Harry wanted to take Ron to apologize to Hermione, but she didn't show up for the next class. The entire afternoon passed without any sign of her, so Harry had to put the matter aside for the time being.
On their way to the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil and her friend talking about Hermione crying in the girls' bathroom. This made Ron feel uneasy, especially with Harry urging him to apologize, making him realize he might have been wrong.
"We should go apologize to her later," Ron said, showing that he wasn't a bad kid and couldn't get past his inherent kindness.
Harry nodded in agreement, and the two decided to apologize after the feast.
When they entered the Great Hall, the dazzling Halloween decorations immediately caught their eyes. A thousand bats fluttered against the walls and ceiling, while another thousand swooped over the tables like low-lying clouds. Hollowed-out pumpkins with flickering candles inside added to the festive atmosphere, and golden plates appeared with a variety of delicious dishes.
John looked around and picked up a potato with skin and threw it on the back of Neville's head.
"Neville, where's Hermione?"
Neville, rubbing his head, turned to see John and, after a moment's recollection, said, "I heard Parvati Patil say Hermione is in the girls' bathroom, crying and refusing to be comforted."
"Is that so? I better go find her. She wouldn't want to miss such a splendid feast."
John felt a growing unease, remembering what the Bloody Baron had said. He also had a feeling that something significant was going to happen, as if there was a plot unfolding here.
[Ding! Find Hermione and deal with the troll to receive +1 skill point and the perk: Troll Slayer]
[Troll Slayer: Increases damage against large creatures]
John paused, then his expression changed. He remembered now: during the Halloween feast, a troll was supposed to appear. He doubted that Hermione, a young witch, could handle a twelve-foot-tall troll with brute strength.
Without further thought, John left his seat. Dumbledore, who was enjoying a slice of sweet pumpkin cake, noticed this and his wise eyes behind half-moon glasses seemed to be contemplating something.
Shortly after John left, Professor Quirrell, wearing his large turban, burst into the Great Hall. His face was filled with terror, and everyone stopped to look at him.
Quirrell hurried to the chair beside Dumbledore, leaning heavily against it, his face pale and breathless as he stammered out:
"Troll... in the dungeons... thought you ought to know."
His words were fragmented but conveyed a clear message: there was a troll. As soon as he finished speaking, Quirrell collapsed to the floor.
Chaos erupted in the Great Hall. Dumbledore quickly took control of the situation, calming everyone down and instructing the prefects to lead the students back to their dormitories.
Harry and Ron were among the students being herded away, with Ron speculating that the troll might have been released by Peeves as a prank. However, Harry suddenly remembered Hermione.
"She's still in the bathroom! She doesn't know about the troll!"
Ron bit his lip, glanced at his prefect brother Percy, and decisively said, "Alright, let's make sure Percy doesn't see us."
The two boys crouched down, blending into the crowd, and slipped away from the group.
As they headed toward the girls' bathroom, Harry noticed Professor Snape heading toward the third floor, planting a seed of suspicion in his mind.
...
In the girls' bathroom on the first floor, Hermione was crying in one of the stalls. She was excellent in many areas but was still just a young girl, and being ostracized by her classmates had left her deeply hurt.
After crying for a while, she felt somewhat better. She came out to the sink, washed her face, but her eyes remained red and puffy.
"It's okay, John doesn't hate me," she reassured herself. At least she still had John as a friend.
As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought, a knock on the door startled her. Her voice trembled as she called out:
"Who's there?"
"Hermione, are you alright?" It was John.
He had found the girls' bathroom and, hearing Hermione inside, felt a sense of relief.
Just as John was about to instruct Hermione to open the door, he was hit by an overpowering stench. The smell rivaled that of the dung bombs thrown by the Weasley twins, a mix of dirty socks and an uncleaned public restroom.
The smell was comparable to the big dung balls thrown by the Weasley twins, like the smell of stinky socks and a public toilet that no one cleaned.
John was almost fainted by the suffocation. Looking back, a huge figure in the shadows made a grumble and the sound of heavy feet hitting the ground approaching here.
