Halloween
Following some haggling (by Zhongli) and some threats (by Childe), Draco swore to tell no one about what they had done the previous night.
Naturally, they were going to go back to that corridor- at least he and Childe were.
He had seen the monstrous dog guarding a door of some sorts, which is very interesting. Of course, they're going to go back, the question was just when. They hardly have time to meet between all of their classes and assignments. Yes, they could slip out again at midnight, but Zhongli would rather not as it's too risky. He didn't want the Hufflepuffs to lose any more points because of him. As The boy who lived, he should be gaining points.
Now, going back into the corridor, wasn’t a worry of his. The corridor could wait a few months, it wasn't going anywhere, so together with Childe; they decided it was best to wait a while, before going back in. At the moment, they should focus on acting like childrens, and studying magic.
Teyvat could wait. He trusts the Qixing and the Adeptus enough to keep Liyue safe from harm, and Hu Tao would be fine.
Everything will be fine.
Few weeks later:
Today was Halloween. A popular festival from what Zhongli had heard.
The past few weeks have been great, Draco stopped taunting Childe, and Hermione had become a rather good friend of his. The girl was smart and witty, a great company indeed.
As promised, Hermione also started to teach Childe some spells. Correction: try to teach.
The ginger wasn’t very cooperative, and more than once Zhongli had to step in before one of them started attacking each other.
Currently, he was writing his potion essay, while Hermione was showing Childe the levitation spell.
“Flick your wand and say Wingardium Leviosa! Come on, it’s a simple one.” Hermione had urged.
The ginger wasn’t having much luck though, but at least he was trying this time.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” he shouted, waving his arms like a windmill.
“You’re saying it wrong,” Zhongli heard Hermione snap. “It’s Wing- gar -dium Levi- o -sa, make the “gar” nice and long.”
“You do it, then, if you’re so clever,” The ginger snarled.
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand and said, “Wingardium Leviosa!”
Zhongli’s essay rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
“That was great, but maybe not my essay next time.” He said, reaching to grab his parchment paper back.
Hermione smiled proudly.
Childe scowled.
“Take a break Childe, perhaps then you’ll be able to do it.” He suggested.
Hermione snorted. “Take a break from what? He hardly did anything!”
“Oh shut it!”
Zhongli sighed. “Be nice, and refrain from shouting please.” He glanced at Madam Pince who was glowering at them.
Childe slumped onto his chair. “I hate this.” He mumbled.
Hermione glared at him. “I’m the one teaching- do you hear me complaining?”
“No, but it’s no wonder no one can stand you,” He spat at her. “You’re a nightmare, honestly.”
The bushy hair girl flinched. That went a bit too far.
“Okay- no, Childe- first of all that’s not true-”
“If it isn’t true then why are you her only friend then?” He snarled. “She’s just an annoying know-it-all. Even Snape agrees- he called her that too!”
“Childe! You’re being petty-”
“I’m being honest - ouch!”
A quill was thrown at the ginger’s face. Hermione had stood up abruptly, she then hurried away. Zhongli was startled to see she was in tears.
A moment of silence.
“...Childe,” He sighed. “She was just trying to teach you some spells.”
“So?” said Childe, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. “She must’ve noticed she’s got no friends.”
“I’m her friend- Neville’s her friend- She has friends,” Zhongli shook his head exasperated. “Honestly Childe? You shouldn’t have said that, you don’t have many friends either.”
Childe huffed, he looked a bit guilty now.
Zhongli could feel a migraine coming. “Now how are we going to find her…?”
Hermione didn’t turn up and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Zhongli and Childe overheard a Gryffindor girl, Parvati Patil, telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls’ toilets and wanted to be left alone. Childe looked even more guilty at this, but a moment later as they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations were, Hermione seemed to slip entirely out of the ginger’s mind.
“Woah! You should really add this festival to Liyue once we get back!” He said, amazed.
A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
Zhongli, however, was concerned. Was Hermione hurt that badly by Childe’s words that she was going to miss Halloween? If only Zhongli didn’t ask her to teach the ginger…
Childe sat next to him at Hufflepuff’s side of the table, as usual, trying all kinds of different sweets. Everyone was grinning, and Zhongli couldn’t help but smile as well.
Hermione will be okay.
“Hey! Childe, tell us about Malfoy! Is he scary?” Ernie was asking. Ernie was very sweet, and was one of the Hufflepuffs who would interact with Childe.
Childe shrugged, popping a blue candy into his mouth. “Not really, he’s more annoying than scary.”
Beside Ernie, Justin frowned. “Why are you friends with him then?”
“I’m not. Zhongli, unfortunately, is.” The ginger corrected.
Wayne and Justin turned to eye him.
“What?” Zhongli asked.
“Friends with Malfoy? Really?” Wayne deadpanned
Justin raised an eyebrow. “I know you enjoy making friends with different Houses, but Malfoy?”
Zhongli huffed. “We’re not friends… not exactly… I don’t know, well actually- we are- in a way.”
