Harry Potter: Reborn as a Prisoner in Azkaban

"Good morning, everyone. Place your papers and essays on the desk, then find your seats."

As the students approached the classroom door, William appeared at the entrance with a smile.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but this was the first time since becoming a professor that William had arrived in the classroom before his students. Usually, it was the other way around, with the students waiting for him.

To be honest, the feeling of sitting in the classroom ahead of the students was completely different from walking into a room already filled with them. The former felt like a sense of accomplishment, while the latter was more like embarking on an adventure.

I should've done this from the start. Arriving early for the first class would've helped ease my nerves back then.

William smiled to himself as he watched the students file in one by one.

At this point, though, this bit of insight wasn't particularly useful to him anymore.

There was still some tension in the classroom, but it was the students who were nervous now; not him.

To be precise, there were three main reasons why William could arrive early and wait for his students today…

After teaching for some time, he had gradually become familiar with the castle's many paths.

His ongoing banter with Adams had sparked suspicions among the other professors, and to avoid exposing their embarrassing antics, he had to leave the dining table early.

Most importantly, the fifth-year students had started dreading his classes. Usually eager to arrive early, they now found excuses, perhaps unconsciously, to linger far from the classroom before lessons began.

When the professor is no longer nervous, it's the students' turn. Is this some sort of 'law of conservation of nerves'?

The thought popped into William's head, and he quickly looked down to hide his smile, pretending to check through the papers instead.

"I'll be reviewing your assignments. Please pre-read the next ten pages in your textbooks, continuing from where we left off last lesson."

William's voice carried across the room, and soon the soft rustle of pages turning filled the air. After two weeks of relentless exams and assignments, the students had learned to keep quiet during class.

Mediocre, barely acceptable.

Perfect.

...

…

William's eyes moved systematically across the densely written exam papers. He focused on the first and last sentences of each answer, then evaluated the handwriting and structure to give a rough assessment.

In theory, none of these students should have mastered the 'perfect beginning and end, messy middle' strategy of slacking off. But even if they had, William didn't really care. He had done his part in creating test papers, assigning homework, and delivering lessons. If some students still chose to slack off, all he could say was that he had tried his best.

After spending some time skimming through the papers, William exhaled in relief. Based on this preliminary review, none of the students had slacked off entirely, and most were at least meeting the basic standards.

While it might feel like he was grading once a month despite seeing these students daily, there wasn't much he could do about it. There was still a stack of essays waiting for detailed feedback.

"Alright, I've given the papers a quick look. It's not perfect, but at least no one tried to skip their work. Let's move on to today's lesson."

"No exam?"

A student blurted out the question, only to be met with glares from their peers.

Finally, the Professor forgot about giving a test! Why ruin it? It wasn't even October yet; there was no need to be such a "helpful assistant" this early in the term!

"So eager for an exam, are you?" William teased, raising an eyebrow.

William chuckled, turning his gaze to the boy who had accidentally asked the question. He could guarantee that if he actually decided to hold a test because of that, the poor kid would probably be ostracized by his classmates for a month.

But tests were never the ultimate goal; they were merely a tool to push students to better grasp the material.

Although, considering his current approach, essentially cramming knowledge into them to help them pass their OWLs, saying that felt a bit hypocritical. Still, it didn't stop William from slightly adjusting the lesson plans on the fly.

"Alright, no test today. Instead, we'll focus on covering the fifth-year syllabus. But we'll be moving quickly, so make sure to take thorough notes. And—don't even think about skimping on the essay after class."

William spread open his book and, without looking up, addressed the students seated below.

Immediately, he heard an audible collective exhale, as though everyone in the room had been holding their breath until now.

Look at how frightened these kids are.

Shaking his head, he opened the book to the correct page and placed his lesson plan beside it for reference. Then he turned toward the blackboard, using magic to guide the chalk as it began writing notes on the board.

I really need to set aside some time to practice a few more teaching assistance spells. That way, I could cover more material in a single lesson and give them more time for review.

***

Finally, the relentless chalk broke itself in half and tumbled from the blackboard, as though it had grown tired of its dedicated labor.

Could it be that even the chalk feels like the Professor's workload is too exhausting and decided to go on strike?

Nancy, who had been barely keeping up with her notes using both a Quick-Quotes Quill and her own handwriting, found this amusing thought flashing through her mind.

Be content, Nancy. At least there were no maddening exams today!

She tried to comfort herself, reasoning that while the lesson had been grueling, it was still far better than dealing with one of those overwhelming tests.

Though, without exams, there's no way to earn extra credit. What a shame.

As this thought entered her mind, Nancy quickly shook her head, trying to dispel it. Longing for tests? How was that any different from that idiot Dickie, who had outright asked if there would be a test?

Shaking off the ridiculous notion, Nancy noticed a fresh piece of chalk had already replaced the broken one on the blackboard, tirelessly continuing its work.

Fortunately, her pre-study preparation had been thorough, allowing her to keep up with the lesson's pace.

But that didn't mean it was easy. By the time the Professor finally closed his book during the mid-class break, Nancy, like many of her classmates, slumped over her desk in exhaustion.

"Alright, take a break, everyone. I admit we moved a bit fast today. As always, to make sure you've understood everything. Two thousand words for your essay." The Professor's voice echoed through the classroom, but most students didn't even have the energy to complain.

Is this really necessary?

Nancy desperately wanted to hex the professor right then and there. How is this not excessive?

"Hmm, isn't anyone curious why we finished all the planned material for half the lesson? What do you think we'll do next?" the Professor asked.

What next? Who knows? Usually, it's an exam after the lecture. Maybe today the professor will switch it up; lecture first, then exam?

A terrifying thought flashed through Nancy's mind. Professor, are you a devil?

But before her silent grievances could spiral further, a loud cheer erupted from the classroom. Her classmates seemed to have been injected with some mysterious potion, suddenly bursting with energy.

"What's going on?"

Before Nancy could make sense of the situation, her best friend leapt from her seat and hugged her tightly.

"Nancy, it's a practical lesson! A practical lesson!"

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