Broken Wall, Dead Troll

After the professors unanimously decided to stop recommending additional reading materials to Lin Yue, she eventually diverted that portion of her energy toward other study projects, just as Madam Pince had expected.

Amidst her frantic studying, the students of Hogwarts finally welcomed Halloween.

Rising promptly at her usual time, Lin Yue sat at her desk reading, even as the scent of pumpkin permeated the air everywhere.

After the thought that today was Halloween flickered through her mind, she continued to read with undivided attention.

The arrival of the holiday made the little wizards more excited during class, which manifested specifically in their inability to sit still.

So much so that Professor McGonagall had to put on a stern face to keep them in check.

Under these circumstances, when her gaze once again passed over Lin Yue—who remained calm and completely unaffected by the festive atmosphere—she couldn't help but be moved once more by the child's dedication to her studies.

After finishing the morning Transfiguration class, Lin Yue shouldered her bag and walked quickly out of the Transfiguration classroom, heading straight for the Great Hall.

Sitting precisely in her usual spot, Lin Yue picked up food with her knife and fork and put it into her mouth without even looking.

Just as she was eating rapidly, the conversation of two Gryffindor Little Lions walking past reached her ears.

"Yeah, Granger was moved to tears by Weasley, right there in the girls' lavatory on the ground floor. She wouldn't even let anyone comfort her."

"Merlin... although Granger is indeed a bit, special, making her cry is still, a bit ungentlemanly."

Listening to the conversation between the two Little Lions, Lin Yue's hand, which never paused while eating, faltered for a brief moment before it seemed to reload and continued its rapid pace.

Hermione was moved to tears; in her emotionless brain, she only arrived at this single conclusion.

She didn't even feel that perhaps she should go and comfort the other girl.

After finishing lunch, Lin Yue shouldered her bag and headed straight for the Magical History classroom, where she began to read the books she had borrowed from the library with great focus.

In the afternoon, listening to Professor Binns's voice on the podium—which was as flat as a straight line, devoid of emotion, and sleep-inducing—Lin Yue took notes rapidly.

Compared to the other students, she felt there was nothing wrong with the way Professor Binns spoke, nor did it make her drowsy.

Of course, this did not rule out the possibility that it was because she spoke the same way herself and did not feel sleepy.

If Lin Yue had no reaction when she heard at lunch that Hermione was crying in the girls' lavatory on the ground floor.

Then, hearing it once more during the Halloween feast that evening, Lin Yue clearly felt her heart give a thrum.

It was as if it were telling her that she should do something, but what was she supposed to do?

Lin Yue couldn't figure it out; Lin Yue didn't know. She could solve incredibly difficult math problems, but she truly did not know what her heart wanted her to do at this moment.

Since Hermione was crying, perhaps... she should wipe her tears, or wash her face?

Lin Yue's hands did not stop their rhythm of eating, while her mind continued to dwell on the thought.

Just as she finished her dinner in three and a half minutes and prepared to rise and head for the Great Hall doors, the doors were flung open with a deafening bang.

Professor Quirrell, wrapped in his large turban, stumbled in and shouted toward Headmaster Dumbledore at the teachers' table.

"Troll! In the dungeon, I thought you ought to know..." He then collapsed directly onto the floor.

The Great Hall fell silent for two seconds. Two seconds later, almost every little wizard stood up in a panic, screaming in terror as if a troll wielding a massive wooden stick were standing right before them, ready to smash them into pulp.

Lin Yue watched the panicked little wizards with a calm gaze, standing up to pack her bag without the slightest reaction.

Just as she slung her bag over her shoulder, a deep, aged voice, full of authority and reassurance, rang out.

"Quiet!"

The Great Hall fell instantly silent. Headmaster Dumbledore's voice reminded the little wizards that they were currently in the Great Hall, and that there were many professors and Headmaster Dumbledore present.

Never mind one troll; even if a whole pack of trolls arrived, they would remain safe and sound.

Headmaster Dumbledore scanned the four houses with his eyes and quickly issued his orders.

"Prefects, lead your house students back to the common rooms. Professors, come with me."

Lin Yue, with her bag on her back, followed the rest of Ravenclaw toward their prefect, preparing to return to the common room in accordance with Headmaster Dumbledore's instructions.

