Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Harry woke and rolled out of bed. His Mother had promised a very interesting discussion for Halloween, and he didn’t want to miss any of it.
“Excited?” Daphne asked.
“A bit,” Harry said. “I mean who can say they’ve had an interesting discussion in History of magic?”
Daphne nodded. “I’ve spoken to the older years and she’s doing the same thing with everyone.”
Harry chewed on a slice of bacon and glanced at the staff table thoughtfully. “This is going to be good then.”
“I suppose so,” Daphne said. “And Flitwick is going to be teaching us the hovering charm after lunch.”
Harry grinned. “This Halloween is going to be good after all.”
**ROE**
Lily smiled as the class took their seats. Once everyone was seated and the roll had been called, Lily got right down to business.
“It has been ten years since Voldemort was defeated.” She glanced around the room, ignoring the shudders of the class. Her eyes landed on Harry and Neville, and she smiled at them. “All of us have lost a lot in the blood war that was fought on our soil. There hasn’t been a family that hasn’t been affected by Voldemort’s tyranny.” She took a deep breath before continuing.
“Voldemort was evil, not unlike other tyrants in Mundane history, but it would be wrong to forget our magical heritage because of what he has done.”
“But Professor,” Hermione said raising her hand. “It was Pureblood heritage that started the blood war, wasn’t it?”
“No,” Lily said patiently. “Racism started the blood war. A belief that one race is superior over the other led to the deaths of thousands. I bring this up to you today as a warning. I’ve studied our political system. I’ve been gone from this world for a long time, and that time away has given me clarity. Light or dark, to me they are two sides of the same coin. Essentially what they want you to do is either side with racist ideology and get rid of all Muggle-born and muggle ideas, or side with the light and get rid of your magical heritage. From what I’m seeing, the light wants to condemn those that are proud of their pureblood heritage as the same racists and bigots that sided with Voldemort.”
I hold to neither philosophy. I want to stamp out Voldemort’s taint, but still remember what makes magical society great. We are all magical. We can embrace our magic without having to turn into racists or forsaking our culture. You are all the next generation. You are the legacy of the magical world. Remember history, don’t suppress it, but learn from it. There is an old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Don’t repeat the mistakes of your ancestors. If you’re pureblood, you aren’t any better than Muggle-born. As for the Muggle-born, the science and technological advancement of Muggle society does not necessarily make you any more intelligent or better than the purebloods.”
Terry Boot raised his hand. “I’m a pureblood,” he said softly. “To the best of my knowledge, none of my family sided with Voldemort. What kind of Mundane ideas would you have us adopt?”
Lily took a sip of water before continuing. “That is up to you. I’m not going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. Remember, the Mundane world isn’t perfect. In World War II, millions died because certain people wanted to enforce their ideas of how the world should be. I just want to encourage you to think for yourself and don’t allow anyone else to do your thinking for you.”
Hermione raised her hand. “Professor,” she said timidly. “What would be so bad if wizards were more like Muggles?”
“Wizards aren’t Muggles,” Lily said patiently. “It’d be like expecting an Englishmen to be more like a Frenchman or vice versa. Just because you do things a certain way, it doesn’t mean it’s the only way, or that you are doing something wrong. We don’t all have to be the same. It’s our differences that make us unique.”
The rest of the lesson passed with everyone asking questions and discussing what Lily had told them. As Daphne and Harry left the classroom, Daphne turned to Harry.
“Did you mention the Shadow faction to your Mum?”
Harry shook his head. “No, I didn’t know how to bring it up. I’m only eleven. I’m a little young to be involved in politics.”
Daphne nodded. “I didn’t think you did. Still, I wonder how she knew what we talked about?”
“I don’t think she did,” Harry said. “This has been something she talked about for a long time. From what she told me, she never liked Dumbledore’s light faction and she really hated Voldemort. I think she sees her return as a way to begin creating a third option for those that want to take it.”
“I think I need to put her in contact with my dad,” Daphne said thoughtfully. “They’d probably get along great.” She shook her head. “Come on, we’re gonna be late for transfiguration.”
**ROE**
Arawn met with the old Coblanau in the same tavern as before. Sitting down, he ordered a glass of milk causing the Coblanau to grin slightly.
“You’re only drawing attention to yourself,” he said drily.
Arawn shrugged. “Today isn’t the day for me to get drunk.”
“Fair enough,” the coblanau said.
