Reading settings
Chapter 47: It's Best Not to Be Colleagues with an Alumnus
When William pulled his attention back from the frighteningly effective ritual, one professor was missing from the Staff Table.
Unable to join the professors' conversation for the moment, William curiously tried to deduce who had disappeared based on the professors still present. To his surprise, he found that the missing professor was somewhat familiar.
It was the Potions Professor, Snape, an unlucky fellow who'd had something stolen from him and was then knocked unconscious by a student—at least, that was the information William had so far.
"Where did Professor Severus Snape go?" William asked Lockhart beside him in a low voice.
"Are you asking about that old bat?"
Lockhart lowered his voice, as if not wanting to be overheard by the other professors.
"Professor William, I must tell you, back when I was a student, Hogwarts had its most unpopular professor, and that professor has held onto that title to this day. Can you guess which professor that might be?"
Lockhart flashed his customary smile, his teeth gleaming brightly in the candlelight.
"The most unpopular?"
"Of course. Not everyone can win Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award five times like me. He's always been after the—ahem—Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor position. But even when I took up this post at Hogwarts, he still couldn't get his wish."
Lockhart said smugly, "I certainly won't fail like him. I'm an honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League, and the teachers and students of Hogwarts will cheer for my classes!"
'So, that Professor Snape is really that unpopular? I have no memory of that. Information gathering failed. Also, while this Professor Lockhart seems arrogant and looks like he's just here at Hogwarts to sell books, perhaps he's unexpectedly skilled. Those awards can't be fake, can they?'
William simply offered a few compliments to his new colleague—life in Azkaban had made him quite adept at such things.
The compliments from a colleague clearly made him exceptionally happy, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.
"Let me tell you, most of the professors in this school know me. It's been less than ten years since I left Hogwarts. When I was a student here, Snape wasn't even a professor."
"Not a professor?"
"That's right, he wasn't. He was a student back then. I remember it crystal clear. I started in '75, and Snape was four years ahead of me. Tsk tsk, if I weren't so reluctant to speak ill of a fellow student, I could give you a vivid description of how Snape was hung up by students from his year back then."
But you've pretty much spilled all the details already.
William was sure that if Professor Snape had heard that conversation, he wouldn't have felt the slightest bit of relief that Lockhart was keeping his secret.
But Lockhart was in high spirits to continue the conversation; his desire to show off had only just been sparked.
"I'm from Ravenclaw, so I'm not very familiar with the people from those two Houses. But Snape was in a position where neither side liked him. When he was hung up by the Gryffindors, not a single Slytherin was willing to help him."
So, it's best not to have colleagues from the same school; otherwise, you'd never know how much of your dark past they know.
Based on that long-winded speech just now, William felt that if he were Professor Snape, he would have already challenged that blabbermouth to a duel.
Just then, a new student was sorted into Ravenclaw, which happened to catch Lockhart's attention.
He stood up and congratulated the new student.
The little witch sorted into Ravenclaw instantly blushed beet red. She nearly forgot to return the Sorting Hat and rushed over to the Ravenclaw table, where she started whispering to another girl of about the same age—she looked exactly like a fan who had just gotten a signed photo.
Watching this scene, William finally remembered his seemingly boastful new colleague's other identity—a bestselling author of adventure novels based on his own experiences.
'At this table, am I the weakest one here?'
William couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
At this thought, William suddenly felt the urge to relieve himself—he had drunk quite a bit of alcohol with Hagrid in the afternoon, and as his mind wandered, the need had somehow crept up on him.
"Excuse me, I need to step out."
William slipped out from an unnoticed spot to the doorway of the Great Hall. He wasn't yet familiar with Hogwarts Castle and could only choose one of the few lavatories he remembered to solve his problem.
But as he turned a corner, William saw two strange figures, dawdling along, carrying trunks, and not very tall—it instantly reminded him of the reason he'd had to get off the train at noon and buy two tickets for the Knight Bus.
