HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

Dumbledore remained silent, and the students around him uneasily stepped back, making way for the two of them.

“You think I used Legilimency on him?” Sagrais asked, then shook his head in disappointment. “How… disappointing.”

He slowly turned around, his voice eerily calm:

"When Malfoy called for the Mudbloods, you weren't there..."

"You weren't there when Snape cast the spell on me..."

"But just as Lochteis took the wand—"

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"—You've come!"

Click!

A crisp snapping sound rang out on the court as the wand broke in two in his hand.

Snape's face turned deathly pale, and Dumbledore's usually gentle blue eyes sharpened.

"Sagles, do you know what you're doing?"

“It couldn’t be clearer, Headmaster.” He looked directly into the old man’s eyes, his tone calm as still water. “I’m doing what I should have done six years ago.”

Sagres casually fed the mithril pattern on his wand to the raven on his shoulder, then waved it away.

“If I had broken your wands back then, perhaps Hogwarts would have shown less favoritism and protection…” His boots crunched over the gravel, each step feeling like it was treading on the hearts of everyone present. “However, while I cannot change your folly, at least—”

A cold glint flashed in his gray eyes.

"I can put an end to the injustice we are in right now."

Dumbledore's expression was complex and hard to decipher.

"Honestly, Dumbledore, as headmaster, you've...quite failed." He shook his head in disappointment, a chilling aura settling between his brows. "You neither gave me justice for my past self, nor have you given me the respect I deserve now..."

The broken staff turned to dust in his palm and scattered in the wind.

“An apology, Albus.” He looked directly into the old headmaster’s eyes. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a wand that’s broken today.”

Chapter 63 The Unresolved Conflict

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Dumbledore's long beard moved without wind, and his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles flashed with a dangerous light.

"Apologize?" The old principal's voice was soft, yet it silenced the entire stadium. "For what? To prevent a gifted student from going astray?"

Sagres chuckled softly, a laugh like shards of ice scraping across glass.

"Wrong path?" He raised his hand, the Immortal Flower Wand tracing a dim line in the air. "Look around you, Albus Dumbledore. Who is allowing the cancer of pure-blood supremacy to spread in this school? Who is condoning professors wearing masks of hypocrisy, wantonly trampling on fairness and justice?"

His gaze swept over Snape's pale face, whose fingers, hidden beneath his black robes, were already stealthily reaching for the spare wand in his sleeve.

“Don’t move, Severus.” Sagres didn’t even look at him. “Unless you want to try another great adventure!”

Dumbledore also raised a hand to stop Snape. "What kind of apology do you want?" he asked, his voice showing weariness for the first time.

“A sincere apology.” Sagres took a step forward, the pebbles beneath his feet parting automatically. “Admit your dereliction of duty. Admit that you left a bullied student to face the hostility of the entire house alone, admit that you knew everything that happened at Hogwarts, yet chose to turn a blind eye time and time again.”

A commotion arose in the distance, and Professor McGonagall and the other teachers rushed over, but stopped in their tracks when they saw the standoff in the center of the room.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed deeply. "I never—"

“Lies!” Sagles said calmly.

An invisible shockwave spread out from him, extinguishing all the torches around the stadium, and a chilling magic swept over everyone.

"I didn't know six years ago, but just now, when Malfoy was calling Hermione Granger a Mudblood, you were clearly watching from your office and did nothing."

These words struck everyone like a hammer blow. Hermione Granger turned pale, and the Gryffindor students stared at their old headmaster in disbelief.

Dumbledore's shoulders slumped slightly. "Back then..."

"Planning for greater interests?" Sagrais replied expressionlessly. "No, Albus, not this time. I will not accept any more excuses."

The tip of his wand began to glow a dangerous red, yet his voice remained eerily calm: "I was once too weak, and I thought time would change you all, but I was wrong. Hogwarts should be the spark of magical civilization, not a breeding ground for prejudice. Today, I will restore this school to its original mission—"

The red light at the tip of the staff suddenly surged, "Anyone who dares to stop me will be wiped out forever."

The air froze for a few seconds.

“…I apologize, Sacramento,” Dumbledore finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “for my negligence.”

“And Miss Granger,” Sagres insisted.

The old headmaster turned to Hermione, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles revealing a rare hint of guilt: "Please accept my sincere apologies, Miss Granger."

“Uh, actually I…” Hermione waved her hands in a flustered manner, “I don’t even understand the meaning of that word…”

“That is a highly offensive word.” Dumbledore straightened up, his voice becoming steady and powerful. “In the name of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I guarantee that from this day forward, that word will never again appear in this castle.”

His sharp gaze swept over the Slytherin students. "Mr. Malfoy, I will write a letter to your father."

Finally, he turned to Sagles: "Are you satisfied with this outcome?"

“You made the right choice, Principal.”

Sagres turned and walked toward the Forbidden Forest, his black robe billowing behind him.

He should have felt the joy of victory, but now he only tasted bitterness.

