The Troll Incident – Slytherin’s Shadow Strikes Again

Professor Flitwick's Charms class was always a delightful chaos of flying feathers, accidental explosions, and Ron Weasley's ongoing war with proper pronunciation. Today was no different.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione demonstrated with ease, her feather floating gracefully above the desk.

Ron, meanwhile, growled, "Win-GAR-dium Levi-OH-sa!"

Nothing happened. Seamus tried his luck and promptly set his feather on fire. Flitwick sighed and doused the flames with the patience of a man who had clearly seen worse.

Raja, ever the overachiever, didn't just levitate his feather—he spun it, shaped it into a floating quill, and then made it write 'Slytherin Rules' midair before gently landing it back onto his desk.

Professor Flitwick squeaked with joy. "Marvelous! Five points to Slytherin!"

Ron huffed. "Showoff."

Hermione smirked. "It's Leviosa, not *Levio—"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it!" Ron grumbled.

MAYA: Your point-gathering obsession is spiraling into a full-time hobby.

Raja grinned. Correction: full-time profession.

The Great Hall buzzed with excitement as floating jack-o'-lanterns hovered above enchanted tables laden with food. Raja, while enjoying his third helping of roasted chicken, noticed Hermione's absence.

"Where's Granger?" he asked.

Neville mumbled through a mouthful of treacle tart. "Been in the bathroom all day. Heard her crying."

Before Raja could react, Professor Quirrell burst into the hall, shrieking, "T-troll! In the dungeon! Thought you ought to know!" Then he promptly fainted.

Chaos erupted. Students screamed, Dumbledore roared for silence, and teachers sprinted toward the dungeons.

Raja frowned. Here goes nothing. He saw Harry and Ron sneaking off, whispering about Hermione's danger.

MAYA: Tracking two reckless Gryffindors heading into imminent disaster. Shall we intervene?

Raja sighed. Obviously.

Following Harry and Ron stealthily, Raja arrived just in time to see the massive troll swing its club at Hermione.

"Not today, you oversized lump!" Raja muttered, activating his telekinesis.

With a flick of his fingers, he yanked all three Gryffindors toward him, pulling them out of harm's way just as the troll's club smashed into the sinks, sending porcelain flying.

"WHAT THE—?!" Ron yelped as he landed beside Raja.

"No time for questions. Stay behind me," Raja ordered.

The troll roared and stomped forward—only to have its giant feet slip as Raja cast "Lubricus Solem", turning the floor into a magical slip-n-slide.

BAM!

The troll collapsed hard, shaking the entire bathroom.

Raja wasn't done. Flicking his wand, he transfigured the nearby pipes into steel chains, which coiled around the troll's limbs, locking it in place. The troll thrashed, but the bindings held.

Harry gaped. "That was—"

"Wait for it," Raja interrupted, pointing at the troll's fallen club.

With a swift "Wingardium Leviosa!", he levitated the club and sent it flying straight at the troll's head.

CRACK!

The troll groaned and slumped into unconsciousness.

Ron stared. "That was… insane."

Hermione peeked from behind a broken sink. "You—you saved us."

Raja dusted off his robes. "Of course I did. I'm legally required to keep Gryffindors from getting themselves killed."

MAYA: Master, your hero complex is evolving.

Raja smirked. It's not a complex if I'm actually a hero.

Just then, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell burst in.

McGonagall took one look at the unconscious troll, the broken sinks, and the four students. "EXPLAIN."

Harry opened his mouth, but Raja spoke first. "We noticed Hermione was missing at dinner. Ron and Harry thought she might be in trouble, and I knew their luck meant they'd end up needing a rescue squad, so I followed."

McGonagall pursed her lips. "A… reasonable assessment."

Raja continued, "Then I saw a ten-foot troll attacking them, so I intervened and handled it."

Quirrell twitched. "Y-you subdued a troll? A-alone?"

Raja grinned smugly. "Clearly."

McGonagall sighed. "Fifty points to Slytherin for quick thinking. Gryffindor, forty points for bravery, but don't do this again."

Snape, arms crossed, muttered, "This will be all over the school by morning."

The next morning, as Raja entered the Great Hall, all eyes turned to him.

Whispers filled the room.

"That's him!"

"He took down a troll!"

"Slytherin's Shadow!"

Raja paused mid-step. "Wait… what did they just call me?"

MAYA: Congratulations. You've been branded with a dramatic alias.

Raja grinned wickedly. "I like it."

As he sat down, Daphne Greengrass smirked. "So, Slytherin's Shadow, planning on saving more Gryffindors today?"

Raja casually bit into his toast. "Depends. They're prone to stupidity, so the odds are high."

Across the hall, Ron scowled. "I still don't like him."

Harry shrugged. "But you have to admit… he's kinda cool."

To Be Continued…