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Chapter 172: Snape's Betrayal
Chapter 172: Snape's Betrayal
By the time Hermione came back to her senses, Kyle was nowhere to be found, leaving only Harry and Ron looking at her with concern.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry asked worriedly. "Did you see the giant troll earlier?"
"What... I mean, of course not," Hermione shook her head. "The troll was at least over a dozen feet tall and smelled awful. If I had seen it, I would have run for sure."
Harry scratched his head, feeling that his question was a bit foolish.
If they had really encountered the giant troll, Hermione and Kyle wouldn't have been standing there as if nothing had happened.
No matter how exceptional they were, it was impossible to deal with a monster over a dozen feet tall.
This was impossible.
Harry sniffed and said, "It's good that you're okay. Let's leave here quickly."
Perhaps it was just an illusion, but he had been vaguely smelling a stench since the beginning, which made him feel very uneasy.
Maybe the giant troll was nearby and could come over at any moment.
"I think you're overreacting, Harry. Maybe there's no giant troll at all."
Ron, however, wasn't as worried. He thought for a moment and said, "This is probably just a joke Professor Quirrell made to liven up the atmosphere. Maybe the professors will come and notify us to return to the Great Hall soon."
"You're not wrong about that."
Hearing Dumbledore's name made Harry feel much more at ease, but he still felt that something was off.
"Forget it, let's go back quickly..."
Harry said, "At least before we figure out what's going on, we can't let the professors see us here, or we'll definitely lose points."
After that, the three of them hurried towards the Gryffindor Tower.
Along the way, Harry and Ron discussed what had happened with Snape, and they both agreed that he was going to the Forbidden Zone.
Hermione, on the other hand, didn't say a word and silently followed behind, as if she was thinking about something.
Just as they were about to pass through the corridor, she suddenly spoke up and asked, "Did you two come looking for me on purpose just now?"
"Yes, we heard from Pavarti Patil that you locked yourself in the bathroom," Harry said.
"You didn't go to the Great Hall for the feast, so you probably don't know about the giant troll either. We just wanted to let you know," Harry explained.
"But now it seems like it was a false alarm," Ron shrugged.
Hermione nodded slightly.
After a long while, she said softly, "Thank you..."
"It's nothing, that's what friends should do."
"Just don't lecture us next time."
"Hey, Ron..."
"Okay, I won't say anything then."
The three of them left the corridor and continued towards the stairs, but just as they turned the corner, they heard voices coming from ahead.
“I didn’t see any giant trolls, Professor.”
Not far away, Kyle was surrounded by a group of professors, looking innocent and explaining, “And there was a reason why I didn’t go to the feast on time as well.”
“Then let’s hear it.”
Snape drawled, “Just what kind of important matter could make you forget about the Halloween Feast?”
Hearing this nightmare-like voice, Harry shuddered and instinctively wanted to run.
But that was obviously impossible.
“You three, come here!”
Professor McGonagall said coldly, “The Headmaster made it clear that everyone should return to their dormitories. Didn’t you hear that?”
Snape shot Harry a piercing glare, and the excuse he had prepared vanished from his mind.
Harry looked at the ground, his mind blank. He just wanted to leave, whether it was a deduction of points or detention.
At that moment, Hermione spoke softly, "Please, Professor McGonagall, they were looking for me."
Professor McGonagall furrowed her brow. "Miss Granger?"
Hermione stepped forward, her head lowered. "I came to see the Troll... I wanted to see what it looked like... I've only read about them in books, so I was curious."
Ron's eyes widened in disbelief. Was Hermione Granger lying to the professor?
"They came to find me specifically because they were concerned for my safety."
Harry and Ron managed to feign familiarity with the story.
"If that's the case..." Professor McGonagall stared at them, pondering. "Miss Granger, you silly girl, real trolls are far more dangerous than you imagine. You should be grateful you didn't encounter one."
"Yes, you're absolutely right..."
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Hermione lowered her head.
Harry was speechless. Hermione had lied, claiming she had broken the rules to help them avoid trouble.
It was as unbelievable as if Snape had started handing out sweets.
"Miss Granger, for this matter, Gryffindor will be deducted five points," Professor McGonagall said. "I'm very disappointed in you. You should head back to the Gryffindor Tower now."
She then turned her gaze to Harry and Ron.
"It's you two again. I recall that your detention for dismantling armor in the corridor on the eighth floor at night wasn't over, and yet you've broken the rules again?"
"No!" Ron explained, his face turning red. "There was something hidden inside the armor, and I saw it..."
"But at the time, I only saw you damaging it, and there was nothing inside."
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Well, I don't want to pursue this matter further. Just don't let it happen again."
"Additionally, because of your actions today in helping Miss Granger, your previous detention is canceled. You may go now."
Harry and Ron were overjoyed. They quickly passed behind the professor without a word and rushed upstairs.
Kyle had wanted to follow them, but Snape was standing right in front of him.
"I believe I didn't hear your explanation."
Kyle was perplexed, seeing Snape as an obstacle in his way.
No, Harry was right here. Why was he still holding him back?
Had he changed his mind about Lily so quickly?
Kyle had no choice but to retreat to his original position and said:
"Because Professor Sprout rewarded me with an armored pumpkin shell, I've been studying it in the dormitory, and that's why I forgot about the banquet."
"Hmph, an armored pumpkin..." Snape sniffed. "If you've been in the dormitory all this time, why do you have the stench of a troll on you?"
"Do I?"
Kyle's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "I think it's probably the smell of compost... You know, it's everywhere in the greenhouses.
Of course, if you don't believe me, you can take my robe back and examine it carefully."
As he spoke, he began to take off his robe.
Kyle was well aware that he had already used a cleaning charm on himself, so there was no way he could smell.
Snape was just trying to trick him.
(End of Chapter)
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