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Chapter 40: Reality Teaches William a Lesson
The two of them re-examined the sight-blocking barrier, confirming once more from the outside that someone had tampered with it.
"Obviously, someone activated the magic that's normally used to seal the passageway. I was supposed to be the one to do that."
The unlucky fellow guarding the station, who looked to be just over twenty, came to a rather useless conclusion after a long and careful inspection.
He probably felt that wasn't quite right either, so he hastily added:
"Professor, I'll go check the other side. Perhaps I'll find some sort of clue."
*This child must have been terrified of his teachers back in school.* William nodded, restraining himself from mentioning that he had already thoroughly checked the other side himself.
It was clear that this graduate, dispatched to guard the train station, was eager to immediately prove his competence. Stopping him now would be too much of a blow to his enthusiasm.
While seriously contemplating how to praise the young man later, William fell back a few steps, saw that no one was around, and walked straight through the barrier.
The instant he passed through the barrier, the sound of a spell slicing through the air reached his ears.
"Shield Charm!"
William quickly cast the Shield Charm, then immediately threw himself to the side, simultaneously firing a Stupefying Charm in the direction the spell came from.
"Thud." "Thud." "Thud."
A succession of thuds echoed. William, who had thrown himself to the ground, was the first to get back up.
He brushed off the dust he'd just acquired, then stared at the two wizards—one large, one small—lying on the ground, lost in thought.
A mischievous child will only quiet down temporarily because of motion sickness; it doesn't fundamentally change their habits.
William hadn't understood this before, but life had just taught him a harsh lesson.
A child who dared to lie and run off the train was never going to stay put, even if she had been obedient for a short while due to an effect similar to motion sickness.
Although he hadn't seen the beginning of the incident, William had already pieced together most of what had happened just by guessing.
Just moments ago, the little Gryffindor he had told to stay put had not, as he expected, hidden away obediently. Instead, she had concealed herself in a hard-to-spot corner, raised her wand, and watched this entrance with eager eyes.
Upon realizing the person entering wasn't a professor, her temporarily suppressed spirit for adventure had swelled up like a provoked pufferfish. Catching the newcomer off guard, she had launched a surprise spell.
However, William, having just entered, heard the spell flying through the air. As a result, his reflexive counterattack knocked her to the ground.
Confident in his spell, William ignored the stunned Gryffindor and instead ran over to the eager volunteer from the Ministry of Magic.
That little troublemaker deserved to suffer a bit—he shouldn't have been so soft-hearted. Can one really forget how a tough woman can twist open a skull with her bare hands, just because you see her looking pale while sipping on sweet brown sugar water?
He had been careless!
As William jogged over, the Ministry of Magic employee who had been attacked was already recovering from the spell.
How powerful could a Petrification Charm cast by a second-year possibly be?
He had simply been caught unawares; the effect had mostly worn off by the time he hit the ground. A spell from a lower-year student lacked the magical power to be considered a potent attack against an adult wizard.
But that didn't mean he wasn't having an existential crisis right now.
Earlier, in the square, he'd noticed William attracting Muggle attention. He had planned to approach William stealthily, handle the situation with flair, and, with a mature demeanor, advise William that a wizard shouldn't cause such a commotion in a place like this.
But in the end, in just a few moves, William had not only slipped from his sight but had also disarmed him.
Fortunately, after learning that William was a Hogwarts professor, his indignation had turned to admiration—truly befitting a professor from the school, so skilled at handling unexpected situations.
A student losing to a teacher isn't shameful, after all. That's still justifiable even after graduation.
But now, there was no way for him to spin this positively.
He had been ambushed by a child, a child still studying at Hogwarts.
A successful ambush, where he didn't even have time to fight back, or even to dodge.
This felt even more humiliating than getting points deducted back at school.
William looked at his red-rimmed eyes and for a moment was at a loss for words.
Being taken down by an upper-year student would have at least provided an excuse, but to be floored by a lower-year student…
William decided to simply change the subject, pretending as if nothing had happened.
"This station has been here for more than a decade, and they don't maintain it properly. The ground is all pitted and uneven. Just look at me, covered in dust."
