As Albert pushed open the door to the bathroom, the hulking troll heard the creak of the hinges and immediately charged, swinging its massive club straight at him.
But Albert was faster.
He ducked just in time, the heavy club swooshing over his head and crashing violently into the door behind him, splintering it.
At that very moment, Hermione was sprinting through the halls, desperate to find the professors and tell them what was happening.
"Hold on, Albert! Just a little longer!" she cried, her voice laced with panic.
The troll, enraged that its attack had been effortlessly dodged, let out a guttural roar and launched a second assault—faster, wilder, more brutal. It swung its club repeatedly, determined to strike its target. But the troll had no idea it was hopelessly outmatched.
Albert could have defeated the beast in an instant.
Yet, he held back, waiting until Hermione was safely away. If she witnessed the full extent of his power, she'd begin to suspect something was wrong. After all, no first-year student should possess that level of skill.
Just before the troll's club could land, Albert raised his wand and cast, "Petrificus Totalus!" The spell froze the troll in place, its body locked in mid-swing.
---
Later that day, after the morning lesson, Harry and Ron noticed that Hermione hadn't been seen since lunchtime, and that Albert had gone upstairs to fetch his school bag but had yet to return.
At dinner, as they descended to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, they overheard Parvati Patil whispering to Lavender Brown that Hermione had been doing homework with Albert in one of the empty classrooms on the first floor. Her eyes had still been red and swollen, but at least she wasn't hiding in the bathroom crying anymore. Parvati added wistfully, "I wish I had a friend like that."
Ron shifted uncomfortably.
"Well," Harry said, "Albert's a bit obsessed with books and learning too, so it makes sense they'd become friends."
"I know it bothers you that Albert made you apologize to Hermione at lunch," he added gently, "but honestly, if he hadn't gotten us all together to go over homework in the common room, I wouldn't have finished mine either. Quidditch practice eats up so much time."
As they entered the Great Hall, the sight before them pushed all thoughts of Albert and Hermione from their minds.
Thousands of live bats fluttered across the ceiling and walls, while another swarm hovered low above the tables like a dark cloud. Candlelight shimmered through hollowed pumpkins, and delicious food appeared suddenly on golden plates, just as it had during the start-of-term feast.
The students were halfway through their meal when Professor Quirrell burst into the hall, his turban askew, face pale and drenched in sweat.
"T-troll—in the dungeons," he gasped, staggering toward Dumbledore's chair. "Thought you ought to know…"
He collapsed.
Panic erupted.
Students screamed, chairs scraped, and the Great Hall dissolved into chaos. Dumbledore stood and, with several sharp bursts of magical fire from his wand, silenced the entire room.
"Prefects," he said firmly, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately."
Percy Weasley took charge of the Gryffindors, leading them with surprising calm.
As the students moved through the corridors, they passed other groups hurrying in different directions. Many wore worried expressions. Some of the younger girls were quietly sobbing.
Struggling to push past a confused cluster of Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Wait—Hermione and Albert," he said, grabbing Ron's arm. "They don't know about the troll. We have to warn them!"
Ron bit his lip, hesitating. Then he nodded. "Okay… but let's make sure Percy doesn't see us."
They ducked into the crowd and slipped off in the opposite direction. They hurried through an empty side corridor, rounding a corner—only to run straight into Hermione, who was breathless and pale from running.
"Hermione?!" Ron exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Where's Albert?"
"Go back!" she panted. "Please—tell the professors to come to the girls' bathroom! Albert's in there—he's fighting the troll!"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
Ron and Harry didn't hesitate. They turned and bolted toward the staff corridors.
As Albert stood over the frozen troll, he knew time was running short. He raised his wand again, this time casting a far darker spell.
"Crucio."
The curse hit the troll like a bolt of lightning. It let out a blood-curdling scream, convulsing with such violent agony that it thrashed across the floor, foaming at the mouth, its limbs twitching uncontrollably.
The Cruciatus Curse was a forbidden spell, infamous for causing unbearable pain. Many victims lost their minds from the torment. Some, if their will was weak, died.
The troll's body writhed for several minutes before it collapsed completely, twitching once more before going still.
Just five minutes after Albert's battle had ended, a thunderous knock shook the door, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Professor Flitwick appeared, having blasted apart the damaged door with a spell, clearing the debris that had blocked the entrance. The troll had earlier smashed through the bathroom door, reducing it—and the outer door—to splinters.
Professor McGonagall stormed in, wand lit, with Snape and Quirrell close behind.
Quirrell took one look at the troll and sat down heavily on a nearby crate, clutching his chest and breathing shallowly.
Snape leaned over to inspect the beast, while McGonagall turned to Albert. He had never seen her look so furious.
Before she could speak, three students came sprinting into the hallway.
"Professor!" Ron shouted. "Is Albert all right?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran toward him.
Seeing that Albert was unharmed, Hermione rushed forward and began inspecting him for injuries. When she saw none, she threw her arms around him.
"Thank you," she whispered. "You saved me, Albert. I'll never forget this."
Albert stood frozen, clearly flustered by the sudden embrace.
Snape, meanwhile, stood and said grimly, "The troll is dead. Was that… the Cruciatus Curse?"
The other professors turned in shock.
McGonagall examined the troll more closely—and gasped. "Albert Black… did you use Crucio on this creature?"
"Yes," Albert replied calmly.
Then, as if to confirm it beyond doubt, he cast Crucio once more. The troll's limp body spasmed, and blood began to pour from its mouth and ears.
The room went still.
The professors were visibly stunned by the raw power on display.
"The blood…" Flitwick murmured. "That level of effect... Albert, where did you learn that spell?"
"I found it in one of the books in the Restricted Section of the library," Albert replied. "Professor Hooch gave me permission to access it."
The Restricted Section contained magic far too advanced—or dangerous—for most students. Only with a professor's written authorization could a student access even the mildest of forbidden spells.
"You killed the troll," McGonagall said quietly. "That's no small feat—not even for a fully-trained wizard. For a first-year… Albert, I must commend your bravery. But this incident led to the death of a magical creature and nearly endangered multiple students. The headmaster will need to be informed immediately."
She placed a firm hand on Albert's shoulder, her face stern.
"Come with me. We're going to see Professor Dumbledore."
And with that, she turned, leading Albert down the hall. The other three students followed behind, the corrid
or echoing with the weight of what had just occurred.
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