#83

Ted shot into the air, weaving through the swarm of flying keys, his broomstick slicing effortlessly through the dimly lit chamber.

Every ten seconds, he cast "Detection Magic," scanning for the real key among the hundreds flitting chaotically around him. He knew it was here—he just had to find it.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Ron barked orders to their friends. "Alright, everyone, take your positions!" The enchanted chessboard had missing pieces, and they had to stand in to fill the gaps.

Ted narrowed his eyes, focusing hard as he surged forward, dodging and dipping between the fluttering keys. "Where are you…?" he muttered under his breath.

Then, from below, he heard panicked voices rising over the clatter of stone chess pieces.

"Ron, it's coming!" Harley shouted.

"Don't worry, it can't reach you!" Ron reassured her, though his voice wavered slightly.

"Ron, I swear, if you sacrifice me, I'll haunt you as a ghost!" Jerry whined.

"Let me do it!" Neville insisted, stepping forward eagerly. "I can handle it!"

"Why don't you let me move forward two spaces instead?" Hermione suggested logically.

"Would you all just be quiet for a second?!" Ron groaned, rubbing his temple. "I'm trying to think!"

Ted barely suppressed a laugh. Apparently, the enchanted chess pieces could talk, which only added to the chaos.

Then, at last—"Found it!" Ted exclaimed, his latest Detection Magic revealing a flicker of blue among the swirling golden keys. There it was—a key with slightly tattered wings, its color just a shade off from the rest.

"You're mine," Ted whispered, gripping his broomstick tighter. He dove sharply, angling towards the key. It zipped away at breakneck speed, but Ted was faster.

On the ground, the chess match had reached its climax. The opposing queen had surged into midfield, a looming threat to their victory.

Ron turned to Jerry, speaking low and fast. "Alright, you're in charge now. Just follow these two steps exactly. Got it?"

Jerry blinked. "Wait, what about you?"

Ron didn't answer. Instead, he climbed onto the back of a stone knight, raised his wand dramatically, and declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ron Weasley's moment of glory! Forward! Checkmate!"

With that, Ron galloped forward. The enemy queen reacted instantly, swinging the massive stone chair she sat upon straight at him.

"RON!" the others screamed in unison.

Just as Ted clasped his fingers around the key, he heard the sound of impact. Whipping his head around, he saw Ron being thrown from his crumbling knight, stone shards scattering everywhere.

"Protego!" Ted shouted, casting a shielding spell mid-air.

"Shield!" he cast at the same time.

The magic enveloped Ron just as the blow landed, cushioning the impact. The stone chair shattered the knight's head, and Ron went flying, tumbling across the board before coming to a stop.

Jerry started to run towards him, but Neville grabbed his arm. "Finish the game! Don't let Ron's sacrifice be in vain!" His face was flushed red with urgency.

Jerry clenched his fists, tears in his eyes, but obeyed. He stepped forward and made the final move, cornering the enemy king.

With a heavy thud, the stone king toppled over, his crown rolling across the board.

The game was over.

Ted landed beside Ron, helping him sit up. The redhead was shaking, but otherwise unharmed.

"Blimey," Ron muttered, voice trembling. "I thought that was it."

"You're fine," Ted reassured him. "Just a little rattled."

Ron groaned. "Great. So now I can't even show off some heroic battle scars? How am I supposed to brag about this?"

The group laughed, relief washing over them.

Once the dust settled, they turned their attention to the now-visible keyhole in the stone door.

Ted stepped forward, inserted the key, and turned it. With a deep click, the door creaked open.

As the enchanted key flitted away, Harley stepped forward eagerly. "Let's go!"

But Ted held out a hand, stopping her. "Wait." He leaned toward the open doorway, sniffing the air—

Then recoiled instantly. "Urgh! That stinks!"

Harley frowned. "What is it?"

Ted's mind raced. The putrid smell was all too familiar. Then it clicked.

"A troll."

The group stiffened.

"A TROLL?!" Hermione echoed in alarm.

"Why would there be a troll in here?!" Neville asked, his voice high-pitched with panic.

Ted turned to them. "You all remember Halloween, right?"

They exchanged glances before nodding. That had been one of their first real tests at Hogwarts.

"How did that troll get into the castle back then?" Ted prompted.

Hermione was the first to answer. "Professor Flitwick said it was… Professor Quirrell's research subject."

Ron's eyes widened in horror. "Wait—Quirrell studies trolls? What is wrong with that man? Has his brain been sucked out by vampires?!"

The others snickered. It was an old rumor that Quirrell had encountered a vampire during his travels and had since taken to wearing garlic around his neck. No one knew if it was true, but the smell of garlic around him certainly suggested it.

Ted crossed his arms. "You guys know I've been talking with Professor Quirrell a lot, right?"

"Yeah, about Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harley said.

