It wasn't just one or two trolls that had attacked Hogsmeade.
The fact that trolls were attacking the village was a huge problem in itself, but the bigger issue was that no one knew how they had gotten in.
People could only stare in horror as the trolls appeared as if they had dropped from the sky. The fact that Hogwarts students were out on a Hogsmeade trip only amplified the chaos.
*—Kwoaaaaaaar!*
Not one, but six trolls gathered together—this was nothing short of a disaster. Clad in crude wooden armor, they swung the clubs in their hands like madmen, destroying the buildings of Hogsmeade.
"Aaaah!"
"Everyone, run!"
"Help me!"
Screams echoed from all directions, and the trolls, excited by the sound, rampaged even more wildly, as if their time had come.
…Of course, if you were to ask if this meant a crisis, well, not exactly.
If there were no prying eyes, I could have easily dispatched all six with a single *Avada Kedavra—Chain*. Even with people watching, it wouldn't have been much of a problem.
What I hadn't expected, however, was how well the students were fighting.
"*Diffindo! Expelliarmus! Expecto Patronum!* Silly, petrify them!"
Harry, who had defeated a troll with me back in his first year, was a given.
"In my dreams, I took you guys down easily!"
Even Hermione, who had been traumatized by a troll in her first year, was for some reason effortlessly using the troll's own strength against it.
"Aaargh! Don't follow me! No, come this way! Just don't run at me like that!"
And then there was Ron, luring the trolls. For some reason, the trolls would chase after Ron with a frenzy, which allowed the other wizards to attack them with ease.
*They're fighting better than I thought.*
"…By Merlin's beard! What in the world is this!"
Soon, Lupin, who had been watching the students fight in a daze, also jumped into the fray.
In that case, I…
Realizing the situation wasn't dangerous, I sat down on a nearby bench. I summoned some cookies with magic and took a crunchy bite. They were delightfully sweet.
"Let's see how well they fight."
This wasn't negligence. It was, uh, a fair evaluation. Yes. That's what it was.
***
In addition to the six trolls being held back by Harry and his friends, more trolls were attacking various spots throughout Hogsmeade.
For some reason, the trolls were persistently targeting the students. Some panicked and did nothing but scream in despair, but others found the courage to stand up to them.
Neville Longbottom was one of them.
"Heeheehee, this sword. I like it very much."
It was a 20th-century, factory-made iron sword (worth 50 euros) that he had bought for 600 Galleons from a common Hogsmeade swindler, who had tricked him into believing it was a pure-blood family heirloom.
Neville gazed at the sword with adoration.
"Alright. From today, your name is Excalibur."
As Neville triumphantly raised the cheap iron sword as if it were the legendary Excalibur of King Arthur, he blinked at a sound from behind him.
*—Kwooooar! KABOOM!*
A mighty roar drawn from the very depths of one's being, followed by the sound of destruction.
At a sound that would rightfully terrify any living creature, the residents and students of Hogsmeade screamed and collapsed.
Perhaps the Neville of just a few months ago would have been one of them. No, he probably would have been collapsed in the most pathetic state of all, sobbing his eyes out.
But the Neville of today was different…!
His first instinct was to run, but seeing the fallen people around him, Neville turned and faced the troll.
The sight of the troll breathing hot steam from its nostrils should have been enough to frighten him, but Neville did not hesitate.
He pointed Excalibur (the fake one) squarely at the troll and shouted, "Come at me, troll! You can't possibly be stronger than the Lestranges!"
The troll, as expected, snorted at the actions of Neville, who was smaller than its knee, and raised its massive club. And then, it swung down.
Forgetting for a moment that he was a wizard, and Merlin knows where his wand was, Neville swung Excalibur with a bold and dignified stance to meet the blow.
Neville believed in the sword that had been a family heirloom (it wasn't)…!
*CLANG!*
And, of course, unless it was an artifact like the Sword of Gryffindor, forged with goblin-wrought silver, there was no way a steel sword, no matter how well-made by modern technology, could possess a special ability to defy the laws of physics.
It stood no chance of blocking the immense kinetic energy of the troll's club.
As if acknowledging Neville's devotion despite being a cheap, factory-made sword, Excalibur shattered into pieces, disintegrating without transferring even a sliver of the impact to Neville.
Neville cried out with a look of unprecedented horror.
"Excalibuuuuuuuur!!!"
Enraged, Neville whipped his wand from his pocket and, in a perfect stance, unleashed a barrage of Stunning Spells at the troll.
"*Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy---!!*"
A skilled human wizard might have easily dodged them, but the troll, with its low intelligence and large size, had no choice but to take the full brunt of Neville's spells.
*—Kwoooar…*
*Thud.*
With a final, scream-like cry, the troll collapsed to the ground. Neville stood beside it, his eyes moist.
"I will… not forget my vengeance for Excalibur."
The atmosphere was so solemn that the people he had just saved couldn't bring themselves to sigh in relief or applaud in celebration.
It goes without saying that no one pointed out that if he had just used his wand from the start, Excalibur would never have been broken.
In short, it was a farce.
***
Such battles with trolls were not limited to Neville.
Malfoy was also confronting a troll—and became extremely frustrated when the expensive clothes he had just splurged on were damaged in the fight. Other students whose names I didn't even know were also fighting well.
And I was watching it all, eating the cookies Deek had baked and sent over.
*—KABOOOM!*
"Wh-what was that! Phew, anyway, I'm alive."
