Sagres wasted no time. The moment his thoughts settled, he Apparated back to Hogwarts.
His mind was filled with suspicions, and there were far too many potential suspects: Karkaroff's unusual behaviour, the oddities surrounding Snape's storeroom, Moody's overly "timely" appearances, the enthusiastic Ludo Bagman, as well as the Headmasters and students from the other schools who had come to Hogwarts...
He could not investigate them one by one. What he needed now was undeniable evidence, something capable of seeing through every disguise and revealing the truth.
He thought of Harry's Marauder's Map, which Moody had confiscated.
Without hesitation, Sagres headed straight for the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office, only to find the door firmly shut. Moody was clearly not there, perhaps because he had gone to teach a class.
Sagres considered for a moment before heading toward the main corridor leading to the staff common room. Along the way, he encountered Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Astoria Greengrass walking toward him.
The three girls were chatting excitedly as they made their way toward the duelling platform.
"Good afternoon, Professor Greengrass!" The sharp-eyed Ginny was the first to notice Sagres. She quickly stopped and greeted him respectfully.
Luna looked at Sagres curiously with her large, slightly dreamy eyes. "Good afternoon, Professor."
Astoria also gave him a sweet, proper smile and inclined her head gracefully. "Good afternoon, Professor."
"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley. And to both of you as well." Sagres nodded slightly before asking casually, "Are you heading to the duelling platform?"
"Yes, Professor," Astoria explained with a smile. "We heard Professor Moody is holding a practical lesson for the older students on the platform this afternoon. It's supposed to be very... well, intense. A lot of people have gone to watch, and we didn't want to miss it either."
"A practical lesson?"
Something stirred in Sagres's mind, but he replied calmly, "It certainly sounds worth seeing. I happen to be heading there myself."
He motioned for them to follow.
"Come with me."
The three girls naturally had no objections. Their chatter quieted as they exchanged glances and obediently followed behind Sagres toward the floating platform.
As they crossed the vine-woven suspension bridge, Moody's hoarse voice and the sounds of students practising defensive spells could already be heard in the distance.
By the time they arrived, the stands surrounding the platform were already crowded with students. There were not only students from the various Hogwarts houses, but also figures dressed in Durmstrang fur cloaks, Beauxbatons silk robes, and the distinctive uniforms of several other schools.
Everyone's attention was focused on the centre of the platform.
Moody stood there, his scarred face stern and focused.
His magical eye spun wildly in its socket, sweeping over every student present, while his normal eye remained fixed on a nearby Hufflepuff boy who was so nervous that his arms and legs seemed barely coordinated.
Sagres did not interrupt the lesson. He stood quietly at the edge of the platform and watched Moody limp among the students, sharply correcting their spellcasting movements and stances one by one.
His teaching style was rough and direct, but undeniably effective.
"Vigilance! Constant vigilance!"
Moody's voice was rough and loud, amplified by magic so that it carried clearly to every corner of the platform.
"Your enemy won't wait for you to finish casting your spell! Dark wizards won't bother with duelling etiquette!"
He suddenly flicked his wand, sending a non-lethal but extremely fast spell toward the Hufflepuff boy.
The boy hurriedly tried to dodge. His movements were clumsy, and in the end, he failed to avoid it. The spell struck him, sending him stumbling backward several steps before he landed hard on his backside.
"See that?!"
Moody growled, his wooden leg thudding against the platform as he stepped forward.
"Your reactions are too slow! In a real fight, you'd already have been hit and left at your opponent's mercy! Keep a firm grip on your wand! Keep your feet moving! Don't just stand there like a log!"
He criticised the boy mercilessly before turning to the others.
"I'll say it again! Defence Against the Dark Arts isn't for show! It's a survival skill! It's what gets you home alive when you're facing true darkness!"
Next, he demonstrated a rather unusual offensive spell, his technique seasoned and his angle tricky enough to draw gasps of admiration from many of the students in the stands.
It was not until the bell rang to signal the end of class that Sagres slowly approached.
"Professor Moody," Sagres greeted calmly.
Moody turned, his normal eye settling on Sagres while his magical eye continued to scan the surroundings warily.
"Sagres," he grunted in response. "Something wrong?"
His wooden leg made a dull thump against the platform.
"Yes. A small matter."
Sagres got straight to the point.
"I remember you previously confiscated a map from Potter, one that can show the location of everyone in the castle."
Moody's normal eye narrowed, his gaze sharpening, but he did not deny it.
"Yes. The Marauder's Map. I've got it. Why?"
"I need to borrow it for a while," Sagres explained calmly. "There are a few things I need to verify. The map may be able to provide some useful information."
Moody stared at Sagres for several seconds. Little emotion showed on his weathered face, but his magical eye stopped spinning, as though he were rapidly considering the request.
Finally, he nodded.
"All right. That thing does have its uses. I can fetch it from my office now."
Sagres gave a slight nod.
"Thank you."
Moody immediately added, "But I should warn you, that map still belongs to Potter. I may be holding onto it for the time being, but it's still his property. If you want to borrow it, you'd better ask the boy first."
It was a reasonable request.
Sagres nodded.
"Of course."
Moody grunted in acknowledgement, then swept his magical eye across the dispersing crowd. It immediately locked onto Harry Potter, who was about to leave with Ron and Hermione.
"Potter!"
Moody's hoarse voice carried an unmistakable command.
"Come here!"
Harry froze for a moment, clearly confused. When he noticed Professor Greengrass standing beside Moody, his heart gave an uneasy thump.
He exchanged a nervous glance with Ron and Hermione before quickly walking over.
"Professor Moody? Professor Greengrass?" Harry greeted hesitantly.
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