"GROOOOOOOOAAARGH!!"
"""GYAAAAAA!!!"""
A life-or-death chase with a troll through the underground corridors of Hogwarts. Before or since, surely only we have ever had such a precious experience.
Perhaps it was because of our screams and the troll's roars echoing through the halls.
After sprinting at full speed for about five minutes, we saw Professor McGonagall burst out from beside a crossroads ahead of us. Right behind her were Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell.
"What on earth is going—"
"""We're very sorry!!!"""
Slipping past Professor McGonagall, we kept running as fast as we could. Normally, we should have stopped to apologize properly, but with a club-wielding troll chasing us, stopping was simply not an option.
"Stupefy! Be stunned!"
As Professor McGonagall calmly cast the spell, a red flash shot forcefully from her wand and struck the troll square in the face. The troll froze with a foolish expression, as if it had fainted, then its massive body swayed before collapsing to the ground with a tremendous thud.
"Petrificus Totalus! Be turned to stone!"
Professor Snape immediately followed up by casting a full-body binding curse, completely immobilizing the troll.
As expected of the Hogwarts faculty, they are truly an exceptional group of witches and wizards. Only Professor Quirrell was an exception, letting out weak, shrill cries at the sight of the troll before slumping down in the corridor.
For now, the troll threat was gone.
However, one problem had been resolved only for another to appear. Professor McGonagall, now standing before us, wore an expression of anger more intense than anything we had ever seen.
"Now then, I believe you owe me an explanation."
Professor McGonagall was completely furious. This was very bad.
"You're lucky you weren't killed. Why are you here when you should be in your dormitories?"
"Professor, it's not like that! This is, um… well…"
"Mr. Longbottom, how exactly is it not like that?"
Neville opened and closed his mouth as if trying to say something, but he was completely frozen, like a frog being stared down by a snake. Professor McGonagall let out a deep sigh and shifted her sharp gaze to Daphne.
"Miss Greengrass, do you have anything to say?"
"It's Elaina's fault."
You heartless traitor. Liar. Betrayer.
"Miss Celestia?"
"It's Neville's fault."
Neville, please don't look at me with such resentment.
"…And?"
At this blatant shifting of responsibility, Professor McGonagall's voice dropped another notch. If we didn't clear up the misunderstanding before she exploded, this would turn into something even scarier than a troll.
At this point, there was no choice but to steel myself.
"Yes, it all began when Daphne and I were on our way back to the dormitory under the prefects' supervision…"
I began recounting the events as sincerely as possible.
How Neville, ever the caring friend, had been worried about Hermione not returning, how we realized the danger of her encountering the troll, and how Daphne and I, even more devoted to our friends than Neville, simply couldn't abandon our best friend Hermione.
"Elaina! Neville!"
As I was explaining the truth just as it was, I saw Harry and the other two come running toward us, completely out of breath. Professor McGonagall's attention shifted to them, and her blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and even Miss Granger…!"
Before the flustered professor, Hermione began speaking rapidly.
"Professor McGonagall! It was all my fault! I went looking for the troll, thinking I could take it on by myself. Harry, Ron, and Elaina, they were just worried about me…"
Once Hermione finished her hurried explanation, Professor McGonagall looked each of us over in turn, as if verifying the truth of the story.
Harry and Ron looked shocked at Hermione's lie, but when I signaled them with my eyes, they quickly understood and began nodding vigorously in agreement.
"Well, if that's the case…"
At last, Professor McGonagall seemed convinced. She let out a long sigh and fixed a stern gaze on Hermione.
"Miss Granger, what a foolish thing to do. I am very disappointed in you. Gryffindor will lose fifteen points."
At her words, Hermione lowered her head. For an exemplary student like her, this was her first time losing points, so it was only natural she would be upset.
"As for the rest of you, honestly, for first-years to attempt to face a wild troll… you're lucky to even be alive!"
Professor McGonagall snorted sharply, paused for a moment, then slowly spoke again.
"Ordinarily, I would deduct five points from each of you. However, the willingness to risk yourselves for a friend is also something to be valued. Therefore, those who went to help Miss Granger will not lose points. Instead, you will each be awarded ten points."
After the tally, Gryffindor broke even, while Slytherin gained ten points.
"The Halloween feast, which was interrupted, is continuing in your respective houses. You may return."
Leaving the scene at once, we headed back to our dormitories. Just before we parted ways, Hermione called out to me.
"Elaina, um… thank you for coming to help earlier."
"Oh, it was nothing special."
In truth, it had been incredibly close. We had rushed in partly on impulse, but the result was that Neville, Daphne, and I had effectively saved Hermione's life.
"And you too, Miss Greengrass. Thank you."
"Oh? You knew my name?"
Daphne looked slightly surprised. Even if they had never spoken directly, with shared classes, she must have known her name at least.
"Granger, be good friends with the Gryffindor boys too!"
"W, well… it's Granger, actually!"
Meanwhile, Ron looked somewhat dissatisfied.
"I can't believe we were saved by Slytherin…"
"It wasn't Slytherin. I was the one who saved you."
"You really are that kind of person, aren't you…"
With that, we parted ways with Harry and the others, and Daphne and I returned to the Slytherin dormitory. The Halloween celebration was still ongoing inside, but when everyone saw us enter late, all eyes immediately turned our way.
"Daphne! Elaina!"
Pansy hurried over.
"Are you okay!? You're not hurt!?"
"No, but… I was really, really scared…♡"
"It's alright, Daphne. You don't have to be scared anymore."
Pansy hugged Daphne tightly, gently stroking her fluffy blonde hair as if to comfort her, like a scene straight out of a movie. Daphne looked up at her with moist eyes and whispered sweetly.
"I want you to hold me tighter…♡"
"Fine, I'll hug you just like you want, until you suffocate♪"
"Ow!? Pansy, I can't breathe!"
Watching Daphne tease Pansy and suffer the consequences from a distance, I sat down on a sofa in the common room. The moment I sank into the plush cushions, exhaustion came crashing over me, but this was no time to fall asleep.
"Elaina, so what happened to the troll?"
Draco Malfoy approached, his eyes shining. Yes, this was what I had been waiting for.
"Heh heh heh. Prepare to be amazed. The troll was defeated long ago."
At those words, everyone was struck speechless. Just how had that ferocious troll been taken down? Every student in Hogwarts was desperate to know.
Now then, here's a question.
There was a beautiful young girl who, out of concern for her friends, bravely stood up to a ferocious monster over four meters tall, putting on a spectacular performance rivaling even the legendary duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. So stunning that no one could help but turn back to look. Who was she?
Yes. It was me.
The next day, rumors that I had beaten the troll to a pulp spread throughout Hogwarts. The fact that the hourglass tallying Slytherin's points had increased by ten was undeniable proof.
Fact-checking? I don't know that child.
"Harry, you really shouldn't trust Slytherin."
"Maybe not…"
(End of chapter)
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