October moved slowly.
The days grew colder.
The wind blew hard across the grounds.
In the middle of the month, the morning mail delivery brought a massive surprise.
Edward sat at the Hufflepuff table, eating his eggs and toast.
He heard a loud screeching sound above him.
Six large owls flew into the Great Hall together.
They carried a very long, thin package wrapped in brown paper.
They flew right over the Hufflepuff table and dropped the heavy package directly in front of Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table.
Students immediately stood up from their benches to look.
Ron Weasley ripped the paper back just a little bit.
“It is a broom,” Ron said loudly, his eyes wide.
“A Nimbus Two Thousand!” The Gryffindor table buzzed with excitement.
First years never got their own brooms.
Harry looked incredibly happy as he read a small note attached to the handle.
Edward watched from his table.
He took a bite of his toast.
He knew Professor McGonagall bought it for Harry to help him in Quidditch.
It was a nice thing to see.
The month continued.
Finally, Halloween morning arrived.
The Hufflepuff first years shared Charms class with the Gryffindors.
Professor Flitwick stood on his tall pile of books.
He held a piece of parchment in his hand.
“Today, we will practice levitation,” Flitwick squeaked.
“I have made a seating chart.
You will work in pairs.” Flitwick read the names.
He paired Harry with Seamus Finnigan.
He looked down the list again.
He specifically paired Ron Weasley with Hermione Granger.
A single white feather rested on the wooden desk in front of each pair.
“Now, do not forget the wrist movement we practiced,” Flitwick told them.
“Swish and flick.
And speak the words clearly.” The students picked up their wands.
The room filled with people muttering the spell.
Edward sat near the back.
He already finished the task.
His white feather floated gently near the ceiling.
He ignored the rest of the class.
He wore his new gold-rimmed Scholar’s Glasses.
He had a thick book about magical plants open on his desk.
His eyes moved rapidly across the pages, absorbing every single word perfectly.
A few rows ahead, Ron struggled.
He waved his long wand up and down.
“Wingardium Leviosaaaar!” Ron shouted, swinging his arm like a windmill.
Hermione sat right next to him.
She ducked out of the way of his wild wand.
“Stop, stop, stop,” Hermione said.
She reached out and grabbed his wrist.
“You are going to take someone’s eye out.
Besides, you are saying it wrong.
It is Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sar.” Ron pulled his arm away.
He glared at her.
“You do it, then.
If you are so clever.
Go on.” Hermione did not hesitate.
She rolled up her sleeves.
She held her wand lightly.
She pointed it at her feather.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” Hermione said clearly.
She gave a smooth swish and a flick.
Her feather lifted off the desk.
It hovered three feet in the air.
“Oh, well done!” Professor Flitwick cheered, pointing at her desk.
“See here, everyone!
Miss Granger has done it!” Ron slumped in his chair.
He grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms.
He looked annoyed.
Suddenly, a loud bang shook the classroom.
A flash of fire lit up the desks on the right side.
Seamus Finnigan sat frozen in his chair.
His face was covered in black soot.
His feather was completely gone.
Only a small pile of smoking ash remained on his desk.
He blinked, blowing a puff of grey smoke out of his mouth.
Harry sighed and raised his hand.
“Professor?
I think we need a new feather over here.” The bell rang a few minutes later.
The students packed their bags and walked out into the busy courtyard.
Edward walked alongside Harry and Ron.
The wind blew cold air against their robes.
Ron kicked a small stone on the ground.
He looked very upset about the Charms class.
“It is Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sar,” Ron mocked in a high, bossy voice.
He shook his head.
“She is a nightmare, honestly.
No wonder she has no friends.” Someone bumped hard into Ron’s shoulder.
Hermione pushed past them.
She walked very fast.
She kept her head down.
Edward saw her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
She was crying.
She disappeared into the crowd.
Edward looked at Ron.
Edward put his hands in his pockets.
“I think she might not have heard you, Ron,” Edward said, using a thick layer of sarcasm.
“Maybe you should raise your voice a bit higher next time.
Really yell it across the courtyard.” Ron’s face turned completely red.
It matched the color of his hair.
“Shut up,” Ron snapped.
“It is not my fault.
She is bossy all the time.
She acts like she knows everything.” “Hmm, hmm,” Edward hummed quietly.
“All I saw was her helping you.
She was a bit bossy, sure.
But she had good intentions.
She stopped you from hitting someone with your wand.” “Whatever,” Ron muttered.