“You’re sure this will work?”
“She married a mortal and she’s raised a child in the mortal world. It’ll work, just make sure you do your part.”
“I don’t know that I can do this?” Arawn said.
The coblanau gazed at him compassionately. “You have to. You are the one that is closest to her. You have been her guide back into the world of the fae. It is only right that you be the one to break the curse upon her.”
Arawn opened his mouth to ask what would happen if it didn’t work but closed it again. There was no point in asking that question. If it didn’t work, the curse wouldn’t be broken and Lily would be reborn with a new identity. Harry would lose his mother.
What if the curse was broken? Would Niamh be able to be the mother that Harry needed. What if she hadn’t forgiven the mortals for what they’d done all those centuries ago? So many questions with no answers.
One thing was for sure, if they didn’t break the curse, Lily would continue to have dreams. She would remember who she’d been, but with no order or context to the memories. What that would do to her mind was anyone’s guess. Arawn swigged the last of his milk.
“When do we do this?”
**ROE**
Harry looked around Flitwick’s room waiting for the class to start. Flitwick placed them into pairs. Harry wasn’t surprised that again, they were sharing this class with the Gryffindors.
“Remember,” Flitwick said. “Pronunciation is key. You don’t want to end up like a student I shall not name that said T instead of S and ended up getting bit on the leg by his… Well, I’ll finish telling you that story when you’re older.”
Several students giggled. Flitwick cleared his throat. “Right then, you may begin.”
Harry glanced at Daphne. “Ready?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Seamus Finnigan’s feather burst into flame.
“Don’t set ours on fire,” Daphne said rolling her eyes.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” Harry murmured waving his wand.
The feather they were working with shot into the air and struck the ceiling with an audible thump.
“Not so much power Mr. Potter,” Flitwick said stopping behind them. He waved his wand summoning their feather. “Now you Ms. Greengrass.”
Daphne muttered the incantation and waved her wand. The feather rose into the air and hovered a few inches off the desk.
“Well done,” Flitwick said smiling widely. “Five points to Ravenclaw.”
From the other side of the room, they all heard Ron Weasley shouting the incantation. “Wingardium Leviosa.”
“You’re saying it wrong,” Hermione snapped. “Make the Gar nice and long.”
“Fine,” Ron snapped. “You do it if you’re so clever.”
“Wingardium Leviosa,” Hermione said. The feather rose into the air and hovered a foot above their heads.
“Great job,” Flitwick called. “Five points to Gryffindor.”
Ron glared at Hermione. “That’s all your good for is earning house points. I guess that is something. Pity that won’t get you any friends.”
Hermione burst into tears and hurried from the classroom.
Flitwick glared at Ron. “Detention Mr. Weasley,” he said his squeaky voice cold. “You will be spending the next two weeks with Mr. Filch. Be grateful I don’t take house points.”
**ROE**
Harry looked around as they exited the classroom. “Should we try and find her?”
Daphne shrugged. “We aren’t that close to her. I don’t know how well she’d react to us.”
“I’ll go find her,” Neville said walking up.
“Thanks,” Harry said.
“Sure,” Neville said turning away. “She’s a Gryffindor and real Gryffindors look out for each other.”
Harry and Daphne watched Neville walk away. “Nice guy,” Daphne said.
Harry nodded. “I’m glad he’s gonna go find her.”
Daphne took his arm. “Let’s get to the great hall. I hear the Halloween feast is amazing.”
**ROE**
Dumbledore looked up as the door opened. Severus Snape strode in and closed the door behind him.
“We have a problem,” he said stopping in front of Dumbledore’s desk.
“Hello Severus, how are you?” Dumbledore said mildly.
“No time for that,” Snape snapped. “Some of the Dark Lord’s followers are planning to attack the Greengrass home tonight.”
Dumbledore leaned back and steepled his fingers underneath his chin. “Why would they do that?”
“Someone has inspired them to punish the Greengrass family for not siding with Voldemort.”
Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed. “Do we know who would do that?”
Snape’s eyes narrowed. “It certainly wasn’t me if that’s what you’re thinking. I came to you to figure out what to do. If I had to guess I’d assume it was McNair.”
