HP: Dangerous Professor from Azkaban

"I really regret it… I only wanted to learn some powerful Magic from him… and then expose him, but I never imagined things would turn out like this…"

Quirrell spoke weakly, "Sagres, I really envy you… your extraordinary strength, great fame, and the respect of others… Any one of those is something I've desperately pursued but failed to obtain… Ha, I truly envy you…"

His voice grew softer and softer until it faded away completely.

He died just like that—his eyes fixed on the ceiling, life extinguished.

"Was he a Death Eater?" Harry finally asked.

Sagres didn't turn around. As he waved his wand to bury Quirrell, he replied, "Not really… He was just an ordinary person, temporarily blinded by greed."

Sagres's words left the Young Wizards in thoughtful silence, but they had to admit—it was true.

Most Death Eaters came from pure-blood families, and the primary reason they followed Lord Voldemort was that his pure-blood ideology promised them greater benefits.

The pie of today's magical society was already fixed in size, yet the small number of pure-bloods monopolized 80% of the social wealth. And still, they were unsatisfied—because once upon a time, the entire pie had belonged to them.

"But he did try to kill me, didn't he?" Harry said, pursing his lips. "Even if he failed…"

"He did," Sagres agreed with a nod. "If you're asking whether he did it—then yes, he did. But his attempts were clumsy, likely due to internal conflict."

He casually restored the Mirror of Erised, which had shattered into dust, and continued calmly, "Not everyone can choose to fight to the end when facing the Dark Lord… Quirrell gave in. But perhaps, deep down, he never truly wanted to kill you."

"Professor, I don't quite understand…"

Seeing the confused expressions on the Young Wizards' faces, Sagres, for once, took the time to explain, "If he truly intended to kill you, why would he choose the Quidditch pitch? Wouldn't it have been easier to do it in private? Under the eyes of all the teachers and students—even if you had fallen off your broom, Mr. Potter, your life wouldn't have been in real danger."

As the trio seemed ready to speak but hesitated, Sagres drew his wand and pointed at a stone. "For a powerful Wizard, killing a newcomer who has just entered the magical world is as easy as waving a wand."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone instantly turned to dust.

"But Professor… just like Professor Quirrell said—not everyone is as powerful as you," Hermione replied, still somewhat unconvinced.

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss Granger." Sagres gave a slight bow and smiled. "But don't underestimate your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. After all, how could someone who broke into Gringotts alone and got out unscathed be considered an ordinary person?"

"But he…" Ron pointed to the small mound of earth.

"Yes, he still died in the end…" Sagres also looked at the little mound, a faint sigh escaping him. "Ruthlessly abandoned by his Lord Voldemort."

Then he added quietly, "It seems Voldemort isn't just ruthless to his enemies, as the rumors say—he's equally cold and merciless to his own followers."

The Young Wizards nodded solemnly. Sagres led them back slowly. They didn't walk quickly, and Sagres even took time to restore the damaged items along the way.

"Oh, by the way, Professor, where is Headmaster Dumbledore?" Harry asked. "Doesn't he know what happened here tonight?"

The other two Young students also turned to look at Sagres.

"He received an urgent summons from the Ministry of Magic and went to London," Sagres replied, showing no intention of keeping secrets on the Headmaster's behalf.

"Alright…" Harry nodded, then after a moment, he spoke again, a bit tentatively, "Professor Greengrass…"

"What is it, Potter?"

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"Of course. As I've said before, answering your questions is one of a Professor's duties."

"It's like this… Voldemort said he killed my mother because she tried desperately to protect me. But then—why did he want to kill me in the first place? And how did I survive? Why did he say I was the one who made him like that?"

Harry asked his questions in rapid succession, and Hermione and Ron also perked up, listening intently.

"I'm afraid, Potter…" Sagres shook his head, speaking as he walked. "I don't know much about that. After all, I was only a ten-year-old child back then and hadn't even come to Hogwarts yet. But perhaps you could ask Dumbledore—he always seems to know more secrets than most."

"Alright…" Harry nodded. "Then, what about the Invisibility Cloak? Do you know who gave it to me?"

