Neville's warning rang out like a siren in the chaos. "Be careful!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Ted barely had time to react before he saw the Unnamed Horned Beast—supposedly immobilized—spring back to life.
It had already endured multiple cutting curses and was assumed to be on the brink of death.
But its primal instincts refused to let it go down so easily. Desperation fueled its next move as it snatched a jagged piece of shattered armor from the floor and hurled it with terrifying force.
The incoming projectile was aimed straight at Jerry's head, and there was no time to dodge.
But Neville, the one who had been the least involved in the battle so far, made his move.
In a moment of instinctive bravery, he grabbed a longsword from a nearby suit of armor.
With a determined swing, he intercepted the flying metal, sending the shoulder plate spinning away harmlessly.
Jerry's eyes widened as he clutched his round ears. "Neville, you lifesaver!" he gasped.
However, the danger was far from over. The Unnamed Horned Beast, despite its injuries, wasn't done yet. With its hind legs still magically locked together, it relied on its powerful forelimbs to propel itself forward like a grotesque pole vaulter.
The sheer agility it displayed was shocking—it grabbed onto the staircase railing and vaulted upward, closing the distance between itself and the group in seconds.
"Ahh!"
Neville let out a battle cry and did something no one expected. Without hesitation, he charged forward, gripping the sword with both hands. At that moment, fear melted away.
He wasn't the clumsy, timid boy everyone knew—he was a warrior.
Ted reacted just as quickly. "Protego! Frost Armor!" he chanted, layering Neville with defensive spells. An invisible barrier formed first, followed by a thin shield of frost that shimmered over his robes.
The Unnamed Horned Beast swiped at Neville with its claws, but the ice armor held strong, numbing the creature's limbs on contact.
It didn't matter anymore. Because Neville had already plunged his sword straight into the monster's chest.
The blade sank deep, piercing its heart with deadly precision.
The Unnamed Horned Beast twitched violently but made no sound. Its strength drained in an instant, and its monstrous form slumped, lifeless.
Neville blinked, stunned. He pulled out the sword and looked around, confused. "Wait… did I just…?" He stared at the blood-streaked blade, then at his friends. "Did I actually kill it?!"
He turned to the enchanted armor behind him, gripping the sword tighter. "Bloody hell! This thing is way better than a wand!"
—
Meanwhile, Hermione had been working tirelessly to keep the transformed troll distracted, continuously animating paper butterflies to flutter around its head.
Though seemingly simple, the spell took immense concentration and magical stamina.
But she was reaching her limit.
"I can't hold it much longer!" she gasped, sweat trickling down her forehead.
The enchanted butterflies flickered, their movements slowing. The troll, once consumed by chasing them, began to regain its senses. Its beady eyes darkened with rage as it prepared to unleash destruction.
"Everyone, Levitate its club!" Ted commanded.
The group, still high on adrenaline, sprang into action. Together, they cast the Levitation Charm on the massive wooden mallet.
Even Ron, who had struggled with the spell in class, managed to get it right. His face lit up in surprise as he felt the magic take hold.
The troll, still dazed, suddenly found its weapon yanked from its grasp. It blinked, its dull mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
"Huh? Where—?"
The moment of confusion was all Ted needed. He fired another Frostbolt, aiming directly at the back of the troll's head. This time, it hit with full force.
The troll wobbled but still refused to fall.
That was when its own club—suspended in the air—came crashing down.
The massive wooden mallet struck the troll's skull with a sickening thud. Its eyes rolled back, and with a final groan, the beast collapsed like a toppled tower.
The floor shook beneath them as dust and debris scattered into the air.
The fight was over.
A chime echoed in Ted's mind.
[Ding! You have defeated the Unnamed Horned Beast. 150 experience points earned!]
[Ding! You have defeated the Spider-Mantis. 250 experience points earned!]
[Ding! You have defeated the Transformed Troll. 450 experience points earned!]
[Ding! Quest Completed: [Bring It On (Blue)]. Reward: 500 experience points, Summon Card [Troll (Blue)].]
