Chapter 55: Ch55. Halloween, looks like I inherited Potter's luck
Hermione started joining the library meetings every Tuesday and Thursday. Hadrian quickly found a use for the organized, researcher-like mind of the girl. Mentioning the efforts to create a spell that could 'read an entire book' by touching it, fired Hermione up, and suddenly, Hadrian didn't need to look for references anymore. They were delivered to him by her with a puppy look and expectant sparkling eyes. Even Susan became less cold to her after seeing that display and Dora remembered the face and started teasing Hermione by shifting her head to it ever so often.
Hermione was very helpful to the group and Hadrian noticed the girl was brilliant if only limited by her belief in books and authority. Something he vehemently tried to break her off of. And while he couldn't do much about the authority, he did his damnedest to show her the mistakes in some books, compared to others, and by the end of it, he was sure she spotted it long ago but never admitted it to herself. Alas, she was still sitting on a fence when it came to the issue but Hadrian was nothing but patient with her.
Halloween came and Hadrian knew what would follow. He warned Hermione to not be too upset if someone doesn't take her advice to heart but could not prevent anything since Hufflepuffs had Charms with Ravenclaws so he was not in that class.
Right now, he sat down behind the table with Dora, as the feast began. Unable to enjoy the food, he started to look around in worry, and immediately spotted Hermione missing. He could only shake his head sadly.
'Looks like I would have to do the saving people shtick.' He sighed in indignation.
He leaned closer to Dora's ear.
"Ah, does the ickle Potty want to give Dora a kiss?" She teased with a kissy face, and for a second Harry pictured Bellatrix. He saw her appearance in a photo Narcissa kept and could not deny the similarities. If Dora was not blonde, she would look exactly like younger Bellatrix. Add the cackling and baby talk and... Hadrian shivered.
"I just wanted to ask if you have seen Susan." He asked bluntly.
"No, she will come later." Dora told him uncaringly, making his worries increase.
"Any idea where she is?" He impatiently inquired.
"Why so worried? Last time I saw her she was going to help Hermione because she saw her cry." Dora said and Hadrian stiffened.
"Oh, shit..." Before he managed to finish it, Quirrell barreled into the Great Hall, throwing the door wide open with a 'bang'.
"Troooooll! There is a trooooll in the dungeons!" He stopped, swaying from side to side as the foremost expert on trolls he was... "Thought you ought to know." And fell down, fainting forward... somehow.
The panic ensued as Dumbledore gave his famous order to head to the Common Rooms. The kids stood up, rushedly heading towards the door only for Professor Horple to loudly protest.
"Are you insane, you old goat!?" He burst out, looking at the entire staff like they were criminals. His anger increased at their puzzled expressions. "Slytherin's Common Room is in the dungeons, idiots!" He elaborated and Slytherins promptly paled alongside their so-called Professors. Dumbledore only frowned at being proven incorrect but as he was about to give different orders, Professor Horple interrupted him before he could start.
"Students." He said under the influence of Sonorus Charm, his voice booming through the Great Hall. "You will stay here. Get far away from the door. Half of the staff will stay here with you while the other half will go investigate.
Hadrian was sure Quirrell must be cursing right about now as he was still laying on the floor and judging by the direction the things proceeded he would be there for a long, long time since no one was leaving Great Hall.
Nobody noticed two missing girls from the feast. Only Dora was somewhat worried about Susan but as she was about to turn to Hadrian she found... nothing.
Hadrian used Susan's invisibility transfiguration on his clothes, pulled his hood up during the commotion, and while the teachers argued, slipped away. He had a girl to save and no time to waste.
Rushing towards the girl's bathrooms on the first floor. As he was about to enter, he heard the shrill shriek of two girls, and his guts twisted in worry.
Hermione was not very close to him yet. She may have spent a lot of time with him and the girls but her nature and personality prevented Hadrian from seeing her as someone endearing. Their friendship was far too recent for that.
But Susan... that was a different cup of coffee! He spent almost every waking second with that girl since they became friends! He was not about to lose her!
He threw the door open and marched inside, instantly seeing a green ugly mountain troll swinging its club, breaking the washbasins on the right wall of the room while Susan embraced Hermione and threw both of their bodies to the left side of the troll. Hermione, frightened out of her wits, could only watch as terrified Susan bravely pointed her wand at the troll and tried to cast a cutting charm only for the spell to dissipate as it came into contact with its magic-resistant hide.
Hadrian saw the troll getting annoyed at being attacked and knew he had to intervene. He instantly transfigured the floor to a frozen state and as the troll was about to approach the girls, it slipped.
Unfortunately for Hadrian, instead of the troll crumbling down onto the floor, it was sent crashing towards Hadrian with its full weight. Hadrian knew he had no time to dodge so he did the only thing he could. He raised a spike out of the floor in front of him impacting the troll's body.
Its thick hide saved the creature as its mid-air body wasn't pierced but instead, the spike raised it higher, flying over Hadrian's ducked head as he pushed the troll's body with his wandless telekinesis upward. Hadrian threw himself to the right, in case the troll attacks the second he lands and it proved the right decision as when he was standing up, the club impacted the spot he stood at just five seconds ago.
The troll landed at the door, its body completely blocking them. Hadrian didn' give him chance to stand up. He quickly used yet another transfiguration to create thick chains from the wall around the door, snaking them around the trolls body as if they were alive, chaining it to the place.
Hadrian, releasing a relieved sigh, miscalculated.
He forgot to bind the troll's left hand. If nothing else, the creature was very good at handling the club and promptly released the club from its right hand, grabbing it with its free left hand and hurling it at Hadrian.
Hadrian's eyes constricted as the massive wooden club was nearing his head. The time slowed and he had no time to dodge. He would be barely able to slow it down with his wandless telekinesis but that would not save him.
