HP: She married Malfoy after becoming an exchange student.

Compared to the cozy atmosphere of the Slytherin common room, the situation on our "savior's" side was clearly not so good.

After defeating the troll, all three Gryffindors looked quite disheveled.

Harry leaned against the broken door, swaying precariously; Ron, his face flushed and chest heaving, was clearly still shaken.

The direct victim, Miss Granger, looked extremely annoyed, her expression shifting repeatedly. She clearly regretted going to the women's restroom alone; if the professor had seen her, she might have lost points!

Before the three disheveled little ones could figure out what was going on, a loud banging on the door and footsteps came from the hallway, heading straight for them.

The three people: !!

The three little lions in the room all raised their heads.

They were clearly only now realizing how much noise they had just made; the ceiling downstairs was practically falling dust!

Harry | Ron | Hermione: Merlin's stockings, I'm doomed today (ಥ_ಥ) Waaaaah...

A few breaths later, Professor McGonagall rushed into the toilet first, followed closely by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear.

Quirrell glanced at the troll before letting out a weak sob and collapsing to the ground like a toilet that had been flushed, clutching his chest tightly.

Snape bent down to look at the troll, while Professor McGonagall stared intently at Ron and Harry.

Merlin knew that Harry had never seen her so angry.

Seeing Professor McGonagall's pale lips, Harry's hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor quickly vanished from his mind.

"What kind of tricks are you playing?" Professor McGonagall said, her voice filled with cold anger.

Harry turned back to Ron helplessly, only to see his good brother still holding his wand high, giving him a feeble smile.

"Well, well, as expected of the brave Gryffindors, you've really opened my eyes. Dumbledore should really come and see what his savior is up to."

Snape truly lived up to his title as the Snake King of Slytherin; with a single sip of venom, the three little lions wished they could burrow underground and flee.

"Savior" Harry looked at the ground, and all he wanted now was for Ron to put his wand down quickly.

"Please, Professor...Professor McGonagall! Harry and Ron are looking for me," Hermione couldn't help but say.

"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses in disbelief.

"I came to find the troll because I... I thought I could handle it alone..."

Hermione took all the blame upon herself.

"If Harry and the others hadn't come looking for me, I'd be dead by now. That troll almost swallowed me whole!"

"If that's the case, Miss Granger, Gryffindor will have five points deducted because of this, and I'm very disappointed," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

The brown-haired girl lowered her head: "There won't be a next time, Professor, I swear."

Professor McGonagall then turned to Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still have to say you were lucky, because of your bravery, each of you earned five points for Gryffindor. I will inform Headmaster Dumbledore of this, and now you may leave."

As I stepped out of the bathroom, the torches in the corridor cast long shadows on the walls. No one spoke; only the dull echoes of footsteps echoed on the stone bricks.

Ron kicked a small pebble, which rolled to Hermione's feet. The girl instinctively lifted her foot to move aside, her movement still carrying a hint of awkwardness.

As they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry suddenly stopped, scratching his head. "Actually... losing a few points isn't a big deal." He looked at Ron. "It's better than letting the trolls get away with it."

Ron snorted, but secretly glanced at Hermione: "That idiot, if it weren't for me..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the smugness in his tone was unmistakable.

Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly, a subtle movement that was immediately noticed by the sharp-eyed Ron, who straightened his back and became incredibly reserved.

The fat lady yawned. It was getting late. Harry was about to give the password when Hermione suddenly whispered, "Thank you for earlier."

Her voice was very soft, like a feather falling to the ground, "If it weren't for you..."

"I told you it's nothing," Ron interrupted her.

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. She sniffed, took a small box of lemon candies from her pocket, gave one to Ron, and another to Harry.

Ron held the lemon candy in his hand; the wrapper was ordinary, probably some Muggle product. The red-haired boy unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth, squinting at the sourness, but mumbled, "It's alright."

Harry sucked on the candy, the sour taste slowly spreading on his tongue. He looked at Ron's wrinkled cuffs and Hermione's slightly red eyes, feeling as if he possessed something very important.

The fat lady urged impatiently, and Harry gave the command "Pig Nose." The portrait spun open, and warm firelight poured out of the lounge, illuminating the faces of the three children and dispelling the last bit of distance.

"Let's go in." Harry pushed them forward. Ron went in first, but stopped at the door, glanced back at Hermione, and waited for her to catch up before they both entered the warm space.

…………

From that moment on, Hermione Granger became a friend of Harry and Ron.