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**Chapter 119: Generous Hagrid**
**2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon**
William believed that in most cases, he was a man of his word.
Since he had promised to release the rabbits after the experiment, he would certainly do so—and to release them, he had to ensure they were alive.
This was no simple matter. Although, in theory, it was just one student creating a wound and another attempting healing, it wasn't something students could easily accomplish.
Let alone fifth-year students, even Hogwarts graduates who could perfectly control the intensity of their spells to achieve the desired spellcasting effect would have to be among the elite of the elite.
Therefore, throughout the practical class, he had to employ all his skills to deal with various unforeseen situations—the most common being the insufficient intensity of the Stunning Spells cast by the students, causing the rabbits to wake up and fiercely bite a classmate's finger, then quickly escaping from the students' hands and attempting to get away.
There were even two who attempted to directly release spells for the experiment without stunning the animals, and William severely reprimanded them—he was there to teach healing, not torture.
"Class dismissed!"
It was the first time William had announced "Class dismissed!" in such a flustered state—since becoming a professor, it was the first time a lesson had felt so draining.
The students, however, had a great time. Compared to other courses where they repeatedly practiced a single spell, the practice in Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the most enjoyable, especially with the frequent incidents today, which made the children so happy they almost forgot how miserable the day had been.
"Hufflepuff students, come to the front, form a line, and leave after placing the rabbits back in the cages."
William, who had finally calmed down, leaned against a wooden cage and caught his breath before announcing to everyone.
"Professor?"
A few Hufflepuffs voiced their confusion, but William had no intention of explaining—since he had said he would release them, he certainly couldn't give the Hufflepuff students a chance to make a mistake.
Such a pile of fresh ingredients, if not collected seriously, would be a double irresponsibility towards both the rabbits and the students.
A group of Hufflepuffs sighed as they returned their rabbits. Subsequently, the Ravenclaws who had been in class with them also obediently returned their rabbits under William's watchful eye and reluctantly left the classroom—a few of them didn't seem to want to eat them, but rather, by their demeanor, appeared to want to keep them as pets.
'Fifth-year students, what are they thinking, eating them or keeping them? I'll have to make a trip to the Forbidden Forest later to release this batch of rabbits.'
William carried the cage, feeling as if something was still amiss.
Was today too busy?
No, that's not it. This afternoon's main lesson was the same, and there are still plenty of rabbits, enough for three years; there's no need to worry about the class.
Feeling troubled?
Not really. Compared to the rabbits that underwent the experiment, these ones, though they suffered an undeserved calamity, still had their lives. They would be released soon.
Right—homework!
William quickly rushed out of the classroom, realizing that the students hadn't caught on to this yet—at least they hadn't run away.
'Thank goodness, I realized it in time. It would have been too late if I had waited until they reached the common room doorway to assign it.'
"Students who just had class, please come back for a moment. Today's homework hasn't been assigned yet!"
The students who were originally discussing the class content happily in the distance suddenly froze at the professor's voice behind them—they had been too happy during the class and had forgotten about the homework!
'Should we run?'
The students exchanged glances. At that moment, both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seemed to communicate tacitly with their eyes.
Unfortunately, after a long pause, no one dared to lead the escape.
'Where are the Gryffindors?! Damn it, they're everywhere when you don't need them, but when you do, you can't see a single one!'
For the first time ever, the students from both houses complained about Gryffindor.
—
"Students who just had class, please come back for a moment..."
William's voice passed through the thick wall into the passageway, causing the Gryffindors, who were covered in dust and exploring a Secret Passage, to pause.
"That voice sounds familiar—is it that Professor?"
The Gryffindors, who had all stopped their actions, pondered for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion.
"Did you hear what he said?"
"A few words. You?"
"About the same."
After piecing together bits and pieces for a while, the group finally got the message they had almost missed.
"Merlin—there's a professor like this?"
"The students have all left, and he's calling them back to assign homework! Hogwarts has never had such an outrageous professor, not even Professor McGonagall would do that."
"Wait, does Professor McGonagall ever forget to assign homework?"
"Can't remember. When Quidditch training is busy, the professor exempts us from homework, so the professor wouldn't specifically go out to assign it, right?"