Ted exhaled, feeling a rush of triumph. Fighting monsters really does pay off!
Ted didn't have time to examine his newly acquired cards when something caught his eye—two glowing objects resting on the fallen monsters.
"You guys stay here. I'll check it out," Ted said, sliding smoothly down the makeshift ramp.
Carefully maneuvering around the massive form of the defeated transformed troll, he approached the spider beetle's corpse.
A faint green glow hovered above it. Pretending to inspect the creature, he discreetly picked up the floating card.
Then, moving over to the Unnamed Beast's lifeless body, he retrieved another card, this one shining with a soft white light.
"Both monsters are down, but this strange troll is still breathing," he reported.
"Should we tell a professor?" Ron asked, shifting nervously.
"I say we run!" Jerry suggested, looking ready to bolt.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "And have the professors ask the portraits where we went? Brilliant plan."
The excitement of battle was quickly being replaced by the cold reality of consequences.
Neville paled at the thought. "Maybe we should just turn ourselves in?"
Before anyone could respond, a chilling voice echoed through the corridor.
"Longbottom, don't you think it's a little late for that?"
The group froze as Professor Snape emerged from the shadows, his dark eyes gleaming with suspicion.
Behind him, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick stepped forward, their expressions a mixture of shock and exasperation.
"What in Merlin's name have you done?" McGonagall gasped, her eyes darting from Neville—standing there gripping a bloodstained longsword—to the grotesque remains of the Unnamed Beast and the crushed spider mantis.
The enormous troll lay sprawled in the corridor, looking as if it had been through a war.
For the first time in a long while, the usually composed professor looked genuinely alarmed. "Is this still Hogwarts? Or have we stumbled onto a battlefield?!"
The professors turned their attention to the ramped staircase.
Snape flicked his wand. "Finite Incantatem."
The slope shimmered before snapping back into a normal staircase.
"You defeated a troll? And what in Merlin's beard are these creatures?!" McGonagall's voice was sharp with disbelief.
Ron and Jerry puffed out their chests slightly, mistaking her shock for admiration.
Snape, however, sneered. "Ha! Reckless arrogance. Foolish Gryffindors charging straight into danger. What were you thinking? Were you hoping to get yourselves killed?!"
His voice was dripping with disdain, but beneath it, there was something else—perhaps genuine anger at how close they had come to disaster.
Ted caught the slight tremor in Snape's clenched jaw.
'He's furious.'
Before anyone else could speak, Harley stepped forward. Her face was calm, sincere. "I'm sorry, professors. This is all my fault. I put my friends in danger. I… just wanted to go to the bathroom. Hermione and the others only followed me because they were worried."
Hermione nodded immediately, seizing the excuse. "Yes! It was my idea to use this restroom since fewer people come here. I didn't think—I'm so sorry."
Ted had to admit, it was a clever excuse. Not flawless, but certainly reasonable.
'What could the professors really say? Criticize them for being concerned about a friend's safety? Lecture Harley about needing a bathroom?'
Ron and Jerry gawked at them in disbelief.
'Did they just… lie? To the professors? Without hesitation?'
And Hermione—Hermione—was in on it?!
If this were class, she'd be the first to rat them out! Instead, here she was, backing up the story without blinking. Ron exchanged a stunned look with Jerry.
'They've gone rogue!'
McGonagall sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Even if your reasoning was understandable, rules were still broken. There will be consequences."
She turned to the other professors. "Fifty points from Gryffindor."
She winced slightly, as if it pained her to say it, but her duty as a professor won out.
Flitwick, unwilling to show favoritism, added, "Twenty points from Ravenclaw."
Ted winced. Ten points per person. Not terrible, but still…
Snape, however, looked downright murderous. He clearly wanted to impose a much harsher punishment.
His dark gaze flickered between Ted, Neville, and Ron as if they were the most reckless fools he had ever encountered.
His expression was the perfect mix of someone who had just discovered his daughter sneaking off with troublemakers—and was contemplating whether to hex them into oblivion on the spot.
Ted gulped.
'Yep. He's definitely furious.'
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Word count: 1461
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