He was screwed.
As his mind was going through the use of his telekinesis to buy him time, suddenly an idea lit up in his mind. He braced himself for the pain and gritted his teeth.
Hermione could only watch the club approaching Hadrian's head in mute shock.
Tears streamed down Susan's face, staining her clothes. Dread and despair way more horrible than when her own life was in danger gripped her head. Oh, what would she give to swap places with Hadrian right about now!
Hadrian used his wandless telekinesis to send his own body... somewhere. His mind didn't care where at that moment, so to the right side it went. He was flung at break-neck speed, just in time to have the club sail harmlessly an inch from him. Hadrian didn't have time to celebrate as he flung his body violently and barely managed to cushion his impact.
The club and Hadrian's body impacted the wall together, he near the corner of the room, and the club to the glass above the smashed washbasins, shattering it as it flew through the room, making Hermione shriek in horror and pain as the flying shards cut her body.
"Watch out!" Susan screamed in horror at Hadrian, ignoring the pain and cuts her body was suffering from. She didn't even care about her blood streaming from a deep cut on her cheek as she didn't shield her face from the shards, deeming Hadrian more important. Nevertheless, she was forced to flop onto her bum due to a painful cut that ripped apart her calf, bloodying the floor and her lower robes.
Hadrian heard her and quickly understood. He landed in the corner near the door. The same door the troll was chained to. The right hand of the troll was pushing its way through the air in an attempt to smash him as he laid there, motionlessly.
Hadrian felt he tore a few muscles but his bones were intact if only a bit cracked. He, at least, definitely had a few cracked ribs from the impact on the wall as he didn't have time to slow himself at the speed he sent himself flying. but he could not move much less dodge the fist.
He decided that secrets or not, his life was more important.
The troll's fist smashed his body.
Hermione sobbed in despair.
"NO!" Susan shrieked in horror, her heart tearing itself from sorrow. She thought she was going to die from the sheer feeling of loss she felt as she saw the fist cover Hadrian's body, only his legs visible. Tears streamed down her cheeks as rage filled her. Trembling, she stifled her sobs and reached for her wand but couldn't find it as she let it go when the shards impacted her hand.
The troll raised his hand in victory with a snort, expecting the chains to come off now that the human was dead.
They didn't.
"Phew. Surprise, surprise." Hadrian mocked as he raised his right hand, pointing it at the troll's head. His wrist glowed, a storage rune Narcissa tattooed into it activated, releasing the gun she enchanted before he came to Hogwarts. The gun appeared, the muzzle pointed at the troll's head.
The troll only managed to tilt its head, not understanding why is the puny human next to him not smashed to a pulp when a loud bang resounded through the room and the transfigured bullet gained speed due to velocity-increasing enchantment while gaining explosion properties via exploding enchantment.
The head of the troll exploded into a spray of blood, brain, and gore, leaving only blood gush from its neck.
"Damn, that was way stronger than expected." Hadrian commented offhandedly with a tired chuckle, still leaning on the wall, breathing hard. He was supremely happy Rowena made him train the intangibility magic. He never made such a big part of him intangible but... somewhat he managed. He shuddered at what would happen if he botched the spell up. Getting smashed to death by the troll would be much kinder fate in comparison.
But, he was alive.
He shakily stood up and instantly a red missile impacted him but the girl made sure she was gentle. Susan fussed around him worriedly asking questions at such a speed Hadrian's shaken head didn't understand.
He knew one thing though. He had to keep his secrets.
"I am sorry, Hermione." He resolutely told the speechless girl, sitting in the devastated bathroom, her stare traveling between the headless troll and Hadrian's ruffled appearance.
She did not understand what he was sorry about and uncomprehendingly tilted her head, not unlike the troll. Still in shock. "I, Harry James Potter, invoke the life debt of one Hermione Granger. She will from hence on be keeping all I and my family deem as secret, voluntarily or not, she will reveal them to no one. She will also remember one Harry James Potter saving her by dropping the troll's club on its head."
Hermione's eyes glazed over and her mouth opened in protest but she was not able to form it, opting to stare in front of her in disbelief, wondering what just happened.
Hadrian could make her his slave but he deemed that excessive. She was not even that useful. Just smart but nevertheless useless baggage. He already had more useful, and in his opinion smarter witch with a wicked body and gorgeous pale icy blue eyes and silky blond locks. He had no need for Hermione.
Susan helped Hadrian to the other end of the room, away from the door as both knew the Professors will probably Bombarda the shit outta the troll when they come barging in.
"What about me?" Susan quietly asked.
"Ah, you have strong Occlumency." Hadrian tried to shrug only to wince. "And I trust you."
Susan leaned closer, surprising him with a full-blown grateful kiss on the lips.
Hermione just stared at them, still baffled at what just happened, making sure to check what does life debt even means. She hoped nothing wrong as the shudder her body went through as Harry bound her with it was very unpleasant.
"I deserved that." Hadrian quipped jokingly, making Susan chuckle.
"Bind me also." Susan whispered to him.
At first, he wanted to rebuff her but then he noticed the determination in her eyes and relented. In a way, this was also an easy out from the life debt. She would keep his secrets regardless and now she would not be indebted to him.
Shrugging he called her life debt with the same conditions as for Hermione without the memory alteration part.
Not a second later a loud boom sent the troll body flying, destroying Hadrian's Transfiguration, and gave a clever excuse as to why it's head was now missing.
The troll's body landed in the middle of the bathroom only for the Professors to barge in, seeing Hermione's blank, shocked, disbelieving look and exhausted, disheveled, bloodied appearance of Harry with Susan in the same state sitting in his lap, leaning on him as both fainted the second the troll's body impacted the floor.
They could only sigh in extreme relief the first years survived it.
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