However, before she could even stand still, a thought suddenly emerged in her mind, disrupting her pace.

Hermione was still in the girls' lavatory on the first floor; she didn't know about the troll yet, and she might run into it.

Three facts flashed clearly through Lin Yue's mind, causing her to quicken the pace she had been about to halt and veer sharply to the side.

In truth, her heart remained as calm as a well; her decision to find Hermione was for the same reason she had saved Neville.

It was simply a matter of following her instinct to help others when she had the ability to do so.

The only difference was that this time, helping Hermione meant violating the order Headmaster Dumbledore had just given for everyone to return to their common rooms.

Lin Yue strode out of the Great Hall, her right hand brushing against her left arm, which still bore bruises.

Because Professor Snape had never given her a perfect score in Potions class, she had to punish herself after almost every lesson.

More importantly, after the last time her punishment was discovered by the female prefect, Penelope, Penelope had truly begun checking her face every day to ensure she wasn't punishing herself again.

Therefore, she had no choice but to move the punishments to her arm, which resulted in the bruises on her arm never fully fading.

She pinched a small patch of skin hard and gave it a quick, sharp twist, adding yet another bruise to her left arm.

But now, she could head to the girls' lavatory on the first floor without any burden; she had already been punished, so she was free to break the rules.

Bang!

Lin Yue reached out and quickly pushed the door open. She stepped into the Girls' Lavatory, followed the sound of sniffling to one of the stalls, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Hermione's muffled voice came from inside the stall. Her voice sounded a bit soft, likely from crying for so long.

"Lin Yue," Lin Yue replied, her tone devoid of emotion.

The stall door was opened shortly after, and Hermione stepped out, lips pursed, to hug Lin Yue.

The feeling that she truly had no friends was slowly being broken.

"Weasley... said I was a nightmare, and that no one would ever want to be friends with me..."

Lin Yue stood there blankly, not returning the hug, and spoke mechanically.

"You are a human, not a nightmare."

"Pfft..." Hermione let out a small laugh. "Are you trying to cheer me up?"

Lin Yue replied in a flat tone, "No, I am stating a fact."

Hermione laughed softly for a moment while holding Lin Yue, then suddenly remembered something. She let go of Lin Yue and looked at her, asking, "By the way, why did you come here?"

Lin Yue watched Hermione reach up to wipe the tear tracks from her face and spoke in a level tone, "Professor Quirrell announced at the feast that there was a Troll. You didn't know, so I came to find you."

Hermione's hand, which had been wiping her face, froze mid-motion. She widened her eyes and stared at Lin Yue in disbelief.

"A-a Troll? Inside Hogwarts?!"

"Mm," Lin Yue nodded calmly.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down. She stepped forward, took hold of Lin Yue's left hand, and headed toward the door.

"Let's go, quickly. We need to get back to the common room or find a professor."

Lin Yue followed her toward the door, but the heavy, thundering footsteps echoing in her ears and the stench lingering in the air made it clear to her that they probably wouldn't make it back to the common room or find a professor in time.

Because the combination of these two things was enough for her to reach a conclusion: the Troll was here.

"It's too late," Lin Yue said flatly. She pulled Hermione firmly behind her just as they saw the Troll slowly walk through the door of the Girls' Lavatory, the door slamming shut behind it with a loud bang.

Hermione covered her cheeks in terror and despair. Having not experienced much in her life yet, she was far too panicked to think of any way to respond.

Only one thought occupied her mind: It's over... I've dragged Lin Yue into this. The only person willing to be my friend has been dragged down by me.

If it weren't for coming to find me, Lin Yue would never have come here. If she hadn't come here, she wouldn't have encountered the Troll, and if she hadn't encountered the Troll, she wouldn't die...

"I'm not dead yet, and neither are you," Lin Yue said, standing in front of Hermione and staring at the Troll with an expressionless face.

Did I say that out loud? Hermione snapped back to reality and looked at Lin Yue standing in front of her. Just as she was about to grab her and run to the side, she saw the Troll already raising its massive wooden stick.

Before the Troll could make its next move, and before Hermione could pull her away, Lin Yue was the first to raise her wand.

