Harry Potter: Reborn as a Prisoner in Azkaban

William, who had originally thought this investigation would end as fruitlessly as the last, was surprised to receive some good news from Filch shortly after beginning his inquiries.

"No bloodstains this time, only chicken feathers?"

"That's right. I carefully inspected the castle grounds last night and confirmed that nothing was left outside. It wasn't until I opened the main doors the next morning that I noticed the feathers."

The dutiful caretaker was adamant. Due to Monday's bloodstain incident, he had been paying extra attention when closing the castle doors each evening.

"This is excellent, Mr. Filch. Now we can pinpoint the time of the incident." William slapped the desk in excitement, his voice brimming with barely contained joy.

"If we catch that troublemaker, I'll make sure they get the punishment they deserve! They must have used a secret passage. I'll find them!"

"Trust me, it won't take long. I've already tasked the students with helping investigate—"

"The students? prefects?"

"No, the ones in detention. Believe me, they're even more eager to catch the troublemaker."

Filch's face twisted with visible conflict. He clearly disapproved of William's unconventional use of delinquent students but couldn't deny the logic of their potential to uncover hidden passages.

"Fine, let them try. If they fail, they'll stay in detention just the same. But if they succeed, we'll deal with the culprit accordingly."

The caretaker grumbled reluctantly, causing William to suppress a grin. He quickly masked his amusement by turning to leave.

"Well then, Mr. Filch, I'll be off. Expect good news soon. I've got a fantastic idea. If nothing goes wrong, we'll catch the culprit in no time!"

With those parting words, William swiftly left Filch's office.

Sneaking out at night and using a secret passage? They're practically begging to be caught.

***

At Professor McGonagall's office, William knocked on the door.

"Come in… Professor William?" McGonagall sounded surprised when she saw him.

She had just seen him at lunch, and anything urgent would normally have been mentioned then. Even paperwork or requests would hardly warrant a late visit on a Friday afternoon.

"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall."

"Take a seat. What brings you here in such a rush?"

"There are two somewhat urgent matters, Professor. First, do you know of any large, vacant spaces on campus that I could use to host a small party?"

"A party? That's a fine idea," McGonagall said, her rare smile softening her stern demeanor. "All professors' offices can be expanded with the Extension Charm, and there's no limit to the space. You can also coordinate with the kitchen for food and refreshments at a low cost. In fact, it's quite common for professors to host parties. The house-elves will take care of everything."

An Extension Charm? Another thing I've never learned... If worst comes to worst, I'll ask Adams for help. He can't beat me in a duel, so it's not embarrassing if we both lose face together.

As for enlisting the help of house-elves, William was already somewhat familiar with that. He had to admit, Hogwarts offered some impressive benefits to its staff.

"Alright, and the second matter?"

"Please, go ahead, Professor William." McGonagall's expression visibly relaxed. Clearly, it wasn't anything too serious, which was a relief. As the head of Gryffindor, most of her unexpected visits from other professors were due to her students committing major transgressions, often requiring more than just detention to resolve.

"Well, it's about what happened earlier this week."

"Earlier this week?" McGonagall paused, then recalled the event. "You mean Monday, when Hagrid's chicken incident led to a major investigation?"

"That's correct, Professor."

"Was it the same culprits?"

Her question came with a mix of exasperation and practiced familiarity, as if such incidents had become routine over the years.

"No, no, Professor. Nothing's confirmed yet. I just want to conduct a more thorough investigation. Based on what we've found this week, it seems likely that the perpetrator used a secret passage to leave the castle at night, dumping the chicken blood and feathers outside."

"So, Professor William, you want to investigate who has been leaving the common room at night?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"I'll go with you. She has a very stubborn personality. Other than the Headmaster and me, I doubt she'll answer anyone else."

If she weren't so stubborn, how could she be the guardian of the Gryffindor common room? Guarding an entire house of students wouldn't mean much if anyone could get answers out of her.

Unfortunately, William didn't dare say this out loud.

***

"Professor McGonagall!"

The Fat Lady's portrait lit up with enthusiasm the moment she saw McGonagall, a stark contrast to William's previous visit, where she had no intention of letting him through to call students out.

"Good afternoon."

"Do you wish to go inside?"

The entrance to the common room swung open almost instantly as she spoke.

"No, thank you. I'm not here to see students today; I'm here to investigate something."

"I remember everything from these past few days, Professor."

"Thank you for your hard work, Madam. On Monday night, after lights out, did anyone leave the common room?"

"I remember it very clearly…" The Fat Lady rattled off a long list of names without hesitation, showing no intention of covering for the students.

How unfortunate. McGonagall might usually turn a blind eye to such things, but today these kids ran straight into trouble.

The culprit, William, showed no awareness of the fact that he had dragged McGonagall into this mess. He was solely focused on listening to the information being provided.

By now, a small group of students intending to enter the common room had gathered nearby. Upon realizing that McGonagall was conducting an investigation, they froze in place, standing stock-still, too scared even to whisper.

"I've noted their names. When they return, have them report to my office," McGonagall said mercilessly, effectively sentencing the unfortunate students to doom.

"And last night? Did anyone try to leave the common room after lights out?"

McGonagall's expression remained calm as she asked.

"No one, Professor. No one tried to leave," the Fat Lady replied.

She paused for a moment, as if trying to recall, before responding firmly, "I'm absolutely certain. Last night, after lights out, no one attempted to leave the common room, nor did anyone come in."

"What?" William exclaimed in surprise, but he quickly realized his mistake. His reaction practically implied that the culprit was within Gryffindor.

To his shock, McGonagall echoed his reaction. "What?"

For the first time, her composure wavered. She looked at the Fat Lady with a questioning gaze. "Are you certain?"

"I'm absolutely certain, Professor. After lights out last night, no one tried to leave the common room, and no one entered either."

The atmosphere turned tense. Although the surrounding students looked curious, McGonagall quickly regained her composure.

"Everyone, stop gawking and return to the common room. Professor William, come with me for a moment," she instructed firmly.

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