Leonard returned at just the right time.
The students were still a bit disorganized, and with the narrow entrance to the common room, they were lining up two by two to get inside.
When Leonard arrived, the line was just finishing up. He easily slipped in, blending with the last few students entering the Hufflepuff common room.
As soon as he stepped in, he saw Justin and Ernie gathered around the sofa, each having piled a heap of portable snacks onto the table.
They weren't the only ones—other students were also bringing out their own stashes.
"Hey, Leonard! Where'd you go? We didn't see you anywhere," Justin called, waving him over.
"I got pushed to the back of the line. Just got in," Leonard said with a helpless shrug.
"Bad luck, huh? Anyway, did you bring any snacks back? I thought the pumpkin cakes were great, so I grabbed a bunch," Ernie said cheerfully.
"Uh... sorry, no." In truth, Leonard had wanted to bring some, but the scent of those pastries was far too strong—and he'd needed to keep a low profile.
Besides, after dealing with a troll and witnessing all that blood and chaos, walking around holding a pile of sweets just felt wrong.
On his way back, he'd even used a bottle of Dittany Essence to wash off the troll's stench.
That particular bottle was a powerful variant worth over ten Galleons on the black market, and using it just to mask his smell had pained him a little.
He should've asked Midgard for the recipe to that odor-cleansing potion instead.
"No snacks? That's too bad. Ernie and I actually made a bet on what you'd bring back, and now we both lost," Justin said, shrugging. "Oh well, delicious desserts can heal my wounded heart."
Leonard's expression twitched slightly as he watched Justin and Ernie laugh and eat, showing not even the slightest concern about the troll that had appeared in Hogwarts.
"You're really not afraid of the troll?" Leonard couldn't help asking.
The two of them—and honestly, most of Hufflepuff—seemed far too calm, almost smug, as if even if a troll showed up, they'd somehow scare it off.
"It's just a troll," Susan said as she and Hannah came over. "Sure, it's dangerous for normal adult wizards, but our professors can handle it easily. You're not actually worried it'll hurt us, are you, Leonard?"
"A little," he admitted with a nod.
"Don't be," Hannah said confidently. "The professors will check our area first. There's no way a troll could get to us. I'm sure Truman will be back soon, all relaxed, telling us the troll's been defeated and no one's hurt."
Leonard gave a faint, wordless smile, saying nothing.
No one hurt? Technically true—since the victims were already dead.
Moments later, Truman entered the common room—but his expression was nothing like the calm smile Hannah had predicted. On the contrary, he looked grim.
Beside him stood the Hufflepuff female prefect, her face pale and tense.
"Everyone, gather around!" Truman called out. "All dorms, make sure your roommates are present and accounted for!"
"What's going on?" Susan asked, startled.
"No clue," Ernie said, frowning. "But judging by their faces, it's definitely not something small."
The roll call finished quickly. All Hufflepuff students were present.
Truman exhaled in relief. "All right, from this moment on, no one leaves. Stay here in the common room and don't go anywhere."
"What happened, Truman?" Susan asked.
Truman nodded gravely. "There's been an incident. The professors found blood in the first-floor corridor. The scene... it's hard to describe. It looks like a student ran into the troll at a corner and was killed."
Even that simple explanation drained the color from Susan's face.
"But... weren't all the students supposed to be in their common rooms? How could anyone still be wandering around outside?" she asked.
"There are always a few who don't listen—students who like to push their luck," Truman sighed. "I suspect the victim was from Gryffindor. Reckless behavior always comes with consequences."
Leonard, who had witnessed everything, silently noted that Truman's bias against Gryffindor was showing.
"In any case, all the houses are doing headcounts now. Since the blood was discovered, the professors haven't had time to deal with the troll yet. Everyone needs to stay put—and definitely don't go sneaking off to the kitchens right now..."
After giving the warning, Truman stationed himself at the exit to make sure no one tried to leave.
Inside the common room, the news he brought immediately caused an uproar.
"Something terrible really happened—something big!" Susan's face went pale. "It sounds like someone's been killed!"
"That's impossible," Ernie said, his expression darkening. "Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in the world."
The safest place? Leonard thought to himself wryly. If only they knew this castle was built over a vast hollow, riddled with secret chambers—one of which, the Slytherin Chamber, housed a basilisk. For all anyone knew, there might be other ancient magical ruins hidden below, maybe even ones with giant statues guarding them.
In Leonard's mind, just those two chambers alone were enough to make Hogwarts one of the most dangerous places in the world.
And that was without mentioning the years to come—werewolves, basilisks, Death Eaters... there was never really such a thing as safety here.
"Maybe... it's just a misunderstanding?" Hannah said weakly, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
It was obvious this incident had deeply shaken everyone. Even the usually carefree Hufflepuffs had lost their appetites.
Not wanting to stand out, Leonard put on a suitably somber expression.
The atmosphere in the Hufflepuff common room grew heavy. One by one, the students set down their half-eaten snacks and quietly headed back to their dormitories.
And so, this truly frightening Halloween night came to an end—but it was only the beginning.
...
By the next day, the news had spread across the entire school.
Every student and professor now knew the details.
Draco Malfoy and his two cronies had slipped away from their house's group and unfortunately run into the troll.
The result was obvious: all that remained were bloodstains across the floor and walls, and scraps of Slytherin robes still caught in the troll's teeth.
There was no way to keep something like this secret—and Hogwarts didn't even try.
Before long, owls were sent out carrying letters bearing the deaths of Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe, delivered straight to their parents' hands.