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Chapter 145: A Return to the Normal Teaching Life
"How strange... has it already become June?"
William set down the lesson plan in his hand and offered his students a rather business-like smile—in other words, the kind that was obviously fake.
But evidently, the fifth-year students before him didn't grasp the true meaning of his smile.
"Professor, it's only September, the first month of school," a student responded quietly.
"Ha, so you do know it's September? I thought it was already the end of June, that the O.W.L.s were over, and that you were all happily calculating whether you'd get an O or an E!"
William pointed at the students.
"You, you, and you. The three of you, hand over the note you were just passing. Three points from Ravenclaw."
The authority William had established in less than a month since the start of school ensured his command was carried out without question.
"You three, hand in your notebooks after class. If your notes are subpar, you'll have an extra essay to write. Now, let's continue the lesson!"
The once noisy classroom immediately fell silent. William nodded in satisfaction, then picked up a second-year textbook and began a cram session for these fifth-year students.
'Exams are all the same at their core. While I won't go so far as to hold some 100-day countdown rally for the O.W.L.s, three rounds of review should be fine. I just have to control the pace and not push these kids too hard. Professor McGonagall and the others may not assign many test papers, but they are certainly not shy about assigning essays...'
After a rapid-fire cram session that hit all the key points, William figured their efficiency would drop if he continued, so he let them take a short breather.
"Alright, take a look at the practice problems I just wrote on the chalkboard. Try to analyze them. I'll start explaining them in five minutes."
Five minutes should be enough for them to catch up on their notes and finish the problems—a good way to switch gears.
—
While the students buried their heads in their notebooks, William strode toward the classroom door. With the students and the classroom behind him, he leaned against the wall and pulled out a lollipop.
'Right, time to give them a breather. If I'm in there, they won't even dare to breathe too loudly.'
He effortlessly tore open the wrapper, stuck the candy in his mouth, and felt like humming a little tune.
'This is so much better. Teaching without all those troublesome matters is just refreshing. That blasted diadem was giving me a massive headache.'
Turning the candy over in his mouth, William couldn't help but think back to yesterday's events.
To be honest, even a full day later, he still found yesterday's happenings utterly surreal.
He had just been standing there when a diadem with a thousand years of history practically fell on his head. It felt like a dream—if it weren't for the extremely thorny problems associated with the diadem, it probably would have ended up in his hands right then and there.
'Professor Flitwick must be worrying his head off again, right?'
William couldn't help but think of the good-natured man. Having to deal with a successor as willful as Lady Helena Ravenclaw would drive any Head of House half-mad.
Honestly, if the diadem hadn't been hyped up so much, to the point where William was still somewhat captivated by its miraculous effects, he would have donated it to Ravenclaw on the spot.
'Its value and history are all superficial—the wisdom it grants is just too terrifying. If I could wear it and study for five years... no, three, even just two years would be enough, I should have sufficient power to protect myself, instead of being like I am now, nearly turning half the school upside down in a panic over a rooster.'
'Right, didn't I get a Treasure Chest yesterday? I was so shocked I forgot to open it.'
Without much hope, he tapped it open. A strangely large chest appeared before his eyes.
[Weasley Twins (R): Is he George, and he's Fred? Or is it the other way around?
Twin Skill: Tear this card to select an additional card during a draw.]
[Prankster Weasley (R): Filch caught two students again. What? How did you know it was those twins?
Prank Skill: Tear this card to set a magical trap. The type of trap is random, and its effect is related to your magic power.]
[Decoder Weasley (SR): This thing is strange. Let's try this, then that... this should work?
Decryption Skill: Tear this card to explore an unknown domain. Exploration is guaranteed to succeed. Duration is unknown. Time and magic power consumed are related to relevant knowledge, luck, and the difficulty of the puzzle.]
!!!
This system is a rip-off!
That was William's first reaction—there are two twins, so the system swindled him out of one card!
No wonder the Treasure Chest had a question mark. Of course it would, after cheating me out of a card!
'I could have chosen both of the cards I wanted most, and now I have to pick one of two again?'
The candy in his mouth suddenly lost its sweetness, and William began to crunch it loudly. How was he supposed to choose?
