The Hellish Life of Helia Potter

“Halloween” Moody read, gruffly. His good eye trained on the book but his magic eye whirled back back between the book and the people in the come and go room.

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Helia and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, lookingtired but perfectly cheerful. He couldn’t believe his ears when Helia let her best vocabulary come forth, and by that she meant she cursed him out to his face just like she promised.

“I think my favourite was when she called him an idiotic shitbag.” Blaise chucked remembering the look on his mates face when a tiny Helia hissed and cursed at him to his face paying no mind to the hordes Slytherin’s watching her or just not giving any fucks in her rage.

“No, no the best was definitely when she called him an arsehole tosspot that was full of horseshit.” Daphne tittered behind her hand.

Theo hummed in thought, paying no mind to Draco who was glaring at his friends daring Theo to betray him too. “I don’t know I really like the whole you’re a stupid, short-sighted little prat to be honest.”

“Why am I friends with any of you, Fuckers.” Draco groused, trying to block out the surrounding laughter.

Indeed, by the next morning Helia and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one.

McGonagall whipped around to her two troublemaker lions with a pinched frown on her lips and a sharp glare. “It was only because of luck that you survived the Cerberus, why is seven hells would you two take that encounter as to go and search for more trouble!” She hissed.

Helia placed a hand to her chest as if her head of house words had wounded her. “Professor why we would never go looking for trouble, how could you think so low of us.”

Snape scoffed at the little innocent act the girl was pulling unintentionally mirroring her father when he was back in school. “Potter the book literally just read you were keen for another adventure.”

“It never said we’d go looking for it, it can’t be helped if trouble finds us.” Helia cheekily stated not blinking at the boldface lie said to a professor’s face even if it was Snape.

Rubbing at his brow when he could feel a tic coming on, the impudence of this brat.

In the meantime, Helia filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. 

“The Philosopher’s stone, apparently.” Blaise drawled.

The reactions of the Golden Trio was quite comical Helia dropped her head into hands tugging harshly at her hair, Ron groaned to himself about too many books while Hermione cursed chocolate much to Remus’s horror.

“Now guys…we had the book title to help us out, so it’s only natural we’d guess that’s what being guarded.” Padma tried to comfort the Trio that suddenly turned gloomy.

Neville pulled Padma always from the Trio before they snapped at her, “Let’s leave them to snap out of it themselves Padma.”

“What I want to know is why did you think it was safe to have a stone —that is clearly being hunted, as we know by the Gringotts break in— in a school full of children why the culprit could have taken anyone of them hostage or hurt them until you gave up the stone.” Lily interrupted glaring at the staff of Hogwarts before turning her suspicious glare onto the headmaster.

“It’s like Hagrid said in the earlier chapters the only other safe place besides Gringotts is Hogwarts.” Dumbledore said.

“Safe for the Students! Taking the stone to their safe heaven only puts them at risk!” Lily argued.

“It was perfectly safe for the stone to be there.” Dumbledore assured getting are-you-insane glances from everyone involved in the events of Helia’s first year.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron. 

“Most likely it’s both.” Theo said under his breath.

"Or both," said Helia. 

Theo’s icy blue eyes flickered as he watched Helia, he always knew that for all her Gryffindorness underneath lied a snake. His lips twitched into an amused smile she was turning out to be quite the mystery, all the better for him thou’ who wants to solve a boring mystery.

But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues. 

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor.

“I still can’t get over how different it is hearing the Three of you not getting along.” Bill confessed.

“Things certainly changed.” Hermione nodded a smile coming to her lips now she really couldn’t not see herself rushing right along with Helia and Ron. “I wouldn’t change a thing though.”

All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again. 

“At least one of my Lion’s have the common sense not to head straight into danger.” McGonagall sighed pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Oh Neville, Darling. Couldn’t you at least tried to talk some sense into those two.” Mrs. Weasley moaned.

Neville eyes widened at Mrs. Weasley. “Mrs. Weasley I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think theirs anyone on this earth that can tell Helia, let alone those three together what to do.”

“Yeah Mum it’s pretty much their way or the highway with them.” Fred nodded back up the terrified Neville. “Sides I’d pity the poor fool that tries.”

Neville nodded violently along with Fred, Bloody Hell he’s been on the wrong side of them before, and it ended up with him being paralyzed on the common room floor for a night.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Helia and Ron, —Helia privately mourned the loss of that companionship when she laid awake in the silent nights of their shared dorm that were no longer filled with quite chattering of books, spells and everything in between,

Hermione grabbed Helia hand hoping to convey how sorry she was, Helia’s emerald eyes soften as Hermione’s magic fluttered against hers. Her own magic raised to rub against Hermione’s as their magic twirled and twined together with ease of four years to get familiar.

however she had to steeled her heart that ached at the death of the newly found bond. How did she not notice how dependent she’d become on these new bonds, this had never happened to her before to be fair she never let anyone in before either.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—” Hermione mumbled apologies were cut off when Helia’s magic jabbed hers startling her.

“Enough, Mione we had to go through this to get where we are today and I like us as we are.” Helia assured her.

— Ron in his own way tried to comfort Helia by trying to convince her that Hermione was just a bossy know-it-all and her not talking to them was just a added bonus,

“Mione I swear I don’t feel that way now, and I wasn’t right to in the first place.” Ron vowed as he saw his best mates lips trembling.

Hermione pulled her lips into a fragile smile. “I know now, just hard to hear.” Placing her other hand into his palm as she slumped against her best friends warmth thankful Bill moved to allow the trio to squeeze together on the loveseat.

much to Helia’s disagreement. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later. 

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Helia was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of her, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel. 

Helia ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. 

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. 

Professor McGonagall

James beamed at his daughter, “Fawn your very own broom!”

“I know it was such an amazing broom the way it handled.” Helia let out a dreamy sigh remembering her first time flying on it.

James smile faulted a bit remembering that he wasn’t the on to buy her first broom, he wasn’t their to take her to the Quality Quidditch Supplies Shop in Diagon Alley to look through all the latest models. He wasn’t there to dress her in insane amounts of protective gear, or to sneak onto school grounds to watch her driest game he just was there cause he died.

A hand in his startled him out of his spiralling thoughts, he looked into the sand understanding eyes of his beloved Lily-flower. At least they could experience her life like this even though it would never be enough

Helia had difficulty hiding her glee as she handed the note to Ron to read. 

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one. "

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Helia and felt it.

“Okay first things first don’t touch what ain’t yours.” Tonks rebuked her cousin, “Second little cousin I do believe the twin were right you are completely predictable when it comes to Helia to be so predictable is sloppy work what would daddy say.” Tonks mocked, as a furious blush rose on Draco’s pale face.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Helia with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them. "

Ron couldn't resist it. 

“When does my brother ever resist temptation, it usually ends up with a foot in his mouth often enough I’m surprised that his breath doesn’t smell like old socks.” Ginny quipped.

“Why you little-“ Ron growled cutting himself off, lunging at his brat of a little sister.

