HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

The red light slammed into the snake's eyes, but the snake's eyes only flickered for a moment, and the wall closed even faster!

"Monta! Don't use offensive spells!" Percy quickly stopped her. "That's the core of the protective magic; a forced attack will trigger its counterattack! Use a dispel spell! The goal is to dispel, not destroy!"

"Magic dissipates!"

Penelope immediately fired a powerful dispelling spell at the snake's eyes.

The light struck the snake's eye, causing the closed stone wall to pause abruptly, then slowly retreat with a reluctant scraping sound.

The team members all breathed a sigh of relief, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

As they ventured deeper, the challenges became increasingly difficult:

The suspended, animated statue fired spell fragments, which were blocked by Percy and Cedric using multiple "obstacles".

The pervasive hallucinogenic fog made Katie somewhat disoriented, but Penelope promptly used "Whirlwind Sweep" to disperse the fog, and Cedric gave Katie a "Quick Recovery" boost.

Then a huge stone gate covered with complex magical runes blocked their way. It required the five of them to simultaneously decipher and release different antidotes to open it, which tested their communication and cooperation. Even Monta had to suppress his temper and cooperate with Penelope's command.

Finally, an ancient guardian spirit appeared, like a ghost, emanating a chilling aura. Penelope recognized that it required a specific soothing spell or a powerful dark creature banishment spell.

However, no one in the team knew how to do it, so they had no choice but to stop there and quit.

The "dungeon" contains a wide variety of ancient traps and remnants of magic, and simply knowing the basic anti-spell techniques from textbooks is far from enough.

Students need to quickly identify the types of magic, including binding, activation, curse, elemental, illusion, etc., and try to use or combine the corresponding antidotes.

In addition, they also need to pay attention to protective measures and responses.

Attacks can come from all directions and take various forms, such as physical impacts, magical beams, poisonous fog, and mental shocks.

A single "Ironclad Charm" cannot handle all situations. It is necessary to switch between different focuses of "Armor Protection", "Energy Deflection" and area protection or to perform quick evasion depending on the immediate threat.

The use of exploration spells is also indispensable.

"Revealing in human form" may reveal hidden guardian spirits or teammates who have been hidden.

"Hidden revelation" is key to identifying traps, mechanisms, and magical items.

The intensity control of "fluorescent flashing" can even affect some photosensitive traps.

These spells are no longer just for show, but essential for survival.

The five-person limit design forces teams to have clear division of labor.

Someone is responsible for reconnaissance and decryption (usually Ravenclaw).

Some people focus on defense (usually Hufflepuffs).

Someone is responsible for treatment and debuff removal (Hufflepuffs, some Slytherins).

Someone is responsible for using their power to clear obstacles (Gryffindor, Slytherin).

In addition, a clear-headed leader who can make quick decisions is needed (each college has one).

Poor communication or working in isolation often results in collective failure.

When the teams that successfully completed the challenge walked out of the arena, their clothes were all disheveled, but their faces were filled with excitement and pride.

The losing teams huddled together, intensely discussing their mistakes and improvement plans, eager to try again.

Discussions about "exploring the magical ruins" within the castle continue to heat up.

The library's books on ancient runes, dispelling spells, and protective magic were all borrowed, and students could often be seen gathered in the corners of the common room practicing coordinated spellcasting.

Teams formed between different colleges became more frequent than ever before. In order to overcome the difficulties, the characteristics of each college were forcibly mixed and clashed under the pressure of the ruins, and they eventually tried to understand and cooperate with each other.

Sagles occasionally appears in the audience.

He watched the young wizards struggling, cooperating, and growing in the simulated environment, clumsily using their newly learned spells to solve the puzzles and traps he had designed, and a hint of satisfaction would occasionally flash in his eyes.

He was observing these promising young talents who could become valuable assets in the future, assessing their potential under pressure and their value to the team.

This is a long struggle, and it requires not only strong individuals, but also the ability to survive, think, and collaborate effectively in complex environments.

Hogwarts continued its daily routine, Quidditch training was in full swing, and professors imparted new knowledge in the classroom.

In the ancient ruins of the dueling arena, the selection process for the future is gradually beginning.

Chapter 240 Each Displays Their Unique Abilities

Staff rest area.

“I must say, Sagrais,” Professor McGonagall put down the documents in her hand and adjusted her glasses, “this ‘Exploration of Magical Ruins’ is quite… ingenious. It greatly motivates students to learn applied magic, and thank goodness, those dusty books in the library have finally seen the light of day again.”

"That's right, the effect is indeed quite remarkable."

Professor Flitwick shrieked in agreement, nearly jumping off his chair. “My little Ravenclaws come back to me with their eyes shining as they describe those intricate ancient rune puzzles! It’s a fantastic exercise for their logical thinking and spell combination skills! But…”

He rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed. "I was thinking, Sagres, could we add some elements that focus more on 'precise control of spells' to the future rotating scenes of the ruins? For example, a floating stone slab array that requires precise control of magic output to pass through, or an attack crystal cluster that can only be calmed by 'fluorescent flashes' at a specific frequency? I can offer some interesting ideas!"

Sagras nodded slightly in agreement: "Precise control of magic is one of the core qualities of a wizard, so of course it can be included."

A barely audible snort came from the shadows in the corner.

"Besides that?" Snape's deep voice rang out.

“Excuse me, Professor Snape, what do you mean?” Sagres looked at him with a probing gaze.