Whenever a situation looked dangerous, I would help out by remotely striking with a bolt of lightning. This way, I could effectively aid the students' growth. Of course, if it was a student I didn't particularly like, I might be a little slow to help. I'm only human, after all.
Watching the scene, I was suddenly struck by an idea and turned to Lupin, who was sitting next to me. For the record, since the kids were fighting so well, I had just forced him to sit down. It's rude for an adult to interfere in the children's game.
"By the way, isn't this quite an effective form of practical training? What do you think about incorporating it into the Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum?"
Despite my casual question, Lupin's pupils were trembling uncontrollably as he watched me summon lightning with a snap of my fingers.
"Aisen… No, who in the world are you? With that much power, what is your purpose for coming to Hogwarts?"
"I didn't particularly want to come. Albus asked me for help."
*If I keep getting treated like this, maybe I'll just leave before finishing out Harry's fourth year.*
At my grumbling attitude, Lupin looked completely at a loss as to how he should treat me.
"Ah, here come our friends. Smile, Professor. Don't make the situation unnecessarily awkward."
"Ah, right."
It seemed Harry, Hermione, and Ron had defeated all the trolls. Harry was wiping his sweat with a towel as if he'd just had a good workout, Hermione looked strangely pleased, and Ron was sprawled on the ground, utterly exhausted.
I waved to Harry and asked, "How was it, Harry?"
"It was fun, for a change!"
"Fun…? This? Really?"
Regardless of Ron's heckling, Harry just beamed. Silly, who was hanging around Harry's neck, also flicked her tongue out, indicating her enjoyment.
"By the way, Professor, what happens to our outing now that there's been an attack?"
"…Ah. Things were so chaotic, I hadn't even thought about that. I've sent word, so the professors will be here soon to escort the students back immediately."
Just then, Harry suddenly shouted.
"Aah, my flowers!"
Where Harry was looking, the paper bag containing the flowers he had almost certainly bought for Ginny was crushed. Had someone stepped on it during the fight with the troll?
"Oh, mine too!"
Hermione cried out as well.
Her writing supplies, which she had placed next to Harry's bag, were also smashed to bits.
As the two looked crestfallen, Ron spoke up proudly.
"Heh heh, you youngsters. You see, a gift must be protected more preciously than one's own life! Look at me!"
We turned to look at Ron and were left speechless.
Somehow, in the midst of being chased by trolls, he had managed to secure a large number of accessories like earrings and rings inside his robe. An incredible amount, at that.
Ron said smugly, "This is the difference between you and me. Remember it!"
For a rare moment, Harry and Hermione lowered their heads and nodded in agreement with Ron.
*But, a gift?* I asked Hermione, "Harry's is one thing, but who were you planning to give a gift to? The writing supplies?"
"…I don't know, you idiot. Hmph, I even bought two of everything I liked."
After I spent a good while consoling Hermione, who was for some reason pouting at me, Lupin let out a hearty laugh.
"Hah, I really shouldn't be doing this, but… before we head back to Hogwarts, a small reward for today's greatest heroes should be fine. If a professor is with you, no one will say anything, so let's just buy new ones to replace your broken things before we go."
Naturally, the kids broke into wide smiles and shouted at Lupin.
"You're the best, Professor!"
"Even if you are a pervert, Professor, we'll still support you!"
"The best! Exhibitionist Professor!"
"Who was that last one?"
In the end, that day too came to a happy conclusion.
***
Hogsmeade. Amid the chaos, with everyone gone, a witch sat at a corner table in the Hog's Head, her black, pointed hat pulled down low. It was none other than the wizarding world's current greatest public enemy, Bellatrix.
Concealed by all manner of hiding and undetectable charms, she went unnoticed even by the pub's owner as she carefully watched the outside through a crack in the wall.
It was a desperate measure, as trying to spy with magic would get her instantly detected.
Watching Aisen calmly manage the situation while snacking, Bellatrix muttered in a voice that trembled in spite of herself, "Truly, that's an absurd amount of power."
*—Ahh, that's why I told you. You must never think of facing that one head-on. I guarantee, even that Master of yours couldn't beat Aisen in a direct confrontation.*
"Shut up, ghost. My Master possesses power you cannot even begin to imagine. No matter how strong that little brat gets… no. According to you, he's not even a brat, is he."
*—That's right. He's probably nothing short of an old geezer. A decrepit old man over a hundred years old, living a school life in a child's body. It's utterly disgusting.*
Sebastian, having no idea that Aisen had traveled through time, glared at him with eyes full of hatred.
Regardless of what Sebastian thought, Bellatrix sighed.
Where on earth had such a ridiculously powerful being suddenly appeared from? At this rate, her goal of taking revenge on Harry Potter and resurrecting her Master would fail from the very start.
Nothing she did worked on the wizard named Aisen.
Whether she used that conceited little Slytherin brat to orchestrate a Dementor attack, or controlled trolls to attack like this, Aisen acted as if it wasn't even a problem, paying it no mind.
Anxious, Bellatrix began to chew on her fingernails.
*—Don't worry too much… No, I suppose no amount of worrying would be enough. Still, it's not as if there are no options.*
"Options?"
*—Yes. The only way to fluster him.*
Dismissing Bellatrix's anxiety, Sebastian stared at Aisen, who was chatting happily with Hermione, his eyes burning as if not to miss a single moment. He muttered, "This time, I'll make it so you can never forget, even if you try."
Whether his vow would be kept, only time would tell.
***