William did not immediately answer whether he was willing or unwilling.
Instead, he gently rubbed the rim of his teacup, a nostalgic smile lingering at the corners of his lips as he spoke softly.
"You know, Headmaster, I spent the happiest and most carefree seven years of my life at Hogwarts. This place has always held a special place in my heart."
Sunlight streamed through the round window and fell across his youthful, handsome face, making his sincerity seem all the more genuine.
"To return now as a professor and personally take part in the building and development of Hogwarts—to contribute to it myself—is something that makes me both happy and honored."
At these words, Albus Dumbledore's slightly tense shoulders relaxed. A pleased smile spread across his face, and his bright blue eyes sparkled with relief.
"So, William… your decision is?"
"I accept." William set down his teacup and met the old Headmaster's gaze. "I am willing to serve as Professor of both Alchemy and Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"Wonderful—truly wonderful news." Dumbledore let out a long breath, as though a heavy burden had finally lifted. "That solves my greatest—"
"But."
The single word seemed to freeze the air.
Dumbledore's smile softened, though he showed no displeasure. He simply picked up a silver spoon and gently stirred his lemon tea, the clear tink of metal against porcelain echoing softly.
"Please, go on," he said warmly. "I have a feeling this is the part you truly wished to say."
William leaned back slightly, settling into a more comfortable posture as his tone grew calm and measured.
"Forgive my bluntness, Headmaster, but although I deeply love this school, from my experience as a former student… Hogwarts still has many loopholes and issues in its management."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"Let me use myself as an example." William began counting on his fingers as if recounting someone else's story.
"During my seven years at Hogwarts, I snuck out after curfew over three hundred times, explored nearly every corner of the castle, entered the Forbidden Forest dozens of times alone, regularly cast spells in the corridors, and participated in more than thirty unofficial duels…"
He paused briefly, gauging Dumbledore's reaction before continuing.
"And yet, do you know how many times I was actually caught?"
Dumbledore remained silent, watching him.
William raised two fingers.
"Twice."
"Once in my second year, when I'd just learned the Disillusionment Charm and got overconfident, Filch's cat caught me. The other time was when I fought Sirius Black in a corridor and made enough noise to alert the professors."
"Other than those two times, I got away with hundreds of violations."
Silence fell across the Headmaster's office.
Even the portraits of past Headmasters stopped pretending to nap and opened their eyes with interest.
William offered a tactful concession.
"Of course, I understand. It was wartime, the outside world was dangerous, and the school likely allowed students some freedom to release their energy."
"But looking back, rules exist for a reason. If student safety and discipline cannot be guaranteed, how can education truly succeed?" he said seriously. "As someone who knows these loopholes firsthand, I'm willing to help the school enforce its rules and close these security gaps."
"It's for the children's sake, isn't it?"
Dumbledore finally spoke, raising his brows. "It sounds as though you are rather proud of these… accomplishments."
"That was youthful recklessness," William replied without missing a beat. "Surely you won't give me detention or deduct points from Ravenclaw now? It's been over a decade—statute of limitations."
"Certainly not." Dumbledore smiled.
"Constructive suggestions from staff are always welcome. You may discuss any ideas with Professor McGonagall."
First objective achieved.
William felt a flicker of satisfaction. With the banner of "campus safety," he would now have legitimate grounds to upgrade defenses, install monitoring, or even place magical creatures as guardians if needed.
"Thank you for your support, Headmaster," he continued smoothly. "However, there is one more matter."
"During my time at the Ministry, I reviewed internal data from the Wizarding Examinations Authority. In recent years, Hogwarts students' O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results have not improved—they've actually declined compared to our war-torn generation."
He watched Dumbledore carefully as he spoke.
"Of course, I fully trust the professors' abilities. They are exceptional witches and wizards. But perhaps the perspectives of teachers and students have diverged, leading to less effective results."
"As a new professor, especially one responsible for two major subjects... I hope to implement some bold reforms in teaching."
This time, Dumbledore fell into deep thought.
Though blunt, William's words were true. In peacetime, students had grown more complacent, while Hogwarts' teaching methods had remained largely unchanged for centuries.
"So," Dumbledore finally asked, his blue eyes sharpening, "what exactly do you wish to do?"
William turned toward the window. From there, the Quidditch pitch and the distant Forbidden Forest stretched into view.
He wanted many things.
To earn system points, he needed to raise overall academic performance and train exceptional talents.
To obtain rare abilities, he needed Hogwarts to become impregnable.
He needed authority—the ability to transform the castle, to turn the ancient school into his greatest asset.
But none of that could be rushed.
Dumbledore's support was essential. He couldn't appear too radical yet. Other professors' cooperation and students' acceptance would take time.
In the end, all his ambitions condensed into a single, simple sentence.
William turned back to Dumbledore, smiling.
"I simply want to make Hogwarts great again."