The two slipped quietly through an empty corridor, up a flight of stairs, and around a corner. The empty classroom near the girls' bathroom was almost in sight.
But oddly, they weren't the only ones on the second-floor corridor.
Harry and Ron appeared at the other end.
"Potter and Weasley? What are you two doing here?" Malfoy asked, squinting.
"What are you doing here? I bet you're the one who let the troll in, Malfoy!" Ron shot back, not holding back.
"Enough, gentlemen, shut it. We're here for Edward. You two are probably looking for know-it-all Granger, right? I heard she's been crying in the bathroom all afternoon because of something someone said," Daphne cut in, raising a finger to stop the boys' pointless bickering.
Ron immediately went quiet, guilt creeping in.
"Let's each find who we're looking for and pretend we didn't see each other, deal?"
The three boys nodded quickly.
A solid bond of rule-breaking camaraderie was born.
The four were about to split off toward the girls' bathroom and the classroom when a flash of lightning from the window revealed a massive shadow.
They ducked behind the shadows of two huge pillars, cautiously peeking out.
The troll was about twelve feet tall, its granite-like skin dull and lumpy. Its massive, lumbering body supported a tiny head.
Its legs were thicker than the pillars beside it, and its flat, calloused feet dragged on the floor.
It clutched a club nearly as tall as itself, slowly lumbering toward another doorway.
"It's going into the girls' bathroom!"
Harry and Ron clapped hands over each other's mouths.
"Good luck, Potter," Malfoy muttered. Though his legs were shaky, he felt lucky—his target wasn't in the bathroom.
But how had a troll gotten from the dungeons to the second floor?
Whatever. Find Edward and get out! Granger's fate wasn't his problem—leave it to the Chosen One!
Once he was safe, he'd brag to Edward about saving his skin.
"Shut up, Malfoy! Look!"
Daphne's voice snapped Malfoy back to reality.
Seconds after the troll entered the bathroom, rapid footsteps echoed from the corridor's end.
A figure with sandy-brown hair, wand raised and sword in hand, slammed open the classroom door and charged into the girls' bathroom.
Malfoy nearly collapsed in shock.
Edward was a magnet for trouble! Was he insane? Did he really think he could take on a troll? Its hide was nearly as thick as the castle walls—how could he dare?
He shot Daphne a panicked look, seeking her opinion.
Her gray eyes were filled with the same conflict.
Her thoughts mirrored Malfoy's. Sure, she got along with Edward, but when he was diving headfirst into trouble, was it worth following?
This situation was clearly not in her best interest. More importantly, she had no confidence in handling a twelve-foot troll.
Classroom lessons were one thing, but facing a real monster was another. Stuttering Professor Quirrell hadn't taught them how to fight a troll face-to-face!
While the two Slytherins hesitated, the Gryffindors acted first.
Without a second thought, Harry and Ron bolted toward the bathroom.
Hermione, oblivious to the situation, was inside, and with Edward already charging in, what was there to hesitate about?
"Daphne, maybe we should—"
Before Malfoy could finish, Daphne gritted her teeth and followed.
"Merlin's beard, why did I even come here? Don't leave me behind!"
Malfoy forced his leaden legs to move, trailing after her.
...
Focus is a great thing, but its downside is losing track of time.
So engrossed in his studies, Edward hadn't realized he'd missed the Halloween feast.
Since the afternoon, he'd been holed up in the classroom, poring over potion recipes. But the results were the same: troll materials were essential for certain potions.
Theoretically, using weaker substitutes, like anything less potent than troll snot or nail powder, would drastically reduce the potion's effectiveness, resulting in something like Iron Kettle Salve—a shoddy byproduct.
Using stronger materials, like dragon scales, was tougher to source, and the other ingredients would need tweaking too.
The supporting ingredients countered the neurological damage from troll materials. Without something like unicorn tail hair, the drinker's brain might end up as dull as a troll's.
By the time Edward noticed the pitch-black sky and flashes of lightning outside, something felt off.
From the girls' bathroom nearby, he heard a girl crying.
And standing at the bathroom door was a massive, ten-foot-plus creature about to barge in.
Edward put two and two together.
The crying girl was Hermione. The creature was a troll.
Wait—a troll?
His eyes lit up.
Talk about perfect timing! Not just a pillow when you're sleepy—a troll!
Who was kind enough to deliver exactly what he needed?
Thank you, nature's bounty!
He wasn't sure if his current strength could take on a troll head-on, but this was a golden opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Not to mention, he had a duty to save someone.
Without hesitation, he drew his wand and sword, charging into the girls' bathroom.
...
Meanwhile, one person was completely unaware of the chaos.
Hermione was crouched in a bathroom stall, sniffling, trying to wipe the tears from her face.
Her usually bushy brown curls were even messier, and she looked like a dejected lion.
She shut the stall door and took a few steps when something felt wrong.
Why was there such a huge shadow in front of her?
And where were those massive, filthy, foul-smelling feet coming from?
Looking up, she met the troll's stupid yet furious face.
Hermione froze, barely daring to breathe, trembling as she backed away. The troll blocked the bathroom's exit completely.
She scrambled into another stall, but the troll swung its massive club.
"*Ahhh!*"
Hermione's scream echoed as the wooden stalls shattered under the blow.
Splinters rained down, pummeling her. She crawled under a sink, but there was nowhere left to run.
The troll raised its club again, aiming at the curled-up Hermione.
At the critical moment, the bathroom door burst open, and a shout rang out.
"*Confundo!*"
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