Teaching: How to Deal with Trolls

Sagreles walked toward Ravenclaw Astronomy Tower with his books in hand. These were his last two classes of November. The Quidditch Cup would begin soon, and he planned to use the time to leave Hogwarts and take care of some personal business.

It was the familiar classroom, still filled with students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. To be honest, he preferred teaching students from those two houses.

The students from Gryffindor and Slytherin had much stronger personalities and enjoyed trading barbs with each other. Even the charms he used in class couldn't prevent it completely. Still, he had to admit that for Gryffindor and Slytherin, the classroom discipline in Charms Theory and Practice had reached its current level only through a rare miracle.

As he entered the classroom and glanced over the students, Sagreles immediately noticed that two Hufflepuffs were absent.

"Why aren't Jeliwa and Runisell here?"

The Hufflepuff Prefect answered at once. "Professor, they were knocked down and had their bones broken in the Halloween Feast crowd. They're still in the Hospital Wing..."

Sagreles nodded, tapped the desk to signal for quiet, and opened his textbook.

"Today we'll cover the development of the Stunning Spell and the distribution of its magical nodes..."

"Professor..."

Jenny raised her hand, interrupting Sagreles. He frowned and gestured for her to continue.

"Could you teach us how to deal with trolls? I heard that you were the one who dealt with the troll that broke into Hogwarts at Halloween..."

Sagreles refused without a moment's thought. "It's not that I'm unwilling to teach you, but dealing with dangerous creatures is part of your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's curriculum. So I think you've come to the wrong person."

"But Professor, I'm sure you've heard about Professor Quirrell... I mean, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes in previous years weren't much better. We haven't learned many useful things in that subject..."

Looking at the dozens of agreeing faces in the classroom, Sagreles thought for a moment, then closed Introduction to Magic. His expression softened. "Since you've asked repeatedly, I'll teach you some basic information about trolls..."

A few excited cheers rang out around the classroom.

Sagreles raised a hand to quiet them and began at once. "First, trolls are classified as XXXX by the Ministry of Magic—a dangerous creature, but one that can be subdued. Wizards divide them into three subspecies according to their habitats and physical characteristics: Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls, and Swamp Trolls."

Looking at the students' eager faces, Sagreles couldn't help sighing inwardly. Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were practically useless, so the students' complaints were hardly baseless. With that in mind, he explained the subject in greater detail.

"First, Mountain Trolls—

"They're the largest, with light gray skin that's rough and covered in wart-like growths. Their bodies give off a foul stench, and their teeth and fingernails are dirty and yellow.

"They usually live in remote mountains or caves. They wield crude wooden clubs or rocks as weapons, have very low intelligence, and are extremely aggressive. They often act on instinct."

He paused and stressed, "These are also the most dangerous kind of troll."

Then he continued, "Second, Forest Trolls—

"They have pale green skin that blends into the forest. They're a little smaller than Mountain Trolls, but more muscular.

"They often use tree trunks or spiked clubs, and live in dense forests, such as the ancient woodlands of Northern and Eastern Europe.

"Forest Trolls are slightly smarter than Mountain Trolls. They're skilled at ambushing prey and will attack intruders using camouflage or traps."

Seeing the students' fearful expressions, Sagreles calmly added, "There's no need to worry too much. Unlike Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls are extremely sensitive to fire magic, and flames can drive them away effectively."

He continued, "Third, Swamp Trolls, also known as River Trolls—

"They have grayish-purple skin with a scaly texture and are adapted to aquatic environments. Their feet are wide and webbed, allowing them to walk along riverbeds.

"They have horn-like protrusions on their heads and sharp teeth. They live near swamps, rivers, and lakes, and are especially common in Northern Europe.

"These trolls are skilled divers and can lie in wait underwater for a long time before ambushing prey. They attack by biting or hurling rocks.

"Keep in mind that Swamp Trolls grow weak if they stay out of the water too long, and dry environments limit their movement."

At this point, Sagreles reminded them, "Trolls are different from Giants. Giants are intelligent beings more closely related to humans, whereas trolls are entirely wild magical creatures.

"If any of you can't tell the difference, Professor Kettleburn might hammer it into your heads with his alchemical prosthetic..."

The students burst out laughing. Professor Kettleburn was their Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He was covered in scars from his frequent encounters with dangerous creatures and now had only one leg and half an arm.

Sagreles continued, "All three kinds of trolls have thick skin and a high resistance to magic. So you need to combine their weaknesses and habits with the right spells and strategies."

He glanced around at the students and offered his advice in all sincerity. "Of course, if you run into a troll in the wild, I recommend running away.

"It's not that I don't believe in your abilities. It's just that trolls have nothing of value on them, so hunting them is a waste of time."

