Under the cloak of night, Hogwarts Great Hall buzzed with the energy of a grand feast. Students and professors alike filled the long tables, a symphony of chatter rising above the clatter of silverware.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy, his mouth crammed full, tried to speak. "You… chew… speak… chew… that disciple… chew…"
Harry, exasperated, slapped Malfoy on the back. "Swallow first, Malfoy!"
Malfoy, startled and still chewing, choked, pounding his chest.
Cassandra, calmly sipping her tea, interjected, "Professor Dumbledore told us during the opening ceremony to avoid that area. Whatever's hidden there must be connected to him."
Harry's eyes widened as if a memory had surfaced. "Dumbledore's treasure? I know what it is!"
He recalled the gossip Tom had shared about Dumbledore before the term began, blurting it out without a second thought.
...
Meanwhile, at the teachers' table, Dumbledore glared at Tom, his expression thunderous. This is your fault, you little devil! Why did you have to spill the beans?
Tom feigned innocence. "Why are you looking at me like that, Professor? Enjoy your meal."
Dumbledore merely snorted, saying nothing.
...
Just as Harry finished speaking, Malfoy managed to swallow, gulping down his drink. After catching his breath, he exclaimed, "You mean, Grindelwald's locked up down there?!"
Malfoy's outburst silenced the hall. Every eye turned towards the Slytherin table.
Malfoy, unfazed by the attention, looked as if he wanted to shout even louder.
Harry and Cassandra exchanged horrified glances. Idiot, they both thought.
The other students, however, quickly lost interest. Seeing no immediate drama, they returned to their suppers.
The professors, on the other hand, took notice. Grindelwald's name carried weight.
"Albus," Professor McGonagall began, her gaze questioning, "Grindelwald isn't…"
"He is safely confined in Nurmengard," Dumbledore assured her. "Rest assured, Minerva, I would never release him just to rekindle an old flame."
Snape, standing nearby, cast a fleeting glance at Tom. Although Tom Riddle's expression was unreadable, Snape was certain he was involved. However, his priority remained monitoring Quirinus Quirrell.
Both Snape and Dumbledore suspected Quirinus Quirrell was one of Tom Riddle's pawns. But Tom Riddle was not someone Snape could easily confront, leaving him to focus on the more vulnerable Quirinus Quirrell.
Back at the Slytherin table, Cassandra, ever the diligent student, corrected Harry. "Grindelwald is safely locked up in Nurmengard. There is no possible way he could be at Hogwarts."
Harry, embarrassed, scratched his head. "Uh… hehe…"
Then, she frowned in thought. "Wait... when Professor Dumbledore came to see Tom… he mentioned something about 'attacking Gringotts,' and something about 'a broken stone'… Could that be what he meant?"
"What broken stone?" Harry asked, completely bewildered.
Just then…
"Terrible news!" Quirinus Quirrell burst through the doors of the Great Hall, panic etched on his face. "A… a troll has escaped!" He then collapsed in a dead faint.
"Aah!"
The students screamed, as if the troll might hear them.
"Silence!" Dumbledore rose, his voice booming, instantly silencing the hall. "Prefects, lead your students back to their dormitories in an orderly fashion."
Professor McGonagall quickly took charge, adding reassuringly, "The professors will deal with the troll. Do not worry."
"Gryffindors, follow me…"
The students scrambled to their feet, following their prefects out of the Great Hall.
As the students evacuated, Tom Riddle locked eyes with the prone Quirinus Quirrell. "You managed?"
"Well, time was short. I couldn't acquire anything better."
Though the Troll disgusted him, Tom was satisfied that things were proceeding according to plan. Next, Quirinus Quirrell would take advantage of the chaos to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
At this moment, Quirinus Quirrell's consciousness was suppressed by Voldemort; the original Quirinus Quirrell had long since lost his mind.
Once the students were gone, Dumbledore instructed the professors to search the castle. When he came to Tom, Dumbledore paused. "Tom, you…"
"Merely observing, Professor. Do not expect me to fight on your side."
Dumbledore turned and left. Tom Riddle rolled his eyes, then followed. What no one noticed was the flicker of amusement in Tom Riddle's eyes as he departed.
...
In a corridor outside the second floor girls' restroom, a hulking, mangy green troll, nearly four meters tall, lumbered forward, swinging a crude wooden club with each step.
Hermione Granger, hiding inside the restroom, felt numb. She had only come to use the facilities, and now this.
"Why am I so unlucky?" Hermione Granger muttered, suppressing her panic.
The footsteps grew louder. Hermione Granger clamped her hand over her mouth, praying the troll would pass by.
But fate, as always, had other plans.
The footsteps stopped directly outside the restroom door, making Hermione Granger's heart leap into her throat.
Sniff…
The troll seemed to smell something.
"Roar!" The troll gripped its club and brought it crashing down on the bathroom door.
With a deafening bang, the flimsy wooden door splintered.
The troll saw Hermione Granger cowering behind it.
Hermione Granger, barely six months into her magical education, had never witnessed anything so terrifying. Tears welled in her eyes, her lips trembled, desperate to scream but unable to.
"Roar…" The troll roared again, raising its club to strike.
But, unexpectedly, the troll froze mid-roar. Its body began to crack, turning to dust.
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