Gossip and Troll

On the weekend, I decided to explore the castle as earlier this week I was too busy with classes. Thankfully, I and my friends have done all the homework yesterday, so we have a free weekend.

I left Jelly in the ROR to continue the book-looting. I will fetch him later before lunch. For now, I will focus more on the books as they are what occupy the room the most. I figure that when they're all gone, I will have a better view of what's inside the ROR. The space is much too crowded with things, so it's very hard to maneuver inside. Even with accio, the room is too much of a health hazard.

Jelly likes being at Hogwarts, he has so many other elves to talk to. He also hears all kinds of gossip which he always relays to me. So, I know who's dating who, what the teachers are doing in their free time, and even the forbidden rooms inside the 3rd-floor corridor. Apparently, fluffy is already there. But the other tasks are still being set up. Professor Dumbledore sure takes his time.

Jelly also hears the gossip from the Gryffindor about Harry. He heard some people talk that Harry was abused by his relatives and that some of the faculties were being sent to his house to talk sense to said relatives. Apparently, it was done very quietly to prevent investigations and such. So, most probably Harry will still go back to Dursley's house at the end of the year.

I think the silent treatment of the Hogwarts faculty is not entirely proper. Even though Harry needs the blood-ward, it doesn't mean that he should put up with any abuse. Vernon Dursley should be behind bars. Petunia could stay as she is the key to the ward, and so is Dudley, but with a severe warning not to physically or emotionally hurt the boy. Lord knows he's been through so much already. But I understand and appreciate their intervention.

Jelly also informs me, much to my delight, that the Hogwarts elves are starting to copy the basic hygiene practice I order Jelly to follow every day. Nowadays, almost a quarter of the elves follow Jelly's routine. They also change their rags to better clothing and wash them every day without fail. Jelly also asks me if I could provide the plastic-mouth covering thingy that the elves could use during food/drink handling. To which I readily provide for free as they cost super cheap. I'm all in for hygiene improvement here.

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Over the next 8 weeks, I've been busy between Hogwarts classes and my muggle studies. Jelly is almost finished with the book-looting too. We've been very careful not to alarm anyone, including Professor Quirrell, that we've been at the ROR very often. I also found some books on advanced healing, ancient warding, and soul magic. I've been reading them in my free time. They're very fascinating.

My classes are going great as well. I'm now one of the best students in my year. We in Ravenclaws always study and help each other to practice. And because of that, we easily dominate the academic results in our year.

Due to our work ethic, other houses start to notice and work within their own houses. They want to counter our success and work hard themselves too. Now, all of the houses are competing to better their theoretical and practical skills. Thus, instead of one best student which Hermione was in the original story, there are more students with better grades.

Each student mostly has their own preferred studies, but they also still do well overall. And because of this development, there is no slogan of 'the brightest witch in her age' for Hermione Granger this time. In fact, she is not even at the top.

Due to her earlier error on the train journey, Parvati seemed to spread the gossip to others in their year. So, the Gryffindors basically shun her because of it. The fact that she still acts with the same condescending attitudes, and more doesn't help her at all. I think the shunning quite affects her mental being and thus her study.

Also, due to the mind-soothing potion, Harry takes every day, he's now far less hot-headed, has a non-existence hero-complex, is more careful of his actions, and is warier. He is even more careful of his company nowadays. He doesn't want to repeat the emotional abuse or manipulations needlessly. And because of that, he is not best friends with Ronald Weasley and keeps everyone at arm's length. He socializes when he needs to, and keeps to himself at the other time. He's also becoming more studious. The mind healers advise him to direct his attention to his study to help distract from his thought. After all, with time everything heals. We just need to be patient.

So, he did not get into a fight with Malfoy during the first flying lesson. He did not heed Malfoy's taunting to dueling at midnight, and he certainly did not hear or care about Weasley's taunting Hermione after Charms class on Halloween. In fact, he stayed after class to talk to us Ravenclaws about the levitation charm we could all do well earlier. We are some sort of acquaintance now. I know that I should keep my distance from Potter, but I couldn't outright refuse him either. He's powerful and I don't want to be his enemy.

He is also not in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and never enters Fluffy's chamber.

At Halloween dinner, everything goes just like in the movies. Prof Quirrell suddenly barges into the Great Hall and shouts that troll is in the dungeon.

We all panic. Students scream.

"SILENT! Prefects, please lead everyone to their dorm rooms and wait there. Under no circumstances that anyone leaves them. Now go quietly and orderly", Prof Dumbledore said.

Then, everyone forms 2 lines at each house and goes out of the Great Hall. The Gryffindor goes first as they're at the highest level of the castle, followed by Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. When the Gryffindor goes out, I see that Harry and Ron are among them, but not Hermione.

Harry doesn't know that Hermione is not present due to them not being close, him not knowing of Ron's taunting, and him having zero hero complex. Ron doesn't care about Hermione because in his mind his taunting is justified as it is the truth. Nobody reprimands him because nobody likes Hermione. Also, they don't know that the trolls would move to the second floor girl's bathroom instead of the dungeon. So, I'd say it's nobody's fault. Just bad luck.

Me, being me, I don't care about anyone other than myself and anyone worthy of my loyalty. And Hermione certainly is not one of my own. We have teachers for that kind of thing. I don't see why I should care. So, I follow the others to my own dorm. If Hermione's hurt because of the troll and not being saved by Harry and Ron, it's basically her own fault for behaving the way she has been doing. She is to blame for her own fault. Nobody owes her anything, including me.

After an hour of waiting in the Common Room, Professor Flitwick comes inside and delivers the news:

"Good evening, all! I'd like to inform you that the troll has been dealt with and banished from Hogwarts. Everyone will resume rest and go to classes tomorrow as usual. Now off you go to your own room. It's been a long evening. Good night! Good night!", Prof Flitwick said reassuringly as he claps and motions everyone to go to their own room. We all follow his instruction and just go to our own room. It's late and we're all sleepy.

After I shower and get ready to sleep, there's suddenly a pop sound in my room.

'pop'

"Missus Lana, Jelly be having juicy news", Jelly said jumping up and down.

Well, if it's not my daily gossip news. *hehe*

"What is it, Jelly? What did you hear?", I asked Jelly excitedly. I wanted to know the gossipy detail of this evening's event.

"Troll be at Hogwarts, Missus. Troll be at dungeon first, but we elves chased the troll away. The troll be going up. Then Jelly heard from teachers that a student is hurt. The Troll be at the girl's bathroom after going from the dungeon. We don't control trolls. Troll be going up his own way. We elves protect the kitchen. Troll be wanting to eat the kitchen!!", Jelly said passionately.

"That's very great of you guys to do that, Jelly. You've done your job well. I wouldn't wish for anything else", I said to which he puffs his chest out like he's done a heroic thing. *ckckck* These guys are something.

"Then what happened to the student? The hurting one?"

"The student is hurt, head's bleeding, pale. Heard teachers said limbs were crushed. Teachers be transferring the student to St. Mungo's", Jelly said.

"Hmm, I see. But the student's alive right Jelly?"

"Jelly don't know, teachers be going to St. Mungos. Jelly didn't see"

"Well, ok then. No worries there. Thank you very much for the info, Jelly. Very well done!"

"Thank you, Missus. The missus is the bestest!", Jelly said. With a pop, he's gone.

So, Hermione is hurt badly and she was transferred to St. Mungos. By Jelly's descriptions, it looks like at least a concussion and multiple limb fractures.

Oh well, not my problem.