The students were panicking wildly; I saw some throwing the food they had in their hands as if it were cursed.
"Silence!" shouted Dumbledore. "Everyone, please remain calm."
Dumbledore's presence was so commanding that you could now hear a pin drop.
"The teachers will handle the troll while the prefects lead the students back to their common rooms in an orderly manner."
Of course, there was something to say about Dumbledore's instructions.
"Sir, if I recall correctly, the Slytherin common room is located in the dungeons. Wouldn't it be risky to bring them so close to where the troll was last seen?"
He couldn't argue with my point because I was right. I noticed some of the Slytherin students starting to panic again.
"I know of a method to lure the troll to where we want it. We could lead it into the school gardens, where there's plenty of open space, without the prefects or students risking an encounter."
"Everyone stay here. Students are strictly forbidden to leave this room."
Dumbledore made a movement with his wand that created a protective barrier around the room.
After arriving at the teachers' table, Dumbledore took me aside into another room to discuss strategy.
All the teachers were present except for Professor Snape and Quirrell.
I explained my strategy of luring the troll with flying food, gradually leading it to the school gardens.
Even though my plan seemed simplistic, there was a good chance it would work because trolls are quite stupid.
They asked me to prepare a food tray with something the troll might like. So, I took the most fragrant meat I could find, something that would make anyone hungry even if they had just eaten, and brought it back to the room.
They took me with them to come up with a backup plan in case the first one failed.
I asked Marie to use the "Accio" spell to summon my katana.
Even though it's a charm we learn in the fourth year, Marie could already use it.
I inserted my wand into the hilt of the weapon, and once I heard a click, I fastened the katana to my belt.
The teachers were surprised to see me using a Muggle weapon, but when I explained that it would make me less helpless if things didn't go as planned and the troll attacked, they understood.
When we reached the doors, Professor Flitwick cast a charm to spread the wonderful smell of meat throughout the school's corridors.
A few minutes later, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed in the distance.
I placed my hand on the katana's handle, ready to draw it at any moment. I also controlled my breathing to stay calm and use the weapon as I normally would.
The troll that appeared before my eyes moments later had such a stupid expression that it made me wonder how it even managed to enter the school.
My grip on the katana tightened as I slowly backed away, remembering that I was ordered not to attack unless in self-defense.
Once the troll was far enough from the castle, the teachers bombarded it with all sorts of spells. Although trolls are known for their resistance to magic, even they couldn't withstand the barrage of powerful spells hitting every few seconds.
When it finally fell, we approached cautiously to check its condition, and once its death was confirmed, the tension in the air lifted.
"20 points to Ravenclaw for proposing a plan that succeeded, and 15 more points to the same house for successfully casting the summoning charm, even though it was beyond the young Saturn's current level,"
Dumbledore announced in the Great Hall after we finished our fight.