Chapter 24: The Terrifying Troll
Of course, this thought only flashed briefly through Ivan's mind. If he were to keep provoking trouble, Snape might indeed deduct a significant number of points from Gryffindor. Ivan didn't mind this too much, but he wouldn't cause the whole Gryffindor house to suffer just to rack up some achievement points. So, for the next few days, aside from quietly practicing some small tricks during Potion class and gathering materials for a sleeping potion, there were no major actions. This preparatory work continued until the night before Halloween, and Ivan looked at his system panel, quite satisfied with his progress.
[Ivan Hals
Occupation: Wizard
Spells:
Fear Charm (Level 2 - 265400)
Levitation Charm (Level 2 - 97400)
Transfiguration (Level 2 - 382400)
Splitting Charm (Level 2 - 84400)
Petrification Charm (Level 2 - 191400)
Reducing Charm (Level 1 - 74200)
(Others omitted)
Knowledge & Theory:
Magical Item Crafting (Level 0 - 435500)
Potion Making (Level 3 - 1800)
Basic Charm Theory (Level 2 - 218400)
Magical Items: Wand (Purple Ashwood, Unicorn hair, 11.75 inches)
Magic Power: Medium
Affinity: 72.5%
Achievement Points: 107]
After nearly half a semester of effort, Ivan had raised all the spells he knew to level 2, except for the newly learned Reduction Charm. Whether in power or stability, they had all improved significantly compared to level 1. Potion making was the first to reach level 3, and the only unchanged aspect was magical item crafting, where Ivan still had no clue. He had also saved up enough achievement points for a single experience card, just in case.
To welcome the upcoming Halloween, the Great Hall at Hogwarts had been decorated with pumpkins, each enchanted with magic by Dumbledore himself to emit a soft blue glow. Peeves the Poltergeist hid inside one of the lanterns and would jump out to scare unsuspecting young witches and wizards, laughing wildly as they cursed at him, before diving into another lantern. It had to be said that Peeves added a certain level of fright to the Halloween atmosphere. Harry and Ron, at least, could feel the eerie vibe he brought. Whenever they saw the glowing pumpkins in the castle, they instinctively backed away.
"Ivan, what's with all the thorny spikes you're making?" Harry asked, glancing at Ivan, who was turning sticks and branches into semi-circular iron thorns with his wand. The thorns were ugly but sharp, and the faint glint of cold metal made Harry shiver.
"Of course, I'm just having some fun for Halloween," Ivan grinned.
"Fun?" Harry and Ron exchanged a look, both feeling a bit uneasy.
"I'm just joking; I'm practicing a charm," Ivan waved it off, giving a quick explanation.
But Ivan didn't stop his actions. With a flick of his wand, he reduced the spikes by several dozen times in size with the Shrinking Charm, then tossed them into his bag. The sound of metal clinking echoed from within. Ivan casually tucked the bag away.
"By the way, where's Hermione?" Ivan glanced around but didn't see the know-it-all, puzzled.
"Uh, well..." Ron's face reddened as he fumbled for words.
It was Harry who couldn't stand it any longer and revealed that Ron had been badmouthing Hermione earlier, and she had overheard it.
"I didn't say anything wrong! She is just like that!" Ron flushed in embarrassment.
Ivan furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected such a situation to arise, even with him around. After thinking for a moment, Ivan stood up, grabbed his wand, and headed toward the exit of the Great Hall.
"Ivan, the feast hasn't started yet. Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"Of course, I'm going to find Hermione," Ivan answered, leaving Harry and Ron behind with only his back in view.
Leaving the noisy Great Hall, Ivan took a secret passage, heading quickly toward the abandoned girls' bathroom, intending to persuade Hermione to leave before her presence disturbed his plans to deal with the troll.
However, halfway there, Ivan rethought his plan. He wasn't sure how long it would take to convince Hermione to leave, and he had no idea when the troll would be released. If they happened to get cornered in the bathroom by the troll, there wouldn't be a chance to fight back—escaping would be difficult enough! It would be better to deal with the troll a bit further away from the bathroom.
Thanks to his earlier reconnaissance, Ivan quickly found a suitable corridor and tossed a few rock cakes that Hagrid had given him right in the middle. These cakes were soaked with a strong sleeping potion, enough to knock out several adult wizards.
Why rock cakes? Ivan thought, the troll wasn't picky about food, and rock cakes were easy to carry. It was better to use them than let them rot in the dorms.
Once he was ready, Ivan hid in the shadows of a nearby passage, preparing for the simplest way to deal with the troll. If there was an easy option, there was no reason to engage in a dangerous fight. Life only comes once—sometimes, it's smarter to avoid confrontation.
Barely a minute after Ivan took his position, he felt a slight tremor in the floor and caught a whiff of an awful stench. His expression immediately stiffened. The troll was here!
Moments later, a towering figure, twelve feet tall, appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Ivan's first glimpse revealed a large, almost barbaric foot, and the troll's massive torso resembled a giant barrel made from decaying wood, covered in a hideous layer of green paint. Its small head seemed just a little bigger than Ivan's, making the whole sight a bizarre mix of ridiculous and terrifying.
Most striking was the enormous club the troll carried, dragging along the floor with an ear-piercing screech.
Ivan swallowed nervously, realizing why Dumbledore had chosen a troll as a defense for the Philosopher's Stone. The troll's immense size alone was enough to make any adult wizard think twice.
For a young wizard still in school, it was truly a nightmare!
Ivan was grateful he hadn't chosen to fight the troll head-on. A single strike from the troll's club could have ended his life before he even had a chance to react.