The sky was covered with dark clouds, promising rain, as Hermione left the castle and headed towards Hagrid's hut. 'Hope I don't get soaked,' she thought, glancing up. She hadn't yet learned how to magically disperse raindrops. Hermione smiled at the memory of a spring day when she sat on a bench, with raindrops dancing around her. She now knew there were magical umbrellas that could protect her from the rain, but she hadn't mastered those spells yet.
Hermione felt a bit sad thinking about her meetings with Tommy. She really missed their friendly walks and chats. They wrote to each other occasionally, but letters couldn't replace face-to-face conversations. Plus, she couldn't share details of her magical life with Tommy, making their communication feel more distant from her reality.
At Hogwarts, Hermione felt lonely, not finding anyone who shared her interests and concerns. The only person she got along well with was Percy Weasley. Hermione respected him for his strict adherence to rules and his drive for order. He once told Hermione that he planned to work at the Ministry of Magic after school. She thought it was a great idea and supported him in his decision. But he wasn't friend material: Percy was much older and too withdrawn.
Putting aside her not-so-cheerful thoughts, Hermione sighed and looked ahead at Hagrid's hut, which was now looming not far away. Smoke was curling from the chimney, and next to it was a small, now-empty garden.
Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts, lived outside the school, almost at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was a bit surprised by the appearance of his home. Hagrid's hut was much smaller than she had expected, considering his size.
Hagrid's other job at Hogwarts was as the gamekeeper. From what Hermione had heard from other students, this was his main occupation. People said he loved animals, and some even claimed he could talk to them. Hermione secretly hoped that Hagrid was just as good at getting along with people. She hadn't formed her own opinion of him yet. He didn't teach and rarely came to the castle, so since her arrival at Hogwarts, they hadn't met.
Soon, Hermione reached the hut and knocked on the door. Hagrid's dog barked loudly, and she heard his heavy footsteps. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Hagrid stared at Hermione, looking confused.
"Er…," he mumbled, not sure what to say.
"Hagrid," Hermione said, getting straight to the point, "I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"
"Well…," Hagrid drawled, still looking puzzled at the unexpected guest.
Hermione noticed Harry and Ron behind Hagrid's broad back, sitting at a table covered with cookies and other sweets. A large teapot was steaming in the middle of the table. 'What are they doing here?' Hermione wondered. At that moment, Hagrid stepped aside to let her in, saying:
"Well, since yeh're here, come on in. Plenty o' room fer everyone."
Hagrid pulled up another chair to the table and brought a large cup for Hermione, who, feeling a bit awkward, stepped inside the hut.
"Hi," she said, trying to stay calm.
Since their midnight run from Filch through the Hogwarts corridors, she had been trying to avoid Harry and especially Ron.
"Hi," Harry replied calmly.
"Hi," Ron muttered, looking away, clearly annoyed.
Hagrid, slightly frowning, looked at them and asked:
"Summat wrong? Anythin' the matter?"
"Everything's fine, Hagrid," Harry answered.
It was clear from Ron's face that he didn't agree with Harry, but he stayed silent, and Hermione decided it was best not to say anything either.
"What's yer name then?" Hagrid asked, looking at her.
"Hermione Granger," she replied, trying to gather her thoughts on how to start the conversation.
With Harry and Ron there, she felt awkward. Hermione had intended to ask Hagrid questions privately, but now there were two students present, neither of whom treated her very well.
"Hermione, is it? So, what brings yeh here?" Hagrid asked.
"I need to have a serious talk with you," Hermione said, casting a meaningful glance toward Harry and Ron.
Hermione hoped Hagrid would catch her hint that she preferred to talk without any witnesses. However, he clearly missed her look and said:
"Well... wha's this talk about then?"
"Maybe she wants to know if the creatures in the forest are behaving well, not breaking any rules," Ron quipped sarcastically, causing Harry to smile.
Hermione shot him a disapproving look, her lips pressed tightly together. This was exactly why she didn't want to question Hagrid in front of him, but the gamekeeper didn't seem to get any hints. Even Ron's suggestion he took at face value.
