Professor McGonagall’s green robes billowed as she strode down the stairs, her demeanor instantly conveying the no-nonsense nature of the Witch.
Following closely behind was Snape, his black robes spreading like the wings of an old bat as he descended the stairs.
His face was fixed in a chilly scowl, but his eyes constantly swept over Harry.
Professor Flitwick came right behind him, his short legs moving faster than Quirrell’s.
He clutched his wand tightly, as though he were ready for battle at any moment.
Quirrell looked startled, his face etched with worry.
When he saw the Troll, he clutched his chest and gasped, as though the creature lying on the ground had frightened him witless.
The Professors all saw the Troll’s small head sunken into its chest and the entire corridor covered in solid ice.
Professor Flitwick’s eyes lit up.
With his expertise in spellcasting and extensive dueling experience, he could immediately assess what had happened.
His gaze quickly swept over the young Wizards’ hands, and he only saw a wand in Will’s hand.
He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
A first-year Wizard had taken down a Troll by himself?
“Well done, Wi…”
Just as he was about to praise Will, the green-robed Witch interrupted him.
“What on earth are you playing at?”
Professor McGonagall’s voice was filled with icy anger as her cold gaze swept over the students, making the young Wizards feel immense pressure.
“Consider yourselves lucky you weren’t killed. Why weren’t you staying in your dormitories as you were instructed?”
“We wanted to save… save…”
Ron’s words trailed off.
He didn’t know how to continue.
After all, Hermione hadn’t even been in the girls’ bathroom when the incident occurred.
So why had they gone to save her?
“Professor McGonagall, they thought I was still in the girls’ bathroom and wanted to warn me about the Troll,” Hermione explained, still the kind-hearted young Witch she was.
“I also want to point out that Will, Sylvia, and Neville only came along because they wanted to make sure I was safe.”
Hearing this, Professor McGonagall’s expression softened slightly.
“Trolls are extremely dangerous creatures. You should have learned that in class. How many adult Wizards have died at the hands of these creatures?”
At this point, McGonagall glanced at Quirrell, who was still clutching his chest, and changed her wording.
“Perhaps you haven’t studied them in detail yet, but you should still understand how dangerous they are.”
Professor McGonagall’s gaze remained fixed on Will and Hermione as she spoke.
“Still, the best outcome is that none of you were injured. Can you tell me how you dealt with this creature?”
Professor Flitwick stepped forward to mediate.
“It was like this, Professor.” Sylvia’s eyes lit up at Flitwick’s question.
“When we came down, Harry and Ron were running through the corridor and had attracted its attention. Will used a spell to freeze its head, and then the big oaf crashed into the wall by itself. It probably knocked itself out.”
“Clever, very clever, Mr. Behrens. I’ve never seen a first-year Wizard take down a Troll before.”
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands enthusiastically.
“An excellent combination of spells. I’ll award you twenty points. For the courage shown by the others, five points each.”
Smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, but Professor McGonagall quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm.
“Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, because of your recklessness, five points will be deducted from each of you.”
The two boys’ faces immediately fell. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Apparently, even the illustrious Mr. Potter couldn’t take down this Troll with his fame,” Snape added sarcastically.
Will knew that, despite his venomous words, Snape was probably the person here who cared most about Harry.
“Since the matter is settled, I won’t say anything more, except that I will inform Headmaster Dumbledore about this. Furthermore, you had better return to your common rooms immediately. The other students are still enjoying the Halloween feast.”
At Professor McGonagall’s urging, the group left the dungeons.
Harry and Ron walked behind the others, shivering as they whispered to each other.
“Professor McGonagall is really scary…”
The group eventually split up at the staircase.
Hermione and Neville naturally had to return to the Gryffindor common room for the Halloween feast, while Will and Sylvia couldn’t exactly follow them there.
“Will, are you going back to the Room of Requirement?” Sylvia asked.
She knew Will didn’t like staying in the Slytherin common room with those arrogant young Wizards.
“No. I plan to have a proper meal tonight.”
Will didn’t want to shortchange his stomach.
He loved good food, after all.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so much time studying spells from Conjuring a Feast and Magical Kitchen.