Dumbledore was silent for a while. His first instinct was to inform the ministry of a possible attack at the Greengrass home, but…
If the light was going to topple the dark faction; the wizengamot would need more votes. He may not be chief anymore, but he couldn’t help being concerned about the direction their world was going. He was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but more would need to happen if real change was going to happen. An attack by Voldemort’s followers could push the Greengrass family closer to the light or they could side with the dark faction out of fear. Would the risk be worth the reward? Could he live with himself if something went wrong? He sighed. There wasn’t any choice.
“Severus,” he said. “This is what I want you to do.”
**ROE**
Harry and Daphne entered the Great Hall and gasped. Live bats fluttered around the ceiling and skeletons strode through the hall. The Grey Lady floated over and bowed.
“I hope your classes are going well?”
Harry nodded. “Going fine Milady. How are you?”
The Grey Lady smiled at him. “I’m dead, so nothing changes for me, unfortunately.” She leaned close so only Harry and Daphne could hear. “Tell your Mother I’d like a word when she gets a chance.”
Harry bowed. “Of course,” he said. “Any particular time?”
The Grey Lady shook her head. “Any time that is convenient for her.”
“I’ll pass on the message.”
“Thank you.” The Grey Lady turned and left without another word.
“What do you think that was all about?” Daphne asked.
“I don’t know,” Harry said. Spotting Neville, he led Daphne towards the Gryffindor table. “Come on, I want to see if Neville found Hermione.”
As they approached him, Neville looked up. “Hi,” he said smiling at them.
“Hi,” Harry said. “Any luck finding Hermione?”
Neville nodded. “I found her in the girl’s bathroom close to the Charms Classroom, but she didn’t want to come out.” His smile faded. “I stayed around the bathroom for a while, but I started getting weird looks.”
Daphne winked at him. “I can’t imagine why.”
Neville flushed. “I left when McGonagall asked me what I was doing there.”
As they walked back to the Ravenclaw table, Daphne turned to Harry. “If she doesn’t come to the feast, maybe we should go look for her.”
Harry raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said we didn’t know her that well so we shouldn’t interfere.”
“There’s not interfering and then there’s letting someone wallow in self-pity. I know what it’s like not to have friends.” Daphne looked down. “Tracy Davis had been my only friend all my life and she was more like an acquaintance. When I got sorted into Ravenclaw, I lost touch with her. I don’t want anyone else to be alone like that if I can help it.”
“Alright,” Harry said. “If she’s not here by the end of the feast, we’ll go look for her.”
They were just sitting down at the Ravenclaw table, when Professor Quirrell entered the hall and approached the staff table. He leaned over and whispered something to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore’s eyes widened and he stood up quickly. “Students,” he said, and the hall went silent. “Professor Quirrell has just informed me that there is a troll loose in the school. No one is to leave the Great Hall until the staff has this mess sorted out. We are going to shut the doors and lock them. The Head boy and girl will stand guard until we return.”
“Professor,” Percy Weasley spoke up. “Wouldn’t it be best for us to return to our dorms?”
“I considered that,” Dumbledore said, “but I don’t want students wandering through the school with a troll on the loose. We don’t know where it is, and it is possible that some of you could run into the creature before we could contain it.”
Dumbledore led the staff from the hall. Harry noticed his mother wasn’t among them. He wondered where she was, but he wasn’t too concerned. He was sure his Mum could take out a troll if she had to. He turned to Daphne. “We’re not gonna be able to help Hermione now.”
Daphne spotted Flitwick and hurried over. “Professor,” she said loudly. Flitwick stopped halfway out the door. “Yes Ms. Greengrass?”
“Hermione Granger is in the girl’s bathroom closest to the Charms classroom. She’s been there since the incident earlier in class.”
Flitwick’s eyes widened. “Thank you for this information. I shall take care of it.” Turning, he hurried from the hall, the doors closing behind him.
**ROE**
Arawn stopped outside Lily’s office door. His hands were shaking and sweat ran down his face.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” he said his voice trembling.
“You are the only one who can,” Morrigan said from beside him. She was currently in her guise as a young woman. “Don’t worry son, I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”
Taking a deep breath, Arawn raised his fist and knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Lily called.
Arawn stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. Seeing his face, Lily rose from her chair. “Arawn,” she said her eyes widening. “What’s wrong and who is that?” she asked spotting the Morrigan.
“We need to talk,” Arawn said his voice was hoarse as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. He gestured for Lily to take a seat.
Lily sat down, looking concerned. Arawn took a seat in front of her and leaned back. “I found out who your parents are.”
