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chapter 174 part 1
Chapter 171: When Professor Lockhart Became Good
Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
"My goodness, why has so much work piled up?"
In his office, William, whose mood had finally lifted, felt a headache coming on as he sipped his hot chocolate and reviewed his schedule for October.
Although the end of the rainy season had restored his energy, no one had helped him with the work he'd fallen behind on. Just looking at the gaps in his schedule was enough to break William's heart—when in the world would he ever catch up?
But he had to. The Dark Lord had also placed a curse on his own past. Aside from William, who already bore the curse, anyone else he involved would be met with misfortune. He couldn't let anyone else handle it.
*'What else can I do? I'll just have to investigate slowly. In any case, that Dark Lord definitely won't be resurrected this year, so I still have a fair bit of time... sigh...'*
William sighed and finally set down the thick stack of files. Having just managed to recover from that suffocating atmosphere, he felt he could distract himself by writing exam papers and grading essays. Otherwise, in this continually declining state, he was afraid he would work himself to death...
*'I should have another piece of chocolate. After a month of rain, I've actually lost nearly ten pounds—unbelievable.'*
As he thought this, William reached for a Chocolate Frog sitting next to the chocolate.
—
"Indeed, a weekend without rain is a true weekend!"
When he woke up, the comforter no longer felt damp, and warm sunlight streamed in through the window, filling William's heart with joy.
"It's past time for breakfast, but I still need to eat something good."
"Bart, could you bring me some breakfast? A little extra, please. I feel like I could eat a double portion!"
The house-elf was as reliable as ever. In less than five minutes, Bart had arrived with William's breakfast in a small basket.
Smoked fish, bacon, ham... The house-elf seemed to have a unique understanding of "double portion," bringing half a basket of meat. Yet, William didn't find it overly greasy. After devouring all the food Bart had brought, he even felt a little hungry still.
"I'm alive again!"
After finishing another bag of preserved fruit, William was finally satisfied. The fresh air, the delicious food, the warmth of the sun—all these wonderful things tore through the gloom and returned to him, making him despise the damned rainy weather even more.
*'Before next year's rainy season, I have to find a way to learn the Patronus Charm!'*
William took out his diary and added this sentence below the line "Beware of Weasley."
—
The staff room was always bustling. Even the less talkative professors liked to come here for a sit-down when they had nothing important to do, listening to the younger professors discuss gossip and the like.
The professors at Hogwarts were great in every way, but they all shared a common flaw—an eagerness to lecture others.
It couldn't be helped; it was a deep-seated professional hazard that was simply impossible to change.
Therefore, some discussions in the staff room could get quite deep, continuing until one side ran out of things to say. However, such discussions were rare. Even among the Hogwarts professors, true polymaths were nearly nonexistent. Most only had a passing knowledge and couldn't speak on subjects with much depth.
"So, you see, a genius adventurer like Professor Lockhart was just a bit unaccustomed to teaching at first. After adapting to the school for a while, his classes have become quite respectable."
"Isn't that just how it is? Look, he ventures out, then tests the waters, then ventures out again. It's just like an adventure story. What kind of adventure story has the hero defeating the final boss right at the start? Even Muggle novels don't have the main character fighting a dragon in the second chapter!"
"That's not necessarily true. Isn't the new Professor William doing quite well?"
"Don't mention it. Poor young William, he's just too dedicated to his teaching. Look what the illness brought on by the rainy season has done to him—" The old professor leaned back in his chair, shaking his head, his expression grim. The continuous rain was not good news for his old injuries.
"Yes, even if you want to make a good impression, you shouldn't work yourself so hard. But traditional teaching methods certainly have their merits—"
The surrounding professors agreed. They were all professors themselves; after all this time, they could tell whether a new professor was putting in the effort or not.
"Professor Lockhart isn't bad either. Although he does love boasting, his attitude is quite good. The students have been talking a lot about Professor Lockhart's course lately; it's like he's completely transformed."
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and William walked in with a beaming smile. "Good morning, everyone. Anything exciting happening today?"
"Ha, young William! Judging by your appearance, your illness has cleared up completely?"
The old professor greeted William happily.
"Thanks to you," William replied with the brightest smile he'd managed all month, "all that discomfort disappeared along with October's rainy season!"
