Hermione grabbed Richard's neck with her arms, and wrapped her legs around him for added security. The ground was about thirty meters away-and that was only the second floor. Meanwhile, Richie was rapidly gaining altitude.
Granger's heart pounded like a jackhammer. Nausea rose in her throat, and terror and elation flooded her consciousness. It took her a moment to realize they hadn't been flying anywhere for some time, but were now on the roof of the Astronomy Tower.
Richard and Hermione fled the scene of their victory over the troll just in time. A moment later, Snape and McGonagall appeared in the second-floor corridor near the girls' restroom, staring in bewilderment at the unconscious troll, glued to the floor with some white substance.
"W-what is this, Severus?" McGonagall was confused.
Snape slid a knife-sharp glance at the troll.
"Troll," he stated dryly.
"I see it's a troll!" McGonagall exclaimed hysterically. "But who could have done this to him?"
"Hardly first-years," the Potions teacher continued playing Captain Obvious. He bent down and began collecting the white mass in a test tube. "It's clearly some kind of modified adhesive that hardens instantly in air, yet maintains incredible strength and flexibility. Looks like spider webs."
"A web?" McGonagall looked at the Potions professor in bewilderment. "Severus, do you think it was some kind of magical animal?"
"Unlikely," Snape kicked the severed steel manipulator clutched in the troll's hand. "I've never heard of animals using steel hoses."
"Perhaps a troll brought these hoses with him," McGonagall suggested.
The Potions Professor glanced at the window, then watched the sand on the floor turn into shards of glass and pieces of the frame before adding,
- And it's unlikely that animals are able to use transfiguration to turn a window into sand in order to fly out into the street.
"It's someone from a senior year," McGonagall stated, confident in her own rightness. "That level of Transfiguration... A personal broom. No less than a second-year student, more likely even a senior who was afraid of losing points."
"Perhaps," Snape said. "Or perhaps not..."
***
Meanwhile, at the Astronomy Tower, Richard was stuffing a miniature glider into his bag and pulling out a set of ninja clothes.
Hermione somehow managed to stay on her trembling legs.
"Richie," she said. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead already."
Richard's perfect hair was disheveled, his suit was rumpled. He gave his pale face an expression of neither surprise nor fear.
"Please," he replied reservedly. "Hermione, do you have your ninja suit with you?"
"No," Hermione shook her head. "Do you think I'm some kind of superhero that I wear a ninja suit under my uniform?"
- In vain. Luckily, I have a spare!
In preparation for the theft of the Philosopher's Stone, Richard carried three sets of ninja suits and a bunch of useful gadgets, some of which he transferred from his suitcase to his messenger bag. After all, he never knew when the opportune moment would present itself. He handed one set of clothes to Hermione, took out the second one, and enlarged it.
"Richie, who are you?!" Granger asked, unable to contain herself.
- I don't understand what you're talking about.
"A robot, a glider, invisibility suits," Hermione listed. "Are you an alien?"
Richard laughed out loud.
"No, Hermione. I already told you about the wizarding workshop. All these magical gadgets are made by wizards who work for me. Actually, I want to create an off-world colony in case of an apocalypse, so that if the catastrophic happens, humanity will survive and be able to repopulate our home planet."
"So, that combat robot was created by wizards?" Granger asked, stunned.
- Yes. But this robot is not a combat one.
- Not a combat one?!
- Exactly.
Richard nodded, stripping down to his underwear to change into his ninja costume. Hermione blushed and turned away.