HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

……

Instead of submitting a lengthy written report, Sagles knocked directly on the principal's office door.

Inside the headmaster's office, Dumbledore was holding a plate of sizzling honey, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gleaming with keen insight.

“Ah, Sacramento,” Dumbledore greeted cheerfully, “Would you like a piece of candy? I think it helps clear the mind…”

Sagres waved his hand in refusal: "Headmaster, you must have already noticed the excessive enthusiasm for dueling in the castle, and the ensuing chaos."

“Yes, Sacramento, it’s hard not to notice…” Dumbledore said gently, “but isn’t that exactly what you wanted to see? And I have no doubt that you had a complete plan in mind before you even knocked on the door.”

He winked slyly, "Your duel leaderboard and duel badge designs are quite ingenious. Even this old man couldn't resist applying for one..."

As he spoke, he took out a simple iron badge from the pocket of his velvet robe, which gleamed faintly in the firelight.

"A very ingenious magical creation."

Dumbledore exclaimed, weighing the badge in his palm. "The basic scoring function goes without saying, but what's even more wonderful is that it can... um... vaguely sense the wearer's intentions? Any malicious attack attempt will have nowhere to hide in front of it..."

“But that’s not enough, Headmaster.” Sagres’s gaze was calm. “Corridors and abandoned classrooms cannot provide a truly safe environment for combat. Students need a fixed, standardized venue designed specifically for duels.”

As he spoke, he pushed a roll of parchment drawings in front of Dumbledore.

The blueprints unfolded automatically on the mahogany table, revealing a huge circular platform suspended at the edge of the Quidditch pitch. In the center of the platform stood an ancient stone tablet, surrounded by a dense array of magical chairs that rose like a tower.

The parchment bears the words "Contract Duel Arena," along with a detailed description: a powerful and permanent dueling arena constructed around the Spirit of Duel stele. It will possess:

1. Absolute Protection: Stronger than a temporary field, it can completely absorb and transform the dissipated magical energy, ensuring the absolute safety of the audience and the caster.

2. Environment Simulation: Simple obstacles or terrain changes (sand, low walls, shallow puddles) can be generated according to the challengers' requests to increase the variables in actual combat.

3. Panoramic Projection: The images of exciting battles will be magnified and projected into the air around the arena, allowing spectators at a distance to see every exquisite detail of spellcasting.

4. 'Cheers Magic' Amplifier: Focuses and directs the cheers of the audience, transforming them into a powerful energy flow that adds random natural disasters to both duelists.

5. Advanced Trial Grounds: The 'High-Difficulty Solo Trials' and 'Peak Arena' challenges for advancing Duel Badges will be held here.

Dumbledore bent down, carefully examining the drawings, his fingers gently tracing the surface of the parchment. A moment of silence fell over the office, broken only by the soft rustling of Fawkes preening his feathers on his perch.

“A magnificent stage, Sargeras,” Dumbledore finally spoke, his eyes gleaming with admiration and deep thought. “It perfectly embodies your ideals. Safety, justice… and most importantly—it is visible. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and the open arena and dueling badges make any sneak attack from the shadows impossible to hide.”

He picked up a new candy and put it in his mouth.

“I approve it. The venue will be on the east side of the Quidditch pitch, where the view is unobstructed and will not interfere with normal Quidditch training. It is also closer to the castle, making it convenient for students to come and go.”

He looked up at Sagrais and added, "If you need any assistance during the construction process, the entire Hogwarts faculty and staff will be your strong support."

Sagles gave a slight bow and replied succinctly, "Yes, Principal."

Construction begins in Chapter 125

The news of the establishment of the dueling arena swept through the castle like wildfire, and the students were all as if they had been enchanted, unable to contain their excitement.

This arena is not only a good way to quell the chaos, but it is also a new sport that Sagles has high hopes for – a sport with unlimited teaching potential and fun.

Quidditch?

What kind of trash is that?

On an ordinary afternoon, Sagres gathered all the professors who were willing to help and went straight to the designated construction site.

While the accompanying professors were discussing where to begin laying the foundation, Sagres had already walked alone to the center of the open space.

There were no lengthy incantations or any fancy opening moves.

Sagres simply raised his right arm calmly, the tip of his wand pointing diagonally at the ground, the movement fluid and natural.

Then, a short, cold word came out of his mouth clearly.

"shape!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like an unstoppable wave, crashing hard into the hearts of every onlooker, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble violently!

Then, a miracle—or rather, a breathtaking “reshaping of the earth” driven by pure magic—suddenly unfolded!

The ground that Sagrais's wand pointed to did not rise gently, but was torn apart by an extremely violent force!

With a deafening roar of rocks rubbing and cracking, a huge rock, as if grasped and lifted from the depths of the earth's crust by an unseen magical hand, carrying soil and grass roots, rose from the ground amidst a thunderous roar!

The scene was as if the earth itself had been forcibly ripped open, revealing its ancient and rugged spine.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and gravel rained down. Sagres waved his hand, and a sudden hurricane precisely swept all the dust into a ball, then silently burrowed into the ground.

Sagrais's wand traced precise paths through the air. Each tiny swing was accompanied by dramatic shifts in the arena.

The massive rocks that rose up, under his magical command, became as docile as clay.

The sharp edges were forcibly smoothed by magic, the curved surfaces were sculpted into smooth and natural shapes, and the stone slabs were joined together seamlessly with a low rubbing and interlocking sound.

The arena took shape at a speed visible to the naked eye. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded a sense of weight and solidity originating from the depths of the earth.