"That's good. Young people recover much faster than us old folks." The old professor patted his prosthetic limb as he spoke. "This will be the last rainy season I ever endure. After living this long, I've only just realized you can escape to Australia when it rains at Hogwarts. You really had the right idea, young William."
"Hehe."
William responded with a foolish grin—*That Adams... I make one little humblebrag, and now every professor in the school knows?*
"Indeed. When I retire, I'll go there too. All those years studying at Hogwarts have made my mind rigid."
"Exactly, let's all go together."
…
The group of professors bantered good-naturedly. They were quite fond of William, who had been tormented by the rainy season for so long.
"Right, where were we?"
"William, you just arrived. We were just talking about Professor Lockhart. What do you think of him?"
The questioner chuckled, clearly wanting to hear a fellow professor's opinion of Lockhart.
"Professor Lockhart certainly has considerable skill, no doubt about it. It's just—well, it seems he hasn't quite adapted to teaching work yet. But I imagine he'll be able to adjust quickly, right?"
William carefully chose words that wouldn't be too harsh. In reality, regarding Professor Lockhart's course, he could say it was misleading students without any guilt...
"That's old news, Professor William!"
The professor who asked the question burst out laughing. "During the time you were unwell, Professor Lockhart's teaching level has improved by leaps and bounds. He's received almost unanimous praise from the students—you should know, the fifth-year students aren't too fond of your exam papers."
He winked and laughed along with the others. Everyone present was a professor; who didn't know that students hated both essays and exam papers?
*I was only sick for a month. Has the world changed this quickly?*
William was stunned. In less than a month, Professor Lockhart had gone from being a terrible teacher and an expert in theatrics to a master lecturer?
Not even the most exaggerated training videos would dare make such a boast. Whether it was for teaching or for cooking, how could anyone improve that fast?
"You don't believe it either?"
"I didn't really believe it either, but Professor Lockhart is much more popular now than before. If you don't believe it, you can go listen in on Monday. It's common for professors to learn from each other at Hogwarts."
"Common?"
William paused. "Then what about when I started?"
"You were both new professors. Who would learn from whom? Normally, new hires have to observe an older professor's class for a period before they can teach on their own."
*I knew something was off about starting lessons right away. I was put on the job without any sort of teaching qualification...*
Chapter 171: When Professor Lockhart Became Good
Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
"My goodness, why has so much work piled up?"
In his office, William, whose mood had finally lifted, felt a headache coming on as he sipped his hot chocolate and reviewed his schedule for October.
Although the end of the rainy season had restored his energy, no one had helped him with the work he'd fallen behind on. Just looking at the gaps in his schedule was enough to break William's heart—when in the world would he ever catch up?
But he had to. The Dark Lord had also placed a curse on his own past. Aside from William, who already bore the curse, anyone else he involved would be met with misfortune. He couldn't let anyone else handle it.
*'What else can I do? I'll just have to investigate slowly. In any case, that Dark Lord definitely won't be resurrected this year, so I still have a fair bit of time... sigh...'*
William sighed and finally set down the thick stack of files. Having just managed to recover from that suffocating atmosphere, he felt he could distract himself by writing exam papers and grading essays. Otherwise, in this continually declining state, he was afraid he would work himself to death...
*'I should have another piece of chocolate. After a month of rain, I've actually lost nearly ten pounds—unbelievable.'*
As he thought this, William reached for a Chocolate Frog sitting next to the chocolate.
—
"Indeed, a weekend without rain is a true weekend!"
When he woke up, the comforter no longer felt damp, and warm sunlight streamed in through the window, filling William's heart with joy.
"It's past time for breakfast, but I still need to eat something good."
"Bart, could you bring me some breakfast? A little extra, please. I feel like I could eat a double portion!"
The house-elf was as reliable as ever. In less than five minutes, Bart had arrived with William's breakfast in a small basket.
Smoked fish, bacon, ham... The house-elf seemed to have a unique understanding of "double portion," bringing half a basket of meat. Yet, William didn't find it overly greasy. After devouring all the food Bart had brought, he even felt a little hungry still.
"I'm alive again!"
After finishing another bag of preserved fruit, William was finally satisfied. The fresh air, the delicious food, the warmth of the sun—all these wonderful things tore through the gloom and returned to him, making him despise the damned rainy weather even more.
*'Before next year's rainy season, I have to find a way to learn the Patronus Charm!'*
William took out his diary and added this sentence below the line "Beware of Weasley."