"Ah, that I still don't know, Mr. Potter…" Sagres looked a bit embarrassed. "But I suspect it was probably given to you by Dumbledore. I once saw an identical cloak in his office."

"Really, Professor? You think Dumbledore gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak?" Ron suddenly asked.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley," Sagres paused to think, then replied, "That was a very rare Invisibility Cloak—flawless in every way. Of course, it could just be a coincidence. Perhaps they simply happened to have two identical ones… As I said from the beginning, it's only my speculation, nothing more."

"Then could Dumbledore have planned for you to do this?" Ron suddenly turned to Harry, his tone tinged with suspicion. "All of it?"

"No way!" Hermione blurted out. "If he really did that—I mean, if he truly planned it all out—then that would be terrifying… because Harry could've been killed!"

Both of them looked at Harry, who suddenly felt at a loss.

"I trust Dumbledore. I believe in him. He must have his reasons…" Harry murmured to himself, as if trying to convince himself. "Hermione—Just like Professor Greengrass said, we're all just newcomers to the magical world. And Dumbledore—he's the greatest wizard alive today. If he really wanted to harm us, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths—he could just wave his wand."

"What do you think, Professor?" Hermione asked Sagres, turning to him.

The black-robed professor smiled first, then said thoughtfully, "Dumbledore is a very interesting man… I think he more or less knew what was happening here, and he also had a clear idea of what you were planning to do. He didn't stop you, perhaps because he believed you had the right to face Voldemort yourselves."

In Sagres's eyes, Dumbledore was a good man—but not a saint.

The Headmaster was complex and multifaceted. That he was a good man was beyond doubt—benevolent, gentle, and perceptive, the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen. He had made immense efforts to protect the magical world.

But he was not a saint, for he also possessed human weaknesses.

For instance, his desire for power had once led him astray in his youth; his decisions were sometimes overly idealistic, even arrogant; and his "big picture" mindset could cause him to overlook individual feelings, making him seem distant and detached.

This was also why Sagres had always disliked the Headmaster—because he had experienced it personally. If you were weak, Dumbledore would be very tolerant, even if you made mistakes.

But if you were strong, then even if you did nothing wrong, the Headmaster would subconsciously suspect and scrutinize you.

Nevertheless, he still greatly 'respected' this towering figure of the magical world, even if they were not the same kind of person.

"No wonder those challenges felt like a test, a trial…" Hermione murmured. "It's just a pity that in the end, You-Know-Who—well, still got away."

"You can say his name directly, Miss Granger," Sagres said calmly, having regained his composure. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. And with Lord Voldemort's current strength, attempting Name Magic is still a pipe dream. So you can say it—Voldemort."

Seeing the trio nod, he went on, "Of course, regarding the punishment for your actions tonight…"

"Professor…" Ron's eyes widened. "We stopped Quirrell, stopped Lord Voldemort from getting the Philosopher's Stone—and you're still going to deduct points from us for this?"

"Mr. Weasley, and the two of you as well…" Sagres pointed at the trio. "To be precise, you helped Voldemort get the Philosopher's Stone, and nearly caused it to be stolen."

He raised his hand to stop the three, who were about to protest, and explained calmly under their astonished gazes:

"The final enchantment on the mirror was personally set by Dumbledore. It was a very clever method that utilized the mirror of erised's ability to peer into one's deepest desires."

He looked at Harry and said seriously, "Under the effect of that Magic, only someone who truly wanted to obtain the Stone but had no intention of using it could retrieve it. So if Quirrell had been acting alone, he would never have gotten the Philosopher's Stone, no matter how hard he tried. The same applies to Lord Voldemort."

The three young wizards were left speechless.

"Of course," Sagres continued, shifting his tone, "some of your actions during this period were indeed commendable… For example, Mr. Weasley."

Ron immediately perked up.

"Your performance on the chessboard was quite impressive—especially your final moves. The courage you displayed was admirable."

Ron's face turned red at once, but it was clear he was very pleased.

"But," Sagres added, "considering your violation of school rules, I must still deduct one point from you… Believe me, other professors would have deducted more. I'm being very lenient."

"How much? One point?" Ron blinked in disbelief.