"Eh? New students?"
William gripped his wand, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, but his voice was unusually relaxed as he asked.
Although they were most likely new students, considering the curse, he was still on guard against any potential accidents.
The two dawdling figures stopped. Then, William spotted a third person—Professor Snape, walking at the very front.
"Oh? Professor William. I believe you should be at the Opening Ceremony at this time, not here."
From the very first sentence of their official conversation, William instantly understood why this professor was so unpopular according to Lockhart.
"At noon, I specifically got off the Hogwarts Express for these two students and made a special trip to King's Cross Station. Now that I see them here, it's perfectly reasonable for me to ask after them, isn't it?"
They barely knew each other, and this was how Snape chose to act during their first meeting. In Azkaban, if a newcomer was that easily ordered around, they would have ended up doing all the chores in the entire prison cell. The William before Azkaban wasn't this aggressive, but after his release, his first instinct was to push back—neither too hard nor too soft.
"I am their professor!"
"What a coincidence, so am I. I thought you were their Head of House. But when the students reported in at noon, I remember them being from Gryffindor."
William felt a pair of ice-cold eyes looking over at him, completely devoid of the near-frenzied look from before—the kind William had often seen in the eyes of newly incarcerated prisoners.
'What's wrong with him? Is he so eager to punish the students that he's lost his usual judgment, and that's why he's ordering me around like he's lost his mind?'
As William thought this, he casually took out his wand. Thinking was one thing, but if he got taken down by another professor in front of the students, he'd have no face left to stay.
"Fine. Very well. Then I'll trouble Professor William to watch Potter and the other one. I'm going to find someone who can deal with them."
To William's surprise, the conflict didn't continue. Professor Snape strode quickly down the corridor and headed toward the Great Hall.
---
Note: Snape attended Hogwarts from 1971-1978. He returned in 1981 to apply for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor but was hired as the Potions Professor. Lockhart attended from 1975-1982, so their time at school overlapped.
(end of chapter)
When William pulled his attention back from the frighteningly effective ritual, one professor was missing from the Staff Table.
Unable to join the professors' conversation for the moment, William curiously tried to deduce who had disappeared based on the professors still present. To his surprise, he found that the missing professor was somewhat familiar.
It was the Potions Professor, Snape, an unlucky fellow who'd had something stolen from him and was then knocked unconscious by a student—at least, that was the information William had so far.
"Where did Professor Severus Snape go?" William asked Lockhart beside him in a low voice.
"Are you asking about that old bat?"
Lockhart lowered his voice, as if not wanting to be overheard by the other professors.
"Professor William, I must tell you, back when I was a student, Hogwarts had its most unpopular professor, and that professor has held onto that title to this day. Can you guess which professor that might be?"
Lockhart flashed his customary smile, his teeth gleaming brightly in the candlelight.
"The most unpopular?"
"Of course. Not everyone can win Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award five times like me. He's always been after the—ahem—Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor position. But even when I took up this post at Hogwarts, he still couldn't get his wish."
Lockhart said smugly, "I certainly won't fail like him. I'm an honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League, and the teachers and students of Hogwarts will cheer for my classes!"
'So, that Professor Snape is really that unpopular? I have no memory of that. Information gathering failed. Also, while this Professor Lockhart seems arrogant and looks like he's just here at Hogwarts to sell books, perhaps he's unexpectedly skilled. Those awards can't be fake, can they?'
William simply offered a few compliments to his new colleague—life in Azkaban had made him quite adept at such things.
The compliments from a colleague clearly made him exceptionally happy, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.
"Let me tell you, most of the professors in this school know me. It's been less than ten years since I left Hogwarts. When I was a student here, Snape wasn't even a professor."
"Not a professor?"
"That's right, he wasn't. He was a student back then. I remember it crystal clear. I started in '75, and Snape was four years ahead of me. Tsk tsk, if I weren't so reluctant to speak ill of a fellow student, I could give you a vivid description of how Snape was hung up by students from his year back then."