Ginny laughed as Ron tackled her off her seat as they began to roll about on the floor each trying to grapple for dominance. “What? Can’t Ickle-Ronniekins handle the truth.” Ginny mocked, digging her elbow into Ron’s side.

“Bloody hell woman you got sharp elbows!” Ron shouted yanking on Ginny’s fiery locks.

“Ginny! Ronald! Get off each other at once, what do you think you two are doing!” Mrs. Weasley screeched at her youngest children.

Bill sighed standing up nodding at Charlie to help him out. “It’s okay Mum we got this, Charlie grab Ginny.”

“What why do I have to grab Ginny she bites, I get enough of that at the Dragon reserve Bill.” Charlie grumbled.

“Shut up, Charlie.”

“You’re not the boss of me.” Charlie huffed as he heaved Ginny off of Ron like one would with an unruly cat.

“No I’m not, but I am the oldest.” Bill reminded, before turning to his youngest siblings with a stern glare that turned his blue eyes hard as ice. “Now if you two children are done we still have more to read so sit down and shut up.”

Ginny and Ron gulped nervously under the cold glare of their oldest brother, mumbled. “Yes Bill.” Under their breath.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Helia. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus. "

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig. "

“Come say that to my face, you little shit.” Charlie growled at Draco, who flinched away from the Dragon tamer.

“I’m sorry, I know what I was saying was wrong, and I did it anyway, I shouldn’t of been so callous with my tongue it won’t happen again.” Draco rushed out in the face of the dragon tamer’s wrath.

Bill placed a calming hand on his brothers tense shoulders as he studied the Malfoy boy with sharp eyes. “Charlie let it go, this was years ago there’s not much we can do about now. we just have to watch his actions from here on out.” Charlie snorted angrily, like a raging dragon.

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow. 

"Not arguing, I hope, are we?" he squeaked. 

“What Me and Ron argue with Draco? Why where would they ever get that idea?” Helia sarcastically wondered.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly. 

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Helia. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Helia, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," she added. 

“Give credit, where credit is due." said Dumbledore.

Draco planted his blushing face to pillow hoping to smother his embarrassment, why did he like her again?

Blaise sighed at his mate’s dramatics, patting his back sharing a look with his lover.

Helia and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. 

“The look alone on Malfoy’s was worth all the trouble of the set-up duel and the Cerberus, shit you not.” Ron nodded, with a loop side grin on his freckled face.

"Well, it's true," Helia chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team. . . "

“Oh how the tables have turned.” Ron mused at Malfoy’s expense.

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Helia's hand. 

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Helia, her voice taking on a frosty tone to hide her hurt. 

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good. "

Helia elbowed Ron roughly in his side as Hermione marched away with her nose in the air. 

Hermione hid her face in her hands embarrassed by her younger self’s snobbish action "Oh Circe, guys I’m so sorry I really was a nightmare to deal with back then.” She apologized to her best friends.

Helia pulled her hands away from her face, so she could see how sincerely she meant the words she was going to say. “Mione there’s no reason to apologize we’ve already got past this years ago, we’re friends with you and all your bossiness.”

“And you’re not a nightmare, Mione.” Ron told her, “if anything you put up with me being a complete prat.” Drawing a giggle from Hermione.

“Remember Hermione we wouldn’t make it a day without you.” Helia reminded her gently.

Helia had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on her lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where she'd be learning to play that night. She picked at her dinner that evening her waiting for Ron to finish she didn’t even notice what she was eating, and then rushed upstairs to get the broom to take to Ron’s dorm to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.

"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Ron's bedspread. 

Even Helia, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. 

“It was one of the nicest things I have ever own, something about it was just so…..beautiful.” Helia sighed, she could still remember every detail of that broom. Her heart still ache at the lost of it, she was never any good at letting the few things she possessed go. The tattered and broken remains of the broom lock up in her vault for safe keeping.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Helia left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. She’d never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Helia of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high. 

Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Helia mounted her broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling -- she swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever she wanted at his lightest touch.

“It was the most amazing thing, it was a shock of how different it was from the school brooms I didn’t have to use as much force in the turns and the broom didn’t fight against me like the one I used during flying lessons.”

James whipped around to face his daughter. “Wow only your second time on a broom, and you can already get a feeling for the broom’s core.”

Helia’s eyebrows scrunched together, “You say that like it’s supposed to be hard, I mean it’s not hard to tell when an animal is scared or being stubborn or is getting excited. A broom is like that.”

James blinked his hazel eyes at his daughter, he couldn’t help the grin frowning on his tan face can his daughter be any more amazing than she already is?

"Hey, Potter, come down!"

Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Helia landed next to him. 

"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant. . . you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week. "

Helia and the Twins sighed fondly those were the good old days three days a week was nothing compared to they had to go through when Oliver decide they had to practice five times a week at the  ungodly hours of the morning.

He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls. 

"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers. "

“Hey Zabini you just might get a place on the team instead of back up Chaser.” George teased the Italian-British wizard chuckling at the uncharacteristic look of annoyance on the laid-back teens face.

Huffing to himself, it wasn’t his fault that bloody Montague was playing favourites with picking his own mates before anyone else not that it mattered last year with the tournament and all. Take that Montague!

"Three Chasers," Helia repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball. 

"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"

"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Helia recited. "So -- that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"

"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. 

"Never mind," said Helia quickly. 

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper -- I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring. "

“Wood was an excellent keeper when he was second year, I can’t even imagine how good he is now.” Charlie recalled.

“He’s amazing, he got a position with Puddlemere United the last I heard.” Helia grinned.

"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Helia, who was determined to remember it all.

“You’re adorable, Potter.” Blaise chuckled, paying no mind to the glare of Helia and Draco.

"And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" She pointed at the three balls left inside the box. 

"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this. "

He handed Helia a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat. 

“Oh he is not going to do what I think he is.” Hermione hissed between her teeth, her cinnamon coloured eyes flashing. “I swear to Circe that quidditch obsessed man knows no bounds.”

“Come on Mione you’re still not mad at him are you.” George laughed, from the furious glare Hermione turned on him, he took the answer as yes, yes she was.

“It only rational that one be upset give that our dear Captain went and smooc—”  Fred mocked with a false sympathetic tone only stopping when Hermione rushed over slamming both of her hands over his mouth.

“I mean this with the upmost sincerity Fred, George if you say another word I will castrate you both.” Hermione stressed with a dark glint in her eyes.

The twins nodded, taking her had off of Fred turning to return to her seat squished between her best friends she heard kissy-kissy sounds behind her. With a growl that would make any lioness proud she pounced at the twins ready to make good on her promise.

The twins only escape thanks to the other two of the Golden Trio catching her and dragging her off to calm down.

"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers. "

He showed Helia two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Helia noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box. 

"Stand back," Wood warned Helia. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers. 

At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Helia's face. Helia swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air

“That’s my pup, a right chip off the old block!” Sirius crowed throwing his arms up in the air. “I’m so proud!”

“Sirius! Helia could have gotten a bloody bludger to the face!” Remus scolded.

“Not my goddaughter she’s too much like her godfather to let something like a bludger stop her!”