“If it made you look this way, I don’t know if I want to know.”
“Just listen,” Arawn said. He conjured a glass of water and took a sip.
“Have you ever heard of the Incarnation curse?”
“Sure,” Lily said. “I read about it in some old books. “Some of the more irritable fae will curse a person to take the form of another person or an animal. The curse can only be broken when certain conditions are met and then only if a person agrees to kill them. It was mainly used by the Nordic fae. Some old mundane fairytales mention it, but not by name.”
“Right,” Arawn said. “Correct as always. That curse has been cast on you.”
Lily blinked at him. “What?”
“It was a modified form of the curse. It was designed to last until you had recovered from mental trauma. Those dreams you are experiencing are memories of your past.”
“My past?”
“As Niamh, noble fae of the high court.”
Lily laughed. “I just did a lesson on Niamh. Did Harry put you up to this?”
Arawn shook his head. “It has taken me months to find out this information. The curse is weakening and will break soon. I don’t know what will happen when it does, but we thought it best to break it in a controlled manner instead of letting it break on it’s own.”
“We?” Lily raised an eyebrow.
Arawn gestured at the woman sitting beside him. “This is my mother Morrigan lady of phantoms and for queen of the fae.”
“Okay,” Lily said slowly. “Let’s just say I believe you. Why would someone curse me and why would you want to break it today?”
“Samhain is a day of masks. I’m hoping the curse will be weaker today and will take less time to break. As for who cursed you, it was your father Manannán Mac Lir.”
“The god of the sea and death?”
Morrigan spoke up. “The very same. He’s been watching you to make sure you would be safe while the curse was active. As for why he cursed you in the first place, your mother and twin sister were killed in the burning of 1347, and you never recovered from it. You became a recluse. You stopped speaking to people. For a hundred years, you spent more and more time alone in Tir Na Nog. Manannán learned that You planned to repeat what the fae did with the Bubonic plague. He laid the curse on you to help you recover. It was his hope that by living with mortals, you would learn that not all of them were worthy of death.”
Lily swallowed. “Okay,” she said shakily. “If I’m going to remember this, I’d rather not dream about it. I suppose any other questions I have will be answered once the curse is broken. How do we do this?”
Arawn drew a sword from a scabbard on his back. “Your head must be removed, and your heart must be cut out. They must then be placed between your legs.”
“Makes sense,” Lily said. “In the cases where the curse occurred, the head had to be placed beneath the tail of the animal. I wonder why the heart must be cut out though.”
“The heart is the center of the body therefore: it is the center of the curse. This curse may have been adapted from a Nordic curse, but it has some druidic touches woven into it. The constant rebirth until a particular lesson is learned is something the old fae would do.”
“We can have a history lesson later,” Arawn said sharply. “If we’re gonna do this, I want to get it over with.”
Lily looked at him, her green eyes shining with compassion. “I know this is hard on you. You’re right, we need to get this done before I lose my nerve.”
“You are comforting me?” Arawn asked.
“I can see your pain. You’re sweating and your hands are shaking. This is tearing you up inside. Let’s do this before Halloween is over. I don’t want to have to wait another year.”
Morrigan arched an eyebrow. “Just like that you believe him?”
“If Arawn wanted to kill me, he could have done it a thousand times over. I trust him. He’s always been there for Harry and I.” She looked at Arawn. “If for some reason this doesn’t work, don’t tell Harry about it. Tell him I had to leave.”
“Why not have me tell him the truth?”
“Because I don’t want him to be angry with both of us. Better if he hated me than think that you murdered me.”
“We don’t have to do this?”
“If what you are telling me about my history is true, I don’t want to dream of watching my mother and sister die. Now do it.”
Arawn approached and raised his sword. Without hesitating, he swung.
**ROE**
Flitwick made his way into the bathroom and stopped, listening. “Ms. Granger,” he called softly.
There was a rustle of clothing. “Professor,” a small voice said.
“Ms. Granger,” Flitwick said relieved. “Why on earth are you in here?”
“I don’t think I fit in at Hogwarts. I don’t have any friends and I’m Muggle-born. People don’t like me. This world is so old-fashioned. Those that were born in this world have all the advantages.”
Flitwick sighed. “Can you come out of the stall so we can talk?”
The door slowly swung open, and a puffy-eyed Hermione stepped out. Flitwick waved his wand, conjuring two chairs. He sat down in one and gestured for her to take the other. “This isn’t the place I ever imagined having this conversation, but life rarely goes how we planned it.” After she was seated, he spoke again.
