Harry Potter: Reborn as a Prisoner in Azkaban

William considered himself a man of his word in most circumstances.

Since he had promised to release the rabbits used in the experiment, he was determined to follow through; And to release them, he had to ensure they were alive.

This wasn't a simple task. In theory, one student would create a wound, and the other would attempt to heal it. However, for the students, this was far from an easy feat.

Forget about fifth-years, even Hogwarts graduates would need to be among the best of the best to control the strength of their spells and achieve their intended effects with precision.

As a result, throughout the entire practical class, William had to put in considerable effort to deal with various unexpected situations. The most common issue was students casting Stupefy spells that weren't strong enough, leading to the rabbits waking up and biting a classmate's finger before darting away in an attempt to escape.

There were even two students who tried to bypass the stunning spell and directly cast experimental spells on the rabbits. William scolded them harshly; he was there to teach healing, not cruelty.

"Class dismissed!"

It was the first time William had ever announced the end of a class so haggardly. Since becoming a professor, this was the most mentally exhausting lesson he had ever taught.

The students, on the other hand, had a blast. Compared to other classes that required repetitive practice of a single spell, Defense class was far more engaging. Today's frequent mishaps only made it more entertaining, almost enough to make them forget the miserable parts of the day.

"Hufflepuffs, come to the front, form a line, and place the rabbits in the cage before you leave."

Finally catching his breath while leaning on the wooden cage, William addressed the students again.

"Professor?"

A few Hufflepuffs voiced their confusion, but William had no intention of explaining. Since he'd promised to release the rabbits, he wasn't about to give the Hufflepuff students a chance to make any mistakes.

These fresh ingredients needed to be handled strictly. Being lax during collection would be irresponsible to both the rabbits and the students.

With a sigh, the Hufflepuffs reluctantly returned their rabbits. Afterward, the Ravenclaws, who had shared the lesson with them, also obediently handed over their rabbits under William's watchful eye. Some of them looked particularly reluctant; though not because they wanted to eat the rabbits. Judging by their expressions, they were more interested in keeping them as pets.

Fifth-year students wanting to eat or keep pets, honestly... I'll have to make a trip to the Forbidden Forest later to release these rabbits.

Carrying the cage, William couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Is it because today was too busy?

No, the afternoon classes were the same. There were still plenty of rabbits left, enough for three grades, so there was no need to worry about that.

Is it guilt?

No, not really. Compared to dissected rabbits, these creatures had only suffered some minor misfortune but had ultimately survived. They would be released soon.

Ah, right! Homework!

William hurriedly rushed out of the classroom, relieved to find the students hadn't realized the oversight either. At least they hadn't run off yet.

Thank goodness, I realized in time. Assigning it at the common room entrance would've been too late.

"Students from the previous class, come back for a moment; I haven't assigned today's homework!"

The students, who had been happily chatting about the class, froze at the Professor's voice behind them. They had been so caught up in the fun of the lesson that they had completely forgotten about homework!

'Should we make a run for it?'

The students exchanged glances, seemingly able to communicate with their eyes. At that moment, both Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws shared an unprecedented sense of camaraderie.

Unfortunately, after a few moments, no one dared to take the lead.

Where are the Gryffindors when you need them? Damn it, they're everywhere when they're not needed, but nowhere to be found when they are!

For the first time, both houses collectively directed their frustration at Gryffindor.

***

"Students from the previous class, come back for a moment…"

William's voice echoed through the thick walls and reached the Gryffindors, who were currently covered in dust and exploring a hidden passage.

"This voice sounds familiar. Who's that professor?"

The Gryffindors, halting their activities, paused for a long while before finally arriving at a conclusion.

"Did you all hear what was said clearly?"

"A few words, what about you?"

"About the same."

After a bit of piecing things together, the group finally understood the words that had almost been missed.

"Merlin—there are professors like this?"

"Students have already left, but you're calling them back to assign homework! Hogwarts has never had such a ridiculous professor. Even Professor McGonagall wouldn't do something like this."

"Wait, has Professor McGonagall ever forgotten to assign homework?"

"I can't remember. When we're busy with Quidditch practice, the Professor excuses us from homework, so I don't think she would go out of her way to assign it."

The secret passage fell into a brief silence before a sour scent of envy began to spread throughout the corridor.

***

"Run, get far away. I didn't leave any marks on you. If you come back here next time and get caught again, I really won't recognize you."

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, William held a cage of "teaching materials" and opened it, releasing the rabbits.

There were plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest, and if they were gone, he could just catch more.

As he waited for the rabbits to disappear into the forest, William rewarded himself with a piece of chocolate and casually headed toward Hagrid's hut. The rabbits were released, and it was a perfect opportunity to greet Hagrid before heading back to the castle.

"William, you went to catch rabbits again?"

From a distance, Hagrid spotted William and greeted him warmly.

"No, those were the rabbits I used for class earlier. I just released them. It's fine to catch some elsewhere, right, Hagrid?"

"Of course. There are plenty of rabbits in the Forbidden Forest, especially this year. The centaurs have been complaining that it's all rabbits for them every day."

"Eh? Don't the centaurs eat grass?"

William was stunned for a moment. His knowledge of centaurs was limited to articles he had only heard of by name, never studied. Though they were recognized as intelligent beings, the centaurs still hadn't been extensively researched.

"Of course not, they hunt."

Hagrid let out a friendly laugh and raised the object in his hand, which made William's face change instantly.

It was a rooster.

"Another attack?" He asked hurriedly.

"An attack?" Hagrid paused, then understood.

"No, no, no, there was no attack. Didn't Professor Adams say he wanted a rooster yesterday? But, I ate it, and today I slaughtered another one to call him over later."

He killed it himself; William sighed with relief.

"Didn't you say you were going to use it for your crowing alarm?"

"Yeah, so I went out early this morning to buy some roosters, bought a dozen or so. You have no idea, on the way back, those guys almost drove me crazy with all their noise." Hagrid smiled widely, clearly feeling a bit guilty for not being able to provide the professor with a rooster yesterday. Now, he was going to make sure the professor had enough roosters to eat his fill.

Adams, you've got plenty to eat now.

William silently looked toward the castle; Even the tastiest chicken couldn't be eaten all at once, could it?

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