How to Fight a Troll

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Sargeras walked toward the Ravenclaw Astronomy Tower with a book tucked under his arm. These were his last two classes for the month of November. Soon, the Quidditch House Cup would begin, and he planned to take advantage of the break to step away from Hogwarts and tend to a few personal matters.

He was already familiar with this classroom. As usual, it was filled with students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. To be honest, he preferred teaching students from these two houses.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were simply too intense. They had strong personalities and were constantly bickered, always trading sharp jabs and sarcastic remarks. Even with the enchantments woven into his classroom, that kind of tension could not be completely neutralized. Still, credit where it was due—the fact that his classes in Charms Theory and Practical Application could maintain this level of discipline was nothing short of a small miracle, especially considering the chaos those two houses usually brought with them.

He stepped into the room and gave a quick glance over the seated students. Right away, he noticed that two Hufflepuffs were missing.

"Where are Jellival and Rooneycell?" he asked.

The Hufflepuff perfect answered at once. "Professor, they were trampled during the Halloween feast and had several bones broken. They are still in the hospital wing…"

Sargeras nodded, then tapped the desk with his knuckles to quiet the room, flipping open his textbook as he did so.

"Today's topic is the evolution of the Stupefy Charm and how its magical energy nodes are distributed…"

"Professor…"

Ginny raised her hand and interrupted him mid-sentence. Sargeras frowned, then gave her a slight nod to speak.

"Could you teach us how to handle a troll? I heard that during the Halloween incident, it was you who dealt with the one that got into Hogwarts…"

Without even pausing to think, Sargeras turned her down flat. "It's not that I don't want to teach you," he said calmly, "but dealing with dangerous creatures falls under the domain of your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I think you may be asking the wrong person."

"But Professor…" Ginny persisted, "you've probably heard too, right? About Professor Quirrell… I mean—well, the way things have been in previous years too—none of us have really learned anything useful from that class…"

Sargeras glanced around the classroom. Dozens of eyes met his with the same unspoken agreement.

He stayed silent for a moment, thinking it over. Then, with a sigh, he shut An Introduction to Magic and set it aside. The stern look on his face eased a little.

"Well, since you're all so eager to know," he said at last, "I'll teach you some basic knowledge about trolls…"

A few cheers rang out from the classroom at once, the kind of giddy excitement only students could muster.

Sargeras raised a hand, quieting them again, and launched straight into the lesson. "First off, in the Ministry of Magic's classification system for magical creatures, trolls are ranked XXXX. They are dangerous, but can be subdued with effort. Wizards divide them into three subspecies based on habitat and physical traits—Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls, and Swamp Trolls."

He scanned the eager faces staring back at him, their eyes alight with curiosity and anticipation. A quiet sigh welled up in his chest. The Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum at Hogwarts had become little more than a hollow formality. Their complaints were not unfounded… and with that thought in mind, he decided to go into more detail than he had originally planned.

"The first type," he continued, "is the Mountain Troll.

"These are the largest of the three. Their skin is pale grey, rough to the touch, and covered in wart-like growths. Their bodies give off a foul stench, and their teeth and nails are filthy and yellowed with grime.

"They are typically found living in remote mountain regions or deep caves. They carry crude wooden clubs or heavy stones as weapons. Their intelligence is extremely low, and they are highly aggressive, operating mostly on instinct."

He paused for a beat, then added with emphasis, "This is also the most dangerous kind of troll."

Then he moved on. "The second type is the Forest Troll…

"They have pale green skin, allowing them to blend easily into their surroundings. Though slightly smaller than the Mountain Troll, they have a much more muscular build.

"Forest Trolls often arm themselves with tree trunks or spiked clubs, and they live deep within thick woodlands, such as the ancient forests of Northern and Eastern Europe.

"They're a bit more intelligent than their mountain cousins, with a particular talent for ambushing prey. They will use camouflage or even set crude traps to attack anything that wanders into their territory."

Seeing the growing unease in his students' eyes, Sargeras calmly reassured them, "You don't need to be too worried. Compared to Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls are especially sensitive to fire-based magic. Flames are an effective way to drive them off."

He continued without pause. "The third type is the Swamp Troll, also known as the River Troll…

"Their skin is a greyish purple with a scaly texture, suited for aquatic environments. They have broad, webbed feet that make it easier to move along muddy riverbeds.

"They also have horn-like protrusions on their heads and sharp teeth built for tearing. You'll find them lurking near swamps, rivers, and lakes—most commonly in Northern Europe.

"These trolls are skilled swimmers and can lie in wait underwater for long periods, launching surprise attacks on their prey. Their methods of assault typically involve biting or bludgeoning with stones.

"But keep this in mind," he added, "Swamp Trolls grow weak if they stay out of the water too long. Dry conditions severely limit their movement."

At this point, Sargeras turned to the class with a firm reminder. "Trolls are not the same as giants. Giants are magical creatures with intelligence far closer to that of humans, whereas trolls are entirely wild, magical beasts driven by primal instinct.

"And if any of you can't tell the difference," he added dryly, "Professor Kettleburn just might whack you upside the head with one of his alchemical prosthetics limb…"

The students couldn't help but burst into laughter. Professor Kettleburn, their Care of Magical Creatures teacher, was known for the sheer number of injuries he'd sustained working with dangerous beasts. These days, he was down to only one leg and half an arm.

Sargeras went on. "All three types of trolls have thick, tough skin and a naturally high resistance to magic. So if you want to deal with one effectively, you'll need to understand its weaknesses and habits, and choose your spells and tactics accordingly."

He glanced around at the class, then offered a piece of advice with complete sincerity. "Of course, if any of you run into a troll in the wild, my advice is simple: just run.

