The Great Hall glowed in amber light that Halloween night, candles floating lazily beneath the enchanted ceiling that mirrored the stormy sky outside.
The smell of roasted pumpkin, spiced cider, and treacle tart filled the air.
Jack-o'-lanterns leered from every corner, and the chatter of hundreds of students rolled like soft thunder beneath the laughter of ghosts.
It was supposed to be a night of merriment — and for most, it was.
For Cassius Snape, it was the night he had been waiting for.
He sat quietly at the Draconis table across from Cho, fork untouched, eyes scanning the room as if committing every face to memory.
Across the hall, Dumbledore was laughing at something Professor Flitwick had said, while McGonagall whispered something to Sprout.
Snape sat stone-faced, his gaze wandering occasionally toward the doors, as though expecting something — or someone.
Cassius noted the absences.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley — gone, likely off chasing some childish misadventure.
Hermione Granger — missing as well, her absence uncharacteristic.
He leaned toward Cho.
"Have you seen Granger tonight?" he asked.
Cho glanced up from her plate. "No. Why?"
"She's not here. And neither are Potter and Weasley." Cassius's tone was low, analytical. "I'm curious where the trio have gone off to."
Cho frowned slightly. "Maybe they're with Hagrid?"
Cassius shook his head. "No. Afterall he's here in the hall."
He looked toward the Ravenclaw prefect seated a few seats down.
"Excuse me," he called mildly, "has anyone seen Hermione Granger tonight?"
The question spread quickly among the table.
One of the third-years finally spoke up.
"Crying in the girls' bathroom, I think. Heard it from one of the first year girls. Something about Ron Weasly being mean to her during Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Cassius nodded slowly, filing the detail away.
"I see."
Cho blinked.
"Why do you care? It's not our problem."
"Because," he said softly, setting his goblet down, "From what i've read, Hogwarts bear a curse on Halloween resulting in something bad happening every year. I'd rather not leave anything to chance."
Cho's brow furrowed.
"You mean—?"
But he was already standing, straightening his robes.
"Come on. We'll check on her. It won't take long. Besdies not like i can enter the girls bathroom by myself now can i?"
They slipped away from the hall, unnoticed by most — at least until the great oak doors of the Hall burst open minutes later.
Filch stumbled through, pale as parchment, clutching his lantern in one shaking hand.
"Troll!" he gasped. "Trolls in the dungeons!"
He was doubled over breathing heavily trying hard to catch his breath.
The Great Hall erupted into chaos.
Screams filled the air; plates clattered and overturned.
The first-years huddled together, and even some of the older students looked ready to bolt.
"Silence!"
Dumbledore's voice cracked through the noise like lightning.
The torches along the walls flared blue for a moment before dimming again.
"Prefects," he commanded, "lead your students back to their dormitories immediately. Teachers—follow me to the dungeons!"
The hall was instantly alive with movement.
Students scrambled to their feet as prefects shouted over the din, herding their houses toward the doors.
Were Cassius here he would critisise the old man heavily for his poor judgement, leave why?
There are trolls in the school, and the Slytherin common room is in the dungeons where the Trolls were sighted...
Better they remain in the great hall where they could be guarded by the seventh years, and a teacher or two.
~
But for the two young dragons, they were none the wiser to the peril they were in, at least one of them was.
The corridors were dim and echoing, the flicker of torchlight throwing long shadows across the walls.
The sounds of the fleeing students below simply made them think dinner was let out and the students were making a rukus going their own ways, replaced by something far heavier — a dull, rhythmic thudding that made the stones tremble underfoot.
Then came the smell.
Rot and wet stone and something foully sweet, like decay.
Cho gagged. "That smell—"
"Troll," Cassius confirmed grimly.
They rounded the corner just in time to see it.
It was enormous — ten feet tall at least, with gray, leathery skin and a club that looked like it had been torn from a tree trunk.
Its small, porcine eyes blinked stupidly as it lumbered down the hall, dragging the club behind it with a screech of wood on stone.
And just beyond it — the bathroom door.
Cassius didn't hesitate.
"Cho, distract it."
