d to fasten his arms

  arourolls ne behiroll t feel harry

  ha even a troll will notice if you stig bit

  of wood up its nose, and harrys wand had still been in his hand when

  hed jumped -- it had ght up orolls nostrils.

  howling with paiwisted as club,

  with harry g on for dear life; ahe troll was

  going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

  hermione had sunk to the flht; ro his

  own wand -- not knoas going to do he heard himself

  cry the first spell that to his head: ”wingardium leviosa!”

  the club flew suddenly out of the trolls hand, rose high, high

  up iurned slowly over -- ah a sig

  to its owners head. the troll swayed o and then

  fell flat oh a thud that made the whole room tremble.

  harry got to his feet. he was shaking and out of breath. ron

  was stah his wand still raised, staring at what he

  had done.

  it was hermione who spoke first.

  ”is it -- dead?”

  i dont think so,” said harry, i think its just been knocked

  out.”

  he bent doulled his wand out of the trolls

  was what looked like lumpy gray glue.

  ”urgh -- troll boogers.”

  he wiped it orolls trousers.

  a sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them

  look up. they hadnt realized what a racket they had been making,

  but of eoairs must have heard the d

  the trolls roars. a moment later, prall had e

  bursting into the room, closely folloe, with quirrell

  bringing up the rear. quirrell took o the troll, let out a

  faint whimper, and sat qui og his heart.

  she troll. prall was looking at

  ron and harry. harry had never seen her look so angry. her lips

  were white. hopes of winning fifty pryffindor faded

  qui harrys mind.

  ”what ohinking of?” said prall,

  with cold fury in her voice. harry looked at ron, who was still

  standing with his wand in the air. ”youre lucky you werent

  killed. why arent you in your dormitory?”

  snape gave harry a swift, pierg look. harry looked at the

  floor. he wished ron would put his wand down.

  then a small voice came out of the shadows.

  ”please, prall -- they were looking for me.”

  ”miss granger!”

  hermione had ma to her feet at last.

  i went lookiroll because i -- i thought i could deal

  with it on my own -- you know, because ive read all about them.”

  ron dropped his wand. hermier, telling a dht lie

  to a teacher? ”if they hadnt found me, id be dead now. harry stuck

  his its nose and ro with its own club. they

  didnt have time to e ae. it was about to finish

  me off when they arrived.”

  harry and roo look as though this story wasnt new

  to them.

  ”well -- in that case...” said prall, staring

  at the three of them, ”miss granger, you foolish girl, how could

  you think of tag a mountain troll on your own?”

  hermione hung her head. harry eechless. hermiohe

  last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was,

  preteo get them out of trouble. it e

  had started handis.

  ”miss gras will be taken from gryffindor

  for this,” said prall. ”im very disappointed in

  you. if youre not hurt at all, youd better get off to gryffindor

  tower. students are finishiheir houses.”

  hermio.

  prall turo harry and ron.

  ”well, i still say you were luot many first years

  could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. you ea

  gryffis. professor dumbledore will be informed of

  this. you may go.”

  they hurried out of the d didnt speak at all until

  they had climbed two f