Chapter 10 - 10: 10: Types of Trolls and how to defeat them!

Sagres walked toward the Ravenclaw Astronomy Tower with his books. These were his last two classes in November, and soon after, the Quidditch House Cup would begin. He would use this time to leave Hogwarts for some personal matters. It was a familiar classroom, still filled with students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. To be honest, he preferred teaching students from these two Houses. Gryffindor and Slytherin's personalities were too strong, and they enjoyed mocking each other. Even with the spell reinforcement in his class, it couldn't be entirely avoided. However, it had to be said that for Gryffindor and Slytherin, the current state of classroom discipline in Charms Theory and Practice was already a rare miracle. Stepping into the classroom, Sagres scanned the students present and immediately noticed two Hufflepuff students were absent. "Why aren't Jellival and Rooneycell here?" The Hufflepuff prefect immediately replied, "Professor, they were knocked down and had their bones broken at the Halloween feast. They're still hospitalized in the infirmary…" Sagres nodded, tapped the desk to signal for quiet, and opened his textbook. "Today, we'll be discussing the evolution of Stupefy and the distribution of its magical nodes…" "Professor…" Jenny raised her hand, interrupting Sagres. He frowned, motioning for her to continue. "Can you teach us how to deal with trolls? I heard that the troll that broke into Hogwarts on Halloween was dealt with by you…" Sagres refused without hesitation. "It's not that I'm unwilling to teach you, but dealing with dangerous creatures is the responsibility of your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. So I think you've come to the wrong person." "But Professor, I think you must have heard that Professor Quirrell… I mean, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class in previous years wasn't much different. We haven't learned many useful things in this class…" Looking at the dozens of approving eyes in the classroom, Sagres pondered for a moment, then finally closed Introduction to Magic. His expression was no longer so serious. "Since you insist, I will teach you some basic knowledge about trolls…" "Hell yeah!" "I knew Professor was great—!" A few joyful shouts immediately rang out in the classroom. Sagres raised a hand to silence them and began directly: "First, trolls are classified as XXXX-level in the Ministry of Magic's classification system—dangerous but subduable creatures. Wizards divide them into three subspecies based on their habitat and appearance: Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls, and Swamp Trolls." Sagres looked at the eager faces and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum was practically useless, and the students' complaints were indeed not unfounded. Thinking of this, he explained in more detail. "The first type: Mountain Troll. They are the largest in size, with light grey skin that is rough and covered in warty protrusions. Their bodies emit a foul odor, and their teeth and nails are dirty and yellow. They usually live in remote mountains or caves, wielding crude wooden clubs or rocks as weapons. They have extremely low intelligence, are highly aggressive, and often act purely on instinct." He paused here, emphasizing, "This is also the most dangerous type of troll." Then he continued, "The second type: Forest Troll. They have pale green skin, allowing them to blend into forest environments. They are slightly smaller than Mountain Trolls but more muscular." They often use tree trunks or spiked clubs and live in dense forests, such as the primeval woodlands of Northern and Eastern Europe. Forest Trolls are slightly more intelligent than Mountain Trolls. They are skilled at ambushing prey and will attack intruders by camouflaging themselves or setting traps." Seeing the students' fearful expressions, Sagres calmly added, "No need to worry too much, because compared to Mountain Trolls, Forest Trolls are very sensitive to fire magic. Flames can effectively drive them away." He continued the introduction: "The third type—Swamp Troll, also known as River Troll. They have greyish-purple skin with scale-like textures, adapted to aquatic environments, and wide, webbed feet for easy movement on riverbeds. They have horn-like protrusions on their heads and sharp teeth, inhabiting swamps, rivers, and lakes—especially common in Northern Europe. This type of troll is skilled at diving and can lurk underwater for long periods to ambush prey. Their attack methods include biting or smashing with rocks. It's important to note that Swamp Trolls become weak if they stay out of water for too long, and dry environments will restrict their movement." At this point, Sagres reminded everyone, "Trolls are different from giants. Giants are intelligent creatures closer to humans, while trolls are entirely wild magical creatures. If any of you can't even tell the difference, Professor Kettleburn might just whack your heads hard with his alchemical prosthetic limb…" The students couldn't help but laugh out loud. Professor Kettleburn was their Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and he was covered in scars from frequent encounters with dangerous creatures—now left with only one leg and half an arm. Sagres continued, "All three types of trolls have thick skin and high magical resistance. Therefore, to deal with them, you need to combine knowledge of their weaknesses and habits, and choose targeted spells and strategies." He glanced at the students present and offered a sincere suggestion: "Of course, if you encounter a troll in the wild, my advice is to run away immediately." "It's not that I don't trust your abilities, but Trolls are creatures with nothing of value on their entire bodies. Hunting