Originally, Caesar felt time was extremely tight. An ordinary person might take several years to complete the entire syllabus for the History of Magic course.
Unexpectedly, he finished it in less than forty days.
Regarding this result, Caesar felt both joy and sorrow.
The joy was that the Genius Scholar talent was truly extraordinary; it essentially allowed him to retain anything he read after a single glance. He had indeed found some viable methods for dealing with a Legendary Wizard.
The sorrow was that these viable methods were not found in the history books in his office. Those concerning the most vicious curses in the world were only briefly mentioned in historical records. He needed to check the library, or even places outside the school, to see if there were any traces of these Forbidden Curses.
[Soon, you discovered the second convenience of your teacher status: you could directly borrow any book from the library without needing student approval. However, as time passed, you noticed the gazes from your colleagues gradually becoming peculiar.]
[After a few days of observation, you realized the problem—while teachers had the freedom to borrow books, it was not without constraints. Hogwarts had a system of mutual oversight among colleagues, and your extensive borrowing of books unrelated to History of Magic had already raised the vigilance of certain Professors.]
[You immediately adjusted your strategy, deliberately mentioning in daily conversations that you were researching the history of the Dark Arts during Grindelwald's era, and specifically pairing related historical documents when borrowing books, making the entire research plan appear academically sound.]
[This method quickly proved effective. At Hogwarts, as long as a Professor could provide a reasonable explanation for their actions, colleagues were mostly willing to trust their professional integrity.]
[Your anxious heart slowly settled, and you continued immersing yourself in the study of forbidden magic. Time slipped by quietly, and your understanding of various magics grew increasingly profound. If anyone still regarded you as an ordinary teacher at this point, they would surely pay a heavy price.]
[Late one night, as you were lost in your books and forgot the time, Dumbledore arrived unexpectedly. Clearly, your in-depth study of Grindelwald had caught his attention.]
"Headmaster Dumbledore!"
Caesar's gaze instantly shifted from the book to Dumbledore.
This legendary figure of the wizarding world stood at the door of his office, his blue eyes behind half-moon glasses gleaming with an all-seeing light.
Faint traces of magical fluctuations still lingered in the air.
"I hope I'm not disturbing your valuable reading time, Professor Caesar."
Dumbledore's voice was gentle as he slowly approached, his long silver beard nearly brushing against the hefty tomes on the shelves about ancient Dark Arts and modern European magical history.
His gaze swept over the several notes spread open on Caesar's desk, clearly inscribed with:
"Gellert Grindelwald,"
"Research on the Evolution of the Deathly Hallows Symbol,"
"Architectural Blueprints and Magical Defenses of Early Nurmengard."
"Of course not, Headmaster. Visiting so late at night — has some urgent matter arisen at Hogwarts?"
Caesar closed the book, subtly shifting his body sideways to block several more private research manuscripts concerning the Blood Pact and Obscurials.
A perfectly measured expression of surprise and respect rested on his face, but his mind was racing, assessing the true purpose of Dumbledore's visit.
Dumbledore did not answer immediately. He extended a slender finger and lightly brushed it over the cover of an open ancient tome.
It happened to bear a magical photograph silhouette of Grindelwald giving a speech in his youth.
"I merely recalled that I've recently noticed you've devoted considerable research enthusiasm to a… rather sensitive historical period."
"You mean Gellert Grindelwald, Headmaster."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Caesar noticed that when Dumbledore's usually composed gaze fell upon that photographic silhouette, a flicker of flame appeared deep within his azure pupils.
That flicker didn't feel like anger, but rather an extremely complex, unconsciously revealed emotion.
Yet in the blink of an eye, it vanished completely.
This was a formidable man.
Regardless of how the outside world evaluated this Legendary Wizard, this was Caesar's first impression.
In his view, formidable people in this world were of two kinds.
One kind was ruthless toward others, like Grindelwald.
The other kind was ruthless toward themselves.
Dumbledore was the latter.
To destroy Hogwarts, one could not bypass this Legendary Wizard.
Dumbledore's gaze returned to Caesar's face, his tone gentle yet carrying undeniable penetrating force.
"Gellert Grindelwald. A name full of talent and tragedy."
"I am curious — what has attracted a young and promising Professor of History of Magic to develop such a strong interest in such a dangerous historical figure?"
Invisible threads seemed to tighten in the air.
Dumbledore's question appeared casual, yet it precisely targeted the core of Caesar's recent research.
Caesar could sense that this was not a casual inquiry, but a gentle — yet extremely serious — probing.
Meeting those soul-piercing blue eyes, he smiled slightly.
Instead of answering directly, he asked,
"Headmaster, what do you believe is the meaning of history?"
A faint flicker passed behind Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles. He brought the tips of his fingers together, as if carefully weighing his words.
"History."
He spoke slowly, his voice husky and full of wisdom, like ancient parchment.
"For most people, history has no relation to their lives. But for me, history allows us to see clearly where we came from — and avoid repeating past mistakes."
"I completely agree with that view."
Caesar paused, deliberately infusing his words with the tone of academic discussion.
"Just as you often say, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Learning from history is also the guiding principle of my lifelong research."
"Headmaster, isn't the very meaning of history that it illuminates the present and the future?"
"Grindelwald's rise was no accident — his ideology, his power, his mastery over people's hearts."
"Understanding him might help us confront a similar shadow that our present era may face."
"A shadow…"
Dumbledore listened quietly, his fingers gently tapping on the desk, producing soft rhythmic clicks.
The room was so quiet one could hear the crackling of the flames in the fireplace.
After a long while, he smiled as well — but deep within that smile lay a trace of barely perceptible gravity and reminiscence.
This was an emotion completely different from when Grindelwald was mentioned.
It represented another Dark wizard.
Tom Riddle.
"A very profound insight, Professor Caesar."
Dumbledore nodded slightly and said softly,
"However, some flames, while attempting to illuminate the path ahead, can easily burn the one holding the lamp. Studying history is fine — but please be sure to maintain a distance."
With that, just as he had arrived, he gave Caesar a nod, turned, and slowly departed.
The hem of his long robe glided soundlessly across the floor.