He pointed to the parts of his clothes he hadn't cleaned yet, and as he used his wand to dust them both off, he asked:
"By the way, over at King's Cross Station, did you happen to see two children, around eleven or twelve years old, having to turn back because they couldn't get onto the platform?"
"I didn't see that, Professor. At the time, a couple started a conflict with some Muggles for some reason, and the train was just about to leave. I was keeping a close eye on them to prevent the situation from escalating."
After a moment's thought, he added, "Now that I think about it, that couple's conflict seemed a bit too sudden, almost as if someone had used magic to instigate it. The barrier was likely blocked around that time."
As they were speaking, an owl suddenly flew in, circled for a moment, and then landed directly on the Ministry of Magic employee.
He hastily apologized to William and moved to one side to read the letter it carried.
William took this opportunity to walk slowly over to the student who had been knocked out by the Stunning Spell.
Tsk. She actually looks like a good student when she's quiet. If it weren't for the previous two incidents, William felt that a student like this would at least be a class representative or something similar under his guidance—if Hogwarts had those roles.
What a pity. Gryffindor students are great in every way, except they just can't stay still.
While thinking thoughts that would surely get on the Deputy Headmistress's nerves, William hesitantly dispelled the spell. If carrying a female student wasn't so improper, and had it been a boy, he would have just hauled him all the way to Hogwarts without even lifting the spell.
"Right, better confiscate her wand first."
William snatched her wand away and, at the very instant she regained consciousness, cast a spell to block her ability to speak.
"Now, I will speak, and you will do as I say. You don't need to talk, you don't need a wand, and you certainly don't need to run around. Follow me obediently. When we see Professor McGonagall, I will give you back your wand and your ability to speak."
William issued his command autocratically, ignoring her furious glare.
Sneaking off the train, using magic off-campus, attacking a Ministry of Magic employee—if he didn't put a stop to this now, attacking a professor would be next.
"Mmph!"
It was a spirited protest, and he guessed the words weren't very complimentary, but William ignored it.
He would wait for the Ministry employee to finish his letter and see what the Ministry of Magic decided. Besides, he still had to explain the recent incident to them himself.
(end of chapter)
The two of them re-examined the sight-blocking barrier, confirming once more from the outside that someone had tampered with it.
"Obviously, someone activated the magic that's normally used to seal the passageway. I was supposed to be the one to do that."
The unlucky fellow guarding the station, who looked to be just over twenty, came to a rather useless conclusion after a long and careful inspection.
He probably felt that wasn't quite right either, so he hastily added:
"Professor, I'll go check the other side. Perhaps I'll find some sort of clue."
*This child must have been terrified of his teachers back in school.* William nodded, restraining himself from mentioning that he had already thoroughly checked the other side himself.
It was clear that this graduate, dispatched to guard the train station, was eager to immediately prove his competence. Stopping him now would be too much of a blow to his enthusiasm.
While seriously contemplating how to praise the young man later, William fell back a few steps, saw that no one was around, and walked straight through the barrier.
The instant he passed through the barrier, the sound of a spell slicing through the air reached his ears.
"Shield Charm!"
William quickly cast the Shield Charm, then immediately threw himself to the side, simultaneously firing a Stupefying Charm in the direction the spell came from.
"Thud." "Thud." "Thud."
A succession of thuds echoed. William, who had thrown himself to the ground, was the first to get back up.
He brushed off the dust he'd just acquired, then stared at the two wizards—one large, one small—lying on the ground, lost in thought.
A mischievous child will only quiet down temporarily because of motion sickness; it doesn't fundamentally change their habits.
William hadn't understood this before, but life had just taught him a harsh lesson.
A child who dared to lie and run off the train was never going to stay put, even if she had been obedient for a short while due to an effect similar to motion sickness.
Although he hadn't seen the beginning of the incident, William had already pieced together most of what had happened just by guessing.
Just moments ago, the little Gryffindor he had told to stay put had not, as he expected, hidden away obediently. Instead, she had concealed herself in a hard-to-spot corner, raised her wand, and watched this entrance with eager eyes.
Upon realizing the person entering wasn't a professor, her temporarily suppressed spirit for adventure had swelled up like a provoked pufferfish. Catching the newcomer off guard, she had launched a surprise spell.