He looked down at his shoes.
He looked a little guilty, but he refused to admit it.
The rest of the day passed normally.
They went to Herbology and then Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Hermione did not show up to any of the classes.
Evening arrived.
The students gathered in the Great Hall for the Halloween feast.
The hall looked amazing.
A thousand live bats fluttered near the ceiling.
Giant pumpkins carved with scary faces sat in the corners.
The long tables groaned under the weight of massive plates of food.
There were roast apples, candy, sweet potatoes, and huge piles of chicken.
Edward sat at the Hufflepuff table.
He ate a plate of roast beef.
He looked across the room and saw Harry and Ron sitting together.
Harry leaned over the table.
He talked to a Gryffindor girl named Parvati Patil.
Edward could easily hear them over the noise.
“Where is Hermione?” Harry asked.
“She is in the girls’ bathroom on the first floor,” Parvati replied sadly.
“She has been crying in there all afternoon.
She refuses to come out.” Harry looked at Ron.
Ron looked down at his plate.
He had a strong look of guilt on his face.
But the guilt did not stop him from reaching out and grabbing a large chicken leg.
He took a bite and chewed slowly.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors of the Great Hall burst open.
Professor Quirrell ran into the room.
His purple turban sat crooked on his head.
He looked completely terrified.
He ran straight down the middle of the hall toward the teachers’ table.
“Troll!” Quirrell screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Troll in the dungeons!” He stopped near Dumbledore’s chair.
He grabbed his chest, panting heavily.
“Thought you ought to know,” Quirrell gasped.
Then, Quirrell fell flat on his face.
He fainted completely dead away.
The Great Hall erupted.
Students screamed.
People jumped out of their seats.
The older students pushed toward the doors.
It was total panic.
Dumbledore stood up.
He pointed his wand at the ceiling.
A loud bang, like a firecracker, echoed through the room.
The screaming stopped.
Everyone froze.
“Prefects,” Dumbledore said loudly.
His voice reached every corner of the room.
“Lead your houses back to your dormitories immediately.
Teachers, follow me to the dungeons.” Percy Weasley, the Gryffindor prefect, puffed his chest out.
He acted like a military general giving orders.
“Gryffindors, stick together!” Percy yelled pompously over the crowd.
“Follow me!
First years, keep pace and ignore the troll!” Edward left the Hufflepuff line.
He slipped easily into the shadows.
He moved silently, watching Harry and Ron.
Harry grabbed Ron’s arm and pulled him away from Percy’s group.
They ducked behind a large stone pillar.
“Hermione does not know about the troll,” Harry told Ron.
Ron nodded.
They started sneaking down a side hallway.
Edward followed right behind them.
As they ran, Edward saw Harry look back over his shoulder.
Harry stopped for a brief second.
He stared at a side door near the staff table.
Professor Snape was sneaking through the shadows.
Snape did not go down to the dungeons with the other teachers.
He slipped through a door leading up toward the third floor.
Harry frowned, but he turned back around and kept running toward the first floor.
“Which way is the bathroom?” Ron asked.
Edward stepped out of the shadows right behind them.
“Down this hall,” Edward said.
Harry and Ron both jumped in surprise.
They spun around.
“Ed!” Harry breathed.
“What are you doing here?” “Hermione does not know there is a troll,” Edward said simply.
“We should go tell her.” Harry nodded.
They started walking down the hall.
Before they reached the bathroom door, a terrible smell hit their noses.
It smelled like old socks and a dirty public toilet mixed together.
Then, they heard a loud, terrifying scream.
It came from the girls’ bathroom.
“Hermione!” Harry yelled.
They ran toward the open door.
Edward stopped them in the hallway.
“You two go toward Hermione,” Edward ordered.
He pointed to the bathroom.
“I will take care of the troll.” Ron stared at him with wide eyes.
“What are you going to do?
Magic does not work on trolls!
Their skin is too thick!” Edward smiled casually.
“You will see.” Edward stepped into the doorway.
The bathroom was a mess.
Water sprayed from broken pipes.
Smashed sinks littered the floor.
In the middle of the room stood a fully grown mountain troll.
It was twelve feet tall.
Its skin was dull granite grey.
It had a tiny bald head and short legs thick as tree trunks.
It held a massive wooden club in its hand.
Hermione shrank back against the far wall.
She looked terrified.
Edward walked into the room.
He did not pull out his wand.
“Hey!
Ugly!” Edward shouted loudly.
