First book, chapters eight through ten

[lavivi]

Three chapters today.

Chapter eight (The Potions Master):

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring.

The first of many times.

And I swear she must have intended for Seamus Finnigan to play a bigger part, in the beginning.  He's just given so many places for lines - we haven't heard Dean once yet, but Seamus spoke a few times at the welcoming feast and is just oddly prominent here and there as well.

And then Hedwig brings Harry a note from Hagrid - I still wonder how that works, as Hedwig is Harry's owl...did he go up to the Owlery and just knew Hedwig because he bought her?  I suppose if he didn't know Hedwig, he would've used one of the school owls.

Then the first Potions lesson, ah yes - the famous speech and the first harassment.  Something interesting, though, after several times Severus asked Harry random questions, and Harry was forced to answer, "I don't know, sir" each time, and Hermione's now standing up with her hand stretched up:

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Hee, nice spine, even then.  Not even with the snark, yet.  And see what I mean about Seamus, in the very next line:

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.

And then promptly follows Neville's first cauldron-melting - with, who else's but Seamus's cauldron.  *fights the urge to suddenly burst out with THE RINGS, THE RINGS*

Chapter nine (The Midnight Duel):

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

Ron, you great big GRYFFINDOR.

Ahhh, and there they are all together, on what is truly their very first adventure: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville.

Chapter ten (Halloween):

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.

...I always remembered them as tennis balls.

Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye).

I swear there is a conspiracy going on.  Also, Neville's ineptitude has been seriously emphasized ever since he was introduced.  Poor boy.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

...It seems like it would almost be safer to have everyone stay there, except for a teacher or two, and all the other professors go down to the dungeons troll-hunting.

As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs

...Lol.

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

Lol, yes.  Not "stop it!" or "distract it!" or "get her away!" but "Confuse it!" Although I suppose it can be supported by how Ron already said trolls are supposed to be really stupid.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.

This does not look like a good sidekick for Harry Potter.  (Nor like the girl who, at the critical moment, feigned bursting into tears in order to lead her professor into a herd of angry centaurs.)   But, well, Muggle-born.  She must be excused.

“I went looking for the troll because I -- I thought I could deal with it on my own -- you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

...Why did she lie, anyway?   Or at least like that?

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Hee.  Oh, I do love that start to a friendship.  It's wonderful.  I was so impatient during different parts of this chapter and the last couple, waiting for Hermione to become their friend.