Halloween

Snape kept his word. The very next day, he began teaching Mia a variety of offensive spells and personally guided her through practical combat.

Sectumsempra was an offensive spell created by Snape. With a wave of the wand, it conjured blades invisible to the naked eye, slashing an opponent's body from a distance and leaving deep, terrifying wounds. The damage it caused could only be healed by its unique countercurse.

The Episkey spell (vulnera sanentur) was repeated three times. The first slowed the flow of blood to prevent death from blood loss, the second cleared away the residue and the wound began to heal, and only on the third did the wound begin to heal.

Snape taught diligently, and Mia learned quickly.

The consequence of learning so quickly was this.

The Forbidden Forest

"Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra!" Mia blew on her wand, which was nearly smoking.

Firenze looked at the greatly reduced number of Acromantulas and clapped in satisfaction.

"There are still plenty over here. I'll take you to them."

One led the way while the other cast spells, and the two worked remarkably well together.

"That's about enough clearing for today. I'll look for more tomorrow."

"All right, I'll come back tomorrow night!"

Acromantulas: Stay away from us!

After helping Firenze wipe out the Acromantulas, Mia rubbed her slightly hungry stomach. She thought that dinner at the Great Hall should be starting around this time, and headed there in a very good mood.

On the way, she was bumped into by a girl with her head lowered, and they both fell to the ground.

"Who was that? Hermione?" Mia was about to see who had been so rude as to bump into someone without apologizing, but when she looked up, she saw Hermione wiping away tears with her head lowered.

"H-Hermione? Why are you crying? Did I hurt you when I bumped into you?" Mia hurried to her feet and went to Hermione's side. Seeing her red eyes and her silence, Mia felt a little at a loss.

"M-Mia, am I really s-so unlikeable?" Hermione choked out.

Hearing that, Mia knitted her brows. "How could that be? Hermione, you're wonderful. Did someone say something to upset you?"

Hermione shook her head and fell into Mia's arms, crying softly.

Mia quickly hugged Hermione and soothed her gently. "There, there, it's all right, it's all right. Our Hermione is the best. Whoever said that about you clearly has no taste. Our Hermione is so wonderful, how could she possibly be unlikeable? I like Hermione best. There, don't cry, don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you cry."

"Mm," Hermione answered in a muffled voice.

The two stayed like that until Hermione calmed down.

Mia took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tearstains from Hermione's face. "Feeling better? You've cried so much you look like a little rabbit."

"Thank you, Mia." Seeing that she had soaked Mia's clothes with her tears, Hermione felt a little embarrassed.

"It's all right. How about I go with you to the bathroom so you can freshen up?" Mia said gently to Hermione.

"Okay." Mia took Hermione's hand, and the two went to the bathroom together.

After Hermione washed her face and tidied herself up, Mia smiled in satisfaction. "That's more like it. Our Hermione should be proud like this."

Hermione couldn't help smiling too. "I'm so glad I have you, Mia."

"I think so too."

Meanwhile, the Great Hall was celebrating Halloween, but Quirrell's appearance shattered the cheerful atmosphere.

"A-a troll! In the dungeon! There's a troll in the dungeon!" With that, he fainted.

Draco, who had noticed that Mia wasn't in the Great Hall, instantly turned to look at Quirrell. Harry had also noticed that neither Hermione nor Mia was there.

As Quirrell fell, the Great Hall immediately descended into chaos, with students screaming and trying to get out.

"Silence!" Dumbledore immediately stood up to restore order.

"Please, everyone, do not panic. Prefects, lead the students of your respective houses back to their dormitories. Teachers, come with me to the dungeon."

Hermione and Mia didn't know about the troll, so Harry and Ron secretly slipped away from the group to find them, only to run into Draco, who had also slipped away.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here? Never mind, there's no time for that. Let's go to the first-floor bathroom. They might be there." With that, he led the other two straight to the bathroom.

In the bathroom

Mia suddenly smelled a foul odor. "Hermione, do you smell something awful?"

"I think so."

No sooner had she spoken than a troll carrying a wooden club burst in.

"Watch out!" Mia quickly pulled the stunned Hermione aside, avoiding the troll's attack, and the two found a place to hide.

"How rude. Doesn't he know men aren't allowed in the girls' bathroom?" Even as she ran, Mia couldn't stop herself from commenting.

"Hermione, are you all right? Looks like we need to join forces to deal with this little problem."

"Of course, no problem!"

"Remember the spell we learned together?"

With that, the two pulled out their wands together. "Stupefy!"

The troll fell just like that. As if by agreement, Mia and Hermione blew on their wands together, then high-fived.

"Cool!"

Only then did the two notice the three people who had been hidden behind the troll.

"Harry, Ron, Draco, what are you doing here?" Mia was still a little confused.

"We heard there was a troll in the Great Hall and were worried you didn't know, so we came to find you," Harry explained, walking over to Mia.

"Thank goodness you're all right." Draco had been afraid too, but his worry for Mia had won out.

"Heh, Hermione and I are very capable. It was just a troll, after all." Mia took Hermione's hand and spoke proudly.

Ron hesitated before stepping forward. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have said those things about you."

"So you were the one who said that about Hermione? I was wondering what happened. Hermione was crying so hard!" As soon as Mia heard that, she turned her gaze to Ron.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," Harry apologized as well. Mia looked at Harry in turn, and the two felt even guiltier under her gaze.

"It's all right. Thank you for coming to find me." Hermione had actually stopped caring when Harry and Ron came looking for her.

"Hmph, you were crying so hard just now. They really ought to make it up to you properly." Mia felt indignant on Hermione's behalf.

"No problem, Hermione. We'll do whatever you need us to, to make it up to you." Harry knew that, no matter what, they had hurt Hermione, and they couldn't just leave it at that. Ron nodded too.

"Everyone, I think what we should do now is leave. If the professors discover the troll isn't in the dungeon, they'll probably come here soon." Although the scene was touching, Draco still had to remind them.

"Good heavens, explain yourselves, all of you!" It was Professor McGonagall's angry voice.

Uh-oh, we're done for!

Mia had a bit of a headache. She hadn't even finished serving her detention yet!

Professor McGonagall rushed in first, followed by Snape, who was limping, and Quirrell.

The five looked at one another. We're done for.

"What have you all done?" Professor McGonagall was scolding the children.

At that moment, Hermione stepped forward and took all the responsibility upon herself. "It was my fault, Professor McGonagall. I'd read about trolls in books and thought I could defeat one myself. They came to stop me."

Draco, Harry, and Ron looked at Hermione. They hadn't expected her to take all the blame.

"Even so, that was a foolish thing to do. I never thought you could be so reckless. I'm very disappointed in you!" Professor McGonagall was furious.

"Miss Granger, five points will be deducted for your impulsive recklessness."

"As for you, Miss Potter, Mr Potter, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, remember that you were purely lucky this time. Not every first-year can face a troll and come away unscathed. Each of you..." Those words made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

"Five points, for your good luck."

Their hearts settled back down.

Mia had noticed for some time that her head of house was limping. Once Professor McGonagall finally left, Mia hurried over to Snape.

"Professor, you..."

Snape concealed his wound. "I was injured by accident. The troll will wake up soon. You should leave first."

"But..." Before she could finish, Harry and the others pulled her away. Mia looked back at Snape worriedly.