Chapter 84 - A Handful of Tasks and a Little Chaos

One, two, three… three red-haired children appeared in William's office.

Two of them looked identical, making William feel an irresistible urge to play a game of 'spot the difference.'

"Why is there one more? Ron, why are you here for detention too?"

William rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache. Could it be that Professor McGonagall thought I was short on people and sent another student my way? This is detention, not an experiment—why would I need so many hands? Am I supposed to use them as test subjects?

However, to William's surprise, Ron, who had been sent over at the last minute, stood there with a red face, saying nothing.

This made William raise an eyebrow. What was going on with this kid? He had just helped him lift a curse that morning, and by evening, Ron was acting as if he didn't recognize him.

"Professor, Ron is just embarrassed. After all, he's the first student in Gryffindor to be scared stiff by Filch."

One of the twins; William couldn't tell which, added a gleeful jab.

Scared by Filch? That didn't make sense. When reviewing records earlier, Filch had grumbled about how the ban on corporal punishment made students increasingly unruly. How could he suddenly be allowed to frighten students?

"Professor, you don't know. When Ron fainted, there were plenty of witnesses. Everyone clearly heard that it happened right after Professor McGonagall announced he'd serve detention with Filch."

"Yes, because of that, Professor McGonagall was furious for a long time. In the end, she decided to consult with Filch and then sent Ron here instead."

The twins recounted the story alternately. If all three of them hadn't been standing right in front of him, William might have thought this was a case of Slytherin and Gryffindor students mocking each other. Are you really brothers?

"Quiet, George. And you too, Fred."

"Professor, I'm Fred. He's George."

Are you two putting on a comedy show?

William shot them a sharp glare, finally making the two troublemakers realize this wasn't the time for bickering. They were here for collective detention.

Come to think of it, none of these three were his students, yet they'd all ended up in his detention. Was I just volunteering for trouble?

"I've discussed this with Professor McGonagall. The three of you will spend your detention sorting through school records. You'll extract the most important information and organize it into volumes. These documents will then be sent to Professor Binns to be included in the school's history. I expect each of you to take this task seriously. When the school history is finally completed, your names will be recorded among its contributors. I believe that holds far more educational value than scrubbing bedpans."

"School history?"

The three students exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with awe.

"Yes, the school's history. From its founding nearly a thousand years ago to the present day, it will be compiled by Professor Binns into a comprehensive historical record and added to the school library. Of course, this won't be a short-term project. You might graduate before it's finished. But when it's finally complete, every student who contributed will have their names recorded. Future generations researching the school will see your names."

William painted an unrestrained and grand vision, metaphorically creating an enormous pie. Most students who enjoyed mischief craved the attention of others, and the idea of contributing to a historical compilation with their names recorded perfectly fulfilled their greatest wish.

The audible gasps of the three students confirmed William's theory. He even thought he could hear their breathing become more rapid with excitement.

"All right, no matter how grand a history book might be, it always needs a beginning. While the initial sections will be completed by Professor Binns, the detailed reference material must come from what we compile here. The drawers on the desk contain documents I borrowed from Mr. Filch. Each of you can pick a drawer to work from, and tonight's task can begin."

***

As it turned out, no matter how appealing the pie appeared, it was ultimately just an illusion until one could take a bite. Although William believed he had made his vision grand enough, it couldn't change the fact that the task itself was incredibly tedious. Few people found pleasure in sifting through historical records, and most were only interested in the gossip of history.

Not even halfway through the evening, William noticed a significant decline in the productivity of the three scribes. They were no longer eagerly flipping through documents and exchanging discoveries as they had been at the start. Their quills felt heavier in their hands, and their movements slowed.

Detention, no matter how glorified, was still detention, and it was clear they were exhausted.

"All right, put down your work and have some hot chocolate. It'll make your body and mind feel better." William cheerfully handed out three cups and then stood to retrieve a document from the drawer closest to him.

"George, Fred, keep up the good work. Here's an interesting record; take a look at it if you get tired of copying."

The two students took the document with curiosity, while the youngest, Ron, tried to sneak a peek, only to be pushed aside by his older brothers.

"How is it? Interesting, isn't it?" William sipped his hot chocolate, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction.

The document was a special record Mr. Filch had provided; one of the many detailing the Weasley twins' numerous rule-breaking escapades.

In fact, their violations alone filled an entire drawer.

"Keep at it. Most of these records need to be sorted. I'd hate to hand the project over to other students halfway through. It's too easy for duplicate entries to crop up during transitions." William spoke with a pleasant smile, but the twins suddenly felt like they'd plunged into icy water.

If the records were shown to just the two of them, they might have laughed at each other's mistakes that had led to being caught. But if other students handled the records, the situation would take on a different meaning entirely.

Especially since Ron was also in detention now.

If he sees these records... The twins exchanged a look and saw the horrifying prospect of their brotherly dignity crumbling before their youngest sibling's eyes.

George, do you think Ginny will ever end up in detention? Fred conveyed the thought with his eyes.

No idea. Aside from Percy and Ginny, who just started school, we've all been through it. Ginny doesn't seem much like Percy. George responded in kind.

The two nodded silently. After their brief break, under Ron's puzzled gaze, they worked at double their previous speed.

Ron was utterly baffled. He had never seen his usually fearless twin brothers so rattled.

When he looked at William for answers, William simply raised his hot chocolate with a contented expression and took another sip.

Ah, life was truly wonderful!

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