A Beautiful Girl Can Come to the Hero's Rescue (6/10) / Misunderstandings Will Eventually Be Resolved (7/10)

When she woke again, she found herself in a strange room, bound so tightly she couldn't move.

Hermione could tell that the person who'd ambushed her was somewhere behind her. But ever since she'd been brought here, they hadn't said a word, only letting out the occasional muffled cry of pain and frustration.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What are you planning to do with me?!" Hermione had spent the entire afternoon with an aching back and sore waist. She struggled violently, never stopping her demands for answers. Her voice even grew sharper by the minute!

"Stop asking! Please... don't ask anymore! I... I really don't know!"

Suddenly, the kidnapper who'd been silent all this time spoke.

His voice was high and thin, and trembled unmistakably with fear. He seemed aggrieved, too, his words tumbling out in a panicked, tearful rush.

"Damn it! I don't know what to do with you! My young master said to get revenge, but... I can't do it! Oh, no! I'm awful... I've let something about my master's family slip again. I deserve the harshest punishment!!"

A series of dull thuds came from behind Hermione, as if someone were repeatedly slamming their head against the floor. They were accompanied by incoherent accusations and cries of pain.

Was the person who'd locked her up hurting themself?

Suddenly, a thought struck Hermione.

"Hey, you're a House-elf, aren't you? Were you sent by your master's family to deal with me and Harry?"

Once she'd calmed down, Hermione found it easy to guess who the other person was.

Hermione knew that Harry and Filch had narrowed down the food thief to a House-elf from outside Hogwarts.

And because Harry was worried about secret retaliation from a Pure-blood Family, he'd arranged for her to stay with Professor McGonagall for the time being.

Putting those two things together, along with the obvious tendency of the person behind her to hurt themself, Hermione could not only figure out that they were a House-elf, but also guess almost exactly why they'd sneaked into Hogwarts!

"Oh, no! She's too clever! I... I can't do anything about her!" The kidnapper behind her pounded the floor in anguish. Being intellectually outmatched by a top student had clearly driven it to despair.

Suddenly, a noisy, chaotic rumbling drifted in through the gap beneath the door, not far behind Hermione...

"Why is it so noisy out there?" Hearing the distant commotion, the captured Hermione frowned in confusion.

Then she noticed that the sobbing breaths behind her had stopped. A moment later, she heard two doors open, with a pause between them.

"It's a Troll..." The mysterious kidnapper seemed to have gone out to investigate. It spoke quietly behind Hermione, its breath coming in short gasps. "A Troll broke into Hogwarts. They're evacuating the students..."

"What did you say? A Troll?!" Hermione was shocked. "How could a monster like that... This is bad! Hey, you can use Apparition, right? Take me to the Troll at once!!"

Hermione had read plenty of books and knew that House-elf magic was special. They could move freely around Hogwarts!

"I can, but... isn't taking you to the Troll dangerous?"

The kidnapper sounded conflicted. It was a kind-hearted House-elf; otherwise, it wouldn't have spent the entire afternoon failing to carry out its master's orders. Now it was even less inclined to agree to Hermione's dangerous request.

"Please, just take me there!!" Hermione was so frantic that her cries broke into a shriek. "Harry must be there with the Troll. He's in danger... Please, take me to him right now!!!"

Hermione was so worried that her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest!

She knew Harry all too well. He must have spent every moment searching for her since she'd disappeared, and now... the most likely thing was that he'd gone to fight the Troll!

The Troll posed a huge threat to her, too, and Harry would absolutely shield her from any danger!

"Well... will Harry Potter be there? The Troll... My young master ordered me to get revenge on Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, so handing them over to the Troll should count as revenge, right...?"

The conflicted House-elf finally found a loophole in its master's orders. It reached around and gripped Hermione's shoulders, then vanished with her from the hidden room.

"Harry, please be all right!" Hermione murmured anxiously the whole way.

"Hermione, please be all right!"

At that moment, Harry was in the second-floor Girls' Bathroom, checking every stall one by one.

"Phew... thank goodness she isn't here."

Harry knew this was nothing more than a self-comforting lie, but right now, it was the only way he could force himself to keep going.

Because... the Troll was almost here!

The rumbling behind him grew closer, and waves of foul stench filled his nostrils. Harry stood ready for battle in the girls' bathroom... Why did this feel so awkward~

The whole scene fell apart.jpg

Anyway, to keep Hermione—who was who knew where—from getting caught up in the Troll's rampage, Harry wasn't going to let the big idiot keep roaming around!

"Roar!"

A deep bellow rolled toward him. When the ugly giant appeared in the doorway of the Girls' Bathroom, Harry's gaze instantly turned razor-sharp!

The Troll stood nearly four meters tall, its skin layered like granite, clearly giving it tremendous defense. Despite its frightening height, it had short legs, and with those broad, flat feet, it would be difficult to knock it off balance.

As for its greatest threat, that was undoubtedly the heavy, thick wooden club in its hand!

The Troll had just casually swung it and destroyed several stalls in one go, leaving the entire Girls' Bathroom in ruins. Combined with its extraordinarily long arms, the club gave it a terrifying range!

At a glance, Harry's surgical-sharp gaze had taken the Troll apart piece by piece, and he'd immediately decided how to fight it!

Neutralize its threat first, then attack its weak point!

"Roar!"

The instant their eyes met, the Troll let out a terrifying bellow. It raised its club high and charged toward Harry with heavy steps!