—
The staff room was always bustling. Even the less talkative professors liked to come here for a sit-down when they had nothing important to do, listening to the younger professors discuss gossip and the like.
The professors at Hogwarts were great in every way, but they all shared a common flaw—an eagerness to lecture others.
It couldn't be helped; it was a deep-seated professional hazard that was simply impossible to change.
Therefore, some discussions in the staff room could get quite deep, continuing until one side ran out of things to say. However, such discussions were rare. Even among the Hogwarts professors, true polymaths were nearly nonexistent. Most only had a passing knowledge and couldn't speak on subjects with much depth.
"So, you see, a genius adventurer like Professor Lockhart was just a bit unaccustomed to teaching at first. After adapting to the school for a while, his classes have become quite respectable."
"Isn't that just how it is? Look, he ventures out, then tests the waters, then ventures out again. It's just like an adventure story. What kind of adventure story has the hero defeating the final boss right at the start? Even Muggle novels don't have the main character fighting a dragon in the second chapter!"
"That's not necessarily true. Isn't the new Professor William doing quite well?"
"Don't mention it. Poor young William, he's just too dedicated to his teaching. Look what the illness brought on by the rainy season has done to him—" The old professor leaned back in his chair, shaking his head, his expression grim. The continuous rain was not good news for his old injuries.
"Yes, even if you want to make a good impression, you shouldn't work yourself so hard. But traditional teaching methods certainly have their merits—"
The surrounding professors agreed. They were all professors themselves; after all this time, they could tell whether a new professor was putting in the effort or not.
"Professor Lockhart isn't bad either. Although he does love boasting, his attitude is quite good. The students have been talking a lot about Professor Lockhart's course lately; it's like he's completely transformed."
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and William walked in with a beaming smile. "Good morning, everyone. Anything exciting happening today?"
"Ha, young William! Judging by your appearance, your illness has cleared up completely?"
The old professor greeted William happily.
"Thanks to you," William replied with the brightest smile he'd managed all month, "all that discomfort disappeared along with October's rainy season!"
"That's good. Young people recover much faster than us old folks." The old professor patted his prosthetic limb as he spoke. "This will be the last rainy season I ever endure. After living this long, I've only just realized you can escape to Australia when it rains at Hogwarts. You really had the right idea, young William."
"Hehe."
William responded with a foolish grin—*That Adams... I make one little humblebrag, and now every professor in the school knows?*
"Indeed. When I retire, I'll go there too. All those years studying at Hogwarts have made my mind rigid."
"Exactly, let's all go together."
…
The group of professors bantered good-naturedly. They were quite fond of William, who had been tormented by the rainy season for so long.
"Right, where were we?"
"William, you just arrived. We were just talking about Professor Lockhart. What do you think of him?"
The questioner chuckled, clearly wanting to hear a fellow professor's opinion of Lockhart.
"Professor Lockhart certainly has considerable skill, no doubt about it. It's just—well, it seems he hasn't quite adapted to teaching work yet. But I imagine he'll be able to adjust quickly, right?"
William carefully chose words that wouldn't be too harsh. In reality, regarding Professor Lockhart's course, he could say it was misleading students without any guilt...
"That's old news, Professor William!"
The professor who asked the question burst out laughing. "During the time you were unwell, Professor Lockhart's teaching level has improved by leaps and bounds. He's received almost unanimous praise from the students—you should know, the fifth-year students aren't too fond of your exam papers."
He winked and laughed along with the others. Everyone present was a professor; who didn't know that students hated both essays and exam papers?
*I was only sick for a month. Has the world changed this quickly?*
William was stunned. In less than a month, Professor Lockhart had gone from being a terrible teacher and an expert in theatrics to a master lecturer?
Not even the most exaggerated training videos would dare make such a boast. Whether it was for teaching or for cooking, how could anyone improve that fast?
"You don't believe it either?"
"I didn't really believe it either, but Professor Lockhart is much more popular now than before. If you don't believe it, you can go listen in on Monday. It's common for professors to learn from each other at Hogwarts."
"Common?"
William paused. "Then what about when I started?"
"You were both new professors. Who would learn from whom? Normally, new hires have to observe an older professor's class for a period before they can teach on their own."
*I knew something was off about starting lessons right away. I was put on the job without any sort of teaching qualification...*
