Hero Halse

The great white wizard seemed to find nothing amiss in Evan's account. When he heard how Evan had ingeniously used the iron thorns "coincidentally" on hand, combined with a Transfiguration spell, to achieve a miraculous victory in ten seconds, Dumbledore clapped his hands enthusiastically, his expression and tone brimming with undisguised admiration.

"A splendid battle! You are even more outstanding than I imagined. I think Severus was right; Hogwarts has gained another genius!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

A young wizard, only months into his schooling, had remained calm and collected during his first encounter with a troll, cleverly utilizing what he had at hand to defeat it effortlessly. Dumbledore hadn't seen such an impressive young wizard in decades.

Being lavishly praised by Dumbledore made Evan somewhat uncomfortable, as it meant he had caught the old professor's eye—a development that was not entirely welcome.

The conversation that followed was far more relaxed than Evan had anticipated. There were no cunning probes or pointed suspicions, and aside from the initial Legilimency, Dumbledore was as affable as a kindly neighbor chatting over the fence.

This led Evan to wonder somewhat maliciously if Dumbledore was succumbing to senility?

However, during their talk, Dumbledore casually mentioned Evan's mother, Asia Halse, which piqued Evan's interest.

"Professor, you knew my mother?" Evan feigned curiosity.

"Indeed, your mother was quite memorable during her time here," Dumbledore said, winking at Evan with an insinuating nod. "In every aspect..."

Dumbledore's habit of speaking in half-sentences was frustrating for Evan, who wasn't sure if it was due to a gap in his own intelligence or simply a cryptic way of communication between clever individuals...

But he truly didn't understand!

Evan managed to force a smile that was both awkward and polite...

In the end, after some sideways probing, Evan only learned that his mother had been a Slytherin. He didn't ask about his father because his jumbled memories contained no relevant information, and it would have been unwise to ask without certainty.

Dumbledore seemed to deliberately skirt around the topic and, after a brief chat, said cheerfully to Evan, "Alright, child, you may go now. I believe a surprise awaits you."

Evan held no expectations for the "surprise" Dumbledore mentioned. The mere permission to leave was surprise enough.

Thus, with a blend of grace and haste, Evan departed from Dumbledore's office. The headmaster, sitting in his chair, gently stroking Fawkes, watched Evan's retreating figure, lost in thought...

...

"Cauldron Cakes!"

At the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, Evan called out the password. The portrait of the Fat Lady nodded, swinging open to reveal a round passageway.

Evan always resisted the urge to criticize the designer of this passageway. Why make it a tunnel?

The Gryffindor common room was pitch black, the usually roaring fireplace extinguished and the magical lamps unlit. An eerie silence hung in the air.

Evan's expression unchanged, he walked forward slowly, his right hand sliding down to grasp the wand at his waist.

Boom!

As Evan reached the center of the room, a blazing fire erupted from the fireplace, followed by the magical lamps flaring to life with dazzling white light. The red lion banner of Gryffindor unfurled from the ceiling, and streams of colorful, unidentified objects began to drift down.

The Weasley twins, dressed in their quirky uniforms, burst from the dormitory, showering Evan with a heap of tattered bedsheet ribbons and shouting behind them.

"Let's welcome the return of the Gryffindor hero!"

Gryffindor's hero? Who? How dare they be so bold?

Expecting a late-night Halloween celebration, Evan was baffled by the Weasleys' announcement. Before he could react, dozens of lower-year students flooded in from the dormitory entrance.

Leading the pack were Harry and Ron, who lifted Evan off his feet, and with the Weasley twins' mischievous assistance, tossed him high into the air...

"Cheer for the return of our Gryffindor hero!" Fred bellowed.

The younger Gryffindors joined in the excitement, shouting in unison.

"Hero Halse~"

"Troll Slayer!"

...

Evan was tossed about by the jubilant crowd until he was nearly falling apart. When the excitement finally waned, they set him down.

Taking advantage of the lull, Evan quickly gathered from the whispers what had happened. Upon returning to the dormitory, Ron, with his big mouth, had embellished the tale of Evan facing down the troll and saving Hermione.

For the young wizards confined to the common room for Halloween, such thrilling news was unheard of. It spread like wildfire, becoming more exaggerated with each retelling, and Evan was hailed as the hero of Gryffindor, thanks to the Weasley twins' penchant for stirring up excitement.

Understanding the sequence of events, Evan remained confused. After all, in the original story, Harry and Ron, who had defeated the troll, didn't receive such a reception.

But Evan had forgotten a crucial difference between himself and the duo. They had indeed knocked out the troll, but their victory was messy and their methods hardly glorious, more a matter of luck.

To the onlookers, Evan was the epitome of the textbook hero, his method of slaying the troll clean and decisive. The fact that the troll had fallen right in front of him, its head pierced in a legendary manner, only fueled the legend after Ron's dramatic retelling.

Evan could even see some young witches in the crowd giving him flirtatious glances, with a few bold ones approaching to ask about the details of his troll encounter, their attentiveness almost making Evan forget he was at Hogwarts to study...

The energetic Gryffindor cubs continued their revelry into the night, only retreating to their dormitories when they considered the next day's classes.

As the focal point of the welcome party, Evan was completely drained and parched.

"That was quite the surprise..." Evan muttered to himself, remembering Dumbledore's parting words, unable to help but scoff.

Despite his grumbling, a slight smile curled at the corners of Evan's lips.

Tips:

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