Reading settings
chapter 173 part 1
Chapter 170: What a Low-Key Tycoon Looks Like
"Quick, quick, get into groups! Your clothes are already dirty, how much dirtier can they get?"
In a clearing near the Forbidden Forest, William, clad in rain gear, was saying something that barely sounded human.
The children following behind him were too tired to even complain—the continuous heavy rain had made the paths throughout Hogwarts incredibly muddy. In the short time it took them to walk here, the hems of their robes had already turned the color of dirt.
It was only natural that they were damp. Unlike the Professor, who was fully kitted out, they had been soaked through on the way over.
"Get moving, and be careful not to catch a cold."
William raised his voice. "Rest assured, the kitchens have prepared hot soup for you. I've also arranged for cold remedies from the Hospital Wing, so don't worry about any logistical problems!"
Through the thick curtain of rain, William's magically amplified voice carried a great distance, leaving the students who had just formed their teams at a loss for words.
---
"William!"
Hagrid's voice was as distinct as his physique. The dainty little pink umbrella he held in his hand looked comical no matter how you looked at it.
'Isn't that umbrella a bit too small? And why isn't Hagrid opening it?'
The question popped into William's head.
'Is it a hidden weapon? A wand? No, that's not right. Giants, goblins, and the like can't own wands, but half-bloods can, right?'
Unable to figure it out immediately, William didn't dwell on it. "Hagrid, what brings you here?"
"I heard your voice, William—" Hagrid smiled, twirling the umbrella in his hand. "Are you teaching a class?"
"Yeah, that's right. I thought spellcasting in this kind of extreme environment would be a good experience for them—"
As William spoke, he kept an eye on the students out of the corner of his eye. This lesson was not without its dangers, and he didn't want any of these children to sustain any strange injuries.
"Pay attention, Rhys! We don't allow attempting that kind of hex!" William shouted at the boy who had just launched the attack, after blocking a rather aggressive hex with a Shield Charm.
"No problem, Professor!" the scolded student replied cheerfully, before rolling on the ground to dodge a Petrification Charm cast by his opponent in retaliation.
They adapted to the rain faster than William had imagined. It was as if once their robes were soaked, they couldn't get any wetter. They paid no mind to whether they were stepping in water or mud, fighting with exceptional glee.
'It's like watching little kids playing in the water—' William shook his head and looked back at Hagrid. "How have you been, Hagrid? This damn rain feels like it'll never end. It's a real headache."
"Haha," Hagrid laughed. "You get used to it. October at Hogwarts is always like this. It usually stops around November. By April or May, it's much better than now. Does this count as the school year getting better and better?"
*That's a rather philosophical thought. It doesn't sound like something you'd say...*
"Use a Counter-Curse! Are you not going to take responsibility after knocking him out?"
William turned his head and shouted at another child. "One point to Ravenclaw! Cast the Counter-Curse within a minute, then continue!"
"No problem, Professor! Will I get more points if I knock him down a few more times?"
The student who was yelled at didn't seem upset at all. He ran over to cast the Counter-Curse on his opponent, grinning back at William as he replied.
"You're dreaming, kid," William said, putting on a stern face without hesitation. "Anyone caught point farming will be scrubbing toilets. The Castle is covered in mud these days; we're short on hands."
The students chuckled and laughed, but the wands in their hands moved with even more vigor—not being able to farm points was a completely different matter from not being able to score them.
---
"Time's up. Class dismissed."
"Professor, there are still ten minutes left until class is over!"
When William announced the end of the lesson, the group of students, who were having a blast and had even gotten addicted to attacking each other in the rain and mud, had completely lost their initial reluctance.
"You have other classes. Are you planning to meet the other professors looking like this? Especially the girls. I don't think you'd be happy to be seen in the Castle corridors like this, would you?"
The group of mud-caked students now realized they could no longer tell the color of each other's robes and hastily rushed towards the Castle.
As William had said, they were all seventh-years now, the senior figures of their respective Houses. If the first and second-years saw them like this, the reputation they'd built up all through their years at Hogwarts would be completely ruined…
"The kitchens should have delivered the soup to your Common Rooms! I've also informed the Hospital Wing. They've brewed three times the usual amount of cold medicine today. Anyone feeling unwell, remember to go get some!" William shouted after the frantically running students, making sure they all heard him.
Hagrid, standing to the side, was already grinning from ear to ear. "William, are you done with classes for today? Fancy a drink?"
"Of course, let's go for a drink."
According to the plan William had originally set for himself, he should be looking at his research materials right now. However, plans couldn't keep up with changes. He was already struggling to teach in his current state. If he tried to research anything, he would become too irritable to read a single thing.