The incantation slipped from her lips, and the ceiling directly above the Troll instantly distorted under the Transfiguration Charm. It formed a protrusion that hung downward, wrapping around the Troll's wooden stick and pinning it in place, rendering it unable to move.

The not-so-bright Troll looked up in confusion. At the same time, the door to the Girls' Lavatory swung open, and Harry and Ron appeared in the doorway.

"Hey! You big oaf!"

"Look at me! You idiot!"

As soon as they opened the door, the two boys shouted loudly to draw the Troll's attention, while simultaneously gesturing for Lin Yue and Hermione to hurry over.

Watching the Troll, now deprived of its wooden stick and entering a state of rage, turn around and head toward Harry and Ron, Lin Yue waved her wand with a completely flat expression, pointing it at the outer wall of the Girls' Lavatory.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The other three, confused, turned their gazes toward Lin Yue, unable to fathom why she was casting a Levitation Charm at a wall.

Crack... crack. The sound of fracturing echoed repeatedly. Soon, the other three present realized exactly what Lin Yue was planning.

With a deafening roar, the entire outer wall of the Girls' Lavatory was torn away by Lin Yue's Levitation Charm. She controlled the massive slab of masonry, moving it directly between herself and the Troll.

Attracted by the massive noise, the Troll turned once more, only to find an abrupt wall standing before it. Where had the two little pieces of prey behind it gone?

Its small brain pondered the question in vain—which would be the last thought it would ever have in its life.

"Merlin..." Amidst Hermione's gasp of astonishment, Lin Yue gave her wand a light flick. The wall she was controlling slammed heavily into the Troll.

Seeing this, Harry and Ron made a split-second decision, covering their heads and diving toward the outside of the Girls' Lavatory.

The next moment, BOOM! A sound even louder than the one made when the wall was first torn down echoed throughout the entire basement level, causing the professors and Headmaster Dumbledore, who were rushing toward the scene, to instantly knit their brows.

As the dust settled, Lin Yue looked ahead with a calm gaze. The wall she had manipulated with the Levitation Charm had shattered into bricks, scattered across the body of the Troll.

The Troll lay on the ground, large pools of blood flowing from its body and head. It was clearly a corpse.

The force of the impact had been so great that it had even shattered the wall behind the Troll.

Lin Yue looked at the lifeless Troll and slowly lowered her right hand, which had been holding her wand.

Her expression remained as still as an ancient well, looking as if she were under no pressure at all—if one ignored the fact that she was panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

The walls of Hogwarts were protected by magic; they were capable of resisting not only spells but also physical impact.

When she had torn the wall down with the Levitation Charm earlier, she had clearly felt an immense amount of resistance. That was not to mention that she had later increased her magic power output to strengthen the charm, resulting in the destruction of a second wall upon crushing the Troll.

Buried in the dust, Harry and Ron didn't dare to sit up until they felt the surroundings had gone quiet, at which point they cautiously looked around.

Dust and broken bricks were everywhere; the area now looked like a ruin, not to mention the corpse of a Troll lying in the Girls' Lavatory, which had been exposed after its walls were demolished, covered in a pile of rubble.

The two boys slowly turned their heads, looking at Lin Yue with terrified eyes. They felt as if they had lost the ability to speak; they couldn't utter a single word.

Unconsciously, a sense of fear toward Lin Yue began to grow in their hearts, mingled with a touch of admiration.

Hermione also swallowed hard as she looked at the back standing before her. However, there was no fear in her eyes at all—only admiration and adoration.

She had only ever felt this kind of emotion when looking at the professors before.

"Merlin preserve us..." Speak of the devil, and the professors arrived. Upon seeing this scene, they all froze in their tracks.

Professor McGonagall even raised a hand to cover her mouth, letting out a gasp of shock.

Professor Flitwick stared at the scene before him with his mouth agape, Professor Sprout looked on in astonishment, and even Professor Snape felt momentarily speechless.

The only one present who, after observing the situation, fixed his gaze on Lin Yue, who was standing in front of Hermione, was Headmaster Dumbledore.

Professor Quirrell did the same; his fingers twitched slightly, and a dark glint seemed to flash across his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Professor McGonagall was the first to regain her composure. She turned to look at Harry and Ron, who were still sitting slumped on the ground, staring blankly at Lin Yue.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, can you explain to me exactly what happened here?"