"If the creatures are behavin' well? Rules? How should I know?" Hagrid said, shrugging.
Ron and Harry chuckled at the table, pleased with Hagrid's reaction. Hermione, clenching her fists, said shortly:
"No, Hagrid, that's not why I'm here. I wanted to ask about the unicorn."
"Unicorn?" Hagrid's tone turned serious. "Wha' unicorn?"
The boys at the table also switched from laughing to looking interested. Feeling more confident, Hermione continued.
"In the summer, my parents and I were at a sanctuary…"
Hermione told Hagrid about her summer walk with her parents, about McGonagall, who was visibly worried when she heard about the unicorns, and finally about the incident at the vet clinic, as told by Nora. As she spoke, Hagrid's face grew more and more grim, Ron's face stretched in surprise, and Harry sat blinking, not fully grasping how bad the situation was.
"Hagrid," Hermione said after finishing Nora's story, "was it one of those tethered unicorns I told McGonagall about?"
All eyes turned to him, and the hut grew very quiet. Even Fang, Hagrid's dog, lifted his head and looked at his master, as if also expecting an answer. Hagrid, looking distressed, averted his eyes to hide his anxiety. He thoughtfully rubbed his forehead, then, groaning, poured himself another cup of tea. Taking a sip, he slowly looked around at everyone, finally stopping at Hermione. He then sighed heavily and said sadly:
"Yeah, it was one o' those unicorns. I don't know if I should be tellin' yeh this…" His voice faltered, and he fell silent again.
Hermione, her face a mix of worry and sympathy, exclaimed, "But who could harm it, and why?"
"Her. It was a female unicorn," Hagrid said sadly, "and why she was hurt, we don't know. But it's very bad business."
He paused, as if each word was hard to say, then continued:
"Looks like someone needed unicorn blood badly. Yeh know, it's a substance that can keep someone alive even on the brink o' death."
"So, who could have done it? Could it really be the Death Eaters coming back?" Harry interjected, recalling Nora's speculation that Hermione had mentioned.
"Dunno. We didn't find anyone there… Could be anyone, Harry..."
"And the second unicorn? Is it okay?" Hermione asked, looking at Hagrid hopefully.
Hagrid glanced heavily at the flickering fire in the fireplace and, frowning even more, said:
"We got there too late…"
There was no need to say anything more; everyone already understood. For a minute, the kids fell silent, lost in their own gloomy thoughts. Hermione remembered that pleading look the unicorn gave her in the preserve, and tears welled up in her eyes. If only she had gone to them and untied them then… just a few steps separated life and death…
"What happened to the injured unicorn?" Ron asked quietly. "I mean, did she get better?"
"Yeah," Hagrid said with a slight smile, "she's doin' fine, and so is her foal, far as I can tell."
"Her what?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Her foal. Well… I mean… she's pregnant," Hagrid said, his smile widening.
Despite his rough appearance, Hagrid spoke about the unicorn with undisguised tenderness. Watching him, Hermione couldn't help but think, "The rumors about his love for animals were definitely true." Meanwhile, Hagrid continued:
"I visit her sometimes. Since we rescued her, she's been trustin' me more, yeah… Doesn't seem scared and lets me get close. She lives nearby in the Forbidden Forest. She's due ter give birth soon…"
Ron, unable to hide his excitement, exclaimed, "Wow! I'd love to see that! I've never seen a live unicorn, only in pictures."
Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. Hagrid stroked his beard and, looking at them, said:
"Well… I reckon we can arrange that. I'll let yeh know when we can go see her. Main thing is that she hasn't given birth yet – unicorns get especially cautious and skittish around that time."
"Just one more thin'," Hagrid added at the end. "You lot... don't go tellin' anyone about this. We don't need rumors spreadin' around the castle. No need ter worry the students. And about the unicorn in the forest... best keep that ter yerselves."
The kids agreed to keep the secret. After sitting a bit longer with Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed back to the castle. As they walked away from the hut, Ron said thoughtfully:
"I'm almost sure it's You-Know-Who's followers messing around with the unicorns."
