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Chapter 39: One Slide Tackle and—
"Gryffindor?"
"Gryffindor."
"I knew it!"
William sighed.
There's a famous joke in Azkaban: economic criminals are from Ravenclaw, violent offenders are from Gryffindor, and the rest are from Hufflepuff. As for Slytherin, you won't find them outside; they're inside, having meetings with the Dementors.
Every House is represented, so none can claim innocence. The entirety of Azkaban is filled with talent supplied by Hogwarts.
It's not entirely accurate, but it gets the gist across. Criminals from Ravenclaw love to exploit loopholes and use petty tricks, so they're mostly economic offenders. Prisoners from Gryffindor tend to be impulsive, either violating the Statute of Secrecy or getting into brawls—they've practically monopolized those two offenses. Hufflepuff has the largest population, so proportionally, they produce the most criminals.
As for the Slytherins, most come from well-off families. They either don't commit crimes, or when they do, they're felons. Besides, a whole bunch of Death Eaters occupy the deepest prison cells, and every last one of them is a die-hard Slytherin.
Of course, William wouldn't dare say this at Hogwarts—offending all four Heads of House before he even started his job? Only a complete fool would do something like that.
But jokes aside, William was just now discovering how much practical truth there was to it.
Had it been a student from any other House, they probably wouldn't have dared to sneak off the train.
Considering that stopping the train was unrealistic, William could only reluctantly choose to bring the student with him. They were in the middle of nowhere; could he really just abandon the child?
With a hint of resignation, William said seriously:
"I will report the situation truthfully to Professor McGonagall. I don't believe that sneaking off the train will be of any help to the two children who missed it. But for now, grab my left arm. Hold on tight, and don't let go."
William gripped his wand with his right hand and extended his left arm.
A small hand gently tugged on William's sleeve.
"Harder. Grab my arm. Hold on tight and don't let go."
Perhaps because William's tone was a bit stern, the child grabbed on tightly, as if startled.
*This poor kid...* William couldn't help but grumble to himself.
He then began to Apparate, his destination the spot where they had just boarded the train.
The familiar sensation of being squeezed washed over him. After a moment to adjust, William pointed his wand in a full circle around them.
Safe.
Only then did he have the mind to observe the student he had brought along. Although Side-Along Apparition depended mainly on the caster, the dizzying sensation was the same for the passenger. It might not be very professor-like of him to think this way, but he truly felt this student deserved a little punishment today.
The discomfort from Apparition wasn't something a first or second-year student could easily endure. After holding it in for a long while, the child finally bent over and threw up.
"Scourgify."
William waved his wand, cleaning up the vomit. Then, he took a peppermint candy from a pocket on his person—ever since leaving Azkaban, his pockets were always stuffed with all sorts of candy.
He had already given up the idea of punishing the little girl before him.
He had been that age once. Children at this age, whether boys or girls, were fiercely proud.
They'd refuse to wear warm clothes no matter how cold the weather, all because of the trivial fear that others might laugh at them. It sounded unbelievable, but it was a common occurrence for many children that age.
"It's always like this the first time you use Side-Along Apparition. Sucking on this peppermint candy will help a lot. When I was practicing, I threw up for a long time before I recovered."
William lied without batting an eye.
"Mm."
William casually unwrapped a piece of chocolate for himself and popped it into his mouth.
"I was worried someone might have intentionally blocked the passageway, so I Apparated near the platform. We'll still need to walk a little further to get there."
"Oh—right," William used Transfiguration to turn the chocolate wrapping paper into a paper cup, then filled it using Aguamenti and handed it to her.
"Rinse your mouth. You'll feel much better."
"Mm."
"Stay back a little. I'll go ahead and see what's happening. You watch our backs. If anything happens, just shout and hit the deck."
William instructed her as he walked briskly toward the platform. Although it was most likely an accident, he couldn't rule out deliberate sabotage.
With a curse upon him, William felt there was nothing wrong with being extremely cautious in any situation.
Soon, William reached the platform.
The platform he had just arrived on was completely empty, with no signs of an ambush.
He scanned the surroundings and, seeing no one, began to carefully examine the layer of magic used for concealment.
