Extraordinary

Em was pleased to find that Harry and Ron were still here at school and not on the train home. Sure, they looked a little tired but still perfectly cheerful. They told Em all about their excellent adventure that was meeting the three-headed dog and it made her wish that Merlin hadn't helped her back into her Common Room and had joined them instead. They were keen to have another adventure soon but in the meantime, Harry filled the two in about the small package that was moved by Hagrid from Gringotts to Hogwarts. They spent a lot of breakfast wondering why such a thing would need such heavy protection.

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

"Or really dangerous," finished Em.

"Or both," added Harry.

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.

Neville and Hermione, who had joined the two on their little adventure, didn't show the slightest interest in finding out what lay underneath the dog and the trap door. All they cared about was never going near the dog again.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to the three, even though Em had nothing to do with it, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they weren't complaining. 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. Em immediately recognised this as a broom and wondered to who this package would go. The trio, especially Harry, was surprised when it was dropped right in front of Harry and knocked his bacon on the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because Emeelia read over his shoulder:

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

"Cor, Harry. That's the best bloody broom you can get!" she whispered to him, trying to attract as little attention as possible. "And from Minnie too!"

Harry passed the note to Ron after reading it over a few times, a permanent look of glee on his face.

"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 Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry 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."

Apparently, Ronald likes boasting on behalf of his friends.

"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 Harry. "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."

"Now listen here, Malfoy-"

Before she could finish her retort, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, children?" he squeaked.

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

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

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry, 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," he added.

The trio headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "Well, it's true," Harry 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...."

"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 Harry's hand.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you weren't speaking to us? Or did you feel like you had to grace us with your presence?' Is what Em almost said. Instead, she thought being polite would get them through this quicker.

"What happened to not speaking to us? I was quite enjoying the silence," she said. So much for politeness.

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

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.

Em decided that keeping her mind on her work and not the broom would be best so that she could get through the day and get back to the boys and the broom quicker. Though she found this harder than she first thought. Maybe I can invite Harry round for Christmas and show him James' broom?. We could play Quidditch together! Get the Weasleys and we could do three-a-side matches! The hours ticked by until dinner where Em paid no mind to what she shovelled into her gob and then rushed up to the Gryffindor Common Room with the boys. The Fat Lady gave her a small look, a disgusted look. Apparently, Slytherins weren't usually allowed in the Dorm. Understandable, of course, what with the house rivalries and all that.

At seven, Harry bid them farewell and left for the pitch. Ron and Em had no idea what to do after that. They played a few rounds of Wizard's Chess which Em just barely lost. (You cheated! How can I cheat? I don't know, you just did!) They played Gobstones which Em was definitely better at, only getting sprayed once. It was getting late and Em didn't want to get locked out again, so she said goodnight and left the Gryffindor Common Room for her own.

She said 'hello' to the portrait of Merlin on her way there and when she was inside she went straight to her dorm to get some books and parchment. When she came back down there were a select few students left. Some fifth and seventh years that were giving their all this year and some first years doing last minute homework. Em went to sit in her favourite spot (on the floor by the window showing the lake) and pulled out her books. She only had a little bit of homework that was set that day and the day before.

As she wrote the ingredients and their properties for the forgetfulness potion, she began to hum a tune. She scratched her chin as she flipped through the textbook looking for other things to put into her essay. The humming turned into gentle 'da-da-da's and tapping until she was quietly singing the song.

"Take a sad song and make it bette - e - er" she sang gently.

As she wrote down the uses of the forgetfulness potion, she got louder and more confident in her singing.

"Remember to let her into your heart,
then you can sta - a - rt to make it better.

Hey Jude, don't be afraid.
You were made to go out and get he - er - er.
The minute you let her under your skin,
then you begin to make it better."

This attracted the attention of a few students who looked over at the source of the sound. None of them had heard the song, of course. They are pure-bloods after all.

"And any time you feel the pain,
Hey Jude, refrain.
Don't carry the world upon your shoulder - er.
For well you know that it's a fool,
Who plays it cool,
By making his world a little colder.
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah

Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can sta - a - rt to make it better."

All while she was singing, and gaining an audience, she didn't notice. She didn't notice because, to her, it's nothing special. She does this every night. Also, she is doing her homework...

"So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah," she closed her eyes, all that were watching could tell that she loved the song because of the passion she put into it.