'I really can't read anymore,' William sighed. The good mood he'd been in during class vanished the moment he thought about the research materials.
'How can such a disgusting magical creature exist in this world!'
---
Hagrid's hut was much warmer than William had expected. The warm room made the cold that had seeped into his bones recede slightly.
"How have you been lately, William?" Hagrid asked as he took out some whiskey.
"Terrible. The rain at Hogwarts is ten times worse than I imagined," William took a sip of the Firewhisky and frowned—he wasn't used to it.
"I can tell. You're the first person to enter this hut and not complain about the heat," Hagrid said with a laugh, raising his bucket-sized cup and taking a large gulp. "I've discovered something good recently."
"Something good?"
William took another sip, getting used to the taste. "You make it sound so mysterious. Did you find a dragon?"
"A dragon? I raised one last year—but I had to send him away in the end. Poor little Norbert, he was only the size of a puppy when he hatched..."
William nearly spat out his drink. "You raised a dragon?"
"Yes, secretly. I had to send him away in the end. Poor Norbert. I hatched him from an egg, from a tiny little thing to that big—" Hagrid gestured with his hands, then took another hearty swig and looked up, as if reminiscing.
…
For a moment, William didn't know what to say. Raising a dragon privately was a serious crime—the very existence of a dragon egg was illegal, let alone hatching a dragon from it and raising it. This series of actions was a surefire ticket to Azkaban, and likely not in the minor offenders' section, but straight inside for some further study…
"So what are you raising now, Hagrid?"
"Fire Crabs. The rainy season is here, and I'm thinking of reducing their aggression, then training a batch to give to the professors as pets. They're much better than a fireplace."
…
'Thank you, Hagrid, but I'm afraid my office would be burned down by that thing...'
Although William had never studied or encountered this magical creature, the temperature in the hut had risen a few degrees just in the time they had been talking. 'Actually,' he thought, 'this creature would be great for a Turkish bath…'
"Can I see them?"
William said it as a polite courtesy, but Hagrid took him seriously. "Of course, of course! I'm sure they'll like you. To be honest, it's not easy to control these grumpy fellows. It took a lot of effort to get them to not attack me on sight."
"Come, come, William, over here. They seem to be in a good mood right now."
Hagrid quietly beckoned William over. William cautiously approached, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.
Chapter 170: What a Low-Key Tycoon Looks Like
"Quick, quick, get into groups! Your clothes are already dirty, how much dirtier can they get?"
In a clearing near the Forbidden Forest, William, clad in rain gear, was saying something that barely sounded human.
The children following behind him were too tired to even complain—the continuous heavy rain had made the paths throughout Hogwarts incredibly muddy. In the short time it took them to walk here, the hems of their robes had already turned the color of dirt.
It was only natural that they were damp. Unlike the Professor, who was fully kitted out, they had been soaked through on the way over.
"Get moving, and be careful not to catch a cold."
William raised his voice. "Rest assured, the kitchens have prepared hot soup for you. I've also arranged for cold remedies from the Hospital Wing, so don't worry about any logistical problems!"
Through the thick curtain of rain, William's magically amplified voice carried a great distance, leaving the students who had just formed their teams at a loss for words.
---
"William!"
Hagrid's voice was as distinct as his physique. The dainty little pink umbrella he held in his hand looked comical no matter how you looked at it.
'Isn't that umbrella a bit too small? And why isn't Hagrid opening it?'
The question popped into William's head.
'Is it a hidden weapon? A wand? No, that's not right. Giants, goblins, and the like can't own wands, but half-bloods can, right?'
Unable to figure it out immediately, William didn't dwell on it. "Hagrid, what brings you here?"
"I heard your voice, William—" Hagrid smiled, twirling the umbrella in his hand. "Are you teaching a class?"
"Yeah, that's right. I thought spellcasting in this kind of extreme environment would be a good experience for them—"
As William spoke, he kept an eye on the students out of the corner of his eye. This lesson was not without its dangers, and he didn't want any of these children to sustain any strange injuries.
"Pay attention, Rhys! We don't allow attempting that kind of hex!" William shouted at the boy who had just launched the attack, after blocking a rather aggressive hex with a Shield Charm.
"No problem, Professor!" the scolded student replied cheerfully, before rolling on the ground to dodge a Petrification Charm cast by his opponent in retaliation.
They adapted to the rain faster than William had imagined. It was as if once their robes were soaked, they couldn't get any wetter. They paid no mind to whether they were stepping in water or mud, fighting with exceptional glee.
