At the fork in the corridor, Charlie split off from the trio. As they parted ways, Harry lingered behind, frowning deeply, the image he had just seen still fresh in his mind.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
"Wait a second!"
His shout halted the others.
"What is it, Harry?" Ron turned around.
"Did any of you notice Professor Snape's leg?" Harry asked, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice.
Hermione looked at him, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw his calf, it was bitten. And not just a little nick, it was a massive wound. Like something big chomped down on it."
Ron sucked in a sharp breath.
"You mean…"
"The three-headed dog," Harry said firmly.
"Only something like that could leave a wound like that."
Charlie furrowed his brow. "You sure you saw that clearly?"
"Absolutely," Harry adjusted his glasses.
"My eyesight's not great, but I couldn't miss something like that."
Ron looked stunned.
"Then that means… Snape's trying to steal whatever's under that trapdoor?"
"And the troll today," Harry added, thoughts racing.
"It didn't just show up by coincidence. Someone must've let it in."
"You mean…" Hermione's eyes widened.
"Exactly." Harry clenched his fists.
"Snape released the troll to distract everyone, then snuck off to steal what's being guarded."
"Got bitten by the dog in the process," Ron chimed in.
"That greasy old bat."
Charlie looked at them like they were insane.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Isn't that a bit of a leap?"
"You've got no actual proof, just speculation."
"But the bite is proof!" Harry argued.
Charlie shook his head slowly.
"Sure, it sounds plausible. But a bite wound doesn't prove he had anything to do with the troll."
"Snape might be nasty, creepy, unhygienic, insufferable, and a terrible teacher…"
"Knew you'd admit he's not a good person," Ron cut in.
"But," Charlie emphasized, "setting a troll loose just isn't his style."
"Why not?" Hermione asked curiously.
Charlie thought for a moment.
"Because with Snape's level of hatred for stupidity, that troll wouldn't have made it past the front door. He'd have killed it the moment it opened its mouth."
"That kind of IQ can't survive in the same room as Snape for more than three seconds."
Ron snorted.
"That does sound a lot more like him."
"And even if he did want to steal something," Charlie continued, "you think he'd use something as loud and dumb as a troll? If he really wanted to do it, he'd use a sleeping draught or poison, something subtle."
Hermione nodded, visibly considering the logic.
"Charlie has a point. There could be another reason he got bitten."
"But why was he near the dog in the first place?" Ron asked, still skeptical.
Charlie shrugged.
"Could've been checking the security measures. I mean, whatever's down there must be important."
"As a professor, he has a responsibility to ensure the school's safety," Hermione added, supporting the idea.
"Especially after a troll incident, it'd be standard to check other defenses."
Harry opened his mouth, but hesitated. The logic was annoyingly solid.
He deflated, nodding reluctantly.
"Fine… maybe I am overthinking it."
"You're just always looking for trouble," Ron said with a smirk.
"Not everything is a conspiracy."
Hermione gave them both a stern look.
"And you shouldn't be talking about a teacher that way."
"Professor Snape, no matter how he acts, is still a Hogwarts professor. As students, we should at least maintain a basic level of respect."
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.
Yep, classic Hermione.
Same tone. Same righteous energy.
Somehow, it was comforting.
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