When Hermione finally came to her senses, Kyle was already gone, leaving Harry and Ron standing there, looking at her with worried expressions.
"Are you alright, Hermione?" Harry asked. "Did you see the troll just now?"
"What... I mean, of course not," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "Trolls are at least ten feet tall and smell absolutely awful. If I'd seen one, I'd have run for sure."
"True," Harry said, scratching his head, feeling a little silly for asking. If they had actually come across a troll, Hermione and Kyle wouldn't be acting so casually. No matter how talented they were, they couldn't have faced a ten-foot monster without showing some sign of it. It was impossible.
"Good thing you're alright," Harry added, sniffing the air uneasily. "Let's get out of here quickly." He thought he could smell a faint stench lingering, which made him feel unsettled. Maybe the troll was nearby and could come at any moment.
"I think you're overreacting, Harry," Ron said, more relaxed. "Maybe there's no troll at all. This could just be a prank from Professor Quirrell to spice things up. I bet the professors will come around soon and tell us to go back to the Great Hall. Remember, this is Hogwarts... with Dumbledore."
"You're right," Harry said, feeling a bit more reassured at the mention of Dumbledore's name, though a lingering sense of unease remained. "But let's still hurry back," he added. "If the professors find us wandering around here, we'll definitely get demerits."
The three of them quickly made their way toward Gryffindor Tower. Along the way, Harry and Ron talked about what they'd just seen, speculating that Snape was heading toward the restricted area. Hermione, however, stayed silent, following behind, seemingly deep in thought.
As they approached the corridor leading to the common room, she suddenly asked, "Did you two come looking for me on purpose?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Parvati Patil told us you were locked in the bathroom. You weren't at the feast, so you hadn't heard about the troll. We just wanted to let you know."
"But it seems like it was a false alarm," Ron added with a shrug.
Hermione nodded slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she whispered, "Thank you..."
"It's nothing; that's what friends do," Harry said.
"Just try not to lecture us next time," Ron teased, giving her a light nudge.
"Hey, Ron..." Harry said, shooting him a look.
"Alright, I'll stop."
The three continued toward the stairs, but as they rounded a corner, voices drifted toward them.
"I didn't see any trolls, Professor," said Kyle, who was now standing among a group of professors, his expression the picture of innocence. "And I had a good reason for missing the party."
"Then enlighten us," Snape drawled, his voice laced with skepticism. "What was so pressing that it made you forget the Halloween feast?"
Harry froze at the sound of Snape's voice, which felt like a nightmare come to life. He instinctively wanted to turn and run, but there was no escape.
"You three, come here!" Professor McGonagall called out sternly. "The headmaster's instructions were perfectly clear. Why aren't you in your dormitories?"
Snape's piercing gaze flicked over to Harry, who immediately lost the excuse he'd been working up, his mind going blank. At this rate, he'd be lucky to escape without a pile of demerits or detention.
Just then, Hermione stepped forward and murmured, "Please don't be too harsh, Professor McGonagall. They were looking for me."
"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall's brow furrowed as she eyed her.
Hermione took a step closer, head lowered. "I... I came out to see the troll. I'd only read about them in books, and I was curious what one looked like."
Ron's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Hermione Granger, the girl who never broke a rule, was lying to a professor?
"They came looking for me because they were worried about my safety," she added.
Harry and Ron did their best to look as if this was, indeed, exactly what had happened.
"If that's true..." Professor McGonagall surveyed them thoughtfully. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl. Trolls are far more dangerous than you realize. You're fortunate you didn't find it."
"Yes, you're right..." Hermione mumbled, her head hung low.
Harry could barely believe it. Hermione had lied, claiming she'd broken the rules just to get them out of trouble. It was as surreal as imagining Snape handing out sweets.
"Miss Granger, Gryffindor will lose five points for this," Professor McGonagall said. "I'm very disappointed in you. Now, hurry back to Gryffindor Tower."
She turned to Harry and Ron. "You two again. I recall your last detention for breaking into the armory on the eighth floor in the middle of the night to dismantle the armor. Is this another infraction?"
"No!" Ron flushed, stammering, "I swear, I saw something hidden in that armor, so I was just—"
"All I saw," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "was you dismantling it, and there was nothing inside." She shook her head. "This time, however, I'll let it go. Because of your actions today to help Miss Granger, your previous detention is canceled. Now, off with you."
Harry and Ron exchanged a joyful look and, without another word, slipped behind the professors and headed up the stairs.
Kyle tried to follow, but Snape moved in front of him, blocking his path.
"I believe I'm still waiting for your explanation," Snape said, looking down at Kyle with his usual suspicion.
Kyle glanced at Snape, wondering why he was so intent on holding him up. Harry had left—wasn't that his primary focus?
Seeing no alternative, Kyle returned to his spot and replied, "Professor Sprout awarded me a Fortified Pumpkin shell as a prize, so I stayed in my dormitory studying it. That's why I missed the feast."
"A Fortified Pumpkin...?" Snape repeated, giving a sardonic sneer. "If you were in your dormitory this whole time, why do you smell like a troll?"
"Do I?" Kyle asked, keeping his tone even. "That's likely the smell of compost from the greenhouse—it tends to linger. But if you'd like, I could lend you my robe so you can examine it thoroughly."
As he spoke, he reached for his robe, pretending to remove it. He knew he'd thoroughly cast cleaning spells on himself beforehand, so there was no way any lingering troll stench remained. Snape was simply testing him.