Before one of them could question him more about his friendship with Draco. Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore’s chair, slumped against the table and gasped, “Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know.”
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.
“Dramatic.” observed Childe.
There was uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore’s wand to bring silence.
“Prefects,” he rumbled, “lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!”
Percy was in his element.
“Follow me! Stick together, first-years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first-years coming through! Excuse me, I’m a Prefect!” Zhongli could hear from Gryffindors side of the table.
“How could a troll get in?” He wondered aloud as he followed the Hufflepuff Prefects.
“Don’t ask me, I don’t know- but stay safe, I gotta go join the Slytherins now.” Childe said, waving him a goodbye.
Before he could leave though, Zhongli suddenly grabbed Childe’’s arm.
“I’ve just thought – Hermione. What about her?” Zhongli demanded, alarmed. “She doesn’t know about the troll.”
Childe bit his lip.
“Oh, all right,” he snapped. “But Percy better not see us. He’ll be yelling at me until I'm old.”
Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor and hurried off towards the girls’ toilets. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.
“Percy!” hissed Childe, pulling Zhongli behind a large stone griffin.
Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.
“What’s he doing?” Zhongli whispered. “He’s supposed to be down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers.”
“Told you he’s sketchy!”
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape’s fading footsteps.
“He’s heading for the third floor.” Childe muttered, but Zhongli frowned.
“Do you smell that?”
There was a foul stench in the air, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.
Childe sniffed, then cringed. “Disgusting- what is that?”
And then they heard it – a low grunting and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet, coming from the end of a passage to the left- something huge was moving towards them.
They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, it's great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.
The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.
The girls' bathroom. Zhongli’s eyes widened in alarm.
To make things worse, Childe suggested. “The key’s in the lock- let's lock it in there.”
Before Zhongli could object that Hermione is in there, Childe surged towards the door, grabbed the key, slammed the door and locked it.
“No!” Zhongli cried.
Childe grinned triumphantly, turning to face him. “What’s wrong? It’s stuck now-”
A high pitched petrified scream came from the bathroom.
“Oh no.” realized Childe, pale as a ghost.
Zhongli groaned. “Childe, that was the girl's bathroom. You possibly just murdered Hermione.”
Wheeling around in panic, the ginger fumbled around before, finally, unlocking the door.
Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.
They had no choice but to enter.
“Solidify!” A jade shield appeared around Hermione. The bushy haired girl looked at it in surprise, then glanced towards them, stunned.
Childe was grinning, looking absolutely feral. “Come here, you stumbling idiot!” He called, throwing a nearby metal poll at the Troll to gain its attention.
The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its beady little eyes saw Childe. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.
Zhongli managed, just barely, to pull Childe away from the incoming swing. “Careful.” He hissed.
Childe, however, smirked. “Now where’s the fun in that?”
Rolling his eyes, he pushed the ginger away. “Just don’t get yourself killed,” He said, “Get up!” He then shouted at Hermione, “Don’t worry- the shield won’t break!”
It was taking a significant amount of his energy creating a shield. His young form wasn’t as strong as before, he was already feeling fatigue seeping in his bones.
Hermione didn’t move, she was immobilized with terror.
Childe, seeing this, created a distraction.
“Hey, pea-brain!” The ginger yelled, throwing yet another metal poll at the Troll. It grunted and came lumbering towards them.
Leaving Childe to fend for himself, Zhongli took his chance, and made his way over to Hermione, while the Fatui Harbinger insulted and threw things at the grunting creature.
“Come on,” He urged gently as he reached the bushy haired girl, enlarging her jade shield so they could both fit inside. “Don’t worry, you’re okay.”
He tried to haul her up, but he didn’t have the strength for that. Keeping up a large shield was slowly but surely taking all his energy.
He gritted his teeths in frustration.
The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started towards Childe, who had no metal polls to flung anymore.
He could only watch in amazement as the ginger flung himself onto the troll, climbing up its back to its head, then stabbed it in the eye with his wand.
It bellowed with pain, trying to scratch Childe off.
Worried, Zhongli did something incredibly stupid. He launched a boulder at it. That made Hermione and his shield immediately disappear, and he felt something wet trickling down his neck.
Oh Celestia.
The large piece of concrete slammed onto the back of the troll. Howling in pain, it turned back to Zhongli and Hermione, launching itself over.
Well, at least Childe’s off.
Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Childe pulled out his own wand– not knowing what he was going to do, he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: “Wingardium Leviosa!”
The club that had been flung away earlier, flew suddenly up from the ground, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over – and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner’s head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, right in front of Zhongli, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
A moment of tense silence.
Then he blinked, grinning. “Childe! You did it- you casted a spell!”
Childe beamed. “I did! Thanks uh- Hermione.”
Hermione, whose eyes haven’t left the Troll, finally spoke. “I-is it dead?”
Zhongli hummed, nudged the troll with his wand, then shook his head. “No, would you like us to kill it?”
