To be honest, Robert was a little confused. He froze for a second before reacting.
His original plan was to open the door first to divert attention, then use the ensuing chaos to escape. After all, both Fluffy and the Troll were huge beasts, while he was just a small boy. There was a good chance they wouldn't notice him.
He hadn't expected the Troll to be so cooperative—rushing in the moment the door was opened.
Now, it seemed he didn't even need to rely on the chaos.
As deafening roars and howls erupted behind the door and chaotic footsteps echoed from downstairs, Robert quickly grabbed the Bowtruckles crawling out of the doorknob and ran.
Moments later, others arrived.
Snape was the first to rush over, skidding to a stop in front of the locked door. Professor McGonagall followed close behind, with Quirrell trailing at the rear.
Snape forcefully yanked the door open—and instantly, the stench of blood and filth spilled out in a wave.
Even Snape, who had handled rat spleens and leech juice for years without flinching, paled immediately, his stomach churning.
Quirrell took one glance inside—and promptly vomited all over the stone floor, gagging uncontrollably.
Professor McGonagall fared better. She had seen far more gruesome things in her career. Though her hands trembled slightly, she quickly gathered herself.
Lips pressed tightly together, she raised her wand. A dozen thick iron chains appeared and coiled tightly around Fluffy, hoisting the massive beast into the air.
"Severus!" she barked.
Snape nodded, stepping forward and dragging half of the Troll's remains out.
"Ugh…" Quirrell retched even more violently, tears and snot running down his face.
Professor McGonagall cast him a look of undisguised disgust. They were all Professors—if he wasn't going to help, at least he shouldn't be making things worse.
She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, a calm, reassuring presence appeared at the end of the corridor.
"Dumbledore," McGonagall called immediately. "Here…"
"Yes, Minerva, I see it all," Dumbledore replied, his tone as serene as ever. His eyes drifted past the professors. "Potter, Weasley, and Granger—would you be so kind as to escort Professor Quirrell to the Hospital Wing?"
"Okay—yes, sir."
In the corner, Harry, Hermione, and Ron emerged sheepishly from behind a suit of armor. They had thought they were well hidden. Clearly not.
Halfway down the hall, Harry couldn't help glancing back toward the corridor. But all he could see was a dense cloud of white smoke. Whatever was happening behind it was obscured. Only McGonagall's angry voice pierced through the fog.
"Wandering the castle when you should be in your dormitories… Gryffindor, five points deducted—each!"
Harry instinctively shrank into himself. Ron and Hermione said nothing, heads bowed in silence.
Looking at Dumbledore, Harry felt the need to speak up. "Headmaster… we weren't just wandering. We were looking for Robert."
"Mr. Ollivander?" Dumbledore's expression remained neutral. "In that case, another five points will be deducted from Gryffindor."
"No, no—it's not like that," Harry rushed to explain. "He said he had to come back to find something, so he didn't go to the feast. He didn't know about the Troll. We wanted to warn him."
"I see." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Then why didn't you inform a Professor? As I recall, Professors Flitwick and Sprout were with the students the entire time, were they not?"
"We… forgot," Harry admitted, his voice losing confidence.
"Then, can I trouble you to take Professor Quirrell to the Hospital Wing now? He seems on the verge of fainting."
This time, Harry didn't argue. He and Ron hurried forward, dragging the limp and retching Quirrell away. Their handling was rough, but no one pointed it out. Dumbledore merely pretended not to notice.
It was unrealistic to expect three first-years to properly carry an adult wizard. Dragging him was the only viable option.
Once the trio and Quirrell had disappeared around the corner, Dumbledore stepped forward to examine the scene more closely.
Five minutes later, Hagrid arrived.
"Oh, Fluffy…" he choked, staring at the chained beast whose mouths still dripped blood. Clutching his chest, his eyes welled with tears.
"Don't be like that, Minerva—he's just a child…"
"Do you realize that your 'child' just killed a Troll?" McGonagall replied coldly, gesturing to the mangled remains on the floor.
A fully-grown Troll—gnawed like fried pork chops. How could that be remotely appropriate?
Hagrid let out a strangled sound, something between a sob and a goose being throttled.
"How horrifying," Snape said from the side, voice icy. "From the moment we heard the noise to the moment we arrived—no more than two minutes passed. In that time, it managed to tear an adult Troll in half?"
He turned to Dumbledore. "This monster cannot be kept at Hogwarts."
"No, it's not…" Hagrid stammered. "Fluffy's usually very obedient. The Troll must've made him mad."
"So you're saying the Troll—whose brain is smaller than a walnut—picked a fight with Fluffy?" Snape asked slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Hagrid grew more flustered, unable to form a coherent defense. He turned to Dumbledore, eyes pleading.
"I believe Hagrid," Dumbledore said gently.
"Dumbledore…" Snape began, but the Headmaster cut him off with a gesture.
"Don't worry, Severus." He pointed to Fluffy's leftmost head. "Look there."
Snape narrowed his eyes and took a step closer.
That mouth was clearly injured—flesh torn, blood seeping, and two large fangs missing.
"Was this… done by the Troll?" Snape asked skeptically.
It seemed ridiculous. Fluffy was strong enough to eat flightless dragons. How could a Troll possibly injure it like this? What kind of brute force would that take? A Giant, perhaps.
"Given the current evidence," Dumbledore said, "that seems the only plausible explanation."
He stood upright and continued in a calm voice, "The Troll accidentally wandered into Hogwarts, stumbled upon the Fourth Floor, broke through the door, injured Fluffy with its club, and was then torn apart by the enraged beast."
The others stared at him.
That version of events… was absurd. Even listening to it felt surreal.
"But that raises another question," Dumbledore went on, unfazed. "How did the Troll get in? The main door shows no signs of forced entry. Did the Troll, perhaps, use a key?"
"Perhaps we should ask the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," Snape said sharply. "He was the first to discover the Troll in the dungeon."
"Professor Quirrell is still in the Hospital Wing, Severus," Dumbledore said mildly. "He was terrified."
"Heh…" Snape sneered. "If necessary, I'll brew him a Calming Draught myself."
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