Seeing the students nod in agreement, Sagreles continued, satisfied. "So, if you want to avoid a dim-witted troll, the Impediment Jinx, Disillusionment Charm, and Transfiguration Spell are all good choices.

"The Impediment Jinx can hinder a troll's movements. The Transfiguration Spell can turn random objects into brightly colored animals to draw its attention, while the Disillusionment Charm can conceal you so you can retreat safely."

One student raised a hand. "But Professor, what if we can't avoid one?"

"Then you'll have to prepare to fight." Sagreles wrote the words "General Principles" in the air with his wand, then spoke solemnly. "First, keep your distance: trolls are incredibly strong but rather clumsy, so ranged attacks are safer.

"Second, exploit their weaknesses: plan your tactics according to each troll's habitat and physical traits.

"Third, work as a team: working together can distract the troll and improve your chances of success."

Then, in a rare turn, he asked the students a question. "Can anyone tell me which spells are best to use when fighting a troll?"

Everyone raised their right hand in unison.

Sagreles didn't immediately pick someone to answer. Instead, he reminded them, "I've said before that there are no points for my class, and that's still true..."

The students kept their hands raised.

Sagreles nodded. "Charles, you answer..."

"Stunning Spell."

"Robert, what about you?"

"Conjunctivitis Curse, Professor."

"Jenny..."

"Disarming Charm might work."

"Clarisse..."

"I think Fire-Making Spell and Wand-Lighting Charm, Professor."

"Angwa, what's your answer?"

"I'd use the Binding Charm to tie up its limbs."

Sagreles didn't call on anyone else. He gestured for them to lower their hands.

"I said earlier that trolls have a high resistance to magic. So, Charles, your Stunning Spell would be useless unless you hit the troll in the head. And even if you did hit its head, you'd probably only daze it for a few seconds."

He beckoned, and a Raven flew in through the window and obediently landed on the lectern. A beam of light shot from its eyes, projecting an image of a troll onto the blackboard.

Pointing to the image, Sagreles said, "Don't forget that a troll's head is tiny compared to its huge body. So if you want to hit it in the head from a distance, your spells need to be accurate."

Then he continued with his comments. "The Conjunctivitis Curse is indeed a good choice, but again, you need to hit it in the head. The Disarming Charm, on the other hand, is a terrible idea. Never mind whether you can disarm it successfully—even if you do, a wooden club weighing at least a hundred pounds will come flying at you. Heh, the troll might not even need to lift a finger..."

The students burst out laughing again. Sagreles didn't stop them. He felt that a little fun in class couldn't hurt.

"Incendio and Lumos can be very effective against Forest Trolls. If you set fire to the club in its hands or the surrounding area, you can drive it away. The Binding Charm, meanwhile, requires a great deal of magical power to stop a troll from moving altogether, since trolls are incredibly strong..."

After commenting on everyone's answers, Sagreles gave them the standard answer best suited to their abilities. "Considering your reserves of magic and the number of spells you know, I think Oppugno, a wide-area attack, would make it easier to hit a troll in the head. Avis can effectively disrupt its vision, and the two spells work exceptionally well together."

"When dealing with Swamp Trolls, it's best to use the Freezing Charm. Freezing the surface of the water can restrict their movement, and the Drying Charm can change the environment and weaken them, provided you can keep casting it."

Finally, Sagreles sternly warned them, "There are two other things to keep in mind. First, don't try to fight a troll at close quarters unless you're a troll yourself. Second, avoid facing one alone whenever possible. Unless there's no other choice, make sure you call for help."

Seeing that the students had understood, he used his wand to write the spells he'd mentioned on the blackboard. "Next, we'll study the magical node distribution of all the spells we covered today. Everyone must master them before our next practical lesson..."

The sound of pages turning filled the classroom...

By the time the bell rang, Sagreles had already planned a lively practical lesson in spellcasting for the young witches and wizards.

It should be a few days before Christmas. He'd gather all the students from two year groups and four houses and let them face a real troll...

"Professor... Professor Greengrass!"

Sagreles had just started to leave the classroom when several students called after him.

"Professor, I have a younger brother in fifth year who hasn't taken his O.W.L.s yet. Could he sit in on your class?"

Sagreles looked puzzled. Since when had Hogwarts students been so eager to learn?

In the end, though, he shook his head. "That's not up to me, Field. Hogwarts has no such precedent."

The young witches and wizards looked disappointed, but Sagreles added, "You could ask Headmaster Dumbledore, though. Wanting to learn more isn't a bad thing."

After saying that, he turned and left. The students immediately caught on to what he meant and called excitedly to their friends.

They were going to gather as many people as possible and organize a petition at Hogwarts...