"It's not that I doubt your abilities—but trolls aren't worth your time. There's nothing of value on them, not a single useful part on their entire body. Hunting them is just a waste of time and effort"

His students nodded in agreement, and seeing this, Sargeras gave a satisfied little nod of his own and went on with the lesson.

"So, if you ever find yourself needing to avoid a particularly dumb troll, the Impediment Jinx, the Disillusionment Charm, and various Transfiguration spells can all be excellent options.

"The Impediment Jinx can slow or block the troll's movement. Transfiguration spells can be used to turn nearby objects into brightly colored animals to draw its attention away from you. And the Disillusionment Charm can help you blend into your surroundings and slip away without being seen."

A student raised their hand and asked, "But Professor… what if we can't avoid it?"

"Then you'll have to prepare for the fight," Sargeras replied calmly. With a flick of his wand, the words "General Principles" appeared in the air above the classroom. He spoke with quiet gravity, his tone focused and deliberate.

"First—maintain distance. Trolls are incredibly strong, but their movements are sluggish and clumsy. Keeping your distance and attacking from range is much safer.

"Second—exploit their weaknesses. Use their habitats and the physiological characteristics of different troll species to guide your tactics.

"Third—work as a team. Coordinating in groups can help distract a troll and increase your chances of success."

Then, in a rare turn, he opened the floor to the students. "So, can anyone tell me which spells are most effective to use in a direct fight against a troll?"

Every hand in the room simultaneously shot up.

Sargeras didn't immediately call on anyone. Instead, he offered a quiet reminder. "As I said before, there are no bonus points in my class. And this time is no exception…"

Still, the students kept their hands raised.

He gave a small nod. "Charles, you go first…"

"Stupefy (Stunning Spell)," Charles answered confidently.

"Robert, what about you?"

"Conjunctivitis Curse, Professor."

"Ginny…?"

"Maybe… Expelliarmus (Disarming Charm)?"

"Clarisse…?"

"I think the Incendio (Fire-Making Spell) or Lumos, Professor."

"Angvar, what's your answer?"

"I'd use the Binding Charm. Tie up its limbs."

Sargeras didn't call on anyone else. He simply gestured for the rest to lower their hands down.

"As I've said before—trolls have a very high resistance to magic. So Charles, unless you hit its head directly, your Stunning Spell will have absolutely no effect. And even if you do manage to land a clean hit to the head, it'll probably only leave it dizzy for a few seconds, nothing more."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a small summoning gesture. A raven swooped in through the window, landing neatly on his desk. From its eyes, a beam of light shone out, casting the image of a troll onto the blackboard behind him.

Sargeras pointed to the projection and continued. "Don't forget, relative to their enormous bodies, a troll's head is ridiculously small. So if you're planning to hit it from a distance, your spellcasting accuracy needs to be dead-on."

He turned back to the class, evaluating their earlier answers one by one. "Now, the Blinding Hex—yes, that's actually a solid option. But again, you'd need to aim for the head. As for the Disarming Charm? That one's a complete mistake. Even setting aside whether or not it would work, let's say you did disarm the troll. What happens then? A club that weighs at least a hundred pounds comes flying through the air toward you. Believe me, at that point the troll wouldn't even need to lift a finger…"

The students couldn't help laughing again, and Sargeras didn't stop them. He rather liked a bit of levity in his lessons now.

"Fire-Making Spell and Lumos can indeed have a significant effect on Forest Trolls, and once you ignite the club in its hand or light up the surrounding area, you can drive it off quite efficiently. The Binding Charm, by contrast, demands tremendous magical power to ensure the troll is completely immobilized. After all, these creatures possess astonishing strength…"

Having evaluated their answers, Sargeras offered what he considered the ideal tactics for his students. "Given your current magical reserves and the number of spells you have mastered, I personally recommend an area-of-effect attack, such as the Multi-Shot Jinx, to more easily hit a troll's head. Combined with the Flock of Birds Charm, it can effectively interfere with a troll's vision. Using these two in combination will yield excellent results."

"As for dealing with the Swamp Troll, it's best to employ the Freezing Charm to solidify the water's surface and thus restrict its movements, and the Draining Charm to alter the environment and sap its stamina, provided, of course, you can sustain the spell over time."

Finally, Sargeras delivered a stern warning: "Beyond all that, remember two crucial points. First, never consider close-quarters brawling with a troll unless you are one yourself. Second, avoid facing one of these creatures alone unless absolutely unavoidable; always seek backup."

Seeing that his students had taken his words to heart, he then wrote the spells they'd covered on the blackboard. "Next, we will study the distribution of magical energy nodes for each charm mentioned today in the class. Before our next practical session arrives, everyone must master them thoroughly…"

A soft chorus of pages flipping rose around him…

When the bell rang to end the class, Sargeras was already mentally plotting a vivid practical Charms lesson for these eager young witches and wizards. He decided it should take place a few days before Christmas. At that time, he planned to gather both year groups from all four houses and have them face a real troll…

"Professor… Professor Greengrass!" a few students called out as he prepared to leave the classroom.

"Professor, I have a younger brother in his fifth year who hasn't taken his OWLs yet. Could he audit your class?"

Sargeras looked genuinely puzzled. Since when were Hogwarts students this keen to learn? Still, he ultimately shook his head and replied, "I'm afraid that decision isn't mine to make, Field. There's no precedent for that at Hogwarts."

The young witches and wizards looked visibly disappointed at first, but Sargeras quickly shifted his tone. His voice was calm yet deliberate as he continued, "However, perhaps you could petition Headmaster Dumbledore. After all, seeking more knowledge is never a bad thing."

With those words, he turned and walked away.

The moment his suggestion registered, the students perked up at once. Their eyes lit with excitement, and they immediately began calling out to their classmates with eager voices.

They were going to rally as many people as they could and organize a petition at Hogwarts…

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