Reading settings
Chapter 53: Is This the Strength of a Veteran Professor When Handling a Crisis?
2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
"Good morning, students…"
"Hello, students, I am your new classmate…"
"Hello, comrades…"
"Ahem, students, class is now beginning!"
…
Having woken up early, William stood before a mirror, trying to figure out how to introduce himself to the students and what opening remarks to use before class.
But he hadn't expected that, even though he had already prepared the content he wanted to teach, he would get stuck on the opening lines for over an hour.
Fortunately, he finally came up with an introduction that shouldn't have any oversights. Only then did he leave his room, satisfied, and head to the Great Hall for a meal.
The weather wasn't great today; the sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds, but William didn't pay it much mind.
He had prepared two or three different teaching methods for the Sixth Year students, but he still hadn't decided which one would be best.
Perhaps due to the gloomy weather, the professors hadn't woken up particularly early, or maybe they had simply skipped breakfast. The Staff Table was sparsely occupied, and William couldn't even spot the few professors he had chatted with the previous night.
'But this is fine too. At least I can eat in peace.'
As he thought this, William added a slice of bacon to a piece of bread, then picked out some other items from the table to make himself a sandwich.
It was worse than the pub, but infinitely better than Azkaban.
If he hadn't agreed to come to Hogwarts back then, he'd probably still be eating prison food in Azkaban, right?
Mulling this over, William picked up a bowl of porridge from the table, just as he heard the unified sound of hundreds of owl wings flapping.
'During breakfast? You've got to be kidding me.'
The thought had barely crossed his mind when hundreds of owls swooped into the Great Hall.
What was with this school? Couldn't they let a man eat his breakfast in peace?
William swiftly drew his wand, casting a spell to protect the nearby food, while observing the other professors at the table. Compared to him, they were much calmer, effortlessly blocking the falling dust and owl feathers. Judging by their practiced ease, a mass owl visitation like this was definitely not a sudden incident.
After confirming his food was safe, he began to look around. In Azkaban, those who didn't pay attention to their surroundings would suffer greatly, though William used to enjoy watching the commotion after sudden incidents.
The owls circled the entire Great Hall, found their masters or targets, and then landed on their tables, delivering letters or packages.
Although not as convenient as a telephone, the speed of item transport seemed much faster than express delivery. An owl delivery service wouldn't have its packages go up in flames, would it?
He just wondered if using an owl to deliver owl feed would cause an accident midway.
It was the first time such a whimsical thought had occurred to William, who had rented owls to send letters several times before, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
But soon, the temporary peace was shattered by a booming female voice.
"…stole a car! I wouldn't be surprised if they expelled you! Just you wait until I get my hands on you!"
A voice a hundred times louder than a normal person shouting filled the entire Great Hall. William watched as a spoon, trembling from the immense sound, slowly slid into a bowl of soup.
The voice crashed against the stone walls. Thanks to Hogwarts' unexpectedly superb construction, the echoes barely diminished, reverberating throughout the Great Hall in a deafening roar.
After a slight pause, William remembered what this terrifying entity was—a Howler.
True to its name, from the moment it was sent, the letter was filled with endless malice. The recipient could either face public humiliation or wait for it to explode. A normal wizard could only resign themselves to their fate. Only those who frequently engaged in activities not quite approved of by the Ministry of Magic knew a few little tricks to handle these things.
As a former prisoner from Azkaban, the ultimate advanced course for Dark Wizards, William had naturally heard such topics discussed there.
In that godforsaken place, no news ever came in. Even the most taciturn people developed the habit of confiding in others. If you didn't share anything, you either harbored an unspeakable secret or possessed frighteningly firm willpower. Besides those two types, the only ones left were those driven mad by the Dementors' constant watch.
However, William had no intention of helping that student with his problem. The very fact that these methods hadn't circulated among wizards after all these years was proof enough that they weren't the kind of tricks easily accepted by the public.
Drawing his wand, he blocked his ears, shielding his eardrums from the torturous sound, and began to work on his porridge.
—
"Look, the new professor."
