Chapter 108: Shameless Tsundere
"W-what is that…?"
Harry suppressed the nausea in his stomach and pointed at the disgusting pile of flesh on the ground.
"Oh, nothing. Just a troll," Lynn said casually.
He grabbed Hermione's arm and led her outside.
"You can open your eyes now."
As soon as Hermione lowered her hands, she saw Harry and Ron standing there.
The three of them stared at each other awkwardly.
"Why are you here?" Hermione asked.
Ron glanced at Lynn before explaining,
"Professor Quirrell said a troll had appeared in the castle. Professor Dumbledore told everyone to return to their dormitories. We noticed you were missing and got worried, so Harry and I came to find you."
Hermione looked at Lynn in surprise—she still remembered what he had said earlier.
Lynn just shrugged and gestured for her to handle it herself.
But just as Hermione was about to speak—
Heavy footsteps echoed.
Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell arrived, having been searching for the troll.
Seeing so many students gathered here, McGonagall's face turned pale with anger.
Harry and Ron immediately panicked—they knew they were in trouble.
Following the smell, the professors quickly noticed the grotesque remains on the floor.
Quirrell clutched his chest and collapsed onto a toilet, trembling and sobbing—whether real or fake, no one knew.
"What exactly is going on here?" McGonagall demanded coldly.
Snape also cast a dark look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, completely ignoring Lynn.
"Professor," Lynn stepped forward.
"This has nothing to do with them. I killed the troll. You can check—it was your spell."
The last sentence was directed at Snape, with a hint of flattery.
Snape naturally knew about that spell.
He walked over to inspect the troll's remains, his expression initially dark.
He hadn't expected Lynn to admit it so directly. Normally, a Slytherin would shift the blame.
But after examining the corpse carefully, his expression softened slightly.
Snape snorted.
"Using a high-level spell like that in your second year—who gave you the courage? You were lucky it worked. Otherwise, the pile of flesh on the ground might have been you."
Lynn, already used to Snape, mentally "translated" his words:
Translation: Well done. You used my spell to save Potter's son—excellent. Keep it up.
Lynn smiled.
"Thank you, Professor."
Snape lifted his chin slightly in approval.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were completely confused by this exchange.
Then McGonagall spoke again, her face still stern.
"I now understand your abilities, Mr. Bellock. But why are you all here? Professor Dumbledore clearly ordered everyone back to their dormitories!"
Lynn opened his mouth to make an excuse—
But froze.
He couldn't explain why he was in the girls' bathroom… unless he admitted something very awkward.
"Professor, it's my fault," Hermione suddenly said.
Everyone looked at her in surprise—even Lynn.
She tried to make her lie sound convincing.
"I read a lot about trolls and thought I could handle one myself…"
Harry and Ron exchanged shocked looks. They never imagined Hermione would lie.
"If Lynn hadn't found me, I might have died."
She clutched Lynn's robe tightly.
"And Harry and Ron came here because they were worried about me."
McGonagall looked at her thoughtfully.
"Miss Granger, what made you think a first-year student could defeat a troll alone?"
Hermione lowered her head, unable to answer.
McGonagall sighed in disappointment.
"Gryffindor will lose five points for this. If you're not hurt, return to your common room immediately. The Halloween feast is ongoing."
Hermione quickly left.
McGonagall then turned to Harry and Ron.
"You showed concern for your classmate, which is good. But next time, inform a professor first. Now go."
Harry and Ron felt relieved and hurried away.
Only Lynn remained.
He looked innocently at McGonagall, then at Snape.
Before McGonagall could speak, Snape interrupted,
"Although your recklessness put you and your classmates in danger, the outcome was good. Slytherin gains 30 points."
(Translation in Lynn's mind: Excellent! +30 points!)
Lynn secretly thought: What a shameless tsundere…
McGonagall frowned.
"Thirty points is too much. While he did defeat the troll, disobeying orders should not be encouraged. Ten points is enough."
Lynn quietly added,
"Professor… when I went to find Hermione, Dumbledore hadn't yet announced for everyone to return."
McGonagall paused.
Snape coughed lightly.
"Then… twenty points."
This compromise was accepted.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
For some reason, Dumbledore never appeared.
---
On the way back, Lynn stretched his arm.
His biggest gain today was understanding his current physical strength.
Compared to a troll, he might be slightly weaker—but not by much.
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Author's Note:
In the original story, Hermione's lie is actually a bit strange—because she never went to the Great Hall and shouldn't have known about the troll.
I considered changing this part to make it more logical, but in the end, I decided to keep it as it is to stay closer to the original.
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(End of Chapter )