"Hey Ju - u - u - u - u - de, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it bette - e - er
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh," she then went quiet again. She was putting her things away when she noticed the small crowd that had gathered. A blush spread across her cheeks and her hair tinged orange.

"What're you all looking at?" she snapped. They all went back to their own business after that.

Em could hardly believe that they had been at Hogwarts for two months. Two months! She had made herself at home here, though she would always prefer the little cottage in Sheffield. Lessons had started to pick up now that they weren't doing basic things and Em found she could pay attention better when she liked what they were doing.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. She also accidentally bumped into a third year Hufflepuff called Cedric on her way to the Great Hall. He was very polite and picked up what she'd dropped and handed them back to her. Even better, 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. Emeelia was paired with, none other than Sleakeazy's model himself, Draco Malfoy. He didn't speak much to her which was an upside but she had to wonder why. Harry was partnered with Seamus Finnigan. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about the arrangement. She hadn't spoken to any of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" 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."

It was spectacularly simple. Within minutes, Em's feather was floating gracefully above the desk winning ten points for Slytherin. Though, she found Malfoy wasn't quite as good at charms as she'd thought.

"Come on, Malfoy. It's not that hard," she taunted.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong!" he said frustratedly. "I give up!"

"Don't give up. Look, try again."

He pointed his wand at the feather and dramatically waved his wand saying 'Wingardium Leviosa'.

"First of all, don't wave your wand like that. Look, do it small," she said, demonstrating the movement with her own wand which he mimicked correctly. "And second, try pronouncing the 'ar' in 'Wingardium' more."

And so, he tried again and it started to float. His scowl turned to a smile that was directed at Emeelia.

"Thanks, Lupin!" he said brightly.

His achievement got Slytherin another ten points. The two were then allowed to just talk after being given their homework for the week. Em quickly glance over at her friends to see how they were doing.

Harry's feather seemed to be burnt to a crisp, though not his fault. Seamus was the one mainly covered in soot. Ron looked about ready to explode as Granger explained something. He caught Em's eye and mouthed 'she's a nightmare' Em smiled apologetically and mouthed back 'sorry, mate.'

"So, you're singing last night was very good," he said uneasily.

She snapped her head back to him. "Oh, thanks. I didn't see you watching?"

"Well I didn't just want to openly stare but I listened. What song was it, by the way? I've never heard it."

"Well, you won't have. It's by a muggle band called 'The Beatles' I really quite like them. The song was called 'Hey Jude'."

"Is it your favourite? You seemed to really enjoy it?"

"No, my favourite by The Beatles is 'Twist and Shout'," she said, looking back at her friends again.

Ronald and Granger's feather was floating. She is quite good, isn't she? She could be a little less rude though. Flitwick gave Gryffindor ten points and then that was it. Lesson done, Time for food, thought Em.

Ron was in quite the irritable mood at the end of the lesson. She can't have been that bad? I mean, I spent a whole lesson with Draco and didn't bite his head off.

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

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you," said Harry bluntly.

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

"Ugh," Em scoffed. "Really? Look, I really don't like the girl but I don't go saying it near her. She didn't really deserve that did she, Ronald?"

She waited to see what their reaction was to her statement.

"Well?" she asked hysterically. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

They stared at her blankly and the tinge of red in her hair only increased.

She grunted running off to find where the girl might've gone. Why am I even following her? It's not like we're friends! But that was just it. Em could've ended up with no friends because of her house but she didn't. Her friends stayed with her. Hermione didn't have friends that could've done that for her. She needed them, Merlin knows she did and if no-one was going to step up to do that then Em might as well be the one.

The halls quieted down and Emeelia followed where she thought she might've gone. She passed by a room and heard the faint sound of crying coming within. She reversed and entered the room quietly.

"Hermione?" she said gently.

"Go away!" she said between sobs.

"Come on. We need to get to the feast."

"I'm not going, no one wants me there anyway."

"Ron's an idiot and he says things he doesn't mean."

"It sounded like he meant that!"

"Well, it's not true!"

"It is! Who do you see me sitting with at dinner? No-one! Who do you see me sitting with in lessons? Anyone left over! No one actually likes me. Not even you, the person who came to help."

There was silence for a second.

"Why did you come and help?" she said, her sobs had quietened and now were merely a few hiccoughs here and there.

