William stepped into the office. After setting down the gold pocket watch that had just struck 6:59, he noticed the students he had invited were huddled together, staring tensely at the corner of the room as though facing a deadly threat.
Following their gaze to Otto, William spoke casually.
"Oh, don't worry. He doesn't bite—so long as you don't try to pet the head on the right."
The reassurance did little to calm them. With a helpless sigh, William flicked his wand. Otto, nest and all—rose into the air and dropped neatly into a wooden chest nearby. The lid slammed shut with a bang, and only then did the students visibly relax.
"Alright, take a seat."
He gestured to the circle of chairs arranged before the desk.
As Charlie sat down, he kept glancing at the trunk with undisguised fascination.
"Professor, was that a Runic Snake? I saw an illustration in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
"Sharp eye, Mr. Weasley." William nodded approvingly. "Yes. His name's Otto. Pretty cool, right?"
"That's amazing!" Charlie's eyes shone. It was the first time he'd seen such a rare creature in person.
William smiled and waved his wand again. Plates of delicate pastries and a steaming pot of tea appeared on the table.
"Help yourselves. I bought them from Honeydukes at lunch. No need to be nervous—we're just having a chat."
He poured himself a cup and encouraged the slightly stiff group to relax.
"I'll get straight to the point. I invited the seven of you here because, after observing this past week, I believe you are currently the most outstanding students in your respective year groups."
Percy instantly sat up straighter, a proud and restrained smile spreading across his face as he subtly adjusted his tie.
Cho Chang, surprised but pleased, felt a warm surge of pride—she hadn't expected such praise after only a week at Hogwarts.
The others reacted similarly, their expressions brightening with quiet satisfaction.
Strictly speaking, William's words weren't entirely accurate. He had originally planned to select students based purely on last year's final results, but the top seventh-year—Nymphadora Tonks had been far too busy with Auror training and detention after blowing up her common room. She was impossible to pin down.
So he had settled for Charlie instead, who ranked just behind her academically and had performed excellently in class.
As for the first year, with no grades to reference yet, he had simply chosen a Ravenclaw girl who seemed especially bright in lessons.
"Since you are the best, I'd like to give you a special responsibility." William set down his teacup and looked around the room. "I intend to appoint one Defence Against the Dark Arts 'class representative' from each year."
"You'll help collect and return homework, and assist with preliminary marking and record-keeping."
None of them seemed bothered by the mention of work. They all sensed there would be a reward; the new professor hardly seemed the type to ask for help without offering something in return.
Sure enough, William continued,
"In exchange, I'll set aside a weekly time slot for a seminar just for the seven of you."
"Any academic difficulties you encounter, whether theory, practical work, or even your broader understanding of magic—I will personally guide you."
This was a genuine privilege. In a school where professors were perpetually busy, private tutoring from a former senior Ministry official and dual-subject professor was an irresistible opportunity.
Watching their eyes light up, William sipped his tea and added calmly,
"Of course, this position isn't permanent. If other students outperform you and apply for the role, I'll select based on merit."
He wasn't worried. Every year at Hogwarts produced a handful of truly driven students—especially those preparing for O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. The chance for extra tutoring would be fiercely sought after.
"As long as you maintain your current performance, keeping the position shouldn't be difficult."
He leaned back in his chair.
"If you're interested, raise your hand."
Before he'd even finished speaking, Percy's hand shot up as if afraid someone might beat him to it.
"I'd be honored, Professor. This is exactly the kind of responsibility I'm looking for."
Cedric raised his hand next with an easy smile. "I'd like to do it too, Professor."
Charlie, Truman, and the others followed suit.
Cho hesitated at first. She still felt new to Hogwarts and unsure about taking on extra responsibility—but when she saw everyone else raising their hands and remembered the words "the most outstanding students," her competitive spirit flared. She quickly lifted her hand as well.
"Excellent."
William nodded with genuine satisfaction.
"I knew I chose well."
After discussing the homework process, seminar schedule, and a few practical details, he dismissed them.
The office fell quiet once more.
William let out a long breath and released Otto from the chest.
"Finally done."
He felt immensely relieved. Marking hundreds of assignments was tedious, repetitive, and utterly thankless—there was no way he intended to do it all himself.
This class representative system was perfect: it would motivate students, improve academic performance, and free him from drowning in paperwork.
A win-win.
Or rather, a double win for him.
"Why not?" he hummed cheerfully, pulling a bottle of wine from the cabinet beneath his desk to reward himself.
---
Outside the office, in the third-floor corridor, Marietta Edgecombe checked her watch anxiously.
Just as she was about to investigate the office door, light footsteps approached. She looked up in surprise to see her friend Cho Chang walking toward her, chatting happily with a tall, handsome boy whose smile was bright and warm.
"We've learned the Lumos Charm this week," Cho was saying cheerfully. "If we follow The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, we probably won't learn the Levitation Charm until Halloween."
"If you get ahead, Professor Flitwick won't mind giving you extra help," Cedric replied, tapping his wand lightly. "He likes clever students. I'm sure he'll be very fond of you."
Seeing Marietta, Cho stopped and said goodbye to him.
Watching Cedric's retreating figure, Marietta leaned closer.
"Who's that?"
"Oh, Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff," Cho said, her eyes shining. "We just met in the professor's office."
"Just met?" Marietta eyed her suspiciously. "You two looked pretty familiar to me."
Cho didn't answer. She remembered the Levitation Charm—and that reassuring smile.
"Come on. It's getting late."
Humming softly, Cho linked arms with her friend and headed back toward the Ravenclaw common room.
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