Everyone froze, their panicked running abruptly halting as all eyes turned to their pillar of strength—Dumbledore.
Looking over the crowd, Dumbledore raised his magically amplified voice again:
"All students, return to your dormitories under the guidance of your prefects. Professors, come with me to the dungeons."
"Headmaster, two students from our house aren't here," Ravenclaw prefect Penelope Clearwater quickly reported.
"Leave that to the professors. You all return first," Dumbledore replied in a deep voice before leading most of the faculty out of the Great Hall.
Only most, because Snape hadn't moved. He remained by the side of the collapsed Quirrell, eyeing him closely—wondering whether the professor was merely faking, or had really passed out from panic.
Louis didn't bother with either professor. As the crowd dispersed, he slipped out of the Great Hall too, intending to teleport away in a quiet spot where no one could see.
Rather than wander around aimlessly, it was far more efficient to teleport straight to Hermione. If not for the potential chaos caused by suddenly disappearing in public, he'd have gone invisible and teleported already.
"Wilson, where are you going? Come back with us to the dormitory!"
Louis's distinctive presence made him stand out too much—even in a panicked crowd.
The one calling out was Slytherin's female prefect, Gemma Farley, one of the few students in the house not yet traumatized by Louis. The boys, on the other hand, avoided him like the plague—each wishing they could turn invisible on sight.
"Sorry, just some personal business," Louis said with a smile, lowering his top hat onto his head.
"But—" Before Gemma could finish, Louis had already disappeared into the crowd with a flash of movement.
---
At the same time, Hermione and Padma were on their way back to the Great Hall. They'd missed the earlier chaos and had no idea that a troll was now loose inside the supposedly safe walls of Hogwarts.
"Relax, Hermione," Padma said cheerfully, holding her hand. "Louis might already be back in the Great Hall. We probably just missed him."
"Hogwarts is totally safe. There's nothing to worry about."
Hermione was still uneasy. But when she thought about it, Padma wasn't wrong—maybe Louis really was already back.
Wait... if he returned and didn't see her, wouldn't he come looking for her?
Wouldn't that mean they'd miss each other again?
That thought made Hermione feel both exasperated and oddly hopeful—half of her didn't want Louis to come looking, the other half wanted to see him doing just that.
"Okay, okay, let's hurry back," Hermione said, grabbing Padma's hand and starting to run.
They had to get back before Louis came to find them.
The two girls hurried down the stairs, and just as they reached the second floor, they heard a heavy thudding sound—ominous and unsettling.
"What was that?" Hermione stopped, instantly alert.
"What?" Padma hadn't been as on-edge as Hermione, especially without Louis's "prediction" in mind.
"Probably someone pulling a prank," Padma shrugged. "Didn't you hear? Louis set up a pumpkin clown to scare people in the castle. Scared the Slytherin boys half to death. They're such babies."
"No, Padma… that's definitely not a prank," Hermione's voice trembled as she stared at the growing shadow on the opposite wall and the thunderous footsteps that were rapidly approaching.
And then the stench hit her. Pungent and nauseating.
As the shadow grew more distinct, Hermione's brain made the connection—to the illustrations she'd seen in books.
"RUN!" Hermione screamed. "It's a TROLL!"
She yanked Padma's hand and bolted the other way, praying a professor would appear.
Their panicked footsteps and shouts caught the troll's attention.
It peeked around the corner and spotted the two tiny figures fleeing. Its primal instincts kicked in.
"ROARRR!!"
It bellowed and charged after them.
Humans all have some level of fear of giant creatures.
Even if you don't, when a hulking four-meter-tall beast with a club the size of a tree is running full-speed at you, even a tiger tank would think twice.
Hermione and Padma weren't built for battle. The moment they saw the troll, they did the only thing they could—run for their lives.
No one would stop to calmly consider whether to use Avada Kedavra or Wingardium Leviosa. Instinct screamed: Run.
And run they did.
Which only provoked the troll more.
"RAARGH!" the troll howled again, charging after them, its enormous club swinging like a battering ram.
Though it looked bulky and dim-witted, trolls were fast. One of its strides was equal to three or four of the girls', and in the straight hallway, it was gaining fast.
"Why is there a troll in the school?!" Padma cried, nearly in tears as the heavy footfalls closed in and wind pressure grazed the back of her head.
"Save your breath!" Hermione shouted. "Turn!"
