"Intelligent, and immensely strong. How could a creature like this have never been seen before? That parchment mentioned troll-kind. It described them as a common magical race, vast in number, even divided into many different kinds. If what was written there is true, then there is only one possible explanation. Troll-kind went extinct thousands of years ago."
"Otherwise, there is no way to explain why no one has seen them for a thousand years, or even recorded them."
"But if they really went extinct, then where did this troll come from? It seems we'll have to have a proper talk with Professor Quirrell."
Snape's hand brushed across William's hide, and his brows drew tightly together.
"Its skin is covered in scars left by battle. Wounds from blades, marks from arrows, blunt-force injuries, bites from beasts, claw marks from talons..."
"That means it has gone through many battles. And yet we have never heard of such a thing."
Snape straightened and swept a glance across the professors, each of whom wore a different expression, before looking at Dumbledore again.
"Let's go and speak with Quirrell. See what he has to say, since this 'troll' gentleman was brought into Hogwarts by him."
Dumbledore nodded, then looked down at the troll's corpse and said, "Of course, there is another possibility. Perhaps what Professor Quirrell brought in really was a giant troll, but someone replaced it with this troll-kind. If that is the case..."
Dumbledore fell silent. For once, a trace of worry passed across his face.
He had believed everything was under his control, but now it seemed something was beginning to move in an entirely unpredictable direction.
"Clean this place up. Move the body over near Hagrid's hut for now. When I have the chance, I will send it to Newt for study, to see whether this thing was created through some vile form of dark magic..."
Professor McGonagall and the others nodded and began repairing the castle, while Dumbledore and Snape left to go see Quirrell.
William had caused severe damage to the castle, but under the power of magic, repairs were not especially difficult.
The professors merely waved their wands a few times, and shattered stones reformed into blocks, the blocks rebuilt the walls, and before long the castle was as good as new.
When Dumbledore and Snape found Quirrell in the hospital wing, the man was huddled beneath his blankets, trembling. And once the two of them explained why they had come, Quirrell's eyes widened even further.
"N-no, that can't be right. I... I am the Defence Against the Dark Arts p-professor, after all. How could I possibly mistake a troll for... for something else?"
Quirrell explained nervously, though inwardly he was cursing.
He had captured that troll himself.
He had released it with his own hands.
How could there possibly be any mistake?
Could that old fox Dumbledore be suspecting him now?
Was that why he had come to trick him into slipping up?
"So you are certain that what was in the dungeons was a giant troll?"
Snape stared directly into Quirrell's eyes. Quirrell did not dare meet his gaze. His eyes shifted to one side as he replied in a low voice, "I... I am certain. It was a... a mountain troll. After all... after all, I... brought it in myself. To protect the Philosopher's Stone, you understand, Headmaster. I just... I didn't expect it to get loose."
"It ran loose out of control. I... I was terrified..."
Quirrell muttered on, his face full of lingering fear and apology.
"Very well then, Professor Quirrell. Come with us and have a look."
Seeing this, Dumbledore said nothing more. He stood and left. Snape motioned for Quirrell to follow and turned away as well.
Quirrell had no idea what kind of trap Dumbledore was setting, but he could already sense that something was wrong. Filled with suspicion, he climbed out of bed and followed after them.
William's body had already been moved out of the castle by several professors and laid down not far from Hagrid's hut.
The moment Quirrell saw the enormous corpse of the troll, he froze in utter shock.
"Th... this..."
This time Quirrell was genuinely stammering.
"What is this?"
He stared at William's corpse. He knew nothing about the parchment, and he did not recognize troll-kind at all.
"This is a troll," Snape said from the side in a cold, sinister voice.
Quirrell looked at Snape as though he were an idiot. He was pretending to be a coward, not a fool.
How could that thing possibly be a giant troll?
"P-Professor Snape... p-please, don't joke like that."
Quirrell shot a nervous glance at Dumbledore and said in a trembling voice, "How could this monster... possibly be a giant troll?"
Dumbledore's gentle gaze rested on Quirrell's face, carrying an unreadable sense of inquiry. In his usual mild tone, he said, "And yet, earlier, you said it was."
"You mean..."
Only now did Quirrell seem to understand. Staring blankly at William's corpse, he asked uncertainly, "You're saying... this is what you found in the dungeons?"
"Not in the dungeons. By the time we arrived, it had already reached the corridor near the girls' bathroom on the second floor. Professor Quirrell, are you saying that this is not the troll you were referring to?"
"Of course not!"
Quirrell shrieked. He pointed at the enormous corpse of the troll and cried out shrilly, "How could I possibly mistake a giant troll? And besides, that was the one I personally brought in to guard the Philosopher's Stone. If it had been this monster, how could I have failed to recognize it?!"
"More importantly, what exactly is this creature? And where did the troll go?"
As Professor Quirrell said this, his face suddenly turned deathly pale.