Welcome to Muggles and Mocha!
Guys, we’ve covered some hard topics already in this book club: Is Severus Snape redeemable, why is Malfoy just… the worst, Harry’s struggle with identity. It’s been a lot mentally! But now, we’re going to talk about something very, very happy—friendship. Specifically, our Trio! In chapter ten, we see Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s encounter with the troll and the friendship that buds as a result.
Check out this week’s video about this chapter!
When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite scenes in the book because it’s full of adrenaline and ends with Hermione joining their friend group. I’m going to say it—this might have been the most important decision Harry ever made. Can you imagine how many moments Harry would have died or failed had Hermione not been there?? Wow.
All joking aside, this scene is very special to me. Actually, in the hardback Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone copy I used as a kid, I actually underlined the last lines of that chapter:
“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.”
Beside the underlined sentences, I wrote, “Awesome!” I laugh every time I come across that!
Today, we’re going to look at this pivotal moment in the books and talk about how elements of their fight with this troll defined their friendship throughout the rest of the series.
Let’s dive in!
At the beginning of this chapter, we learn Hermione has refused to talk to Harry and Ron after their crazy night in “The Midnight Duel.” After the events of their famous Charms lesson (“It’s Lev-i-OH-sa…”), Hermione overhears Ron talking badly about her, and it really hurts her feelings. Which I think we can all relate to! But his words hurt her so badly that she skips class. Based on what we learn about Hermione as the books continue, this is a HUGE deal!
During the Halloween feast (where Hermione is still absent), we learn about the troll that’s broken into the school.
Excuse me, I don’t think I announced that correctly:
TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!
There we go. What a great scene, right?
We all know what happens next: Harry and Ron risk their lives to go find her, and the three first years end up face-to-face with the mountain troll. After the battle, Hermione takes the fall for them, lying to a teacher, and that’s it—they’re friends!
This moment forged a friendship that has forever impacted the world of literature, and this group is actually sometimes referred to as the Golden Trio. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been talked about so much that their names just roll off the tongue together. We’re going to talk about the Trio’s dynamic multiple times during this book club, but today, I want to focus on this first adventure: fighting the troll. There are aspects of this scene that follow the Trio and define their relationship forever.
You may be surprised to find this first moment in their friendship holds some key principles we see over and over again as their relationship grows.
- Protection. This is a quality all three of the kids hold dear. Harry and Ron rush to find Hermione in order to protect her from danger. From this moment on, their friendship is continuously strengthened by their desire to care for and protect each other. As a matter of fact, their Gryffindor qualities truly come out in their friendship, don’t they? Even as we progress through this first book, we witness them stand up for and protect one another, especially on the night they go after the Sorcerer’s Stone. As we know, there are many more moments throughout the books when we’ll see them sacrifice for one another. It’s a part of who they are!
- Encouragement. This is a rare moment when I’m going to turn to the movies for an example here. During their fight with the troll in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie, Harry, Ron, and Hermione encourage and urge each other to keep going. I’m specifically thinking of Harry and Ron encouraging Hermione to get up, Hermione and Harry encouraging Ron as he ends up defeating the troll… They all spur one another onward. We see this in the books as well, over and over again. Actually, I believe I can think of at least one example of this in every book. They encourage each other in their strengths, especially when it comes to the goals all three of them are fighting for throughout the series.
- Determination in the pursuit of a common goal. Of course, with the troll in this book, they have a common goal—to survive. But beyond that, the Trio continually works together to accomplish anything they set their minds to, whether that be chasing down the Sorcerer’s Stone to protect it, battling the Heir of Slytherin, helping an innocent man find freedom, or the obvious… stop Voldemort from destroying the wizarding world as they know it. Each of them possesses a fiery determination to seek goodness and do the right thing—and they do it together!
