Chapter 30: The Professors

Ron clutched his face and shrieked, “You killed a Giant?!”

Harry glanced around at the others, noticing that no one else seemed to be paying attention to Ron. He said, “No, it was Hermione who knocked the Giant out.” He paused, then added unconsciously, “With a Hovering Charm.”

The reason for their earlier argument in Charms Class came to mind—the moment Hermione had tried to teach Ron how to properly cast the Hovering Charm, her tone carrying a hint of condescension that only made Ron more resentful.

“—Hermione?” Ron gasped, stunned. “But that’s… that’s a Giant!”

Hermione let out a sharp huff. Clutching her wand tightly, she was both exhilarated and on edge, staring down at the motionless creature as if something deep within her had just awakened.

Padma peered out from behind Wade, whispering, “Is the Giant dead?”

“No,” Wade said, watching the Giant’s chest rise and fall faintly. “Just knocked out.”

“Oh—well, that’s good,” Padma said, patting her chest in relief.

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed down the corridor—Professor McGonagall burst forward first, her face pale; behind her came Professor Snape, his black robes billowing like a storm behind him; then Professor Flitwick, his tiny frame sprinting as fast as it could, yet still trailing behind the others; and finally, Professor Quirrell, who froze in horror at the sight of the Giant’s massive, calloused feet. He clutched his chest and let out a choked sob, nearly collapsing.

Snape shot a sharp glance at Harry, who stood frozen in place, then bent down to examine the unconscious Giant.

Professor Flitwick, his voice as high-pitched as ever, squeaked, “Oh, Merlin! Children, are you all right?”

“We’re fine, Professor!” Michael said excitedly. “Other than nearly being sick from the Giant’s stench.”

Professor Flitwick beamed and patted Michael’s arm. “Well done! First Year—defeated a Giant! I doubt many have ever managed that! How on earth did you beat such a beast?”

“Ha-ha, it was teamwork,” Michael said, trying to pull his grin back into a more composed expression. “Potter ran out and drew its attention—”

Professor Snape immediately fixed Harry with a piercing stare. Harry ducked his head instantly, wishing Michael had never mentioned him. Beside him, Ron stared at Harry with unmistakable envy.

“Then we all used a Swarm of Birds to distract it,” Michael continued, forgetting the name of the spell and turning to Wade. “Wade used a spell—”

“Slippery Surface,” Wade said.

“That’s right—Slippery Surface,” Michael nodded. “It made the Giant slip and fall.”

“Finally, Hermione used the Hovering Charm to knock it out,” he concluded.

Professor Flitwick clapped his hands in delight. “Marvelous teamwork! Absolutely brilliant! Simple spells, extraordinary results—I’ll award each of you five points!”

“Filius!” Professor McGonagall barked, her voice sharper than anyone had ever heard. The sudden ferocity made the usually exuberant Professor Flitwick flinch, his smile vanishing as he quietly stepped aside.

The green-robed witch swept her icy gaze over each student. Anyone who met her eyes instinctively looked down—Wade included.

“A Giant is an extremely dangerous creature,” she said coldly. “Countless adult wizards have died at its hands. The moment you encountered it, you should have run—immediately—back to fetch a Professor. This time, you were lucky. You’re still alive. —Miss Granger!”

Hermione shivered.

Professor McGonagall looked down at the girl’s brown hair. “I recall you were absent this afternoon, claiming you weren’t feeling well. Why were you here?”

“I… I—” Hermione, unaccustomed to lying, stumbled over her words. “I thought—I’d read about Giants in books… I thought—”

Wade instantly placed a firm hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her aside—This idiot girl isn’t seriously going to say she thought she could take on a Giant by herself, is she? That excuse was so absurd even a Giant would’ve laughed. And worse—what if someone blamed them for the Giant’s intrusion into the castle? It wasn’t impossible. Wade remembered how often Harry had been wrongly accused in the original timeline.

“Hermione felt better in the evening,” Wade said calmly, “and didn’t want to miss the Feast. We were on our way to the Great Hall when we stopped here. Hermione and Padma went to the restroom, and Michael and I waited. When we left, we ran into the Giant. We should have run straight away—but it happened so fast, we were all too shocked to react. Luckily, Harry Potter distracted it and warned us.”

The Professors turned to Harry once more. The boy’s face burned crimson, his heart pounding. He felt utterly unworthy of such praise.

Michael looked at Wade with sudden understanding. He nodded and added, “Yeah. He threw a bucket at the Giant’s head and shouted for us to run—really brave.”

“—Bucket?” Professor Snape said, voice like ice.

Harry stared at the floor, feeling as though Snape’s gaze alone was slowly carving him apart. He was certain the two Ravenclaws were only praising him to divert attention from their own actions.

“And you, Mr. Weasley?” Professor McGonagall turned to Ron. “Why weren’t you in your dormitory like you should have been?”

Ron had been lost in daydreams—imagining himself stepping forward, heroically saving everyone, finally making that stuck-up Granger look up to him. Now, caught off guard by the direct question, he froze, unable to speak.

Professor McGonagall’s gaze sharpened.

Harry, unable to let his friend take the full brunt, stepped forward and said, “Ron was trying to warn us about the Giant—”

“We heard him!” Professor Snape suddenly sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “Shouting at the top of your lungs down the corridor, as if you wanted the Giant to find you! I’m sure your textbooks mention that Giants have exceptional hearing. Or perhaps, Mr. Weasley, your books have never even been opened? Just like our so-called savior—Mr. Potter—using a bucket to distract the beast? Bucket? I truly hope you haven’t forgotten you’re a wizard!”

The two Gryffindors burned with shame, their ears red.

Michael silently gave Wade a mental nod—if it weren’t for him pulling Harry up, we might be the ones getting roasted right now. He didn’t know that Snape’s fixation on Harry was absolute, unyielding, eternal. No matter how many people stood before him, Snape’s eyes would always find Harry Potter.

But with Snape’s sharp words, Professor McGonagall’s anger seemed to soften. She paused, then said, “Given the circumstances, I won’t deduct any House points. I’ll inform Professor Dumbledore about this incident. Now, all of you—back to your Common Rooms. Your Housemates are already enjoying the Halloween Feast.”

The students hurried away. As soon as they were out of sight of the Professors, someone let out a sudden giggle. Then another. Soon, the whole group was laughing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end