Sagres looked at Nightingale and asked, "So, Vilis, tell me, do you want to be the Headmistress of Beauxbatons?"
Nightingale barely hesitated and shook her head.
"No. There are too many trivial matters, and I don't like them."
"Alright."
Sagres nodded, seeming slightly disappointed by the answer, but then he changed the subject.
"However, since she chose to provoke us, she will have to pay a price. If you don't want to be the Headmistress, then become the Deputy Headmistress. At the very least, we need a position that can legitimately reform Beauxbatons' curriculum."
"You want to reform the curriculum?" Nightingale asked curiously.
"Exactly."
Sagres nodded.
"Those outdated teaching methods should have been optimized long ago. The magical world has stagnated like a pool of stagnant water, yet everyone has grown accustomed to it. It's time to inject something truly practical. What do you think?"
He wasn't really asking for her opinion, merely informing her of a decision that was already about to be put into action.
Nightingale looked into Sagres's eyes and understood that this was not only his way of retaliating against Madame Maxime, but also an indispensable part of his larger plan.
If Beauxbatons, this ancient magical school, was to develop in the direction he desired, then securing the powerful position of Deputy Headmistress would be crucial.
After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
"Very well."
"Then there's no time to waste."
Sagres extended an arm towards her.
"Let's go have a... friendly discussion with Madame Maxime."
Nightingale reached out and took his arm.
The next moment, their figures vanished amidst the noisy atmosphere of the exposition.
They headed directly to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, intending to "discuss" various matters with its complicated Headmistress, including the appointment of a Deputy Headmistress and the future development of the school.
After the brief discomfort of Apparition, they found themselves beneath the crisp, cool night sky of the Pyrenees in southern France.
The humid tropical air was gone, replaced by the serenity and grandeur of the mountains.
Under the moonlight, the Beauxbatons estate displayed an elegance completely different from Hogwarts.
There were no gloomy castles here, only magnificent palaces built into the mountainside, fashioned from ivory-white marble and exquisitely crafted metal.
Expansive terraces and meticulously maintained gardens stretched before the buildings. The famous Beauxbatons fountain sparkled enchantingly beneath the stars, and the air carried a faint floral fragrance, utterly lacking the smell of stone dust and Potions that so often lingered in Hogwarts Castle.
In the distance, snow-capped peaks formed sharp silhouettes beneath the moonlight, lending the entire scene a dreamlike beauty.
However, Sagres had no interest in admiring the scenery.
Without hesitation, he strode through the courtyard and headed directly towards the main palace.
Beauxbatons' protective enchantments might as well not have existed in his eyes. He triggered no alarms and arrived before the ornate, gold-inlaid doors of Madame Maxime's private sitting room like the master of the house himself.
He did not even knock.
The doors silently swung inward.
Inside, Olympe Maxime sat beside the fireplace in a specially made oversized armchair, wrapped in a luxurious blanket and holding a glass of wine from a Muggle vineyard.
The sudden appearance of the two figures at the entrance left her utterly astonished.
Her tall frame instantly tensed. Surprise flashed across her face, but it was quickly concealed beneath her usual dignified composure and a trace of barely perceptible tension.
"Professor Greengrass? Professor Nixia?"
She rose to her feet, her voice steady as her sharp eyes swept over the pair.
"What is the meaning of this? Beauxbatons does not welcome unannounced visitors in the middle of the night."
Sagres walked calmly into the sitting room as though he were the owner of the place.
His grey eyes met Madame Maxime's questioning gaze without the slightest disturbance.
"Good evening, Madame Maxime. Please forgive our abrupt visit, but there are some matters that require an immediate resolution."
Madame Maxime's expression stiffened slightly, though she quickly regained her composure.
"I believe you should observe basic etiquette. Beauxbatons does not welcome uninvited guests of this sort."
Sagres remained calm, completely unaffected by the resistance in her words.
"Under normal circumstances, we would never disturb you in this manner. However, certain issues require immediate clarification in order to avoid deeper misunderstandings between us."
Madame Maxime's expression changed slightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Then think carefully."
As soon as Sagres finished speaking, the spacious and luxurious room transformed into a bloody scene straight out of a nightmare.
Skulls covered in flesh and blood emerged from the surrounding walls, writhing and struggling as though trying to break free.
Madame Maxime's face remained composed, but she finally could not help speaking.
"I am merely fulfilling my duties as Headmistress, and the information I provided to the Ministry of Magic was nothing more than ordinary information."
She never put down the goblet, oversized in comparison to an ordinary person's, and the hand holding it remained remarkably steady.
"After all, Professor Nixia's past, and your recent activities, are indeed enough to arouse suspicion."
"I understand."
Sagres nodded.
"Suspicion can sometimes become a dangerous seed, especially when it originates from one's own anxieties."
He slowly stepped forward, his voice calm.
"For example, concerns that a highly talented colleague, like Ilvermorny's Thunderbird, might one day seek a higher position?"
The hand holding Madame Maxime's wine glass trembled involuntarily.
"My position as Headmistress of Beauxbatons comes from the trust of the board and from my many years of service. I have never feared fair competition."
"Of course. I have no doubts regarding your contributions to the school."
Sagres's tone remained gentle.
"Vilis has no interest in replacing you as Headmistress of Beauxbatons. However, for the future of the school, I believe appointing Vilis Nixia as Deputy Headmistress, with full responsibility for curriculum reform, would greatly enhance Beauxbatons' competitiveness."
"Absolutely impossible!"
Madame Maxime rejected the proposal without hesitation, her voice rising slightly with emotion.
"The appointment of a Deputy Headmistress requires a complicated process, and curriculum reform is no trivial matter. I cannot simply entrust the future of the school to..."
Sagres calmly interrupted her.
"Madame Maxime, I am not negotiating with you. I am merely informing you of our decision."
Madame Maxime took a deep breath.
Setting down her wine glass, she calmly reached for her wand.
"And if I refuse? What if..."
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
Sagres's gaze had casually drifted towards the oversized armchair beside the fireplace, specially made for her stature.
The next moment, under Madame Maxime's horrified gaze, the blanket on the chair twisted, and another Olympe Maxime appeared seated there.
This second "Madame Maxime" had her eyes tightly shut, her head bent at an unnatural angle, and her complexion was deathly pale. A deep wound stretched across her neck.
She was nothing more than a corpse.
The illusion was terrifyingly realistic. Even the folds of her robes and the faint expression on her face were exactly the same.
The real Madame Maxime's eyelids twitched violently. Her enormous frame swayed, and she nearly collapsed.
An overwhelming terror seized her, leaving her unable to breathe.
Only then did she realize that what she was holding in her hand was no wand at all, but a bloodstained dagger.
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