One day in late February, with a biting chill in the air, Sagres was teaching a class when a dust-covered barn owl suddenly flew through the open window, dropping a thick letter onto his lectern.
Inside the envelope were two sheets of parchment: one bearing the cold, official crest of the Moldova Ministry of Magic, and the other written in the familiar handwriting of "Stork."
Sagres waved the owl away and, under the curious gazes of his students, unfolded the letter.
The contents were concise and cruel. A brilliant Ravenclaw student who had graduated from Hogwarts the previous year and had shown remarkable talent in Transfiguration had met with misfortune while investigating Dark artifact smuggling along the Moldova border.
The killer was a notorious exiled Dark wizard.
The Moldova report detailed the gruesome condition in which the student had been found. He had not died in a fair magical duel, but had been caught off guard and tortured to the point of mental collapse by the Cruciatus Curse before finally being killed with the Killing Curse.
Sagres finished reading the letter in silence, his fingertips lingering for a moment on the rough parchment.
Outside the window, the February sun was pale and without warmth.
Such a promising young life, a "product" Hogwarts had been proud of, had been mercilessly crushed by reality because of a single mistake.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the young faces in the classroom, some bewildered, some curious, some focused, from the tender first-years to the soon-to-graduate seventh-years.
A deathly silence and heaviness gathered in his eyes.
After a moment of silence, he made a decision.
"Today, we will not be discussing Incendio," Sagres said.
The students looked at Sagres, whose face had suddenly darkened, and exchanged glances.
"The next few classes will be changed to special theoretical lectures, with the theme 'High-Risk Dark Arts Identification and Basic Defensive Strategies.' Everyone is required to attend."
Sagres's words were cold and firm, stirring silent ripples among the students.
Confusion, apprehension, and unease appeared on every face.
Sagres did not let them remain in doubt. He looked directly at the class and told them the heavy news.
"A few days ago, Hogwarts lost a graduate from last year," he said calmly. "His name was Auroris Alcott. Many of you might know him because he represented Hogwarts in the Triwizard Duel last year."
"Senior Auroris!"
"It's him?" Incredulous gasps immediately spread through the classroom.
The students were deeply shocked. Auroris Alcott had been a member of the Transfiguration Club. The previous year he had moved with ease in the arena, and his skilled Transfiguration had left a deep impression on everyone.
Sagres's words, like a cold hammer, continued to strike their nerves. "He died in Moldova due to a sneak attack by a Dark wizard. The report states that he ...lacked the necessary understanding and vigilance regarding the extreme methods used by his enemy."
A deathly silence fell over the classroom.
Shock and sorrow filled the air, and some Ravenclaws could not help but let out suppressed sobs.
"His death is a failure of Hogwarts' education."
Sagres said, "We taught you spells, Transfiguration, and Potions, but we did not teach you how to face true darkness. Today's lesson is meant to make up for that deficiency. It is not about imparting power, but about giving you the essential knowledge needed to survive in the dark."
Without preamble or embellishment, he went straight to the main topic.
"First, there are three spells you have seen in textbooks but have never truly understood in their terrifying nature, the 'Unforgivable Curses' as defined by the International Confederation of Wizards."
"They are:
The Killing Curse, eternal death.
The Imperius Curse, absolute control.
The Cruciatus Curse, extreme pain."
Before Sagres finished speaking, his wand suddenly rose, and the sickly green light of the Killing Curse burst forth, filling the classroom with a strong aura of death.
The students' faces drained of color, their expressions filled with fear.
"The Killing Curse," Sagres said coldly, "is unstoppable and has no counter-spell. It is pure killing intent. The key to defense is to keep moving, use terrain or obstacles to interfere with the caster, and anticipate the spell's trajectory. Remember, survival is the only goal. Escaping and seeking support is never disgraceful."
Before the green light had fully faded, a distorted, flickering crimson light followed immediately after.
Neville's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably, as if the red light had awakened the darkest memories buried deep within his soul.
"The Cruciatus Curse," Sagres's voice remained steady, "inflicts extreme pain and aims to destroy the victim's will. Its power comes from the depth of the caster's malice and the degree of the victim's fear. Protego can greatly weaken its energy impact, giving the victim a moment to breathe. But the most important factor is willpower. Focus on resisting the pain. Recall happy memories or firm beliefs. These methods will not lessen the pain, but they can help you quickly regain the ability to act."
The crimson light faded, and the air in the classroom became suffocatingly heavy.
Immediately afterward, the eerie transparent mist of the Imperius Curse flowed from the tip of Sagres's wand like a living thing, swirling and coiling, bringing with it a heavy mental pressure and dizziness.
Many students felt a wave of disorientation and quickly looked away or covered their foreheads.
"The Imperius Curse," Sagres said, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity, "deprives you of your will and turns you into a puppet. It is the most insidious. Resisting it requires building a strong mental barrier and maintaining a firm sense of self and independent thought. In daily life, you must remain highly vigilant and instinctively resist any magic that attempts to invade your mind. Train your will to say no."
The demonstration of the three spells symbolizing ultimate evil ended, and the oppressive atmosphere in the classroom nearly solidified. But Sagres did not stop.
"Of course, the threats lurking in darkness extend far beyond these three 'signature' spells," his voice returned to calm. "Dark wizards possess countless methods and can easily use other equally deadly high-risk magic."
He waved his wand again.
A twisted dark-red serpent of fire burst into existence, hissing as it lunged at an illusory humanoid figure. The flames instantly engulfed the figure and reduced it to ashes.
"Fiendfyre. Extremely difficult to control destructive magical flames. Aguamenti is not only ineffective but will actually strengthen its power. Defensive principle: avoid direct contact at all costs. Unless several powerful wizards work together to suppress it, the best option is to Apparate and escape immediately."
Immediately afterward, a rapidly moving bright yellow beam shot out and struck a piece of chalk with perfect accuracy, instantly blasting it into a cloud of fine white dust.
"Bombarda. You should all be familiar with it, as it has appeared multiple times in dueling arenas. However, I must remind you that its destructive power is extremely strong. At close range, it can be fatal or crippling. Defensive principles: Protego, Impedimenta, and most importantly, maintain distance from the explosion."
He waved his wand again, and a silent dark-green mist with a putrid smell spread outward, quickly enveloping a corner of the lectern.
"Corrosive Poison Mist. A highly corrosive and toxic gas that can quickly paralyze nerves and dissolve flesh. The Bubble-Head Charm is the basic countermeasure against it, and it can also be diluted and dispersed with the Scouring Charm or Aguamenti. If you have already been poisoned, a general antidote can buy you time."
As he spoke, he waved his wand again, and a rapidly spinning mass of pitch-black spell-light condensed in the air, radiating bone-chilling malice.
"Bone-Rot Curse. The victim's skin develops ominous black cracks, and their bones gradually become brittle and shatter, eventually leading to death in extreme pain. Protego can resist it, but Impedimenta cannot. Using solid cover to dodge is a good option."
Immediately afterward, he waved his wand again, and a faint, piercing shriek suddenly rang out.
"Soul Wail. It produces a piercing scream that causes all creatures who hear it to fall into a temporary state of soul dislocation, their bodies stiff as corpses while their consciousness drifts outside their bodies. This spell is highly effective against ghosts, but Dark wizards also use it as a prelude to creating chaos or launching attacks. The countermeasure is simple: Muffliato can partially weaken the effect, while Silencio and the Quietening Charm can completely suppress it."
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