"Yeah, but we need to figure out what. I got the feeling Hagrid suspects something but doesn't want to say..." Harry replied.
It was getting dark, and suddenly, heavy rain started pouring down, so they ran back to the safety of the castle walls.
***
Professor Flitwick got everyone's attention and announced:
"For the next assignment, all students will pair up and take turns practicing the spell."
Today's lesson was on mastering the levitation spell. Earlier, the professor had impressed everyone when he used the spell to return Neville's runaway toad to him through the air. This episode had sparked lively interest in the upcoming lesson, and now the students were eager to try out the spell for themselves.
Hermione wasn't worried at all about the levitation spell. She had already tried to master it on her own over the summer, though not without some difficulties. Her experiments had attracted the attention of Muggles and, consequently, angered the Ministry of Magic. However, more than two months had passed since then, and Hermione was now completely confident in her abilities. In any case, she was determined to outperform Miranda Ravenclaw in this lesson.
Sneaking a glance at her rival, she suddenly heard Professor Flitwick announce her partner's name:
"Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
'Oh, no,' she thought in frustration, 'Of all times, I get paired with this dunderhead now.' Ron's abilities with spells left much to be desired. He certainly didn't shine in Flitwick's classes, and, in addition, they didn't get along very well.
As soon as Professor Flitwick finished assigning partners, he handed each pair a feather. This is what they were supposed to use to practice the levitation spell. 'Piece of cake,' Hermione thought, and with a satisfied smile on her face, she had already raised her wand to perform the spell and impress the entire class with her abilities when Ron suddenly shouted first:
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The smile slipped from Hermione's face. Now she had no choice but to wait until Ron stopped his futile attempts and let her demonstrate her skill. She glanced nervously at Miranda; Hermione didn't want to lose because of Ron. But she relaxed a bit when she saw Miranda was occupied with her partner, Ellidor Lunet from Ravenclaw. Ellidor practically worshipped Miranda and was now earnestly trying to follow all her instructions, being the first to start practicing the levitation spell.
Hermione stopped watching the Ravenclaw duo and turned her gaze back to Ron, who continued his unsuccessful attempts. The feather seemed perfectly content on the table and showed no sign of wanting to rise into the air. Hermione had decided from the start not to correct Ron, even though she immediately noticed he was making several obvious mistakes: his movements were too abrupt, and his pronunciation of the spell was wrong. 'Some pureblood wizard,' she thought with irony. 'He could have come to school already practiced in first-year spells! His whole family are wizards, his father works at the Ministry of Magic, his brothers do well in school, and Percy is even a prefect! What a dunce!'
But then she noticed that Miranda had taken over from Ellidor, trying to perform the levitation spell, and Hermione began to doubt her decision to stay silent. Meanwhile, Ron's cries of "Wingardium Leviosa" were getting louder, and his movements more abrupt. He almost elbowed Hermione as he waved his wand again, and she finally couldn't take it anymore.
"You're saying it wrong," Hermione said. A friendly tip wouldn't hurt, she decided, though her tone was hardly friendly. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long"
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron growled back.
'Finally,' Hermione thought to herself, and on her first try, she successfully performed the spell. The feather lifted off the desk and hovered in the air in front of her.
"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick applauded. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger done it!"
Hermione was used to praise from the professor, but it still felt good. It was especially rewarding when she managed to outdo Miranda, her constant rival. Recently, Hermione had been winning more often in their unspoken competition. She glanced at the Ravenclaw girl, who, like the other students in the class, was still unsuccessfully trying to make her feather rise.
Ron, unlike the professor, was unlikely to share the enthusiasm about Hermione's success. He had probably prepared a couple of sharp remarks in case she failed. 'Let him be mad,' Hermione thought, unconcerned, leaving him to struggle with the feather on his own.
