Sagres's gaze swept across Harry's face, then shifted to the Headmaster as he spoke calmly:
"First, forcibly sending a wizard child back each year to a family that clearly dislikes and rejects him, calling it 'home' and demanding emotional attachment, is itself a contradiction. It becomes a continuous torment for both sides."
He paused briefly, then continued in the same measured tone. "Second, the Dursley family, as Muggles, have neither the obligation nor the capacity to bear such a responsibility. Even though I personally dislike them very much, this approach is neither fair nor humane."
Dumbledore looked at him, remaining silent for two seconds before speaking again.
"You also concern yourself with fairness and humanity? And for the sake of a few Muggles…" Dumbledore asked calmly. "I thought I understood you well enough, Sagres."
"Then you clearly do not."
Sagres shook his head. "You once said I was arrogant without realizing it. But what about you, Dumbledore? You have arranged everything for Harry, yet never asked for his wishes. As for the Dursleys' wishes…" He let out a faint laugh. "I suppose they were never considered."
"Frankly, Sagres, I did not realize you cared so much about Muggle opinions."
"I often dream of becoming a Muggle," Sagres said with a faint smile. "The dream is so vivid that it makes me wonder—if I truly were an ordinary person, facing a powerful wizard like you, what would I do?"
"Have you found your answer?" Dumbledore asked, expression unchanged.
"I have. The answer is helplessness."
Sagres replied calmly, "As that Muggle in the dream, I can only hope that you are a wizard who abides by rules, and pray that you will respect my free will."
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, a trace of emotion flickering in his blue eyes.
"Protecting Harry's safety has always been my foremost concern," he said at last. "Lily's blood protection, born of her sacrifice, can only function within the home of a blood relative. It is the only force capable of resisting and defeating Voldemort."
"Ah, yes. For the greater good." Sagres nodded. "Always such a convenient reason. For some noble goal, individual suffering and freedom become insignificant."
He stepped forward, his robes shifting softly behind him.
"But have you ever, even once, sat down and explained all of this to Harry? Or offered the Dursley family a choice, instead of leaving them with none?"
Dumbledore fell silent, and Sagres continued.
"Admittedly, Voldemort has returned, but at present he is more like a crippled stray, far from being able to act openly."
"What we need most now is not to hide Harry in a 'safe' place he despises, passively relying on protective magic, but to allow him to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Because we all understand that denying him the chance to improve his abilities and form meaningful connections is a passive and short-sighted form of protection."
Harry's heart pounded violently. Someone had finally said what he had been thinking.
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened at once. "You call it short-sighted. I call it a cornerstone. Lily's magic is unique, Sagres. We cannot risk losing it."
"Then we can consider a different approach. A more proactive form of protection."
Sagres spoke evenly. "If Mr. Potter chooses to stay at the Black residence, we can immediately cast the Fidelius Charm upon it. We all understand the reliability of this spell. We can appoint an absolutely trustworthy Secret Keeper to conceal Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. This would be a controllable, actively maintained protection, rather than passively waiting for magic to sustain itself."
"The Fidelius Charm… is indeed powerful."
Dumbledore spoke slowly. "But it is not infallible. The incident with Peter Pettigrew proves that the Secret Keeper himself is the greatest vulnerability."
"Then we choose a Secret Keeper who will not fail!"
Sirius could not hold back, hope returning to his eyes. "You can do it, Professor Dumbledore. Or Professor Greengrass!"
"This is not merely about the spell itself."
Dumbledore's tone deepened. "Lily's magic is a force Voldemort cannot understand, and therefore cannot break. It cannot be measured or replaced with logic."
"But it can be reinforced with stronger, proactive protection."
Sagres replied calmly. "To make a child return year after year to a place of pain to 'maintain' a protection he cannot even perceive is less protection, and more punishment."
"But Voldemort—"
"I believe I have already made my position clear, Headmaster," Sagres interrupted. "Defeating Voldemort has never required relying on a child."
Dumbledore moved to respond, but Sagres gave him no chance. He turned to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, if you choose to go to your godfather, then you must understand one thing."
Harry looked at him, slightly tense.
"This choice is not freedom. On the contrary, to ensure your safety, you must agree to a strict set of rules. You are not to leave Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place without permission. If you need to go to Diagon Alley or anywhere else, you must be accompanied by Sirius Black at all times. You are not to walk the Muggle streets, and even in Hogsmeade, your movements will be strictly limited. Can you accept that?"
Harry barely hesitated. "I can. As long as I don't have to go back to the Dursleys, I'll accept anything."
Sagres nodded, then did something that made Dumbledore frown slightly.
He took out a bronze Knut from his robe, its edges somewhat worn. Under the effects of Transfiguration, the coin melted and reshaped itself, turning into a ring in an instant.
"This is a one-time Portkey," he explained. "Illegal, but highly effective. Infuse it with magic, and it will bypass all Anti-Apparition wards and spatial anchors, instantly taking you to the Black residence. Treat it as a last resort, to be used only when you believe your life is in absolute danger. Understood?"
Harry looked at the cold ring, feeling that it was not merely a Portkey, but a choice, a weighty trust.
Dumbledore watched all of this without intervening.
His gaze moved between Sagres's calm, almost cold expression and Harry's resolute green eyes, before he finally let out a soft sigh.
"Then, Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice carrying both weariness and a hint of concession, "the choice is yours. You may return to Privet Drive and rely on your mother's blood protection, or go to Grimmauld Place and accept a different life, one that is freer, but also more dangerous."
Harry took a deep breath. His expression firm, he reached out and took the illegal Portkey.
"I choose Sirius."
He spoke clearly. "I choose my home."
Sagres gave a slight nod, as if approving of this decision.
Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long moment, then nodded gently.
"In that case," the Headmaster said softly, "may Merlin watch over you, Harry. This summer… take extra care."
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