That day, as the class bell rang, Sagres was packing his textbooks, preparing to leave the classroom, when he overheard the malicious chatter of the young wizards.
He looked up and saw Harry and his two friends walking past the Slytherins with their textbooks. The Slytherins were clapping and whistling, and some even cheered, "Thank you, Potter, you're truly our good friend, our great benefactor... After all, yesterday I was still wondering how to catch up to your score, but today my dream came true!"
"Yes, if you ask me, Malfoy is truly amazing—"
"That's right, he took their own head of house to catch them! Not everyone has the ability to do something like this."
"True! Malfoy lost 20 points, but due to him, they ended up losing 150!"
"I think Malfoy is just bragging. I heard Filch was the one who caught them!
"Hahah! Who cares? I think it's all thanks to the great Mr. Potter…"
As they mocked, they shoved Harry and his two friends aside and left the classroom in groups.
Students from the other three houses didn't look kindly on Harry and his friends either, as they also didn't want Slytherin to win the House Cup—and this year, Gryffindor had been the most likely to defeat them.
And the result?
Malfoy made a sacrificial play and turned the tide, so much so that now, wherever the three of them went, they were met with glares and scorn.
Even during Quidditch practice, people no longer called Harry by name—they just referred to him as "that Seeker."
Thinking of this, Harry spotted Wood in the crowd. He called out to him forlornly and expressed his desire to quit the team.
Sagres had long anticipated this situation, but he didn't want Harry to quit the Quidditch team. Although he didn't care much for Quidditch, Professor McGonagall invited him to every match. And Harry was indeed very talented.
If he could end the game quickly each time, wouldn't that save time for everyone involved?
Thinking this, he stepped forward to silence the noisy crowd and rescued Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the encirclement of the three houses.
"Ravenclaws—" He stared at the Ravenclaw students in the crowd and said expressionlessly, "I'm very curious—what does this have to do with you?"
Seeing the silent crowd, he continued mercilessly, "Placing your hopes on others, then turning on them when those hopes are dashed? Even if you had inherited just a trace of Ravenclaw's wisdom, you wouldn't be doing something so foolish."
He reminded them, "After all, whether or not Gryffindor lost points, Ravenclaw didn't become first place either, did it?"
As he spoke, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at the Ravenclaw students. Those he looked at immediately lowered their heads.
"As for you—" He raised his chin, indicating another group, "The Sorting Hat always says that Hufflepuff students are loyal and fair to their friends, but regrettably, I haven't seen that here…"
He added, "I don't know if only those who never make mistakes qualify as your friends—or if making a mistake means losing the right to be one?"
No one answered.
"Admiring them when they're useful, scorning them when they make mistakes—your shrewdness and snobbery are truly no less than Slytherin's," Sagres said without reservation.
At this point, even the Gryffindors were somewhat embarrassed, because when Harry won Quidditch points, they all called him the Savior—but now that points were lost, they immediately disassociated themselves with self-righteous indignation.
Looking at the silent crowd, Sagres raised his chin expressionlessly.
"Now, leave here. Immediately."
The students scurried out of the classroom like startled quails, and Harry and his two friends also prepared to leave—but they found that they couldn't move at all.
In less than a minute, only the trio and Sagres remained in the classroom, and at that moment, they were finally able to move their feet again.
"As for you—Harry," Sagres turned to the young wizard, "You want to quit the Quidditch team?"
Harry stammered, suddenly lacking the courage to say that he would quit.
Sagres looked at him, his tone calm: "I'm sorry, but I couldn't see any trace of Gryffindor in you. I only saw a coward who turns and runs when faced with difficulty."
His voice was cold and firm, like a dagger piercing Harry's heart. "After all, quitting won't bring back the lost points—it will only ensure you never have another chance to earn them back."
Harry lowered his head in shame.
"And you, Miss Granger, I heard you haven't dared to answer questions in class these past few days?"
Hermione also hung her head, looking very dejected.
Sagres then turned his gaze to Ron. "Mr. Weasley, do I need to go on?"
Ron shook his head, looking much more composed.
"The three of you—this is a lesson, and also a test." He looked earnestly at the three young students, his tone softening slightly. "I know you've had a tough time these past few days, but perhaps this isn't a bad thing…"
He picked up his textbook and gestured for the three to follow him.
The four of them passed the Herbology classroom, walked through the Quidditch pitch, and finally arrived in front of Hagrid's hut.
The three exchanged puzzled glances, but Sagres offered no explanation—he simply knocked on the wooden door.
Creak—the door opened.
"Professor? Harry? Is something wrong?" Hagrid asked, surprised to see them.
"Yes, there is. Can we come in first, Hagrid?"
"Of course, please come in…"
The group entered the hut. Sagres sat down without ceremony, while Harry and his friends stood awkwardly.
"Hagrid, do you know that Harry and his friends lost 150 points for Gryffindor because they helped send away the dragon you were raising?"
This direct question immediately plunged the room into silence.
The young wizards' eyes widened, and Hagrid's mouth hung open. No one could utter a single word.
Sagres completely disregarded their silence. His tone was calm and composed. "Hagrid, you've already been expelled from Hogwarts once, but clearly you haven't learned your lesson. Are you tired of your job as gamekeeper?"
"Ah, no no—Professor, I'm very sorry, I apologize, I just…" Hagrid stammered in a panic, unable to form a complete sentence.
"You don't need to apologize to me. After all, I didn't do anything." Sagres gestured to the young wizards beside him. "You should apologize to them. These three have been ostracized by everyone because of the point deduction, and you, as the instigator, have only cared about that young dragon from beginning to end."
At this, he shook his head. "To be honest, it's a bit disappointing. They voluntarily took on a problem for you, yet when they encountered trouble, you didn't even offer a word of comfort."
Hagrid stood in the wooden hut, his huge body like a stone wall. He stood there silently, not moving an inch.
Harry and his friends wanted to speak up in Hagrid's defense, but one look from Sagres silenced their unspoken words.
"It was your decision to raise a dragon in secret, against the law—despite being warned not to by Miss Granger. They helped you because they were worried you'd get into trouble. And in the end, they were the ones who paid the price."
"They're children. At an age when their values are still forming, and if they get in trouble, get ridiculed by everyone, and do not even get comfort from the very person they were trying to help? It teaches them that doing good leads only to pain. That loyalty is a mistake. And that lesson…" he glanced at the trio beside him, "…can last a lifetime."
"Sigh.. Don't let your friends get dragged into the mud because of you again. Please consider the consequences before making decisions next time."
After saying this, he stood up and led the young wizards out of the wooden hut. But they hadn't gone far when Hagrid caught up and sincerely apologized to Harry and his friends, and the young wizards generously forgave him.
At this point, Sagres finally saw smiles return to their faces.
💫Support & read up to 12+ chapters ahead on P@treon/DarkDevil1👉 Join to get early access and exclusive content!✨