For the rest of the lesson, Ron hopelessly tried to prove he belonged in the wizarding world, but the feather stayed right where it had landed after Hermione's spell. She felt like explaining to Ron where he was going wrong several times, but each time she met his gaze, she changed her mind. It seemed her success and his failures had really hurt Ron's pride.
When the lesson ended, Ron silently gathered his things and hurried to the exit with Harry. Hermione followed them, feeling a mix of regret and indecision. She was still debating whether to offer Ron her help when she heard him say to Harry:
"It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly."
Stunned, Hermione froze for a moment, then, unable to hold back her tears, she rushed forward, pushing through the students in her path. Ron's words echoed in her ears, and it felt like she was trying to run away from them. The hardest part was realizing that she hadn't made any real friends at school who would support her in tough times. This truth was the most painful of all.
The girls' toilet became her temporary refuge. Bursting into one of the stalls, she slammed the door shut and was alone with her swirling emotions. Tears flowed uncontrollably. 'This school is no better than the Muggle school!' she thought. 'Only the lessons are different, but the kids... they're the same everywhere. There's injustice everywhere, and those who are brazen fit in perfectly in every school, while those who live by the rules and try to learn suffer everywhere!'
In her mind, the smirking faces of Barbara and Jake from elementary school resurfaced. Memories of past hurts mixed with new ones, and she cried even harder than before. Suddenly, a thought struck her: 'What if everything here becomes just like it was at my old school, the one I dreamed of leaving? Will I even want to keep studying here?' She felt her world crumbling before her eyes, and her future at Hogwarts seemed dark and bleak.
Hermione sat in the stall, sobbing and occasionally listening to the conversations of the girls who came into the bathroom. They were happily discussing the upcoming Halloween feast, which promised to be a bright and unforgettable event. Since early morning, the sweet aroma of baked pumpkin had wafted through the castle corridors, and the Great Hall had transformed in anticipation of the celebration. Hermione had imagined this evening very differently...
Now, her mood was far from festive, and she didn't want to see anyone. Especially did not want to sit at the same table with Ron Weasley or even Nora, her roommate. Nora hadn't missed the chance to make a few snide remarks when she found out Hermione had barricaded herself in the toilet.
Some girls, hearing her sobs, tried to understand what had happened and attempted to comfort her, but Hermione didn't want to talk to anyone. Not even to Lila, with whom she had what resembled the closest thing to a friendship.
Finally, everything outside the stall went quiet. The girls had apparently gone to the festive banquet, leaving Hermione completely alone. Suddenly, right in front of her, a head popped through the stall door... It was Moaning Myrtle, the ghost of a girl who had died at Hogwarts many years ago.
"Oh, poor Hermione!" Myrtle began mockingly in her whiny voice. "Sitting here, crying, feeling hurt and abandoned by everyone..."
"Myrtle, not now! I'm not in the mood!" Hermione shouted back.
"Ha! Whatever you say," Myrtle snorted, but she didn't hurry to leave. Instead, she floated fully into the stall and continued, "You know, I once attended this school too. Everyone picked on me, and not a single ghost would talk to me. Tell me, who upset you?"
"Ron! He said no one can stand me!"
"Ah, the red-haired boy? Don't worry, I can be your friend. They bullied me too, cursed me, and then... even killed me many, many years ago!" Myrtle's face moved closer to Hermione. "But don't be afraid, when they kill you too, we can float around Hogwarts together..."
At that moment, Hermione grabbed one of her textbooks and threw it at Myrtle.
"Get out of here!"
"Eek!" the ghost pretended to squeal. "Serves you right, you nasty girl! No one will ever be friends with you!" With that, Myrtle soared up and disappeared into the toilet ceiling.
The ghost's words hit home, deepening her emotional wound, and Hermione sat there, sinking further into her sorrow. 'That Harry Potter didn't even say a word against it!' she continued to torment herself. 'And Ron, he's not fit to be a wizard at all, he's as dumb as a troll with a wand!'
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to the sound of a strange shuffling outside and a very unpleasant smell. She decided to peek out of her stall and saw across from her...
