Chapter 23: Trolling the Troll.

The triumphant return of the English Champion was celebrated in all of Britain as the ministry spared nothing in advertisement of the victory as Fudge strutted around like a dove.

The morning paper dropped the bomb, the first page covered the 'English Champion'. It had the picture of Thomas in his normal version taking the trophy and the 16-year-old version dancing with Fleur.

The article was all about him and his charm and skill. The magazines took it further, the witch weekly made the week's release with Thomas on the cover, a candid shot taken of his 16-year-old form with a charming smile.

Then the English Minister of Magic came with the declaration to award Thomas with the Order of Merlin, second class on the Yuletide eve.

The magazine had a lot of other pictures that could make any lady swoon at them, of his normal version, 16-year and 20-year old versions. Of him dancing with Fleur, standing with dignitaries and even of the time he tore of his shirt during the match with Micah and one where he let his hair fall after his fight.

The pictures were used for a lot of other devious stuff by the witches and Thomas was unanimously declared the most charming man alive.

Thomas knew that it was high time to make his coffers swell and that he did, he contracted the goblins to deal with the royalty and stuff of his new-found fame and merchandise. The goblin nation was very happy to do so with a little cut of the pie.

When the people thought it was all over the fans of Thomas' female-Micah version came up with something very interesting, the mysterious Cinderella they called her. The same happened, goblins intervened and took the reigns in their little money-grubbing hands.

Many tried to uncover the identity of the mysterious Cinderella, but failed as the goblins clearly stated that they were under magical vows to maintain secrecy of the said person.

The school welcomed their champion with a great feast and the trophy was put on display. The Halloween dinner was a remarkable spread, the elves really outdid themselves at their job, proudly celebrating the victory of their little lord.

Everyone was having a pleasant time till the stuttering Quirrelmort decided to open the doors, warn about a troll and then fall unconscious, very dramatically.

Albus did a quick job of controlling the panicking students and decided to let the students return to their dorms with the house prefects and the teachers will go on a troll hunt.

Thomas walked up to the staff table, as all the eyes in the hall were focused on him.

"That's some serious wrong decisions pops, let me handle it okay." Thomas said as he applied a sonorous on himself.

"Good evening folks, it's just a troll, no need to panic about it, so just sip some water and calm down okay?"

The majority followed his advice and the student body calmed down visibly.

"Good, now look around yourselves and tell me if anyone you know is missing, no need to rush, just see if anyone is absent or not."

This time Harry piqued, "Hermione is not here."

"Well, does anyone know where the little lady might be right now?"

"She was in the ladies' washroom, last time we saw her." Hannah Abbot, first year Hufflepuff answered.

"Good, now aunt Minnie and Uncle Sev come with me and the rest will stay here under the protection of the professors and headmaster."

"Uncle Sev grab some containers, you are going to get some nice potion ingredients. Oddment, make me some something nice and sweet, I'll be back in a bit."

The trio left the hall under everyone's gaze and walked up to the ladies' washroom. The first thing they notice was the awful smell of the troll as they hastened their pace fearing that the troll could find miss Granger before them.

The troll did find the girl first and was about to smash her into meat paste, the girl relented to her fate and she had a look that said she fucked up.

ARRESTO MOMENTUM!

The troll froze in its tracks and its wooden club an inch away from the head of the little girl.

"You alright Granger?"

Hermione POV:

Breakfast table when the mail arrives.

I look into the morning paper and the first page had the picture of the most handsome boy I had the pleasure to meet. Thomas Slytherin, the foster son of the headmaster, an enigma in himself and the only person in Hogwarts with no rules applied on him.

The seniors say that after him coming to the castle the Slytherin house became much better and friendly, there is no more open bigotry nor bullying from the snakes.

Even the books say that the house of Slytherin was the house of cunning and ambitious, the house that was full of idiotic bigoted bullies somehow returned back to its nature. Even winning the house cup for a record number of years and having nothing to do with Professor Snape's favoritism.

Despite being in the same year, I have rarely seen him and never had a chance of holding any conversations with him because of his erratic behavior in attending classes and when he does he would help the professors teach.

I turned the page to see a picture of him (?) he looks around sixteen with a gentle smile on that charming face of his, I really wonder if it was fair for someone to be as charming as him. Then the girl dancing with him, it's written that she is the French Champion and the second runner up, Fleur Delacour.

She was wearing a Chinese dress that looked absolutely gorgeous on her, I just can't believe that the medieval wizard community can come up with something like that, or is it that just the English wizard society has been left behind in the fashion revolution?

With a lot of stray thoughts, I went to the charms class in the morning. Then there was Ronald Weasley sitting beside me, his mug makes me wonder how there can be such difference between the purebloods who have so much emphasis on mannerisms, simply put, the boy is a barbarian.