A brief silence fell within the Secret Passage. Then, a lemon scent began to spread through the Secret Passage.
—
"Run, run closer—I didn't leave any marks for you. Next time I won't come here to catch you, and if you still get caught, I truly won't recognize you."
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, William carried a cage of teaching aids, opened the cage, and released them.
There were plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest; if these were gone, he'd just catch more.
Waiting for the rabbits to disappear into the forest, William rewarded himself with a piece of chocolate while casually walking towards Hagrid's Hut—the rabbits were released, and it was a good time to greet Hagrid before returning to the Castle.
"William, did you go catch rabbits again?"
From a distance, Hagrid spotted William and enthusiastically greeted him.
"No, those were the rabbits that had just finished assisting with the class. I released them—is it alright if I catch them somewhere else, Hagrid?"
"Of course. There are plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest, especially this year. The centaur lads have been complaining that it's rabbits every day."
"Huh? Centaurs don't eat grass?"
William was momentarily stunned—his knowledge of centaurs was limited to essays he knew the names of but hadn't read. As recognized intelligent creatures, centaurs, though refusing to be categorized as human, had still not been thoroughly researched.
"Of course not, they hunt."
Hagrid let out a good-natured laugh, lifting something in his hand—which immediately made William's expression change.
It was a rooster.
"Another attack?"
He asked urgently.
"Attack?"
Hagrid paused, then suddenly understood.
"No, no, no, no attack. Didn't Professor Adams say he wanted to eat rooster yesterday? I'd eaten it all, so today I specially slaughtered one, planning to call Professor Adams over later."
He slaughtered it himself—William breathed a sigh of relief.
"Didn't you say you relied on them for their crowing?"
"Mhm, so I went to buy roosters early this morning. I bought over a dozen—you wouldn't believe it, they almost deafened me on the way back."
Hagrid's smile was honest and simple. Clearly, failing to provide the professor with a rooster yesterday had bothered him a little, so now he intended to make the professor sick of roosters.
'Adams, you're going to have quite a meal now.'
William silently looked towards the Castle—even the tastiest chicken couldn't be prepared a dozen at a time, could it?
(end of chapter)
**2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon**
William believed that in most cases, he was a man of his word.
Since he had promised to release the rabbits after the experiment, he would certainly do so—and to release them, he had to ensure they were alive.
This was no simple matter. Although, in theory, it was just one student creating a wound and another attempting healing, it wasn't something students could easily accomplish.
Let alone fifth-year students, even Hogwarts graduates who could perfectly control the intensity of their spells to achieve the desired spellcasting effect would have to be among the elite of the elite.
Therefore, throughout the practical class, he had to employ all his skills to deal with various unforeseen situations—the most common being the insufficient intensity of the Stunning Spells cast by the students, causing the rabbits to wake up and fiercely bite a classmate's finger, then quickly escaping from the students' hands and attempting to get away.
There were even two who attempted to directly release spells for the experiment without stunning the animals, and William severely reprimanded them—he was there to teach healing, not torture.
"Class dismissed!"
It was the first time William had announced "Class dismissed!" in such a flustered state—since becoming a professor, it was the first time a lesson had felt so draining.
The students, however, had a great time. Compared to other courses where they repeatedly practiced a single spell, the practice in Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the most enjoyable, especially with the frequent incidents today, which made the children so happy they almost forgot how miserable the day had been.
"Hufflepuff students, come to the front, form a line, and leave after placing the rabbits back in the cages."
William, who had finally calmed down, leaned against a wooden cage and caught his breath before announcing to everyone.
"Professor?"
A few Hufflepuffs voiced their confusion, but William had no intention of explaining—since he had said he would release them, he certainly couldn't give the Hufflepuff students a chance to make a mistake.
Such a pile of fresh ingredients, if not collected seriously, would be a double irresponsibility towards both the rabbits and the students.
A group of Hufflepuffs sighed as they returned their rabbits. Subsequently, the Ravenclaws who had been in class with them also obediently returned their rabbits under William's watchful eye and reluctantly left the classroom—a few of them didn't seem to want to eat them, but rather, by their demeanor, appeared to want to keep them as pets.
'Fifth-year students, what are they thinking, eating them or keeping them? I'll have to make a trip to the Forbidden Forest later to release this batch of rabbits.'
