43: Chapter 43 The Giant in the Corridor

Half the torches in the second-floor corridor were gone, and pumpkin lanterns hung on the walls, swaying.

Allen Potter moved along the wall, his wand hidden in his sleeve.

Inside the Portable Space, Void raised its head, its tail tip tapping the stone slab twice.

Allen stopped.

"To the left?"

The black snake made no sound, its silver slit pupils still pointing upward.

Allen turned towards the staircase.

"Not the Great Hall, nor the Dungeon."

The snake's tail tapped again.

Allen looked toward the Girls Bathroom, lightening his footsteps.

The shouting of a Professor came from afar, but through the wall, the content was unclear.

He did not look back.

"Quirrell leading people to the Dungeon, his methods are clumsy enough."

Void coiled at the edge of the space, not moving away.

Allen passed an empty picture frame, stepped over a quill on the ground, and stopped before the corner.

The smell of rotten wood mixed with dirty water pushed through first.

Allen frowned, his wand sliding into his palm.

"It's here."

Spatial Perception spread along the wall cracks, crossing the corner, and touched a mass of heavy magic.

With every step that mass of magic took, the surrounding space grew heavier.

Allen retreated into the shadows of the corner.

"Large size, slow reaction."

He scanned the Girls Bathroom and then looked toward the other end.

"Hermione is still inside, and Harry and Ron haven't arrived yet."

Heavy footsteps approached, a wooden club dragging across the stone floor, the long sound echoing through the corridor.

Allen raised his hand, Spatial Folding gathered along the corner, pushing his presence and position back together.

The torchlight fell to his feet, turned a corner, and did not shine into the shadows.

He spoke.

"Don't move."

Void retreated to the side of the ebony box, its tail pressing down on the parchment with "Halloween" written on it.

The Troll's shadow spread across the wall.

A gray-green head poked out from the corner, thick ears drooping, nostrils puffing out murky hot air.

It gripped a thick wooden club, the end dragging a trail of muddy water.

The Troll stopped, tilted its head, and sniffed toward the empty corridor.

Allen gripped his wand without casting a spell.

Three steps.

Two steps.

As long as it moved another half-body to the right, it would hit the corner.

Void's tail tip tapped again.

Allen spoke in a breathy whisper.

"Don't rush."

The Troll did not discover him.

It lifted its foot and moved forward, its shoulder brushing against a stone pillar, causing broken dust to fall.

The wooden club dragged past the tip of Allen's shoe, missing by only half a foot.

Allen did not move, only slowed his breathing.

Spatial Perception spread toward the Girls Bathroom again.

The door was closed.

There was the sound of water inside, and the ragged breathing of a person.

Hermione.

The Troll continued to approach the Girls Bathroom.

It lowered its head to sniff at the door gap, and the sound of a chair being knocked over came from inside.

Hermione spoke through the door panel, her voice trembling.

"Who's out there?"

Hearing the sound, the Troll raised its wooden club, a low growl rolling in its throat.

Allen's fingertips rested on his wand.

"Don't scream."

There was a brief silence inside the door.

Followed by Hermione's gasp.

"Who?"

Allen did not answer.

The Troll raised its club and smashed it against the door panel, the latch making a crisp sound.

Hermione shouted: "Is anyone there? Who is outside?"

Allen looked toward the staircase.

"Harry, you had better hurry."

Footsteps finally came from the other side of the corridor.

Hurried, chaotic, accompanied by Ron's panting.

"Harry, I said, we shouldn't have come!"

"Hermione isn't in the Great Hall."

"But the Troll is in the Dungeon!"

"Do you really believe Quirrell?"

"The Professor believed him!"

Allen stepped back half a step, the Spatial Folding still present.

He did not intend to let Harry see him.

Ron was still complaining.

"If Percy finds out we snuck out, he'll write to Mom."

Harry replied.

"We still have to find Hermione first."

"She might have already gone back to the Common Room."

"She didn't."