The troll stopped.
It turned its tiny head slowly.
It looked at Edward.
It let out a low, wet grunt.
Edward picked up a piece of broken sink from the floor.
He threw it hard.
The porcelain hit the troll right in the nose.
The troll roared in anger.
It forgot about Hermione entirely.
It lifted its giant club and lumbered toward Edward.
“Go get her,” Edward told Harry and Ron.
Edward ran backward, pulling the troll out of the bathroom and into the wide stone hallway.
He wanted plenty of room to move.
The troll followed him, dragging its club on the floor.
Harry and Ron dashed into the bathroom to grab Hermione.
Out in the hallway, Edward stopped.
The troll raised its club high in the air.
It swung the wood down toward Edward’s head.
Edward used his speed.
He stepped lightly to the side.
The heavy club hit the stone floor with a massive crash.
The floor cracked.
Edward reached into his deep coat pockets.
He pulled out the solid steel crowbar he won from the gacha system.
The red paint chipped slightly, but the metal was incredibly heavy and strong.
The troll tried to pull its club back up.
Edward dashed forward.
He swung the heavy steel crowbar like a baseball bat.
He aimed low.
The steel hit the side of the troll’s right kneecap.
A loud crack echoed in the hall.
The troll let out a wailing cry.
Its right leg gave out.
The monster dropped down to one knee.
Edward did not stop.
He moved behind the troll.
He swung the crowbar again.
He hit the back of the troll’s left knee.
Another crack sounded.
The troll fell completely onto its stomach, roaring in pain.
The monster tried to swing its arms blindly.
Edward easily jumped over the clumsy hands.
He stepped onto the troll’s broad back.
He raised the steel crowbar high over his head and brought it down hard on the base of the troll’s skull.
The troll’s eyes rolled back into its head.
Its face hit the stone floor with a dull thud.
It went still.
Edward jumped off the troll’s back.
He wasn’t breathing hard at all.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione slowly walked out of the bathroom.
They stood in the doorway.
They stared at the giant, unconscious monster on the floor.
Then, they stared at Edward.
All three of them had their mouths hanging wide open.
Their jaws practically touched their chests.
They looked completely shocked.
Edward put the steel crowbar back into his pocket.
He walked over to them.
He reached out and gently pushed Harry’s chin up.
He did the same to Ron, and then Hermione, closing their mouths.
“Keep your mouths closed,” Edward said calmly.
“Flies will go inside.” Harry shook his head, trying to snap out of his stupor.
“How…” Ron stammered, pointing a shaking finger at the troll.
“How did you do that?
You didn’t even use a wand!” “You can ask questions later,” Edward said, cutting him off.
“First, let’s get out of here before the teachers arrive.” Hermione nodded quickly.
She looked pale.
“He is right.
They will punish us for leaving our dorms.” “Let’s go,” Harry said.
They turned and ran back down the hall.
They took a shortcut through a secret passage Ron knew about.
They hurried up the stairs and stopped near the second floor, safe from the teachers.
They stood in the quiet hallway.
They looked at each other.
They did not say much, but something entirely shifted between them.
You simply cannot knock out a twelve-foot mountain troll together and not end up liking each other.
From that night on, the four of them shared a very solid, unspoken bond.
Edward nodded to his new friends.
He went down to the basement, and the other three went up to the Gryffindor tower.
Edward walked into the Hufflepuff common room without anyone noticing that he was gone.
Because the Halloween feast was interrupted, the house elves sent the rest of the dinner directly up to the common rooms.
The round tables in the badger hole were covered in warm food.
Edward was incredibly hungry from his training and the fight.
He sat down at a table with Justin and Ernie.
Edward grabbed a whole roast chicken.
He ate it.
He grabbed a massive mountain of mashed potatoes.
He ate that too.
He grabbed three entire pumpkin pies and finished them off in minutes.
He easily ate the food of two fully grown men in one sitting.
His fast metabolism demanded the calories.
Justin and Ernie stopped eating.
They put their forks down.
They just stared at Edward with wide, amazed eyes.
“Where does it all go, Ed?” Justin asked, looking at Edward’s completely flat stomach.
“I have a big appetite,” Edward smiled, reaching for a bowl of sweet potatoes.
He finished his massive meal and went to bed.
Nobody caught them out of bounds.
The teachers found the unconscious troll a few minutes later, completely baffled by how it received such a brutal physical beating.
Edward fell asleep, very full and very happy with his night.