chapter 179 part 2
Granted, all these ghosts together weren't half as terrifying as Azkaban, but the accumulated chill was very real, instantly reminding William of the recent rainy season.
'There's a student with me. Can't chicken out!'
William mustered the same perseverance he used to endure his classes and casually popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth—a fresh delivery by owl post.
"Want some, Ginny?"
"Thank you, Professor," the little girl said, taking it and quickly tearing off the wrapper to put it in her mouth. "It really works. Thank you, Professor."
[You have gained the recognition (admiration) of a magical creature. You have obtained Treasure Chest x1]
…
Why is this kid so earnest?
William could guess what the child was thinking—she must have felt the same chill he did, and after eating the chocolate, she found the coldness disappeared. Naturally, she assumed the Professor had brought it specifically for her…
'I wonder if there's still time to go back and bring other students here one by one?'
The thought popped into William's mind and refused to leave.
But it was just a thought. Since they were already here, he couldn't just abandon a first-year student in this haunted house to find someone else. This place really did have ghosts!
Besides, this child had just lost a large chunk of her memory and had only just left the Hospital Wing. Other students might not be so earnest…
"Professor, are the ghosts very fierce?"
"It depends. If they were good-tempered in life, their ghosts are usually pleasant too. If they were vicious in life, they probably won't be much better after death. By the way, remember not to say the word 'death', and don't rashly ask about anyone's cause of death. Some ghosts are sensitive about that."
Halfway through, William remembered the most important part and instructed the girl beside him.
"Okay, Professor."
Ginny nodded repeatedly. "Hermione never tells me this stuff. She always says I'm stupid..."
…
William was a little speechless with Granger.
'I specially found you a partner who could become a friend, so what is that child thinking, spouting such nonsense?'
"Stupid?"
"Yeah. She tutors me, helping me catch up on the first-year courses I've fallen behind on, but she explains the concepts too quickly..."
Ginny said in an aggrieved tone.
…
Alright, he had misjudged the child. She was probably just trying to make friends in her own way, even if it wasn't the best method.
"Wait, footsteps!"
William pulled the little girl behind him and aimed his wand straight ahead.
Even if he wasn't the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, he knew very well that ghosts don't make footsteps. Today was Halloween Eve at Hogwarts, and the school was bustling. Aside from him, who was investigating something, and Ginny, the unlucky girl trying to find her memories, who would skip the feast to wander around?
After casting a spell on his shoes and confirming they made no sound, William cast the same spell on Ginny.
"Stay behind me. I'll use my peripheral vision to watch our backs while I survey the area... Don't leave my line of sight."
He quietly reassured Ginny, then ran forward quickly. Today, he would either catch someone with ulterior motives or send some students to Filch for detention. There were no other options.
---
"What are you three doing here!"
William exclaimed in surprise. He retracted his wand from its attacking stance, holding it in a position that was easier to cast from.
The three short figures before him were clearly from the lower years, but William had recognized their voices even before seeing their faces. 'Do you three make it a point to show up wherever there's trouble in Hogwarts?'
"Hello, Professor."
The three of them greeted him in unison, their movements a bit awkward.
"Explain yourselves. Why are you skipping tonight's feast to come to the dungeons classroom?"
William stared at the trio. If these three unlucky kids said they were here to investigate, he would definitely make them enjoy a 'detention package'.
He was genuinely afflicted by a curse and knew what one could go through by digging just a little too deep into this matter.
"Um, Professor, today is the Deathday Party. I promised Nick I would go."
Harry answered, mustering his courage.
Nick? William remembered the host of the feast with the incredibly hard-to-remember name... Which Nick was it again?
"Alright," William said, pretending he hadn't just been wondering about it. "It seems we're heading to the same place. I was invited too. Ginny, come over here."
Ginny, who had been hiding behind him, quickly ran over.
"Wait, didn't you say tonight's feast was important, which was why you didn't really want to come to the remedial class?"
Hermione looked puzzled.
"Um, I had an appointment with the Professor to look for my memories..."
Ginny's voice grew quieter as she ran over, her eyes darting about, but she trailed off mid-sentence. Her earlier liveliness vanished, replaced by extreme shyness.
William glanced over, puzzled, and then noticed her stealing glances at Harry...
What is this nonsense! I'm here to conduct an investigation, not to film some primetime melodrama! You're only in your first year, don't get any funny ideas!
And what's this about not wanting to come to the remedial class—didn't we agree you were coming with me to find your memories? So you forgot?
There were too many things to complain about; William didn't know where to start.
Hermione, however, didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Though she had started by questioning Ginny, she was now chatting happily with her. As for the other two, they seemed more like explorers, walking at the very front, even looking like they might leave William and the girls behind to venture on alone.
'Are all Gryffindors like this?'
A question mark appeared in William's mind—but he had no extra energy to spare on it. The deeper they went, the harder it became to suppress his discomfort.
"Harry, you can relax now! With a professor here, we can have a proper good time!"
Ron whispered in Harry's ear, the fear he'd felt earlier because it was a ghost feast completely vanishing. With a professor around, what was there to be afraid of?
(end of chapter)