HP: Professor From Azkaban

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...

The Knight Bus traveled far faster than the so-called Hogwarts Express; William couldn't help but wonder where the Ministry official who had named that slow, lumbering train as "Express" had found their courage.

William, well-versed in the quirks of magical transportation, lay comfortably on one of the beds. He ignored the protesting Gryffindor girl seated nearby, her defiance evident in her refusal to cooperate.

When a space meant for seats was instead crammed with beds, the logical choice was to lie down and think about the absurdity later; not sit there sulking and being stubborn.

The next moment, the bus made a sharp turn. Everyone lying down grabbed the bedposts to steady themselves. The only exception was the seated Gryffindor, who tumbled heavily to the floor with a loud "thud."

"Hogsmeade Village!"

Stan Shunpike, the cheerful Knight Bus conductor, approached with a smile to announce their arrival.

"So soon?" William asked, surprised. The last time he had taken the bus to Diagon Alley, the ride had felt like an eternity.

"Lucky for you. No passengers flagged us down today, so we leaped straight here in just a few minutes. One leap covers a hundred miles, you know," Shunpike explained proudly.

"What an incredible ride," William said sincerely, patting Shunpike on the shoulder. Then, glancing at the Gryffindor girl, who was wincing as she climbed back to her feet, he added, "Let's go. Hagrid told me younger students aren't allowed in Hogsmeade, so consider this a sneak peek."

"Hmmph!"

The dim lighting inside the bus made it hard to decipher her expression, but she stormed off with an air of indignation. William waved goodbye to Shunpike and quickly followed her off the bus.

***

By the time William and his unusually silent student arrived at Hogwarts, it wasn't yet 1:00 in the afternoon.

Knocking on the castle's gates, William glanced at his watch, looking as if he had all the patience in the world.

"Hmmph! Hmmph!"

The student beside him made agitated noises, trying to draw his attention.

But William had resolved not to give her any opportunity to cause trouble before handing her over to Professor McGonagall. Once she was in McGonagall's capable hands, any further issues wouldn't be his problem.

"Oh, William! The professor said you'd be coming tonight with the students. Why are you here so early?" Hagrid's booming voice echoed warmly as he spotted them from the castle gates.

"I've got some fine wine ready, just waiting for you to join me after the Welcome Feast. It's great that you're early, but don't drink too much; you'll need to attend the feast!"

"Perfect timing, actually. My luggage is still on the train. There was a bit of a mishap, so I had to come ahead on the Knight Bus. By the way, is Professor McGonagall in her office?"

William wanted to deal with the 'little Gryffindor troublemaker' as quickly as possible.

"Oh, she's not in her office. She's busy preparing for the Welcome Feast and the Sorting Ceremony," Hagrid replied.

So, the owl hadn't arrived yet, then?

Considering the Knight Bus's speed, William figured his assumptions were probably correct; unless the Ministry had used its emergency communication channel with Hogwarts, but for something like the Flying Ford Anglia incident, that seemed unlikely.

"That's excellent. I'll head to the castle first to finish some tasks, then I'll come find you at the hunting grounds," William said.

"Alright, see you later--Wait, Hermione?" Hagrid's voice suddenly rang out in surprise.

"Hmph!"

The Gryffindor girl, whom Hagrid had called Hermione, tried to say something.

"What's wrong with her?"

"You know her?" William was momentarily surprised, then realized he'd asked a foolish question. Considering Hagrid's close relationship with Harry, how could he not know Harry's friends?

"Of course! She's my friend. Did she get cursed?"

"No, not quite. She made an excuse to leave the train, cast spells off-campus, and even attacked a Ministry official."

"Good heavens! Her? If you were talking about the Weasley twins, I'd think you were just covering for their mischief. But Hermione? She's top of her class."

She wouldn't have been able to knock a professor down if she weren't.

William glanced at the magical cards he carried as a backup plan and had to admit Hagrid's words made sense.

"Hmph!"

"Don't worry, Miss Granger. I'll lift the spell once I hand you over to Professor McGonagall. For now, please take this time to reflect on your mistakes."

"HMPH!"

She probably just cursed at him, but William ignored it.

"She doesn't seem interested in further reflection," William remarked. "I'd better hurry and deliver her to Professor McGonagall. See you later, Hagrid."

Hagrid's expression grew conflicted. He seemed about to suggest William remove the restraining spell but ultimately decided against it. After all, once Hermione was handed over to McGonagall, the spell would surely be undone.

***

When William entered the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall was instructing a group of house-elves, her hands holding a thick stack of parchment. She looked exceptionally busy.

"Professor William? You're here so early?"

Professor McGonagall's voice carried a note of pleasant surprise.

"Perfect timing," she continued as she extracted a piece of parchment from the stack. "We're short on candles in the school's inventory. Could I trouble you to take this order form to the owlery and send it to the general store in Hogsmeade?"

Professor, this is my first day on the job, and I barely know my way around. Isn't it a bit much to put me to work already?

William took the order form while stepping aside to reveal the Gryffindor girl hiding behind him. Ever since entering the hall, she had been lurking in his shadow.

"Professor McGonagall, there was a minor issue with the train."

"The train?" Professor McGonagall paused, momentarily puzzled.

Then she suddenly remembered the train ticket she'd sent William.

"What happened?" Her expression turned stern immediately.

"Two students were trapped outside the platform and missed the train. After investigating with the Ministry officials, we found the blockage was deliberate, though we couldn't identify the culprit."

"Miss Granger was trapped outside the platform? Who was the other student? Which house are they in?"

"No, Miss Granger wasn't blocked. Her two friends were. She took advantage of my stepping off the train and sneaked off, so I brought her here ahead of time."

"She sneaked off the train?" Professor McGonagall's expression showed a hint of surprise, but her thoughts quickly moved elsewhere.

"Two friends? Do you mean Potter and Weasley?"

"If she's not lying, that should be correct."

"And where are they now?" Her tone grew more urgent.

"If the information I got from the Ministry investigators is accurate, they're currently flying in a car, hovering somewhere over the Hogwarts Express."

"Merlin's beard!"

At that moment, William swore he saw the illusion of an enraged eagle in her demeanor.

"Sneaking off the train, chasing after the school train in a flying car…"

William noticed that the figure beside him seemed to shrink slightly under Professor McGonagall's muttered words.