Day before Halloween was very exciting for me. I had a ton of new spells and abilities to try out.
First thing I did is learning all new spells from a spellbook in my free time. Some of them I already knew, but just could not practice, so I mastered them. It was surprisingly easy. I spent around half an hour to master each spell. Not learn, but master. Which means I can cast their empowered versions with ease.
Also, I was quite surprised with the speed of learning and mastering, but then I remembered that my magicka characteristic was improved 11 times. Now I had immense talent, enough to breeze through first and maybe even second year.
I was also trying out chantless and gesturless magic with spell I mastered to the peak, "Fire-Making Spell". During training using personal spellbook functionality I tried using it wandless as well but got severely burned in hands. Thank god that was just virtual burns, although pain was real!
I forgot that this spell was a charm, so while using it with hands I need incredible focus and concentration to charm item before me and not my hands which circulate all the magic to be used. Wands are really too convenient. They make every spell so much easier.
Anyway, I tried wandless magic with some other spells from spellbook. Charms are no go, because while going through hands charm can be applied to yourself as well, so channeling and concentration needs to be very precise.
It was easier with "Knockback Jinx", because the idea is to send a type of force into the object and not to charm it. However, sometimes force was very weak and other times I would send force in the direction slightly off the target. One time it was even send in the opposite direction which is into me.
I experimented the whole day, whenever I got a free time, forgoing all the reading for that. Now, I can understand why spellbook is so useful and is part of the system. I can virtually try any spell in any way I want to and if got unsuccessful or hurt in the process, it will disappear in the next session of experiment, because all of it was just virtual training.
Overpowered. Can't wait to have more powerful spell to experiment with. And then there is simulation, but I had no time to try it, too engrossed by experimenting.
That is how day passed.
Halloween came. To me it was just another day and I honestly did not understand all the fuss around this festivity. However, when we got to charm lesson and started training levitation charm, my heartbeat quickened. Finally, the moment of troll attack is near.
I didn't care about lesson one bit, because mastered this lesson month ago, so I let my partner Neville try the spell any way he wanted. I was looking after Granger and she was successful with the spell to annoyance of Weasley. After lesson, I went after her, but then heard how Ron was saying not very nice things about her. I wanted to really beat him up, but it won't help the situation.
I went after her, to check if she is okay, but apparently, she wasn't. She was crying and running somewhere. I was going after her, but when she entered the girls' bathroom I was thinking if it was appropriate to enter there as well.
I decided to save and go in.
〖Save ⟳〗
I entered and heard person's crying. I shouted:
"Hermione, are you okay? It's me Magnus. I saw you running away from class and got worried. I am asking forgiveness in advance for bothering you, but I need to make sure you are okay. Please, can we talk."
Crying went softer and quitter, but still there were no words.
"Did something happen? Did somebody hurt you? Just say a word and I will deal with that person!"
I said with gusto, trying to sound confident and funny to make situation a little bit lighter. Maybe it was speech or maybe it really helped but she calmed down a bit and exited the cabin where she locked herself in.
She had teary face and red eyes.
"Am I a nightmare?" she asked.
"What?" I was very surprised by a question. "Why would you ask such a stupid question? Of course, you are not. You are smart, brave and kind person. You got in Gryffindor, after all."
"But n-nobody t-talks with me and I h-have n-no friends, and s-s-so no can s-stand me and …" She was stammering and blabbering some nonsense. And started spilling tears once more.
"Stop! I am your friend and will forever be! I can stand you just fine and I can talk with you as long you want! If you want to talk about something, then let's talk. Anytime, anyplace. Just stop crying, please."
"Can you talk with me now?" She asked
'Wow, she really was shaken that much by words of the redhead? Damn.'
"Of course, where?"
"Here!"
"Um… In girls' bathroom? Are you sure?" I asked to make sure she meant it.
She blushed due to embarrassment. She must have forgotten where we were for a moment.
"We can talk outside." I offered.
"Yes, let's do that."
And so, we talked right outside of bathroom for hours. Thankfully, I had come up with some life stories in these 2 months. Soon, the floor was empty and there was nobody bothering us.
She calmed down in the first hour, but I did not want to break the atmosphere, so I just continued conversing. We both delved deep into magic knowledge, so we had a lot of topics to talk about, plus we came from muggle background, so we had a lot in common.
We discussed all sorts of topics: our lifes before school, magic theory, history, connection to science, muggle world, magic world.
At some point in conversation I even raised speech by one.
At some point in time I smelled something very nasty and wanted to ask Hermione but noticed that she became terrified looking behind me. I turned around and saw some bad shit there. Ugly, stinky, giant monster with a club looking stupidly in our direction.