A guaranteed success Decryption Card, and a card that would let him pick two in a future draw. He let out a breath, preparing to try a clever trick.
'I'll choose the first card, use it immediately, and activate the Meal Coupon—if it works, at least I won't have to agonize over the choice. If it doesn't, it won't be as painful.'
It was a bit of a slap in the face, though—last time he'd resolved to use the next Meal Coupon he drew. And now...
'So what if I have to eat my words? This is a price worth paying.' Having made his decision, William operated the system as fast as he could.
—
'That's it?'
When two cards lay quietly in his card inventory, William felt dejected again. The two cards were there, sure, but he felt absolutely no sense of control over the practical application of the system's skills.
Drawing the cards, using the Meal Coupon—it all happened within the system, offering no tangible experience whatsoever.
But the Meal Coupon was gone.
'It's gone, so be it. I'll just wait for the next one. It's not like I can't be a professor without the system, right?'
William comforted himself. Without the system, he had still organized the students to find that troublesome diadem. Without the system, he was still doing a fine job as a professor, and neither the Headmaster nor the other professors had any objections.
'Even though I'm a bit of a hoarder and hate to use things, I can still get the job done properly. What good did having the system do back in Azkaban—wasn't I still too scared to attempt a prison break?'
"Professor?"
Just as William was getting worked up giving himself a pep talk, a student's timid voice came from beside him.
"What is it, Nancy?"
"Five minutes are up, and we've finished the problems. But we saw that you hadn't come back in, so I came out to look for you—"
The young girl didn't dare to look William in the eye—not out of shyness, but out of fear.
'See? You're gone for a moment and the students already miss you. William, you must put even more effort into your teaching!'
About ten minutes later, William's voice, not loud but powerful enough to make the entire classroom tremble, rang out once more.
"All of you! You're in your fifth year, and this is second-year material! Didn't you review this topic beforehand? You'll have an extra test paper to complete over the weekend!"
As he spoke, William pulled out a pre-prepared stack of test papers from his bag. 'Damn it, I was too shocked yesterday. I should have left these in my office so I would have an excuse to go back and get them!'
ps: Writing was a bit slow today, the second chapter will likely be posted in the morning…
(end of chapter)
"How strange... has it already become June?"
William set down the lesson plan in his hand and offered his students a rather business-like smile—in other words, the kind that was obviously fake.
But evidently, the fifth-year students before him didn't grasp the true meaning of his smile.
"Professor, it's only September, the first month of school," a student responded quietly.
"Ha, so you do know it's September? I thought it was already the end of June, that the O.W.L.s were over, and that you were all happily calculating whether you'd get an O or an E!"
William pointed at the students.
"You, you, and you. The three of you, hand over the note you were just passing. Three points from Ravenclaw."
The authority William had established in less than a month since the start of school ensured his command was carried out without question.
"You three, hand in your notebooks after class. If your notes are subpar, you'll have an extra essay to write. Now, let's continue the lesson!"
The once noisy classroom immediately fell silent. William nodded in satisfaction, then picked up a second-year textbook and began a cram session for these fifth-year students.
'Exams are all the same at their core. While I won't go so far as to hold some 100-day countdown rally for the O.W.L.s, three rounds of review should be fine. I just have to control the pace and not push these kids too hard. Professor McGonagall and the others may not assign many test papers, but they are certainly not shy about assigning essays...'
After a rapid-fire cram session that hit all the key points, William figured their efficiency would drop if he continued, so he let them take a short breather.
"Alright, take a look at the practice problems I just wrote on the chalkboard. Try to analyze them. I'll start explaining them in five minutes."
Five minutes should be enough for them to catch up on their notes and finish the problems—a good way to switch gears.
—
While the students buried their heads in their notebooks, William strode toward the classroom door. With the students and the classroom behind him, he leaned against the wall and pulled out a lollipop.
'Right, time to give them a breather. If I'm in there, they won't even dare to breathe too loudly.'
He effortlessly tore open the wrapper, stuck the candy in his mouth, and felt like humming a little tune.
'This is so much better. Teaching without all those troublesome matters is just refreshing. That blasted diadem was giving me a massive headache.'
Turning the candy over in his mouth, William couldn't help but think back to yesterday's events.
To be honest, even a full day later, he still found yesterday's happenings utterly surreal.