She looked at him like he'd gone mad.
"Distract it?!"
"Do it!" he barked, already raising his wand.
Cho swallowed hard, then darted sideways into an alcove. "Lumos Maxima!"
A burst of light flared in her hand, blinding the creature.
It roared, swinging its club toward the brightness, smashing a section of wall to rubble.
Cassius used the distraction to sprint forward, Slashing his wand through the air like it was a sword.
"Sectumsempra!"
The spell wasnt perfect just yet, but even still an invisible blade slashed its way through the air, causing a deep gash across the monsters chest.
Stunned by the pain the Troll dropped its club to clutch its chest, but from where he stood Cassius knew it was only a matter of time before the troll regenerated returning to full strength.
So without wasting anytime he quickly and silently cast blasting spells.
Elbows, and knees.
He targeted the joints like a professional MMA fighter.
Causing its lumbering body to be stunned not by a spell but from the pain of broken bones.
Within seconds he'd brought the lumbering beast to its knees.
With one final.
"Sectumsempra"
The invisible blade flew like a guilotine carving through the beasts unguarded neck.
'plop'
'Thump'
First the head fell, followed by its corpse.
With the path clear Cassius first rejoined Cho were was shocked from the real battle, before making their way past the troll and entering the girls bathroom.
Inside, Hermione was crouched, seated on a toilet, almost all cried out when she heard the door open, oblivious to the danger she was about to be in.
"Hermione!"
Cho called out quickly upon entering.
"Cho?"
knowing someone friendly had come in she quickly dabbed her eyes before exiting the stall, only to see to people standing there.
"Cassius? What are you doing here? You can be here this is the girls-"
"Hermione, sorry to interupt, but theres an emergency! Trolls have invaded Hogwarts, one was just outside the bathroom until we defeated it!"
Cho nodded her head when Hermione looked to her to verify what was being said.
"A troll...? How would one of those get into the school?"
"Not just one."
Cassius said ominously, while the others were confused, but the subtle thumps resonating on the ground told him all he needed to know, there was more than one troll.
And the other was on its way here, at first just walking but now it was running.
Having caught the scent of blood.
"We have to hurry!" Cassius stated.
She looked up, frozen.
"W–what—?"
"No time!"
He grabbed her wrist, hauling her into his arms before kicking off the ground taking the two girls with him as they slid further away from the door, just as the troll's club slammed into the doorframe, splintering it.
Sending shrapnel flying all of the place.
The creature bellowed, squeezing its bulk into the room.
With the door removed it could enter the room, which let Hermione see a troll for the first time, while Cho despaired as the new troll was even larger and robust than the first.
The first being a juvenile no doubt, while this one was a full adult.
cassius quickly rolled over, flicking his wand.
"Bombarda!"
The force slammed into the troll's chest, staggering it backward a step.
But not enough.
It swung again, smashing a sink to pieces and showering them in porcelain.
"Cho!" Cassius shouted. "The legs!"
She didnt hesitate, wand raised before calling out.
"Incarcerous!"
Ropes whipped from her wand, coiling around the troll's ankles.
It stumbled, fell to one knee with a crash that shook the floor.
Cassius saw his chance.
"Bombarda Maxima!"
The explosion hit the club dead-on as the troll tried to block, blowing it from the troll's hand and into the far wall.
The creature howled in rage and pain, thrashing to free itself.
"Move!" Cassius yelled.
Cho grabbed Hermione and pulled her deeper into the room, ducking behind the stalls.
Cassius stood in the middle of the room, wand still raised, while his other hand rested upon his other still hosltered wand.
The troll was still struggling, but Cassius was not about to give up.
With a quick double cast of his own Incarcerous, thick ropes shot from his wand encasing its neck, tighting furiously causing the beast to forget about its legs and hastily claw at the rope binding its head.
Eyes quickly going bloodshot, until with a thump it collapsed to the ground.
Even downed Cassius did not relent, loosening his spell.
Even if you pass out it does not mean you cannot wake up again.
So he kept one suffocating the beast until he was sure it was dead.
Resistant to magic perhaps, but suffocation counts as physical damage.