Sagres's gaze swept across the perimeter of the arena, his wand tracing a semicircle in the air.

Some of the vine seeds that Professor Sprout had already planted and infused with magic were now bursting with a hundred times the vitality, emitting crisp and dense crackling sounds!

In an instant, the thick, emerald-green vines, like giant pythons imbued with life, began to frantically coil, intertwine, and climb along the path indicated by the Sagrais wand.

They did not spread haphazardly, but rather constructed a stepped shape with extreme precision, extending upwards from all directions and eventually clinging to the edge of the suspended arena.

Immediately afterwards, the resilient vines seemed to possess their own will, quickly and automatically coiling together, transforming in the blink of an eye into sturdy handrails and rows of seats.

The whole process was dazzlingly fast and full of wild vitality.

The glowing flowers adorning the vines also bloomed, and the soft light made the stands look like an elf theater in the forest.

Immediately afterwards, Sagres pointed his wand at the center of the arena again, and a thick, silvery-white beam of light shot out from the tip of the wand and pierced the center of the platform!

Where the beam of light landed, a huge stone tablet rose up from the center of the arena with a thunderous roar, exuding a solemn and majestic aura.

The entire process took only a few minutes. As the last trace of magical energy subsided, the lingering dust slowly settled, and the huge crack in the ground disappeared without a trace.

The magnificent and sturdy dueling arena now floated before everyone like a miracle.

Absolute silence enveloped the edge of the Quidditch pitch.

Hundreds of students, along with the professors who had been invited to help, were all dumbfounded, as if they had been collectively petrified.

The only sounds in the air were heavy breathing and the frantic pounding of hearts from shock.

Ron's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He mechanically nudged Harry beside him: "He...he all by himself...gave...this thing...to..."

The rest of his words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them.

Hermione stared intently at the circular stone platform, almost the size of a Quidditch pitch, suspended in mid-air, her lips moving silently.

Harry was equally speechless; he just felt his legs go weak.

Even the students who happened to be passing by were frozen in place by the earth-shattering noise, dumbfounded, because the scene before them was so absurd that it was hard to believe.

Sagrais finally began assigning tasks to everyone.

“Professor Flitwick,” he turned to the excited little professor, “please take charge of the core protective magic; I will work with you to complete it.”

Professor Flitwick was rubbing his hands excitedly, muttering to himself, "Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! Finally, it's not just Quidditch anymore!"

“Professor Sprout,” Sagres said, turning to the kind-looking herbalist, “please plant the magical vine seeds you brought in suitable locations throughout the castle. I will guide their growth later and construct vine staircases and drawbridges within the castle that lead directly to the arena. Our goal is to ensure that each house’s common room, as well as major areas such as the Great Hall, has at least one convenient passageway.”

Professor Sprout nodded with pleasure and immediately turned to carry out the task.

“Professor McGonagall,” Sagrais’s gaze fell on the serious-looking Transfiguration professor, his tone slightly reassuring, “please don’t look so stern. Your task in a moment is crucial: to check if the protective spells that Professor Flitwick and I have set up are strong enough, and…”

He emphasized, “Use your unparalleled metamorphosis to precisely shape every detail of the ring—ensuring every student can clearly see the fight while guaranteeing they won’t accidentally ‘roll’ off.”

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and nodded with utmost seriousness.

"Professor Lumina, please inscribe runes on the arena according to my requirements."

"No problem!" Red Falcon seemed quite excited, then blinked, "Um... can I sign it?"

"Can't!"

"Oh..." Her excitement visibly subsided.

Sagres then turned his gaze to the potions professor shrouded in black robes.

"Professor Snape..."

Severus Snape stood there expressionless, like a somber statue.

The other party must be extremely unhappy at this moment, and Sagres knew this very well—the two of them had never gotten along, and if it weren't for Dumbledore's decision, Snape would never have appeared here to help.

But now that the opportunity had come to him, Sagles had no intention of letting it slip away easily.

“You will need to brew some special protective adhesive,” Sagres said clearly, “and later have the older students, or house-elves, apply it evenly to the magic rune circuits on the arena base.”

Snape's brow furrowed, revealing his obvious impatience. But Sagles seemed oblivious and continued:

"In addition, we need a magical coating that can efficiently absorb impact. As for the formula... I'm sure you have it, right?"

Snape's impatience was palpable, but Sagles ignored it and continued ordering:

"There are also special paints that wash off easily, stimulants to keep people calm, magical glue with lubricating properties, and magical lubricant with adhesive properties..."

Snape's face twitched involuntarily. He forced out a sentence through gritted teeth, suppressing his anger, "I am the Potions Professor at Hogwarts, not some apprentice doing odd jobs in the Alchemy Workshop. And forget about the first two, what is all this nonsense after this?"

Sagles nodded solemnly: "You're right, Professor, that makes perfect sense. Then we'll just take the first two, and discard the rest!"

Then, without giving Snape a chance to react, he immediately made his decision: "I suppose this won't be a problem for you. Then I'll leave it to you, Professor..."

Snape's face was ashen, and his lips were pressed into a thin, bloodless line.

In the end, he merely nodded stiffly, his suppressed anger almost solidifying, before turning and striding away.

Chapter 126 Uninvited Guest

Sagres waved his wand, and a series of ancient runes, shimmering with light, flowed from the tip of the wand as if they were alive, precisely imprinting themselves on various points of the arena.

They complement the protective magic arrays constructed by Professor Flitwick, forming a more complex magical network.

The subsequent construction work proceeded smoothly with the cooperation of the professors.