After persuading Hermione, Ryan suggested they go to the library to study together. However, Hermione hesitated. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying earlier, and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her classmates. Instead, she preferred to study in this empty classroom.
Seeing no other option, Ryan went upstairs to the dormitory to grab his schoolbag before returning to the empty classroom. By then, Hermione had already washed her face and tidied up two desks.
She pulled out the notes that Ryan had taken for her from the morning's missed classes and began copying them. As she wrote, she muttered, "Oh my God, I can't believe I missed a lesson because of all this. The Levitation Charm is an important spell, and there's even going to be an exam on it later."
Time passed quietly as they focused on their studies. When they finally finished all their assignments for the day, Ryan glanced outside and realized it was already dark.
"Come on," he said, stretching, "it's time for dinner. Tonight is the Halloween feast. I've heard that Hogwarts goes all out for it, with amazing decorations and an incredible banquet. Plus, it's our first holiday celebration here—we shouldn't miss it. Let's hurry; maybe we can still make it in time."
They packed up their books and were about to leave when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps echoing from the far end of the corridor. Ryan immediately had a bad feeling. He quickly grabbed Hermione's arm, stopping her from opening the door, and peeked through a small gap.
When he saw Harry and Ron running toward them, he pushed the door open and stepped out.
Earlier That Evening
After classes ended, Harry and Ron noticed that Hermione hadn't shown up all afternoon. Meanwhile, Ryan had gone upstairs to grab his schoolbag and then disappeared.
As dinner approached, they headed downstairs for the Halloween feast. Along the way, they overheard Parvati Patil chatting with Lavender Brown.
"Hermione was doing homework with Ryan in an empty classroom on the first floor," Parvati said. "Her eyes were still a little red and puffy, but at least she wasn't crying in the bathroom anymore. Honestly, I envy her for having such a good friend."
Ron shifted uncomfortably at those words. "Well, Ryan's a bit of a nerd, so it makes sense that he'd get along with Hermione."
Harry sighed. "I know you still feel weird about Ryan making you apologize to Hermione earlier, but honestly, if it weren't for him organizing everyone's homework in the common room, I'd probably be failing. You know how much time Quidditch practice takes."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the Great Hall, instantly forgetting about Ryan and Hermione as they took in the dazzling decorations.
A thousand bats fluttered along the walls and ceiling, while another thousand hovered like a dark cloud over the long tables, making the candle flames inside the carved pumpkins flicker ominously. Delicious food suddenly appeared on the golden plates, just like during the welcome feast at the start of term.
Harry and Ron were happily digging into their meals when the doors burst open, and Professor Quirrell came rushing in. His turban was askew, and his face was pale with terror.
"Troll!" he gasped as he stumbled forward, his voice shaking. "In the dungeon—I thought you should know…"
Then he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Panic erupted in the Great Hall. Screams and shouts echoed through the room as students jumped from their seats in fear.
Dumbledore had to fire several loud, crackling fireworks from his wand just to restore order.
"Prefects," he commanded in a firm voice, "lead your houses back to their dormitories immediately."
Percy Weasley immediately took charge of the Gryffindors, guiding them toward the tower with his usual self-importance.
On the way, the corridors buzzed with tension. Students hurried in all directions, some whispering nervously, while a few of the more timid girls sobbed quietly.
After squeezing past a confused group of Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly remembered something. He grabbed Ron's arm.
"Wait! Hermione and Ryan don't know about the troll! We need to warn them."
Ron hesitated for a moment, biting his lip. Then, with a sigh, he nodded. "Alright—but we'd better not let Percy catch us."
They ducked away from the crowd, blending in with a group of Hufflepuffs before slipping down an empty corridor. As they turned a corner, hurried footsteps sounded behind them.
"Percy?" Ron whispered in alarm. He yanked Harry behind a large stone griffin statue.
Peering cautiously from behind the sculpture, they realized it wasn't Percy—it was Snape. He strode swiftly across the corridor and disappeared down another passageway.
"What's he doing?" Harry murmured. "Shouldn't he be helping the other teachers in the dungeon?"
"How would I know?" Ron whispered back.
They hesitated briefly before pressing forward. Following Snape's receding footsteps, they moved as quietly as possible down another hallway.
A few minutes later, they finally reached the door to the classroom where Ryan and Hermione were studying. Just as they approached, Ryan stepped out through the back door.
"It's dinner time," he said in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"
Harry opened his mouth to explain, but before he could say a word, a foul stench filled the air. It was a nauseating mix of unwashed socks and a dirty public toilet. Then they heard it—the deep, guttural grunting of a massive creature, followed by the heavy scrape of feet dragging across the floor.
Ryan's expression shifted immediately. "Get inside!" he hissed, shoving them back into the classroom.
Holding their breath, they huddled in the shadows, watching through the glass panel in the door. A hulking figure lumbered past, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the corridor windows.
It was a troll.
Twelve feet tall, its rough, grayish skin resembled weathered stone. Its massive, clumsy body looked like a giant heap of mud, topped with a small head about the size of a cocoa bean. Its thick, tree trunk-like legs supported a pair of enormous feet covered in callouses. The stench rolling off it was nearly unbearable.
In its enormous hands, it gripped a heavy wooden club, which dragged noisily along the floor due to its long, gangly arms.
Behind him, Hermione let out a muffled gasp, covering her mouth instantly.
They waited in tense silence as the troll's footsteps receded. Only when the sound finally faded did they dare to move toward the door again.
Peering outside, they saw the troll stopping in front of a doorway, peeking inside. Its long ears twitched as it seemed to consider something. Then, after a moment of hesitation, it made up its mind and slowly stepped into the room.
Harry's eyes widened. "The key's in the door," he whispered. "If we lock it in, it won't be able to come out and hurt anyone."
"Brilliant idea," Ron said nervously, his throat dry.
Creeping forward, they moved sideways toward the open door, barely daring to breathe. Their only hope was that the troll wouldn't suddenly notice them.
With a swift lunge, Harry grabbed the key and shoved the door closed with all his strength. He twisted the key in the lock and stepped back, breathing hard.
"It's done!" he gasped.
For a moment, they simply stood there, frozen, staring at the locked door.
Then, from inside, came an earth-shattering roar.
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