Chapter 24: Halloween Boss: Troll (Part 2)
Chapter 24: Halloween Boss: Troll (Part 2)
After persuading Hermione, Liam suggested they go to the Library to study. However, Hermione felt that her puffy, red eyes made her look like she had just been crying, and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her classmates. She thought it was better to study in this empty classroom.
With no other choice, Liam went upstairs to his dorm to fetch his backpack and then returned to the empty classroom. Hermione had already washed her face and tidied up two desks.
Hermione took out the notes Liam had copied for her from the class she missed that morning and began catching up on her missed lessons. As she copied, she muttered to herself, "Oh no, I can't believe I missed a class over this. The Levitation Charm is a crucial spell, and it might even be on the final exams."
Time passed slowly as they studied. After finishing all the homework assigned for the day, Liam looked up and noticed it was already getting dark outside.
"Oh no, I think dinner time has already passed. There's the Halloween feast today, and I've heard it's a grand event at Hogwarts. The Great Hall will be beautifully decorated, and the food will be fantastic. It's our first holiday feast here, so we can't miss it. If we hurry, we might still catch the feast."
They packed up their books and were about to leave when they heard footsteps coming from the corridor. Liam seemed to have an idea and quickly pulled Hermione back, peering through a crack in the door.
When he saw Harry and Ron running over, Liam opened the door and stepped out.
...
After their morning classes, Harry and Ron noticed that Hermione didn't show up all afternoon, and Liam had only gone upstairs to grab his backpack before disappearing.
At dinner time, they headed down to the Great Hall for the Halloween Eve feast. On their way, they overheard Parvati telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was in an empty classroom on the ground floor, studying with Liam. Although her eyes were still a bit red and swollen, she wasn't hiding in the bathroom crying like she had at lunch. Parvati added that she was quite envious of Hermione having such a good friend.
Ron looked a bit uncomfortable when he heard this. He told Harry, "Maybe Hermione and Liam get along because they're both a bit bookish."
Harry replied, "I know you felt uncomfortable when I asked you to apologize to Hermione at lunch, but if it weren't for Liam organizing study sessions in the Common Room, I might not have been able to keep up with my homework recently. You know, Quidditch practice takes up a lot of time."
As they entered the Great Hall and saw the colorful Halloween decorations, they immediately forgot about Hermione and Liam. A thousand bats flitted around the walls and ceiling, and another thousand hovered like a low, dark cloud above the tables, causing the candle flames within the pumpkins to flicker. The golden plates suddenly filled with delicious food, just like at the start-of-term feast.
Just as Harry and the others were enjoying their meal, Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall. His scarf was askew, and his face was filled with terror. Everyone stared at him as he stumbled to Professor Dumbledore's chair, leaned on the table, and gasped, "Troll— in the dungeon— I thought you should know."
With that, he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
The Great Hall erupted into chaos. Professor Dumbledore had to cast several sharp, loud fireworks from the tip of his wand to restore order.
"Prefects", he said in a deep voice, "lead your house students back to the dormitories immediately."
Percy, of course, led the way, guiding the Gryffindor students toward Gryffindor Tower with ease.
On their way, they encountered several groups of people rushing in different directions. Many faces were tense, and some timid girls were sobbing softly.
After walking for a while, they had to squeeze past a group of confused Hufflepuff students. Harry suddenly remembered something and grabbed Ron's arm. "I just realized Hermione and Liam don't know about the Troll. We should go tell them."
Ron bit his lip.
"Oh, all right", he said decisively, "but let's not let Percy see us."
They crouched down and mixed in with the Hufflepuff crowd, heading in the opposite direction. They slipped through an empty side corridor and had just turned a corner when they heard hurried footsteps behind them.
"Percy!" Ron whispered, pulling Harry behind a large Griffin statue.
Peering around the statue, they saw it wasn't Percy but Snape. He walked down the corridor and disappeared from view.
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he with the other teachers in the dungeon?"
"How should I know!"
They followed Snape's fading footsteps, quietly making their way down another corridor, trying not to make a sound.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. As Harry and Ron turned a corner, they reached the hallway leading to the classroom where Liam was studying. Liam emerged from the back door of the classroom. "It's dinner time. What are you two doing here?"
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly a foul odor, a mix of dirty socks and an uncleaned public toilet, hit them. They then heard a low grumble and the sound of heavy feet dragging on the ground.
Liam's face changed dramatically, and he quickly ushered Harry and Ron into the classroom. They hid in the shadows, holding their breath.
Through the glass in the classroom door, they saw a monstrous creature pass by, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the corridor windows. They realized it was a Troll.
Its massive, clumsy body resembled a huge pile of boulders, topped with a tiny head the size of a cocoa bean. Its short legs were as thick as tree trunks, with flat, coarse, calloused feet. The smell it emitted was nauseating. It grasped a heavy club in its hand, which dragged on the ground due to its long arms.
Hermione, who was behind them, covered her mouth and let out a muffled scream. After listening to the Troll's footsteps fade away, the four of them approached the door and peered into the corridor.
They saw the Troll stop at a door and peer inside. It wiggled its long ears, made a decision with its small head, and then lowered its head to slowly enter the room.
"The key is in the lock", Harry muttered. "We can lock it in there to prevent it from hurting anyone."
"Good idea", Ron said nervously.
They sidled up to the open door, their mouths dry, hoping the Troll wouldn't suddenly come out. Harry made a big leap, grabbed the key, and slammed the door shut, locking it firmly.
"Done!"
(End of Chapter)
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