HP: Professor From Azkaban

"Gryffindor?"

"Gryffindor."

"I knew it!"

William sighed.

There was a famous joke in Azkaban; economic criminals were from Ravenclaw, violent criminals were from Gryffindor, and the rest were from Hufflepuff, as for Slytherin, they weren't outside, they were inside having meetings with Dementors.

Each house had its own reputation; no one could claim innocence. The whole of Azkaban was populated by graduates from Hogwarts.

It wasn't entirely accurate, but it more or less explained things. Criminals from Ravenclaw tended to be tricksters, always trying to find loopholes; economic criminals were in the majority. Criminals from Gryffindor were more impulsive; either violating the secrecy laws or engaging in brawls, with those two charges almost entirely falling on them. Hufflepuff had the most members, so it followed that they also had the highest proportion of criminals.

As for Slytherin, most came from wealthier families. Either they didn't commit crimes, or if they did, they were serious offenders. Besides, a bunch of Death Eaters occupied the deepest cells; every one of them a hardcore Slytherin.

Of course, William wouldn't dare say that at school. If he had offended all four house heads before even starting his job, he'd have to be seriously out of his mind.

Still, jokes aside, William realized today that there was some truth to that joke.

If the student had been from another house, they probably wouldn't have dared sneak off the train.

Considering that stopping the train wasn't realistic, William could only reluctantly agree to take the student along. Out in the middle of nowhere, could he just leave her behind?

With some helplessness, William spoke seriously:

"I'll report the situation to Professor McGonagall honestly. I don't believe running off the train will help those two students who missed it, but right now, grab my left arm; hold on tight, don't let go." William held out his left arm, while gripping his wand with his right hand.

A small hand gently grasped the sleeve of his jacket.

"Grip tightly, hold on to my arm, and don't let go."

Perhaps William's tone was a bit too stern, as the student seemed startled and clung to him tightly.

This poor kid; William couldn't help but mentally complain.

Then, he began to Apparate, aiming for the spot where they had just boarded the train.

The familiar squeezing sensation came, and after a brief adjustment, William pointed his wand around in a circle.

Safe.

Only then did he have the time to observe the student he had brought along. Although the appearance of the follower relied mostly on the caster, the dizziness it caused was the same. Though arranging for a student like this wasn't very professional, he did feel that this student deserved a small punishment today.

The discomfort caused by Apparition wasn't something a first- or second-year student could easily bear. After struggling for a while, the student finally bent over and vomited.

***

"All cleaned up."

William waved his wand, clearing the vomit, and then pulled out a mint-flavored candy from his pocket. Since leaving Azkaban, his pockets had always been filled with various candies.

At that moment, he had already abandoned the thought of punishing the young girl in front of him.

He had been at that age once, and kids of that age cared a lot about their image, whether they were boys or girls.

No matter how cold it got, they wouldn't wear thick clothes, just because they were afraid others would laugh at them over something so trivial. It might sound unbelievable, but it happened to many kids of that age.

"First time Apparating, it's always like this. Sucking on this mint candy will help a lot. When I was practicing, I threw up for quite a while before I felt better." William spoke the lie with no pressure.

"Mm."

William casually peeled a chocolate for himself and popped it into his mouth.

"I'm worried someone might be intentionally blocking the passage. Apparition took us near the platform, but we'll have to walk a little further to get there."

"Oh; right." William used Transfiguration to turn the chocolate wrapper into a paper cup, filled it with fresh water, and handed it to the student. "Gargle, it'll feel much better."

"Mm."

"Stay a little behind. I'll go check out what happened. Keep an eye on the back and shout if anything happens, then duck down."

As William gave these instructions, he quickly walked toward the platform. Though the likelihood of an accident was high, he didn't rule out the possibility of intentional sabotage.

Given the cursed situation, William felt that exercising extra caution in such cases was never a bad idea.

Soon, William arrived at the platform.

The platform, which had been empty when they first arrived, now showed no signs of an ambush.

After checking the area and finding no one, he began to carefully inspect the magical layer meant to conceal things.

"There are signs of spellcasting, but it has been dispelled. The method isn't very sophisticated, even a bit worse than a novice like me."

Considering the station across was a busy area, William felt that it was unlikely that someone had set up an ambush, but it never hurt to be cautious.

After confirming that there were no additional spells on the barrier, William shouted to the student behind him to stay hidden.

He then quickly retreated a considerable distance, cast spells on the soles of his shoes and himself, and dashed toward the barrier. As he got close, he lowered his center of gravity, changing his stance into a slide. The spell on the soles of his shoes took effect, and it was as if there was no friction at all as he sped through the barrier.

William kept his body as low as possible. As the sky changed color, he quickly scanned his surroundings and swiftly rolled to the side, intending to avoid any potential attacks.

Nothing happened.

At King's Cross Station, people were coming and going. Passengers saw William and thought he had accidentally slipped, laughing to themselves. A few kind-hearted people jogged over, attempting to help him up.

But William quickly pushed against the ground, stood up, brushed the dirt off himself, and acted as if nothing had happened.

As long as he wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment wouldn't be his.

Things like this weren't even a big deal in prison. His thick skin had been well-trained.

However, William soon noticed a strangely dressed person trying to move toward him. He maneuvered through the crowd slightly, evading the person's line of sight, and successfully circled around to the person's back.

With his wand extended, William swiftly drew the wand from the person's waist.

"Be honest, Hogwarts professor. Who sent you to block the passage?"

"I'm a Ministry of Magic official, dealing with events that might cause suspicion with Muggles. Today, with the Hogwarts term starting, I'm here to handle the aftermath of personnel who accidentally exposed themselves while entering the station."

...

William muttered to himself; I knew it, how could someone trying to block the way be so incompetent!

With annoyance, William asked, "Where's your work ID?"

"In my left pocket."

"Take it out yourself." William stepped back a bit to prevent the person from grabbing his wand, watching as the official obediently took out the identification.

It turned out to be a Ministry of Magic employee.

"Come with me to inspect the passage, and let's get the student out."

"Understood, Professor."

William couldn't tell which year's graduate this was, but they had once again experienced the fear of being dominated by a professor.

...

300 Power Stones For The Next Bonus Chapter!