Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter 10 Halloween

Harry receives a new broomstick and Oliver and him begin training. In charms class Hermione's know-it-all attitude puts Ron in a foul mood and he upsets her with some not thought through words. Hogwarts enjoys a lavish Halloween feast only to be interrupted when Quirrell shouts about a loose mountain troll in the castle. Panic mode sets in. Ron and Harry realize Hermione has been in the bathroom the whole time and doesn't know about the troll. They go to warn her but end up having to fight the troll off.

 

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it."

HAH! Thought you were going to get Harry in trouble, did you, Malfoy?

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of class.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face -- and was startled to see that she was in tears."

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends.

I understand where Hermione's coming from. I cringe when someone keeps blindly repeating the same mistake. I imagine she was cringing at Ron's half-hearted attempts and just wanted to help. Though, of course, Hermione could've helped in a less snappy and angry way because I also understand how it feels to be corrected rudely. It makes you feel like they just think you're an idiot.

And I'm glad to see Ron was made guilty of his unthoughtful words. It doesn't do to be rude to those who are rude to you, whether they're around or not.

Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand -- not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came to his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high, up into the air, turned slowly over -- and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.

I like to think that after all of this Ron realized that Hermione was really just trying to help him with this spell for her persistence on the matter certainly helped him to get it right. Because magic is a serious thing and I'm sure Hermione knows that while Ron doesn't so much. Ron grew up with magic and it's just a way of living to him. But for Hermione (and other muggle-raised students), magic is a tool.

"Please, Professor McGonagall -- they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I -- I thought that 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?

This part has always frustrated me. There was no need to lie here. Ron and Harry's intentions were just the same whether Hermione went off to fight the troll or not. They went to save her. Yes, in the beginning they could've looked for a teacher to help but, honestly, it was kind of chaos. So why couldn't Hermione just tell the truth? "I had been in the bathroom this whole time because, well, I was upset. So I didn't know about the troll. Harry and Ron realized this, though, and came to rescue me." I doubt McGonagall would've taken points off for that.

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.

I honestly think this is one of my favorite quotes out of the whole series.