Everyone who witnessed Helia’s match in second year winced remembering the sickening crack and then the bending which was just wrong, okay.

-- it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground. 

"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team -- the Weasley twins are ours -- it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So -- think you've got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Helia reeled off. 

"Very good," said Wood. 

"Er -- have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Helia asked, hoping she sounded offhand. 

All the quidditch players snorted.

“Oh come on guys it was my first time okay.” Helia moaned.

"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers--"

"-- unless they crack my head open. "

“Please Heli, don’t joke like that.” Lily admonished her daughter, as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers -- I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves. "

George fanned his face as if to ward against blushing. “Oh my I never knew Ollie felt that way about us, that sweet talker of a Captain.”

“I know Georgie, it brings a tear to my eye it does.” Fred agreed ‘wiping’ an imaginary tear from his eye.

Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings. 

"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see.

“I still don’t know who you can see that blasted thing with how bad your vision is Helia.” Susan pointed out, drawing a strange look from Helia.

“What do you mean I have no trouble see the snitch when I’m in a game, the only time I was having trouble seeing it was during third year and that was only because it was raining cats and dogs.” Helia mused tilting her head in a confused manner, wondering why her friend would think she would have trouble seeing the snitch.

Ron snorted at the matching confused expressions on his best mate and Susan’s face. “Helia won’t understand, Susan. She’s so in the zone when she’s flying she doesn’t notice anything else, but the snitch. It’s a miracle that she can even have the focus to dodge incoming bludgers while keeping track of the snitch.”

Susan gaped at the two between a still confused Helia and sagely nodding Ron the only thing she could do was groan at the antics of Gryffindors.

It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages -- I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. 

"Well, that's it, any questions?"

Helia shook her head. She understood what she had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem. 

“No kidding, it would always ticked me off when my old teammates who complain about how long it took to catch the little bugger.” Charlie scoffed, running a rough scarred hand through his long hair a scowl forming on his tan freckled face remembering the jibs thrown his way back when he was in school.

Helia nodded along, heaving a sigh. “Tell me about it, my teams good at not putting that on me my schoolmates on the other hand.”

“I like to see them try to do what we do and then try to say that to my face.” Draco sneered, surprising the other two seekers. “What? Did you really think I would be able to keep my spot on the team if I didn’t put in the work? Flint would’ve fuckin’ murdered me if I muck around instead of bettering myself.”

"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these. "

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Helia were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Helia to catch. 

Helia didn't miss a single one,

Charlie let out an impressed whistle, to catch every single ball during dusk was a freaking red sign of her talent as a seeker. He knew lots of guys that would complain and whine at having to do what a little firstie did without the light of the day. He guessed that Wood wanted to test if Helia was really all that McGonagall worked her up to be, looks like Helia showed him.

and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on. 

"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons. "

“Don’t regret it for even a moment, I wouldn’t give up my dragons for anything.” Charlie grinned, every waking moment was worth it in his opinion.

Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Helia could hardly believe it when she realized that she'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.

Helia, however awoke with a familiar dark cloud hanging over its depressing weight crushing any emotions she felt other than a hazy blankness that seeped deep into what seemed to be her very soul.

“Heli what’s wrong?” Lily fretted, as Helia dropped for face into her hands, so she wouldn’t have to look at her parents, afraid she would cry if she did.

“Mrs. Potter, it’s probably best to let the book explain.” Hermione covered for Helia.

Today was a day that Helia dreaded for years and years, she did not get excited to Trick-or-Treat like the non-magical kids did back at Private Drive, nor did she celebrate Samhain and the other magical traditions that filled Hogwarts. For ‘tis the day she lost everything that was hers, it was the day her parents died.

Lily and James looked as if they were hit by a cruciatus curse, they knew their death weighed heavily on their daughter but hearing it crushing their daughter in a dark depression where she walked throughout the day in a fog. Hurt more than their death ever could.

From day one Aunt Petunia had beat into her that she was not apart of their family, even though Helia’s mother was her Aunt’s younger sister. They cruelly took every chance to rub in her face that she was nothing, but an orphan with no family to call her own, sleepless nights with the haunting feeling of loneliness when she tried to picture her long gone parents.

She could remember when she was six-years-old wanting to go out and Trick-or-Treat like the other kids and her Aunt and Uncle cruelly mocked her. “My what kind of daughter wants to celebrate the night her parents got themselves killed?!”

“ I guess you’ll end up just like your deadbeat parents useless and disrespectful, won’t you girl.” Her Aunt and Uncle laughed at her heartbroken expression, before leaving her alone in her dark cupboard as they took Dudley out to celebrate the very holiday they mocked her for.

“Oh baby, my baby,” Lily cried rushing to embrace her daughter. “It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart.”

“Fawn your mother and I would never want you to stop living and celebrating life because were gone, because we can live in those moments from within you with every smile.” James reassured her as he kneeled with his wife in front of their daughter. “You can never do anything that would disrespect us and never let anyone call you useless because you’re everything your mother and I wanted and more.”

Luna’s lips wavered as she felt Helia’s pain echo in her chest, the loneliness that mirror her childhood as her father lost himself after the death of his wife leaving his only child alone with the trauma of watching her mother die before her eyes. Magical creatures could only tamper the loneliness so much.

The only thing that brought a spark of feeling back to her was that Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Helia's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch her eye).

“Sorry, Neville it wasn’t as it seemed..I just…I’ll let the book explain.” Helia trailed off.

Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger.

“Even now with them being friends their horrible at working together without getting on each other’s nerves.” Neville informed.

“It can’t be helped if she believes she knows everything better than everyone else!” Ron complained.

“You just never listen, Ronald!” Hermione hissed.

It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Helia's broomstick had arrived. 

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too -- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest. "

“We tested that it’s fake.” The Twins informed solemnly.

“What if it actually worked, you could’ve been hurt.” Daphne frowned.

“We got Lee to do the spell.” The Twins shrugged with matching grins.

Seamus was the perfect partner for her —because he literally paid no attention to who he was partnered with—

Neville eyes widened at Helia, finally realizing why Helia would want Seamus instead of him as a partner for Helia who was trying to hide it would be near impossible to do so with him sitting next to her.

So she could privately utter the spell clearly under her breath, with a swish and flick. and just like that her feather rose up off the desk to hover in-front of her emerald eyes, she held it in the air for a couple seconds before she discreetly lowered it back down on the desk.

Her eyes swept over the class to see if anyone had noticed,

“Helia Intelligence is not something to be ashamed of, it is a gift.” Kingsley advised, kindly.

Draco could see by the uncomfortable look on her face it wasn’t shame she felt, it was a survival instinct that had her keeping her intellect under lock and key. His teeth clenched trying to hold back his anger at her ‘relatives’ if he ever caught those bastards alone there would be nothing left.

thankfully no one had so she turn to Seamus to see how he was doing and offer help if he wanted some. Only to face-palm at the mini fire that Seamus started without her notice. He clearly got impatient with the spell and somehow lit the feather on fire—

“I swear you’d think he’s doing it on purpose with how many of his spells end up in flames.” Helia laughed.

