Chapter 31 – Williams Osvenor, the baleful

Jonny Sinns had said what he said without any remorse whatsoever, and neither did he have any intentions of taking it back.

The members of the second-year classes murmured, lamented and cursed but that didn't not even make him bat an eye.

He had said his words and that was all that mattered to Jonny.

His message was passed and his job in Auditorium C was now complete.

Jonny Sinns left the second years to their chats and endless arguments where they discussed him, Williams and the point of the whole announcement.

"What the hell does he even mean by that?" Rordon complained.

He had been complaining since Jonny mentioned that second-years would cease to exist if they failed to provide a candidate that will serve as their representative to the Student Council.

Bolzen and the others who had gathered around Rordon to chat shrugged at his question.

No one knew what Jonny meant by what he said on that stage.

The address was over and Jonny left. Soon, the second-years started to leave as well to their various classes.

The auditorium in a matter of minutes became as empty as they met it.

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Gregory Broomborn was headed back to the Emerald class.

"Etchewww!"

He snorted and sniffled loudly. Gregory's breathing was fast and shallow as a result of catching a cold recently.

His breaths occasionally paused from the congestion of his nose, which made his breathing a tad bit raspy, giving way to a soft, suppressed cough.

Gregory sighed with a face that expressed an obvious discomfort. He could neither breathe nor talk as well as he wished.

As he walked through one of the hallways leading to the Emerald class, he bumped into Williams.

He didn't think anything of it at first, but soon, Gregory was going to realise that it was about to be a long day for him.

"Hey, you," Williams called out to him as they approached each other from opposite sides of the hallway.

Williams was in the company of two other fourth years who had tagged along with him and Jonny Sinns.

Gregory paused and looked back and front before pointing at himself.

"M-Me? Et... etchew!"

"Hahaha," Williams laughed, turning to his group.

"This one's dumb for real."

He walked forward, ahead of the other two, inching closer and closer to Gregory, who had stopped moving.

"Who else would I be talking to? You're the only one here," he said, "and I am, sure as hell, not talking to myself."

Williams removed his hand from his pocket and pointed a finger to his head, mimicking a gun-to-the-head posture.

"Or are you calling me crazy, my pesky junior, eh?"

Williams was the harbinger, and trouble was the message.

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Gregory wretched from the instant gut-wrenching pain that he felt as he dropped to the floor.

He spewed saliva and mucus expelled from his nose from Williams burying the knee into his belly.

"You pesky juniors... think that... you can... disgrace me... and get... away... with it, huh?"

Williams walked towards Gregory who was squirming on the floor from pain.

He crouched in front of the second-year scholar and grabbed his hair, pulling it hard and causing even more pain.

Gregory grimaced and gritted his teeth but there was not much he could do.

He was outnumbered three to one and he was not fast enough to flee from them.

"You will be the first example to the rest, you see."

Williams stood up, removed his blazer jacket and gave it to one of his friends. He went on to unbutton his sleeves and roll them up.

They laughed and mocked Gregory as he rolled on the floor, his arms wandering in search of his eyeglasses and his wand.

Williams sighed and dragged Gregory by his hair again.

"Tsk tsk, you are really no fun, you know. Why can't you fight back? Weren't you laughing at me earlier? Fight back!"

He released his grip, allowing Gregory to fall back to the ground.

Williams raised a foot, his intention at that moment was wicked.

He wanted to heavily trample Gregory's head into the floor of the hallway.

A wicked act that even his own companions did not support.

"That could kill him, man," one protested.

"Don't do that, Will. We don't want trouble with Jonny, you know."

Williams turned his head back, slightly tilting it to one side. He winked at them and smirked.

"You are all scaredy-cats. Nothing is going to happen. Relax."

Disregarding their advice, he raised his foot even higher to stomp Gregory's head.

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"Williams!"

His two friends shuddered at the thundering voice that shouted Williams' name in the hallway.

It was Elizabeth Osvenor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to Greg!"

She puffed and fumed, breathing like a charging bull as she walked towards her brother.

Williams chuckled. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. If it isn't my little sister... Elizabeth."

Seeing Elizabeth, he changed his mind about bashing Gregory's head into the floor and instead delivered a heavy kick to his belly causing the boy to wretch again.

He stepped over Gregory and began to amble towards his approaching sister with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Hello, Elizabeth. I didn't see you in the auditorium. Did you come?"

Elizabeth bared her teeth as she walked up close to him and Williams to her.

They were so close they could feel each other's breath.

"Come off it, my little sister. We both know you are a toothless bulldog. Your threats don't mean anything to me."

Elizabeth was instantly disarmed by Williams' demeaning words.

"I see you are becoming braver than you usually were before coming here. That's good but I still want you to know one thing, my dearest little sister."

Williams bent down and whispered into her ears.

"...you are still as worthless and useless to the family as you as always were. Nothing has changed and nothing will change no matter how hard you try."

Elizabeth froze on the spot, her lips trembling. Her rage quelled and she was overwhelmed by a feeling of disappointment in herself.

Depressing memories of her life before she entered the academy flooded her mind in an instant.

She stood in front of her elder brother, quiet and unwilling to revolt against his terrible deeds anymore.

Her eyes watered as she watched Williams kiss her forehead, turn his back to her and walk back towards Gregory.

Gregory was still on the floor as Williams moved towards him.

Williams put his foot on Gregory's body, shaking him and mocking him with his words.

"So you all are as worthless as I imagined. Tsk, tsk, I wonder what—"

As he bullied Gregory, Jonny Sinns appeared behind them with a bland face.

"What are you doing, Williams Osvenor?" he asked.

Williams turned back and replied, "Nothing, Jonny. Just having a little fun."

"Let's leave this place... now," Jonny replied with a commanding voice.

Williams smiled.

"Of course."