complains Ron but the look on his face is a little awkward.
I flash him a mad look but talk to Harry "Honestly, Harry. I'd expect better from you."
He looks guilty "I know, but come on you have to admit shes a little..."
"I don't care. You two better apologize when you see her." I look Ron in the eyes and say "And you better mean it."
"Hey!" shouts Percy the Prefect at me "No Slytherins at the Gryffindor table!"
"I was just leaving." I get up and walk back to the table. Halfway there some stupid Gryffindor third year trips me and laughs as I almost fall.
Herbology class flies by quickly with Professor Sprout going on and on about the different kinds of hazardous plants while Aidan and I tried our hardest to fight of a Fanged Geranium that tries its very hardest to bite us in the arms.
"That beast!" hisses Aidan after the class rubbing the swelling spot on his arm.
"Honestly! I was a second from just burning that stupid plant down."
"Well, at least you werent bitten:" he whimpers as he shows me his arm, the spot now bubbling.
"Ew better pay Madam Pomfrey a visit."
"Oh you'll be fine." Mumbles Elijah with little to no empathy. He grabs Aidans arm "That's a tiny bite, and it's not even that bad. Just invest into a dragonhide jacket like smart people do."
Aidan flashes him a very salty look.
"You'll love the next lesson." Laughs Elijah "Toxic plants. Don't forget the gloves. He winks at us."
"I hate Herbology." Says Aidan, rubbing his arm.
"Oh don't be so whiny. At least it's interesting." I scold him.
After charms class I finally run back to the girls bathroom "Hermione?" I ask knocking against the stall door "Are you still in there?"
She sniffs "Yes."
"Can you please just come out already?"
"No."
I sigh and sit down, leaning my back against the door "You're being dramatic, you know?"
"Even more reason to hate me I guess."
"Ugh, stop being stupid. Here, I brought you a book." I slide the Anthropological-based Journal of Ancient Discoveries Volume XIV under the door.
"Thanks." she sniffs. I can hear her ruffling through the pages. Her breath calms down a little as she begins reading. I myself pull out the course book One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and begin doing my homework, while also skimming through the next lessons chapters.
We sit in silence for a few hours, a few girls pass in and out, looking at me weirdly. A Hufflepuff girl accidentally kicks my bag through the bathroom and leaves the room with her giggling friend.
Shortly before supper two Gryffindor girls, Lavender and Parvati Patil, come into the bathroom.
"Why are you sitting on the floor?"Lavender asks me.
"Doing homework." I say coldly.
"Why here?"
"I'm here with a friend."
"Who?" she asks me and knocks at Hermione's stall door "Who's in there?"
"What do you care?" I ask her.
"It's Hermione Granger, I bet." Says Parvati. "She's been missing the entire day."
Hermione sighs in her stall "Can you just go away?"
"We just needed to use the bathroom." Laughs Lavender.
They both walk into the stalls.
"Is she okay?" Lavender asks quietly, after washing her hands.
I shrug "Kinda."
"Come on now, Lavender! I don't want to miss supper." Yells the other girl as she opens the door.
"Already coming." Says Lavender. She smiles at me before she leaves.
"Hermione. Don't you want to eat?" I ask, knocking against the door.
"No. But you can go."
"Nah, I'm okay." Everything is infested with pumpkin spice, anyways. But I still want to leave the bathroom as the feeling of danger grows stronger and stronger with every second. I close my eyes and try to see, what exactly my brain is trying to tell me.
I can see a huge shadow on a wall. The figure the shadow belongs to lets out a loud, deep growl as it makes its way up from the dungeons.
I open my eyes and the vision disappears but I can still hear the growling.
"What was that?" asks Hermione.
"You heard that?" I ask, panic now filling my voice.
Hermione opens the stall door and I jump up, and out of her way. Her eyes are red and swollen and so is her nose. She looks past me and her eyes fill with fear "Troll." She whispers.
"I don't have to turn around to know what she means. I can see the troll very clearly in my head.
I push Hermione back into the stall and close the door behind us. We both pull our wands out of our pockets.
I can hear a loud crash and immediately pull Hermione down to the floor as the stall walls are ripped away by the troll.
We both scream as we crawl to the other side of the bathroom. The troll swinging its club after us.
"We are dead!" Cries Hermione.
Oh hell no. I get up and point my wand at the troll but before I can come up with a spell, the club hits me right into the stomach. All the air leaves my body with a loud humphf and for a second I hold on to the club. However, the swing eventually makes me lose hold and I fly back first against the wall.
As my head bangs against the wall, I lose my sight. For a second black and white lights flash in front of my eyes but I resist the urge to just pass out immediately when I hear Hermione scream again. Shes pressed against the wall under the sinks, which are being ripped out of the wall, having the water splash everywhere now.
"Oh no!" I whimper as I watch my homework and school books slowly being destroyed by the water. I shove them back into my bag and kick it to the exit.
The next second the door is ripped open and Harry and Ron stand in the entrance, staring at the troll with fear in their eyes.
