Ron's mouth fell open.
"What did you say? A... new spell?"
"You could say that," Hermione replied, her tone growing more excited, but also more cautious. "But more accurately, it's a kind of magic that I've tried to combine and improve to create a more... um... proactive defensive effect."
She raised her wand and pointed it at a large boulder not far away.
"Watch carefully. I'll only demonstrate it once. It's still unstable."
She concentrated. Her wand trembled in a complex pattern in her hand, and she clearly recited a strange incantation that neither Harry nor Ron had ever heard before.
A brilliant blue light shot from the tip of her wand. It travelled neither in a straight line nor an arc like ordinary spells, but twisted like a bolt of lightning, crackling faintly as it struck the boulder with tremendous force.
Bang!
The boulder was not blasted away. Instead, it appeared to split open from within, a large fissure tearing through it. The interior was blackened and charred, with a faint red glow still lingering.
Harry stared at the smoking boulder, then at Hermione, his eyes filled with utter admiration.
"Merlin's beard, Hermione! This... this is incredible!"
he muttered, completely stunned by his friend's unimaginable achievement.
Ron, however, went pale. He took a small step backwards as though Hermione were holding not a wand, but a venomous snake.
"Hermione!"
he practically shouted, his voice rising with fear.
"Have you gone mad?! Do you realise what you're doing? Inventing your own spells?! That's incredibly dangerous! People could die! Bill told us at the World Cup about people losing limbs, or even..."
He shuddered and could not bring himself to finish the sentence, merely staring at Hermione as though she had lost her mind.
Hermione looked both embarrassed and annoyed by his reaction. Lowering her wand, she argued,
"Of course I know it's dangerous, Ron! I did a huge amount of calculations and research. I consulted almost every book I could find on spell theory and Ancient Runes. I was very careful..."
"This isn't about being careful!"
Ron interrupted, his voice still trembling.
"It's unknown magic! What if it goes wrong? What if it backfires? You could blow yourself up!"
Hermione stiffened and replied righteously,
"That's why I've only been practising it in the duelling arena!"
Harry and Ron both fell silent, instantly understanding her reasoning.
"But it's still far too dangerous..." Ron insisted.
"The arena has extremely powerful protective enchantments!" Hermione retorted sharply.
At that moment, Sagres stepped out from behind the boulder, his gaze sweeping over the damaged stone with an unreadable expression.
He paused briefly at the charred fissure before turning his attention to Hermione and Ron, who had been arguing heatedly.
All three froze.
Hermione, in particular, looked stricken, a flash of panic crossing her face.
Being caught by a professor while using an unauthorised and highly destructive self-created spell was no trivial matter.
Even if, in a sense, he had been the one who had guided her down this path.
However, Sagres did not reprimand them immediately.
He slowly walked forward, once again examining the shattered rock with the detached scrutiny of a researcher.
"A highly destructive effect, Miss Granger."
His voice remained calm and emotionless.
"The manner in which the magical energy is condensed and released demonstrates remarkable creativity. It appears that your understanding of the energy conversion principles of Ancient Runes has already surpassed the level expected of NEWT students."
Hermione froze.
She had not expected to receive what was, in a sense, praise.
Her cheeks flushed faintly as she gripped her wand nervously.
"Th-thank you, Professor. I... I've done a lot of research..."
"However."
Sagres's tone shifted abruptly, becoming cold and sharp.
His gaze settled upon Hermione with almost physical weight.
"Your judgement is far inferior to your intelligence."
He gestured towards the boulder.
"Tell me, Miss Granger. If what had been standing there just now was not a rock, but a fellow student concealed by a magical artefact or a Disillusionment Charm, what would have been the consequences of your 'highly destructive' new spell?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all inhaled sharply.
Their eyes involuntarily shifted to the shattered, charred boulder, and then to the horrifying possibility of a human being standing in its place.
Ron looked even paler than before.
Sagres did not wait for Hermione to answer.
"In the duelling arena, the protective enchantments may indeed be capable of dealing with powerful spells constrained by established rules. But they are not omnipotent, especially when faced with a completely new form of magical energy that even its creator cannot fully control."
He paused briefly.
"And outside the arena?"
His voice remained quiet, yet the air around them seemed to freeze.
"What you consider to be 'safe' may simply have been good fortune."
He surveyed the three stunned young Wizards and said slowly,
"Magic is never a toy. Creating magic is an even more difficult and dangerous path. Behind every mature spell that has been passed down to this day, there may lie countless failures, risks, and even... the cost of lives. Do you understand?"
The three of them nodded quickly.
"I told you it was dangerous, especially for a student..." Ron muttered quietly.
Hermione lowered her head and said nothing.
Then Sagres's tone shifted.
"But that doesn't mean we should stop exploring for fear of the risks."
His gaze settled on Hermione once more. The severity in his eyes had faded, replaced by a measure of approval.
"Fear of the unknown is instinctive. But overcoming instinct and mastering the unknown through reason is where the true power of a Wizard lies. Your talent deserves encouragement, Miss Granger, but you must learn to match that talent with an equal sense of responsibility and control."
"A true creator of magic is not merely the source of inspiration. They must also be a manager of risk and a thinker of ethics. Before you attempt to make the light of a spell shine again, you must first ensure that it will not burn you and those around you. This is not merely a matter of skill, but of maturity."
Sagres studied Hermione's pale face, and his voice returned to its usual calm.
"Miss Granger," he continued, "for disregarding school rules and using high-risk magic on school grounds, Gryffindor will lose ten points."
Hermione's shoulders slumped, and Harry and Ron looked equally disappointed.
Losing points was never pleasant, especially under these circumstances.
"The deduction of points is necessary. However..."
His tone shifted again, causing all three of them to look up instinctively.
"...your talent should not be buried. It should be guided."
He looked directly at Hermione.
"The magic you demonstrated just now, while simple in its core structure, contains a concept of magical energy transformation that shows considerable potential. Working in isolation is not enough, especially when dealing with creations this unstable."
He paused before continuing clearly,
"If you truly wish to perfect it, rather than simply being satisfied with a dangerous display of ability, then you should seek the guidance of Professor Flitwick."
Hermione's eyes immediately brightened.
Sagres continued,
"He is a recognised authority on spell theory, precision control, and magical stability. Show him your ideas. Tell him about your experiments. Listen to his guidance with humility. Under his supervision, you may genuinely be able to turn this 'spark' into a useful tool rather than a potential disaster."
The hope and excitement returned to Hermione's face.
Receiving such advice from Professor Greengrass was, in a way, a form of recognition.
Finally, Sagres added, and there was even a trace of encouragement in his voice:
"If your research makes substantial progress under Professor Flitwick's guidance, you might even consider writing a paper. The journal Modern Spell Innovation may well be interested in a serious study conducted by a Hogwarts student."
He paused briefly.
"Believe me, compared to blowing up rocks, this approach is far more likely to ensure that future generations remember the name Hermione Granger."
Hermione was left completely speechless.
Even Harry and Ron stared at him with their mouths hanging open.
Publishing an academic paper?
For a student, such an honour was almost unimaginable.
"Now," Sagres concluded his brief lecture and guidance, "remember what I've said. Control comes before the desire to demonstrate power, and safety takes precedence over curiosity. Use your abilities for the right purposes."
He said nothing more.
Turning around, he walked away, the hem of his black robes sweeping silently across the fallen leaves.
The three remained standing where they were, staring at one another, each filled with a complicated mix of emotions.
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