Hermione was deep in sorrow in the girls' bathroom when she heard two gentle taps on the stall door.
"Hermione, is that you?"
"Who is it?" Hermione choked out, "Are you here to mock me too?"
"It's Padma Patil," Padma said gently, "The Halloween feast should have started already, Hermione. Wade and Michael are waiting for you outside—they're very worried."
"You, you go to the feast, don't mind me! Just leave me alone for a bit," Hermione said stubbornly, wiping away more and more tears.
She had cried for so long that her tears should have run dry, and she was only hiding there because she was upset and didn't want to face others. But hearing her friends' concern and being comforted by their kind words made her tears well up again.
Padma placed her hand on the stall door and whispered, "Hermione, I know what rubbish Weasley said. But I don't understand why you're heartbroken over an unfair judgment from some foolish boy, ignoring the friends who truly care about you? Everyone says you're the smartest witch in your year. Can't you tell what's truly important?"
Hermione's sobbing stopped, and she didn't speak for a long time.
"Let me tell you a secret—people who badmouth you behind your back are often doing so out of insecurity and jealousy. If you're smarter than them, better than them, superior to them in every way, they'll want to hurt you by speaking ill of you. If you truly become heartbroken because of it and push away your friends, then the bad guys win," Padma said. "The best way is to ignore those who slander you. You shine your light, and don't focus on the shadows in the corner—if that's not satisfying enough, just punch them in the face! After all, you're a Gryffindor lion, aren't you?"
"Creak—"
A moment later, the stall door was pushed open.
Hermione walked out, her eyes red, her voice still tearful: "I'm not the smartest witch—Padma, you're the truly smart one."
Padma smiled and gave her a hug.
...
Wade and Michael had been waiting in the corridor for a long time and finally saw the two girls emerge from the bathroom. They had actually overheard Padma comforting Hermione, but no one mentioned it.
Michael spread his arms, grinning as he joked, "Do you need a warm hug from me, Hermione?"
The brown-haired girl wiped her eyes and hugged Michael with enough force to potentially break his ribs. She let go while he was still stunned, then turned and gave Wade an equally strong hug.
"Thank you—and sorry," Hermione whispered.
Wade casually ruffled her hair, saying nothing.
"No need for apologies, but I'm dying to get to the Halloween feast now. I hope they haven't finished the desserts!" Michael said, rubbing his stomach. "Otherwise, we'll have to sneak into the kitchen for some food."
Padma asked curiously, "Where's Hogwarts' kitchen? I've never seen it."
Michael immediately perked up: "The kitchen is very hidden. If it weren't for Theo and them—"
Wade stopped in his tracks, holding out a hand to block the others, while his other hand quickly drew his wand.
"—What's wrong?" Michael paused, lowering his voice.
Wade asked, "Didn't you hear that sound?"
Michael didn't answer because all of them had already seen it—a giant, greenish-gray hand gripped the wall around the corner, and a snorting sound came from out of sight.
Everyone's faces instantly turned pale. Padma groaned, "Merlin—what monster—"
A hulking creature emerged from around the corner.
It was a full twelve feet tall, its head almost touching the ceiling, and it looked to weigh at least two tons. Its skin was as repulsive as a toad's. It had a massive body, a bulging belly, and a bald head with only a few strands of hair on its short neck. The creature also reeked of a nauseating stench, its long arms almost reaching its knees, and it held a club like a tree trunk in its hand.
"Impossible, in the castle—how can there be a Troll in the castle?" Padma's face was ashen, her legs turned to jelly, and only Hermione was supporting her.
The Troll lowered its head, saw the group, and a cruel excitement gleamed in its small eyes. It lifted its heavy legs and lumbered towards them, raising the club in its hand.
Hermione's hands trembled uncontrollably. She pointed her wand at the Troll but didn't know what spell to use.
Michael repeatedly cast spells: "*Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!*"
He hadn't mastered this spell yet, and it was as useless against the Troll as raindrops hitting rhinoceros hide. Wade raised his wand, his mind rapidly cycling through all the spells he knew.
He knew many spells, but Trolls had incredibly high "magic resistance" and formidable physical strength. Even adult Wizard spells had little effect on them—they were creatures with no brains and little magic, yet their danger level still reached XXXX, on par with Thunderbirds and Sphinxes.
Even though Wade had felt there was something wrong with this classification when he first read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, facing such a monster, taller than a house, still brought a suffocating sense of oppression.
*"Bang!"*
A bucket suddenly smashed into the Troll's head. Harry appeared from nowhere, shouting at them, "What are you standing around for? Run!"
Michael came to his senses, turned, and pulled the two girls away, running. Wade, however, stepped forward, pointing his wand: "*Avis!*"
A large flock of chirping small birds flew from the tip of his wand, swarming the Troll's face. The simple-minded Troll was immediately distracted. It grunted in its throat, clumsily swatting at the birds with its fan-sized hands.
Seeing that it worked, Michael and the others also shouted, "*Avis!*"
But their spells were useless; only a spark fizzled from the tips of their wands, briefly catching the Troll's attention.
The dozen or so birds Wade conjured surrounded the Troll. The behemoth roared, letting out terrifying bellows, smashing the surrounding decorations to pieces with its club, but it couldn't do anything about the nimble birds. However, as time passed, the number of birds rapidly dwindled.
Michael shouted, "That spell will only hold it for ten seconds at most!"
Wade swung his wand with force: "*Slippery Slope!*"
The floor beneath the Troll suddenly became incredibly slick. It lost its footing and crashed heavily to the ground, its massive body shaking the entire floor. The club in its hand also flew away.
Hermione, looking like she might faint at any moment, gathered her courage, extended her wand, and shouted, "*Wingardium—Leviosa!*"
The club flew high into the air and then fell, landing with a thud on the Troll's forehead. The Troll shook its head, struggling and roaring as it tried to get up. Hermione gritted her teeth, manipulating the club to strike a second, third, and fourth time…
The Troll finally passed out blissfully.
Hermione stopped, panting, and turned to see the others staring at her in shock and awe.
"What's wrong?" The girl's face flushed slightly. She pretended nothing was amiss and looked at Padma, saying, "Well, you're absolutely right—punching it really felt good."
Padma was dumbfounded, speechless. Did I teach her that?
She felt a little afraid to look Wade and Michael in the eye.
"Harry—troll! There's a troll in the castle—get back to the dorms! Tro—"
Ron came rushing over, shouting, then his voice abruptly cut off. He gasped, staring at the scene before him, and dazedly asked, "What happened?"
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