Chapter 3: You Don't Do a Single Thing a Decent Human Would, Do You?
2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
One could imagine that the prisoner who left had known for a while that he would be released today. But he had suppressed his excitement and told no one.
The Wizarding World wasn't terribly big, but it wasn't small either. If that fellow deliberately went into hiding, it would probably be difficult to ever see him again.
William's own losses weren't huge, only about a dozen Galleons or so. But when you added up everyone else's scattered losses, it turned out nearly three hundred Galleons were gone.
Although the purchasing power of such a sum was limited in prison, it was still hard currency. On a normal day, no one bothered to hide it properly. Who would have thought the guy getting released today would clean them all out in one go?
The group of men sat down in a rage, the good mood they had built up during their day in the yard completely gone. Just as everyone was simmering in sullen silence, the sound of shuffling footsteps echoed from outside the prison cell.
As the cell door swung open, a short, stout man with a scruffy beard and a tattered jacket was shoved inside by a Hit-Wizard.
"New neighbor!"
The Hit-Wizard announced to William and the others in a cheerful tone, as if he were delivering some wonderful news.
The cell door slammed shut. The men, who had been sitting on their respective beds, all stood up, the misery on their faces wiped clean away.
While not entirely accurate, if you were to say that half the people in this prison were scum, that would definitely be an understatement.
Nine-Fingers was the first to rush to the front—just yesterday, the Warden had promised him a change of bunk, so he was the most motivated at the moment.
"New guy? What are you in for?"
"Helped the Ministry of Magic transport some cheap cauldrons." The newcomer obediently squatted down, offering no resistance.
The men chuckled, and Big Guy even whistled at William.
"Little William, he's in your line of work!"
William's middle finger was his only reply.
"Wait! I know you, Mundungus Fletcher!"
Nine-Fingers let out a vicious cry. "It's you! You nearly got your legs broken last time you overstepped your bounds!"
"Hm?"
Big Guy tilted his head, his previously friendly eyes turning icy. He had lost the most Galleons today, and the one he currently hated most was The Swindler.
Soon, the cloth used for wiping the toilet was stuffed into Mundungus's mouth.
"Bite down hard. If you make the tiniest sound, you'll be spending the night with your head in the toilet!"
As he shoved the rag in, Nine-Fingers whispered a warning in the newcomer's ear.
What followed was a full half-hour of fists and feet. When one man got tired, another would take his place.
By the time the third rotation of beaters began, Mundungus, who had been obediently taking the blows with his head covered, scrambled up on all fours and rushed toward William. Through the beating, he had already figured out who actually had a say in the prison cell and decided to bet on the young man's kindness.
William had thought the man was fed up with the beating and was looking for someone he could actually win against to establish his own dominance. He was just about to dodge and grab a weapon when the man stopped far short of him and began to kowtow desperately.
This gave William pause. It hadn't been long since his transmigration. He had been accepted by the group after telling a few stories and cracking some crude gags, settling straight into the routine of whiling away his days in the cell. He had skipped the whole "establishing dominance" phase, and seeing someone act like this made him feel a little uncomfortable.
In the midst of his hesitation, a sound echoed in his mind.
"The seventh magical creature has recognized you. A Treasure Chest is being drawn."
A floating, transparent box materialized before William's eyes. A wooden chest with an iron lock flipped open, and three translucent, pale white cards appeared before him. The images on the cards were all of the man in front of him.
[Deserter Mundungus (Rare); During the process of helping to move Harry Potter, Mundungus abandoned his teammate, causing a serious deviation in the plan.
Skill—Escape: Destroy this Card to cast a guaranteed unblockable Apparition.]
[Thief Mundungus (Rare): After his teammate's death, Mundungus infiltrated his home and stole his teammate's relics.
Skill—Thief's Aid: Destroy this Card for a high probability of disabling the mechanism before you. The success rate is related to the complexity of the mechanism.]
[Dereliction of Duty Mundungus (Rare): While on a mission, Mundungus, who was buying smuggled goods, abandoned his mission objective, leading to a serious accident.
Skill—Distraction: Destroy this Card to make the target remember something important, with a high probability they will abandon their current task. The success rate is related to the target's strength.]
Looking at the three cards, William subconsciously chose Escape, the one with no chance of failure, before he realized something was off.
Where on earth did a System come from?
Just gaining magic that he could only have imagined was a pleasant enough surprise. He had even accepted a year in Azkaban as a necessary cost. He was just preparing to use this time to practice magic properly, then go out and see the Magical World after his release. Why did he suddenly get a cheat?
Whatever. Transmigration had already happened, so a System wasn't that hard to accept. Since it's here, it's here.
Ignoring the System, William looked back at the man before him.
Two short, bowed legs, a head of long, messy ginger hair, and a pair of swollen, bloodshot eyes staring pleadingly at William, seeking salvation. He looked utterly pathetic. A minute ago, William would have likely just persuaded the others in the cell to teach him a lesson and be done with it.
As for sleeping next to the toilet, William certainly wouldn't have cared—Nine-Fingers was eagerly waiting for that spot.
But now... putting everything else aside, based solely on the three cards William had drawn, he had only one thought about the man before him.
'How can this guy not do a single thing a decent human being would?'
Deserting in battle, stealing from a dead teammate's home, dereliction of duty—William would have to stay away from scum like this on a rainy day. What if lightning struck from the heavens and missed its target?
And so, after a moment's pause, William spoke.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Mundungus's eyes. The others also looked over, especially Nine-Fingers, who was terrified that William's soft heart would cost him his new bunk.
"Alright, that's enough of a beating," William said, smiling at his cellmates.
Gratitude shone in Mundungus's eyes.
"We should give him a chance to turn over a new leaf. There's no point in just beating him. Although he tried to swindle us, he didn't succeed, right?"
Big Guy raised his eyebrows, feeling he couldn't let William continue. However, William's tone shifted. "The Muggles have an activity called confession. Nine-Fingers, you play the part of a Muggle profession called a priest and make him repent properly. Try to get him to confess everything he feels guilty about. Three hundred things should be about right."
Three hundred things?
The men instantly burst out laughing—you probably couldn't come up with that many even if you counted blowing up cow dung as a kid!
Nine-Fingers was also enthusiastic, posturing as he went over. "Hurry up, speak! We will forgive you, but you have to repent sincerely. If you refuse to say anything, it means you're still planning to deceive us. Don't blame us for not giving you a chance to repent then!"
A few of the other men, bored to tears, gathered around, saying they would help keep count.
For a moment, the entire prison cell was filled with cheers and laughter.
(end of chapter)