16 16. Aftermath

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"It appears the troll's brain has melted." Professor Snape announced.

Instantly, everyone turned to look at Happy. Their faces were a mix between disbelief and horror.

Whispers began to circulate, and murmurs intensified, with the name Lestrange being mentioned by some. Upon recalling Happy's family name, a few Ravenclaw students were on the brink of succumbing to malicious thoughts. However, the majority of the Ravenclaws remained composed, bearing in mind that it was Happy who had rescued them, and he was just one forever food-hungry boy.

"Silence, please."

Professor Dumbledore calmly stepped out, gaining the attention of all the students.

"Ravenclaws, two prefects should help send Miss Chang to the hospital wing, and the rest should return to your common room. Repairs will be done shortly."

The Ravenclaw students nodded and silently obeyed their Headmaster's instructions, making their way toward the common room. The wooden door of their common room, which had been viciously battered by the Troll, was slowly mending itself before their very eyes, enveloped in a warm golden glow.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, and Miss Granger. You three shall return to your house, and await further instructions from your House Head tomorrow. Please understand that while this matter is being addressed, it does not absolve you of your responsibilities regarding tonight's events. I trust that you shall conduct yourselves with the utmost prudence and propriety." Dumbledore continued.

"But..." Harry blurted.

"No buts, now off with you..." Professor McGonagall added from the side.

"Yes, Professor." Harry, Ron, and Hermione answered in unison.

As the three turned around to leave, Happy followed along.

"Not you, Mister Lestrange." The elder man's calm voice stopped him.

Happy's footsteps halted. He slowly and stiffly turned back with an awkward-looking smile. The three professors looked at him with solemn expressions.

Dumbledore sighed a little, "Follow us."

Looking at the serious expressions on Snape and McGonagall, Happy didn't even bother to try to refuse. He knew this was serious.

Walking along the empty, damaged hallways of Hogwarts in the evening and listening to the howling winds blowing through, Happy finally caught a sense of what kind of danger he was in before.

'Such a dumb move! I knew my luck was good, but I shouldn't have been reckless. Still, how did the Troll die with that simple spell?'

As he walked by, Happy saw Cho Chang and the other prefects parting ways toward the hospital wing. She was on a magically hovering stretcher, put to sleep by some spell from Professor McGonagall.

'When I heard the scream, I couldn't let it go. I don't want to be a hero...But I'm glad she's safe now.'

Happy kept looking at the three figures walking ahead of him and followed them closely.

Though a sense of uneasiness was prevalent in his heart, as he was surrounded by Dumbledore and Snape, both were known to have a very unhealthy habit of peeping into other people's thoughts.

As Happy entered the Headmaster's office, he was greeted by a warm room filled with books.

The walls were lined with ornate bookcases filled to the brim with ancient volumes and a multitude of magical artifacts. A comfortable armchair was nestled in front of a large fireplace that crackled with warm flames, and portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses adorned the walls. The air was infused with a comforting blend of lavender and tea, and the sound of a gentle hum seemed to permeate the entire space.

Yet, all he felt was discomfort in that room under the gaze of so many headmasters.

"Please take a seat." Dumbledore gestured to the chair.

Happy took a seat in the middle of the room. He felt like he was being interrogated, as he was the only one sitting, and the professors were free to slowly pace around him.

"How did you kill that Troll? Be honest and precise, Mister Lestrange." Dumbledore asked politely.

Happy answered with a forced calm tone, trying to hide the tension in his voice. "After sending Ron for help, I formed a plan with Harry and Hermione to distract the Troll so that the Ravenclaws could shut their door. But...I saw someone was being pulled out of the Ravenclaw dorm's door, so I decided to help.

"I first used Incendio, and then the Verdimillious Charm. I don't know what happened to the Troll... Everything was so bright I couldn't see anything. When I saw that it fell down and released the door, we all rushed inside to the common room. And I only came out again because Miss Chang needed to go to the infirmary as soon as possible."

"Are you sure that's all there is? A troll is a Class 4 beast with an innate defense against magic. Killing it with such a simple spell is not possible." Dumbledore added

'Ugh! My sweet rotten good luck!' Happy cursed inside.