“Don’t forget how his potions always ends up exploding in his face, I’m surprised his eyebrows still grow back with how many times they were burnt off.” Hermione huffed, with a small grin on her lips.

“Is he still trying to turn water into rum with that bogus spell?” Ginny asked.

The twins burst into giggles, ah firsties were so easy to mess with.

“I’ll take that as yes…” Ginny trailed off.

Helia quickly put it out with the sleeve of her robe covering her hand, it’s a good thing she got these thing fire resistant.

Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck. 

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill. 

“Ron honestly that’s a good way to poke someone’s eye out.” Susan admonished lightly, smiling at the red blush on his face.

"You're saying it wrong," Helia 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," Ron snarled. 

Ron facepalmed at his younger self’s stupidity. “Never challenge Hermione Granger and expect to come out winning.” Drawing a self-satisfied expression on Hermione’s face.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads. 

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Hermione burrowed her head into Helia’s shoulder, “That should’ve been you, you deserve credit for your accomplishments shouldn’t have to hide.”

Helia lightly shrugged so not to jolt Hermione much, “It doesn’t matter too me, besides I’m not to fond of the spotlight. I kind of get enough of it just from living, so I don’t mind you shining instead.” Tossing a fond glance at Hermione. “Sides you always look your best in the light.” The sincere compliment brought a blush creeping across Hermione’s cheeks.

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Helia as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "

“Ronald!” Mrs. Weasley scolded.

“Ron that’s no way to talk about your housemate, let alone a girl.” Bill snapped.

“Knock it off, Ron.” Helia narrowed her sharp emerald gaze at her best friend, who flinched back at the look.
“She nice, she just needs to get comfortable with you and it doesn’t help with you snapping at her all the time.”

“I think that’s the first time I was ever faced with your anger.” Ron shivered.

“I was fed up with your unjustified rudeness, I don’t believe in belittling people.” Helia decreed.

Someone knocked into Helia as they hurried past her. It was Hermione.

“Oh, Dear.” Mrs. Weasley sighed, shaking her head at the actions of her youngest son. “Hermione Dear I am so sorry for my foolish son I swear we will have a stern talk to him.” She reassured Hermione, marching her way to her wide-eyed son.

Hermione’s hands shot out warding off the fuming Weasley matriarch. “Mrs. Weasley please wait! Ron and I talk this over ourselves, it’s our own business between the three of us. Please leave this to us to work through.” Hermione pleaded.

A doubtful look crossed Mrs. Weasley’s face, as Mr. Weasley laid a hand on her shoulder. “Fine we’ll leave it alone, but Ronald you better watch your mouth from here on out do you hear me you man.”

“Yes, Mum…” Ron murmured sinking in his seat leaning more against Hermione.

Helia caught a glimpse of her face -- and was startled to see that she was in tears. 

"I think she heard you. "

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends. "

“Ron, I know you guys are working through this yourselves, but you need to watch your words.” Mr. Weasley warned his youngest son.

“She was bloody crying.” Helia growled more to herself than Ron, who flinched at his friends tone. “Ah, what do I do!?” Helia stressed, unsure what to do as she tugged at her short hair in frustration.

“Me being upset really bothered you that much?” Hermione wondered, touched that she meant that much to her friend.

“Hermione your one of the most precious people in the world to me, even if I didn’t quite know it then I could still feel the connection.” Helia vowed.

Ron shuffled uncomfortable, but he tried to help Helia calm down. “Go comfort her than.” Ron told her, drawing a blank expression of confusion.

“How do I even do that?”

It was Ron’s turn to look at his best friend blankly, only to realize Helia had absolutely no idea how to comfort someone.

“How can you not know how to comfort someone?” Daphne asked in disbelief.

“Who the hell was I ever going to comfort before coming to Hogwarts my Aunt or dear Dudleykins certainly not my Uncle.” Helia snarked. “Was I supposed to learn from never having a single person comfort me in my pain or sad. Or should I’ve copied my Aunt and Uncle in believing gifts and money can make anything better.”

Daphne backed down at the sharp words thrown her way, there really nothing she could say to that. While her parent were neglectful to their two daughters, disappointed in not having a male heir at least she had Astoria.

“Start with hugs.” He supplied helpfully.

“With what?—you know what never-mind.” Helia waved him off.

“I honestly don’t know if that is sad or funny.” Tonks pondered, her hair falling to her shoulders brightly coloured yellow.

“Tell the Professor McGonagall that I was feeling sick and Hermione stayed with me to take care of me if she asks, but tell her nothing else.”

“Why? What are you going to do?” Ron asked, his red eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Miss. Potter I hope this is the extent of you cutting your classes, even if you are doing it for the well-being of your classmate.” McGonagall warned sternly.

“I’m going to go after Hermione.” She told him. “I’ll meet you after double Transfiguration outside the Common Room.” No way was she showing up halfway into Professor McGonagall’s class.

With that said she took off down the corridor that Hermione went down, running in hopes to find her faster.

She kept a sharp ear out for Hermione, skidding to stop outside the girl’s bathroom near the Transfiguration class. Hermione hiccups and sobs echoed of the laboratory’s stone walls, Helia silently crept closer to the stalls she hesitantly knocked on the door calling out to the weeping girl. “Hermione?”

“Go away!” 

Helia winced at the yell that chocked off into a sob. “I just wanted to see if you were okay—I mean of course your not okay—what I mean is I was checking on you.” Helia stumbled over her words, which odd for her, but then again she never needed to comfort someone crying before. Because really Helia? Of course, she wasn’t okay! She’s crying in the bloody loo, for Merlin’s sake!

“Oh wow, Merlin Pup.” Sirius winced at his goddaughter’s awkwardness.

“I told you people this is the first time trying to comfort someone!” Helia exclaimed, didn’t they get how out of her comfort zone it took for her younger self to try comforting someone.

“I’m sorry for what Ron said.” Helia said, through the stall door. “He was wrong to say that.”

“No he wasn’t!” Hermione wailed. “He’s completely right, I’m a bossy know-it-all who doesn’t have any friends because she’s too much of a nightmare to deal with!”

“Hermione, it’s completely okay to be authoritative or wanting to share your intelligence if people are threatened by that then screw them.” Bill stressed, grabbing Hermione’s hand in his gentle grasp.

“It’s hard not to get hurt, when your told it’s the reason why no one wants to be friends with you.” Hermione admitted. “That the only way their going to want you is if you change yourself.”

“Never change yourself for anyone, because if they want you to change then it’s probably them who needs to change.” Bill comforted.

“You’re not a nightmare Hermione, I mean you come off as a little bossy and as a walking encyclopedia with all the facts you spout out.” Helia admitted. “However, once you get past that front you put up you’re a wonderful and kind friend to have.”

“Friend?” Hermione parroted. “But I’ve been ignoring you, and being really snotty to you!”Hermione cried.

“If you think any of that matters to Helia, when her friends is in tears then you don’t know her that well.” Luna mused, with an uncommonly fierce look in her blue glass coloured eyes.

“I know.” Hermione said softly, it’s like she said before Helia entered the purple flames in their first year. Books and cleverness in the face of Helia’s bravery and how she values her friends are everything to Hermione who was friendless before Helia reached her hand out.

