Chapter 12: Trolls, Spiders, and Shadows
The first two months of Harrison's third year had gone smoother than expected. He'd grown into his role as a leader within Gryffindor, and his reputation only bolstered the house's growing respect. His younger cousin Harry and god-sister Daphne were settling in well, showing early promise and a thirst for knowledge. The school year hummed with routine – classes, Quidditch practices, late-night studying in the common room – until Halloween arrived.
---
The Unkind Word
Halloween morning began with the Great Hall dressed in floating pumpkins, dancing skeletons, and the scent of spiced apple cider.
After Transfiguration class, a small confrontation brewed. Ronald Weasley, red-faced and flustered, spoke louder than intended as they left the classroom.
"Honestly, Hermione, do you ever shut up? You don't have to answer every question like you're McGonagall's star pet."
Hermione blinked, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I was just trying to help…"
Harry and Daphne turned immediately, their faces hardening. Harrison, who had been quietly observing from behind, placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Let me make something clear," Harrison said, voice low and calm. "Mocking someone for their intelligence isn't brave. It's petty. If you can't match her, don't lash out at her."
Ron sputtered, caught off guard. Fred and George, having overheard from behind, quickly moved to defuse the tension.
"Ron's an idiot. Don't mind him," George said.
"Yeah, brains scare him," Fred added, dragging their brother away.
Hermione stood silently for a moment, then turned and fled to the girls' bathroom.
Harrison sighed. "I'll speak with her later. Let's keep an eye on her."
---
The Attack
That night, during the Halloween feast, Dumbledore was in the midst of a lengthy tale involving a cauldron of exploding sweets when the doors to the Great Hall burst open.
A Ravenclaw first-year ran in, face pale. "There's a troll—in the dungeons!"
Screams erupted, but Harrison was already on his feet, moving swiftly. "Harry, Daphne—stay with the others."
"No," Harry said. "Hermione's still in the bathroom."
Harrison cursed under his breath. "Then we're going."
Fred and George nodded, stepping back to keep order at the Gryffindor table. Harrison, Harry, and Daphne slipped through the chaos and ran toward the girls' lavatory.
As they approached the corridor, the ground trembled.
A mountain of flesh and filth loomed at the hallway's end.
The troll, grotesque and ten feet tall, dragged a crude wooden club behind it. But it wasn't alone.
From the shadows above skittered a horde of eight-legged horrors—acromantulas. The creatures descended in a coordinated pattern, attracted by the troll's disturbance.
Hermione's scream echoed from within the bathroom.
Harrison sprang into motion. He summoned his Egyptian staff with a wave of his hand and began drawing glowing sigils in the air.
"Protego Maxima!" he shouted, casting a protective dome around Hermione.
Harry and Daphne began casting Stunning Spells at the spiders. Their aim wasn't perfect, but it bought time.
The troll roared, swinging its club at Harrison.
"Enough," Harrison whispered.
He raised his palm, summoning a wave of eldritch energy. Purple sigils circled around his arm as he stepped forward. "Annihilo."
The blast struck the troll square in the chest. It stumbled, stunned.
Harrison conjured his sword—Nico's shadow-forged Stygian blade—and lunged, slicing across the troll's ankle. The beast fell to one knee, bellowing.
Before it could recover, Harrison vaulted upward, driving the blade into the beast's forehead. The troll shuddered—and then collapsed.
The acromantulas shrieked in fury. One lunged at Daphne, who rolled aside just in time.
Harrison's eyes glowed with fury. He summoned Carter's khopesh into his other hand and slashed in a spinning arc, eldritch fire trailing behind him.
He chanted in Ancient Egyptian, invoking the power of the desert: "Sekhem en Ra! Burn them!"
A wall of magical flame surged forward, incinerating half a dozen spiders.
The remaining ones began to scatter—but one enormous spider, the size of a bear, charged.
Harrison stood firm. "I don't have time for you."
With a snap of his fingers, time slowed. The Time Stone's magic crackled in the air.
He moved in a blur, stepping past the spider's fangs, placing an eldritch rune on its underbelly, and stepping back.
Time resumed.
The rune activated, consuming the creature in a silent implosion.
Silence returned.
Hermione stepped out from behind the shield, trembling. "I… I didn't know there were spiders…"
"You're safe now," Harrison said, gently. "That's all that matters."
---
Aftermath
Professors McGonagall and Vale arrived moments later. McGonagall's face was pale with shock.
"You three went after a troll and acromantulas?"
"Technically," Harrison corrected, "the acromantulas came to us. The troll was merely the herald."
McGonagall sighed deeply. "And the troll?"
"Neutralized."
Dumbledore arrived, his eyes weary but twinkling. "Once again, Mr. Potter, your actions have saved lives. But this cannot become routine."
"I'd prefer a quiet year," Harrison admitted. "But evil has a habit of ignoring calendars."
---
New Friendships
The next day, word of the attack spread. Hermione became something of a hero herself, though she shied away from the attention.
She joined Harry and Daphne regularly at meals, and Harrison personally welcomed her to the small circle of friends he trusted.
Ron, ashamed of his earlier behavior, apologized. It was awkward, but sincere.
"Guess I've got a lot to learn," he said.
"We all do," Harrison said. "Just don't let your pride get in the way of your growth."
That night, as they sat near the Gryffindor fire, Daphne mused aloud.
"Do you think it's always going to be like this?"
Harrison glanced toward the window, where the moon hung like a silent sentinel.
"Yes," he said, quietly. "But that's what we're here for. To fight back the dark."