"Do you want to train a bunch of trolls who can only foolishly wave their wands?" Snape said with a hint of disdain. "Or do you need me to remind you that fancy magic is meaningless in the face of deadly poisonous fog and corrosive potions?"

"So what you mean is?" Sagres asked, smiling at the other person.

Snape's dark eyes swept over Sagrais, a hint of scrutiny in them barely perceptible. "Couldn't the ruins contain dangerous magical potion residues that naturally arose due to the passage of time or the leakage of magic? Or... some traps that require specific antidotes to neutralize them?"

Sagles looked at him with a smile. "So you mean?"

Snape's face twitched: "It turns out that pure dispelling spells are not a panacea."

Sagles continued to look at him. "So you mean?"

Snape, barely suppressing his anger, said, "What I mean is, could some potions knowledge be appropriately incorporated into the trials?"

Sagles feigned sudden realization, "I see."

He smiled and said, "You think that some mechanisms that need to be identified, analyzed, and temporarily prepared with simple neutralizing agents or solved using the properties of specific potions could be added to the trials, so as to more comprehensively simulate the dangers of real ruins, right?"

"right……"

Snape gritted his teeth; he had seen it coming long ago—Sagres was doing it on purpose.

“Of course, no problem. You can just say so next time,” Sagles said calmly. “However, I’ll still need to consult you on the specific design of the plan.”

Snape seemed surprised that Sagres agreed so readily, even using the word "ask for advice." He pursed his lips, suppressed his anger, and nodded reservedly: "I will put together some... 'educational' recipes and scene ideas."

“That would be perfect.” Sagres nodded in satisfaction.

The other professors and dean couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

"Oh! Oh! Did you all see that?!"

A loud voice came from the doorway, and Hagrid's huge figure squeezed in, "Professor Greengrass, the students are dealing with those flying stone statues, how interesting!"

“Is that so? Hagrid, we’re discussing improvements…” Sagres said calmly. “Your valuable opinions are welcome.”

"Oh! That's exactly what I was about to tell you!"

Hagrid's face was full of excitement. He rubbed his beard and braids, but then seemed to feel that it was a bit inelegant, so he quickly put his hand down.

"How could a truly ancient ruin be without magical creatures?"

Hagrid said, "Think about it! Sleeping guardian beasts awakened by magic! Or some harmless little guys that can cause chaos! Or using the Niffler to find the golden key to the next level..."

“That’s a very good suggestion. Do you have any more specific ideas?” Sagles asked.

"Of course!"

Hagrid looked at Sagres expectantly, “The Christmas present you gave me, the book ‘A Study of the Habitats of Ancient Magical Creatures,’ has many ready-made examples in it!”

Sagres looked at Hagrid and remained silent for a moment.

Obviously, it's very risky to put living magical creatures into the dungeon, especially since the book he gave Hagrid contains mostly highly aggressive magical creatures, including groundbats.

However, he did not directly deny it: "The elements of magical creatures require more meticulous design and safeguards. I will design several related and unique 'duplications' to be integrated as independent modules or as 'hidden areas' deep within the ruins."

His words made Hagrid as happy as a child.

"Then could we also add some ancient rune analysis?" Professor Basilda Baburin asked curiously.

“Of course,” Sagres nodded. “In fact, the current ‘Exploration of Magical Ruins’ already involves some knowledge of ancient magical runes.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Professor Barbling said with a smile. “I hope the young wizards can learn something from it so that my teaching won’t be so difficult.”

As she spoke, she blinked.

Professor Sprout also took the opportunity to provide a batch of magical plants, which she had been preparing for a long time.

Among them are Chinese biting cabbage, mandrake, poisonous tentacles, devil's web, rice bum, jumping umbrella fungus, umbrella bomb, and so on, which are truly eye-opening.

“Everyone’s ideas are very valuable,” Sagres said, putting away the automatically generated parchment and quill, his gaze sweeping over everyone. “However, the core of the dungeon is evaluation and practice. Since everyone has their own area of ​​expertise and is willing to participate…”

He paused for a moment, then offered a suggestion: "Then, why don't we establish a more comprehensive scoring mechanism?"

"A rating?" Professor McGonagall immediately became interested.

“Yes,” Sagres explained. “The instance itself will have a base score that reflects the team’s overall performance. But on top of that, we can set up special scores that each professor can ‘claim’ individually.”

He explained in detail: "Professor Flitwick can set up a 'Charm Mastery' score. It is used to assess students' accuracy, control, and innovative combination of spells in the ruins."

"Professor Snape can establish a 'Potion Response' grade. This will be used to assess students' ability to identify the threat of residual magical potions, correctly analyze their ingredients, and apply their knowledge to solve problems."

“Professor McGonagall can set up a ‘Transfiguration’ score to assess team members’ mastery and application of Transfiguration.”

"And Professor Lupin, you can also set up a 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' score. These can all be used as your testing methods to observe the students' mastery of various abilities."

“Specialized scores will be independent of basic scores and will serve as an additional assessment reference,” Sagres concluded. “This will not only more accurately reflect students’ abilities and potential in different areas, but also provide professors with a direct basis for selecting specific talents, such as potion assistants, spell prodigies, and future prefects.”

This proposal immediately sparked a discussion among the professors.

Even Dumbledore nodded with a smile: "A very inspiring suggestion, Sagres, for both professors and students."