Helia finally had enough of listening to Hermione cry through the stall, she whipped out her wand and cast the unlocking spell she learned a month back with Hermione when they were still talking. “Alohomora.” Helia barged into the now unlocked stall, to see Hermione sitting on the loo with her knees pulled up to her chest hiding her tear stained face into them.

“Hermione, I don’t care what I care about is you.” Helia confessed crouching down in front of her friend. “Hermione before I came to Hogwarts I never had a single friend to call my own, kids in my old school either bullied me or ignored me. I was too different for them, so I never got close too anyone my age.” Hermione listened through her knees. “When I boarded the train to Hogwarts I was never planning on befriending any of my classmate, I didn’t think it was possible for me to make friends.”

Hermione lifted her head to look at Helia. “But you get along with practically everyone in our house.”

“Only when it’s useful to them.” Helia snorted, drawing nods from Hermione and Ron they witnessed how quick their housemate could turn on them.

Helia scoffed, shaking her head. “If I knew why they seem to like me, I’d tell you but I really don’t know why. I mean there’s Ron and the Twins come with him, Neville I don’t think he has it in him to be mean to anyone, our house mates like me for being The-Girl-Who-Lived they really don’t know me.”  She looked up into Hermione’s cinnamon brown eyes that shined with tears. “Then there’s you, you got me in a intellectual way nobody ever could, your easy to talk to and you understand what I say in return.” 

“It was like everyone was talking in a different language, and then suddenly Hermione’s there speaking my native language so easily and freely.” Helia admitted, she had a hard time sometimes with her peers that didn’t have the same experience or thought process as her. It was easier to coast alone the conversations then to try and explain her thoughts and opinions to people over, and over again.

Theo could understand where she was coming from, he too couldn’t connect to his peers they had such a radical difference in views that he voluntarily chose to be a loner instead of changing or faking to fit in. He still could not up into words though the relief he felt when Blaise, his maður sneaked into his life having that one person can change you more than thought possible.

Helia gave a humourless chuckle. “I usually don’t even bother with people, they never react well when I show how intelligent I actually am. I don’t have it in me to show and revel in my intelligence like you Hermione, I hid my intelligent to blend in the background it was better when no one knew what I could do easier….safer.” She trailed off not quite sure how to explain why she had to hide her intelligence, without spilling the beans about how the Dursley beat the lessons so thoroughly in her that she no longer knew how to stop hiding.

Blaise exhaled through his nose, as someone who mastered the art of blending in the background so efficiently that no one would question what he was doing. Because if you fit in the background than you can be overlooked enough you can get away with anything, and that just might mean your survival. And just like Potter said you hide in the shadows long enough you forget how to belong in the light.

Hermione sniffed wetly, brushing away her tears harshly. “Book have been my only constant in my life, they taught me, they advised me and they were my only friends. Because no one wanted to be friends with a know-it-all who can’t keep her mouth shut.”

“Hey that makes the both of us, at least you just spout out facts I spout out insults that make people want to hit me.”

“That is an understatement.” Ron scoffed.

“You have no room to talk, Ron.” Helia shot back.

Helia pointed out with a grin, just to try to get a smile out of Hermione. She counted it a success when a wet choked laugh escaped past Hermione’s lips.

“My parent always told me if I don’t have anything intelligent to add to a conversation, what was the point in speaking.” Hermione admitted, not noticing how Helia’s eyes darken or how her nails pierce her palms. “So I read every book, novel, pamphlet I could get my hands on just so I could always have something, anything to say.

“Hermione your parents had no right to tell you that.” Remus objected. “A child needs to ask questions to grow, and for them to say that to a young child no matter how smart is horrible.”

“He’s right kitten, for your parent to scare you into hoarding facts…you didn’t, and still don’t deserve that.” Sirius added with a dark glint to his silver eyes.

The wobbly smile Hermione gifted them broke their hearts.

You have to understand Helia when I’m left alone it’s so easy to get lost in my thoughts, I forget everything around me, I forget to eat, to sleep…sometimes I’m afraid one day I’ll be unable to leave my own head forever stuck alone with only my thought as company.” 

Helia couldn’t help but resonate with Hermione, she too was terrified of being alone with her thoughts and memories slowly killing her like a noose tightening around her neck. She remembered when she used to do anything and everything just for a hint of affection from her Aunt and Uncle, before the reality smacked her in the face. They didn’t care for her, they never would and it almost killed her trying to fool herself otherwise.

Helia and Hermione bowed their heads together as their pain and fears aired that they only really shared with Ron.

 Ron said nothing as he glared at the others, it wouldn’t do his friends any good if people kept demanding answer like Helia and Hermione’s pain was their right to know.

“You don’t have to be alone anymore.” Came blurting out, both girls stared at each other in shock.
“I mean it, if you want for however long you want I won’t leave you and you will always have a place by my side.” Helia declared.

Draco could feel his magic ghosting up his spine in warning, why did he get the feeling that something big was going to happen?

“You don’t mean that Helia, you heard Ron I’m a nightmare I’ll do something that will make you mad. Then you’ll leave.” Hermione denied, not believing her.

Helia gave it a split second thought before grabbing Hermione hand in a tight grip. “Hermione Granger I Heliantheae Potter do swear on my life and magic that you will always have a place with me, I will be whatever you need a friend, a protector, a sister and I will carry this vow until the end of my days so I solemnly swear.” Helia swore looking Hermione in her eyes as she swore.

 Helia’s magic rose to her vow, a beautiful green light shined from where Helia was clutching Hermione’s hand. Hermione’s own magical awoke from Helia’s magic welcoming the promised vow with a shiver of relief it’s fiery red light flickered and danced like fire as it sang and clung to Helia’s magic. 

Chaos broke out.

“Are you insane!” Mrs. Weasley screeched at the two girls.

“Miss. Potter you could’ve been killed!” McGonagall yelled.

“Where in the seven hells does a first year learn about magical oaths! I swear to Circe Dumbledore if this was your doing I’ll murder you on the spot Azkaban be damned!” Sirius bellowed.

“Helia how can you be so reckless, you could lose your magic or worse your life!” Lily cried.

“We have to break it!” Mrs. Weasley declared, drawing shocked looks from the Golden Trio.

“Break it?! Do you want to kill them both, Women!” Moody barked.

“It’s just like Potter, do you really think you’re better than the law magic girl.” Snape sneered. “You think there wouldn’t be consequences because you’re the ‘girl-who-lived’, the arrogance.”

“Enough!” Helia shouted, tired of all the criticism her magic humming and raising at the threat of breaking its tie to Hermione. “I made this bond knowing exactly what I was walking into, and I wouldn’t take it back for anything so sod off! If any of you try and mess with our bond I’ll take you out fast then you can lift your wand.”

“Helia’s right, our bond has four years to build and grow if you think we’ll let you break it you got another thing coming!” Hermione threatened backing Helia up.

“Ron! How could you not say anything you know how dangerous Magical Oaths can be!” Mrs. Weasley scolded.

