"Troll! There's a troll in the dungeons!"
Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall, shouting in panic.
Then, after a breathless pause, he collapsed in a faint.
For a moment, the hall was silent. Then, all at once, the students erupted into terrified screams, scrambling for the exits.
"Quiet!"
The word rang out, calm yet commanding. Professor Dumbledore had stepped forward, his presence instantly steadying the chaos.
"Prefects, lead your houses back to their common rooms at once. Professors, with me—down to the dungeons."
The prefects quickly organized their houses, ushering everyone toward safety.
As the Gryffindors filed out, Harry grabbed Ron's arm.
"Ron—we've got to find Hermione and Kevin! They don't know about the troll."
Ron's eyes widened. He nodded, and the two of them slipped out of line, running toward the girls' bathroom in the lower corridor.
Kevin was already there, standing just outside the door.
The stone floor beneath him trembled—thud, thud—as something massive approached. From the shadows at the far end of the corridor, a shape emerged: first a great wooden club, then the hulking, grey-skinned form of a mountain troll.
Kevin rose slowly to his feet, wand in hand. Man and monster regarded one another for a few tense seconds—then moved at the same time.
"Ventus Pulvis!" Kevin shouted.
Sand and grit whirled into existence around the troll, forming a stinging storm that filled the corridor and clouded its vision.
Kevin knew the troll's thick hide and magical resistance made most spells useless—he couldn't defeat it alone. But he could stall it, long enough for help to arrive.
The troll roared in frustration, blindly swinging its club. Kevin added another spell.
"Immobulus!"
The creature's foot faltered for barely a second before it kept moving forward, adapting quickly to the sandstorm.
The ground shook with every step.
The bathroom door creaked open behind him.
"Kevin! What's happening?"
Hermione stepped out, eyes widening at the sight of the massive, shadowy figure beyond the flying sand.
"Don't be afraid," Kevin said steadily. "It's a troll. The professors will be here soon. Go back inside—now!"
The troll broke through the sandstorm with a roar.
"Reducio Vis!" Kevin tried to weaken its strength, but the troll barely stumbled before raising its club again.
With a mutter, Kevin layered three quick charms on himself—"Lumos Pluma! Celeritas! Fortis Maxima!"—and then sprinted forward.
The troll bellowed and brought its club down with a thunderous crack that split the stone floor. Kevin leapt nimbly aside, vaulted onto its shoulder, and drove his wand like a dagger into its eye.
The troll howled, flailing wildly. Kevin's wand snapped under the pressure of the troll's massive hand, but the injury only enraged it further.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" came a shout from behind.
The club flew from the troll's grasp—Harry and Ron had arrived.
"Kevin! Run!" Harry called.
"No—Hermione's still over there! Lead it this way!"
But the troll had eyes only for Kevin. It reached for him with its bare hands, forcing him to dodge and weave in a desperate retreat.
Ron dropped the Levitation Charm, sending the heavy club crashing down on the troll's head. It staggered but stayed upright, more furious than ever.
"Back off!" Kevin shouted to the boys as the troll pressed forward. His spells had worn off; he was slowing.
Suddenly, a voice rang down the corridor, cold and precise:
"Diffindo Maxima!"
Deep gashes tore across the troll's arms, legs, and neck. With a final groan, it collapsed to the ground, bleeding green.
Snape strode forward, wand still raised, with Professor McGonagall and a pale, nervous Quirrell behind him.
McGonagall hurried the students to safety while Snape and Quirrell dealt with the fallen troll. Kevin, finally able to breathe, murmured, "Hermione's over there…" before lying flat on the floor, exhausted but unhurt.
Once Hermione was brought out safely, she immediately turned to McGonagall.
"It was my fault, Professor. I thought I could handle the troll, but I was wrong. If Kevin, Harry, and Ron hadn't come, I would have been killed."
McGonagall's face was thunderous. "I am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger." She turned to the others. "Five points from Gryffindor for your recklessness."
Then, after a pause: "But for extraordinary courage and quick thinking—five points each."
Hermione smiled faintly; so, did Harry and Ron.
From the floor, Kevin raised a hand. "Professor… maybe I deserve ten extra points—"
"You, Mr. Kevin, are lucky you have any points left at all," McGonagall snapped, though her relief was clear.
Later, in the hospital wing, Kevin received a recovery potion from Snape—along with a spare wand that seemed, somehow, not entirely… official.
Hermione sat beside him. "Thank you," she said quietly, taking his hand. "You were outside the whole time… guarding me."
Kevin only squeezed her hand in reply, then nodded toward Ron, prompting him to mumble a heartfelt apology. Hermione forgave him at once.
Harry tried to lighten the mood, but Kevin smirked. "You've got Quidditch tomorrow, Potter. Try not to end up like me."
Harry groaned. Hermione laughed. And just like that, their friendship felt stronger than ever.