'It's like watching little kids playing in the water—' William shook his head and looked back at Hagrid. "How have you been, Hagrid? This damn rain feels like it'll never end. It's a real headache."
"Haha," Hagrid laughed. "You get used to it. October at Hogwarts is always like this. It usually stops around November. By April or May, it's much better than now. Does this count as the school year getting better and better?"
*That's a rather philosophical thought. It doesn't sound like something you'd say...*
"Use a Counter-Curse! Are you not going to take responsibility after knocking him out?"
William turned his head and shouted at another child. "One point to Ravenclaw! Cast the Counter-Curse within a minute, then continue!"
"No problem, Professor! Will I get more points if I knock him down a few more times?"
The student who was yelled at didn't seem upset at all. He ran over to cast the Counter-Curse on his opponent, grinning back at William as he replied.
"You're dreaming, kid," William said, putting on a stern face without hesitation. "Anyone caught point farming will be scrubbing toilets. The Castle is covered in mud these days; we're short on hands."
The students chuckled and laughed, but the wands in their hands moved with even more vigor—not being able to farm points was a completely different matter from not being able to score them.
---
"Time's up. Class dismissed."
"Professor, there are still ten minutes left until class is over!"
When William announced the end of the lesson, the group of students, who were having a blast and had even gotten addicted to attacking each other in the rain and mud, had completely lost their initial reluctance.
"You have other classes. Are you planning to meet the other professors looking like this? Especially the girls. I don't think you'd be happy to be seen in the Castle corridors like this, would you?"
The group of mud-caked students now realized they could no longer tell the color of each other's robes and hastily rushed towards the Castle.
As William had said, they were all seventh-years now, the senior figures of their respective Houses. If the first and second-years saw them like this, the reputation they'd built up all through their years at Hogwarts would be completely ruined…
"The kitchens should have delivered the soup to your Common Rooms! I've also informed the Hospital Wing. They've brewed three times the usual amount of cold medicine today. Anyone feeling unwell, remember to go get some!" William shouted after the frantically running students, making sure they all heard him.
Hagrid, standing to the side, was already grinning from ear to ear. "William, are you done with classes for today? Fancy a drink?"
"Of course, let's go for a drink."
According to the plan William had originally set for himself, he should be looking at his research materials right now. However, plans couldn't keep up with changes. He was already struggling to teach in his current state. If he tried to research anything, he would become too irritable to read a single thing.
'I really can't read anymore,' William sighed. The good mood he'd been in during class vanished the moment he thought about the research materials.
'How can such a disgusting magical creature exist in this world!'
---
Hagrid's hut was much warmer than William had expected. The warm room made the cold that had seeped into his bones recede slightly.
"How have you been lately, William?" Hagrid asked as he took out some whiskey.
"Terrible. The rain at Hogwarts is ten times worse than I imagined," William took a sip of the Firewhisky and frowned—he wasn't used to it.
"I can tell. You're the first person to enter this hut and not complain about the heat," Hagrid said with a laugh, raising his bucket-sized cup and taking a large gulp. "I've discovered something good recently."
"Something good?"
William took another sip, getting used to the taste. "You make it sound so mysterious. Did you find a dragon?"
"A dragon? I raised one last year—but I had to send him away in the end. Poor little Norbert, he was only the size of a puppy when he hatched..."
William nearly spat out his drink. "You raised a dragon?"
"Yes, secretly. I had to send him away in the end. Poor Norbert. I hatched him from an egg, from a tiny little thing to that big—" Hagrid gestured with his hands, then took another hearty swig and looked up, as if reminiscing.
…
For a moment, William didn't know what to say. Raising a dragon privately was a serious crime—the very existence of a dragon egg was illegal, let alone hatching a dragon from it and raising it. This series of actions was a surefire ticket to Azkaban, and likely not in the minor offenders' section, but straight inside for some further study…
"So what are you raising now, Hagrid?"
"Fire Crabs. The rainy season is here, and I'm thinking of reducing their aggression, then training a batch to give to the professors as pets. They're much better than a fireplace."
…
'Thank you, Hagrid, but I'm afraid my office would be burned down by that thing...'
Although William had never studied or encountered this magical creature, the temperature in the hut had risen a few degrees just in the time they had been talking. 'Actually,' he thought, 'this creature would be great for a Turkish bath…'
"Can I see them?"
William said it as a polite courtesy, but Hagrid took him seriously. "Of course, of course! I'm sure they'll like you. To be honest, it's not easy to control these grumpy fellows. It took a lot of effort to get them to not attack me on sight."
"Come, come, William, over here. They seem to be in a good mood right now."
Hagrid quietly beckoned William over. William cautiously approached, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.
