Why Her Heart Ached

At Professor McGonagall's question, Lin Yue instinctively shifted her gaze from the fallen Troll to Harry and Ron.

The moment her eyes met theirs, both boys shuddered.

Harry immediately told her what had happened, without hiding a thing. Hermione, still too shocked to react, didn't get the chance to interrupt and help him and Ron make excuses.

"It was... it was us. We made Hermione cry this morning, and she stayed here crying all afternoon. Lin Yue must have found out and come looking for her because she was worried Hermione might run into the Troll."

"Ron and I came too... because Hermione didn't know about the Troll. Then we ran into it, and Lin Yue..." Harry paused. When he saw that Lin Yue's expression hadn't changed, he continued, "She knocked it down."

Though they had already suspected as much, once Harry confirmed that Lin Yue had defeated the Troll, the professors present looked at her in disbelief.

It was a Troll. Plenty of grown wizards wouldn't dare claim they could take one on single-handedly, yet Lin Yue, a first-year witch, had defeated it—and protected her classmate, too. The professors couldn't help but be astonished.

Professor Snape stepped over what remained of the wall and entered the Girls' Lavatory. He cast several diagnostic spells at the Troll lying at the far end.

"It's dead." He turned and nodded to Headmaster Dumbledore and the other professors, announcing the Troll's death.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, then fixed Harry and Ron with a stern look.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I think you really must learn to treat ladies with more politeness and respect."

"For your rudeness to Miss Granger, I'm taking five points from each of you."

Seeing Harry and Ron lower their heads in disappointment, Professor McGonagall raised her chin slightly.

"However, you were willing to rescue your classmate despite knowing the danger. That proves you're kind. I hope you'll keep that kindness and work on your manners."

"For your kindness and bravery, I'm awarding you five points each."

Five points taken from each of them, then five points awarded to each of them. In the end, neither boy gained nor lost any points, and Harry and Ron felt a little better.

Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Flitwick and gave him a slight nod. Lin Yue was a Ravenclaw student, so awarding or deducting her points was naturally his decision.

Professor Flitwick looked at Lin Yue, who was still standing in front of Hermione, feeling both proud and angry.

Proud that his student was so capable, brave, and kind.

Angry that she hadn't asked a professor for help before putting herself in danger. What would have happened if something had gone wrong?

Still, Lin Yue had defeated a Troll, and as a first-year witch, no less. That certainly deserved points.

"Miss Lin Yue, I'm awarding you ten points for what you did today."

"Defeating a Troll as a first-year witch is a feat worth far more than ten points. But I'm only giving you ten because I hope that, in the future, you'll ask a professor for help when you're in trouble instead of putting yourself at risk."

Lin Yue slowly turned to face Professor Flitwick. Her expression remained unchanged, and her voice was utterly flat.

"Okay, thank you, Professor. I'll remember that."

Fortunately, Lin Yue's magic recovered quickly, and color had returned to her face. The beads of sweat on her forehead had also disappeared.

Otherwise, if the professors had seen how pale and sweaty she'd been moments ago, they would have sent her straight to the Medical Wing without a second thought.

Now that the matter was settled and the professors had confirmed that the students were all unharmed, Headmaster Dumbledore and the others finally turned their attention to the two walls Lin Yue had destroyed.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick exchanged a glance, then resignedly drew their wands.

With so many professors there, Albus—being who he was—wouldn't handle the repairs. And among the others, Professor McGonagall was the best at Transfiguration, while Professor Flitwick was the most skilled at charms.

So there was no doubt the two of them would be stuck fixing the walls.

"Miss Lin Yue, Miss Granger, please come out first." Professor McGonagall nodded to the two girls.

Hermione quickly came to her senses, stepped forward, hooked her arm through Lin Yue's, and led her out.

Professor Flitwick first waved his wand at the Troll, floating it out of the Girls' Lavatory. Then he set its body aside.

