Snape's expression darkened when he looked at the robe Kyle handed him, his face hardening as if he'd just been insulted. What did Kyle mean by needing to "identify it more carefully"? Did he think Snape enjoyed sniffing unpleasant things?
Snape shot Kyle a frigid look, refusing to take the robe, remaining silent.
"I believe Professor Snape is simply being cautious," Professor McGonagall interjected diplomatically, stepping in to diffuse the tension. "It's fortunate you didn't encounter the Troll. You should return now—the students are enjoying their Halloween dinner back in their houses."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall."
Snape glowered at Kyle's retreating back, his eyes full of resentment. Then, he turned sharply and spotted Quirrell cowering in the background.
"Quirrell, where is this Troll you keep going on about?" he demanded.
"It's... it's in the... dungeon." Quirrell stammered, leaning against the wall, clutching his chest. "It's really... fifteen feet tall... so high..."
"But Dumbledore already looked, and there's nothing in the dungeon!" Snape said impatiently. "Do you think it's funny, making everyone abandon the Halloween feast to chase after a Troll that doesn't even exist?"
"I... I didn't... Severus... I didn't..." Quirrell murmured, slowly sinking down along the wall, sobbing. "I don't know... it must have gone somewhere..."
"It's possible it wandered off," Professor Flitwick chimed in after a moment's thought. "For the students' safety, we should conduct a thorough search. I'll check the third floor."
"I'll take the fourth floor, then."
"I'll search the fifth."
The professors quickly decided on their respective floors and dispersed to continue the search.
"If I find out you're lying or pulling some kind of stunt... you know what I'll do." Snape gave Quirrell a frosty glare. "I'll be seeing you."
With that, he limped away.
Quirrell said nothing, remaining seated on the floor, his sobs continuing, as if paralyzed by fear.
In truth, Quirrell was utterly disoriented and didn't even register Snape's threat. Where was his Troll? His big, lumbering Troll? How had it disappeared in an instant?
He even began to question whether he'd actually released the Troll at all.
After leaving the professors, Kyle headed straight back to the Hufflepuff Common Room. The moment he stepped inside, a crowd of students gathered around him.
"Thank Merlin, we were just about to go look for you!" Cedric exclaimed. "Brown said you'd been in the common room earlier, but when we got back, you were already gone."
"Why didn't you go to the feast today?"
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"You don't know—there was a Troll in one of the dungeon classrooms! My goodness, the books say they're over ten feet tall!"
Everyone spoke at once, each one worried about Kyle's safety.
"Thanks, everyone—don't worry, I'm fine," Kyle replied with a reassuring smile. "I ran into the professors, and they escorted me back."
"The professors?" Mikel asked, his curiosity piqued. "Did they catch the Troll?"
"I don't think so," Kyle shook his head. "Honestly, I doubt the rumor is even true. How could there be a Troll at Hogwarts?"
"But Professor Quirrell saw it himself!"
"He probably made a mistake," Kyle shrugged casually. "After all, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts have never been very... reliable."
Mikel seemed about to add something, but Kyle cut him off. "Can we talk later? I'm starving."
He hadn't had even a sip of water, keeping an eye on Quirrell the whole time, and now his hunger was catching up with him.
"Alright..." Mikel scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
The tables in the common room were laden with an array of food. Although it wasn't quite as abundant as the feast in the Great Hall, they could ask the house-elves for anything they needed, making it feel like a magical buffet.
Kyle walked over to the table, took a bite of a Pumpkin Pasty, and then requested a large steak, which he devoured in just two bites. Cedric and Kanna sat on either side of him, and though they hadn't eaten much earlier due to worrying about him, their own hunger was now catching up.
After some thought, Cedric requested an apple pie, while Kanna ordered the same steak as Kyle—three servings of it, in fact.
After dinner, no one felt like going to bed just yet. Professor Quirrell's collapse and the Troll incident made for lively conversation, and the young wizards stayed in the common room chatting over dessert, not heading to their dormitories until quite late.
Kyle slipped out of the dormitory as usual. But tonight, instead of heading to the library, he made his way to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. It had been a while since he last visited.
First, Kyle inspected the plants he'd been cultivating, confirming that everything was growing normally. Satisfied, he took out a small box from his Mokeskin pouch and opened it, stepping inside.
The box had changed quite a bit. The small room below the entrance now held a wooden bed, a table, and a large wooden bookshelf. Kyle had crafted these himself, so they looked somewhat plain, even a bit abstract. But he didn't mind. Looks and luxury didn't matter here, as long as they were functional.
The bed and table were empty, but the bookshelf was filled with parchment-bound volumes, all except for the last row.
"I didn't realize I'd accumulated so much," Kyle murmured to himself, a bit surprised. Next time he went to the library, he'd have to look for a book on the Undetectable Extension Charm. Although he could just place a Mokeskin pouch here, it would be a little inconvenient.
After leaving the room, Kyle quickly found the Troll, lying on the ground and snoring. It still showed no signs of waking up.
Kyle placed a few large buckets filled with oatcakes and meat beside it, supplies he'd brought up from the kitchen. Then, he took out his wand and directed some lake water around the Troll. This wasn't to contain the creature—the Mountain Troll was unlikely to go far, as it tended to stay in areas with plenty of food. Kyle had brought enough provisions to keep it satisfied for a long time.
His main concern was the Chomping Cabbage. He had previously moved some mature Chomping Cabbages to the room, and the best way to prevent these creatures from wandering over and nibbling at the Troll's salty skin out of boredom was to create a barrier of water around it.
After all, it was common knowledge that Chomping Cabbages would never approach a river or lake on their own.