“Do I look shorter than the average person to you?”
Hermione hesitated.
Flitwick’s lips twitched. “This is not a trick question. I know I’m shorter than the average person. It was a question meant to get the conversation started.”
Hermione giggled. “Yes professor,” she said softly. “You are shorter than the average person.”
“Very good,” Flitwick said. “Do you know why that is?”
Hermione shook her head.
“My Grandfather was a goblin. You know how the magical community feels about the goblins. I had a bit of difficulty when I started Hogwarts years ago, but the head of Ravenclaw at the time gave me some good advice that I’ve never forgotten.”
“What was it?”
“He pointed out that I controlled my own life. I may not be able to control how people treated me, but I could choose how I responded to that treatment. I took that advice, gained my charms mastery, and even became a dueling champion in my younger days. You know what I learned?”
Hermione shook her head.
“I learned that your race doesn’t matter. Your heritage defines where you came from, but you decide where you will go. Prejudice is in all societies no matter where they are. It will always be a part of society because people are people, unfortunately. You can’t control how others act and you aren’t supposed to, but you do determine how you will act and who you will be. You aren’t the first Muggle-born to be overwhelmed by culture shock and I don’t suppose you will be the last.”
“How can I be my best when the purebloods have all the advantages?”
“You call it advantages, but everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts for a reason. True, some witches and wizards get a head start at home, but that is not always the case. We at Hogwarts have done our best to help everyone start on as equal a footing as possible. You are in a new world and experiencing things you have never experienced before. What you are doing is the equivalent of going to a different country and complaining about how that country is run.”
Hermione looked down at the ground. “So much needs to change to make it fair for everyone.”
“If I may suggest, before jumping to a conclusion and deciding that something needs to be changed, do your research. There may be a good reason why something is the way it is.”
Before Hermione could answer, there was a crash behind them. Flitwick drew his wand and spun around in one motion. His eyes widened as he saw a furry creature standing in the doorway.
It was at least twelve feet tall, with long heavily muscled arms, short trunk-like legs, and a small apple sized head perched on its broad shoulders. Two beady eyes stared at Flitwick. In its right hand, the creature gripped a massive wooden club.
“Bugger,” Flitwick said. The troll had found them.
**ROE**
Harry felt his stomach drop. Something was wrong. His face must’ve shown something because Daphne gripped his arm.
“Harry?” she whispered. “What is it?”
“Something is wrong,” Harry said his face pale.
“What’s wrong?” Daphne hissed.
“I don’t know,” Harry said. Looking around, he saw no one was looking at them. “I’m going to go check this out.”
“You don’t even know what it is or where it is.”
Harry didn’t answer. He concentrated on the feeling of wrongness. He focused on his desire to be there and help with whatever it was. Mist swirled around him, and he began to fade. Just before he vanished, Daphne grabbed his arm.
“I’m not letting you do something this dumb on your own,” she grumbled.
In a swirl of mist, they both vanished.
**ROE**
Lily looked around the kitchen of the house she’d called home for the past seven years. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was Arawn swinging that sword at her neck. Was she dead? Had the removal of the curse failed? Had she left Harry alone after all?
“Stop panicking,” a voice said from behind her. “You aren’t dead. This is a place for you and me to talk.”
Lily turned to see a woman of average height with long blond hair flowing down her back. Her eyes were sea green and appeared to glow with their own inner light. She was supernaturally slender, and her skin was so pale Lily could see the blue veins at her temples.
“You’re Niamh.”
“So are you,” the woman said.
“I don’t understand,” Lily said.
“You are the part of me that has learned and grown over the past five hundred years or so. You are the part of me that lived as a mortal, grew up, died, and started the process all over again. You are the part of me that learned to forgive the mortals for what they did to us.”
“Then what are you?” Lily asked.
“I am the part of me from before. The part of me that grew up in Elphame, learned magic, and spent time with our family. I am the part of me that remembers our childhood. In order for the curse to truly be broken, you need me, and I need you. You need my knowledge and experience and I need your compassion and understanding of mortals.”
“Like a merger?”
“Not exactly,” Niamh said. “We are one. We are just two sides of the same person. I guess you could call it acceptance. I must accept you and you need to accept me.”