At that moment of time, I heard hurried steps from path opposite to where troll came from. Harry and Ron came from the pathway. The first thing they noticed was Hermione and me.
"Hermione, Magnus, there is a troll that…" Harry wanted to say, but Ron interrupted him with the loud cry.
"Harry! It's a troll!" They both looked at the monster and apparently troll either did not like the sounds or looks we were giving, but he got angry and went after us.
"Run." I said
But Granger was just frozen in fear, while boys were apparently still dazed.
I wanted to scream at them, saying how stupid they are, but troll was quite fast for its size, so it was near us in a short amount of time we didn't move.
He was angrily raising his club to smash us to paste, but I used knockback jinx on him. As a person with experience of video games and self-made food, what can scare me? Nothing!
"Flipendo!"
That interrupted him and he made a step back. He shouted in anger and that awoke others.
I shouted this time.
"Run"
Everyone started running for dear life, except for me. Hopefully, they will notice I didn't follow only after they escape this floor. Troll wasn't scary and I had saves.
He was perfect target practice, because he was slow and stupid. He tried to raise his club was once more and this time I just raised a wand. Now is the time to test my power. I don't need words or gestures now, that nobody was here. I can enjoy this.
'Concentrated Flipendo'
Troll was knocked 3 meters away, his every step sounding like a drum.
'Empowered Incendio'
Wand like a flamethrower was spitting fire on a troll, to which he used one hand to cover his face. Nonetheless, it was apparent he felt a lot of pain due to all the screaming. I enjoyed this feeling of control over my enemy.
He tried to rush at me with the club, but…
'Concentrated Diffindo'
I cut his club like butter and what hit me was nothing but air. Now I wanted to test something truly overpowered.
'Empowered Concentrated Flipendo'
Effect was not just 1+1=2 but more like (1+1) to the power of three.
Troll was sent flying back, landing on his back. Sound of him falling was loud and satisfying. I defeated a troll with my own power. It was exhilarating.
Troll was confused, so without giving him any second chances and expecting some teachers coming soon, I had to knock him out fast.
First, I repaired club with 'Reparo', so that nobody will know I can use Severing Charm. After that I used same trick Ron used in the film. I used 'Wingardium Leviosa' to levitate club above the head of the troll and dropped it. Nice sounding crack in the head proves that I dealt enough damage to knock him out. Seconds after I finished, adrenalin started running out of my blood and I started feeling mental exhaustion.
My brain was unaccustomed to real-life concentrated and empowered casting. Especially without chants and gestures. I have taken a sit on the floor to rest a little bit and soon started hearing hurried footsteps and then felt someone hugging me.
'Wait, what?'
"You are alright? Thank god. Why did you stay? You shouldn't have!"
It was Hermione, she acted so cute worrying about me and using her very bossy tone. Damn, I might fall for her. I smiled.
"I am okay." She noticed her outburst and quickly stood up, although her cheeks were suspiciously read, he-he.
"Teachers!" I've greeted three teachers. Actually two, Quirrell was sitting on the floor, clutching his heart.
Snape went to check the troll, while McGonagall went straight for me and furiously started speaking.
"What on earth were you thinking of? You are lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory? Thankfully, these three led us here."
Snape looked piercingly at me, trying to understand how I soloed this mini boss.
Just, when I wanted to say something Granger, came with horrendously realistic story of her and those 2 coming to fight the troll, but got scared and here I came, saving them, stalling the troll for them to escape.
'Wait… Did they think I stalled the troll for them? This situation is truly – one stone for two birds. I both practiced my spells and looked like a hero in their eyes. I can be sure that I will be their friend now for the rest of the story.'
Both Ron and Harry were astounded by her well-thought lie and nearly missed the moment where they agreed.
"Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and unexpectedly you Hermione Granger! How could you even think of tackling a mountain troll with just you three?" Hermione hung her head, while those two had no idea what to do.
Professor continued:
"You three! 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor per each person! Now you can proceed to your tower! Students are finishing feast in their house."
All three of them left.
"As for you mister Magnus, you truly are a mystery. No last name, no records of letter being sent, yet you are indeed a wizard with huge potential of 11 years of age."
"I've never knew family and names people have given me is empty sound for me. My name is Magnus. It was my first choice in life, and I am proud of my name. As for letter, I… well, have no idea." I laughed awkwardly.
'Of course, there are no records. I came to this world on the day of sorting.'
She stared at me for some time, then sighed and said:
"In any case, you showcase of skill in defeating a troll and bravery in stalling the troll for your friends wins your house 20 points! Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."
I saved. Just in case.
〖Save ⟳〗
Finally, this is over. I seriously need to get some rest… and food.