I Really Appreciate That

Setting aside the warm and friendly help colleagues offered one another, Dumbledore couldn't stand Hagrid's pitiful look any longer. He stepped in and put the furious three-headed dog to sleep.

Ultimately, this incident wasn't the three-headed dog's fault. There was no need to leave it hanging there any longer.

At Dumbledore's signal, Professor McGonagall lowered the three-headed dog as well.

"Thank you, thank you..." Hagrid wiped away his tears and went over to pull off the chains.

During the process, Dumbledore suddenly noticed several scraps of cloth caught on the teeth in the middle head's mouth.

"What's that?" Dumbledore asked.

At his reminder, Hagrid noticed them too. He took the scraps down and turned them over in his hands. "Clothes from the Troll?"

"Trolls don't wear clothes."

"Oh, sorry, Professor Snape," Hagrid said, offering the scraps to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore raised a hand and pointed gently.

"Reparo!"

There were clearly more than these scraps. Under the spell's influence, the other pieces flew in from all directions and joined themselves to the largest piece.

Before long, a pointed hat appeared before them.

"Is that a hat from a school robe?" Professor McGonagall first stared in surprise, seeming to realize something, then immediately shook her head.

"That's impossible. We came as soon as we heard the commotion. If any students had left, I would have seen them."

Then she looked toward Professor Flitwick, who had just arrived.

Professor Flitwick understood at once. "There's no one upstairs either. I've been keeping an eye out."

"What about Mr. Ollivander?" Dumbledore suddenly asked. "I heard he never went to the feast."

"Silvan Ollivander?" Professor Flitwick paused, thought for a moment, then nodded. "He was there too. He even helped keep order. I remember clearly."

"Where?"

"On the second floor, near the library," Professor Flitwick said.

"Aha, so Potter was lying," Snape said coldly. "Just like his father: arrogant and full of lies..."

"Severus," Dumbledore interrupted.

Snape didn't look pleased, but he still fell silent.

"Should we check the students' hats?" Professor McGonagall asked, quickly changing the subject.

"No need," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "The Troll must have brought it in by accident. It doesn't matter."

In fact, this plain pointed hat was, in a sense, standard with school robes. It was so common at Hogwarts that whoever had lost it couldn't possibly have done nothing about it. Checking the hats would serve no purpose.

"I still think I should go to the Hospital Wing." Snape stepped forward. "I'll brew Professor Quirrell a special Potions remedy. Perhaps we can get the right answers from him."

Of everyone present, Snape was the only one who hadn't lost sight of his original goal: he just wanted to mess with Quirrell.

As for whether he'd slip anything else into that special remedy... The answer was no.

But Dumbledore didn't agree.

After staying at the scene a little longer and confirming there were no other overlooked clues, everyone gradually left, leaving Hagrid behind to care for the injured three-headed dog, Fluffy.

On the way back, Snape said again, "Dumbledore, I still don't think this is wise. Leaving that three-headed dog in the castle is far too dangerous.

"You saw for yourself: even with only two heads, it could kill an adult Troll in just a few minutes. What if it gets hungry one day and barges into the castle without regard for anything..."

"Don't worry. The three-headed dog can't break through that door," Dumbledore said. "And the House-elves in the kitchens will take good care of it."

"But..."

"I assure you, it'll be fine."

Snape had been about to say more, but now he could only fall silent. Instead, he said, "I'll keep an eye on Quirrell. He was definitely up to something this time."

"Sorry for the trouble."

The two parted at the staircase.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room on the Seventh Floor.

"When did you get back?" Harry stared at Silvan, who was sitting in an armchair, completely stunned.

"I came back with everyone else," Silvan said. "I was going to ask where you'd gone. Everyone said they hadn't seen you."

"We went looking for you. We wanted to tell you there was a Troll in the school," Harry said.

"You went looking for me?" Silvan looked at him, then at Ron and Hermione beside him.

"Since when did you three get along so well?"

"Who said I get along with her?" Ron immediately denied it. "If she hadn't gone out of her way to speak up for Harry, we wouldn't have come with her."

"I was just telling the truth!" Hermione glared at him. "Do you think I wanted to come with you?"

Silvan stared at them in surprise.

It was only after hearing Harry's account that he learned what had happened.

Before the Halloween Feast, Hermione had gone to see Professor McGonagall and given her a complete account of what had happened in Flying Class, trying to prove that Malfoy had been the one to break the rules, while Harry had only gotten involved because he was protecting a classmate's belongings.

Maybe Hermione had simply told the truth, or maybe she'd added a few harmless embellishments. Either way, by the time she left Professor McGonagall's office, Harry's detention had been canceled.

Then, at the Halloween Feast, Quirrell had rushed in to tell everyone about the Troll. All three had decided at once to find Silvan, who was still outside, and set off together.

To be fair, Silvan was a little touched.

Maybe some "Gryffindor spirit" had played a part, but they'd really stepped up when it mattered. More importantly, they'd rather risk facing a Troll than tell the professors where they'd been. These were friends worth having.

Silvan felt a little comforted.

"Don't worry." Harry patted his chest. "Professor McGonagall only took points from us. She didn't take any from you."

Wait...

The smile froze on Silvan's face. "She didn't take any from me... Does that mean Professor McGonagall knows I wasn't at the feast?"

"Yeah." Ron nodded as if it were obvious. "But we explained that you hadn't had a chance to go to the feast yet, so you didn't know about the Troll. You hadn't left partway through."

"Then I really appreciate that," Silvan said flatly.

So much for feeling comforted.

Silvan felt helpless. He had no idea how to describe how he felt.

Ten minutes earlier, using the map Fred and George had given him, Silvan had successfully slipped into the secret passage before Snape, Professor McGonagall, and the others arrived. He'd taken a shortcut to the second floor, blended into the student crowd, and even managed to attract Professor Flitwick's attention.

Everything had gone smoothly. He'd thought he'd manage to stay out of it this time, but who would've guessed...

Silvan sighed.

Fine. Whatever.

So what if the professors knew? He'd indirectly helped them deal with the threat of the Troll. Surely they wouldn't take points from him for that.

As for the injured three-headed dog, the Troll had done that. What did it have to do with him, Silvan?