The three schemers quickly reached a consensus and walked out of the bar together.
Taking a detour through a side passage used for bar supplies, they soon turned into a secluded alley. The stench of waste and leftover vomit at the foot of the walls served as a grim testament to how unpleasant the place was.
With his head wrapped in bandages, William turned around, trying to inject a sense of ease into his voice. But before he could speak, the bandages muffled his words into an odd, incoherent noise.
"Gentlemen, we're out of the bar now—Expelliarmus!"
The two troublemaking students clearly had no self-awareness. They showed no intention of engaging in proper conversation. The moment William turned around, they drew their wands.
Unfortunately for them, the gap in magical ability and combat experience was enormous. It was like comparing Muggle children playing with water balloons to seasoned duelists. In Azkaban, mock battles where the stakes were chocolate had been a regular pastime.
The boy standing in front was hit directly by the Disarming Charm. In a flash of dazzling red light, he was forced back several steps before stumbling and falling to the ground. His wand flew out of his hand and into the air.
As the Disarming Charm took effect, William sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the slower curse from the second student.
Without hesitation, William cast a Stunning Charm, which hit the remaining boy squarely, slamming him into the alley wall.
"Ugh!"
With a muffled groan, the second troublemaker was rendered incapable of fighting.
I'm not a bad guy, but these students' dueling skills are truly terrible; William mused, catching the disarmed wand midair. He cast a silent Summoning Charm to retrieve the other wand, grabbing it with equal ease.
The skirmish was over.
Lowering his raised left hand, William shook his head at the two daring kids. One of his bandages came loose with the motion, forcing him to pause and secure it again.
As he worked on his bandages, the first boy scrambled to his feet and made a break for the alley's exit.
"All right, kids—Locomotor Mortis!"
The spell hit the fleeing boy perfectly. He immediately lost his balance, but managed to steady himself by leaning against the wall. However, when he tried to take another step, his legs were firmly locked together. Now, all he could do was hop.
William scanned the area, confirming there were no accomplices lurking nearby. He then shifted back to his earlier casual tone.
"Don't bother trying to run. Be good and pull back your hoods. I want to see which House's students are bold enough to skip school on a Wednesday. Tsk, tsk. Impressive."
The two boys, who had been exchanging glances while trapped by the spell, immediately abandoned their small attempts at mischief. The regret that had been forming in their minds vanished in an instant They realized this wasn't a shady dealer; it was a professor.
That changed things. For anyone else, they might have felt nervous. But for these two, this was familiar territory.
***
Without hesitation, both boys pulled down their hoods, revealing identical faces to William.
Bright red hair, strikingly vibrant—that was William's first impression of these two troublemakers.
Judging by their shameless actions and expressions that screamed 'do whatever you want', William concluded they weren't first-time offenders. Even in Azkaban, such slippery characters were rare. These two were walking bundles of trouble.
"Names?"
"George Weasley (Fred Weasley)!"
Almost in unison, they responded. A clear indication that the two could fabricate lies on the spot and back each other up seamlessly. Even without prior preparation, they could weave a perfect story together, taking turns fooling anyone who dared to question them.
"Gryffindor?"
"Yes."
Although the answer was exactly what William expected, it didn't bring him any satisfaction. Professor McGonagall had recently spoken to him about the negative impact of failing too many students. And now, here he was, catching two more from her House. Wasn't this just openly challenging his boss?
He had been at the school for less than four days, barely familiar with its staff and students, yet this was already happening.
Serves you right for being nosy, for dragging students into trouble when you didn't have to!
William, feeling slightly frustrated, continued his questioning.
"First-time offenders?"
This time, the response wasn't as quick as he anticipated. Under his watchful gaze, the two began exchanging looks, as if communicating silently. After what seemed like deliberate hesitation, just long enough to appear as though they were ashamed, they replied in voices that sounded meek yet practiced.
"Sorry, Professor. We truly shouldn't have done it. We stumbled upon a secret passage and made a bet about it. We got carried away and disguised ourselves to visit the bar."
"Yes, Professor. We're willing to accept any punishment; detention, cleaning, writing lines. We're ready to take responsibility for what we did."
The two took turns confessing, their tone sincere, their words simple. They resembled impulsive teenagers who had gone slightly astray but were still salvageable.
Unfortunately for them, such tactics wouldn't fool even a slightly experienced professor, let alone William, who had spent almost a year among thieves and con artists in Azkaban.
"Wonderful. Let me discuss it with Professor McGonagall. How about cleaning bedpans in the hospital wing for a month?"
"That's not fair, Professor! We only sneaked out during our free time. Visiting the Hog's Head isn't against the school rules!"
The moment they heard their punishment, both protested in unison.
As expected from seasoned troublemakers. Ordinary students wouldn't study the school rules in such detail. Memorizing them was one thing, but truly understanding what was allowed and forbidden required significant effort.
"How long does the school handbook say you should clean bedpans for attacking a professor? If I recall correctly, the maximum punishment is a year's detention or probation?"
The two immediately fell silent. While William's actions bordered on entrapment, they couldn't deny the fact that they had attacked a professor.
Even though they'd been thoroughly outmatched by this unknown professor and left in bad shape, it didn't change the reality of what they had done.
Like defeated roosters, the two slumped, their spirits utterly crushed. Seeing them like this, William felt a slight pang of guilt; punishment, after all, was meant to educate, not just to punish.
"Fine. Cleaning bedpans is a bit much. Let's change it. During the upcoming holiday, you'll spend two hours each day in my office copying magical history. No using magic quills, quick-notes quills, or any similar tools. I'll find a book of appropriate thickness for you. Hmm, actually, make it every holiday until you finish the task. Once it's done, your detention will be over."
Reading history makes one wise. Writing out magical history had far greater educational value than cleaning bedpans. Even if they didn't remember everything, copying enough times would ensure they retained some of it.
"All right, that's settled. It's my final decision. Here are your wands. Head back to school the way you came. Once you're there, report your punishment to Professor McGonagall. I'll confirm it with her, so don't think you can loaf around outside all afternoon."
William waved dismissively and walked away from the alley, leaving the two stunned troublemakers without giving them a chance to react.
...
//I will upload bonus chapter as well.