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 parchnt: 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 t with misfortune while investigating Dark artifact smuggling along the Moldova border.
The killer was a notorious exiled Dark wizard.
The Moldova report detailed the grueso 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 ntal 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 mont on the rough parchnt.
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 rcilessly crushed by reality because of a single mistake.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the young faces in the classroom, so bewildered, so curious, so focused, from the tender first-years to the soon-to-graduate seventh-years.
A deathly silence and heaviness gathered in his eyes.
After a mont 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 the '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 na 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 imdiately spread through the classroom.
The students were deeply shocked. Auroris Alcott had been a mber 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 hamr, 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 extre thods used by his enemy."
A deathly silence fell over the classroom.
Shock and sorrow filled the air, and so 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 ant 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 embellishnt, 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, extre 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. Rember, 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 imdiately after.
Neville's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably, as if the red light had awakened the darkest mories buried deep within his soul.
"The Cruciatus Curse," Sagres's voice remained steady, "inflicts extre pain and aims to destroy the victim's will. Its power cos 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 mont to breathe. But the most important factor is willpower. Focus on resisting the pain. Recall happy mories or firm beliefs. These thods 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 beca suffocatingly heavy.
Imdiately 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 ntal 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 ntal 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 thods 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 flas instantly engulfed the figure and reduced it to ashes.
"Fiendfyre. Extrely difficult to control destructive magical flas. Aguanti 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 imdiately."
Imdiately 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 tis in dueling arenas. However, I must remind you that its destructive power is extrely strong. At close range, it can be fatal or crippling. Defensive principles: Protego, Impedinta, and most importantly, maintain distance from the explosion."
He waved his wand again, and a silent dark-green mist with a putrid sll 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 counterasure against it, and it can also be diluted and dispersed with the Scouring Charm or Aguanti. If you have already been poisoned, a general antidote can buy you ti."
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 beco brittle and shatter, eventually leading to death in extre pain. Protego can resist it, but Impedinta cannot. Using solid cover to dodge is a good option."
Imdiately 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 counterasure is simple: Muffliato can partially weaken the effect, while Silencio and the Quietening Charm can completely suppress it."
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