"Confuse it!" I can hear Harry say to Ron. I can also hear the loud sound of Ron throwing something against a wall. But I'm too busy trying to find my wand, I lost hold of while flying through the air. Eventually I spot it in the clutter of broken sinks.
"Oy, pea-brain!" yells Ron and throws a metal pipe at the troll. It turns to look at the boys.
"Come on, run, run!" yells Harry at us. But neither of us move. Hermiones mouth is opened with terror, she is paralyzed with fear, and me? I'm just paralyzed. My attempts to get up are rewarded with the world spinning and pain flashing through head and spine. I reach for the back of my head, to feel my hair all sticky and warm.
A feeling of exhaustion overcomes me when I look at my, now bloody fingers. I close my eyes and just listen to the screaming and growling. A loud pain filled howl fills the room and I open my eyes to see Harry sitting on the trolls shoulders, having his wand pushed deep into the trolls nose. Yeah, that one definitely hurt.
I watch as Harry holds on to the trolls head, which is trying its very hardest to shake him off.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" cries Ron and the club the troll had just been swinging now flies high over its head, turns and falls down on him.
The troll trembles on the spot and then falls to the ground causing the ground beneath us to quake.
One second later, knowing we were out of danger, I pass out myself.
I wake up in a long room, with many beds in it, the hospital wing I assume. The attack can't have been long ago, because Harry, Hermione and Ron, standing on my left side all still looks very shaken up. On my right Aidan, Elijah, Lorinda and Nia all sit just staring at me with concern in their eyes.
"Thank god you're okay." Says Nia as soon as my eyes open.
"Well, okay isn't the word I'd use." I mumble in pain.
"Not dead, is what we mean." Says Lorinda.
"Yeah. You're definitely not okay." Adds Aidan "Snape and McGonagall are furious with you."
"Why? I ask, It wasn't my fault."
"I messed things up for you." Says Hermione quietly "I told the Professors you and I went looking for the troll."
"Why would you do that?" I ask.
"So that Harry and Ron wouldn't get in trouble." She whimpers at my angry tone.
"Why would they get in trouble? They helped us!"
"Well I didn't want them to know why we really were in the bathroom."
"And that's the first thing you came up with?"
Tried my hardest to be there for her and she got me in trouble. Can't believe it.
"I'm sorry." She mumbles.
I just sigh. "Is my wand okay?" I ask my Slytherin friends "It was in the bathroom."
They shake their heads "No idea. I don't think anyone really cared at that moment." Explains Aidan.
Perfect. I roll my eyes.
Steps hurry down the room and Snape appears at the end of my bed looking angry.
"Out." He says to my visitors and they all shuffle out of the room.
"You lost Slytherin ten points for your stupidity!" He says to me.
"Ten points? For what?" I ask confused.
"Five for going after the troll, five for skipping supper and hanging out in the bathroom all day to harass students."
"Harass students?"
"Yes. A few Students reported you hanging around there."
I laugh "This is ridiculous."
"Watch your tone." He snarls at me.
"No. I wasn't harassing anyone there. I was justdoing my homework."
"The bathroom is no place to do your homework, Miss Wilderwald."
I bite my tongue resisting telling him the truth. Wouldn't want to get the others in trouble for lying.
I swallow down a few tears "Did you find my things in the bathroom? My wand and bag, I mean."
"I'll go get them." He says a little calmer. "You are freed from Astronomy tonight. But I expect to see you in potions class tomorrow, bright and early."
Once he leaves, my body fills with anger. How many times did I beg Hermione to come out of the bathroom? Defended her, made sure she wasn't alone and how does she repay me? Lies about my intentions.
"Look who it is, George." Says a voice suddenly appearing in the room. The red headed twins enter with the biggest grin. "Thought you could take on a full grown troll." Fred laughs at me, and so does George "Knocked out cold. For two hours."
"Beware, the slayer of trolls."
"Oh shove off." I hiss at them but they just keep laughing.
"Thought you'd want this back." Says Fred and hands me my wand. Thank god its in perfectly fine condition.
"Snape just went looking for it." I say but take it thankfully.
"Well, he won't find it." Responds George.
"You don't say." I say coldly.
"Oh you're a little grumpy today." Fred says.
"I've had enough of Gryffindors for today, to be perfectly honest."
George shrugs and says "We'll leave you alone then."
But Fred sits down on a chair next to me "You go on. I'm going to have a word with the Slytherin."
I roll my eyes as George leaves the hospital wing "What do you want, Weasley."
He smiles "Tough day? I mean besides the troll almost killing you."
"Had better ones." I respond.
"I figured. I saw you fighting with my brother and Harry earlier."
"We weren't fighting."
"Is that why you hid in the bathroom all day?"
"I didn't. I went to all my classes. I was there for Hermione, because your brother was mean to her."
"Then why did you get in trouble?"
"Because Hermione lied." I whisper. "And I couldnt even defend myself because I was passed out."
"Sorry. But the good thing is, you are freed from Astronomy and it's especially cold today."
