HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

"Wouldn't they learn even less then?"

"On the contrary, they will actively seek out and collect answers."

The professors frowned upon hearing this, seemingly deep in thought.

This is a piece of advice from Sargeras – gaming experience is still experience!

Just as the atmosphere was getting lively, Professor McGonagall pushed up her glasses, her expression turning unusually serious.

Her sharp gaze was fixed on Sagrais.

“Sagres, there is a very important question.”

Her voice silenced the surrounding chatter, “The memory projection of that ‘wizard’ you used before. You extracted those memories and created his image—did you have his explicit permission?”

The professors held their breath upon hearing the question, except for Snape, who let out a soft hum with a half-smile.

Sagres raised his eyes and calmly replied:

I don't know if they agree or not, but they probably won't argue with it.

Snape gave another sarcastic "heh," followed by an eerie silence that filled the faculty lounge.

Sagrass's gaze swept over everyone, and he nodded slightly: "If there are no other issues, I still need to select some 'materials'."

After saying this, Sagres turned and left, the fire crackling in the fireplace illuminating the different expressions on the faces of each professor.

Chapter 246 Professor Snape's Debate with a Group of Scholars

Finally, Professor Flitwick broke the silence in the lounge. His high-pitched voice still carried the excitement of his earlier words, but also a hint of hesitation: "Well... at least in terms of teaching results, there's no denying that the effect is amazing."

He said with some excitement, "The students' speed and accuracy in casting spells have improved by at least 20% this week, especially in defensive spells."

"The results are amazing, but what's the price, Philius?"

Professor McGonagall's voice was stern. "Are we teaching students how to survive, or are we pushing them into the abyss? Sagres's 'I won't argue'... think about what that means."

Professor Sprout also became somewhat worried: "The source of those memories... is probably the ghosts of his men who died."

"And is this really the right thing to do? I'm afraid that when those kids come out of the ring, their eyes will not only be filled with determination, but also... a coldness that has been ignited."

"The pressure of survival will naturally strip away innocence, Pomona."

Snape joined the discussion, his tone laced with his characteristic sarcasm, "Would we rather they went to their graves with naiveté? Dark wizards don't bow to them before they kill. Sargeras' method may be crude, but it forges weapons that can survive. As for the source of the memories..."

He let out a short, cold laugh. "I think the 'copyright' issues of those gentlemen lying in Azkaban or in their graves can be put aside for now, because it's too trivial."

“Severus!” Professor McGonagall warned sharply.

“I’m stating the facts, Professor McGonagall. Emotional appeals are a luxury, or should I recall Trelawney’s prophecy for you?”

"what do you want to say in the end?"

Snape's dark eyes swept over the crowd. "The Dark Lord is returning, and Sargeras's 'materials depot' may be the most practical defensive fortification in this castle at present."

Professor Lupin, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, his voice gentle yet heavy: "I understand Professor Greengrass's approach. I truly understand. But we must also be wary. Will prematurely immersing students in such boundless malice distort their souls? Do we need to set some... boundaries?"

"limit?"

Snape exclaimed, “Those who want to kill them don’t respect any boundaries.”

“That’s precisely why we need to hold our bottom line!” Lu Ping insisted, his tone unusually firm.

"So... you've already forgotten how Oris Alc died?"

Snape's tone turned dangerous. "Or is it that his death can't wake you lot who are pretending to be asleep?"

Just as the argument seemed to be reaching a stalemate, an old voice slowly rang out from the doorway.

“Perhaps,” Dumbledore said, walking in from the doorway with a calm gaze, “our argument should not focus solely on whether Professor Greengrass’s method is right or wrong.”

He walked to the center of the room, the firelight dancing in his deep blue eyes.

"He opened a door that we had never thought of, or were unwilling to open. The scene behind the door was unsettling, yet real. The question now is no longer whether to close it, but which side we, the teachers, should stand on? Because curious students have already poured in, and they have indeed become stronger as a result."

He looked at each professor.

"Felius, are you willing to let your projection not only demonstrate the power of the spell, but also the wisdom and restraint in using it?"

Pomona, can your projection, while showcasing the deadly aspects of dangerous plants, also convey the wonder of life and the belief in conservation?

Minerva, can your mirror image, while demonstrating the powerful offensive and defensive capabilities of shapeshifting, also adhere to the bottom line of discipline and precision?

“Sagres provided the battlefield, but what he filled it with… was cold ‘material’ derived from his own understanding.”

Dumbledore said softly, “And if we get involved, what we’re filling in is our experience, our ideals, and what we hope our students will uphold in dire circumstances.”

"What we need to do is not to close that door, but to light a few lamps for the students who pass through it. Make sure that when they encounter darkness, they do not forget the shape of light."

He finally looked at Professor McGonagall.

"As for the ethical issues, Minerva, your concerns are entirely valid and necessary. I will personally discuss the boundaries of the 'source' with Sagres. But before that, I suggest we first consider how to use our own projections to balance and guide the power he releases."

……

……

Principal's Office.

Dumbledore stood before the arched window, his aged fingers touching.

In the distance, a flash of green light appeared again on the floating dueling arena, then disappeared.

"Ugh--"

A long, heavy sigh broke the silence.

The portraits of past principals on the wall had long been unable to contain themselves. They were all fidgeting and twisting in their frames, adjusting their collars, pretending to cough, and chattering away noisily.

“Albus!” Delis Devant was the first to speak up, leaning forward gracefully, her voice urgent. “Don’t just sigh at the window and treat us like background noise! ​​What’s going on outside? Tell us!”

