FOUR - Halloween
Dumbledore
Minerva
Sprout
Flitwick
Snape
Quirrell
I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! How on EARTH did a TROLL get into Hogwarts?
I haven't the foggiest!
Can you imagine what could have happened? It could have killed someone!
I believe the more important question is the one you first asked, Pomona: how did it get in here? It had to have been let in by someone; trolls are too stupid to figure out how to open doors, much less get into Hogwarts, of all places.
No, no, no! We are not going to start playing the blame game! I will NOT be made suspicious of my coworkers!
But if one of said coworkers was guilty, wouldn't you like to know?
Yes, but it wasn't one of them.
Then it was a student.
No!
Then you're in denial, which is very foolish.
Seeing as that conversation is going nowhere, we should think about why someone would let a troll in.
All it did was cause pandemonium.
A distraction! Albus! You don't think anyone knows what's going on with the third floor corridor, do you?
Outside of the six I have asked to help protect it and Nicholas himself, no.
Then this leaves our options as to who would have had motive to let the troll in very limited.
Stop it, Severus!
Come, now! I, for one, don't suspect any of you and you all have my fullest trust.
Here, here!
It takes a very certain type of person to let such a monster in. I don't think any of you are cruel enough to be that type of person.
Thank you, Pomnona, Filius, Quinirus! See there, Severus? You're the only suspicious one.
Then leave me to my suspicions.
Where did you find the troll, anyway?
In the girl's bathroom. Hermione Granger, of all students, ran off by herself thinking she could take the troll!
What? You're joking!
I'm not.
Merlin's beard! The girl could have been killed!
Lucky for her, her classmates went after her.
Oh?
Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley managed to knock the troll out.
Well I hope you gave them proper credit!
Likely not as much as they deserved, I was too worried and angry. Can you imagine the uproar if Potter had been killed here?
I'd prefer not to.
And Merlin's beard I'd hate to have to tell Molly Weasley one of her sons was dead.
She's got so many others I'd doubt she'd notice.
I'm ignoring you, Severus.
You can't act as though you were only worried of the consequences of their deaths, Minerva!
Well of course not.
I still don't understand how the blasted thing could have gotten in here!
It doesn't seem like we'll be getting an answer tonight, or perhaps anytime soon.
So what do you recommend? Doing nothing until whoever it was brings in a dragon, or something?
That would be a trick, indeed. Whatever may happen next, I have full confidence that my staff could handle the situation.
Unless some students try to handle it first… again.
Granger's a show-off know-it-all, I don't know how you're surprised that she went off on her own and I certainly wouldn't think it a shock if she attempted it a second time. Of course Potter went after her. He is his father's son, and would therefore hate for anyone else to get the credit for such a feat. Weasley tagged along simply because that's what he's been doing all his life.
I see so many things wrong it that previous pack of lies that I'm not going to point them out because you know they're wrong, too!
On the contrary, I believe them all to be quite true.
You're simply determined to find faults with the whole of my house. I won't have it.
I'm quite certain there will not be another beast let into Hogwarts, this year at least. Let us therefore let the troll incident stand alone. I'm sure the mystery of it will be unwound as time goes on.
Agreed! I'm off to bed! Goodnight!
Be sure to check under your bed for anymore monsters that may be lurking around.
Hardy har, har, Pomona.
Come on now, Albus. You can't really think that this isn't a big deal?
I think it will be revealed in time.
Time? That thing almost killed three students and you're just going to let it go?
Seeing as no one was actually harmed, I think it wise to let the mastermind of the attack stop and recollect their thoughts rather than act rashly under attack.
Oh, yes, fantastic idea. Let whoever it is think of a more clever and efficient way of killing off students without any of our interference!
If their intention were to kill students, I'm sure they would have let something other than a troll in. Dangerous as they are, they wouldn't be my first choice to kill anyone off.
Then you agree with the theory that the troll was let in as some sort of distraction?
I neither agree nor disagree with the theory.
Now you're just playing mind games!
What reason do I have to play mind games at this current point in time?
I'm done!
Author's Note
I've finished writing everything from the first book! Yay!
Let me know what you think! Review, please!