Quirrell, the Master of Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

Professor McGonagall stared at the Troll lying on the ground, her lips deathly pale.

"I want to know... what exactly happened?!" Professor McGonagall's voice was filled with icy anger.

This anger was obviously directed at Hermione, Harry, and Ron. McGonagall knew William's strength; he was more than capable of dealing with the Troll.

"Consider yourselves lucky you didn't get killed by it. Why aren't you staying in your dorms?" McGonagall shouted.

Just then, a low voice came from behind William.

"Please don't, Professor McGonagall —they're looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione felt much better after eating the chocolate, and she whispered:

"I came to find the Troll because I... I thought I could handle it alone... you know, because I've read about them in books and know a lot about them."

"If they hadn't seen me, I would definitely be dead by now."

William paused for two seconds to think.

Although he didn't know why Hermione was in the bathroom, recalling the previous events, he could guess one thing:

Harry and Ron locked the Troll in the bathroom.

Otherwise, could it be that the Troll went in and then locked the door himself?

The two probably didn't know Hermione was inside, and Hermione, in turn, didn't know they had locked the door. She simply assumed they were there to rescue someone, otherwise she wouldn't have lied.

If Hermione knew, it would be a different story. "Professor, I was in the bathroom when Harry and Ron locked the Troll in!"

If that's the case, the two of them would probably have to have their wands broken and move in with Hagrid.

Anyway, it's pretty much a case of good intentions leading to bad outcomes.

Since Hermione had lied, Harry and Ron tried their best to act as if they were already familiar with the story.

"Oh, if that's the case..." Professor McGonagall gazed at them, then pondered, "William, is that really the case?"

Harry and Ron tensed up again; they certainly didn't want to hear anything like "peeping into the women's restroom."

Hermione pinched William from behind, and William had no choice but to lie, saying, "That's about right, but I'm not entirely sure."

Anyway, as soon as I came in, I saw Harry and Ron hitting Laifu...

"Laifu?"

"Oh, that's the dead Troll, the name I just came up with."

Professor McGonagall was speechless. "Do you think you're Hagrid? Giving Magical Creatures random names like that?"

"I saw that neither of them were Laifu, and the situation was dangerous, so I used magic to defeat the Troll."

William raised an eyebrow. "By the way, Professor, why did Troll get into the school?"

He didn't see this as a Halloween surprise; Dumbledore wasn't that into thrills, and it would be more appropriate if Hagrid were the headmaster.

"Well... Professor Dumbledore has already investigated." Professor McGonagall sighed; she had noticed that something always seemed to happen every Halloween.

"Wait a minute, I noticed Mr. Stark isn't attending the Halloween Feast tonight?" Snape suddenly interjected.

"Actually, I must correct you on one point, Professor Snape," William chuckled. "I wasn't absent from the dinner party; I was simply a little late."

"But as far as I know, you didn't attend your History of Magic this afternoon either," Snape said with a smug smile.

William rolled his eyes; the professor was actually quite concerned about his campus life.

"Don't misunderstand," Snape said, squinting. "Slytherin students are good children; they noticed this while listening attentively to the History of Magic."

Out of concern for me, my classmate told me.

So, Stark, you disappeared for an afternoon and evening...

"Professor, you don't think I let the Troll in, do you?"

"Of course not." A smug smile flashed across Snape's sallow face.

"What I mean is, Stark isn't telling the whole truth; he might be doing something against the school rules."

I know many students below the third grade sneak off to Hogsmeade...

William sighed. He had indeed gone there secretly, but not today.

"With his truancy and violation of school rules, we should perhaps revoke some of his privileges."

"For example... the right to use the dragon, until he tells us the whole story," Snape suggested.

It's clear the professor is taking this opportunity to retaliate.

"To be honest, Severus," Professor McGonagall hesitated, "Since Professor Binns didn't deduct any points, I think it's best not to interfere with his classroom discipline."

Of course, if William skips your class, you can deduct points.

As for other violations, you're just guessing...

Snape curled his lip. Binns couldn't even recognize his students; whose points should he deduct?

Moreover, if he had any dirt on him, he would have gone to Dumbledore and reported it to him long ago; he wouldn't be staying here.

Snape fell silent. He suddenly sniffed, sensing something peculiar about William.

But the toilet was filled with the Troll blood stench, which mixed up the other smell, making it difficult for him to distinguish.

Professor McGonagall, seeing that Snape was silent, looked at Hermione again.

"Miss Granger, you silly girl, how could you think you could take on a mountain-sized Troll all by yourself?"

"I'm sorry, Gryffindor will lose five points because of this. I'm very disappointed in you."

Hermione looked down at her toes.

"If you're not hurt at all, you'd better hurry back to Gryffindor Castle; the students are all enjoying Halloween Feast in their respective houses."

Hermione left quickly.

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still have to say you were lucky. Rescuing your classmates showed great courage, and each of you earned five points for Gryffindor. I will inform Professor Dumbledore about this."

You can leave now.

"As for you, William, you killed the Troll and protected your classmates, so I'll give Ravenclaw an extra fifteen points."

Snape scoffed. Professor McGonagall was the vice-principal; higher-ranking officials could have all the power.

If he were the vice principal, he would at most give William one extra point, deduct fifteen points for truancy, and incidentally put him in solitary confinement to investigate his recent unusual behavior.

Hermione? She just haphazardly cleaned the girls' restroom for a week, that's one thing.

As for Harry and Ron, they're expelled immediately!

William turned and left, while Professor Quirrell was still crying there; anyone who didn't know better would think he was the victim of the night.

Even Hermione isn't crying anymore, okay?

When William came out of the restroom, the three men were waiting for him on the other side of the corridor.

After William approached, he took out a large piece of chocolate and gave one to each person.

"That was really cool!" Harry exclaimed after taking a bite of chocolate.

"Yeah, Charlie always said you were amazing, a real Troll!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, like a devoted fan.

Ron didn't bring up the unpleasant incident from last time, and William didn't say anything either, after all, who would really stoop to his level?

Under William's questioning, Harry and Ron quickly recounted everything that had happened that night.

"How do you think the Troll got in? I don't think it could have gotten into the school," Harry asked.

"I don't know either." William shook his head.

But he was thinking about Quirrell.

He was the first to discover the Troll, but how did he suddenly run to the fourth-floor Restricted Section when he was clearly unconscious in the lobby?

That's strange!

William had never paid any attention to Quirrell before, and now it seemed quite suspicious.

Especially the way she was dressed, and the disgusting way she was crying and sobbing, as if only Snape could comfort her...

Holy crap, this guy's a master of playing dumb to outsmart everyone!

(First update, please vote! I owe two more chapters.)