The professor started explain about what we are going to do today and asked if we had our feathers, I raised mine in excitement and then he explained the levitation charm with the wand movement of a swish and a flick.

WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA.

That being the spell, I was about to cast but stopped seeing the red head around me, I see him chanting wrong and shaking his wand haphazardly, I knew that if let be, he might injure somebody, even himself.

I tried to correct him and he just refused my help, even provoking me to do it if I was so 'smart'. I performed the spell and was rewarded points by the professor who praised me.

I was doing my best to be the best because not being a pureblood, my chances of magical employment were slim if I were not the best in the year, I even tried helping others but it was the same as my other school, I had no friends and was ostracized.

After the class ended, I walked up to the boys seeing Weasley was with them in hopes that he would appreciate my help and I can start a conversation and befriend them. But as I was approaching them I heard the same Weasley mocking me, calling me a nightmare.

A sudden influx of sadness and pain engulfed me, I stormed past them hitting Weasley with my shoulder.

Why can't I have any friends even when I am doing my best, when I help them, why do they have to ostracize me even when I help others, this loneliness is suffocating me.

I ran to the second-floor ladies' washroom, with tears in my eyes I wanted to be left alone, sobbing in the cold washroom, I fell asleep in fatigue somewhere along the way.

When I woke up there was this nauseous smell making my stomach churn and opening my eyes I saw two big, ugly green feet then a huge body and then a tiny head. My first reaction was to rush in the cubicle and hide.

The troll swung his club and broke the cubicles as if they were twigs, barely dodging a few hits of the giant club it swung at me I managed to delay my painful death but hiding beneath the basin and the wall behind me I knew that I was done for.

'Mom, dad, sorry for leaving you behind like this, sorry I could not be a good daughter, sorry that I will make you sad.'

I had made peace with death but then I felt a wave of wind brushing on my face and opening my closed eyes I saw the wooden club a few inches away from my face and the troll frozen like a statue.

A voice came from the door, "you alright Granger?" it asked.

POV ends.

Thomas walks in with the two professors to look at the dust laden form of the little witch, he cast a scourgify on her to tidy her up.

He walked up to her and placed a hand on her head and gently rubbed it, "you are safe, don't worry, nobody will hurt you".

Thomas spoke in a comforting voice that made the girl break into tears again. She wrapped her little hands around Thomas and sobbed, while Thomas returned the hug and caressed her back to calm her down.

"Your hair is super fluffy, it's kind of nice to pet you, can I pet you some more Hermione Jane Granger?" Thomas spoke with an expectant look.

Minerva came to the scene with Severus to see a statue-d troll and a hugging couple, where the girl was sobbing and the boy looked excited to pat her.

"Minnie, I finally understand, patting is just as good as getting petted. I am surely going to pet Nymphie the next time I find her."

Hermione who was now sober enough to know that she was hugging her crush and he was petting her, she was feeling so good that she did not want to leave his embrace.

"Now, now, Thomas, that's enough petting for now, let me take the girl to Poppy." Minerva said and Severus just chuckled.

"Let me take care of this troll, there's a feast awaiting us." Thomas whispered in the ears of the now madly blushing girl.

Thomas walked towards the now statue-d troll and placed his wand tip on its chest and cast a BAUBILIOUS.

The shock stopped the troll's heart and it flopped dead on the stone floor as Thomas released the ARRESTO MOMENTUM on it.

"The most painless death I can give, and no need to worry there will not be a single scratch on it's body if you are worried about the ingredients that can be taken from its carcass." Thomas spoke in a solemn voice, keeping his wand back.

"Who knew that the charm could be used like this?" Minerva muttered.

"Well, muggles did, not with the charm but with the electric shock they did, they devised this way to perform operations after stopping hearts and restarting it with the same process. I'll get you the medical books this Christmas." Thomas answered shocking the two professors but not as much as the little fluffy haired witch.

'A pure blood studying muggle science books, that's rare.' Hermione thought.

"Not that rare, my father had always said that the muggles were not blessed with the gift of magic, but they surely have a firm determination in the pursuit of progress. They are much more creative than the wizards taken on an average." Thomas and continued, "yes, I just read the stray thoughts in your pretty little head and for my father, his name is Salazar Slytherin."

They returned back to the great hall and parted ways to get to their seats. The professors had a chat with the head master who spoke to them about the situation with a little twist.

"There is no need to worry, the troll has been taken care of and I assure you all that no such occasion shall further repeat itself in the walls of Hogwarts. The troll walked in when professor Quirrell was studying the wards of the castle and a miscalculation on his part caused this mistake, for that I ask you of your understanding and patience. Now, let us continue the feast where we had left it with and forget the worries."