Together with Professor McGonagall, he raised his wand. One cast Reparo, and the other used a Transfiguration Charm.

In the blink of an eye, the two shattered walls began to restore themselves as if a video were playing backward. The broken bricks on the floor returned to their proper places, and a moment later, both walls of the Girls' Lavatory were standing intact again.

"Well, I expect you're all tired," Headmaster Dumbledore said warmly, stroking his white beard as he looked down at the four young witches and wizards, including Lin Yue. "Why don't you return to your Common Rooms, enjoy the rest of your dinner, and then get a good night's sleep?"

As he spoke, he winked mischievously at the four of them. Hermione, Harry, and Ron couldn't help smiling and nodding along.

Lin Yue watched the Headmaster's expression without a change in her own, then obligingly nodded.

After saying goodbye to their colleagues, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick led the students from their respective houses toward their Common Rooms.

There was a long stretch of corridor where the route to Gryffindor Tower and Ravenclaw Tower was the same.

Walking behind the two professors, Hermione finally gave in to her curiosity and turned to Lin Yue.

"Lin Yue, did you really use the Levitation Charm to rip that wall out? And then control it to hit the Troll?"

Lin Yue glanced at Hermione's shining eyes and nodded calmly.

"It was the Levitation Charm."

"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes wide. "I never imagined the Levitation Charm could be that powerful. I mean, I thought it was just for lifting things and carrying them around."

Lin Yue shook her head, her expression unchanged. "Any spell can have many uses and produce powerful effects, as long as you have enough magic and use it properly."

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, walking ahead, both nodded at Lin Yue's words. She was right: a spell's power had never depended on the spell itself, but on the person casting it and how they used it.

It wasn't only the three Unforgivable Curses and Dark Magic that could be terrifyingly powerful. With enough skill and strength, even the most ordinary spell could rival the Unforgivable Curses—or surpass them.

Seeing Hermione's thoughtful expression, Lin Yue continued in her even tone.

"Take the Levitation Charm. If I had enough magic, I could even levitate an entire building—or an entire city—and raise it into the sky before dropping it."

Hermione imagined the scene Lin Yue had described and shuddered involuntarily.

It was terrifying. If something like that happened, its destructive power might be no less than that of a Nuclear Bomb.

Harry and Ron, walking behind the two girls, looked at Lin Yue with even more fear. They had already decided they would never, under any circumstances, provoke her.

Professor Flitwick, on the other hand, chuckled at Lin Yue's words and turned to look at her with a smile.

"That's a very interesting—and very dangerous—idea, Miss Lin Yue. But as far as I know, very few wizards have enough magic to levitate an entire city."

Lin Yue stared steadily at Professor Flitwick, picking out the key point in what he'd said.

"Very few, which means there are some, right, Professor?"

Professor Flitwick hesitated, then nodded. "The two people I know of have never done it, but they might be able to."

Lin Yue quickly listed the people Professor Flitwick might know, then considered those who might be connected to them.

It didn't take long for her to come up with the two most likely names. "Headmaster Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald?"

Professor Flitwick's expression stiffened slightly at the second name, but he still confirmed it. "Yes."

"Sorry, Professor, but what about the Dark Lord?" Hermione couldn't help speaking up. "I mean... he's pretty, um, powerful too, isn't he? Though maybe I shouldn't put it that way."

This time, Professor McGonagall looked back at her. "There's nothing wrong with saying that, Miss Granger. The Dark Lord is undoubtedly evil, but as a Dark Lord, we must also acknowledge his power."

"As for why Professor Flitwick left him out," Professor McGonagall paused, a complicated look crossing her face. "Perhaps it's because, after he became famous, he hardly ever used magic other than the Unforgivable Curses and Fiendfyre."

"So it's hard to say what he could do with other kinds of magic."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Professor." Hermione nodded in understanding.

After satisfying the two students' curiosity, they reached the place where they had to part ways.