At the same time, Harry shaped his Obscurus into several spikes and viciously thrust them at the joints of the Troll's arm. He wanted to disable its arm immediately!

"Ugh... damn it! Why can't I use my strength now?!" Just as Harry's Obscurus was tearing into the Troll, his mind suddenly went blank, and he nearly fell over!

By the time Harry recovered and tried to direct his Obscurus at the Troll's head, the Troll had already swept the Obscurus aside with its enormous, fan-like hand!

"Damn it... that cursed mirror's to blame!"

Looking at the Troll, whose arm joint had suffered only a minor scratch, Harry cursed the mirror under his breath.

If the Mirror of Erised hadn't left his mind so badly drained, he would have unleashed the full power of his Obscurus and sliced the Troll into pieces. His attack wouldn't have been this weak!

Unfortunately, he could use only a limited amount of his Obscurus's power right now. His only hope was to land a critical hit on the weak point.

The Troll's attacks were broad and powerful. The instant it launched a full-force attack would be Harry's best chance to smash its head!

"Roar!" The Troll bellowed again, hoisting the thick wooden club in both hands and bringing it crashing down toward Harry!!

Now!

Harry's pupils contracted, and every muscle in his body tensed!

The battle would be decided in this instant...

"Wingardium Leviosa!!"

In the split second before Harry was about to risk everything, he suddenly heard a clear incantation. The Troll's empty hands came down hard, and it somehow toppled forward, landing flat on its face right in front of Harry!

The club that should have been in the Troll's hands was now hovering against the ceiling of the Girls' Bathroom!

"Is that... Hermione?!"

Harry stared at the girl who had suddenly appeared behind the Troll, stunned into stillness!

"Harry, get out of there!" The girl with the wand used the Levitation Charm to pull the heavy club toward her. Delight showed on her face, but it was also filled with boundless anger!

This was wonderful, but also very much not wonderful!

When the mysterious House-elf brought her here and she actually saw Harry fighting the Troll, all her resentment toward him vanished.

Because she'd been right about what kind of person Harry was!

But when Hermione saw the Troll about to attack Harry, her anger flared beyond control!

"You... Harry is my little brother. I'll never let you hurt him!!"

"Look out!!"

Just as Hermione finished speaking, the Troll's large, disgusting hand suddenly reached back and grabbed viciously for her!

But Harry was quicker. Before the Troll could strike, he shot forward like an arrow, grabbed Hermione, and rolled with her across the floor, narrowly dodging the Troll's slap!

"Hey, see? Even the Troll doesn't want to listen to you keep insisting we're siblings~"

With Hermione safely in his arms, and her Holly Wand now in his possession, Harry finally felt at ease!

"Harry..."

Once again, she'd been protected from behind. Looking at Harry's familiar back and hearing his usual teasing, the top student didn't feel like bickering at all.

The boldness she'd shown just moments ago had vanished without a trace.

He was safe. That was all that mattered~

"Hermione... whatever you want to say can wait until I've dealt with it."

Harry kept the tip of his wand trained on the Troll's head. He could roughly sense how the girl behind him felt, but he couldn't afford to get distracted right now.

"Mm~" Hermione murmured softly. She knew they were in a dangerous situation, so she simply wrapped her arms lightly around Harry's waist and leaned quietly against his back.

"Hermione... I'm so glad you're safe~"

"Hm?" Hermione's heart gave a tremor, but Harry had already pointed his wand at the Troll and launched his attack!

"Vera Verto!" Harry flicked his wand, and the wooden club before him instantly changed shape!

All knowledge should be applied creatively once it was mastered. Magic was no exception. If Harry could use the Transfiguration Spell to turn a matchstick into a needle, then the Troll's club was just a giant matchstick to him.

Under the Troll's confused gaze, the thick wooden club in front of Harry transformed into a gleaming sword!

"Roar!!"

The Troll, unable to understand what was happening, opened its bloody maw at Harry and Hermione. Harry seized the opportunity and sent the sword flying!

Thwack!!

The sharp blade plunged through the Troll's mouth, pierced its nape, and burst out behind it in a spray of blood!

A single blow killed it!!

"Ugh..." A breathy whimper escaped the Troll's throat. Its massive body crashed to the floor, shaking Harry and Hermione off balance.

"Is it... dead?" After standing there dazed for a moment, Hermione asked blankly.

"Probably..."

Harry's reply was somewhat distracted. He still hadn't recovered from that astonishing sword strike~

Not to brag, but it had been incredibly cool!

No wonder people said every chūnibyō kid in China dreamed of being a sword-wielding hero who slayed demons.

Flying on a sword, sending it out to take someone's head... It felt amazing!

"Harry..."

"Hermione!"

With everything settled, the boy and girl looked into each other's eyes. At that moment, nothing mattered more than a reassuring hug!

They embraced tightly at the same time. There was absolutely nothing improper about their embrace—at least not right now. There was only the purest affection, and the joy of knowing someone precious to them was safe and sound!

"I'm sorry..."

A moment later, the two of them looked up together and spoke at the same time. After saying the same thing in unison, they both froze awkwardly.

"Harry, it was all my fault..." Hermione twisted the hem of her clothes, troubled. "I shouldn't have gotten angry with you on impulse. I should have stayed calm and listened while you explained..."

The moment Hermione first saw Harry looking so exhausted when they were reunited, she could imagine just how frightening and stressful his afternoon had been.

Looking back on her own actions, Hermione truly felt she'd been completely out of line.