Azkaban to Hogwarts: Professor Of Defense Against Dark Arts

By the morning of the next day, almost everyone knew that a big shot was coming.

The breakfast delivered that morning wasn't the usual roasted potatoes with vegetable soup that was low on oil and salt. Instead, it was replaced with tomato-flavored soybeans, fried eggs, grilled sausages, and cereal porridge. The black bread had been replaced with lightly toasted slices of bread. Most importantly, each person had been given an entire Chocolate Frog, which was a luxury that could never have been hoped for in the past.

The Dementors hadn't come to feed the night before, and the guards had arrived early to inspect the cleanliness of the cells. This time, they hadn't brought any entertainment items like cigarettes or alcohol for any of the cells. Even if someone offered money, they couldn't get any information in return.

"Hey, do you think that with this strict inspection, what kind of big shot is coming?"

"With all this fuss, could it be the Head of the Auror Office?"

"The Head of the Auror Office coming here? What does that have to do with the guards? He's not even their direct superior, so why would he be working so hard?"

"Maybe it's the Minister of Magic?"

"If the Minister of Magic was coming, the Daily Prophet would have already sent reporters to take pictures. How could we still be eating dinner and waiting here?"

"True... Could it be that the UK is changing kings and they're planning to pardon some prisoners?"

"What do Muggle affairs have to do with us? Don't think too much about it."

Various speculations spread among the prisoners, but no one knew the truth.

***

Around 10 A.M., things began to develop further. Starting from a distant cell, one by one, the prisoners were brought out of their cells. After some questioning, they were sent back. Upon returning, they claimed to know nothing about what they were supposed to do, but no one would reveal who had come to question them or what they had been asked. The returned prisoners frantically shook their heads, saying they had been warned not to speak about it.

The news spread quickly, but no one in the cells could figure out what exactly was going on. They only knew that the visitors seemed to be selecting some people for something.

In William's cell, the prisoners even started arguing about what the visitors wanted.

Prisoners with longer sentences tended to think that the chosen ones would either be taken away or have their sentences greatly reduced, in order to be employed afterward. So, they figured it would be a good idea to boast a little about their abilities in the investigation, making it easier for them to get out of this damned prison.

Those with shorter sentences believed that the reason they were being selected was precisely because they would be willing to sacrifice a lot for freedom. So, they felt it was better to hide their true capabilities during the investigation, so they wouldn't be selected to go out as cannon fodder, unable to even refuse.

The two sides argued fiercely, but it didn't affect the guards' speed in bringing the prisoners to the investigation. When it was finally William's turn, he noticed that the guards' faces bore a mixture of awe and joy. This made William instantly realize that there was nothing good in store from this investigation.

It was highly likely that someone who could make the guards feel awe was here to select cannon fodder. Since William still had less than a year left in his sentence, he felt it was much better to just keep a low profile.

Having decided to proudly declare "I am useless" during the investigation, William felt a sense of relief.

Though Azkaban was certainly not the best place for a swordsman with 10 years of experience, compared to being sent out as cannon fodder, accepting the Ministry of Magic's tight protection didn't seem like such a hard thing to accept.

Soon, under the guard's escort, William met his interviewer; or rather, his investigator.

The person before him was a lady with a head full of fluffy hair that made William think of a lion cub. She wore thick glasses and her clothes were outdated and odd. If it weren't for her age, William could easily label her a "shut-in."

Workaholic, ruthless, cold-blooded, desperate to marry; countless derogatory terms flooded William's mind, but he managed to suppress them.

He knew very well that his initial negative emotions had clouded his judgment. If he let this negativity continue, he would most likely fail to maintain his "useless" persona.

The woman glanced at William, then looked up at the ceiling. After about a minute of silence, she turned to the two guards and asked, "Is he William?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Alright, thank you. Take him back and bring the next person in. Thank you."

Was that it?

William was stunned but obediently suppressed any desire to protest. After all, what if he disagreed and the person behind the desk suddenly shouted; 'Excellent, full of spirit, you're the one!'

In that case, wouldn't he be in big trouble?

Confused, William was escorted back to the prison, while the other prisoners gradually went through their own rounds and returned to their cells.

In their cell alone, the four prisoners had encountered four different investigators, and the methods of investigation were varied and strange. Some had been questioned, some had to do tasks, and others were simply handed a wand to cast spells. It was impossible to understand what the investigators actually wanted.

When the fifth person returned, he hadn't even sat down before he began shouting, "My god, that scared me! Professor McGonagall is still as terrifying as ever!"

He then began hopping around like a little rabbit, amusing everyone in the cell.

The guard responsible for escorting them also laughed, but without mercy, he conjured a whip and began striking the little rabbit fiercely.

The small rabbit scrambled madly under the lashes but still received a dozen solid hits, writhing in pain on the ground until the guards stopped and the rabbit reverted to its original form.

"You fool, you should've kept your mouth shut when you first entered the cell! This time, you were clearly warned not to reveal anything about the investigation to anyone and still dared to talk. If you get caught again, it won't just be a whipping next time!"

The guard muttered curses as he left the cell. He glanced at the prisoner list in his hand, began escorting prisoners from the neighboring cell, and locked William's cell door behind him.

***

"Tsk, they got you good? Why shout so loudly? No one's giving you money. Even though you're in Azkaban, you still can't keep your mouth shut!"

Big Guy mocked him mercilessly, tossing a bottle of potion over from his bunk; there were many bumps and bruises in the cell, and potions like this were common currency, with everyone keeping a few on hand.

"I didn't expect it either. To run into a professor in this hellhole, and then get scolded by her for misusing Transfiguration. After I came back, I was so flustered that I forgot everything—easy on the potion, it hurts!"

"Hurt? You brainless idiot, who didn't recognize that it was a professor? We could all tell, so why did you shout? Didn't you get warned?"

Nine-Fingers responded gruffly while applying some potion to his injuries.

Had everyone else figured it out?

Why didn't I recognize her?

Why was I never warned?

Aren't we all in Azkaban together? Who am I? Where is this?