"There are traces of spellcasting, but it's been canceled. The method wasn't very sophisticated, even worse than a novice like me."
Considering the bustling station on the other side, William figured an ambush was unlikely, but it never hurt to be careful.
After confirming once more that there were no other spells on the barrier, William called for the student behind him to take cover.
He then retreated a good distance. After casting spells on himself and the soles of his shoes, he sprinted towards the barrier. Right before impact, he lowered his center of gravity into a slide—the enchanted soles activated, propelling him through the barrier at high speed as if frictionless.
William kept his body as low as possible. The moment the color of the sky changed, he scanned his surroundings and quickly rolled to the side, intending to dodge any potential attacks.
Nothing happened.
King's Cross Station was bustling with people. Travelers who saw William assumed he had accidentally slipped. Some chuckled knowingly while a few kind-hearted people trotted over, trying to help him up.
But William quickly pushed himself up from the ground, dusted himself off, and acted as if nothing had happened.
As long as he wasn't embarrassed, he wouldn't be the one feeling awkward.
After his time in prison, something like this was nothing. His skin had grown thick long ago.
However, William soon spotted a strangely dressed fellow trying to move toward him. William weaved through the crowd slightly, shook off the man's gaze, and successfully circled around behind him.
Wand extended, William swiftly drew the man's wand from his waist.
"Stay still. Hogwarts professor. Who told you to block the entrance to the passageway?"
"I'm from the Ministry of Magic, here to handle any incidents that might arouse Muggle suspicion. Today is the start of the Hogwarts school term, so I was specifically assigned to clean up after anyone who might have accidentally exposed themselves while entering the station."
...
*No wonder!* Someone who could suddenly block the entrance couldn't possibly be that incompetent!
William asked irritably, "Identification?"
"In my left pocket."
"Get it out yourself." William took a step back to prevent the man from grabbing for his wand, watching him as he obediently took out his documents.
He was indeed a Ministry of Magic employee.
"Come with me to check the passageway and bring the student out."
"Yes, Professor."
It was unclear what year he had graduated, but he had once again rediscovered the familiar fear of being ordered around by a professor.
(end of chapter)
"Gryffindor?"
"Gryffindor."
"I knew it!"
William sighed.
There's a famous joke in Azkaban: economic criminals are from Ravenclaw, violent offenders are from Gryffindor, and the rest are from Hufflepuff. As for Slytherin, you won't find them outside; they're inside, having meetings with the Dementors.
Every House is represented, so none can claim innocence. The entirety of Azkaban is filled with talent supplied by Hogwarts.
It's not entirely accurate, but it gets the gist across. Criminals from Ravenclaw love to exploit loopholes and use petty tricks, so they're mostly economic offenders. Prisoners from Gryffindor tend to be impulsive, either violating the Statute of Secrecy or getting into brawls—they've practically monopolized those two offenses. Hufflepuff has the largest population, so proportionally, they produce the most criminals.
As for the Slytherins, most come from well-off families. They either don't commit crimes, or when they do, they're felons. Besides, a whole bunch of Death Eaters occupy the deepest prison cells, and every last one of them is a die-hard Slytherin.
Of course, William wouldn't dare say this at Hogwarts—offending all four Heads of House before he even started his job? Only a complete fool would do something like that.
But jokes aside, William was just now discovering how much practical truth there was to it.
Had it been a student from any other House, they probably wouldn't have dared to sneak off the train.
Considering that stopping the train was unrealistic, William could only reluctantly choose to bring the student with him. They were in the middle of nowhere; could he really just abandon the child?
With a hint of resignation, William said seriously:
"I will report the situation truthfully to Professor McGonagall. I don't believe that sneaking off the train will be of any help to the two children who missed it. But for now, grab my left arm. Hold on tight, and don't let go."
William gripped his wand with his right hand and extended his left arm.
A small hand gently tugged on William's sleeve.
"Harder. Grab my arm. Hold on tight and don't let go."
Perhaps because William's tone was a bit stern, the child grabbed on tightly, as if startled.
*This poor kid...* William couldn't help but grumble to himself.
He then began to Apparate, his destination the spot where they had just boarded the train.