"Exactly, the commotion that kid is causing is getting scarier every day. Even the church back in the day wasn't this weird." Another red-nosed old headmaster muttered as he swirled his wine glass.

Dumbledore turned around, his gaze sweeping over the group of portraits on the wall with their necks outstretched. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "He is using fire, the most extreme method, to forcibly forge armor for the children."

“Really? That’s great!” Phineas Nigellus Black immediately exclaimed in a shrill voice. “If someone had given me a set of ‘armor’ like this when I was in school, I wouldn’t be only in my seventies!”

“This armor will indeed protect them, Phineas,” Dumbledore said softly, “but it will inevitably alter them as well. Like throwing a piece of pig iron into a furnace, will it come out still in its original shape?”

"Tch, as if we haven't changed the students at all!"

Phineas waved his hand dismissively. "Strict teaching can shape a strong soul, what's wrong with that? Does it have to be like you, wrapping students in cotton candy?"

Another former principal, Iosha Sarkendenberger, unusually interjected: "Phineas, you can't support all of that kid's decisions just because the other party cleared your great-grandson's name..."

"Why not?"

Phineas interrupted, "Isn't this what you always talk about, the so-called gratitude?"

“You’re just being unreasonable!” Iosha Sulkendenberg said angrily. “When in history has Hogwarts ever openly brought those dirty dark magic spells into the school?”

"Am I unable to distinguish right from wrong?" Phineas Black said with a look of disdain. "Among all of you here, who doesn't know a bit of black magic? Besides, what I'm doing is called assessing the situation, understand? Smart people do this."

Not satisfied with just that, he added, "You're no good. You're too stupid, and stupidity is a moral flaw. A stupid person can't be truly kind. Because stupidity itself is an incurable evil!"

Iosha Sarkendenberger was immediately enraged by these words, got up and rushed into Phineas's picture book, and the two began to fight without any regard for appearances.

Chapter 247 People need to draw courage from others

Amber Rose SWAT and Armando Dippet rushed to the picture book showing the two fighting and separated them.

After the two fighters were separated, Phineas Black continued to fix his crooked tie, muttering words like "barbarian" and "no manners."

In another frame, Iosha Sulkendenberg sullenly turns his back to the crowd, his shoulders heaving.

Ambrose SWAT coughed lightly and continued, "Phineas, watch your words."

Then he changed the subject, "But putting aside those unnecessary personal attacks, I think we should indeed face reality."

He turned to Dumbledore, his gaze grave: "Albus, you know the outside world better than any of us. You say the Dark Lord will return, so this is no longer an academic discussion in peacetime."

Dumbledore listened in silence, and Ambrose continued, “At times like these, it is far from enough for students to merely learn how to turn a teacup into a tortoise or perfectly conjure a spring of clear water. Greengrass’s method is certainly… radical, even disturbing, but what he teaches is how to identify and resist dark magic, skills that will allow them to survive outside the castle.”

Principal Armando Dippert also appeared worried. He stroked his gray beard and spoke slowly and in a low voice: “Amberroth is right. You all know what happened during my tenure, so I know all too well how pale pure theoretical knowledge is when the forces of darkness rise. Sometimes I think that if we had prepared the children better back then… perhaps some tragedies could have been avoided.”

"But isn't this approach too radical...?"

“We cannot deny the necessity of the methods just because they are radical, Iosha. Because although the process of refining is very painful, the result may be the difference between life and death.”

“Albus,” Delis Devante began, “I understand your and Iosha’s concerns. Dark magic can corrupt the mind, and early exposure to the dark side can indeed change a child. But please note that Sagrais is not encouraging the use of dark magic, but rather tearing away its veil, teaching how it works and how to counter it.”

She said gently, “Knowledge itself is neither good nor evil; the key is how to guide it. I know it’s difficult, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Examining darkness under the light may be more effective than simply prohibiting and fearing it in stripping it of its seductive power. It’s a kind of… preventative treatment, although the process may feel like a high fever.”

Even Evra, who rarely participated in debates, nodded slightly: "In extraordinary times, special measures are needed. Hogwarts' primary responsibility is to protect its students. If the outside world has brought war and darkness to the school gates, then providing them with the strongest possible protection within the school in a controlled manner is a manifestation of our responsibility. That child's original intention was to strengthen the castle's defenses—not just the stone walls, but the defenses on every student."

Hearing that so many people shared his view, Phineas perked up again. He glanced smugly at Iosha: "See? That's the wise thing to do!"

Iosha Sarkendenberger turned around abruptly, his face still grim, but seeing that so many of his colleagues had expressed some degree of understanding, he didn't continue to argue.

“Thank you for your advice,” Dumbledore nodded. “It has been a great help to me.”

He sighed. "It seems that as I get older, I have indeed become more indecisive."

“Indecisiveness?” Delis Devant shook her head and gently retorted, “No, Albus, this is deliberation. Impulsiveness is a flaw that only young people have.”

“She’s saying you’re old,” Phineas scoffed, but no one paid him any attention.

Amando Dipette also sighed: "That's normal. Sitting in this position, you can't avoid looking ahead and behind."

“That’s right, but it won’t be like this once you’re hung on the wall like us.”

The arguing among the portrait artists gradually subsided, turning into a faint buzzing sound in the background.

Dumbledore gazed out the window at the gradually darkening scene, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the windowsill.

He convinced the professors, but he needed another group of people to convince himself.

Perhaps Phineas Black is right; he'll probably only stop being so hesitant once he's hung on the wall someday.

……