The Giant

Just as everyone was tucking into the feast, Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Great Hall, his turban askew and his face twisted in terror. Everyone stared as he stumbled toward Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll—in the dungeons—I thought you ought to know."

With that, he collapsed onto the floor, dead to the world.

The Great Hall erupted into chaos. Professor Dumbledore had to set off several piercing bangs from his wand before the room finally quieted down.

"Prefects," he said in a low voice, "lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Penelope stood up at once. "Ravenclaw students, follow me." Concise and direct; compared to the Gryffindor prefect Percy, Allen much preferred Penelope. At this moment, Percy was strutting like a pompous rooster, herding his little chicks back to the nest with unnecessary haste.

"Allen, shouldn't Halloween be all about monsters, pirates, aliens, and witches? How did it turn into an actual troll at Hogwarts? Professor Quirrell's acting was so convincing! Is this how wizards celebrate Halloween? It's a shame I didn't get to finish all that delicious food!" The thick-headed Edward actually thought this was part of the Halloween festivities, leaving Allen speechless.

The Golden Trio was about to encounter a troll on Halloween—did Dumbledore know? If he did, why let Quirrell roam Hogwarts? If he knew, why was he still standing at the staff table, looking completely unruffled? Were three first-year students really going to rely on pure luck to face a full-grown troll?

At this thought, Allen couldn't help but worry. He scanned the crowd for Harry, Ron, and Flag. Flag was safe; Allen spotted him immediately, being dragged along by Percy, likely with no chance to slip away. But Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found.

Allen patted Edward on the shoulder, signaling that he was leaving the line. When Edward tried to follow, Allen quickly stopped him. As the Ravenclaw line rounded a corner, Allen ducked behind a suit of armor in the corridor.

Professor Quirrell said the troll was in the dungeon, but according to Allen's memories of the original story, the troll should be in the girls' restroom.

Allen dashed toward the upper floors. Before long, a foul stench filled his nostrils—a mix of dirty socks and a public restroom that had never been cleaned. Then, he heard a low grunt and the sound of heavy feet dragging across the floor.

Allen caught sight of Harry and Ron, who were hunched over and retreating into the shadows, watching as the troll slowly stepped into a patch of moonlight.

Allen activated the invisibility function of his Miaomiao Wizard Robe, intending to observe how things played out. This troll incident was vital and indispensable to the birth of the Golden Trio's friendship; unless absolutely necessary, Allen had no intention of changing a thing.

The sight was terrifying. The troll stood twelve feet tall, its skin a dull, granite-like gray, its massive, clumsy body resembling a pile of boulders topped with a tiny, cocoa-bean-sized head. Its short, thick legs were like tree stumps, ending in flat, calloused feet. The stench radiating from it was nauseating. It clutched a thick wooden club, which dragged on the floor due to its long arms.

The troll stopped by a door and peered inside. It twitched its long ears, made a decision with its tiny head, then ducked its crown and lumbered into the room.

Allen watched as Harry and Ron, thinking they were being clever, locked the troll inside the girls' restroom. A moment later, a terrified scream from Hermione echoed out. Harry and Ron froze, then immediately rushed back, clumsily fumbling with the door before charging inside.

Allen followed close behind. The troll was swinging its massive club, smashing the restroom facilities to pieces. Shattered tiles and stone shards sprayed everywhere, and the stalls collapsed one by one. The situation was dire; the troll had already smashed Hermione's hiding spot, and she was scrambling away for her life.

In Hermione's eyes, Harry grabbed a faucet and hurled it against the wall. His plan worked; the dim-witted troll stopped just a few feet from Hermione. It turned around clumsily, blinking stupidly as it tried to identify the source of the sound. Its ugly little eyes landed on Harry. It hesitated, then started toward him, raising its club.

Next, Harry bravely jumped onto the troll, jamming his wand into its nostril, while Ron successfully cast the Levitation Charm. The club fell, striking the troll on the head with a thunderous crack. The troll swayed in place, then crashed face-first onto the floor, the impact shaking the entire room. The troll was knocked out.

In reality, they hadn't been that lucky. Ron's Levitation Charm had worked, but the force of the falling club wasn't enough to knock a troll unconscious.

Allen sprinted forward, using the wall to leap high into the air. He grabbed the troll's club and brought it down with all his might. Because his Miaomiao Wizard Robe kept him invisible, to Harry and the others, it looked as though Ron had simply gotten lucky and knocked the troll out.

Soon after, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Quirrell rushed in, and Allen left, feeling relieved.

Returning to the Ravenclaw tower, he found the common room completely empty. Baffled, Allen ran back to the dormitory. On his desk, Edward had left him a note, the handwriting particularly jagged, clearly written in a state of great urgency.