"Well that sure is a win." I say sarcastically.
He laughs "It is. Because that means you can sneak out with me tonight."
"Sneak out? Where?"
"Just... out. Thought you could need that."
"Well maybe. But I can't. Madam Pomfrey surely would notice if I was gone."
Laughing. "You tell her, youd rather sleep in your own bed and maybe in something not covered in blood. Put on something warm, and I mean warm, and then you meet me at the bottom of the astronomy tower."
"What are you planning?"
"Nothing. Look, we'll get you back at the end of astronomy class and you can just sneak back with the other Slytherins."
Steps approach the wing and Fred looks around "Alright gotta go. Meet you in exactly an hour."
He leaves just as Snape returns letting my bag fall down on the chair, Fred had just sat in. "I couldnt find a wand." He says coolly and turns around.
"Wait, Professor." I say.
"What else do you need?"
I open the bag and pull out the books and my carefully crafted homework. They're still soggy and most of the ink has disappeared "Is there a spell to fix this? It's finished homework for the entire next week and tomorrow. There's no way I can redo it all in time."
He sighs but takes out his wand. He lays all my books and homework out on the floor "Impervius." he says first and the water begins to flow out of the papers. He follows the spell up with a quick scourgify and a reparo and gives the things back to me.
"Thank you, Professor."
He doesnt respond and just leaves.
Madam Pomfrey does indeed allow me to go back to the dungeons. I take a quick shower, but on a warm shirt, Isaac's sweater and a coat, secure my wand in my pocket and sneak back out.
After successfully dodging about a hundred different people roaming the hallways I finally arrive in the astronomy tower where Fred is already waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
"You're late."
"Only a few minutes."
He grins "I know. Now, I heard youre pretty decent on a broom yourself?"
I nod. Nia and I are both excellent flyers.
"Perfect. Come on then." He leads me out all the way to Quidditch Pitch.
"What are we doing here?"
"Well, Wilderwald." He passes me a broom "If there's one thing that always helps me feel better, it's sports. So I am going to introduce you to Quidditch."
"I don't think that's allowed." I say.
"Neither is sneaking out after sundown but here we are." He opens a wooden trunk with four balls in it "You know what these are called?" He asks me.
I nod "These two are Bludgers and thats a Quaffle, right? And that's the snitch."
He nods "Exactly. Now usually there are seven players on each side, divided into three Chasers, one Keeper, two Beaters, on our team thats George and me, and a seeker, like Harry Potter. Got it so far?"
I nod "Three Chasers, one Keeper, two Beaters and a Seeker."
"Perfect. But now none of that matters because there's only two of us." He laughs "We play without a snitch, because thats really just a waste of time. We play with the Quaffle and-" He hands me a small club "to keep it interesting, one Bludger. The Bludger will try to knock us of our brooms; the Quaffle is the one you need to shot through one of the hoops on my side. And of course you have to try to keep the Quaffle out of your hoops."
"Makes sense." I nod.
"Perfect. You get the Quaffle first. The game begins as soon as the Bludger is free."
"Alright." I say. I put the small wooden club into my coats pocket and grab the Quaffle but before I can get on the broom Fred grabs my shoulder and moves my coat out of the way a little.
"Your mother's?" He asks curiously. pointing at the Hufflepuff house crest.
"It's my cousins." I respond and hop on the broom.
"Okay then." Fred takes another wooden club out of the trunk and mounts his own broom. Then we both fly off to the opposite sides of the field. If we caught I am so screwed.
I watch closely as Fred takes out his wand and casts a spell onto the trunk. In the next second one of the Bludgers shoots into the air. That my sign. I fly towards Fred as quickly as possible and so does the Bludger. He hits it away with his club which sends it after me. I pull my broom up and fly towards the sky as the bludger follows me closely I hit it away with the club and throw the Quaffle with my other hand. It flies past the hoop and Fred flies after it to catch it.
I speed back towards my own side and hit the Bludger away once more. Fred approaches with dangerous speed, throwing the Quaffle with all his power. It almost knocks me off my broom but catch it.
"Not bad!" He yells already flying away from me once again closely followed by the Bludger.
Our match lasts about an hour, I only scored one point through all of it, was hit by the Bludger thrice and almost fell off my broom at least a hundred times. But heres the thing, Fred scored zero points. Now, he avoided the Bludger perfectly and always shot it across the entire field and he blocked most of my attempts to score perfectly but, even though he threw the Quaffle with deadly precision, he didn't score once.
As we meet on the floor and he catches the Bludger and forces it back into the trunk he says through heavy panting "You're a terrible shot but you're one hell of a Keeper."
I smile "You think?"
He nods "Better than the current keepers on any of the house teams."
My smile grows wider but "I say You're just saying that to make me feel better about my incompetence."
"Considering you won even though I've been playing all my life, I really wouldn't say that. And I mean you would've lost by a hundred points if it would've come down to being a Chaser but as a Keeper you'd be one hell of a challenge."