He had just been standing there when a diadem with a thousand years of history practically fell on his head. It felt like a dream—if it weren't for the extremely thorny problems associated with the diadem, it probably would have ended up in his hands right then and there.
'Professor Flitwick must be worrying his head off again, right?'
William couldn't help but think of the good-natured man. Having to deal with a successor as willful as Lady Helena Ravenclaw would drive any Head of House half-mad.
Honestly, if the diadem hadn't been hyped up so much, to the point where William was still somewhat captivated by its miraculous effects, he would have donated it to Ravenclaw on the spot.
'Its value and history are all superficial—the wisdom it grants is just too terrifying. If I could wear it and study for five years... no, three, even just two years would be enough, I should have sufficient power to protect myself, instead of being like I am now, nearly turning half the school upside down in a panic over a rooster.'
'Right, didn't I get a Treasure Chest yesterday? I was so shocked I forgot to open it.'
Without much hope, he tapped it open. A strangely large chest appeared before his eyes.
[Weasley Twins (R): Is he George, and he's Fred? Or is it the other way around?
Twin Skill: Tear this card to select an additional card during a draw.]
[Prankster Weasley (R): Filch caught two students again. What? How did you know it was those twins?
Prank Skill: Tear this card to set a magical trap. The type of trap is random, and its effect is related to your magic power.]
[Decoder Weasley (SR): This thing is strange. Let's try this, then that... this should work?
Decryption Skill: Tear this card to explore an unknown domain. Exploration is guaranteed to succeed. Duration is unknown. Time and magic power consumed are related to relevant knowledge, luck, and the difficulty of the puzzle.]
!!!
This system is a rip-off!
That was William's first reaction—there are two twins, so the system swindled him out of one card!
No wonder the Treasure Chest had a question mark. Of course it would, after cheating me out of a card!
'I could have chosen both of the cards I wanted most, and now I have to pick one of two again?'
The candy in his mouth suddenly lost its sweetness, and William began to crunch it loudly. How was he supposed to choose?
A guaranteed success Decryption Card, and a card that would let him pick two in a future draw. He let out a breath, preparing to try a clever trick.
'I'll choose the first card, use it immediately, and activate the Meal Coupon—if it works, at least I won't have to agonize over the choice. If it doesn't, it won't be as painful.'
It was a bit of a slap in the face, though—last time he'd resolved to use the next Meal Coupon he drew. And now...
'So what if I have to eat my words? This is a price worth paying.' Having made his decision, William operated the system as fast as he could.
—
'That's it?'
When two cards lay quietly in his card inventory, William felt dejected again. The two cards were there, sure, but he felt absolutely no sense of control over the practical application of the system's skills.
Drawing the cards, using the Meal Coupon—it all happened within the system, offering no tangible experience whatsoever.
But the Meal Coupon was gone.
'It's gone, so be it. I'll just wait for the next one. It's not like I can't be a professor without the system, right?'
William comforted himself. Without the system, he had still organized the students to find that troublesome diadem. Without the system, he was still doing a fine job as a professor, and neither the Headmaster nor the other professors had any objections.
'Even though I'm a bit of a hoarder and hate to use things, I can still get the job done properly. What good did having the system do back in Azkaban—wasn't I still too scared to attempt a prison break?'
"Professor?"
Just as William was getting worked up giving himself a pep talk, a student's timid voice came from beside him.
"What is it, Nancy?"
"Five minutes are up, and we've finished the problems. But we saw that you hadn't come back in, so I came out to look for you—"
The young girl didn't dare to look William in the eye—not out of shyness, but out of fear.
'See? You're gone for a moment and the students already miss you. William, you must put even more effort into your teaching!'
About ten minutes later, William's voice, not loud but powerful enough to make the entire classroom tremble, rang out once more.
"All of you! You're in your fifth year, and this is second-year material! Didn't you review this topic beforehand? You'll have an extra test paper to complete over the weekend!"
As he spoke, William pulled out a pre-prepared stack of test papers from his bag. 'Damn it, I was too shocked yesterday. I should have left these in my office so I would have an excuse to go back and get them!'
ps: Writing was a bit slow today, the second chapter will likely be posted in the morning…
(end of chapter)