John grabbed the door that was about to open and said sternly to the inside: "Hermione, find a corner to hide, don't open the door."
His eyes were locked on the troll. Despite its reputation for low intelligence, the twelve-foot-tall creature with skin like granite exuded a menacing presence.
Its underdeveloped head looked like a cocoa bean perched on a stone, and it wielded a huge wooden club.
John knew that getting hit by that thing would be far worse than getting hit by a Bludger.
"This is going to be a tough fight," he muttered, steeling himself. It was his first encounter with such a massive creature, even larger than Hagrid.
The troll scratched its head, trying to comprehend John. Its seemingly harmless demeanor belied the extreme danger it posed.
John watched the approaching troll, his steps cautious. "Come on, big guy. Maybe we need a real, bloody fight," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with determination.
With a flick of his left hand, his wand appeared, and he aimed it at the troll. "Reducto!"
The spell hit the troll, causing it to stagger back with a fist-sized mark on its skin. This enraged the troll, which roared and swung its club at John. He dodged, and the club smashed the bathroom door to pieces.
"Ahhh!" Hermione's scream echoed. As the troll turned towards the sound, John hit it with another spell.
"Over here!" he shouted, running back to draw the troll away from the bathroom.
The troll, not suspecting a trick, lumbered after John. Fighting and retreating, John successfully lured the troll away from the girls' bathroom.
...
Harry and Ron arrived at the girls' bathroom, their hearts sinking at the sight of the shattered door.
"Hermione!"
They rushed into the bathroom and saw Hermione huddled in the corner.
"It looks like the troll didn't get in," Ron said, relieved.
But their relief was short-lived as Hermione, her voice trembling with urgency, said, "John led the troll away. We have to help him!"
Even Ron, who often bickered with Hermione, didn't hesitate. Gryffindors were known for their courage and readiness to help friends. They sprinted in the direction the troll had gone.
...
John was calculating the distance. He had led the troll far enough from the bathroom to ensure Hermione's safety. He rolled forward, narrowly avoiding the troll's club, and then turned to cast a spell.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The debris from the broken wall floated up and, under John's guidance, smashed into the troll's face. The troll recoiled in pain. Seizing the opportunity, John grabbed a sword from a nearby suit of armor, swinging it in a gleaming arc toward the troll's club-wielding arm.
Blood sprayed in the moonlight, the silver flash of the sword looking almost like an elegant waltz. Though the blow didn't sever the troll's arm, it caused enough pain to make the troll lose its grip on the club. The pain only made the troll more frenzied, but its simple attack patterns became even easier to predict.
"Reducto!"
Using the same tactic, John dodged the club's sweep and hit the troll's forehead with a Blasting Curse, knocking it down. He then swung the sword again, severing the troll's fingers to ensure it couldn't grab the club.
Before the club hit the ground, John used a Levitation Charm to suspend it mid-air. He then directed it with all his might, slamming it into the troll and sending it flying.
"It's over," he said, watching as the troll crashed into an unfortunate suit of armor and lay still.
He approached cautiously to ensure the troll was truly defeated. Just then, Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived.
Seeing the chaotic scene, the trio's mouths hung open wide enough to swallow a whole potato.
"John, are you alright?" Harry shouted.
John turned to look at them, but at that moment, the troll, which he thought was dead, opened its eyes. Its relatively unharmed left hand swung toward John, causing the trio to scream in fright.
Acting on instinct, John swung his sword to intercept the blow.
Clang.
The sword flew from his hand and embedded itself in the ceiling. John's right hand was numb, leaving him weaponless. But they shouldn't forget, he was a wizard.
With his left hand, his wand moved like a venomous snake, stabbing into the troll's eye.
Holding the wand, John's face was cold and determined as he pronounced the troll's death sentence.
"Reducto!"
Even if it was a troll, it would not be able to bear a reducto explosion inside its head.
That ridiculous head was like a cooked bean, exploding in an instant.
The extremely 'delicious' scene made the three children feel a little disgusted.
In fact, they had already vomited.
...