William carried the cage, feeling as if something was still amiss.
Was today too busy?
No, that's not it. This afternoon's main lesson was the same, and there are still plenty of rabbits, enough for three years; there's no need to worry about the class.
Feeling troubled?
Not really. Compared to the rabbits that underwent the experiment, these ones, though they suffered an undeserved calamity, still had their lives. They would be released soon.
Right—homework!
William quickly rushed out of the classroom, realizing that the students hadn't caught on to this yet—at least they hadn't run away.
'Thank goodness, I realized it in time. It would have been too late if I had waited until they reached the common room doorway to assign it.'
"Students who just had class, please come back for a moment. Today's homework hasn't been assigned yet!"
The students who were originally discussing the class content happily in the distance suddenly froze at the professor's voice behind them—they had been too happy during the class and had forgotten about the homework!
'Should we run?'
The students exchanged glances. At that moment, both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seemed to communicate tacitly with their eyes.
Unfortunately, after a long pause, no one dared to lead the escape.
'Where are the Gryffindors?! Damn it, they're everywhere when you don't need them, but when you do, you can't see a single one!'
For the first time ever, the students from both houses complained about Gryffindor.
—
"Students who just had class, please come back for a moment..."
William's voice passed through the thick wall into the passageway, causing the Gryffindors, who were covered in dust and exploring a Secret Passage, to pause.
"That voice sounds familiar—is it that Professor?"
The Gryffindors, who had all stopped their actions, pondered for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion.
"Did you hear what he said?"
"A few words. You?"
"About the same."
After piecing together bits and pieces for a while, the group finally got the message they had almost missed.
"Merlin—there's a professor like this?"
"The students have all left, and he's calling them back to assign homework! Hogwarts has never had such an outrageous professor, not even Professor McGonagall would do that."
"Wait, does Professor McGonagall ever forget to assign homework?"
"Can't remember. When Quidditch training is busy, the professor exempts us from homework, so the professor wouldn't specifically go out to assign it, right?"
A brief silence fell within the Secret Passage. Then, a lemon scent began to spread through the Secret Passage.
—
"Run, run closer—I didn't leave any marks for you. Next time I won't come here to catch you, and if you still get caught, I truly won't recognize you."
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, William carried a cage of teaching aids, opened the cage, and released them.
There were plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest; if these were gone, he'd just catch more.
Waiting for the rabbits to disappear into the forest, William rewarded himself with a piece of chocolate while casually walking towards Hagrid's Hut—the rabbits were released, and it was a good time to greet Hagrid before returning to the Castle.
"William, did you go catch rabbits again?"
From a distance, Hagrid spotted William and enthusiastically greeted him.
"No, those were the rabbits that had just finished assisting with the class. I released them—is it alright if I catch them somewhere else, Hagrid?"
"Of course. There are plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest, especially this year. The centaur lads have been complaining that it's rabbits every day."
"Huh? Centaurs don't eat grass?"
William was momentarily stunned—his knowledge of centaurs was limited to essays he knew the names of but hadn't read. As recognized intelligent creatures, centaurs, though refusing to be categorized as human, had still not been thoroughly researched.
"Of course not, they hunt."
Hagrid let out a good-natured laugh, lifting something in his hand—which immediately made William's expression change.
It was a rooster.
"Another attack?"
He asked urgently.
"Attack?"
Hagrid paused, then suddenly understood.
"No, no, no, no attack. Didn't Professor Adams say he wanted to eat rooster yesterday? I'd eaten it all, so today I specially slaughtered one, planning to call Professor Adams over later."
He slaughtered it himself—William breathed a sigh of relief.
"Didn't you say you relied on them for their crowing?"
"Mhm, so I went to buy roosters early this morning. I bought over a dozen—you wouldn't believe it, they almost deafened me on the way back."
Hagrid's smile was honest and simple. Clearly, failing to provide the professor with a rooster yesterday had bothered him a little, so now he intended to make the professor sick of roosters.
'Adams, you're going to have quite a meal now.'
William silently looked towards the Castle—even the tastiest chicken couldn't be prepared a dozen at a time, could it?
(end of chapter)