They skidded to the end of the hallway, turned sharply around the corner, and managed to narrowly avoid the troll's charge. The troll, less agile, slammed straight into the wall—getting briefly stuck in the stonework.
Both girls exhaled in relief. But before they could get far, a massive crash echoed behind them.
The troll had yanked itself free. Shaking its head, it turned and spotted them again—roaring and chasing once more.
This corridor was long and straight—at least 300 meters. More than enough for the troll to gain on them in a full sprint.
The ground shook with each of its steps, like an unstoppable wild boar. The club it wielded was its deadly tusk.
Hermione, sensing the danger behind her closing in, began to calm her racing mind. Then—she heard a whoosh behind her, like a boulder flying toward them.
She shoved Padma hard and dove to the side herself. Padma yelped in pain as she tumbled across the floor, getting scraped and bruised, crying out.
Before she could even ask Hermione why she pushed her, the troll's giant club slammed down where they'd just been. Stone exploded in all directions—a chunk of it scratched Padma's face, drawing blood.
If Hermione hadn't pushed her, she'd be dead.
They had dodged death—for now. But they had also been forced to stop running.
Padma was dazed. Hermione, however, pulled out her wand.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, casting a Stunning Spell at the troll.
A glowing bolt shot toward its face—but it tilted its head and dodged.
Hermione wasn't very practiced. The spell was too slow.
"Densaugeo!" she quickly switched to another spell.
This one—a simple charm—shot out much faster.
It hit the troll in the face. It sneezed… and then its front teeth began to grow wildly, pushing out past its lips and all the way down to its chest.
The troll, confused and panicked, began clawing at its own face trying to break the teeth off. It couldn't.
So it raised its club… and began bashing its own face.
"Run!" Hermione shouted. Seeing the opportunity, she rushed over to Padma and tried to pull her up.
But Padma's legs gave out the moment she stood.
"My ankle… I twisted it," she cried, tears falling.
"Which one? I'll support you!" Hermione said frantically, glancing at the troll. It had smashed its front teeth and now held its head, spinning around in dizziness.
"B-both of them… Hermione, just go. Don't worry about me," Padma sobbed.
The push earlier had thrown her stride off, and she'd landed badly.
Terrified and hopeless, she still urged Hermione to flee.
"No. This is my fault. I have to get you out of here," Hermione said firmly, eyes full of guilt.
She looked at Padma's legs, hating herself for not yet knowing any healing spells. All the useful ones were in the advanced sections of her spellbooks—and far too complex.
She tried to lift Padma onto her back, but she simply didn't have the strength.
By now, the troll had recovered. Shaking its head, blood dripped from its face, its broken front teeth protruding grotesquely from its mouth.
It glared down, full of rage, at the tiny human who had caused it so much pain. With a furious roar, it raised its club high—and brought it crashing down!
"Expelliarmus!"
Hermione cast the Disarming Charm—a spell as powerful as the Stunning Spell when used properly, capable of delivering a strong repelling force.
If this spell had been cast by an adult wizard, the troll's club would've been blown away. If it had been someone like Snape, Flitwick, or McGonagall, the troll itself might've been launched into a wall.
If it were Dumbledore or Voldemort, the spell could've very well sent the troll straight to meet its maker.
But Hermione was just a young, underage witch. Talented, yes—but her age and magical strength limited her spell's effectiveness.
The glowing blast of the Disarming Charm veered off-course. The troll's club was only briefly stalled—then came crashing down with undiminished force toward Hermione and Padma.
This is the end!
Instinctively, Hermione hugged Padma tightly, watching the descending club with despair on her face.
Death felt imminent. In that moment, Hermione's mind flashed through memory after memory—
The disbelief when she received her Hogwarts letter,
The awe of seeing magic for the first time,
The wonder and excitement of Diagon Alley…
And then, her first meeting with Louis.
She'd initially thought he was just… interesting. But through every moment since, Hermione had come to appreciate his thoughtful gestures and effortless grace.
And then there was that moment atop the astronomy tower, where the starlight seemed to melt into Louis's eyes. It was the moment her young heart first fluttered.
"…Louis…" Tears spilled from her eyes as regret filled her heart.
BOOM!
The club struck down. Dust and debris exploded in all directions. The force was so strong, the troll's own hands went numb from the impact.
Satisfied, the troll raised its club to admire its handiwork—only to see the two "tiny humans"… completely unharmed.
One of them, the one who had shielded the other, was glowing faintly with a golden shimmer—a magical aura that had casually deflected its full-force attack.