“Mum, I didn’t think it was anyone’s business.” Ron sassed. “It’s not like they weren’t the smartest people I know or anything.”

Both girls gasped and shivered as their mixed magic washed over them like tidal waves, their foreheads touched leaning against each other gripping hands to ground themselves.

“Hel-Helia!” Hermione panted, out of breath, “you made a magical vow if you break it—”

“I know, Hermione.” Helia gently cut off her friend. Hermione’s magic sung as Helia called her name. “My magic wouldn’t of let me make the vow if I wasn’t being truthful, I’ll be your friend Hermione for as long as you want me.”

Tears streamed from cinnamon brown eyes. “Y-yes, I want that.” Hermione sobbed. “I want to be your friend, please.”

“As long as you want me, Hermione.” Helia promised, as she saw her friends eyes misting.

A wet laughed choked out “You’ll be stuck with me for quite a long time, then.” Hermione joked.

Helia’s sincere Emerald eyes soften. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Would you like a hug Hermione, I was told that it’s the most common way to comfort someone?” Helia asked gently, if not awkwardly.

A laugh bubbled out of the crying girl, “I would like that.”

Helia slowly—as if she was scared for frightening Hermione away if she moved to fast— reached to wrap her arms around Hermione. “There, there.” Helia soothed, petting Hermione’s wild frizzy curls.

“I can’t watch this it’s too adorable and awkward all at the same time.” George cried, covering his eyes.

“Gred, old chap.” Fred tapped on his twin’s shoulder.

“Yes, Forge?”

“We’re reading remember, we can’t really see it.”

“It’s called using your imagination, Twin of mine.”

Hermione giggled at the stiff comfort. “Have you never comforted someone before?”

“Uh no your my first, you’re also the first person I’ve hugged.” Helia awkwardly admitted, continuing to pet the wild curls. Hermione’s heart lurched as she tightened her grip on her friend, swearing to herself that she would hug Helia as much as she could.

Hermione pounced onto Helia knocking the smaller girl back into her seat.

“Hey! Hermione don’t hog Helia all to yourself!” Ron complained, flopping on top of his two best friends drawing groaned out of them.

“Ronald you’re squishing us!” Hermione squealed

“You got to take it easy on the feasts, mate you almost killed us!” Helia barked as she tried to wrench her way out from underneath her friends.

“Dog pile!” Sirius exclaimed jumping on top of the kids shifting into Padfoot’s form right before he hit. His animagus form was so large he almost covered the three teens squashed underneath him, not that he paid any attention with his doggie grin and barking laugh.

“Siriussss!”

“No, bad Snuffles!”

“Uuughhh.”

“I’m honoured to be the first than.” Hermione declared heatedly, clutching Helia almost possessively.

“Do you guys still get like that?” Astoria quietly asked, her index fingers fidgeting together in her nervousness.

Hermione nodded, without shame. “Oh all the time it’s why sometime Ron and I clash so harshly, the bond amplifies my feelings for and about Helia.” A pinched look was shot at Ron. “While Ronald is just a bad sport at sharing and ends up pissy when he can’t get his way.”

“You try having six siblings than come tell me you don’t feel the need to have a need to have your own things okay!” Ron argued his case. “And I do not get pissy, you give us the silent treatment when we don’t listen to you.”

“Please like you are any better, you practically used me as a bloody owl when you were too stubborn to talk to Helia last year!”

“To answer you question Astoria is yes we’re usually like that, but also we were already quite possessive before to be honest.” Helia pointed out to the younger girl, ignoring her squabbling friends.

Helia’s lips twitched as her magic cooed at Hermione, “Do you want to come with me now or stay here a little longer?” She asked.

Hermione shook her head, mopping her tear stained face with some toilet paper, “I’m going to stay here and clean up a bit, but you should head back to our lesson.” 

Helia searched her friends eyes to make sure she really meant it. “If that’s what you really want, but I don’t mind staying here with you Hermione.” She reassured.

“No, no I’m good, why don’t I meet up with you at the feast.” 

Helia winced, she hadn’t really planned on going to the feast but if that’s what Hermione wanted than she would go. “Sure, I’ll save you a seat.”

“Oh Helia I’m sorr—“ Helia covered Hermione’s mouth before she could apologize.

“Mione it’s fine, you didn’t know my feeling about that day yet.”

Hermione smiled at Helia in a way that lit a flame in her chest, no one has ever looked at her like that before. “Helia…Thank you.”

“You never have to thank me for being your friend Hermione…but your welcome anyways.”

Helia left the laboratory, sneaking her way through the halls up to the Gryffindor common room as she sunk tiredly into the armchair near the fireplace waiting in silence for Ron to meet up with her after Transfiguration. Her mind buzzed with thoughts and her magic stretched and reached in the direction that she automatically knew Hermione was. She was was snapped out of her thoughts when Ron came through the portrait door.

“Hey ready to go?” He asked, not a word about how Hermione was or anything of the like. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak about Hermione with Ron just yet.

“I didn’t think I could handle Ron carelessly insulting Mione without blowing up onto him.” Helia disclosed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

“Tell me about it I had to learn to watch what I said for weeks afterwards, both of you guys were on a hair trigger when it came other people talking about you guys.” Ron shuddered.

“Is that why Hermione made Justin Finch-Fletchley cry in second year?” Neville asked.

“He had it coming.” Hermione defended.

On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Helia and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Helia’s teeth bared into a snarl at her roommates scarring the gossiping girls off running,

“Another example of my temper was so thin when it came to protecting Hermione.” Helia chuckled darkly, that should teacher her gossiping roommates.

she prayed that they meant before she caught up with Hermione but she knew it was so. She could feel Hermione’s sadness through her magic, she swore if Hermione didn’t show up halfway through the feast she would go looking for her. 

Ron looked still more awkward at this,

“You should’ve seen the glare Helia was giving.” Ron shuddered. “Not to mention I never made a girl cry before.”

“What does Ginny not count as a girl?” Neville asked.

“Neville do I look like someone who would cry because my brother?” Ginny rhetorical asked.

“Yeah sides Ginny made Ron cry more than anyone else.” Charlie teased.

“Don’t tell them that!”

but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of his mind. 

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. 

Helia was restlessly picking at a baked potato when 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. "

“First a Cerberus, and now a Bleeding Troll in the school!” James raged fed up with all the Magical creatures gunning to kill his daughter. “What’s next a dragon!?”

The golden trio and Charlie could not look him in the eyes, they weren’t looking forwards to that chapter.

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. 

“Are you fucking serious?! He’s the bloody Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and he’s fainting when his ‘skills’ are needed most!” Sirius raged. “What bloody use is he?!”

“Are you finally see why I want the position, it’s one fool after another.” Snape sneered, at Draco’s fake cough he caught his godson’s eyes flicking to Remus. With a put on sigh he relented. “I guess Lupin wasn’t completely incompetent.”

“Thank you, Severus.” Remus nodded, his lips twitching into an amused smile.

There was an 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!"

“But the Slytherin dorms are in the dungeons!.” Astoria cried, clinging onto to her sister.