- Enhancing each other’s strengths. One thing I love about this Trio is how different they all are. They each have their individual strengths and weaknesses, and I believe they bring out the best in each other. In my opinion, Harry keeps the group aimed toward certain goals, Ron brings humor and will-power, and Hermione encourages them to continually strive to reach their highest potential. They all have weaknesses, too, of course, but like all good friendships, each member works together to help the others overcome these struggles. Come on, guys… we all remember Harry’s angst in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Hermione and Ron had their work cut out for them while they helped Harry work through that! And Harry, too, does his part to support them throughout the series.
These are only a couple of examples, and I’m sure there are many more! I’d love to hear from you—let me know of any you can think of in the comments.
Where would the three of them be without this moment? Individually, these three are pretty awesome, but together, they help each other become the people they were meant to be. Together, they save the wizarding world.
As always, it’s a pleasure going through this book series with you!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Next week, we’ll be covering two chapters—eleven and twelve. So be sure to read both of those for next time!
Don’t forget to watch the video for this week where we dive into Professor Quirrell, Horcruxes, and much more. And if you enjoy those videos, please like and subscribe. My social media information is below if you’d like to follow me there for all of your Muggles and Mocha news, as well as Writing Advice on Tuesdays!
Until next time, friends!
Disclaimer: I do not own any element of the Harry Potter series.
Madison K. Darby 
I loved what you had to say about how Harry, Ron and Hermione, enhanced each other’s strengths and helped each other, to overcome their weaknesses. This seems to be one of the biggest themes throughout the books and is what makes us love the trio so much.
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Haha thanks for the shout out! In quidditch, I would see myself as either a beater, because it reminds me of hitting in baseball, or a seeker, because you are usually one of the fastest and need to be able to track down the snitch kind of like an outfielder in baseball. As far as the chapter as a whole, my favorite scene from the whole book comes from this chapter. “Trolls in the dungeon” always reminds me of a time when my uncle came rushing in our church auditorium to let us know we need to take shelter because there was a tornado warning. I always get a good laugh out of it.
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Such an important chapter, this one…
To start, I wrestle with the apparent “favoritism” that Harry continually receives throughout this series as well. This is particularly uncomfortable when it comes in the form of expensive gifts, because we know how wealthy Harry is. I think a lot of that obviously stems from his near legendary status in the wizarding world, but in this particular case I think this illustrates the special place he holds in McGonagall’s heart. She’s always had a soft spot for him, and even more so after she finds that he’s the answer to her Quidditch prayers!
Speaking of Quidditch, I’m 90% sure that I wouldn’t have ever been put on the team. I can’t see myself playing any of the positions – I would probably be in the stands cheering on my friends. What I’m best at is being a super-fan, not an athlete lol.
As for Quirrell, I do believe that he had to have been a temporary horcrux. What I wonder though, is what Voldemort had to do in order to “hijack” him? Typically murder (or at least attempted murder) is required for that type of magic, but since Voldemort didn’t want to split his soul another time and just needed a body, perhaps that wasn’t necessary? Maybe this is what JK means when she calls him only a “type” of horcrux and not the full-blown thing. This is pure conjecture, but part of me wonders if something like this had anything to do with the fact that Voldemort was also a highly skilled legilimens? Maybe through that kind of magic there’s a way to push yourself into someone else, rather than just taking a peek inside? Scary thought.
Alright, now that I’ve made my way to the troll scene, I’ve got a new question that’s been bothering me: why was the key in the lock of the girl’s bathroom?? Who left it there? Filch? Peeves? Quirrell? Someone else? And better yet, what bathroom locks from the outside?? This seems weird to me, and maybe that’s why that part didn’t make it into the movie.
Anyway, I really love your breakdown on the friendship that is cemented in this chapter. We really do see those elements in pretty much every adventure they find themselves in. What I think is particularly great is not only do we get to enjoy seeing each one make contributions to the team in a way only they can, but we also get to see them rub off on each other. They are 100% catalysts for each other’s growth and this is what makes them worthy of the name “golden trio”.
Excited for next week!
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