Almost clear evidence
"In Merlin's name, what is going on here?" McGonagall watched them like a hawk. "Can someone tell me what happened?"
"Excuse me, Professor, but before any explanation, Hermione has been attacked by the troll and urgently needs to visit the hospital wing," Aurelius said earnestly as he took the dazed witch's hand and walked past the startled teachers. "We can talk later when the troll has been dealt with, and the threat has passed.
"Mr. Galegold!" McGonagall said in surprise.
"Priorities, Professor," Aurelius's voice trailed off. "If you're in such a rush for an explanation, ask Potter. He'll be a truer version than any other witness among those left in the bathroom."
The teachers unconsciously looked at Ron and nodded in unison, and they understood what Aurelius meant.
"Minerva, please escort your young lions back to their common room," the headmaster requested, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Severus if you would be so kind as to escort Miss Granger and Mr. Galegold to the medical wing. And Quirrell, I'll have to pester you to take care of the troll. You all will be informed when we know there are no more dangers in the castle. The students may return to their dorms afterward."
...On the way to the infirmary...
Hermione finally managed to process everything that had just happened and snap out of her stunned state.
"Thank you for saving me," she thanked. "But why were you there?"
"I'm wondering the same thing. Explain yourself, Aurelius." order Snape.
"After correcting the headmaster's order and following the Gryffindor prefect to their common room, I noticed Potter and Ron separating from the group. Initially, I thought they were looking to fight the troll, so I informed the prefect before trying to catch up with them and take them back," he recounted in a clear voice.
"Only after seeing Hermione present did I understand they left to warn Hermione of the troll and return before any danger would occur. After finding them, they panicked and were too stunned to act since the troll had already started attacking Hermione. I pushed them aside and took action to ensure that Ms. Granger had at least an opportunity to run, so I used an augmenti charm to cover its eyes and focus on removing the water. And hopefully, the brute would pass out if I kept the spell active long enough."
"A creative approach, quite weak but effective," Snape nodded approvingly.
"What I don't understand is how a 4 meter(15 feet) tall troll had managed not only to get through the school's defenses, it had managed to end up in the lavatory at the other end of the school on the first floor passed many halls if it was in the dungeons," he commented in tone noting his suspicions.
"Certainly..." Snape narrowed his eyes.
When Madam Pomfrey found out that the troll attacked Hermione, she gave her a full checkup, and the results were only minor bruises from her fall and some mental trauma. She fed her healing potion for the bruises, gave her a piece of chocolate, and ordered her to stay in the infirmary until morning, barring any argument.
After being informed that everything was fine by the paintings, Snape escorted Aurelius to the Galegold common room after leaving the infirmary at Auerlius's request. The last thing he wanted was to be in a room of excitable kids who would be entertained by Ronald's nonsensical ramblings.
"Professor,…..is Quirrell to be trusted?" asked the diminutive student.
"What makes you ask that?" Snape looked at him carefully.
After seeing how Snape gave him his full attention, he continued, "First, as a teacher, especially in the defense against the dark arts, he is pathetic. He teaches nothing but the theory I could read myself in the book. The only thing I became proficient in his class is the bubble head charm to protect myself from all the garlic he uses to hide the scent of decay. Second, part of his role as a defense against dark arts teacher, is it not his responsibility to be proficient enough to handle situations like this? Additionally, he ran into the great hall like a loon instead of approaching the staff table and reporting it to the staff to prevent panic. He made his way as conspicuously as possible through the large doors, yelled that a troll was in the dungeons, and fainted. Lastly, it turns out that the troll was quite far away from the dungeons and happened to be near a student who was alone and knew nothing of the danger. It all seems so idiotic and coincidental that it seems deliberate. I think most of the older students have come to a similar conclusion." He said.
'Pulling in the older students should protect me against simply getting obliviated," he thought.
Snape was astounded at the young boy's skill in deductive reasoning. He was somewhat doubtful that more than a couple of the more intelligent students came up with similar conclusions, but most were too simple-minded. He realized Aurelius was far too intelligent not to pick up if he lied or used occlumency to hide his micro-expressions.
The headmaster's plans were already in play; the best he could do was to steer him away.
"I'll tell the headmaster of your suspicions, but I think regardless, you should always keep an observant eye on everyone," he said.
"I understand, Professor. Good night." He responded before leaving for his common room.
'What a mess, a first-year student was able to uncover so much from a single event. I'll need to inform Albus of the situation with Mr. Galegold. Mr. Galegold may have pushed some suspicion off himself when he claimed other students would do the same, but his thoughts are not without merit. A few other students likely made the same observations and deductions.' He could only steer away the curious child because his other methods were out due to him being a natural occlumens, a head of a noble house and founder no less, and Lily's adoptive son. The castle would kill me sooner before allowing me to use something like a confundus or obliviate. And I'd sooner kill Quirrell without being discovered before I harm Lily's adoptive son. That James spawn I will leave to his own devices.
Soon after getting to bed, a fleeting thought entered his head. 'Perhaps Dumbledore knew? After all, he may be senile, but he's smart. If he knew where the troll was, then his actions wouldn't be considered nonsensical. It could be that he didn't realize that he indirectly revealed that he knew the location of the troll. After all, they found the troll almost immediately after it had been defeated. It seems far too coincidental not to have been orchestrated.'
'Damn it. I guess the nonsense of turning Harry into a martyr was really from the machinations of a man willing to sacrifice the few to save the many. It's funny how that works out since he didn't kill Tom or Grindelwald. Or wasn't willing to kill off death eaters despite their deaths would save countless others and would have ended the war that claimed the lives of his order of the phoenix's members who only used nonlethal methods. The war between Harry Potter and Voldemort ended due to the deaths of multiple crazy people like Molly Weasley, who killed Bellatrix Lestrange, and Harry killed Voldemort.'