“Astoria everything turned out okay the perfects realized this and lead us to the library, until word was sounded that the troll was caught.” Draco reassured the youngest Slytherin in the room, no matter how annoying her sister was he always had a soft spot for the youngest Greengrass sister.

“Really?” Astoria asked tearfully.

“Draco’s right, Ria it was a mistake on the Professors part.” Daphne comforted, while also thrown a not so subtle dig at the Staff. “Farley realized that the Professors weren’t going to rectify the Headmasters blunder and took over.”

Blaise grinned fondly, “She was some witch, after that imbecile partner of her tried to disagree with her, she slapped him with a confusion hex and if that was enough she jinxed him into a duck, classic.”

“Don’t remind me I had to hold onto that confused duck, so the idiot wouldn’t go running off and getting himself turned into duck stew or something.” Theo deadpanned, much to the amusement of his peers.

From the smug turn of his lips at Astoria’s laugh it was his plan all long.

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!"

"How could a troll get in?" Helia asked as they climbed the stairs. 

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke. "

Helia dismissed that right away the Peeves may enjoy dangerous pranks a tad too much, but her poltergeist friend wouldn’t go this far.

“Peeves would never do that, he may take the pranks too far sometimes but never on that scale.” Helia defend her poltergeist friend. “Hogwarts it’s self wouldn’t let him stay if that was the case.”

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Helia suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.

"Ron, We need to get Hermione.”

“Oh you foolish children, why didn’t you get an adult." McGonagall chided her lions.

At Helia’s and Ron’s blank expressions of disbelief, the staff weren’t really biting at the bit to admire themselves to the two young Gryffindors.

Snape sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose why did he get the feel that they witnessed him rushing off to the forbidden corridor.

"What about her?"

"She doesn't know about the troll. "

Ron bit his lip. 

"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us. "

Percy gaped at his little brother in horror, “You little idiot! What do you think you were doing? You don’t go off on your own when there’s a Blood Troll on the loose!”

Ron recoiled from his fuming brother he hadn’t expected Percy to get so mad. “But Percy we had to get Mione…” Ron trailed off at his brother’s dark glare.

“Then you tell an adult that a student is missing and isn’t aware of the incident, if you’re uncomfortable telling an adult then that what the perfects are for.” Percy lectured.

Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. 

"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Helia behind a large stone griffin. 

“I wasn’t anywhere near that area I was leading the Gryffindors to the Common Room.” Percy denied, hoping that whoever it was would stop them from going any further before they got hurt.

Snape eyebrows furrowed as his dark tunnelling eyes narrowed at the two Gryffindors in question, so they did see him. That explains the suspicious look that was thrown his way by the younger trio.

Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

“You saw a professor, but you didn’t think to ask him for help?!” Lily and Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Helia and Ron trade looks as they hesitantly turned back to their mothers. “Mum do you really think that we’re going to ask Snape for anything after how he treated Helia?”

“Mr. Weasley, I am still a Professor.” Snape sighed, but he had to give the brats points what reason did he give them that he would help them.

“Really!? Would have never known with how you act.”

"What's he doing?" Helia whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Search me. "

Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps. 

"He's heading for the third floor," Helia said,

“I was heading to cheek on the forbidden corridor as that’s where the Troll escaped from we need to make sure the Cerberus wasn’t out as well.” Snape stated, rolling his black eyes.

“It’s true I was going to send Quirrell, but then Severus volunteered to do so instead.” McGonagall vouched.

but Ron held up his hand. 

"Can you smell something?"

Sirius sliver eyes widened in horror, he could see James and Lily pale he bet if he looked over at Remus his eyes would be glowing a bright gold that told all that Moony was close to the surface. He prayed to every god he believed in and even the ones he didn’t, don’t let it be what he was dreading. Please say the troll was still in the dungeons with the staff taking care of it, and it wasn’t anywhere near his goddaughter.

Helia sniffed and a foul stench reached her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. 

And then they heard it -- a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed -- at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward 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, its 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.

Luna bit her lip, nervously. “A mountain troll, it’s the most vicious and dangerous of all the troll tribes their hunted down because they’re so dangerous. In fact Pierre Bonaccord the first Supreme Mugwump of the ICW was advocating to stop troll-hunting but was denied because a tribe of Mountain Trolls were running rampant during the time.”

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. 

Poor Astoria swayed in her seat at the description, Ginny’s hand steadying her.

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 keys in the lock," Ron nervously suggested. "We could lock it in. "

Hermione turned to Ron with a horrified look on her face. “You were going to lock that thing in there with me?!”

“I didn’t— I mean I was— but I didn’t!” Ron defended himself.

“Are you bloody insane! We can’t lock it in the bathroom!” Helia snapped, her Magic flaring in anger and alarm as she felt Hermione fear and shock. “That’s where Hermione is!”

“Thank you!” Hermione sassed.

Both Ron and Helia’s hearts nearly stopped when a high pitched scream rang from the bathroom. Helia’s mind blanked out everything, but Hermione, her body moved on its own as she sprinted for the bathrooms door she barely noticed Ron right there a step behind her. Helia yanked the door open and they rushed inside. 

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. 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, girl.” Moody grumbled. “I’ve seen Aurors three times your age freeze in the face of a troll lumbering towards, and they’ve had training to combat against the damn beast.”

“Thank you, Auror Moody, Sir.” Hermione said gratefully. “I don’t freeze in the face of danger any more though.”

Moody nodded in approval at the sharp look in her eyes.

"Confuse it!" Helia said desperately to Ron,

“Yes, good never go into a battle without a plan.” Moody approved.

“However, you must be ready for anything so it’s important to think on your feet also.” Tonks forewarned.

 her magic screaming to protect Hermione, she seized a tap throwing it as hard as she could against the wall. 

The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Helia. It hesitated, then made for her instead, lifting its club as it went. 

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder,

“Their skin is notoriously unyielding that spells bounce off it, a pipe isn’t going to do anything.” Charlie rambled. “Quick Ron don’t just stand there move before it notices you!”

“Charlie this already happen.”

but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Helia time to run around it. 

"Come on, run, run!" Helia yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. Helia tried call for her through her magic but to no avail she stayed petrified.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk.

“Trolls are highly sensitive to sounds, as they primarily use their ears to hunt in an echoing environment the distortion would drive them into a rage more than confuse it.” Charlie informed.

It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape. 

Helia then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:

“She gets that from you, James!” Lily screeched at her husband.

“I’m sure it wasn’t anything too bad.” James hoped, raising his hands to defend against his wife.

She took a great running jump and managed to fasten her arms around the troll's neck from behind.

“Helia why did you have to take after me, why could you take after Remus!” James wailed. “He would never do this to me.”

If Remus wasn’t so worried about his cub he would’ve slapped James upside the head. Oh wait Lily did that anyway, good for her. 

The troll couldn't feel Helia hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Helia's wand had still been in her hand when she'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils. 

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Helia clinging on for dear life;

“I was joking about the wrestling a Troll, for Merlin’s sake!” Fred yelped, his heart jolting in fear for the girl who became like another sister to his family.