"RAAARGH!" The troll howled, enraged and humiliated. How could it not kill such weaklings?! It raised its club again with renewed fury—
Only for a figure to appear suddenly between it and its targets.
A boy.
Louis.
One hand pressing down on his top hat, he looked up at the descending club. His face was cold, but a glint of fury flickered in his eyes.
For the first time in his life, Louis Wilson was truly angry.
Within his starry eyes, the phantom of the Ox Talisman shimmered faintly—cracks ran through it like fractured glass, but it held together with the force of his will.
He raised his left hand.
A small fist met the massive club.
BOOM!
BANG!
The first was the sound of the fist connecting with the club.
The second—of the club rebounding and smashing into the troll's own head.
The club spun away, landing far off to the side. A terrifying crack now split it from top to bottom, like it was about to shatter completely.
The troll staggered, dazed. With glazed eyes, it spun in place like a confused beast.
Louis cast a cold glance at it before turning to check on Hermione and the shell-shocked Padma.
Hermione's face was pale, her eyes shut tight. Tears still clung to her lashes.
Louis sighed, wiping her tears gently with his thumb.
"I told you not to wander off, didn't I?"
The familiar voice and the warmth of his touch made Hermione open her eyes in a daze.
"…Louis?"
"I'm here. Don't worry—everything's fine now," he smiled.
They locked eyes. A strange emotion floated in the air, thick and warm.
"Now's not the time for romance!" Padma's exasperated voice shattered the mood. "The troll's still alive!"
The troll hadn't fainted yet. Still groggy, it stumbled toward them again, arms outstretched.
Louis met its gaze—and the troll froze mid-step.
> Nightmare Herald: Any creature harboring ill intent toward you will feel overwhelming fear.
But fear alone wasn't enough. Trolls were too stupid to be scared for long.
It roared again, its confidence returning. With the force of a falling mountain, it lunged at the three.
A massive shadow loomed over them.
Louis snorted coldly.
Once again, the Ox Talisman flared in his eyes.
Punch One: Louis slammed his fist into the troll's gut, launching the creature into the air like a cannonball.
Punch Two: Leaping after it, he struck downward mid-air—
His fist crashed into the back of the troll's skull, driving it straight down into the floor.
The already-damaged stone cracked even further, forming spiderweb fractures across the hallway.
But Hogwarts—the ancient, legendary fortress—held firm.
Dust settled. Louis walked calmly away from the crater.
The troll lay sprawled, unmoving. Its head was embedded in a shallow pit, the back of its skull caved in, with red and white fluid pooling beneath.
It was dead.
And counting the punch that shattered its club—that made three punches total.
A creature that even adult wizards struggled to handle had been sent to the next world… violently and decisively.
Its legs twitched slightly. A reflex, nothing more.
Padma, who had witnessed the club get knocked away, was still recovering. Hermione, on the other hand, was completely stunned—her eyes wide, mouth agape in disbelief.
"Do we… need to keep this a secret?" she asked in a daze.
Louis glanced at Padma, then toward the corridor where approaching footsteps could be heard. He shook his head.
"No need."
At that moment, a group of professors turned the corner—Dumbledore leading the charge.
"By Merlin's beard!" the Headmaster exclaimed upon seeing the scene.
Behind him came the rest of the faculty, with two professors lagging at the back: the limping Snape, and the ever-shadowy Quirrell, whose eyes flickered with venom.
When they saw Louis, Hermione, Padma, and the very dead troll on the floor, their expressions became truly fascinating.
Snape was stunned.
Quirrell—though shocked—had a glint of excitement in his eyes.
So this was the so-called Heir of Merlin?
He had effortlessly saved two defenseless students and killed a fully grown troll without a scratch!
But wait—wasn't Merlin supposed to be a master of magic? This looked more like a brutal beatdown than spellwork…
"What happened here?"
It was Professor McGonagall, ever the one to deal with such situations. She walked over quickly and addressed Louis directly.
"Mr. Wilson, we'll need your explanation."
"Isn't it obvious, Professor?" Louis said politely. "I stepped in when my classmates were in danger… and killed the troll that invaded Hogwarts."
He looked the picture of innocent sincerity.
Except for the dead body behind him.
The crater in the floor.
And the caved-in skull that practically screamed brutality.
Professor McGonagall's eye twitched. Looking at Louis's guileless face, she exhaled and said—
"…Mr. Wilson, I'm going to need more details."
---
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