The chill of late October had settled over Hogwarts, and crisp air seeped into the castle halls despite the ever-burning torches. The scent of pumpkin and roasted meats filled the Great Hall, where the Halloween Feast was in full swing. Floating jack-o'-lanterns cast flickering shadows across the enchanted ceiling, reflecting the stormy sky above.
Harry sat at the Ravenclaw table beside Hermione, a plate full of warm food in front of him. Across the hall, Neville was at the Gryffindor table, chatting animatedly with some of his housemates, though he occasionally glanced over at them.
"You'd think they'd start us on something more advanced by now," Hermione said between bites of treacle tart. "Honestly, we could have learned the first-year charms before coming here."
Harry smirked slightly. "Not everyone reads the entire course book before school starts, Hermione."
She gave him a pointed look but was saved from responding when the Great Hall's massive doors slammed open. A gust of cold air swept through the chamber as Professor Quirrell stumbled inside, his turban askew and his face deathly pale.
"T-Troll!" he gasped, clutching the edge of a table for support. "In the dungeons! Thought you ought to know—"
With that, he collapsed to the floor.
For a brief moment, silence gripped the hall before students erupted into panicked chatter. The younger years shrank back, some standing uncertainly as if they weren't sure whether to run. Dumbledore rose from his seat, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Silence!" His calm yet commanding tone instantly settled the hall. "Prefects, lead your houses to their dormitories immediately. Professors, follow me."
Harry felt Hermione grab his wrist. "Come on, we need to—"
But before she could finish, something tugged at the edge of Harry's awareness. It was that same feeling from his dream, unease creeping along the back of his mind, a whisper of something not quite right. He exchanged a glance with Hermione, who seemed to sense it too.
"This doesn't add up," he murmured. "Why would a troll just be in the dungeons?"
Hermione hesitated. "You think it's connected to—?"
Harry gave a small nod. The trapdoor. The thing hidden beneath the school.
The students were already filing out of the Great Hall under the watchful eyes of the prefects. Harry and Hermione followed, but as they reached the entrance hall, a flash of movement caught Harry's eye.
Malfoy was smirking, whispering something to Crabbe and Goyle before slipping away from the Slytherin crowd.
"Where's he going?" Hermione whispered.
Harry didn't hesitate. "Let's find out."
Keeping to the shadows, they trailed Malfoy down a side corridor, careful to stay just out of sight. The further they went, the quieter the castle became. The distant murmurs of students faded until only the howling wind outside and the faint dripping of water in the dungeons remained.
Then, a new sound.
A low, guttural growl.
They froze. Ahead, Malfoy had too. His usual arrogance melted into fear as a hulking shadow shifted at the end of the hallway.
The troll.
It was even larger than Harry had imagined, with gray, lumpy skin and a club as thick as a tree trunk clutched in one massive hand. Its tiny eyes swept the corridor, nostrils flaring. Then, it moved.
Straight toward Malfoy.
Malfoy let out a strangled yelp and scrambled backward, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away. The troll roared, the sound reverberating through the stone halls.
Harry didn't think. He acted.
"Over here!" he shouted, grabbing a suit of armor's helmet and hurling it down the hall. It clattered loudly against the floor, drawing the troll's attention away from Malfoy.
"Harry!" Hermione hissed.
"Run!"
They darted back the way they came, Malfoy already sprinting past them in terror. The troll let out another roar and stomped after them, the ground trembling under its weight.
Harry's heart pounded. He didn't know where he was leading it, only that they had to move, fast.
A familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Snape.
The Potions Master swept into view, his dark robes billowing as he took in the scene with a single, withering glance. His wand flicked up in an instant.
"Depulso!"
A powerful blast of force slammed into the troll's midsection, shoving it back a few feet, but it barely stumbled before regaining its balance, shaking its head as if irritated by a fly.
Snape's expression tightened. With a flick of his wrist, he cast again.
"Incarcerous!"
Thick ropes shot from his wand, wrapping around the troll's massive limbs, constricting its movements. The troll bellowed in fury, wrenching against its bindings with terrifying strength. Cracks formed in the stone floor beneath its feet as it fought against the spell.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione added, her voice high but determined.
The spell hit, momentarily stiffening the troll's body, but its sheer size and magical resistance caused the effect to waver. The ropes strained, starting to snap.
Snape's eyes flashed and both he and Harry readied their wands again. "Stupefy!"
Two concurrent stunning spells struck the troll in the chest. It reeled, eyes rolling back. Finally, with an earth-shaking thud, it collapsed onto the floor.
Harry exhaled sharply. The hallway was eerily silent except for the sound of their rapid breathing.
Snape turned on them, his black eyes burning.
"You foolish boy," Snape said, his voice quiet but filled with restrained anger. "Do you have any idea how close you came to getting yourself killed?"
Harry swallowed but held his ground. "I—"
"Not. Another. Word." Snape's gaze flicked to Hermione, who looked pale but determined. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for this reckless behavior."
Harry braced himself for more, but to his surprise, Snape exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose as though trying to compose himself.
Then, after a moment, he muttered, "Five points for quick thinking and assisting a professor even if unnecessary."
Harry blinked. That was… unexpected.
Before he could dwell on it, McGonagall and a few other professors arrived, their expressions a mixture of shock and anger as they surveyed the unconscious troll.
"What happened here?" McGonagall demanded.
Snape straightened. "I will handle this."
Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. Something about Snape's reaction felt different than before.
As they were escorted back to their dormitories, Hermione whispered, "Did Snape just… give you points?"
Harry wasn't sure what to make of it either. But one thing was certain, things had begun to change.