Chapter 194: To Bring Peace to All
"Even at Hogwarts, Miss Delacour would be among the most outstanding students," Ryan could testify. Fleur Delacour's courage, wisdom, and decisiveness were rare even within Hogwarts. Excluding the upper-year students, there was arguably no one currently at Hogwarts who could match her.
In Ryan's view, whether it was the overly generous Cedric, the brave-to-the-point-of-reckless Harry, the hyperactive Weasley twins, or Hermione who lacked innovation—all of them fell half a step short of Fleur when looked at holistically.
But Fleur also had a flaw, a fatal one: she was arrogant. She believed too strongly in her own exceptionalism.
Her Veela-hybrid beauty.
Her extraordinary talent.
The favor of her teachers and professors.
These three factors formed the foundation of Fleur's arrogance.
After all, her beauty was undeniable. Even if Hagrid were asked to choose between looking at a cosmetically enhanced, nose-less Voldemort or Fleur for a whole day, he would undoubtedly choose Fleur without a second glance at the Dark Lord.
"It is an honor to meet you, Miss Delacour. I am Quirinus Quirrell, from Ravenclaw House."
"An honor to meet you, Professor Quirrell."
Sensing that the Headmistress had no intention of dismissing her, Fleur greeted him gracefully and stood aside.
"Let's get back to business," Maxime said. "Ryan, is there something I can help you and Mr. Quirrell with?"
Ryan recalled his conversation with Quirrell at Ollivanders.
Quirrell had started it. Taking the iron rod from Ollivander, he had said, "Once the Squibs have these Magi-Alloy wands, how they cast spells will be a problem..."
"In the end, the Magi-Alloy wand just uses a greater external force—pre-inscribed magical circuits and an attached power source—along with stronger confidence to help Squibs with dormant cores release magic. But they still need to learn," Ryan had agreed.
"I understand."
"Senior Quirrell's decision... exceeds my expectations, yet makes perfect sense."
"Because we are Ravenclaws. We don't worry about causing trouble or disasters; we only worry about being unable to fix them, unable to control them."
Holding the wand, Quirrell seemed revitalized. He had gained the power to amend his mistakes. He couldn't turn back time, but he could pay for his past actions in other ways.
So now, he stepped forward. "Honorable Madame Maxime, I have come hoping to obtain a teaching position at the Magi-Metal Wizard Academy."
"But aren't you a professor at Hogwarts?" Maxime hadn't expected a Hogwarts professor to come all this way for this.
Seeing Quirrell about to tell the unvarnished truth, Ryan stepped in. "It's like this, Madame Maxime. You should know that we captured Voldemort last term. Senior Quirrell paid a heavy price in the process, and as a result, he is severely injured... he has lost the ability to cast most magic."
Maxime's expression turned solemn with respect. "Your greatness is moving. It will be an honor for the Magi-Metal Wizards to receive your instruction."
Quirrell felt a pang of melancholy. He had been wondering how "his people" would spin the story, and now he was certain: Ryan was protective to a fault.
But after Ryan's interruption, the frankness born of self-abandonment faded, and he tacitly accepted the explanation.
"Let us go to the Magi-Metal Wizard Academy now. I will announce this good news to them," Maxime said decisively. She grabbed her wand and handbag, took a pinch of Floo Powder, and threw it into the fireplace.
As the green flames rose, the path to the academy opened. They stepped through the fire and emerged from another fireplace.
"Here is our Magi-Metal Wizard Academy," Maxime explained. "Following Professor Ryan's suggestion, since most Magi-Metal Wizards are adults with their own lives and jobs and may not have time during the day, this academy operates as a night school."
"The academy is located right next to Beauxbatons. Calling it an 'academy' is a bit grand; it's really just a five-story building. The faculty offices and the Headmaster's office are on the fifth floor. Floors two through four are classrooms. The first floor is a grand hall and a large meeting room."
"Only indoor classrooms?" Quirrell asked.
"Because our focus is on teaching common knowledge and techniques that don't involve spellcasting, like Herbology, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures. There are actually very few spellcasting classes. So, Professor Quirrell, what do you plan to teach?"
"Before becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, I was the Muggle Studies professor..." Quirrell thought for a moment, then rejected the idea. "But eight out of ten students here come from the Muggle world. My experience won't be of much use. I can only explore the fusion of wizarding and Muggle technology with them. As for other subjects, I can teach a bit of everything. After all, I am a Ravenclaw."
A Ravenclaw... then it's no surprise. Maxime knew that of the four Hogwarts houses, Ravenclaw produced the most academic achievers. Their consistently excellent grades were enough to qualify them to teach any subject to Magi-Metal Wizards.
"In that case, I invite you to serve as the permanent Vice-Headmaster of the Magi-Metal Academy, responsible for Muggle Studies, History of Magic, and Herbology. Is that acceptable?"
"It would be my honor, Headmistress."
"They are currently in class downstairs," Maxime said. "I will arrange a temporary assembly in the first-floor hall. You will need to introduce yourself to the students."
Quirrell followed Madame Maxime to the large meeting room on the first floor, which could accommodate the entire current student body.
Fleur suddenly spoke up. "This Professor Quirrell... he isn't the fearless sacrifice you described, is he?"
Ryan looked deep into Fleur's azure eyes, like gazing into a boundless, clear ocean. "Your intelligence complements your beauty perfectly. You are a rare gem of Beauxbatons."
"That you defend him means you acknowledge him, which implies he did contribute to capturing Voldemort, but perhaps... his role wasn't effective..."
Fleur mused to herself, "Or perhaps it's because... this professor..."
"Miss Delacour."
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Fleur said, tossing her silvery-blonde hair. She tilted her head and smiled, her voice taking on a husky, alluring quality. "One question. Whether it's this professor or the Squibs, you don't seem obligated to care for them, yet you do. Why?"
"If it were before, I would tell you it's because I enjoy the look of admiration in others' eyes."
The corners of Ryan's mouth turned up unconsciously, his eyes crinkling. He did indeed enjoy that feeling now, but beyond that, he remembered the teachings of his mentors.
Whether it was Dumbledore hoping everyone would be his friend, or Nicolas Flamel wishing for him to love the world and make the world love one another.
Unknowingly, he could truly say: the eleven magical schools and all the Ministries of Magic would rest on his shoulders.
"And what is your answer now?" Fleur asked with a smile. The first answer pleased her; it made the boy-professor seem human, possessed of mortal joys and sorrows, grounded in reality.
He wasn't like before, always standing on a podium, seemingly high in the clouds, unreachable.
Unreachable is never a good word, Fleur thought.
The spirit of youth, heroic bearing, powerful magic, and the deep trust of his elders—achieving such status and career success while still a student.
For a girl of appropriate age, this was basically "+99 Charm."
She naturally saw nothing wrong with her thoughts. There were plenty of students at Beauxbatons who felt the same way; the line would stretch from here to the Louvre.
"Now..." Unaware of her thoughts, Ryan paused, deliberately adjusting his posture to stand with his hands behind his back, facing the window and turning away from Fleur.
"I come to this earth not to bring the sword, but to bring peace to all beings."
~~~
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