Let's rewind the clock a bit.
Just as Harry and Ron slipped out of the Great Hall to look for Adam, Draco Malfoy, standing among the Slytherins, caught sight of them darting through the doors—not in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
Where are they off to?
Malfoy's instincts flared.
At a time like this, Potter and that penniless Weasley sneaking off together? What could they possibly be plotting?
Wait—are they going after the troll?!
Of course! That must be it!
They're planning to take down the troll themselves, then strut around in front of the whole of Hogwarts like a pair of heroes!
Malfoy could already picture Harry Potter's smug, self-satisfied face.
Letting Potter take the spotlight? He'd rather swallow a cauldron of doxy eggs!
No way. I'm not about to let him get away with it!
"Block for me!" he hissed, grabbing Goyle and Crabbe by the arms and yanking them in front of him, shielding his escape from the Slytherin prefects' eyes.
As soon as the coast was clear, Malfoy hunched down, slipped out of the Slytherin ranks, and darted for the exit. He ducked through the doors and hurried off after Potter and Weasley.
He hadn't gone far before he spotted them again—creeping down the corridor, glancing nervously over their shoulders.
Malfoy also noticed someone heading upstairs ahead of them. Probably a teacher, off to hunt the troll, he guessed.
But wait—didn't Professor Quirrell say the troll was in the dungeons? Why would anyone be going upstairs?
He didn't have time to puzzle it out. Potter and Weasley were picking up speed, so Malfoy quickened his pace, determined not to lose them.
It didn't matter what anyone else did—he was not going to let those two steal the glory.
He'd already decided: if they did run into the troll, he'd stay hidden and let Potter and Weasley do the dirty work. Then, just as they were about to finish it off, he'd swoop in and claim the victory for himself!
Brilliant plan, Malfoy. Absolutely brilliant.
...
"Why do you think Snape went upstairs?" Harry whispered to Ron as they crept along.
They'd snuck out to warn Adam to get back to the dorms, but had barely made it down the corridor before they'd spotted Snape hurrying by. Curious, they'd tailed him for a bit and watched as he disappeared up the staircase.
"Probably off to protect his precious potions," Ron guessed, shrugging.
Snape's Potions classroom and office were on the fourth floor, and rumor had it he kept rare ingredients in a small storeroom up there. Ron's theory wasn't far-fetched.
"But the troll isn't upstairs," Harry muttered.
"Let's just forget about him. Once we find Adam, we should get back quick, or Percy'll have my head if he catches me," Ron said, worry creeping into his voice.
Percy was his third oldest brother—and Gryffindor's prefect. He was strict as a matron and twice as likely to tattle. If Percy caught Ron sneaking about, he'd get a lecture for sure—maybe even a Howler from Mum.
The thought made Ron regret ever following Harry out here.
"Maybe Adam'll go back on his own. Do we really need to find him?" Ron asked, suddenly uncertain.
"I doubt it. You know Adam—once he's asleep, he's out cold. We'd better find him ourselves," Harry insisted.
Ron considered this and nodded. "All right, but let's just check the first floor. If we can't find him, we'll get back and tell Qin or Percy."
Ron's words made Harry realize that they really should have told Qin Yu in the first place. Qin was way more reliable than the two of them put together.
He silently cursed his own impatience. A troll wasn't just any magical creature—it was the stuff of nightmares.
Now that he'd calmed down, Harry realized that, if they actually ran into it, they'd probably end up as troll food.
Let's hope our luck holds, he thought.
After losing track of Snape, the two boys continued down the first-floor corridor, their nerves jangling with every step.
Then, as they rounded a corner, heavy footsteps echoed ahead—accompanied by the unmistakable scrape of something massive dragging across stone.
They both looked up—and froze.
A hulking figure loomed in the distance, easily ten feet tall, with limbs as thick as tree trunks and a head that looked comically small atop its massive body.
Its broad, flat feet thudded against the floor, each step sending a tremor through the stones. In one giant hand, it held a crude wooden club, which it dragged behind it with a screech that set their teeth on edge.
There was no mistaking it—this was a troll.
Harry and Ron exchanged a single, wide-eyed glance.
We are so doomed.
Luckily, the troll had its back to them and didn't seem especially alert. It hadn't noticed the two tiny figures behind it.
"Let's... go..." Ron mouthed, his lips barely moving.
"Yeah," Harry breathed, nodding fervently.
Now was not the time for heroics. They'd only come to find Adam, not to tangle with a monster.
Since they'd found the troll—and not Adam—it was time to go back and get help.
They began to edge away, step by cautious step.
Just as they were about to turn and bolt, they saw the troll bend down and lumber into a nearby room.
"Wait, Ron!" Harry whispered, grabbing his friend's sleeve.
"What?" Ron hissed, confused.
Harry pointed at the door the troll had just entered. "We could... lock it in there..."
Ron blinked. The idea was risky, but if all they had to do was shut a door, it was worth a shot.
"Okay, let's sneak over," Ron agreed.
The two crept forward, hearts pounding. When they reached the doorway, they slammed the door shut and slid the bolt into place.
It worked. The troll was trapped.
They took off running, adrenaline surging.
After a few corridors, they stopped to catch their breath, faces flushed with exhilaration.
"D'you think that counts as something heroic?" Ron panted.
"I think so. We actually trapped it," Harry replied, a little giddy.
"Yeah, let's remember which room it was, so we can bring people back," Ron said.
Harry peered back over his shoulder. "It's easy to remember—it's right next to the girls' bathroom on the first floor."
"That's convenient. Though, what was the troll doing there...?" Ron muttered.
"Doesn't matter. Let's hurry back and tell Qin and Percy, so they can get the professors to deal with it," Harry said, already moving off.
Ron followed, but suddenly, both boys stopped dead in their tracks.
They turned to each other, eyes wide with dawning horror.
At the exact same moment, they shouted:
"Next to the girls' bathroom!"
"The storage room!"
Merlin's beard—no way!
They bolted back the way they'd come.
Because, in that instant, they both remembered what Neville Longbottom had said that morning: Adam often napped in the storage room right next to the girls' bathroom on the first floor.
Which meant... they might have just locked Adam in with the troll.
This could be a disaster!
No wonder they were suddenly so desperate to get back.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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