"I'm not lying, professor. That's all I did." Happy stuck to his words.

"Are you sure you didn't use any other charm… Or perhaps a curse?" Professor McGonagall asked. "I'm quite sure you must have heard about many curses…the most powerful ones too, which are known to affect the brain."

'Does she think I used Crucio? Madam, my only aim is food, not Azkaban!'

Happy noticed that Snape was being silent the whole time, so he guessed the man was likely staying truthful to his status as a secret Death Eater by not going against a Lestrange.

"You can check my wand. I didn't use anything other than those spells. Hitting the Troll somewhere fatal was probably just a lucky shot." Happy stayed on his ground and raised his wand for the others to check.

Snap!

Snape took it and instantly checked.

"I don't see any problematic spell used." as Snape said so, he still eyed Happy with a suspicious gaze.

Dumbledore looked at him with his iconic lowered gaze between the glasses. Then, after a slightly longer pause, he dismissed him, "You may return to the dorm, Mister Lestrange."

Happy quickly stood up and took the wand Snape handed over, "Thank you, Professors!"

He wasted no time rushing out of the Headmaster's office.

He didn't blame any of them for suspecting him. After all, even Longbottom knew about Crucio, so what was stopping him from knowing them? On top of that, Dumbledore already suffered from one mistake—Voldemort. The man likely didn't wish to repeat it.

When Happy arrived in the common room, he found Hermione, Ron, and Harry still awake and waiting for him by the fireplace. They all had serious and worried expressions.

"Happy!"

They crowded him as he appeared, and asked him questions after questions.

"What in Merlin's name happened? Did Snape put a curse on you?" Ron inquired, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Are you alright, Happy? Did they give any punishment?" Harry leaned closer.

"Please tell us you weren't expelled, Happy!" Hermione asked, a little distressed.

"Calm down, you three. It's as if you want all that to happen." Happy jokingly said and sat down on the couch. "It's all good. They thought I used an unforgivable curse on the Troll, but Professor Snape checked my wand and cleared my name. Ugh… I'm hungry now. That darn Troll ruined my dinner. Did you guys save anything for me?"

The trio stared at his face in confusion and surprise.

Ron shook Happy by his shoulders, "Happy! You took down a troll! You're a legend, mate! And all you can think about is food?"

Happy looked at the beautiful ceiling of the common room and vocally wondered, "Hmm… Can we eat a troll? I wonder what they'd taste like."

"..."

"I'm going to sleep." Hermione shook her head and quickly escaped before Happy said anything that would make her vomit.

Harry chuckled, patted Happy on the shoulder, and praised him, "You were amazing. How did you know which spell to use?"

"Knowledge, probably. I knew some spells and pulled out whatever I remembered first. You should practice it too, Harry. The wizarding world isn't a kind place, especially for folks like you and me, who have a high price on our heads." Happy advised him while walking over to the snack table in the common room. Laden with leftover delectable treats, from buttery pastries to creamy hot chocolate.

While chomping, he mumbled. "I… I hope nobody remembers this night tomorrow. It'll be annoying."

"I feel sorry for you already," Ron muttered in a low voice.

The next morning, all the students gathered for breakfast in the Great Hall, discussing things about last night and feeling excited about their day.

When Happy entered the hall, everything went silent for a few seconds. Then, murmurs started while the students sneaked glances at him. All eyes were focused on him, and many fingers were pointed. Slowly, the murmurs grew into loud voices, and eventually, cheers emanated from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's table.

"Ah, the bane of Trolls!" Headless Nick floated past Happy.

"Did you see that boy? He killed a troll yesterday!" Two more ghosts walked by.

"Happy, can I take a picture of you?"

Flash!

'Aagh! My eyes!'

"Happy, can I get your autograph?"

"Hey, Happy, you're my best friend, right?" A Gryffindor senior wrapped his arm around Happy's shoulder. "Tell the girls I taught you the spells."

"You taught me? But who are you?"

"..."

'Come on! I just wanted to eat food in peace.'

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