HP: Professor From Azkaban

A strange ghost.

That was William's only take-away from his earlier encounter.

After such an incident, William lost any interest in returning to the dining hall. He'd already introduced himself, and the Headmaster had given his speech; Surely there wouldn't be another speech after dinner, right?

With that thought, he decided to head to his office. Judging by the time, his luggage should already have been delivered there. This would be a good opportunity to organize his belongings and set up his bed.

***

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of knocking echoed through the room. William, who was in the middle of pulling a stack of books from one of his trunks, quickly checked that nothing inappropriate was lying around. After ensuring everything was in order, he grabbed his wand and opened the door cautiously.

To his surprise, it wasn't a visitor; it was a house-elf.

"Apologies, Professor. We're not supposed to Apparate into occupied rooms, but I've come to prepare your bedding."

"Prepare my bedding?"

"Yes, Professor. Additionally, we provide cleaning and hygiene services whenever the room is unoccupied."

"Can I opt out of that?"

William wasn't comfortable with others casually entering his room; he knew enough cleaning charms to handle things himself.

"As you wish, Professor. You may summon us for cleaning or any other services at any time. My name is Bart; you can call me by name whenever you need assistance."

"Other services? Does that include food?" William asked tentatively.

"As you wish, Professor."

With a loud pop, Bart vanished on the spot.

Apparition?

William froze.

If he remembered correctly, Apparition was strictly prohibited on school grounds. Both the official notice from the school and the Hogwarts guidebooks he'd read explicitly mentioned this rule.

While he was still processing, Bart reappeared with a wicker basket in hand. Inside were roasted chicken, bread, and sausages.

"Apologies, Professor. As per school regulations, house-elves are forbidden from providing alcohol to anyone on school grounds except during feasts." Bart bowed low as he used magic to place the basket neatly on William's desk.

"That's alright. This is more than enough for me." William expressed his gratitude.

"Now, would you like me to set up your new bedding for you, Professor?"

"Could you bring it over for me instead?"

Bart looked slightly displeased but promptly delivered the still-packaged bedding.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Professor? Would you like me to arrange your books on the shelves? Hang paintings on the walls? Clean the floor?"

"No need for any of that, thank you. Once I'm done eating, what should I do with the dishes?"

"You can summon me, Professor. I will take care of everything for you," Bart said.

William had to firmly insist before finally persuading the house-elf, who seemed intent on organizing every item in his trunk, to leave. Bart kept staring at the open trunk as if it physically pained him not to put everything in its proper place.

So this is why that house-elf named Jinby was so popular in Azkaban at first, William thought to himself while tearing into the roast chicken.

Based on the level of service he'd just received, it seemed that the perfect servant could hardly surpass this; unless someone wanted to explore more creative uses.

Although he hadn't yet received his first month's salary, William could already feel the perks of being a professor at Hogwarts.

Given the transient nature of his own position, William surmised that all Hogwarts professors were likely to enjoy such meticulous care from the house-elves. Long-term staff members might even have their own dedicated house-elves.

Thinking back to the eagerness with which one of his Azkaban cellmates had talked about house-elves, William now just wanted to tell him; house-elves weren't all that special.

Once Bart had tidied up the basket and taken his leave, William began to properly examine his office.

***

It was a spacious room, featuring a large desk and several chairs. Two tall bookshelves dominated the left wall, while the right wall included a partitioned-off area that served as a private living space; William hadn't yet had the chance to explore it.

The floors were spotless, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. Clearly, the house-elves had cleaned the room thoroughly beforehand.

Using magic, William arranged the books he needed on the shelves, then picked up the still-heavy trunk and carried it into the living quarters.

This space was much smaller, containing a wardrobe, a partitioned bathroom, and a larger-than-average single bed. The bedding, as he recalled, had just been delivered by Bart.

Room and board included, plus house-elf service.

To be honest, William was starting to feel a bit envious of himself. Aside from the life-threatening dangers, he had one more reason to stick around as a professor.

While he was putting clothes into the wardrobe, there was another knock at the office door.

Closing the trunk, William picked up his wand and opened the door again.

It was Bart.

The house-elf, wearing his tea towel, looked deeply regretful.

"Apologies, Professor. I forgot to bring you your toiletries. Here is your full set of grooming supplies!" Bart announced, holding up a bundle.

"And, Professor, would you like a wake-up service? I can come to wake you at your designated time."

"Thank you. If possible, please wake me at six-thirty tomorrow morning."

"Very well, Professor," Bart replied, his voice brimming with joy.

After the house-elf disappeared, William glanced at the books on the shelves, then at the unpacked items in his trunk.

For some reason, he decided to set the unpacking aside for now. Instead, he felt an urge to sort through his notes again.

Having to leave because of a broken leg was one thing; though William conveniently ignored the broken leg part, thinking of the excellent precedent set by the previous professor. But if he ended up being fired from Hogwarts because he failed to teach the students properly, that would be a true disgrace. Especially after receiving such excellent treatment right after arriving!

Thick books were taken down from the shelves as William worked, spreading out the textbooks chosen by his predecessors. Each one was marked with dense notes covering its pages.

"There's no class tomorrow morning, but the first major lecture in the afternoon is for the sixth-year students. That one can be a bit more relaxed."

"The day after tomorrow, however, begins with the first major lecture of the morning for the fifth-year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students, followed by the first afternoon class for fifth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins."

"Those classes are absolutely critical. Compared to the sixth years, the fifth years' O.W.L.s are much more important. I must give those students enough confidence to accept my theories and obediently complete the exercises."

William stayed busy until late into the night. He was so exhausted that he didn't even bother to shower and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep immediately.

***

Note: Apparition is prohibited within the school grounds, but this restriction appears to be ineffective against house-elves. Dobby easily performed Apparition within the school hospital. Similarly, the cave housing Voldemort's Horcrux, which also prohibited Apparition, was bypassed by house-elf magic.