'Ron?!!' flashed through her mind at first... But then she realized that comparing Ron to a troll was unfair. He might be dumb, but he's not that huge and scary! Hermione screamed in horror. She had never seen such a horrifying magical creature, especially this close.
The troll seemed momentarily stunned by her scream. But it quickly recovered and started moving towards her. Hermione jumped back to the far wall and pressed herself against it, feeling terror grip her. There was nowhere else to run. At that moment, the toilet door burst open, and Harry and Ron appeared in the doorway.
They started shouting something to her, but Hermione, barely standing on her trembling legs, could only stare at the monster approaching her with wide eyes. Nothing else could penetrate the veil of fear enveloping her mind. One more step, and the troll would easily kill her.
However, the boys' actions distracted the troll, and he seemed confused, not knowing whom to attack first. Finally, the troll turned away from Hermione and took a step towards Harry. Then he roared and moved towards Ron, who was throwing everything he could find at the troll from the opposite corner of the toilet. Suddenly, Harry ran up behind the troll and jumped on his back. He wrapped his arms around the troll's neck and, for some reason, shoved his wand up the troll's nose...
The troll clearly didn't like that. Howling in pain, he spun around, trying to grab his attacker. The troll's roar was the last straw for Hermione—her vision blurred, and everything went hazy. Her legs could no longer hold her, and she slid down the wall to the floor. 'Now he's going to kill Harry, and then me,' was the only thought running through her mind.
Suddenly, Ron shouted a spell:
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club flew out of the troll's hand, hovered above him, and then, with a terrible crash, fell onto his head. The troll staggered and then collapsed onto the toilet floor with a loud thud. Silence fell, broken only by Harry's heavy breathing.
Still not believing they were saved, Hermione was the first to break the silence, muttering:
"Is it - dead?"
"I don't think so," Harry replied, "I think it's just been knocked out."
Then they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. A second later, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell burst into the toilet, stopping in their tracks, shocked by what they saw. Snape was the first to recover. He approached the troll and confirmed that it was still unconscious, then everyone turned to look at Harry and Ron.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" McGonagall asked them sternly.
Her eyes sparkled with anger, and Snape, standing next to her, glared at them with a cold stare. Meanwhile, Hermione's logical thinking returned. She knew Snape would try to use this incident against Harry since he clearly hated him. They couldn't expect leniency from McGonagall either, especially since Harry had broken rules before, and now the punishment could be quite severe. Looking at the boys who had just saved her, standing there confused and avoiding eye contact with the teachers, Hermione decided she had to help them.
"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me," Hermione said quietly.
"Miss Granger?!" McGonagall's voice was filled with surprise.
It seemed her presence had gone completely unnoticed until that moment. Then Hermione did something she would never have dared to do before. She lied to the teachers, telling them that she had gone looking for the troll, convinced she could handle it on her own. She explained how she had clearly overestimated her abilities and that it was only thanks to Harry and Ron's bravery that she had escaped certain death.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Harry and Ron staring at her, mouths agape. It seemed they hadn't expected this turn of events either. But they quickly caught on and eagerly confirmed her version of the story. After a brief scolding from McGonagall, the professor awarded Harry and Ron points for Gryffindor for their 'amazing luck' and then ordered them to head back to their dormitory.
Walking through the castle corridors, Hermione was still wiping tears from her face. Her emotions ranged from hurt to genuine gratitude towards the boys who had come to her aid when she needed it most. When they entered the common room, they all turned to each other and said, "Thanks!" in unison. After that, they headed to the table to join the ongoing Halloween celebration. For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, Hermione didn't feel alone.
These events brought Harry, Ron, and Hermione closer together. In her opinion, the boys' actions more than made up for Ron's careless words earlier. Her own actions, in turn, changed their view of her. From that day on, they became inseparable, spending all their time together.
A few days later, as she settled comfortably into bed and thought about the time spent with her friends, Hermione reflected, 'It doesn't take much to make friends. Now I know for sure what the best thing to forge a friendship is. It's a troll.' Smiling at her thoughts and eagerly looking forward to the new day, Hermione fell asleep.