Severus was given several seconds to think about it, five really, from the moment Quirrel dropped, to the moment he saw that smile grow on Hariel's face.

Now, the last two months approximately had been relatively peaceful considering an Evans was in attendance, and yes Severus had given up referring to Hariel as anything but an Evans. She hadn't killed anyone, no one… in the school, had been maimed. The Gryffindor ghost's head wasn't… entirely attached anymore, and Severus was relatively sure the centaur pack had lost a few members. But the students were fine, so he was considering those two months a win, hell, Poppy had even managed to regrow the young Malfoy's kidney. This were going well.

Too well evidentially, because Quirrel, the moron that he was seemed determined to ignore what was so obvious… then again, that was a Quirrel thing along, all the teachers at the school seemed to be doing the same. McGonagall seemed to just look over the fact that Hariel had dissected the hedgehog turned pincushion right in the middle of her class. While Hooch thought nothing of the numerous injuries popping up in the Gryffindor flying classes. And Dumbledore- the man had taken too many sweets entirely to realize what was happening.

Severus though, he'd foolishly had hope in Quirrel especially since Hariel seemed to, unfathomably, adore Quirrel's stuttering lessons - unknowingly because those classes hurt her head and she found it glorious. Yet here Quirrel was, bringing in a live troll into the school so he could get the stone and Severus now had a choice to make. Save the idiot, or deal with the troll.

Because as the students filed out in a rush, Hariel was not following her classmates she was staring with greedy delighted eyes at Quirrel who was helpless, unconscious, and just sitting there waiting for her.

He should deal with that.

He should stop her.

He should.

No. Severus turned away, he didn't care nearly enough about Quirrel to save the man. He'd deal with his snakes and the troll and turn a blind eye.

He wasn't paid enough to interfere with that smile pitched across her face.

Hariel was so very torn. A troll and Quirrel… Halloween this year was being endlessly kind to her. She'd been visited by her grandfather, had given him the kidney, Barghest had gifted her a finger, and now she had a troll and a man to play with.

Hariel shifted forward skipping on the tips of her toes toward Quirrel who lay so beautifully unconscious. Oh, but she liked Quirrel, he made her lessons to gloriously painful with his constant legillimency attacks and the stuttering, oh it was pure torture. Hariel was relatively sure she had finally found love with how much attention Quirrel was giving her… and now he'd gifted her a troll and his own body to play with. A delighted giggle escaped her lips as she knelt before the man and reached for the turbin.

Something was beneath the fabric Hariel could tell, and she could tell she was going to love it. Whatever it was… it was the reason behind Quirrel's gifts, it was what had given her all those headaches. She wanted to know…

No, Hariel decided and pulled her hand away. Better to let the suspense build, it would be much better to let that secret lay. "Thank you for the gift," she whispered and brushed a finger along the man's cheek causing a line of excruciating-looking burns to develop. It made Hariel squeal quietly, yes, yes, yes, she knew love when she saw it. This had to be love.

But as grandfather taught her, it was better to let them come to you. So Hariel pulled away and skipped out of the room allowing the lingering pain in her hands to tide over her curiosity. Instead, she skipped toward where she could sense the vibrations of the troll and… found someone had beaten her to her gift.

"You!" Hariel sneered at Neville who was pressed in the corner of the girl's bathroom with her troll between them. Of course, it was Longbottom!

Severus was called to the hospital wing thirty minutes after he'd made his choice. There he found a frantic Minerva, a blood-stained traumatized Longbottom who kept mumbling about a troll - which may have explained the fact that he was covered in troll entrails, a passively cheery Dumbledore and Quirrel… with a long burn line on his face and a massive bite in his leg.

Severus observed this chaos for a moment, idly wondered where Hariel had wandered off to, then stepped forward feeling an odd amount of tension leave his shoulders.

Hariel had dealt with the troll and Quirrel without him lifting a finger and she'd even let Longbottom live as according to their deal. Generally, Severus considered that a win.

Yes, considering there was an Evans in the school, the year was going gloriously well.

For him.