In the magical world, being a Squib is universally recognized as an incurable condition.
The so-called "Squib training courses" advertised in various tabloids are essentially scams designed to swindle money.
So when Rhys said it was possible to cure this condition, the impact on the two people was profound.
Given Rhys' long-standing reputation, the two believed he wasn't just making baseless claims but genuinely had a way to treat it.
"So, if you..." Astoria trailed off, implying that if Rhys taught Filch how to control magic flow, wouldn't he regain his magical abilities?
If Filch could shed his identity as a Squib, wouldn't he become more amicable and less harsh on students?
And after experiencing a new lease on life, shouldn't he channel his energy into delving deeper into the study of magic?
Rhys and Daphne glanced at Astoria in unison, and then Rhys looked at Daphne again, sensing the gap between the two sisters.
Astoria had clearly been well-protected by her sister and father!
"Yes," Rhys said after thinking it over, answering decisively, "but I don't have that much energy. I can only teach two students at a time. You and Daphne can discuss it and decide who won't come to my lessons anymore."
"..."
Astoria immediately closed her mouth.
She didn't mind lending Filch a hand, as long as it didn't come at the expense of her own interests.
But if it meant giving up her place in Rhys' lessons, she would definitely stand aside and do nothing.
What Rhys didn't tell the Greengrass sisters was that even if Filch regained his ability to perform magic, his potential would remain capped. No matter how hard he worked, he would only ever be a mediocre wizard at best. The inherent flaws of being a Squib were not something that could be remedied through teaching methods.
"Even if I could restore his casting ability with a mere wave of my hand, I wouldn't do it," Rhys said seriously.
Rhys didn't trust the mental state of Squibs.
Years of repression might have gradually warped their psyche, even turning them into deranged individuals.
If they suddenly gained the ability to perform magic, their behavior could become highly unpredictable. Such people could cause unimaginable destruction to the magical world.
In Rhys' opinion, hiring Squibs as caretakers was already a mistake.
But, as he always said, Dumbledore was the current headmaster, and he was willing to respect Dumbledore's decisions.
If he, as one of the founders, had to micromanage every detail, Hogwarts would truly be doomed.
Rhys wasn't particularly afraid of future generations making mistakes—what he feared was an unwillingness to act at all. Of course, he also hoped they wouldn't create disasters too big to clean up; there were some things even he couldn't fix.
"Yes, Squibs are very dangerous, Astoria. Don't develop any strange sense of sympathy for them," Daphne warned her sister.
"Phew…" Rhys leaned against the railing, extending his hand out of the window to let the raindrops fall into his palm.
"People and raindrops are no different, really. Look—raindrops fall from the same cloud, yet some land in the Black Lake, merging with trillions of others; some land on the roof, roll off, and are absorbed by the walls halfway down; others fall onto the grass, becoming muddy and filthy, part of the dirt... And then, a lucky few are caught by me, resting in the palm of my hand."
Rhys pulled his hand back inside, the raindrops in his palm merging into a single bead of water.
It slowly rose into the air, morphing into various shapes under his control as it floated weightlessly.
"You see, though all are merely raindrops, their fates diverge entirely under the whims of destiny," Rhys remarked.
The sphere of water above his palm transformed into a glistening block of ice, then morphed into a snake flicking its tongue.
With a wave of his hand, the ice snake shattered into thousands of fragments, vanishing swiftly into the air.
"But there are always those who can determine the fate of others, just as you determine the fate of these raindrops," Daphne responded with a smile.
To her, she was the luckiest of raindrops—perhaps destined so from birth. And in the future, she believed she was bound to become one of those who decided the fates of other "raindrops."
"It's not something determined at birth," Rhys said softly, as though he had read her mind.
"Some raindrops, even if they fall into muddy ground, can still make themselves stand out through their own efforts—" Rhys extended his hand and "caught" a few droplets from the courtyard of the castle not far away.
"Very clever magic. Coming near Hogwarts, projecting your magical power into the clouds, forming small clusters of magical 'convergences,' and then letting them drift naturally. When the rain falls, the droplets carrying your magic land in the castle unnoticed. Ingenious! Creative!"
Rhys praised as he observed the raindrops in his hand, wriggling as though they were alive. He was genuinely impressed by the invader's ingenuity.
This method required exceptionally fine control over magic and acute sensory abilities.
Thus, either the infiltrator resonated with something within the castle, or their individual magical prowess was extraordinary. Considering the way they had infiltrated the school, Rhys leaned toward the former.
'Is it a relic from the same god?'
If the relics originated from the same deity, it was perfectly normal for there to be resonance between them.
Rhys decided to lend this little "guest" a hand and artificially accelerate the process.
Under Rhys' influence, the rain outside suddenly intensified, and the magic-infused droplets began falling around Hogwarts Castle at a faster rate.
The droplets Rhys had collected earlier merged together, creating an attraction that drew other droplets toward them.
Rhys cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, Daphne, and Astoria, then stepped aside to observe as the crystalline form in front of them grew larger and gradually took on the appearance of an eye.
Once the eye was fully formed, it began spinning, and a few tiny tendrils sprouted from its underside.
"Eww…"
"Ugh."
Daphne and Astoria both made faces of utter disgust simultaneously.
At this point, Rhys was certain that the infiltrator was a spy from the Secret Order, using the power of a divine relic to observe Hogwarts. The "eye" before him carried a familiar aura, strikingly similar to the relic associated with Sagittarius that had previously surfaced.
"Alright, let me show you a little trick," Rhys said, deciding to impress Daphne and Astoria with a demonstration.
"This intruder used a specific method to send one of their eyes into Hogwarts. It's an excellent tool for reconnaissance but also exposes their vulnerability. It's practically a perfect conduit for counterattacks." As he spoke, Rhys retrieved his wand, revealed himself, and pressed the tip of the wand against the floating eye.
As soon as the wand touched the surface of the eye, bulging bubbles appeared, as though the liquid inside was boiling.
Rhys applied a little pressure, and with a soft pop, the eye burst into fragments.
At the same moment, in a dark corner of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade, a wizard wrapped tightly in a cloak let out a scream of agony.
This wizard had only one eye, the other socket an empty black void.
Blood gushed like a fountain from the hollow cavity where the missing eye had been.
Within moments, the wizard collapsed to the ground, motionless, save for the occasional twitching of their hands and feet.
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