Hermione gaped at him incredulously.
I shouldn't have suggested that, he thought, grimacing. Looking away from Hermione, he glanced at Childe.
The ginger was grinning broadly, despite his robe being torn, and blood on his wand.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn’t realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll’s roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Zhongli and Childe. Zhongli had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hufflepuff’s not winning the House Cup this year. He thought in defeat.
“What on earth were you thinking of?” said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Zhongli looked at Childe who was looking as awkward as he felt. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed. Why aren’t you in your dormitory?”
Snape gave Zhongli a swift, piercing look.
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.
“Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me.”
“Miss Granger!”
Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last. “I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I’ve read all about them.” Childe’s mouth was gaping with shock. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?
“If they hadn’t found me, I’d be dead now. Zhongli did some weird magic shield, and Childe knocked it out with its own club. They didn’t have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived.”
Zhongli and Childe tried to look as casual as possible,
“Well– in that case …” said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them. “Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?”
Hermione hung her head. Zhongli felt a sudden wave of guilt. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape suddenly belted out a jolly song while dancing, and grinning, and laughing.
“Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this,” said Professor McGonagall. “I’m very disappointed in you. If you’re not hurt at all, you’d better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses.”
Hermione left.
Professor McGonagall turned to them.
“Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win your separate houses five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go.”
As Zhongli went around the Troll’s unconscious body to join Childe. Snape suddenly grabbed his arm.
“What’s that on your neck?” The wizard snarked.
Confused, he reached a hand to feel the back of his neck. Blood. He realized, glancing at his red fingers. He felt a sudden wave of light-headedness.
“Woah, you okay? You’re bleeding- is that a scar?”
Childe grabbed his ponytail, pushing it away, he peered at the wound. “Geo symbol.” He whispered in Zhongli’s ear.
“What? The scar?”
“Yes! It looks carved!”
McGonagall glanced at him, fret in her sharp eyes. “We should get you to the Hospital Wing Mr. Rex Lapis.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine, I just need a shower.”
“That was an order.”
He sighed.
Behind him Snape gave Childe a sharp nudge. “You, get back to your dormitory.” He snarled.
Childe gave the oily man an irritated frown. “Okay, I’m going.”
They made their way out of the bathroom at last, away from the foul stench, each going their separate ways.
Zhongli just hoped tomorrow would be much more serene.
“You got this scar from You-know-who, correct?” asked Madam Pomfrey, examining his geo scar with a frown.
Zhongli furrowed his brow. “Yes, it had never bled before.” In truth, he still had no idea who You-know-who is, other than the fact they're the reason Zhongli got no parents, but he was exhausted from overusing his powers, so he could care less about who You-know-who was at the moment.
Why did he throw the boulder again? He was already weary from maintaining a shield. That was probably what opened the scar. Why does he even have a scar in the first place?
“You can go to bed now, come back tomorrow to change your bandages,” Madam Pomfrey said, ushering him to the door.
Before he could leave, however, the nurse added. “Dumbledore wants to see you.”
He turned to look at her, surprised. “Now?” He asked.
Madam Pomfrey scowled. “Of course not! Tomorrow morning at eight.”
“Oh okay, thanks for telling me.”
What does Dumbledore possibly want from him? The more he thought about it, the more dread he felt, so he decided to just stop thinking about tomorrow and focused on making his way back to Hufflepuff’s common room.
As he entered the common room, he found Wayne standing in front of him, arms crossed, with Justin and Ernie draped tiredly on some sofas.
“What are you all… doing here?” He asked, confused.
“Waiting for you,” Wayne snapped, “Where were you?”
“We thought you got eaten by the Troll!” Ernie blurted out, with teary eyes.
Justin huffed. “Ernie, only you thought that. Zhongli survived you-know-who’s killing curse, no way a Troll is the one that kills him.”
He smiled weakly, not sure what to say.
Wayne scoffed. “So where were you?” He demanded again.
Zhongli hesitated.
“At the library...” He lied, horribly.
Wayne looked at him incredulously. “The library.” He repeated.
Justin arched an eyebrow. “Why?” He asked.
“Forgot some stuff… I couldn’t find it anyways.”
Wayne and Justin were looking at him suspiciously. They knew he was lying, but Zhongli was just too tired to care.
“Look, let’s just go to bed, it’s getting pretty late.” He pointed out, making his way towards the staircase to their dormitory.
Ernie yawned, getting up to follow Zhongli. “I agree, I'm so tired- I could sleep forever.”
The two other Hufflepuffs exchanged a glance, but stopped questioning him any further.
As he arrived at the entrance of his dormitory, Azhdaha appeared out of nowhere with a letter in his beak.
“Thanks.” He petted the owl affectionately, and curiously opened the letter.
Dear Morax, (it said, in a very untidy scrawl)
I know you get tomorrow’s afternoon off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to show you my rock cakes. Send me an answer back with Azhdaha.
Hagrid