He rubbed the wand between his fingertips inside his sleeve, secretly hoping—hoping that the old wand would point at him, so that he could rightfully turn the other into a photograph and hang it on the wall, even if it meant being called the new Dark Lord.

But in the end, they chose to back down.

He couldn't bring himself to do such a thing in front of these naive students, after all, his long-term goal was the flourishing development of the magical world.

The setting sun cast his long shadow, stretching lonely across the lawn. In the distance, the lights of the castle slowly came on, illuminating a group of children oblivious to the dangers of the world.

Hogwarts must change.

When eleven-year-olds learn prejudice instead of tolerance here, and when whispers of pure-blood supremacy still echo in Slytherin's common room, this castle has long since strayed from the original intentions of its four founders.

If the Dark Mark were to pierce the night sky once more, how many Slytherin students would join it without hesitation?

Did Dumbledore see them? Of course he could. But on the chessboard that those blue eyes were watching, these were merely sacrificial pieces.

Sagres stopped in the Forbidden Forest and caught a falling maple leaf.

Flames ignited in his palm, burning the leaf to ashes.

Tonight is just the beginning.

Hogwarts is an ideal starting point—these young minds are like wet clay, most easily molded into shape.

From curriculum reform to the academy system, from teacher appointments and dismissals to admission regulations, he wanted to unleash the wildfire of change upon this ancient castle. Then came the Ministry of Magic, and the International Confederation of Wizards…

“You seem to be seriously troubled by harassing horseflies!” A dreamlike voice suddenly floated over.

Sagres suddenly turned his head and saw two first-year girls standing on tiptoe feeding the Thestrals hay, bathed in the hazy glow of the setting sun.

“Luna Lovegood, Astoria Greengrass,” Sagres looked at the students who had spoken, forcibly suppressing his chaotic thoughts, “Students are forbidden from approaching the Forbidden Forest, didn’t you know that?”

“Professor, we just…” Astoria nervously twisted her fingers, her pale golden hair fluttering in the night breeze.

"Ah! The harassing horsefly has suddenly disappeared!" Luna suddenly opened her misty eyes wide, tilting her head to examine Sagrais. "How did you do that?"

Sagles felt a sense of powerlessness he had never experienced before. He announced sternly, "Ravenclaw, deduct ten points..."

"How strange, they're back again..." Luna muttered to herself, completely oblivious to the loss of her college points.

Sagres took a deep breath, the setting sun casting a soft shadow on his angular profile. "Last chance. Explain what you're doing here."

“We’re making friends with the Thestrals.” Luna Lovegood’s voice was strange, somewhat similar to Rowena Ravenclaw’s, but less serious. “You can see them too, can’t you?”

Sagles didn't speak, but instead turned his gaze to another girl: "Astoria, when will you be able to see the Thestrals?"

“I can’t see them,” Little Greengrass answered softly, his fingers tracing precisely the Thestral’s rugged back, “but I can touch them. Luna told me they’re beautiful…”

Sagres shook his head helplessly, but his mood relaxed without him even realizing it.

“Alright, you need to return to the castle now.” His voice regained its calm. “The Forbidden Forest at night holds many dangers.”

Chapter 64 XXXXX-level Magical Creatures

Gryffindor Common Room.

The fire crackled in the fireplace, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere.

The students gathered in small groups, whispering about the astonishing events of the evening.

“Merlin’s beard,” George Weasley said in a very low voice, “I’ve never seen anything like it at Hogwarts…”

"A professor pointing a wand at the principal?" Dean Thomas chimed in. "That's definitely going to go down in school history."

In the corner, Harry gently nudged Hermione's elbow. "Are you alright?"

"Me? I'm fine..." Hermione answered somewhat absentmindedly, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the book.

Ron poured a large glass of butterbeer from the crystal bottle and handed it to her. "Don't worry about it, Malfoy is going to be locked up for a month!"

“Hmm, I’m fine…” Hermione stared at the liquid in her glass, then suddenly asked, “Do you think… Professor Greengrass will be expelled?”

“Absolutely not!” Ron blurted out, then nervously glanced around, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I mean… Dumbledore… sometimes…”

His voice grew softer and softer.

Harry chimed in, "We all know Dumbledore is a great wizard, but if he really was watching Malfoy's behavior all along, then he should have stepped in and stopped it. He's the headmaster, that's his job, isn't it?"

“You’re right…” Ron nodded in agreement. “He didn’t do it, so he apologized to Hermione and made a promise…”

“I’m still worried about Professor Greengrass…” Hermione frowned, looking at the flickering flames in the fireplace. “What if he gets expelled? After all, he broke Snape’s wand…”

Ron huddled in his armchair and added in a low voice, "That was Snape's own fault. I'm sure that old bat is furious right now..."

“Didn’t you say before that Professor Greengrass taught at Ilvermorny?” Harry suddenly spoke up. “He’s so talented, Hogwarts won’t expel him easily!”

“Even if we’re going to expel people, we should expel Snape and Lockhart first!” Ron added.