Hermione took the initiative and gently hugged Lin Yue. "Thank you for coming to rescue me, Lin Yue."

Lin Yue still felt nothing at all, but she followed a strange impulse and put her arms around Hermione, copying her.

"You're welcome."

When Hermione let go, she looked into Lin Yue's eyes, deep and still as an ancient well. For some reason, a sudden ache filled her heart.

"See you tomorrow." Forcing down the feeling inside her, Hermione waved to Lin Yue.

"See you tomorrow." Lin Yue nodded, then turned and followed Professor Flitwick toward Ravenclaw Tower.

Under Professor McGonagall's guidance, Hermione walked toward Gryffindor Tower with Harry and Ron.

Back at the entrance of Ravenclaw Common Room, Lin Yue said goodbye to Professor Flitwick out of courtesy. She answered the door knocker's riddle, then stepped inside.

The moment she entered the Common Room and the door closed behind her, the Little Eagles, who were sitting inside and eating dinner, burst into an uproar.

They discussed her as she walked in, wanting to go over and ask her what had happened... but her expressionless face and usually outstanding grades made them a little nervous.

Only Qiuzhang and Marietta, who shared her Dormitory and knew her better, and the female prefect Penelope went over to meet her.

Penelope had seen Professor Flitwick escort her back. Since she couldn't imagine that one of her sensible, clever Little Eagles would have gone head-to-head with a Troll, she assumed Lin Yue had been caught doing something like punishing herself again and had been taken aside for a talk.

She looked at Lin Yue with a serious expression. "Lin Yue, did you... do something like last time, and Professor Flitwick found out, so he took you aside for a talk?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment and understood what Penelope meant, so she shook her head expressionlessly.

"No."

"That's a relief..." Hearing her say no, Penelope let out a long breath. At least Lin Yue hadn't hurt herself again.

Qiuzhang and Marietta, standing nearby, were baffled by their conversation.

"What did Lin Yue do last time?" Qiuzhang asked Penelope, looking at Lin Yue with concern. If Penelope was this worried—and Professor Flitwick had even found out and spoken to her about it—it must have been serious!

Penelope pressed her lips together. "It's nothing." Then she hurriedly changed the subject and looked at Lin Yue in confusion. "Then why were you so late getting back? And why did you sneak away from the group?"

"Hermione didn't know about the Troll, so I went to find her."

"Oh..." Penelope knew Miss Granger from Gryffindor. She'd heard that the girl had been made to cry that morning and had gone to cry in the Girls' Lavatory on the first basement level.

Wait, the first basement level... Wasn't that where Professor Quirrell had said the Troll was—in the Dungeon Classroom? "You didn't run into the Troll, did you?!"

Penelope suddenly realized what might have happened. Her voice rose an octave as she looked Lin Yue up and down, as if checking that none of her parts were missing.

"We did," Lin Yue confirmed in a calm voice.

"What?!" Qiuzhang and Marietta were startled too. Each grabbed one of Lin Yue's arms and began examining her carefully.

Even the Little Eagles who hadn't dared approach before put down their food and gathered around her, looking at her with concern.

She was Ravenclaw's treasure, a treasure who'd earned Ravenclaw so many points. She absolutely couldn't be hurt!

Lin Yue let Qiuzhang and Marietta examine her, and endured the Little Eagles' concerned stares. In her flat, emotionless voice, she stated the facts.

"I'm fine. I killed the Troll."

The room fell silent for nearly ten seconds. Qiuzhang and Marietta even stopped examining her.

Ten seconds later, "What?!" Everyone in the Ravenclaw Common Room exclaimed in unison.

After everyone insisted that she tell them in detail how she'd killed the Troll,

Lin Yue sat on the sofa, unmoved by the even more astonished, almost reverent looks everyone gave her.

She had only one thought: she'd torn down two of Hogwarts' walls to kill the Troll. That counted as damaging school property, so she'd probably have to punish herself twice.