Chapter 24 - 24: 24: Lessons in Terror, Taught with Elegance

"Are you going to keep hiding?" All expression vanished from Sagres's face as he looked toward a desk near the door. ...Where Headmaster Dumbledore's figure slowly materialized. The other party smiled, not at all embarrassed at being spied on or exposed. "You've done very well, Sagres, truly—even I couldn't have done better," Dumbledore said with a touch of exaggeration. "Is that so? Professor Dumbledore, then you've done quite terribly, because even I couldn't do such a thing. How did you come up with the idea of using the Mirror of Erised to tempt an orphan who's never seen his parents since childhood?" Sagres frowned, his eyes scrutinizing. "Do you feel a sense of accomplishment in toying with a young wizard who has suppressed his desires all his life? Or do you think Harry Potter should take a good look at the parents and relatives murdered by Lord Voldemort, just to solidify his hatred for him?" "You've misunderstood me, Sagres..." Dumbledore walked calmly to the Mirror of Erised and said gently, "I merely hope this child can undergo some trials, so that when he encounters hardships in the future, he can see his true self and not be blinded by illusions." "Hm, I understand your meaning, Headmaster. You're saying that to prevent Harry Potter from losing himself in the future, you'll let him completely fall into despair while he's still a student. Is that it?" Sagres scoffed. "Sagres, you know that's not what I mean..." The Headmaster smiled, shaking his head as if seeing him for the first time. "But you care about them more than I imagined. I didn't realize you also have a kind heart. How about it—doesn't it get tiring, always putting on a cold façade?" "At least not as tiring as you putting on an amiable façade," Sagres said with disdain. "You must have already planned the boy's ending in your heart, haven't you? What, have I disrupted your plan?" He utterly loathed the other party's self-righteous, wise demeanor—arbitrarily arranging others' fates simply because they were weak. In his view, this was the arrogance peculiar to the old, something he had already experienced once as a student at Hogwarts. "I think you've truly misunderstood me." Dumbledore looked at the mirror and said to Sagres without turning his head, "Actually, even if you hadn't come out to stop him today, I would have stepped in and said these things to him myself." "Then what's the point of all this?" "There is a point, Sagres. Of course there is..." He finally turned around. "I understand human hearts better than you do. More than power, I'm willing to believe in things like love and tolerance." "You don't believe in power because you already possess enough of it." Sagres completely disagreed. "Inner strength needs something to rely on. You want a first-year student who hasn't experienced life or death and has no experience whatsoever to develop inner strength?" "Harry has already experienced life and death, Sagres. He experienced it when he was just a baby." The Headmaster blinked slowly. "And isn't that experience a valuable one for him? I told you from the beginning—your teaching is excellent. Harry will benefit greatly from it." "Then I also hope you heard what I just said—put this mirror where Young Wizards can't find it. At least until they are ready, don't let it appear at Hogwarts again." "As you wish. I will hide this mirror," the Headmaster replied with a smile. "But before that, do you really not want to step over and take a look?" "Do you really want me to look, Professor Dumbledore?" Sagres asked calmly, his expression unreadable. The Headmaster opened his mouth but didn't answer. Sagres turned and left the classroom. ... Hogwarts seemed once again immersed in its usual tranquility. After Sagres taught a lesson on how to deal with Trolls to the Gryffindor and Slytherin students, he received a reply from Snowy Owl. When he saw the three crystal vials attached to the letter, a hint of schadenfreude appeared at the corner of his mouth. Earlier, the sixth- and seventh-year students of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had also achieved complete success in their in-depth "negotiations" with Headmaster Dumbledore. After consulting Sagres's opinion, the Headmaster decided to allow lower-year students to audit Sagres's classes, but only for Charms Theory. After all, practical courses carried a certain level of risk and were not suitable for Young Wizards who hadn't even taken their OWLs. At this time, Sagres's practical course on Trolls was also being meticulously prepared. He carefully selected a large open area at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and placed the three crystal vials—each containing a different type of Troll—in carefully chosen locations. The Alpine Rock Troll was placed on rocky, mountainous terrain. The Rhine Mud Troll was situated in a wide, muddy swamp. As for the Black Forest Moss Troll, it was positioned deep within the dense, lush forest. To ensure safety, he used a Repelling Charm to establish an isolation barrier around the area, preventing any Young Wizard or other creature from accidentally entering. In addition, he cleverly created three trigger-activated magical traps—once someone attempted to pick up a crystal bottle, the Troll inside would automatically be released, and all restrictive spells cast on the Troll would be immediately lifted. Portkeys would be used to enter and exit the area. Entering teams would be randomly sent to one of the zones, and the Portkeys at each zone's exit would be clearly marked but could only be activated once the Troll was defeated, driven away, or had completely lost its target. Of course, he wouldn't let these Young Wizards face Trolls unprepared. To that end, he specifically cast protective spells on them, ensuring that if they were struck by a Troll's power, they would be safely teleported to a designated location. After personally conducting tests and confirming that all the mechanisms could be triggered normally, he went to Professor McGonagall to discuss the final details. This would be considered a midterm exam. Sagres believed that this practical course would largely reflect the students' ability to solve real-world problems. For this group of Young Wizards who had grown up in peaceful times, facing a Troll would undoubtedly be an extremely challenging task. Even during past periods of unrest, most Wizards had simply lived their lives quietly. Sagres didn't know how many of these Young Wizards would pursue dangerous professions in the future, but if possible, he preferred that their first encounter with a Troll take place in the relatively safe environment of the school. "They might learn it and never use it, but it's much better than discovering they haven't learned it when they truly need it." It was with this philosophy that he successfully persuaded Professor McGonagall. However, Sagres ultimately had to agree to the requests of Professor McGonagall and the other Professors to observe. They insisted on being present to ensure everything was foolproof. Although he internally believed it was unnecessary, he had no choice but to agree under their repeated insistence. Let them see, he thought to himself. Heh~ hopefully, it will make them reconsider their overly protective teaching methods. ______ Read 12 chaps ahead: P@treon/DarkDevil1