But you've pretty much spilled all the details already.
William was sure that if Professor Snape had heard that conversation, he wouldn't have felt the slightest bit of relief that Lockhart was keeping his secret.
But Lockhart was in high spirits to continue the conversation; his desire to show off had only just been sparked.
"I'm from Ravenclaw, so I'm not very familiar with the people from those two Houses. But Snape was in a position where neither side liked him. When he was hung up by the Gryffindors, not a single Slytherin was willing to help him."
So, it's best not to have colleagues from the same school; otherwise, you'd never know how much of your dark past they know.
Based on that long-winded speech just now, William felt that if he were Professor Snape, he would have already challenged that blabbermouth to a duel.
Just then, a new student was sorted into Ravenclaw, which happened to catch Lockhart's attention.
He stood up and congratulated the new student.
The little witch sorted into Ravenclaw instantly blushed beet red. She nearly forgot to return the Sorting Hat and rushed over to the Ravenclaw table, where she started whispering to another girl of about the same age—she looked exactly like a fan who had just gotten a signed photo.
Watching this scene, William finally remembered his seemingly boastful new colleague's other identity—a bestselling author of adventure novels based on his own experiences.
'At this table, am I the weakest one here?'
William couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
At this thought, William suddenly felt the urge to relieve himself—he had drunk quite a bit of alcohol with Hagrid in the afternoon, and as his mind wandered, the need had somehow crept up on him.
"Excuse me, I need to step out."
William slipped out from an unnoticed spot to the doorway of the Great Hall. He wasn't yet familiar with Hogwarts Castle and could only choose one of the few lavatories he remembered to solve his problem.
But as he turned a corner, William saw two strange figures, dawdling along, carrying trunks, and not very tall—it instantly reminded him of the reason he'd had to get off the train at noon and buy two tickets for the Knight Bus.
"Eh? New students?"
William gripped his wand, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, but his voice was unusually relaxed as he asked.
Although they were most likely new students, considering the curse, he was still on guard against any potential accidents.
The two dawdling figures stopped. Then, William spotted a third person—Professor Snape, walking at the very front.
"Oh? Professor William. I believe you should be at the Opening Ceremony at this time, not here."
From the very first sentence of their official conversation, William instantly understood why this professor was so unpopular according to Lockhart.
"At noon, I specifically got off the Hogwarts Express for these two students and made a special trip to King's Cross Station. Now that I see them here, it's perfectly reasonable for me to ask after them, isn't it?"
They barely knew each other, and this was how Snape chose to act during their first meeting. In Azkaban, if a newcomer was that easily ordered around, they would have ended up doing all the chores in the entire prison cell. The William before Azkaban wasn't this aggressive, but after his release, his first instinct was to push back—neither too hard nor too soft.
"I am their professor!"
"What a coincidence, so am I. I thought you were their Head of House. But when the students reported in at noon, I remember them being from Gryffindor."
William felt a pair of ice-cold eyes looking over at him, completely devoid of the near-frenzied look from before—the kind William had often seen in the eyes of newly incarcerated prisoners.
'What's wrong with him? Is he so eager to punish the students that he's lost his usual judgment, and that's why he's ordering me around like he's lost his mind?'
As William thought this, he casually took out his wand. Thinking was one thing, but if he got taken down by another professor in front of the students, he'd have no face left to stay.
"Fine. Very well. Then I'll trouble Professor William to watch Potter and the other one. I'm going to find someone who can deal with them."
To William's surprise, the conflict didn't continue. Professor Snape strode quickly down the corridor and headed toward the Great Hall.
---
Note: Snape attended Hogwarts from 1971-1978. He returned in 1981 to apply for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor but was hired as the Potions Professor. Lockhart attended from 1975-1982, so their time at school overlapped.
(end of chapter)