“This isn’t the way back to the common room.” Sylvia looked puzzled.
Was Will planning to eat in another House?
“Come with me. I’ll take you somewhere.”
Will spoke mysteriously, refusing to tell her where they were going.
Ten minutes later, Will stopped in front of a painting depicting a bowl of fruit.
He reached out and gently tickled one of the pears in the painting.
The pear giggled before transforming into a green doorknob beneath Sylvia’s astonished gaze.
Will grasped the doorknob, gently twisted it, and smiled.
“Welcome to the Hogwarts kitchens.”
As the door opened, the rich aroma of pumpkin immediately wafted toward them.
Sylvia curiously surveyed her surroundings.
The Hogwarts kitchens were enormous, with a high ceiling and a space almost as large as the Great Hall above them.
Hundreds of gleaming copper pots and basins were stacked along the stone walls, while a large brick fireplace stood at the far end of the room.
Four large tables occupied the center of the kitchen, arranged to mirror the four House tables in the Great Hall above.
These tables were connected to the Great Hall by magic, allowing dishes placed upon them to be transported to their corresponding tables upstairs.
Of course, the House-elves could control when and where the food was sent.
The kitchen was bustling with activity.
House-elves hurried back and forth, preparing and delivering dishes for the Halloween feast.
One of the House-elves noticed Will entering and quickly approached him.
“Honored young Wizard, what can Dobby do for you?”
Sylvia was already accustomed to House-elves.
Her own family had plenty of them.
“Bring us some food. A little of everything from tonight’s menu.”
“Dobby is very happy to serve you!”
The two sat at a long table, and the House-elf named Dobby quickly brought out one dish after another.
Before long, the table was covered with delicious food.
Will was already starving.
He quickly washed his hands, grabbed a plate of fragrant roast lamb, and began to feast.
“Young Wizards, here is your pumpkin juice.”
A House-elf brought over a large cup filled with sweet, orange-colored pumpkin juice.
“Are you the elf who brought me food whenever I came here before?”
Will recognized the elf.
It wasn’t easy, considering how similar all the House-elves looked.
“Yes, yes, young Wizard! You remember Anko! Anko is honored!”
The elf named Anko happily bounced away to bring them some pumpkin porridge.
Will smiled and thanked her.
“Thank you, Anko.”
“The young Wizard said thank you to Anko! Oh, Anko is ashamed! This is what Anko should do!”
After hearing Will’s praise, Anko actually ran off into another room in embarrassment.
Will watched her leave and couldn’t help thinking that these little creatures were somewhat peculiar.
Still, the House-elf community seemed to be like this, so he didn’t dwell on it.
He also had no intention of fighting for the House-elves’ freedom like Hermione.
In his opinion, that was far too naive.
The incident with Anko was only a small interlude.
Sylvia hadn’t spoken to the House-elves at all during their meal.
She couldn’t even recognize all the elves working in her own home.
“When did you discover this place?” Sylvia asked while surveying the kitchen and cutting into the pumpkin chicken stew on her plate.
“One night, I wanted a late-night snack, so I looked around and happened to find it. After that, I started coming here often.”
Will picked up another plate of smoked duck with pumpkin purée.
“We can come here whenever we want. These elves are excellent cooks.”
Sylvia shook her head.
“Forget it. I probably won’t come here that often.”
Seeing Will’s questioning expression, she explained, “I don’t want to eat too much and ruin my figure. Will, you should pay attention too. Just look at Selwyn. He looks like a wild boar from Kent.”
“Can we please not talk about things that ruin my appetite? This is my first Halloween, you know.”
Will pretended to gag, earning an eye-roll from Sylvia.
However, she still looked at him suspiciously.
“Is this really your first Halloween?”
“Of course. Why would I lie to you?”
This really was his first Halloween.
His alcoholic mother had never celebrated holidays like this, and after her death, Will had been too lazy to bother preparing for any festivities himself.
Sylvia studied Will’s earnest expression before raising her cup of pumpkin juice.
“Then every Halloween in the future should be celebrated like this. To future Halloweens, cheers!”
The crisp clinking of their cups brought a perfect end to Will’s first Halloween.