"How do you know?"

"She has been crying all afternoon."

"Fine, I said the wrong thing."

The two stopped at the entrance of the corridor.

Harry asked: "Do you smell that?"

Ron swallowed.

"If you must ask, the answer won't make us happy."

Another impact came from the Girls Bathroom.

Hermione screamed.

"Help!"

Harry immediately shouted: "Hermione!"

Ron also shouted: "Hermione, are you in there?"

Hermione's crying voice came from inside the door.

"Harry? Ron? Run!"

Ron stamped his feet in anxiety.

"She really is in there!"

Harry grabbed his wand.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Ron grabbed him.

"Waiting for what? Waiting for a plan!"

Harry's face turned pale.

"The plan is to go in."

"That's not a plan, that's delivering ourselves to it."

"Do you have a better one?"

"Yes, go find a Professor."

"It's too late."

The Troll heard the shouting, turned its head, moved the club away from the door, and dragged it toward the two.

Ron's voice became shrill.

"It turned around."

Harry spoke.

"Don't run."

"Are you crazy?"

"If we run, it will chase."

"Then if we don't run, it won't chase?"

Harry didn't answer.

Ron shouted at the Girls Bathroom.

"Hermione, don't come out!"

Hermione shouted back.

"I can't get out, the door is blocked by it!"

Harry stepped forward.

Ron said anxiously: "What are you doing?"

"Lure it away."

"With what?"

Harry raised his wand.

"I haven't thought of that yet."

Ron looked at the wand.

"You'd better think of it now."

Allen hid behind the corner, his brow twitching.

"Gryffindor."

Void flicked its tongue.

Allen did not make a move.

The original thread was not yet broken.

Harry and Ron must stand in front of Hermione; this was a node of the world line.

The Troll stepped closer, the club dragging a black mark.

Harry and Ron retreated.

Ron said: "It's even bigger than my brothers said."

Harry stared at the Troll.

"When did your brothers ever talk about a Troll?"

"They talk about everything, that's not the point!"

Harry raised his wand.

"Hey!"

The Troll stopped and looked down at him.

Ron squeezed out a sentence.

"It sees you."

"I know."

"Then why did you shout?"

"I wanted it to leave the door."

Ron looked at the Girls Bathroom door.

"It worked."

"That's good."

"It's coming toward us now."

"I see."

The Troll walked toward the two, every step making the stone floor thud.

Harry moved to the side, Ron followed, his soles slipping, nearly hitting the wall.

Hermione shouted from inside.

"Go find a teacher!"

Ron replied to her.

"We want to!"

Harry said: "Don't shout, it will get angrier."

Ron watched the Troll raise its club, his voice shrill.

"I think it's already angry enough!"

Allen's Spatial Perception swept across the other end of the corridor.

No Professor.

Snape had likely gone to the Third Floor, McGonagall was still organizing students, and Dumbledore was held up by the fake target in the Dungeon.

This gap was enough for the Troll to break into the Girls Bathroom.

Allen watched Harry and Ron being forced back, his fingertips pressing onto his wand.

"A little closer."

He did not intend to kill the Troll.

Tonight's bottom line was not to expose his Spatial ability.

The wooden club was raised.

Harry pulled Ron and dove to the side.

The wooden club smashed against the wall, stone chips rolling down.

Ron shouted: "Is this what you meant by don't run?"

Harry climbed up.

"I didn't say don't dodge."

"Is there a big difference?"

"Don't discuss this now!"

The sound of a basin being knocked over came from inside the Girls Bathroom.

Hermione shouted: "It broke the door!"

The Troll was attracted by the sound and turned back to the Girls Bathroom.

Harry's face changed.

"No, it's going over there again."

Ron grabbed some gravel and threw it.

The stones hit the Troll's shoulder, causing no obstruction at all.

The Troll turned its head.

Ron immediately regretted it.

"It's looking at me."

Harry shouted: "Run!"

