Troll

The banquet was lively, students in high spirits, and even the professors at the high table on the dais were chatting animatedly.

At the Slytherin Table, Matthew sat together with his two roommates.

Geralt was peeling a potato. He looked at Matthew and said, "Are you that hungry? Eating so fast!"

Matthew was rapidly polishing off the food on his plate—if he didn't fill up now, there wouldn't be anything left to eat later. He frowned slightly; this Aged Beef Steak was quite chewy.

"I'm pretty hungry today."

Jerry shot Geralt a glance and said in a sarcastic tone, "What an honor today, to dine with Slytherin's Infatuated Prince at the Hallowe'en Eve Banquet."

Slytherin's Infatuated Prince was Geralt's nickname in the house, a derogatory one.

Geralt's smile faltered. During this time, he really had rarely eaten with his roommates, often spending meals with Pansy instead.

"We broke up."

Matthew reached out, grabbed a Rice Pudding from the plate, and took a bite. It was blueberry-flavored. "Spill it."

Geralt bit into the peeled potato and said slowly, "This time, it wasn't my fault."

Jerry rolled his eyes and retorted, "When have you ever said it was?"

"Pansy's views are a bit extreme. She's a Pure-blood Supremacist, and if that were all, fine, but she tried to influence me." Geralt glanced at his two roommates and continued, "She told me to stay away from you guys."

Jerry fell silent. Both he and Matthew were half-blood wizards.

Matthew stopped eating and wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. He spotted Professor Quirrell at the entrance of the Great Hall.

He patted Geralt on the shoulder and said, "The next one will be better."

Matthew didn't care much about the attitudes of these so-called Pure-blood Supremacists. In the end, might makes right. If they didn't come looking for trouble, fine. But if they dared to act arrogant in front of him, he wouldn't go easy.

Professor Quirrell stumbled in from the Great Hall entrance, his turban askew, his face full of terror. The professors and students in the hall all noticed him.

He ran up to the high table, reached Dumbledore's side, and panted, "Troll... in the Dungeon Classroom... thought you ought to know."

As soon as he finished speaking, Professor Quirrell collapsed to the floor.

The Great Hall instantly erupted into chaos, with some Younger Students even letting out terrified screams.

Dumbledore drew the Elder Wand, waved it into the air, and several bursts of fireworks shot from the wand tip, exploding with a bang.

At the sound of the fireworks, the students in the hall quieted down.

"Prefects," Dumbledore said in a very low voice, "lead your house students to the dormitories immediately!"

The prefects of all four houses rose at once and led their students out of the Great Hall.

After leaving the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione brought up the rear of the Gryffindor team.

Harry's eyes were full of worry. He asked the other two, "Neville hasn't come back yet. What if he ran into the troll?"

"Then he's done for!" Ron said in a trembling voice. "Trolls are terrifying Magical Creatures! They're incredibly strong!"

Hermione bit her lip. "We need to go back and tell the professors."

"There's no time. Neville's in danger any second!" Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione by the arms, glanced back at the Slytherin House's line, and said firmly, "Let's go find Senior Matthew!"

From their recent interactions and what they'd heard from others, Harry felt Senior Matthew was reliable, and his first thought was to ask him for help.

The two looked at Harry's determined expression and nodded involuntarily.

Soon, they slowed down and broke away from the Gryffindor team.

Matthew was just looking for an excuse to slip away from his roommates when he spotted the trio approaching him.

Once the three reached him, Ron said anxiously, "Neville was taken by the troll!"

Harry covered Ron's mouth and said, "Neville went out to look for Trevor and never came back. Our class this afternoon was Shapeshifting Technique Class. He might have gone to the Shapeshifting Classroom on the First Floor to find Trevor. He could run into the troll any moment. We want to ask Senior Matthew to help us."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. How had it turned into saving Neville instead of Hermione this time?

He nodded and agreed. He'd been planning to go bleed that troll anyway.

His roommates nearby asked, "Need any help?"

Matthew gave a slight smile. "It's just a troll. I can handle it."

Jerry and Geralt didn't press further. Trolls had low intelligence and obvious weaknesses; they believed Matthew's strength was enough to deal with it.

After saying goodbye to his roommates, Matthew led the three toward the Dungeon Classroom. On the way, they spotted Professor Snape from a distance, turning into a corridor on the other side.

Harry stole a glance at Matthew and said quietly, "Why isn't he with the other teachers? Why is he in the Dungeon Classroom?"

Matthew could tell he was suspicious of Snape and said calmly, "Seeing isn't always believing. Let's go. Any later, and Neville might get smashed into Neville Sauce."

The three imagined that scene and their faces turned pale.

They didn't find Neville in the Shapeshifting Classroom. He wasn't on the First Floor. Matthew and the others ran into him near the History of Magic Classroom on the Second Floor, not far from the Girls' Lavatory.

"Harry... what are you guys doing here? Didn't you go to the Hallowe'en Eve Banquet?" Neville held Trevor, grinning foolishly. "I told you not to wait for me. I found Trev—"

But before he could finish, he saw the terrified expressions on the faces of the three across from him. Then, he caught a foul stench coming from above the back of his head.

He looked back. A bloated, massive troll had poked half its body out of the Girls' Lavatory behind him, staring at him with its ugly Small Eyes.

The troll squeezed out of the Girls' Lavatory and reached for Neville with the hand that wasn't holding its club.

Hermione shouted, "Neville, get out of the way!"

She quickly drew her wand. "Stupefy!"

Hermione's Stunning Spell hit the troll, but it only swayed slightly before continuing to grab at Neville.

But Neville felt his legs lose control, frozen stiff and unable to move.

Matthew acted, raising his wand.

"Diffindo!"

A Transparent Arc Wind Blade struck the troll's arm, cutting a deep gash.

"Oww!" The troll let out a pained roar.

The trio immediately rushed forward, pulling the frozen Neville back.

Enraged, the troll raised the club in its hand and swung it down at them.

Matthew waved his wand again.

"Expelliarmus!"

A Red Light struck the club, sending it flying from the troll's grasp.

Matthew pressed his wand downward, and the club in midair dropped instantly, smashing into the troll's head.