White Heather for Protection

The Danger Begins

"T-troll in the d-dungeons!" Professor Quirrell shrieked before dropping in a dead faint.

Hadrian had convinced Heather to attend the Hallowe'en Feast instead of moping in her room. She really should have just skipped it like usual. A troll, really? Who was the idiot who brought a troll into Hogwarts? It certainly wasn't intelligent enough to break in by itself.

She automatically swivelled her head to look for her brother amongst the panicking mass of students. Oh Morgana! She prayed that those two Gryffindor redheads running out of the hall were some other impetuous students. She should be so lucky.

Running after Hadrian and Ronald, she thanked whatever higher power there was for the snake she had seen hiding in Rian's robe-sleeve. Inland taipans had the deadliest snake venom known to muggles. Inland taipans that were magically enhanced by familiar bonds? Well, Rian would be sufficiently protected.

Damn her short legs! Heather had lost sight of the two boys. Employing the Point Me spell, Heather resolved to add a tracking spell to that amulet she was almost done with.

If she'd had the time to consider it, she would have questioned why Rian had run into a girl's bathroom. As it was, the loud scream from within hastened her pace. Trolls have a penchant for human flesh...

Bursting into the bathroom, she was confronted with the heart-stopping sight of three defenceless first years – one of whom was her baby brother – towered over by a gigantic troll. She had no time to think, reacting on a hair trigger.

"Expulso! Confringo!" She incanted the strongest blunt offence spells she knew. Spellfire shot out her wand, blasting the troll into the wall with a deafening crash. A sickening crack was heard when its head hit the granite wall and it slumped to the ground. Now that it was weakened, she fired a powerful restraining spell, wandlessly reinforcing the conjured chains with a coat of dense magic.

Now that the danger was neutralised, she could focus on her brother again. Running to where the children had been cornered – trapped – by the troll, she immediately cast diagnostic spells on all three.

"Oh, thank Merlin you're alright!" Heather whispered shakily while gathering all three into a hug with trembling arms. Pulling back, she prepared to rant.

"WHAT WERE YOU THREE THINKING!" she growled viciously. "They announce a troll's presence in the castle and what do you do? You run off unsupervised straight towards it!" Rian opened his mouth to protest or explain or whatever, but she glared until he closed it again.

"Do you know how much danger you put yourselves in? Do you even know how to fight off a troll? Surely not, with Professor Quirrell teaching." This time, Hermione made an aborted attempt to raise her hand, as if to answer a question in class. She was wise enough to remain silent. "Troll's skins have a high resistance to magic. The most effective spells to use would be blunt damage spells. Confringo, the blasting curse. Expulso, the exploding curse."

Still shaking, Heather tugged her brother into her arms again. "I could have lost you," she rasped into his neck.

She felt him wrap his own arms around her. "Hermione was in here during the announcement. We couldn't leave her in the lurch." His arms tightened. "Sorry. Thanks for saving us."

"That's what big sisters are for," Heather whispered softly before releasing her grip.

She put a comforting arm around Hermione, who looked close to tears, and gave the pale-faced Ronald a comforting smile. Addressing the two boys, she said, "It was brave of you two to come after Hermione – very Gryffindor. But you should have alerted a teacher, they were all right there in the Great Hall!" They both looked at the floor, ashamed.