Ted shook his head. "That's just what he teaches. What he's really an expert in is Magizoology—especially magical creatures with unique bloodlines."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Like… selective breeding of magical creatures?"

"Exactly," Ted confirmed. "Except some of his research methods aren't exactly—well—widely accepted."

Harley: "Like?"

"For example, a hybrid experimenting on a troll!"

"Wait, are you saying that the last troll we fought—was that raised by Professor Quirrell? Or was it modified?" Jerry's eyes widened in shock.

Neville swallowed, pointing toward the heavy stone door ahead. "So, this is Quirrell's level of insanity? He's got another one in there?"

They had already fought one before and won, but just barely. If this was anything like the last time, things were about to get very difficult.

"Doesn't matter! We need to be ready!" Harley said, gripping her wand tightly.

Ted nodded and began casting protective spells. Shields, enhancement charms, and then, one by one, he activated invisibility for each of them.

If his magic level wasn't at six—boosted by his wand's +1 bonus—there was no way he'd have enough magical energy to sustain this much spellcasting.

Basic spells were manageable, but combat magic like the Shield Charm, Protego Maxima, and his custom Frost Armor spell drained him fast.

He had already used up a significant amount of power getting through the previous challenges.

As the heavy stone door creaked open, the sound echoed through the chamber, which was as massive as a Colosseum.

Inside, three towering creatures turned their grotesque heads toward the door. They had clearly noticed something, but without a visible target, they hesitated.

Ted's eyes widened as he took in the monstrosities standing before them.

The first creature was dark blue, its slick skin glistening like a deep-sea fish. Silver-white and black plate-like stripes ran across its body, reflecting the dim torchlight.

The second was yellow-green, its body covered in large, warty lumps, resembling a grotesque toad.

The third was dark brown, its rough, jagged skin resembling solid stone, making it look nearly indestructible.

Each one stood over eight feet tall, their thick, muscular arms hanging low, gripping massive wooden clubs.

Their heads, however, were disproportionate—small compared to their massive bodies, and each had a different shape.

The first had an elongated, fish-like mouth.

The second's head was oval, its eyes bulging.

The third had an angular, uneven skull, as if carved from rock.

But they all shared one distinct trait: they were fat.

Massive rolls of thick flesh rippled with every movement. Their necks, stomachs, and even their arms had layers of excess bulk. They looked more like magically enhanced sumo wrestlers than trolls.

Ted's interface flickered as he analyzed them.

Enemy Identified: Level 7 Transformed Trolls / Level 2 Modified Magical Beasts.

Fish Troll – Ability: [Fish Skin Slime (Green)] - Increases magic resistance; chance to deflect spells and physical attacks.

Crocodile Troll – Ability: [Thick Skin (Green)] - Significantly reduces physical damage.

Stone Troll – Abilities: [Tough Skin (Green)] - Reduces both magic and physical damage. [Regeneration (Blue)] - Rapidly heals injuries, can regenerate lost limbs.

Ted's stomach twisted. So Quirrell's already made progress in blood-based transformations…

But… why were they all so fat? What kind of twisted experiment resulted in this?

Was Quirrell just overfeeding them like livestock?

Regardless of the reason, these creatures were going to be a nightmare to fight.

If they went in head-on, even if they somehow won, it would drain every last bit of their magic.

And honestly… the chances of winning weren't great.

Unlike normal trolls, these ones didn't have an obvious weak spot at the back of their heads. Quirrell had clearly learned from his mistakes.

'Fantastic. Not only are we getting stronger, but the villains are putting in work too. Just our luck.'

The group stayed close together, their hands linked so they wouldn't lose each other while invisible.

Harley leaned in and whispered, "Look at their chests."

Ted and the others squinted. Hanging around each troll's thick neck was a small metal pendant. Across the chamber, embedded in the far wall, were three circular slots that looked like they would perfectly fit those pendants.

"That's… weird. How did the Snape get past this?" Hermione muttered.

Good question.

In the original events, Quirrell was supposed to have knocked out the troll he placed here. But these ones were clearly different.

Ted already knew why—Voldemort was possessing Quirrell. If Quirrell created these creatures, then naturally, he wouldn't need to fight them.

The others, however, were struggling to make sense of it. How could Voldemort have gotten through without taking them down?

But right now, that didn't matter. The real question was—how were they supposed to get through?

Quirrell's three oversized mutant trolls were strong, well-fed, and probably dumber than a box of Bertie Bott's Beans.

If there was only one, they could've used the same trick they used the first time they fought a troll—outsmart it.

But three of them?

That was way too risky.

From past experience, only Ted's spells—like the Severing Charm, Incendio, and his custom Ice Magic—could actually hurt them. The others could barely slow them down.

If he had to fight all three alone?

That was a death sentence.

If there were two, maybe he could trap one and take down the other.

But three? This was way beyond the limits of what they were prepared for.

'We're going to need a plan…'

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Word count: 1750

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