"Do you think I deducted too little, Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course not, Professor! Your decision is brilliant!" Ron quickly replied. He wasn't upset at all—on the contrary, he seemed quite pleased.

"Miss Granger…"

"Yes, Professor." Hermione immediately perked up.

"Your deductive reasoning is excellent, and you've learned many advanced Magic spells ahead of time. Although you may get flustered in emergencies, I can see your progress—for instance, when facing the Troll, your timing with spells was quite good."

The young witch looked a bit embarrassed and pressed her lips together tightly.

"But considering your violation of school rules, I will deduct two points from you. That said, I'm also approving you to join my practical classes next semester. Of course, you may refuse."

"Really, Professor?" Hermione's eyes lit up instantly. She had previously only been allowed to audit theory classes, so Sagres's decision filled her with delight.

"Of course it's true. Do you want to refuse?"

"Of course not, Professor!!!!!!" Hermione quickly shook her head. "I'd be honored to participate."

"That's good…" Sagres nodded, then continued, "Mr. Potter—"

"I'm here, Professor," Harry answered at once.

"Hmm… Potter," he paused for a moment, then spoke with a complex expression, "Honestly, I think the best thing you did was the lies you made up when facing Lord Voldemort…"

Harry immediately looked embarrassed.

He thought Sagres was teasing him, especially since his lies had involved quite a few people—including Professor Greengrass, who was standing right in front of him.

"Please don't misunderstand, Potter… I'm being serious." Sagres noticed the young wizard's discomfort and offered a smile. "That kind of quick thinking requires a flexible mind and the courage to remain calm in a crisis. I'm quite surprised you managed that. Although you didn't fool Lord Voldemort, that was only because he can use Legilimency."

"Legili-what?" Harry asked, confused.

"Legilimency," Sagres repeated. "You might learn about it later."

Harry's performance back then had indeed been quick-witted. To remain composed and spin lies in the face of Quirrell—who essentially meant death at that moment—was already impressive.

Sagres even felt that Harry displayed some Slytherin traits, though he didn't say so aloud.

"Therefore, Mr. Potter, although you'll have points deducted for breaking school rules, I'll still award Gryffindor… three points."

"So that means…" Ron cut in.

"No gain, no loss!" Hermione finished.

"Alright," Sagres said, "before dawn, the three of you should hurry back to bed…"

Sagres used the Levitation Charm to move the Young Wizards from the underground chamber back to the corridor, not forgetting to lull Cerberus—Fluffy—to sleep along the way.

"The results will be out in a few days. I wish you all a happy holiday."

He escorted them to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room and prepared to take his leave.

"Oh, Professor…" Hermione suddenly called out to Sagres, who was turning to leave. She pulled a red stone from her pocket. "I forgot—this, the Philosopher's Stone."

Sagres paused for a few seconds. "Just keep it with you, Miss Granger."

"What? But…" Hermione and her two companions were clearly surprised by this.

"Dumbledore will be back tomorrow. You can return it to him then…" At this, he gave her a subtle wink, his tone carrying a hint of mischief. "And don't you have many questions for him? This is a good excuse."

"But this is… the Philosopher's Stone!" the young witch repeated in disbelief.

"Of course I know, Miss Granger. I know it's the Philosopher's Stone. It can not only turn any material into gold, but also grant immortality—and perhaps even other magical effects…"

Sagres smiled. "But in truth, if you think about it carefully, you'll realize that it's not as wonderful as it seems… at least, not in some ways."

Seeing the three Young Wizards still doubtful, he continued, "With it, no matter how much wealth you want, or how long you wish to live, you can have it. Endless riches, eternal life—these are exactly the things humans desire most. But human desire is endless. If you own one mountain of gold, you'll crave another. If you live a thousand years, you'll want to live another thousand… It breaks the natural cycle of life and death, endlessly magnifying desire. That is a violation of natural law!"

The Young Wizards were speechless. Finally, Sagres slowly said, "So I say, it's not as wonderful as you imagine…"

With that, he turned and left under their thoughtful gazes.

"I always feel… Professor Greengrass is trying every possible way to cause trouble for Professor Dumbledore," Ron said, somewhat puzzled.

"I think so too!" Harry echoed.

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