Ron ran while cursing: "This time you finally got it right!"

The two rushed along the corridor.

Allen retreated into deeper shadows, Spatial Folding tightening again.

Harry ran past him without discovering anyone.

Ron followed behind, nearly tripped by the hem of his robe.

He panted and asked: "Harry, where are we running to?"

Harry looked back at the Troll.

"Can't be too far from the Girls Bathroom."

"Then we circle back?"

"Yes."

"I hate this plan."

"You wanted a plan just now."

"I didn't say I wanted this kind!"

Allen watched the two circle back toward the Girls Bathroom.

The Troll was led by the shouting, turning clumsily.

"If you can survive until graduation, you're lucky."

Harry looked back, seeing only the torchlight flickering at the corner.

Ron shouted at him.

"Harry!"

Harry withdrew his gaze and rushed to the Girls Bathroom.

"Coming!"

Ron panted and shouted: "Hermione, we're here!"

Hermione's voice came from inside the door.

"Don't come in, it's right outside!"

Harry replied.

"It's too late!"

Ron followed, shouting.

"We know!"

Allen looked toward the door of the Girls Bathroom.

The Troll chased after, the wooden club dragging muddy water, Harry and Ron's footsteps crashed in front of the door.

Ron bumped into the door frame and cursed.

"Why is this door half-broken?"

Hermione shouted from inside.

"Why did you come back?"

Harry replied to her.

"Because you are here."

"I told you to leave!"

"Then we can argue after we get out."

Ron leaned on the wall, looking back at the chasing Troll.

"Harry, we don't have time to argue."

Harry pushed the door.

"Hermione, move back!"

"I've already backed up to the sink!"

Ron said anxiously: "Then back up a little more!"

"There's a wall behind me!"

"Then don't back into the wall!"

Harry turned his head.

"Ron!"

"I know, I'll shut up!"

The Troll was attracted by the sound, its footsteps veering toward the Girls Bathroom door.

Allen stood behind the corner, his wand pressed inside his sleeve, Spatial Perception spread to the door.

Harry slipped into the Girls Bathroom.

Ron followed inside, still muttering.

"This will definitely result in point deductions, Professor McGonagall will kill us."

Hermione retorted with a crying voice.

"She will first ask why you brought the Troll into the Girls Bathroom."

Ron immediately retorted.

"It was already near here!"

Harry interrupted.

"Stop arguing, it's here!"

The wooden club hit the door frame, half of the door panel tilted open.

Hermione screamed.

Ron shouted: "Dodge!"

Harry shouted: "To the cubicles!"

Hermione replied: "There's no room there either!"

Ron's throat tightened.

"Then find a place that has room!"

Allen looked up toward the end of the corridor.

The Professor hadn't arrived yet.

This period of time was enough for the three Gryffindors to get themselves into trouble, and enough for them to bind their fates together.

Void coiled back onto the stone slab, its silver slit pupils still staring toward the Girls Bathroom.

Allen spoke.

"Don't rush."

The sound of water came from inside the Girls Bathroom.

Ron shouted: "Harry, don't stand there!"

Harry panted.

"I'm luring it!"

Hermione said anxiously: "You'll get hit!"

"Then hurry and think of a way!"

Ron panicked.

"Think of a way? I only know the Levitation Charm!"

Hermione immediately replied.

"Then use it!"

Ron paused for a moment.

"Right, the Levitation Charm."

Harry shouted: "Ron!"

Ron raised his wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Hermione was still correcting.

"Not like that, flick your wrist lightly, and the pronunciation is wrong too!"

Ron roared back.

"Can you not give a lesson right now!"

The Troll's roar drowned out the second half of the sentence.

Allen did not move forward again.

Harry and Ron had already found Hermione, and the Troll had been lured into the Girls Bathroom.

The two lines merged.

He withdrew the Spatial Folding and retreated into the shadows of the corridor.

"Enough."

Allen looked toward the Girls Bathroom.

"Next, it's up to them."