"No, Percy! Move!"
Ron's desperate shout echoed through the corridor as he saw his older brother frozen in place.
By the time Percy snapped out of his daze, it was already too late to draw his wand.
BANG!
A dull thud rang out.
Lin Mei stood before the towering troll, his expression cold and unwavering.
"Percy, leave these monsters to me. As Gryffindor's Prefect, your priority is protecting the younger students!"
Percy stared in shock, looking at the younger boy who was barely shorter than him yet radiated an overwhelming presence.
The next moment, a fiery aura burst from Lin Mei's body. With a single, devastating punch, the troll collapsed to the ground—unconscious.
"What?!"
"What?!"
"What?!"
The gasps of disbelief spread through the crowd.
Harry's jaw dropped as he stared at the troll—knocked out in an instant.
Percy, still dazed, barely registered Lin Mei's voice as he called out again, this time with a slight frown.
"Percy! Are you listening to me?"
Snapping back to reality, Percy quickly forced himself to focus. Though his mind was still reeling from what he'd just witnessed, he composed himself and shouted orders:
"All Gryffindor students, gather up! We must return to the dormitory immediately!"
His voice carried authority, and the once-panicked students rallied, following Percy as he led them away.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron rushed to Lin Mei's side.
"Lin! Hermione's still in the bathroom!" Harry said urgently. "Ron and I are really worried about her. We need to get her back to the dormitory!"
"Yeah, Lin! You're super strong! Can you come with us?" Ron asked, eyes filled with hope.
Lin Mei hesitated.
"Lin, is there a troll near Hermione?" he asked internally.
Alein's voice responded immediately, grim and serious.
"Yes. One is heading directly toward her. But other students in different houses are also under attack. Their situation is even more critical!"
Lin Mei's fists clenched.
"Damn it, Dumbledore! Did you overdo it this time? If students actually get hurt—or worse, die—the Ministry of Magic won't just let this slide!"
Alein's voice was eerily calm.
"You mean the most powerful wizard in this school? His situation is worse. There are more trolls concentrated where he is—far more than those wandering outside."
Lin Mei's eyes narrowed.
"Hiss… I underestimated Voldemort. Did he actually lure all the Forbidden Forest trolls here?!"
"Lin?" Harry's anxious voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
The entire school was now a battlefield—monsters roaming freely, students trapped in danger.
Lin Mei gritted his teeth.
"Harry, Ron!" He spoke with seriousness, his tone leaving no room for argument. "There's a troll approaching Hermione. Her safety is in your hands now."
"What?! Lin, how do you even know that? Also, are you saying you won't come with us?!" Harry's voice wavered between shock and frustration.
Lin Mei shook his head.
"Students from other houses are in even greater danger. I have to go help them. Hermione hasn't encountered the troll yet, so I'm trusting you two to reach her in time!"
Without waiting for their reply, Lin Mei's body blurred, propelled by wind magic as he raced toward Ravenclaw Tower.
Ravenclaw Tower stood on the north side of the castle.
The students huddled outside, anxiously trying to answer the eagle-shaped bronze door knocker's riddle—but in their panic, no one could focus enough to solve it.
Meanwhile, inside the corridor, a fierce battle was already underway.
Though Ravenclaw had plenty of upper-year students, their spells only managed to slow down the rampaging troll—not stop it.
Among them, Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw prefect, took the lead.
When she spotted the approaching troll earlier, she had immediately stepped forward. But now, she was under immense pressure.
The weapon in the troll's hand had long been blasted away with a Disarming Charm—but its thick hide made it incredibly resistant to damage.
At best, their spells could injure it.
But not take it down.
The Thunderbolt Explosion Curse they cast did some damage, but it only infuriated the troll, making it more aggressive.
More than once, the troll had charged through the spells, forcing the students to scatter in panic.
At this rate, they wouldn't last much longer.
"Come on! Answer the riddle already!" Penelope yelled at the frightened first-years, who were too shaken to think.
"If only Hogwarts actually taught lethal combat spells… we wouldn't be struggling like this!" she thought bitterly.
At that moment—
A calm voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Oh? Looks like you guys can handle this. Maybe I shouldn't have come here first."
The Ravenclaw students turned in shock.
Standing in front of the troll, completely unshaken, was Lin Mei of Gryffindor.
Penelope Clearwater nearly rushed forward to help when she saw how close the massive troll was to Lin Mei.
But what happened next left her completely speechless.
Her mouth hung open in shock.
Lin Mei planted her feet firmly, fists clenched, the muscles in her arms tensing like coiled springs. Despite her small frame, an astonishing amount of explosive power radiated from her stance.
With a low, focused exhale, she unleashed the true essence of Bajiquan—a devastating, cannon-like strike.
This was no ordinary punch.
It was a technique Lin Mei had learned during her time with the Lin family in Longguo, within the Marvel universe.
Some might wonder why Lin Mei rarely used martial arts in battle.
The reason was simple.
In the Lin family, there were far too many fighters stronger than her.
Her own father was even a candidate for Iron Fist—though Lin Mei had no idea that he had already claimed the title.
Because of this, she had always felt her combat skills weren't worth showing off, so she rarely relied on them.
But now—
This one punch carried the full force of her entire body, backed by years of instinct and precise judgment.
Her fist, hardened like forged iron, cut through the air in a blinding arc before slamming directly into the troll's chest.
The sheer force of the strike generated a howling wind, the sharp crack of air displacement making everyone present instinctively hold their breath.
"BANG!"
The deafening impact shook the entire corridor.
The massive troll—its body as heavy as a bronze bell—was sent hurtling backward like it had been struck by a sledgehammer.
With a thunderous boom, it smashed into the distant wall, leaving behind a deep crater-like depression.
A thick cloud of dust rose from the impact, obscuring the monster's quivering form.
It was clearly suffering from massive internal damage.
Lin Mei landed lightly on the ground, completely steady.
The only sign of exertion was the rosy flush on her face—a reaction from the surge of qi and blood throughout her body.
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