The familiar sensation of being squeezed washed over him. After a moment to adjust, William pointed his wand in a full circle around them.
Safe.
Only then did he have the mind to observe the student he had brought along. Although Side-Along Apparition depended mainly on the caster, the dizzying sensation was the same for the passenger. It might not be very professor-like of him to think this way, but he truly felt this student deserved a little punishment today.
The discomfort from Apparition wasn't something a first or second-year student could easily endure. After holding it in for a long while, the child finally bent over and threw up.
"Scourgify."
William waved his wand, cleaning up the vomit. Then, he took a peppermint candy from a pocket on his person—ever since leaving Azkaban, his pockets were always stuffed with all sorts of candy.
He had already given up the idea of punishing the little girl before him.
He had been that age once. Children at this age, whether boys or girls, were fiercely proud.
They'd refuse to wear warm clothes no matter how cold the weather, all because of the trivial fear that others might laugh at them. It sounded unbelievable, but it was a common occurrence for many children that age.
"It's always like this the first time you use Side-Along Apparition. Sucking on this peppermint candy will help a lot. When I was practicing, I threw up for a long time before I recovered."
William lied without batting an eye.
"Mm."
William casually unwrapped a piece of chocolate for himself and popped it into his mouth.
"I was worried someone might have intentionally blocked the passageway, so I Apparated near the platform. We'll still need to walk a little further to get there."
"Oh—right," William used Transfiguration to turn the chocolate wrapping paper into a paper cup, then filled it using Aguamenti and handed it to her.
"Rinse your mouth. You'll feel much better."
"Mm."
"Stay back a little. I'll go ahead and see what's happening. You watch our backs. If anything happens, just shout and hit the deck."
William instructed her as he walked briskly toward the platform. Although it was most likely an accident, he couldn't rule out deliberate sabotage.
With a curse upon him, William felt there was nothing wrong with being extremely cautious in any situation.
Soon, William reached the platform.
The platform he had just arrived on was completely empty, with no signs of an ambush.
He scanned the surroundings and, seeing no one, began to carefully examine the layer of magic used for concealment.
"There are traces of spellcasting, but it's been canceled. The method wasn't very sophisticated, even worse than a novice like me."
Considering the bustling station on the other side, William figured an ambush was unlikely, but it never hurt to be careful.
After confirming once more that there were no other spells on the barrier, William called for the student behind him to take cover.
He then retreated a good distance. After casting spells on himself and the soles of his shoes, he sprinted towards the barrier. Right before impact, he lowered his center of gravity into a slide—the enchanted soles activated, propelling him through the barrier at high speed as if frictionless.
William kept his body as low as possible. The moment the color of the sky changed, he scanned his surroundings and quickly rolled to the side, intending to dodge any potential attacks.
Nothing happened.
King's Cross Station was bustling with people. Travelers who saw William assumed he had accidentally slipped. Some chuckled knowingly while a few kind-hearted people trotted over, trying to help him up.
But William quickly pushed himself up from the ground, dusted himself off, and acted as if nothing had happened.
As long as he wasn't embarrassed, he wouldn't be the one feeling awkward.
After his time in prison, something like this was nothing. His skin had grown thick long ago.
However, William soon spotted a strangely dressed fellow trying to move toward him. William weaved through the crowd slightly, shook off the man's gaze, and successfully circled around behind him.
Wand extended, William swiftly drew the man's wand from his waist.
"Stay still. Hogwarts professor. Who told you to block the entrance to the passageway?"
"I'm from the Ministry of Magic, here to handle any incidents that might arouse Muggle suspicion. Today is the start of the Hogwarts school term, so I was specifically assigned to clean up after anyone who might have accidentally exposed themselves while entering the station."
...
*No wonder!* Someone who could suddenly block the entrance couldn't possibly be that incompetent!
William asked irritably, "Identification?"
"In my left pocket."
"Get it out yourself." William took a step back to prevent the man from grabbing for his wand, watching him as he obediently took out his documents.
He was indeed a Ministry of Magic employee.
"Come with me to check the passageway and bring the student out."
"Yes, Professor."
It was unclear what year he had graduated, but he had once again rediscovered the familiar fear of being ordered around by a professor.
(end of chapter)
