Sagreles rose to his feet, sweeping his wand through the air. A huge parchment covered in ancient spells slowly unfurled before everyone.
"The situation is worsening," he said calmly. "The wizarding world is in turmoil, so you must learn some new magic to arm yourselves."
Everyone's fingers unconsciously brushed over the red-glowing spells on the parchment. "Are these all... Dark magic?"
"Correction," Sagreles said evenly. "They're highly effective survival magic prohibited by the Ministry of Magic."
He snapped his fingers, and the words on the parchment suddenly rearranged themselves into three columns:
[Support and Protection Spells]
[Mobility and Escape Spells]
[Control and Offensive Spells]
Sagreles's gaze was profound, his voice low. "I hope every member of Bronze Feather can live safely and reach a ripe old age."
Thunderbird froze at those words, a flicker of astonishment crossing his wrinkled face. Sagreles immediately understood and curled his lips into a rare smile. "Of course, Mr. Thunderbird is excluded."
"What price do we have to pay?" Robin's sharp gaze pierced through her mask as her fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the parchment.
"None!" Sagreles said firmly. "You've already proven your character through your actions. Every one of you is a thoroughly decent wizard... Of course, if I ever need help someday, I hope you'll step forward and do what you can."
Silence spread through the stone chamber. Sagreles didn't urge them, merely waited quietly.
"If no one objects, I'll take that as agreement." He tapped the tabletop with his fingers, and the parchment immediately split into eight pieces in midair, each one landing precisely before a person. "We'll gather on the night of the full moon in the middle of every month. I'll teach you everything I know. As for how much you can learn, that will depend on your own