Chapter 6
The firefly lights shot upward at blinding speed, like a self-detonating bomb. In the blink of an eye, those tiny specks exploded into an unbearably bright source—solar-bright, impossible to look at directly.
The troll let out a blood-curdling scream and clapped both massive hands over its eyes.
Even at such close range, staring straight into Gabin's Lumos—even though it carried almost no heat—was enough to scorch its retinas and send searing pain through its skull.
Gabin immediately pointed his wand at the tree-trunk-thick club still gripped in the troll's hand.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club wobbled lazily, trying to slip free of the troll's fingers and float upward, but the next instant the troll roared furiously, clamped down even harder, and swung the club outward in a wild arc.
The excruciating pain in its eyes and the shock to its tiny brain drove it into a frenzy. It began smashing everything around it indiscriminately—doors, wall decorations, sinks, the mirrors hanging on the walls. The entire bathroom was reduced to rubble in seconds.
Hermione screamed again. Gabin's Lumos had caught her too; her vision was still blurred and swimming.
When her sight finally began to clear, she saw the troll lumbering blindly toward her, club raised high.
Her luck was truly terrible. When forced to choose left or right with its eyes squeezed shut, the troll had picked the direction that led deeper into the room—straight toward her.
In a panic she raised her wand toward the monster, mind racing through every spell she had ever learned, but none of them seemed right.
Gabin frowned. The book's tactics weren't going to work here anymore. The troll was gripping its club far too tightly now; a simple Levitation Charm had no hope of overpowering that raw strength.
Looking at Hermione—terrified, trembling—he hardened his gaze, clenched his teeth, and aimed his wand squarely at the troll.
His right hand flicked and twisted, tracing a near-square magical circuit in the air. At the same time he channeled power into a second circuit shaped like a bird spreading its wings.
The two circuits linked.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
This time the target was the troll itself!
The troll's body jerked once—but then it kept coming.
In Gabin's magical vision, the troll was wrapped in its own life circuit: green, simple in structure, but unbelievably thick and sturdy.
Any magic cast on a living creature had to first break through that innate life circuit.
Gabin poured every last drop of his magic into the spell. Tiny protrusions began sprouting along the bird-shaped circuit—like delicate feathers.
He gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached. A faint, moonlit silver glow shimmered in his eyes. He locked his wand on the troll.
The Levitation Charm struck the troll and began to overlay its green life circuit. In Gabin's vision, enormous wings unfurled.
Then they beat once—hard.
The troll's massive body slowly lifted off the ground.
It sensed something was terribly wrong and began roaring and thrashing, twisting its bloated, hulking frame in midair, desperate to break free.
But with nothing to push against, it flailed uselessly like a fish out of water.
Gabin gripped his wand in both hands like a fishing rod and pulled backward with all his strength. Higher and higher the troll rose—until its cocoa-bean head bumped against the bathroom ceiling.
Then Gabin spun the Levitation Charm, rotating the troll in the air until its head pointed straight down.
And released the circuit completely.
The troll plummeted.
A thunderous crash shook the entire floor as twelve feet and several hundred pounds of troll slammed into solid stone. The sheer mass combined with the unyielding floor crushed its pitifully small head between them like a walnut in a vice.
Fortunately the scene didn't turn too gruesome. The troll simply passed out; its skull didn't split open like a watermelon.
Whether the inside had turned to mush like spung… Gabin didn't particularly want to know.
Right now his magic was almost completely drained and his mind was at its limit. He could only lean heavily against the wall to keep from collapsing.
Going toe-to-toe with a full-grown troll was far too much for a twelve-year-old wizard.
But—he had done it.
After what felt like forever, Hermione finally recovered from her shock. She carefully stepped around the unconscious troll and hurried to Gabin's side.
"Is it—is it dead?"
Gabin flicked his wand once. No light appeared. He was simply too exhausted even to speak.
At that moment, loud footsteps echoed from the corridor. Moments later Professor McGonagall burst into the ruined bathroom first.
"Merlin's beard—is this your doing, Gray?" She stared at the sprawled troll, then at the pale, shaky Gabin and the wide-eyed Hermione.
Standing just behind her was Parvati.
She had eventually found Professor McGonagall and told her that Hermione—and possibly Gray—might be in terrible danger.
Gabin gave a small nod. Hermione spoke up loudly instead "Yes, Professor—Gray just defeated the troll. He saved my life."
McGonagall opened her mouth to reply, but another set of footsteps arrived. Snape and Quirrell entered next.
Quirrell took one look at the fallen troll, clutched his chest, let out a strangled cry, and staggered back against the wall as though he were having a heart attack.
Gabin glanced at Quirrell's deathly pale face and couldn't quite decide who looked closer to keeling over—himself or the professor. Quirrell honestly looked like he was about to drop dead.
Snape bent to examine the troll, then gave a tiny shake of his head.
He had stormed in looking furious, but the moment he saw it was Gabin, his expression smoothed back into calm detachment.
"No hope for it. Congratulations, Mr. Gray. You've killed a troll. Try not to have nightmares about it tonight." There was only the faintest trace of mockery at the corner of Snape's mouth—not much.
"Don't listen to him, child. You were extraordinarily brave. You faced a troll alone to save a classmate. Reckless, perhaps—but that is the Gryffindor way." Professor McGonagall's voice was gentle and proud as she comforted him.
"Because of your courageous actions, Gryffindor is awarded twenty points. If neither of you is injured, then return to the tower. The other students are still enjoying the Halloween feast there."
She turned to Hermione "As for you, Miss Granger—I hope this incident will not make you afraid of magic. The wizarding world can be dangerous, yes, but it is also full of wonder."
"I won't be afraid, Professor. Thank you," Hermione said firmly, nodding.
Far from being frightened, she now burned with determination. She wanted to learn more magic—enough to protect herself the next time danger came.
After resting a little longer, Gabin regained some strength. Before they left, he paused, thought for a moment, and raised his wand once more.
"Hermione got sick because she drank the pumpkin juice from Harry's place at the table."
"Ron ate the bacon in front of Harry and passed out cold just now." McGonagall and Snape exchanged a glance. For a split second ice flashed in Snape's eyes.
"I see," McGonagall said quietly. "Go on back to the tower, both of you."
Gabin nodded. Together with Hermione and Parvati, he left the ruined bathroom.