Harry Potter: Reborn as a Prisoner in Azkaban

William was still dazed as he followed Professor McGonagall to her office. Not Gryffindor? Then who could it be?

He wasn't particularly surprised that there were flaws in the investigation. After all, having spent years in Azkaban, he had encountered criminals from every house and held no stereotypes about any of them. He'd seen it all.

As he mulled over how to investigate the entry and exit activities of the other houses' common rooms, Professor McGonagall closed the office door firmly behind her. Suddenly, her emotions erupted.

"Unprecedented! Attacking the guardian of the common room! Using Confundus Charms or something similar to cover their tracks! What on earth are these upper-year troublemakers trying to do? Late to school, flying in! Forming a group to cause trouble! Ransacking the caretaker's office! It's not even been a month since term started!"

"…"

"Apologies, Professor William, for letting you witness this spectacle."

The usually stern and intimidating Deputy Headmistress gave off an entirely different aura when angry. To William, she now seemed even more terrifying than a Dementor.

Fortunately, it seemed that McGonagall's fury had been tempered by her years of self-control, likely honed through dealing with Gryffindor students. After venting loudly, she gradually calmed down.

"Confundus Charm?" William finally managed to voice his confusion.

It wasn't that he didn't know about the spell, but he couldn't fathom how Professor McGonagall had identified it in this case.

While magical traces could indeed be detected, such methods wouldn't work on the common room guardian. The sheer number of times the common room door had been opened in a single day would have erased all evidence. Perhaps some wizards could discern such things, but William certainly wasn't one of them.

"Of course. A Confundus Charm, or something similar, cast from inside the common room. Without the Headmaster himself intervening, no one could directly break through the protective magic of the common room."

Having regained her composure, McGonagall finally sat down. With a flick of her wand, she summoned another chair for William to sit on.

"Please have a seat, Professor William."

William obediently sat down, his curiosity piqued. He was eager to learn how McGonagall had detected traces of a Confundus Charm that should have been erased by the frequent use of magic on the guardian.

This wasn't something he could find in any magical textbook. Even if he studied on his own for another year, he wouldn't have reached such a high level of expertise.

"Killing a rooster, using its blood... a dark ritual. Professor William, do you have any suspects?"

"At first, I suspected the Weasley twins of a prank. But they lacked the motive for a second offense, and my earlier questioning eliminated their timeline. However, if we consider the involvement of a Confundus Charm, then those assumptions fall apart. But, Professor, how did you determine that the Fat Lady's portrait was under the influence of such a spell?"

Professor McGonagall thought for a moment before quickly coming to a conclusion.

"It's unlikely to be them. I know the Weasley twins' capabilities. They couldn't cast such a powerful Confundus Charm. They're clever, yes, but their minds are preoccupied with other pursuits. As for the charm itself, I can only say this, Professor William; you don't really understand Gryffindor."

McGonagall offered a strained smile, clearly not proud of her statement.

Don't understand? We had two Gryffindors in our cellblock. One in the left cell, two in the right, and another across the hall. I spent over half a year with them in Azkaban, and you're saying I don't understand?

Perhaps sensing his confusion, McGonagall elaborated.

"In Gryffindor, it's normal for students to sneak out. A night where no one sneaks out would be unusual. Those kids even sneak out for a stroll around the castle the night before their OWLs. How could there be a night where no one ventures out?"

"What's more, last night, Wood stayed in my office until lights out. That boy has been pushing for the house budget to be used to purchase several Nimbus brooms for the past week. He even said Nimbus 2000s would suffice!"

Nimbus?

William froze for a moment before recalling that it was a famous brand of broomstick. Without a doubt, McGonagall hadn't approved the request.

I'm still using the budget to treat students to meals. This feels... excessive. A random thought flitted through William's mind. Although he knew the situation called for seriousness, he couldn't muster the focus.

Despite his current lack of leads on the attack, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall's approval of his investigation meant that Albus Dumbledore, the so-called greatest white wizard, would likely get involved.

Even though William knew the value of self-reliance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, as if he had found a reliable backer. After all, dealing with a student killing a chicken couldn't possibly be harder than extracting someone from Azkaban, right?

"Professor William, do you have any other suspects?"

Just as William was lost in thought, he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall, who couldn't help but ask, seeing the relaxed expression on his face.

"Other suspects? Hmm…. If it's an upper-year student, then it's likely a sixth-year."

Interrupted from his daydreaming, William quickly responded. He had already suspected the sixth-year students when he eliminated the Weasley twins.

"Fifth-year students shouldn't have the time to commit the crime. I checked their assignments when I was giving out homework and reviewed the assignments from other subjects to ensure they had enough time to complete them. But after finishing those assignments, I don't think they had the capacity to do anything else. The homework has been collected, and while there was some minor copying, it wasn't extensive. Fifth-years didn't have the time to commit the crime."

"Copying?" Professor McGonagall's gaze turned cold.

"A small amount of referencing was understandable, Professor," William quickly explained, and only then did McGonagall's expression soften.

"As for the seventh-years, they would have no trouble getting an internship and applying for it. Killing Hagrid's chicken to get rooster's blood is too risky, but I can't rule out the possibility that someone might want to do something big before graduating."

"So, Professor William, your suggestion is to focus on the sixth and seventh-years?"

"Yes, that's right, Professor, but I'm not ruling out the possibility of a younger student committing the crime."

For some reason, William thought of the introduction on Professor Snape's card. The one that mentioned how he had mastered curses that most graduates never even learned before entering school.

"Are you suggesting that a younger student, who might not be well-versed in school affairs, could have used the Confundus Charm to erase everyone's records?"

"Hmm, I'm not ruling out the possibility of a genius. If it were Headmaster Dumbledore, I believe he would have had that kind of power in his first year."

"But Albus is the only one—" Professor McGonagall rarely showed a smile, "But if you insist, we could ask Professor Lockhart. The younger students had someone in Defense Against the Dark Arts class who displayed remarkable talent."

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