Chapter 6: The Morning After

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Merlin and their characters do not belong to me, sadly.

Breakfast the next morning was tense. The students were still shocked from the troll's visit, while the teachers were on high alert. How had the troll managed to breach the wards? Several patrols had already been carried out along the Castle's perimeter, with no damage or obvious entry point located.

Dumbledore, however, wasn't so much upset by the troll, but by Arthur questioning his decisions and over-riding his orders. This was his castle, dammit! The students were his to command, to obey his orders and learn to obey him without question. After all, how else was he to rule the Wizarding World? He was the Second Coming of Merlin, and no American journalist was going to get in his way.

"Did anyone find out how the troll got in?" Minerva asked, buttering some toast.

Filius shook his head.

"I couldn't find anything. The walls are all intact still, and no doors or windows were broken. I even had the ghosts double-check the perimeter. Nothing!" he sighed in annoyance.

Dumbledore hummed.

"What about you, Aeron, anything to add? You are the Care of Magical Creatures professor, after all."

Arthur's eyes narrowed over his tea cup.

"Well," he drawled slowly. "I can tell you it was a mountain troll – not a forest one – as it's skin was grey."

"Wait, you mean it didn't come from the Forest?!" Pomona exclaimed.

Severus snorted.

"I believe he just said that."

"B-B-But, where d-di-did it c-c-come from, if n-not the Fo-Forest?" Quirinus stammered, eyes wide in fear.

Arthur shrugged.

"No idea. It's possible someone let it in as a practical joke." he explained, trying not to roll his eyes at the defence professor.

Merlin looked up from his porridge with a frown.

"Shouldn't the Castle wards have prevented entry? We have eleven-year-olds here!"

"The wards can do that?" Filius asked excitedly.

Merlin nodded.

"Yes, the original purpose of Hogwarts wasn't a school. It was a defensive structure for the area. The Castle only became a school after the Founders' deaths." he shrugged.

"How interesting! I thought the Founders started the school?" Minerva asked, leaning forwards.

"No." Merlin shook his head. "The Founders would have taken on apprentices, as was normal in those times. It was the older apprentices who started the school proper."

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the post. There were more owls than usual, as word had got around the students that two of the professors wrote for the New York Ghost. However, it wasn't long before a ripple began to move across the room, with students huddling together in small groups.

"What is going on?" Minerva frowned.

"Looks like they're reading the paper..." Pomona trailed off hesitantly.

"An interesting article?" Filius guessed, already leafing through his copy of the Daily Prophet.

"What would interest the entire school?" Minerva demanded, as the bell rang to end breakfast.

"No doubt we'll find out at some point." Severus muttered as he swept off.

Throughout the day, the students could be found huddling round newspapers and talking in hushed whispers, falling silent and hiding the paper whenever a member of staff appeared. Eventually, McGonagall obtained a copy of the elusive paper, already open at the article in quested.

After the surprise of being handed a copy of The New York Ghost had faded, she sat down to read the article that had the entire school talking.

HORROR AT HOGWARTS

Last night, the Samhain Feast at Hogwarts was interrupted by a troll.

As every magically-schooled wixen knows, trolls are fearsome creatures that can grow up to twelve feet tall, weighs around a tonne, and is incredibly stupid. Thought to have originated I Scandinavia, they are one of the few two-legged magical creatures to be classified as a 'beast' instead of a 'being'.

This, along with their love for human flesh, is what makes them so dangerous. Fortunately, no one was hurt, although one student was reportedly seen being carried by a professor to the school medbay.

Currently, there are many questions that need answers:

1. How did a troll gain entry to a school?

2. What has happened to the famed Hogwarts Wards?

3. What happened to the troll?

4. Was the troll already in the school?

The Headmaster (Albus Dumbledore) had proclaimed a corridor to be out-of-bounds at the Welcome Feast, saying a 'painful death' awaited any who went there.

On another note, the troll was supposedly in the dungeons – the exact place the Headmaster proceeded to send half the school to, as both the Slytherin and Hufflepuff dormatories are located there. Did the Headmaster have different intel on the troll's whereabouts? If so, why did he also expect his staff to join him in the dungeons?

Fortunately one of the professors took charge, and kept the students safe.

There has been no comment received from the Hogwarts Headmaster, or the British Ministry at this time, but be assured, as soon as we hear anything, you will be the first to know.

Junior Correspondent, Lyon McKnight.

McGonagall stared at the article in horror. No wonder the students were behaving so strangely! Looking up, she saw her next class starting to arrive, and suppressed a sigh. There was nothing she could do, currently, except teach. Maybe Melvin or Aeron could provide some insight on this Lyon character, and she'd need to get Albus to release a statement, too...

By supper, the students weren't bothering to hide any more, and the rumour-mill was running at full speed.

"Did anyone find out what's happening?" Pomona asked, eyeing her 'puffs.

"Yes." Minerva sighed. "We had the wrong paper. It would seem that a number of the students have started reading The New York Ghost." she raised an eyebrow at Merlin, who face-palmed with a small groan.

"I may have introduced myself as a columnist to one of my classes." he explained.

Minerva nodded.

"Yes, well, we'll need either you or Aeron to interview Albus about last night now." she sighed.

"Wait, what?!" Merlin yelped.

"You don't happen to know a Lyon McKnight, do you?" Minerva asked carefully.

Merlin frowned.

"The name rings a bell, but I can't put a face to the name, sorry." he shrugged.

Minerva hummed, before pulling out the confiscated paper.

"Funny, as Lyon wrote an article for The New York Ghost, apparently they're a junior correspondent?"

Merlin shrugged.

"They could well be. I don't know how it's done here in Britain, but in America the writers don't really go into the office, that's how Aeron and I can still work for the Ghost, all articles are sent into the office, then the office staff decide what goes where, and when articles are run, or not. We get paid a flat rate per month, plus an extra 50% per article that runs." he explained.

"I see." Minerva frowned.

"So what's the article about? Must be interesting, if it's got the students in such a state." Pomona asked eagerly.

"Oh, just about last night, and the troll. Here, read it." Minerva passed the paper over.

"Oh dear. I suppose the student mentioned is Miss Granger?" Pomona hummed.

Minerva nodded.

"Yes, she had quite the shock. Though, what she was doing, I don't know." her lips thinned in annoyance.

Merlin frowned.

"I think you'll find there's a bit of a bully problem."

Minerva's eyes narrowed.

"I see. Well, first we need to solve this issue, then we can see about any others. Oh, where is Albus?" she exclaimed, before getting up to find the headmaster.

Filius sighed.

"He's probably hiding in his office, knowing him."