Attack on Halloween Eve

Night fell, and Jerry kept his eyes fixed on the Marauder's Map.

Professor Quirrell had spent the entire afternoon in his office. Jerry had arrived early along the route Quirrell would have to take and hidden in an inconspicuous corner.

After a while, Jerry finally saw Professor Quirrell leave his office and head his way.

Before long, Jerry heard Quirrell's footsteps drawing closer and ducked behind the wall.

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Wall ║ᴗ•๐)

As Quirrell approached, Jerry gripped the Stun Gun, took aim, and waited for the right moment. The instant Quirrell was about to open the door, Jerry fired. The shot struck him squarely in the back.

Quirrell's whole body convulsed. He toppled backward, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Tsk. Good thing Voldemort doesn't have a nose.

Jerry hadn't expected the plan to go so smoothly. With no time to dwell on it, he hurried over, pulled out the Golf Club, and brought it down hard on the back of Quirrell's head.

He heard a muffled groan—whether from Quirrell or Voldemort, he couldn't tell. Jerry let out a shaky breath and quickly left the scene.

Jerry ran all the way to the corridor outside Hogwarts' Great Hall. He glanced around to make sure no one else was there. Only after confirming it was safe and hearing the commotion inside the hall did he breathe a long sigh of relief and begin to calm down.

Before Jerry had fully recovered, the doors of the Great Hall flew open. The Prefects hurried out with a crowd of students, all wearing grave expressions. Something important seemed to have happened.

Harry and the other two spotted Jerry standing nearby and rushed over in a panic. "Jerry, this is bad! A Troll got into Hogwarts! Hermione didn't come to the feast, so she doesn't know!"

Didn't I already knock Quirrell out? Why is there still a Troll?

Jerry had no time to puzzle it out. He pulled out the Marauder's Map and found Hermione in the girls' bathroom near the basement.

Without waiting for Harry and the others, Jerry transformed into his Raven Patronus and streaked through the night toward Hermione like black lightning.

Harry and the others stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to speak. They watched, open-mouthed, as Jerry became a black raven and sped off toward Hermione, vanishing into the darkness.

Jerry flew past building after building before finally reaching the bathroom.

Suddenly, he heard Hermione scream. His heart clenched, and he rushed inside. A Troll was swinging its Club at her.

Crackle! Jerry lashed out with a bolt of Dark Red Lightning from his wing, knocking the Troll back at once.

Jerry flew to Hermione and gave her a quick once-over. At last, the tension inside him eased.

Thank goodness. Hermione isn't hurt.

The Troll scrambled back to its feet, gripped its Club, and prepared to attack them again.

Jerry flicked a wing and warned Hermione behind him, "Get down!" Then he shifted his position, ready to meet the Troll's attack.

Hermione was startled by what she saw. She had no idea what was happening; all she knew was that a raven had appeared out of nowhere and saved her.

Strangest of all, the raven could talk—and its voice sounded exactly like Jerry's!

There was no time to think about it. Hermione did as raven-shaped Jerry said. Above her, bolts of Dark Red Lightning whipped wildly through the air with the raven at their center.

Every flashing bolt struck with tremendous force. The Troll howled in pain as the places it had been hit turned charred black.

Seeing it was outmatched, the Troll didn't try to flee. Instead, it charged at them through the barrage. That was a Troll's brain for you.

Jerry wasn't about to go easy on it. If it wants to die, I'll oblige.

Jerry gave a cold laugh and beat both wings fiercely. Dark Red Lightning burst forth, filling nearly the entire room with its energy.

Then Jerry swept a wing toward the Troll. The lightning became a storm and surged straight at it.

The force hurled the Troll into the wall behind it with a violent crash. Its skin and muscle rapidly blackened under the blast, and it fell unconscious.

Jerry was in rough shape too. He slumped to the floor, his magic drained to the last drop again.

Curled up in the corner, Hermione watched the raven vanish and Jerry appear in its place. She threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him over, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

Jerry gently patted Hermione's back and comforted her in a soft voice.

"Jerry, Hermione, are you two all right?"

A moment later, Harry, Ron, and Neville rushed in from outside.

Hermione wiped her tears and helped Jerry up. "How did you get here?"

Harry and the others looked a little embarrassed. "We were worried something might happen to you two, so we snuck over!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I apologize for what I said this morning. I shouldn't have said it. You and Jerry are both our friends."

Hearing that, Hermione let the matter drop. Her anger gradually faded. "I'm not that petty! Jerry's hurt. I'm taking him to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine. I just used too much magic," Jerry said, patting Hermione's hand.

"My goodness! Jerry, did you kill the Troll? It smells awful!"

Ron and Neville stared in shock at the charred Troll.

Jerry had a headache of his own now. Looking at the blackened walls around them, he had no idea how he was going to explain this to the professors. It hardly looked like something a young wizard could have done.

Before they could leave the bathroom, hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.

A moment later, Professor McGonagall rushed in, with Snape close behind her.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Jerry and the others were unharmed.

Snape went to examine the Troll, while Professor McGonagall demanded sternly, "Do you have any idea what you were doing?"

"Why didn't you listen to the professors? Do you know how dangerous that was?"

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall. They only came here to find me. I'd read about Trolls and thought I could handle it."

Professor McGonagall was about to reprimand Hermione when Snape interrupted her. "Professor McGonagall, I think you should take a look at the Troll first."