Organizing Practical Combat
Skylar gave a wry smile and said, "I would like to rest, but after reviewing last night's events and analyzing the current situation this morning, I can't calm down. It's not that I don't want to rest..." He shook his head helplessly and said, "Time waits for no one..."
"Let's not talk about that," Skylar, looking at Daphne and Sarf with interest. "Let's talk about you two. What happened? Why did you two suddenly start fighting?"
Daphne opened her cherry-like mouth, unsure of where to begin.
Instead, Sarf spoke first, calmly saying, "Skylar (she couldn't address him as 'master' in front of outsiders), as you instructed, we've been diligently training the members of the Dragon Head Organization, including sparring sessions between members. However, I believe this closed training isn't achieving the results you hoped for, so Miss Greengrass and I have a disagreement..."
"Hmm, what you said makes sense," Skylar nodded slightly, "So what's your suggestion?"
"I suggested taking the members to the Forbidden Forest for live-fire exercises, but Daphne disagreed," Sarf said, pursing her lips and glancing in Daphne's direction.
"Skylar, the Forbidden Forest is far too dangerous for them—" Daphne explained quickly, "Although I know you have Silver Fang as backup in the Forbidden Forest, and other arrangements, the unknown threats within the Forbidden Forest are too numerous. If anything happens, the safety of the members cannot be guaranteed, and there is even a possibility that the organization's existence will be exposed."
"I think..." Daphne said carefully, "Actually, we don't need to take such a risk, especially during Hogwarts school days... Hogwarts Castle and the Forbidden Forest are full of Headmaster Dumbledore. I dare say he's not completely ignorant about the Sleeping Dragon Society; at most, he thinks I'm building connections and influence for you, and is secretly monitoring my every move—"
"Practical experience is indeed important, and I wholeheartedly agree with what Sarf said, but—" Daphne paused before looking at Skylar and saying, "But such a large-scale personnel movement cannot be kept secret from Dumbledore —I think, Skylar, you don't want Headmaster Dumbledore to discover the existence of the Sleeping Dragon Society, do you?"
Skylar nodded, gently closed his eyes, and quietly pondered the two girls' arguments.
Daphne's concerns were not unfounded. Although she was the leader of the Sleeping Dragon Society, she was merely a figurehead. The entire Sleeping Dragon Society's development from its inception to its current state was inseparable from Daphne's wholehearted and tireless efforts. She had spent countless hours and energy to accomplish this, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she had poured her heart and soul into it.
For Daphne, the rise and fall, stability, secrecy, and safety of the members of the Sleeping Dragon Society were her primary concerns. The Sleeping Dragon Society was only just beginning to take shape and was in its early stages; if Dumbledore discovered it, the consequences would be unpredictable, and she did not want to take that risk.
However, this is absolutely not acceptable if young wizards lack practical combat experience.
Skylar was well aware of how turbulent and disorderly the entire Britain wizarding world would be in the coming years, and how young wizards would inevitably face real battles.
At that point, even a slightly delayed reaction or a minor misjudgment could have fatal consequences.
In contrast, Sarf, though she had taken human form, could not escape the cold-blooded nature of a snake. To her, all humans except Skylar were merely tools, and everything served Skylar's ultimate purpose.
Therefore, her primary consideration is the combat capabilities of the members. There's no need to consider the junior wizards who can't be of assistance.
After pondering the matter for a while, Skylar opened his eyes and said to Daphne, "Yes, you're right. It's not advisable for the Sleeping Dragon Society to appear in public right now. Do you have any good ideas?"
Daphne shook her head slightly and said, "I don't have any good ideas either. Maybe this plan should be put on hold—there are only a few days until the holidays. We can wait until the school holidays to meet up outside— the Nogtail Hunting Forest in Norfolk, or even Silver Spear's Trial at Diagon Alley, would be good choices..."
Skylar first nodded, then shook his head.
"My schedule is already packed this holiday, so I can't participate in any of the Sleeping Dragon Society's activities. And my enemies have been exposed. Although they won't appear openly in front of the public, we still can't underestimate their potential danger," Skylar said solemnly. With his own strength, he was not afraid of Voldemort and Morgan, especially since they needed to lie low and accumulate strength.
However, the thought of them assassinating or kidnapping Daphne and Astoria sent chills down Skylar's spine.
That said, even though the development of this dimensional world has deviated from the trajectory of the original world, Voldemort and Morgan are unlikely to launch a war in the near future.
They simply do not have the power to confront the global magical regimes.
Their optimal solution would be to first dismantle and manipulate the Ministry of Magic from within, just like in the original story, and then, once the time was right and they had successfully taken control of the Britain Ministry of Magic, reveal their power to the world.
Therefore, Skylar doesn't need the members of the Sleeping Dragon Society to undergo brutal combat trials right now; they still have time.
Let's boldly assume that the war Qidian with the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the death of Dumbledore in the original story. That would be at least two years from now.
"Let's put this matter aside for now—" Skylar said softly, looking at Daphne. "I've always known how much effort you've put into the Sleeping Dragon Society..."
"I think," Skylar said, first looking up at Sarf, then sweeping his gaze across all the young wizards in the room, "that practical trials are still too early at this stage—"
"We still have plenty of time—" Skylar smiled slightly, "According to the intelligence I've received, next year our Defense Against the Dark Arts will be purely theoretical—"
"Ah!" Many young wizards exclaimed in surprise. The semester wasn't even over yet, how did Skylar know the content of next year's Defense Against the Dark Arts so quickly? Of course, Skylar's reputation was undeniable; within the Sleeping Dragon Society, he was a god in everyone's eyes, and no one would question his judgment.
"Yes," Skylar said confidently, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Ministry of Magic will intervene in Hogwarts' teaching, and Dumbledore may not be able to stay at Hogwarts for long. That will be the best opportunity for us to conduct practical trials. Now—"
"Practical experience is certainly important," Skylar said in a deep voice, his eyes gleaming, "But what's most important for us at this stage is accumulating strength—I want each and every one of you to master at least 20 kinds of combat magic, and you must be able to cast them proficiently—I'm talking about the skill of casting spells quickly in a very short time, and the magical effects and accuracy must reach the highest standards!"
"Daphne!"
"I'm here!" Daphne stepped forward and replied.
"You are responsible for teaching each young wizard my spellcasting techniques according to their individual characteristics—remember, don't teach them everything in a haphazard way; teach them according to their individual strengths, such as whether they are skilled or fast-paced—"
"Clear!"
"Sarf!"
"I'm here!" Sarf replied in a coquettish voice.
"You'll be responsible for dividing them into groups of 3-4 people and helping them select the combat magic they need to master— Stunning Spell, Shield Charm, Fire-Making Spell, etc., are just the basics. I need them to be able to master at least some higher-level spells, such as Sonic Boom Charm and Flash Charm, is that alright?"
"Leave it to me!" Sarf glanced at Daphne. "I'll do a better job than anyone else."
Daphne glared back defiantly, and the air between their eyes seemed to crackle with an invisible electric current.
"Ahem..." Skylar coughed lightly, slightly embarrassed. He already understood— Daphne probably already guessed what had happened to Sarf, but she was just concerned about her image and didn't make things difficult for her publicly.
Thinking about this, Skylar felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed it was time for him to think of a way to make the girls happy.
Sigh, outstanding boys always have a lot of troubles— Skylar thought with a slightly smug grin.