"Because I could've ended up without friends, but I didn't because I already had them. It probably doesn't make sense... You need friends that could do that for you, you know. Stick by you. I'd like to try and be that friend. Everyone needs one."

"Thanks..."

"Do you want to come out?"

"No, give me a minute."

Em put her back against the stall that Hermione was in and slid to the floor.

"Do you want to know why most people don't like you, including me at one point?" There's no point in sugar coating it.

"Ok?" she said uncertainly.

"You come off as bossy and rude. You're also quick to show off. Try to be a bit softer and don't just stick your hand up straight away, alright?"

She didn't reply for a moment. Probably reflecting on what Emeelia had said.

"You're right. I am a bit bossy aren't I?" she chuckled.

"Ron shouldn't have been so angry. He was probably just intimidated by your knowledge."

"Who were you sat with? I didn't notice."

"Draco Malfoy. That's why I'm so annoyed at Ron. He couldn't get along with you for an hour even though I managed not to kill Draco."

Em heard a snort of laughter from the stall.

"So, Em. Rumours from the Slytherins say that you sing."

"Word spreads fast around here, doesn't it? Yeah, I sing."

"What do you sing?"

"Mainly muggle songs, you know. The Beatles, Queen, Guns and Roses, Led Zepplin. That sorta thing."

"You like rock then? Maybe you could come to my house and meet my parents they have every Queen record ever made!"

"Sounds good. Maybe you could come to mine. Our house is practically a library!"

The two continued chatting for a while and then Em heard a click and the sliding of the lock on the stall. She was about to turn around to greet her new found friend when she saw a very large leg step through the door to the bathroom. She spun on the spot and pushed Hermione into the stall, joining her. Hermione was about to exclaim when Em put a finger to her lips. They heard the sound of the bathroom door shutting.

Merlin, that thing smells bad. She couldn't look over the top of the stall, or under it. Damn Hogwarts and it's great privacy! She slowly slid the lock open and pulled the door towards herself just enough to peak her head out. She saw that the troll was not, in fact, gone, but shut in with them. It also saw them and started lumbering towards them.

"We're going to have to get out and go behind it," she whispered hurriedly.

"Go behind what?"

Em didn't reply, only yanked Hermione out of the stall with her as the massive creature lunged its club at the stalls, destroying three of them in one fell swoop. That's when their Knights in shining Hogwarts Robes came bursting through the door. Em turned to Hermione who looked as if she were about to faint and pulled her beside her.

"Confuse it!" she heard Harry say.

Ron seized a tap and lobbed it at a wall. The troll stopped a few feet away from the girls. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oi, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the opposite side of where Harry was, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry 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.

Emeelia grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the wall trying to get her to follow but her legs stayed firmly rooted to the floor.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid, very Gryffindor in Emeelia's most humble opinion: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel him hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

Em was raking her mind for a spell to cast or something to do that could help. 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!"

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

Emeelia was the first to break the silence.

"Well done Ronald," she said proudly.

He grinned bashfully before Hermione said: "Is it - dead?"

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

He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.

"Gross," Em said, her face twisting in disgust. "Troll bogies."

Harry wiped it on the troll's trousers.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the four 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 Ron, Em and Harry. Emeelia had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white with being pressed together. Hopes of being a favourite student, easily destroyed by the desire of making a friend...

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry 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 Harry a swift, piercing look and then gave the same look to Em. The two looked at the floor to avoid his gaze. Em put her hand on Ronald's arm and lowered it.

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."

Ron's jaw dropped and Em's would've too if she wasn't trying to get away with whatever lie they could come up with. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club, Emeelia made sure to move me out of the way. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

The three 'saviours' tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.

"Well - in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. Em was completely taken aback. 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 had stated that Em was his favourite student.

"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 the remaining three.

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

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.

"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."

"We might not have needed saving if you hadn't locked the thing in with us," Em said.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. They said their goodbyes and the boys entered their Common Room.

Em wished she could've joined them but it wasn't her Common Room. She may have gone in there once but it was practically empty then. She didn't think that she'd be welcomed with open arms into a fully-Gryffindor-inhabited Common Room.

She went back to her Common Room, grabbed a plate and went to have a surprisingly pleasant chat with Draco. After eating she went to bed very happy. She wrote a letter to Remus telling him about how she'd befriended the pompous girl from the bookshop.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger was considered as her and the boys' 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.