“Well I mean I had some hands on practice with my Uncle so I thought I’d give it a shot.” Helia deadpanned.

“If I wasn’t so worried right now, I’d be proud.” George murmured, bitting his nails.

any second, the troll was going to rip her off or catch her a terrible blow with the club.

Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron 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!"

“But you couldn’t do the spell!” Bill shouted, terrified.

“Shut up he can do it, I know he can!” Susan snapped, as she chewed at her thumb barely hanging onto her frayed composure.

A crocked smiled appear on Ron’s face at Susan’s belief in him, it was nice having someone backing him up, believing in him.

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, 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, with a thud that made the whole room tremble. 

“Okay what’s with these children that they can escape a Cerberus which I remind you are so rare we don’t even know much about them and a XXXX classified Creature that was declared by the ministry of magic too dangerous as they need special training and knowledge to be subdued.” Kingsley muttered to himself.

Helia got to her feet. She was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. 

“Fear is one of the best teachers there is.” Moody nodded.

“Tell me about it.” Ron shivered, the whole event happened so fast that it was the only spell he could think of. 

It was Hermione who spoke first. 

"Is it -- dead?"

"I don't think so," said Helia, I think it's just been knocked out. "

“Don’t take your eye off a downed Troll unless you know it’s dead, and it takes a lot more force than a club falling onto its head to kill it.” Moody advised.

“Yeah we figured that out, pretty quickly.” Helia shifted restlessly.

She bent down and pulled her wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue. 

"Urgh -- troll boogers. "

“Oh that’s disgusting.” Susan gagged.

She wiped it on the troll's trousers. 

“After all the chaos, there’s Helia calmly wiping her wand off onto a Troll.”  Hermione giggled, remembering how the scene back in first year was so surreal to her,

“Oh no big deal in the life of Helia Potter, I fight trolls every other Thursday nothing to see here.” Ron joked.

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. 

“Oh come on!” Sirius scoffed, in disgust.

“Give the bloke a break, Sirius.” Tonks said. “It must’ve been a shock to expect to see total carnage, only to end up with three tiny first years standing around a KOed Troll.”

“It certainly knocked a few years off my life.” McGonagall sighed.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Helia. Helia had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Helia's mind. 

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Helia looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Snape gave Helia a swift, piercing look. Helia gritted her teeth she was liable to snap at the Professors if she opened her mouth, her magic felt stressed, Hell was she ever stressed. The danger that Hermione was in, then the adrenaline and frenzy of trying to keep herself, Hermione and Ron from becoming splatters staining the laboratory stressed the living hell out of her. Her head pounded wanting nothing more than to tear into her Professors.

“It’s that kind of behaviour that gets you into trouble you know.” Padma sighed.

“Hey I was wired from the bond and fight I was not liable for anything that came out of my mouth, in fact they should count themselves luck I had some hold on my tongue.” Helia argued.

When 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. Helia heaved a silent sigh of relief at the sound of her voice her magic curled and nuzzled against Hermione’s.

"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. "

“Hmm what an unexpected plot twist.” Blaise hummed, so starts the meddlesome group of kids known as The Golden Trio.

“Miss Granger why I’d never.” McGonagall huffed in disbelief. “What were you thinking why didn’t you just tell us the truth?”

Hermione’s shoulders raised to ears as she shrunk into her seat. “I was eleven and I didn’t want them getting into trouble after they risked their lives coming to rescue me.”

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

“What’s this Hermione?” Bill asked with a teasing grin on his handsome face. “Is this the start of your trouble making ways, have you really gone to the dark side.”

Clearing her throat, “Yes, well what’s a little excitement here and there to keep things interesting.”

Hermione giggled nervously.

“Got to say Hermione, rule breaker is a good look on you.” Bill laughed. “I might have to watch out before you pull me into some trouble of our own.”

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Helia stuck her wand up its nose and Ron 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. "

Helia and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them. 

“It’s hard enough to tell what Helia’s thinking when she’s not trying to hide it.” Fred admitted.

“Ronniekins on the other hand is an open book.” George laughed, at his younger brother’s red face.

"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. Helia was speechless, but her magic sung and shined at Hermione’s lie. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble, to get her out of trouble. She trembled with the need to cling to Hermione, she knew she would protect Hermione, but never dreamed of Hermione protecting her in return. Oh how she enjoyed it was for her that Hermione lied, she never had anyone try to take the blame for her before she relished the feeling.

“In early stages of magical bonding, it’s common to feel a strong urge to be in constant contact with each other along with heighten emotions surrounding the bonded.” Luna informed.

“I didn’t know you studied magical vows, oaths and bonds, Miss. Lovegood.” Madam Bones observed.

“Mum and Daddy were bonded before the accident, it’s only natural I would be well versed on the subject.” Luna explained.

Before with the Dursley the likelihood of someone doing this for her was as likely as Snape handing out sweets. 

“So never in a million years.” The Twins nodded, shivering at the thought of Snape handing out sweets maybe if they were poisoned. No not even then.

"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 Helia and Ron. 

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go. "

"What I want to know is why Arthur and I were never informed that our son was in close contact with a Troll.” Mrs. Weasley demanded glaring at Hogwarts staff.

The two professors looked towards the headmaster, better him than them.

“I think my wife asked you a question.” Mr. Weasley insisted, a fearsome glare on his usually cheerful face.

“The incident was handled and all was well it didn’t seem necessary.” Dumbledore

“Not necessary?! It wasn’t necessary to inform us that our son and two other children who we’ve come to think of as our own were in mortal danger?!” Mrs. Weasley shrieked. “And you say it wasn’t necessary!”

“Do tell Dumbledore what other events you classify as unnecessary to inform the students parents of?” James asked with a cold smile on his face.

“Mrs. & Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter I assure you that the mistake will not be made again.” Dumbledore reassured.

“See to it.” Mr. Weasley warned.

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else. 

"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled. 

“Points! Ron you could have died!” Percy raged. “Not only that you disobey orders from your headmaster, you took on a bloody troll!”

“Percy if we didn’t Hermione could’ve been hurt thou’” Ron tried to reason with his brother. “No one who be looking for Hermione they were all looking for the troll in the dungeons, even though it was really there!”

"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's. "

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her. "

“She would’ve need saving if you learned to watch your tongue, Ron.” Bill scolded.

“I know, I know.” Ron sighed.

"She wouldn’t of needed saving if you have said those things about her.” Helia reminded him. 

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. 

"Pig snout," they said and entered. 

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

“Aww I remember those were the days back when the golden trio was knee-high, cute little buggers.” Fred cooed, teasingly.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

“I know you Gryffindor may have not known this, but there are other ways to befriend people beside…oh I don’t know fighting a bloody troll.” Blaise sarcastically said, with a drawl look on his face.

“I don’t think I hand you getting any more friends if that’s how you usually make friends, Helia.” Lily heaved a sigh placing a hand on her racing heart.

“Yeah I agree with your mother, Fawn.” James said.

“Okay, Okay. Who wants to go next.” Helia asked.

“I will Fawn.” James said, grabbing the book from Moody, “Quidditch. Yes I got the best chapter, suckers!”