Talent, Willpower, Love

Hermione's eyes flashed with a longing for knowledge.

"The mysterious people of the East actually have a potion that can increase your magical power without any side effects.

I've only been using it for a year, and my magical power already far exceeds that of other first-years. If..."

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

Caesar shook his head, interrupting Hermione's reverie.

"Longmu might seem to increase your magical power, but in reality, it uses magical ingredients to stimulate your body's potential and increase your affinity for magic.

It allows you to sense magic more clearly and channel more of it with greater ease."

Hermione quickly grasped the key point. "So it's basically a cheat code that speeds up learning, like those hacks in video games."

"Exactly."

Caesar nodded and continued, "If you want to become a legendary wizard on the level of Dumbledore and Grindelwald one day,

there are really only three things you can rely on: talent, willpower, and—love."

Talent, willpower, love.

Hermione's mind raced. Becoming a legendary wizard was every young witch and wizard's dream.

Hermione was no exception, especially since she was undefeated among the first-years at school and had tremendous confidence in herself.

"Caesar, how talented am I at magic?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, you'll be able to reach the level of a Hogwarts head of house like Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall."

Caesar thought very highly of Hermione. She was the "brains" of the trio: calm in a crisis, and skilled at analyzing, planning, and preparing.

From brewing Polyjuice Potion in their first year to planning the search for Horcruxes in their seventh, her meticulous plans were key to the group's success.

Even when she lacked the strength to manage something, she could use her intelligence to apply what she knew in new ways and solve the problem, such as with the magical barrier and the Basilisk's weakness.

Of course, her exceptional intelligence also meant that she wasn't especially gifted in magic. Otherwise, Harry Potter might not have had much of a part to play.

"What about my willpower?" Hermione pressed.

"You're the bravest person I've ever met."

In Caesar's eyes, courage was one of Hermione's defining traits.

In the original story, for the sake of her friends, she was willing to break school rules and stand against dark wizards. She even altered her parents' memories so they would forget her, all to keep them safe.

That took immense, heartfelt courage.

What made it even more remarkable was that her courage wasn't recklessness. Even after carefully weighing the risks, she still chose to fight for justice and friendship. That was moral courage.

"I have talent for magic. I have willpower too. So..." Hermione lifted her head. Her brown eyes, usually alight with intelligence and competitiveness, were now clouded by a rare, genuine confusion.

She fixed her gaze on Caesar, as if challenging him to explain the most elusive magical principle, and played her trump card:

"...What is love?"

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Caesar paused.

His gaze returned to Hermione's face. "Love is the most dangerous spell. It can make people lose their reason and cloud their judgment. It can bring the deepest pain.

It can make you strong enough to fear nothing, and it can also leave you so vulnerable that you're easily broken."

"I don't really understand. Is it really that dramatic?"

Hermione hadn't expected love, as Caesar described it, to be like that. It sounded so tumultuous, so overwhelming. She didn't think she'd ever felt anything like it.

"Of course it isn't really that dramatic. I heard that from Dumbledore," Caesar said with a smile and a shake of his head.

He'd never been in love, so how could he know what it was like? He'd happened to hear those words from Dumbledore while consulting him about Grindelwald.

Then, seeing Hermione's bewildered expression, Caesar explained, "Maybe you'll understand when you fall in love with someone someday.

Don't forget to tell me what it feels like. I want to know if it's really like the headmaster said."

"Mm-hmm."

Teased by Caesar, Hermione banished the strange thoughts from her mind. Her expression returned to the self-assured smile she'd worn when she first entered his office.

"But Caesar, the Quidditch tournament is tomorrow, and I'm representing Gryffindor. I'll give you the chance to buy me the latest broomstick. Then I'll let you cheer me on tomorrow!"

"When did I say I was going to cheer you on?" Caesar asked, an indulgent look on his face. Before the cute, proud girl could get upset, he reached out and ruffled her hair.

"But sure. The sun hasn't set yet, so let's go."

The next day.

The atmosphere at the Quidditch Pitch was almost explosive.

Gryffindor's scarlet and gold and Ravenclaw's blue and bronze stood in distinct blocks across the stands. The roar of the crowd rolled through the stadium like shock waves.

It was Hermione's first major match as Seeker, and her opponent was none other than Ravenclaw, the house of Professor Caesar, with whom she was so close.

On top of that, Ravenclaw's students were ready to avenge the humiliation of last month's Wisdom Cup.

The match had plenty of hype.

She rode her broom high above the ground, the wind tossing her curls as her heart pounded in her chest.

Between the spinning Quaffle and the Bludgers whizzing past, her gaze kept drifting toward the teachers' stand.

Caesar was sitting there. Amid the blue wave of supporters cheering for Ravenclaw, his dark robes looked especially still.

He'd promised to come watch. That was enough.

She silently vowed to win in front of him.

But just as the match reached a stalemate, with the Golden Snitch appearing briefly several times before vanishing again, Hermione caught sight of the teachers' stand from the corner of her eye.

That still figure rose to his feet. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and disappeared into the shadowed passageway.

For an instant, the wind high above seemed to turn bitterly cold.

He'd left? At a crucial moment in a match against his own house, when she most wanted him to see her?

A mix of disappointment, confusion, and a touch of hurt clutched at her heart. She nearly missed a Bludger that skimmed past her ear.

On the third floor of the castle, in the secluded stretch of corridor leading to the restricted area, an intense, hushed exchange was unfolding—a strange contrast to the noise of the stadium.

"You must stop your snooping, Severus!"

Professor Quirrell's voice sounded forceful, but his stammering and the constant twitching of his body betrayed his fear. "Y-you have no right..."

"I have every right to make sure Hogwarts isn't undermined by certain internal threats." Snape's voice was like a cold serpent, slick and oppressive.

His towering figure nearly swallowed Quirrell in shadow. "Your recent behavior has been highly suspicious, Quirrell. Especially since you returned from your 'holiday.'"

"That's slander!" Quirrell shrieked, pressing his back against the cold stone wall.

Snape moved closer, seeming about to use Legilimency to forcibly uncover the truth.