At the Hufflepuff table, a group of witches gathered together, watching the spectacle in the Great Hall with amusement. Under the cover of the Howler, they continued the chat about their summer holiday that they hadn't finished yesterday.
Taking advantage of the chaos, a dozen or so people from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables had snuck over to chat. The Prefect who was supposed to maintain discipline was utterly suppressed by the Howler, rendered completely ineffective.
"What's so interesting about the professor? He's a nobody, just a bit handsome. All looks, no substance. Professor Lockhart is the one with both strength and looks."
"Yeah, yeah! Why did he get to substitute for the Sixth Year? I thought it would be Professor Lockhart!"
"That's you! So shallow! Dumbledore must have a reason for choosing him as a professor. Anyway, I'm signing up for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Advanced Class."
"And you call others shallow? You don't even know the course name has changed!"
The girl who had been attacked earlier found strong evidence to retort and began to mock the other, her voice rising above the Howler.
But at that moment, the Howler suddenly fell silent. The laughter seemed jarringly out of place in the Great Hall. As the Prefects resumed their duties, the groups that had gathered to chat immediately dispersed.
The chatter in the Great Hall turned to the recipient of the Howler, who, without a moment's hesitation, fled through the main doors of the Great Hall as if their life depended on it.
Only then did William notice that the incident had involved people he knew. If he stopped them to ask, would that mean another three treasure chests?
After a moment's thought, William, having finally resolved to abandon the vicious tastes he'd developed in Azkaban and be a good person, gave a magnanimous wave and let the three of them go.
Just then, Professor McGonagall suddenly rose from the table.
"Everyone, be quiet! Sixth Year Gryffindor students who have finished eating, come over here to check and receive your new timetables."
Following her, the other three Heads of House also stood up, calling for the students of their respective Houses to come and get their timetables.
And just like that, the atmosphere in the Great Hall completely changed. The Howler that had just arrived vanished without so much as a ripple.
'Is this the strength of an experienced professor?'
William sat at the dining table, watching the long queues, and couldn't help but put down the fresh cucumber in his hand.
P.S. Please bear with me, everyone. I'm dog-tired... I'll write more this weekend and see how much I can catch up.
(end of chapter)
2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
"Good morning, students…"
"Hello, students, I am your new classmate…"
"Hello, comrades…"
"Ahem, students, class is now beginning!"
…
Having woken up early, William stood before a mirror, trying to figure out how to introduce himself to the students and what opening remarks to use before class.
But he hadn't expected that, even though he had already prepared the content he wanted to teach, he would get stuck on the opening lines for over an hour.
Fortunately, he finally came up with an introduction that shouldn't have any oversights. Only then did he leave his room, satisfied, and head to the Great Hall for a meal.
The weather wasn't great today; the sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds, but William didn't pay it much mind.
He had prepared two or three different teaching methods for the Sixth Year students, but he still hadn't decided which one would be best.
Perhaps due to the gloomy weather, the professors hadn't woken up particularly early, or maybe they had simply skipped breakfast. The Staff Table was sparsely occupied, and William couldn't even spot the few professors he had chatted with the previous night.
'But this is fine too. At least I can eat in peace.'
As he thought this, William added a slice of bacon to a piece of bread, then picked out some other items from the table to make himself a sandwich.
It was worse than the pub, but infinitely better than Azkaban.
If he hadn't agreed to come to Hogwarts back then, he'd probably still be eating prison food in Azkaban, right?
Mulling this over, William picked up a bowl of porridge from the table, just as he heard the unified sound of hundreds of owl wings flapping.
'During breakfast? You've got to be kidding me.'
The thought had barely crossed his mind when hundreds of owls swooped into the Great Hall.
What was with this school? Couldn't they let a man eat his breakfast in peace?
William swiftly drew his wand, casting a spell to protect the nearby food, while observing the other professors at the table. Compared to him, they were much calmer, effortlessly blocking the falling dust and owl feathers. Judging by their practiced ease, a mass owl visitation like this was definitely not a sudden incident.
After confirming his food was safe, he began to look around. In Azkaban, those who didn't pay attention to their surroundings would suffer greatly, though William used to enjoy watching the commotion after sudden incidents.