them is a waste of time... well, unless your monthly allowance is less than a G—I think you got my point." Seeing the students nod in agreement, Sagres continued explaining with satisfaction: "So, when you want to avoid a low-intelligence Troll, the Obstacle Charm, Disillusionment Charm, and Homorphus Charm are all good choices for you. The Obstacle Charm can hinder a Troll's movement, the Homorphus Charm can turn miscellaneous objects into brightly colored animals to attract a Troll's attention, and the Disillusionment Charm allows you to hide your form and retreat safely." A student raised their hand and asked, "But Professor, what if we can't avoid it?" "Then you must prepare to fight." Sagres wrote the words "General Principles" in the air with his wand, speaking seriously and earnestly: "First, maintain distance: Trolls are extremely strong but relatively clumsy in movement, so ranged attacks are safer. Second, exploit weaknesses: develop tactics based on the habitat and physiological characteristics of different Trolls. Third, teamwork: multiple people cooperating can distract a Troll and increase the success rate." Then he uncharacteristically posed a question to the students: "So, can anyone tell me which spells are best to use when fighting a Troll?" Everyone simultaneously raised their right hands. Sagres did not immediately choose someone to answer but instead reminded them, "As I said before, there are no bonus points in my class, and this time is no exception." The students still kept their hands raised. Sagres nodded, "Charles, you answer..." "Stupefy." "Robert, what about you?" "Conjunctivitis Curse, Professor." "Jenny..." "Expelliarmus might work." "Clarisse..." "I think Incendio and Lumos, Professor." "Angvar, what's your answer?" "I would use the Binding Spell, to tie their limbs." Sagres did not continue calling on students. He motioned for everyone to lower their hands. "As I said before, Trolls have high magical resistance. So, Charles, your Stupefy will have no effect unless it hits their head—and even then, it would probably only stun them for a few seconds." He waved his hand, and a raven flew in from outside the window, landing obediently on the lectern. It emitted a beam of light from its eyes, projecting an image of a Troll onto the blackboard. Sagres pointed at the image and said, "Don't forget, compared to their massive bodies, a Troll's head is pitifully small. So if you want to hit its head from a distance, your spell accuracy can't afford to be low." He continued his commentary: "While the Conjunctivitis Curse is indeed a good choice, it also needs to strike the head. Expelliarmus, however, is a complete mistake. Leaving aside whether you could even disarm it, even if you did, a wooden club weighing over a hundred pounds flying toward you... hah, the Troll probably wouldn't even need to lift a finger..." The students couldn't help but laugh again. Sagres didn't intervene; he now felt that a bit more laughter in class wouldn't hurt. "Incendio and Lumos can indeed have a significant effect on Forest Trolls. Once you ignite the club in their hand and the surrounding environment, you can effectively drive them away. The Binding Spell, however, requires very strong magical power to ensure they completely lose movement, as Trolls possess astonishing strength…" After reviewing everyone's answers, Sagres provided the standard answer suitable for students: "Considering your magical reserves and the number of spells you've mastered, I personally believe that an area-of-effect attack spell like the Multi-Shot Spell will make it easier for you to hit a Troll's head, while 'Flock of Birds' transfiguration can effectively interfere with a Troll's vision—Refer to my write thesis for revision." "Using these two in combination will yield excellent results." "As for dealing with Swamp Trolls, it's best to use the Freezing Charm. Freezing the water's surface can better restrict their movement, and the Drying Charm can also alter the environment to weaken their physical strength—provided you can cast it continuously." Finally, Sagres sternly warned everyone: "Additionally, there are two points to note: First, do not even think about engaging in close-quarters combat with a Troll—unless you are a Troll yourself. Second, try not to face them alone; unless absolutely necessary, always seek assistance." Seeing that the students had understood, he used his wand to write the mentioned spells on the blackboard: "Next, we will learn the magical node distribution of all the spells discussed in today's class. Everyone must master them proficiently before the next practical lesson…" A rustling of turning pages echoed through the classroom… When the dismissal bell rang, Sagres had already decided in his mind to give these underage Young Wizards a vivid and practical Charms lesson. It should be a few days before Christmas. At that time, he would gather all the students from both grades and all four Houses—and let them face a real Troll... "Professor... Professor Greengrass!" Sagres was just about to leave the classroom when several students called out to him. "Professor, I have a younger brother in fifth year who hasn't taken his OWLs yet. Can he audit your class?" Sagres looked puzzled. Since when were Hogwarts students so eager to learn? However, he ultimately shook his head. "That's not for me to decide, Field. Hogwarts has no such precedent." The Young Wizards immediately looked disappointed, but Sagres changed his tone: "However, perhaps you could go and ask Headmaster Dumbledore. After all, wanting to learn more isn't a bad thing." After he finished speaking, he turned and left. Upon hearing his words, the students immediately reacted and excitedly called out to their companions. They were going to gather as many people as possible and organize a petition at Hogwarts...