“I accept you,” Lily said. “You are my past after all. If I don’t know the past, how can I avoid repeating it.”
Niamh smiled, her green eyes shining. “I’ve been conscious for part of our lives you know.” She sighed. “Accepting you was hard,” she said softly. “Forgiveness is easy to talk about, but sometimes…” She looked down at the table. “If the crime is bad enough, forgiveness is hard to do. It took a long time for me not to blame every single mortal for what happened.”
Lily stayed quiet.
“Harry changed everything you know,” Niamh said looking up at her.
“What do you mean?”
Niamh’s smile was gentle and shone with a mother’s love. “When we had him, it was like I got a piece of the family I’d lost back. I’m glad he’s fae. I’d hate to have to watch him die of old age. No parent should outlive their child.”
Lily had no response to that, so she didn’t say anything. Niamh stared at her for a moment.
“Forgiveness was hard, but grudges will hold you back. By holding on to the past, you can never move forward. I can accept you. You are the part of me that has moved beyond my hate.”
Lily sighed in relief. “Okay, so we accept each other. How do we get out of here.”
Niamh extended a hand. “Take my hand.”
“That’s it?”
“What? You were expecting a fight to the death? That’s not how this works.”
Lily hesitantly took the other woman’s hand. As their fingers touched, a soft blue glow filled the room.
**ROE**
Waldon McNair approached Greengrass manor as quietly as possible. Behind him, there were half a dozen of the Dark Lord’s old followers. MacNair’s heart sped up and his fingers twitched with nervous energy. He’d tried doing it the ministry’s way for over a decade, but the joy he’d had working for Voldemort could not be matched by executing dangerous creatures. As he stepped up to the iron gate, a chill ran down his spine. He fingered the ax at his belt. Something wasn’t right.
“Waldon?” Yaxley said drawing his wand. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” McNair said quickly. “Come on, let’s teach the Greengrass family what happens when they refuse to pick a side.” He reached out to pull the gate open, but no sooner had his fingers touched the gate, he flew backwards. He landed with a grunt and lay there, winded.
“Wards are a lot stronger than we were led to believe,” Yaxley said.
Before McNair could say a word, a figure appeared standing in front of the iron gates. “This family is under our protection,” a feminine voice said. “Leave this place, while you still can.”
Yaxley stepped forward, licking his lips. “Well, a lady. I forgot how fun it was to make the little ladies scream.”
McNair stood and got a good look at the woman. She was around five and a half feet tall. Her long golden hair framed a pale delicate face, and her green eyes showed no emotion. She stared at Yaxley as if he were a dangerous animal that needed to be put down.
“It has been quite a while since anyone has spoken to me like that.”
“Like it do you,” Yaxley said leering at her. “After we’re done here, maybe you and I can…” He broke off as both his legs snapped with a deafening crack. He fell to the ground screaming in agony.
“I don’t have time to waste on you,” the woman said.
Before any of them knew it, they were all bound, gagged, and lying in the ministry atrium.
**ROE**
Harry and Daphne reappeared in a girl’s bathroom just in time to see their head of house dodge a massive club swinging at his head.”
“You brought us to the troll?” Daphne shrieked.
“I didn’t know it was the troll,” Harry shot back.
“That is obvious,” Daphne snapped.
“Yell later act now,” Harry said. “Our head of house needs help.”
Drawing his wand, Harry concentrated. He could see threads of luck wrapped around the troll. With a twirl of the wand, he tore several threads of luck from the troll’s aura. As the golden threads flew away from the troll, the troll’s massive club smashed down hard on its foot.
The troll howled, stumbled backward, and tripped. It landed hard on it’s back, tearing several sinks off the wall. Taking advantage of the troll’s distraction, Harry threw out his other hand, intending to turn the troll into something. Instead, bands of ice, flew from his fingers and wrapped tightly around the trolls’ arms and legs.
The troll roared again and struggled to get free. The ice let out ominous cracking sounds.
“It’s going to get loose,” Daphne yelled.
“I’m thinking,” Harry yelled back.
“Think faster.”
“You’re not helping.”
Before either could do or say anything else, more mist filled the bathroom. A tall woman wearing a long white gown appeared out of nowhere. She strode right up to the troll, drew back her arm, and punched it hard right between the eyes.
The troll’s eyes rolled up to show the whites and it lay still, knocked out cold.
The woman turned to Harry; her green eyes narrowed. “We need to have a talk.”