However, William, having just entered, heard the spell flying through the air. As a result, his reflexive counterattack knocked her to the ground.
Confident in his spell, William ignored the stunned Gryffindor and instead ran over to the eager volunteer from the Ministry of Magic.
That little troublemaker deserved to suffer a bit—he shouldn't have been so soft-hearted. Can one really forget how a tough woman can twist open a skull with her bare hands, just because you see her looking pale while sipping on sweet brown sugar water?
He had been careless!
As William jogged over, the Ministry of Magic employee who had been attacked was already recovering from the spell.
How powerful could a Petrification Charm cast by a second-year possibly be?
He had simply been caught unawares; the effect had mostly worn off by the time he hit the ground. A spell from a lower-year student lacked the magical power to be considered a potent attack against an adult wizard.
But that didn't mean he wasn't having an existential crisis right now.
Earlier, in the square, he'd noticed William attracting Muggle attention. He had planned to approach William stealthily, handle the situation with flair, and, with a mature demeanor, advise William that a wizard shouldn't cause such a commotion in a place like this.
But in the end, in just a few moves, William had not only slipped from his sight but had also disarmed him.
Fortunately, after learning that William was a Hogwarts professor, his indignation had turned to admiration—truly befitting a professor from the school, so skilled at handling unexpected situations.
A student losing to a teacher isn't shameful, after all. That's still justifiable even after graduation.
But now, there was no way for him to spin this positively.
He had been ambushed by a child, a child still studying at Hogwarts.
A successful ambush, where he didn't even have time to fight back, or even to dodge.
This felt even more humiliating than getting points deducted back at school.
William looked at his red-rimmed eyes and for a moment was at a loss for words.
Being taken down by an upper-year student would have at least provided an excuse, but to be floored by a lower-year student…
William decided to simply change the subject, pretending as if nothing had happened.
"This station has been here for more than a decade, and they don't maintain it properly. The ground is all pitted and uneven. Just look at me, covered in dust."
He pointed to the parts of his clothes he hadn't cleaned yet, and as he used his wand to dust them both off, he asked:
"By the way, over at King's Cross Station, did you happen to see two children, around eleven or twelve years old, having to turn back because they couldn't get onto the platform?"
"I didn't see that, Professor. At the time, a couple started a conflict with some Muggles for some reason, and the train was just about to leave. I was keeping a close eye on them to prevent the situation from escalating."
After a moment's thought, he added, "Now that I think about it, that couple's conflict seemed a bit too sudden, almost as if someone had used magic to instigate it. The barrier was likely blocked around that time."
As they were speaking, an owl suddenly flew in, circled for a moment, and then landed directly on the Ministry of Magic employee.
He hastily apologized to William and moved to one side to read the letter it carried.
William took this opportunity to walk slowly over to the student who had been knocked out by the Stunning Spell.
Tsk. She actually looks like a good student when she's quiet. If it weren't for the previous two incidents, William felt that a student like this would at least be a class representative or something similar under his guidance—if Hogwarts had those roles.
What a pity. Gryffindor students are great in every way, except they just can't stay still.
While thinking thoughts that would surely get on the Deputy Headmistress's nerves, William hesitantly dispelled the spell. If carrying a female student wasn't so improper, and had it been a boy, he would have just hauled him all the way to Hogwarts without even lifting the spell.
"Right, better confiscate her wand first."
William snatched her wand away and, at the very instant she regained consciousness, cast a spell to block her ability to speak.
"Now, I will speak, and you will do as I say. You don't need to talk, you don't need a wand, and you certainly don't need to run around. Follow me obediently. When we see Professor McGonagall, I will give you back your wand and your ability to speak."
William issued his command autocratically, ignoring her furious glare.
Sneaking off the train, using magic off-campus, attacking a Ministry of Magic employee—if he didn't put a stop to this now, attacking a professor would be next.
"Mmph!"
It was a spirited protest, and he guessed the words weren't very complimentary, but William ignored it.
He would wait for the Ministry employee to finish his letter and see what the Ministry of Magic decided. Besides, he still had to explain the recent incident to them himself.
(end of chapter)