The owls circled the entire Great Hall, found their masters or targets, and then landed on their tables, delivering letters or packages.
Although not as convenient as a telephone, the speed of item transport seemed much faster than express delivery. An owl delivery service wouldn't have its packages go up in flames, would it?
He just wondered if using an owl to deliver owl feed would cause an accident midway.
It was the first time such a whimsical thought had occurred to William, who had rented owls to send letters several times before, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
But soon, the temporary peace was shattered by a booming female voice.
"…stole a car! I wouldn't be surprised if they expelled you! Just you wait until I get my hands on you!"
A voice a hundred times louder than a normal person shouting filled the entire Great Hall. William watched as a spoon, trembling from the immense sound, slowly slid into a bowl of soup.
The voice crashed against the stone walls. Thanks to Hogwarts' unexpectedly superb construction, the echoes barely diminished, reverberating throughout the Great Hall in a deafening roar.
After a slight pause, William remembered what this terrifying entity was—a Howler.
True to its name, from the moment it was sent, the letter was filled with endless malice. The recipient could either face public humiliation or wait for it to explode. A normal wizard could only resign themselves to their fate. Only those who frequently engaged in activities not quite approved of by the Ministry of Magic knew a few little tricks to handle these things.
As a former prisoner from Azkaban, the ultimate advanced course for Dark Wizards, William had naturally heard such topics discussed there.
In that godforsaken place, no news ever came in. Even the most taciturn people developed the habit of confiding in others. If you didn't share anything, you either harbored an unspeakable secret or possessed frighteningly firm willpower. Besides those two types, the only ones left were those driven mad by the Dementors' constant watch.
However, William had no intention of helping that student with his problem. The very fact that these methods hadn't circulated among wizards after all these years was proof enough that they weren't the kind of tricks easily accepted by the public.
Drawing his wand, he blocked his ears, shielding his eardrums from the torturous sound, and began to work on his porridge.
—
"Look, the new professor."
At the Hufflepuff table, a group of witches gathered together, watching the spectacle in the Great Hall with amusement. Under the cover of the Howler, they continued the chat about their summer holiday that they hadn't finished yesterday.
Taking advantage of the chaos, a dozen or so people from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables had snuck over to chat. The Prefect who was supposed to maintain discipline was utterly suppressed by the Howler, rendered completely ineffective.
"What's so interesting about the professor? He's a nobody, just a bit handsome. All looks, no substance. Professor Lockhart is the one with both strength and looks."
"Yeah, yeah! Why did he get to substitute for the Sixth Year? I thought it would be Professor Lockhart!"
"That's you! So shallow! Dumbledore must have a reason for choosing him as a professor. Anyway, I'm signing up for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Advanced Class."
"And you call others shallow? You don't even know the course name has changed!"
The girl who had been attacked earlier found strong evidence to retort and began to mock the other, her voice rising above the Howler.
But at that moment, the Howler suddenly fell silent. The laughter seemed jarringly out of place in the Great Hall. As the Prefects resumed their duties, the groups that had gathered to chat immediately dispersed.
The chatter in the Great Hall turned to the recipient of the Howler, who, without a moment's hesitation, fled through the main doors of the Great Hall as if their life depended on it.
Only then did William notice that the incident had involved people he knew. If he stopped them to ask, would that mean another three treasure chests?
After a moment's thought, William, having finally resolved to abandon the vicious tastes he'd developed in Azkaban and be a good person, gave a magnanimous wave and let the three of them go.
Just then, Professor McGonagall suddenly rose from the table.
"Everyone, be quiet! Sixth Year Gryffindor students who have finished eating, come over here to check and receive your new timetables."
Following her, the other three Heads of House also stood up, calling for the students of their respective Houses to come and get their timetables.
And just like that, the atmosphere in the Great Hall completely changed. The Howler that had just arrived vanished without so much as a ripple.
'Is this the strength of an experienced professor?'
William sat at the dining table, watching the long queues, and couldn't help but put down the fresh cucumber in his hand.
P.S. Please bear with me, everyone. I'm dog-tired... I'll write more this weekend and see how much I can catch up.
(end of chapter)
