Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 42 The Rescue in the Shadows

Just as all the young wizards were heading to their dormitories under the guidance of their prefects, Thea quietly turned her head and whispered in Draco's ear, "Draco, I have to go out now."

Before Draco could object, Thea continued, "Time is of the essence now, and I will explain the specific reasons to you later."

Draco paused for a moment: "What do you need me to do?"

Thea smiled and whispered in my ear, "Help me stall for time until others realize I'm not here."

A moment later, Draco watched as Thea slipped away from the group without anyone noticing, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his eyes reddening slightly.

He knew what Thea was going to do, but he let her go anyway because he knew he couldn't stop her.

Draco stood there for a few seconds, then turned and left, starting to think about how to buy her some time.

Thea quickly darted through the stairs and corridors. Relying on her understanding of the castle over the past few days, when she finally reached the bathroom door, panting, a stench had already filled her nostrils.

"Damn it! How can it be so fast!"

Before she could think for long, just as Thea decided to risk being suspected by Dumbledore, she rushed in and brought Hermione out.

Harry and Ron bravely rushed to the bathroom door and started shouting for Hermione. Hermione responded with a scream and the sound of breaking wood.

Thea, hiding in the corner, grew increasingly anxious as she watched Harry and his companion struggle to cast a single complete spell.

Did they defeat the giant by luck?

Thea couldn't help but wonder, but she didn't slow down at all.

She quickly ran to the bathroom door and, taking advantage of the fact that the three people inside were focused on the troll, pulled out her wand.

"Legs stiffen and he dies!"

"They've all turned to stone!"

"The force is released and the energy dissipates!"

Thea didn't care if she was discovered, and unleashed a barrage of spells at the giant as if they were free.

Perhaps the troll was just too tough, because Thea's spell only slowed its movements.

The troll, which Harry was riding on, realized that someone was attacking it outside, so it focused its attention on the door and tried to walk out.

Although Harry didn't know why the troll turned and walked towards the door, he seized the opportunity to stick his wand into the troll's nostril!

The troll was enraged. Ignoring the enemies outside, he grabbed Harry's foot and prepared to strike him hard with his club!

Seeing Harry being held by the troll and the club hurtling towards him, Ron, in a moment of desperation, managed to cast a levitation charm, levitating the troll's club in mid-air!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Thea continued to use her "Legs Stand Still and Die!"

This ensures the giant remains in place and is accurately struck on the head with the wooden club.

With a loud bang, the giant was successfully blown off its head.

When Thea saw this scene from outside the door, she immediately turned around and walked towards the nearby shortcut without looking back.

The force of the troll's fall caused a strand of her hair to be blown up, which Hermione, who was hugging Harry Ron, saw.

"Besides Harry and Ron, there was someone else who saved me!"

Hermione immediately had someone in mind, and she was about to go out to confirm her guess.

The next second, Professor McGonagall burst through the broken door of the girls' restroom. Seeing the troll lying on the floor and the three Gryffindor wizards, she shouted angrily, "Harry! Ron! Hermione! What are you doing here?"

Before Professor McGonagall could finish speaking, the gloomy Snape and the timid Quirrell walked in.

Professor McGonagall stared intently at the four young wizards, her eyes seemingly simmering with fury.

Quirrell glanced cautiously at the troll, then let out a loud sob and clutched his chest tightly.

Snape ignored Quirrell's actions and went straight for the troll.

"What kind of tricks are you playing?" Professor McGonagall asked angrily again. "You four are lucky you didn't get killed by it. Why don't you just stay in your dorms?"

Harry was about to speak, but Hermione spoke first:

“Professor McGonagall, it’s me! I’m here to find the troll because I… I thought I could handle it on my own, you know, because I’ve read about them in books and thought I knew them well.”

Professor McGonagall was disappointed by Hermione's reckless behavior and immediately spoke up:

“Miss Granger, because of this, Gryffindor will lose five points, and I am very disappointed in you.”

Seeing Hermione's head bowed in deep remorse, McGonagall's anger subsided slightly.

A smile then appeared on her face:

"Well, I still have to say you guys were lucky. Not many first-year students would have the courage to fight an adult troll. You each earned five points for Gryffindor."

The trio immediately perked up and were about to leave the washroom when Professor Snape called out to them, "Miss Granger, were there really only the three of you young wizards here just now?"

Harry was furious when he heard Snape's question, feeling that the other man was questioning the abilities of the three of them, and was about to speak.

But Hermione reacted faster than him: "...Yes, Professor, I only saw Harry and Ron."

Hermione is now pretty sure it's Thea, for several reasons: First, Thea is one of her rare friends at Hogwarts; besides Harry and Ron, she's the only one who comes to see her.

Secondly, Thea has the ability to help them, and she always felt that the battle against the giant was too smooth. Could it be that the three of them were really that lucky?

Third, that person had black hair.

Although Hermione doesn't know why Thea doesn't appear openly, she decides to respect Thea's choice and not reveal her presence to the professor.

Snape could tell that the little witch was lying and was about to press her for answers, but Harry saw through Snape's "ill intentions," grabbed Hermione and Ron, said goodbye to Professor McGonagall, and ran out of the bathroom.

McGonagall knew Snape's personality; she never doubted any of the questions he asked.

Just as she was about to speak, Dumbledore walked in from outside the door.

“Oh, Quirinas, you don’t look too well. Should I take you to Mrs. Pomfrey?”

Quirrell quickly refused, making up an excuse and hurriedly taking his leave.

Before Dumbledore could speak, Snape slowly said, "Besides Potter and his two companions, there were other people there just now."

Before McGonagall could ask, Snape explained, “Every spell leaves a mark, and on the troll, I found at least three perfect spell marks. I don’t think those three, who even stumbled over the Levitation Charm, could have used a spell of this quality.”

As McGonagall listened to Snape explain the reason, she carefully examined the troll lying on the ground, her expression somewhat grave.

Unlike McGonagall, Dumbledore only pondered for a moment before a knowing smile appeared on his face. He said to Snape, whose face was gloomy, "In any case, that person saved Miss Granger, didn't he, Severus?"