The castle buzzed with excitement as Halloween approached. Hogwarts had never looked more festive—floating pumpkins glowed warmly in the Great Hall, and ghosts glided through the halls humming eerie tunes. But none of this mattered to Elias. His focus was squarely on today's Charms class, and the spell they were about to learn: Wingardium Leviosa.
Charms Class – Morning
Professor Flitwick stood atop his stack of books at the front of the class, squeaking with enthusiasm.
"Today, class, we shall begin one of the most important levitation charms you'll ever learn: Wingardium Leviosa! Proper pronunciation and wand movement are everything. Swish and flick! Everyone, together now!"
The students chanted the spell. Hermione Granger, of course, was already perfect at it. With a flick of her wand, her feather lifted gently into the air, floating above her desk.
"Excellent, Miss Granger!" Flitwick clapped.
Ron Weasley scowled slightly, still struggling with his feather. "Wingardium Levio-sa," he muttered again, nothing happening. He threw a quick glance at Hermione.
"She's such a know-it-all," Ron muttered under his breath. "No wonder she doesn't have friends."
Hermione had passed by just in time to catch that. Her expression froze. She said nothing, but turned on her heel and rushed out of the classroom.
After Class – The Corridor
Elias noticed her absence almost immediately. Most others didn't seem to care, but something tugged at his thoughts. Without hesitation, he left the classroom, slipping into the hallway where the lanterns flickered low. After a few minutes of searching, he found Hermione near the girls' bathroom, sitting on the floor with her knees tucked under her chin, silently crying.
"You shouldn't let their words cut that deep," Elias said quietly.
Hermione looked up, startled. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Elias replied, leaning against the stone wall nearby. "Just figured someone should tell you that getting a charm right isn't a crime."
There was a pause, then a sniffle. "They all think I'm annoying."
"They think a lot of things. Doesn't make them right."
That was all. Elias said nothing more, and neither did Hermione. But when he extended a quiet hand to help her up, she took it.
Halloween Feast – Evening
The Great Hall gleamed under the floating pumpkins and candles. Platters of roasted meats, pumpkin pasties, and treacle tarts covered the tables. The hall echoed with laughter and cheer.
But Elias felt something strange.
A whisper of tension in the air.
He looked toward the Gryffindor table. Hermione had returned, sitting quietly next to Neville, not saying much. Ron occasionally threw her a guilty glance.
Suddenly, the doors burst open.
Professor Quirrell ran in, wild-eyed. "Troll—in the dungeons—I thought you ought to know!"
Panic erupted.
But this time, something changed. The troll didn't go toward the dungeons.
It turned toward the staircase leading up to the Gryffindor Tower.
Elias's eyes widened. He bolted from the Great Hall, racing past a crowd of confused students and prefects trying to restore order. The creature—massive, gray, and stinking—had already smashed its way into the common room. The Fat Lady's portrait frame was splintered, lying on the floor.
Gryffindor Common Room – Chaos
Screams filled the room. First-years cowered behind furniture, older students pulled out wands in terror.
The troll swung its club wildly, knocking over chairs, smashing tables. One younger boy had tripped and was struggling to crawl away.
Elias didn't hesitate.
"Stupefy!" he cried—not standard for a first-year, but the system allowed it.
A red bolt hit the troll's side—it staggered.
[Fate Points -5: Unauthorized Spell Used]
[New Trait Gained: Quick Battle Reflexes]
"Incendio!" he shouted next, aiming for the troll's club.
The weapon burst into flame, forcing the beast to drop it. The troll roared and turned on him—but Elias rolled aside and cast again. The heat disoriented it, and he followed up with a stunning charm directly to its head.
The troll collapsed.
Gasps echoed through the common room. Silence followed. The stunned students stared at Elias, as if unsure whether to applaud or be afraid.
Moments later, McGonagall and several other professors burst into the room. They froze at the scene.
A burned club. A stunned troll. And Elias, calmly catching his breath.
Later That Night
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled between fury and awe.
"What you did was highly dangerous… and incredibly brave."
She eyed him sharply, then sighed.
"Ten points to Gryffindor—for initiative. And another twenty—for protecting your housemates."
As she ushered students to safety, Hermione glanced back once at Elias.
"Thank you," she said, softly.
He only nodded.