We stood outside the girls' washroom, the acrid stench of the defeated troll still lingering in the air. The massive creature lay sprawled across the cold stone floor, its thick, gray skin covered in grime and filth. Its club—now splintered from Rose's spell—rested uselessly beside its motionless form. The floor was slick with a foul mixture of water and troll sweat, and bits of shattered porcelain from the sinks and broken stalls were scattered everywhere.
The scene was chaos.
And we were right in the middle of it.
"WHAT," Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the corridor, making all of us flinch, "were you four thinking?"
Her lips were pressed into a thin, furious line, her face paler than usual. Even her usually tight bun looked slightly disheveled, as if she had rushed here in a hurry.
Behind her stood Professor Snape, his cold, black eyes narrowing as he swept his gaze over us. His expression was unreadable, but the tension radiating off him was palpable. And just behind him, Professor Dumbledore stood with his ever-present calmness, though his piercing blue eyes missed nothing.
Filch was lurking further back, looking positively gleeful at the thought of handing out punishments.
"Fighting a mountain troll!" McGonagall continued, her voice rising as her eyes locked onto us with a fiery intensity. "In the middle of the castle! At night!"
"We… we didn't mean to, Professor," Rose murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
McGonagall's gaze softened slightly as her eyes fell on Rose, but her anger didn't subside. "Miss Potter, that's hardly an excuse! What if any of you had been seriously hurt? Or worse?"
"Professor…" I began, trying to keep my voice steady, "it wasn't exactly planned. We were just—"
"Just what, Mr. Carter?" McGonagall's sharp eyes turned to me. "Deciding to take on a fully-grown mountain troll without notifying a single teacher?"
"Well… we couldn't just leave Hermione in there," Ron muttered, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "The troll would've—"
"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall's tone was icy now, "while your intentions may have been noble, this was beyond reckless."
Snape, who had been silently watching, finally spoke. His voice was low and silky, but it carried a dangerous edge.
"Foolish," he murmured, his cold eyes narrowing as they landed on me. "Utterly foolish. You could have gotten yourselves killed."
My jaw clenched. I felt the weight of his gaze more than the others. He wasn't just reprimanding us—he was scrutinizing me, as if he expected… something. I wasn't sure if it was suspicion or something else entirely, but it sent an uneasy chill down my spine.
"We had no choice," I said softly, meeting Snape's gaze with calm confidence. "We couldn't leave Hermione alone with that thing."
Snape's lip curled slightly, but he didn't respond. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before flickering away.
"Be that as it may," McGonagall cut in, her voice softer but still laced with authority, "you all acted with appalling disregard for your own safety. Five points from Gryffindor. Each."
I saw Ron's shoulders slump beside me. Ten points gone. Just like that.
"But…" Dumbledore's calm, steady voice cut through the tension, and all eyes turned to him. His eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles as he regarded us with quiet admiration. "It takes great courage to face danger when one's life is at risk."
My stomach did a flip.
"I believe," he continued gently, his eyes twinkling with something I couldn't quite place, "that some acts of bravery should not go unnoticed. Ten points to each of you… for outstanding courage and quick thinking."
I blinked in surprise. We had just gained back the points we lost. Even Ron, who had been looking thoroughly miserable a second ago, perked up instantly.
"Ten points… each?" Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes wide as she looked up at Dumbledore in awe.
"Yes, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said kindly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "For true bravery often lies in standing by your friends when it matters most."
Professor McGonagall looked like she wanted to protest, but Dumbledore's gaze was gentle but firm. She gave a curt nod, her lips pursed tightly.
"However," Dumbledore added, his expression turning serious, "I trust that this… incident… will not be repeated."
"Absolutely not, Professor," I said quickly, and the others nodded vigorously beside me.
"Good." Dumbledore's twinkle returned, but only for a moment.
Snape, however, wasn't done.
"Foolhardy bravery is still foolish," Snape murmured, his cold gaze flickering over me once again. "Don't expect to be so lucky next time."
I met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down. "Noted, Professor."
Snape's expression darkened, but he didn't say another word.
"Now," McGonagall said, her voice sharper again, "off to the common room. And I expect no more nighttime adventures."
"Yes, Professor," we all murmured in unison.
As we turned to leave, I felt Dumbledore's eyes linger on me for just a moment longer.
There was something in his gaze—something… knowing.
And then, we were dismissed.
The walk back to Gryffindor Tower was oddly quiet.
But the moment we stepped through the portrait hole—
"Here they are!" Seamus's voice rang out, and suddenly, the entire common room erupted with cheers and applause.
"Troll slayers!" Dean grinned, clapping Ron on the back.
"Brilliant, Rose!" Lavender giggled, her eyes wide with admiration. "I heard you knocked the troll's club right out of its hands!"
"Did you see its face when it went down?" Seamus laughed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Ron looked positively smug now, lapping up the praise like a cat who'd gotten into the cream.
"Yeah, well," he said, puffing out his chest a little, "someone had to save the day."
Hermione, however, stood slightly off to the side, her face flushed as she fidgeted with the hem of her robe. She looked… unsure. Uncomfortable, even.
Rose noticed immediately.
"Come on, Hermione," she said softly, nudging her gently. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Hermione's face turned an even deeper shade of pink, but she managed a small smile.
"Thanks," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
I couldn't help but smile.
It felt… right. Like the four of us had finally formed a bond that went beyond just sharing a few classes.
But as everyone else continued celebrating, laughing and joking about the troll, a different feeling settled in my chest.
Urgency.
A gnawing sense of need.
The troll… it had been strong. Dangerous. And we had barely made it out.
I needed to be stronger. I needed more control.
The power I had used with the Levitation Charm… it was still raw. Unrefined. But I had felt it. I knew it was there.
And if I was going to survive in this world, if I was going to protect the people I cared about…
I had to master it.
Soon.
As the others laughed and chatted around me, I sat quietly, lost in thought.
I wasn't going to be caught unprepared again.
Not ever.
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