Harry Potter 01 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

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 and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry’s mind.
    ‘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. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.
    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 dropped his wand. 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. They didn’t have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived.’
    Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn’t new to them.
    ‘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. Harry was speechless. 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 started handing out sweets.
    ‘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 Harry 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.’
    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 got 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.’
    ‘She might not have needed saving if we hadn’t locked the thing in with her,’ Harry 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.
    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.

 
     
— CHAPTER ELEVEN —
     
Quidditch
    As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows, defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch pitch, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit-fur gloves and enormous beaverskin boots.
    The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship.
    Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn’t know which was worse – people telling him