Quirrell

When it comes to seers, Dumbledore has experienced more than most.

Just as Grindelwald prophesied the great technological advancement of Muggles early on, the very concept of "for the greater good" was proposed by Dumbledore based on that vision.

As it turned out, the philosophy Dumbledore proposed was put into practice by Grindelwald.

He ended up being the one to stop it all with his own hands.

Grindelwald's personality meant that when he prophesied, he always focused on grand narratives.

Such as the torrents of history, the development of humanity, or the awkward predicament of wizards.

He rarely used prophecy to peer into the lives of "small people."

Grindelwald was proud.

Unlike Grindelwald, the second seer Dumbledore encountered was Professor Sibyll Trelawney.

This Professor Trelawney possessed the bloodline of a seer, yet her prophecies were hit-or-miss.

What was an active skill in Grindelwald's hands became a passive one for Trelawney, and the trigger for the skill was entirely random.

Furthermore, Sibyll Trelawney's prophecies were not straightforward; they were "vague prophecies" characteristic of a true seer.

When Dumbledore interviewed her, the prophecy she uttered was:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...

The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...

Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...

Having witnessed Grindelwald's method of prophecy, Dumbledore initially felt that Sibyll Trelawney did not live up to her reputation.

Yet, this wave of unconscious prophecy made Dumbledore realize that Sibyll Trelawney possessed genuine talent.

It just wasn't under her control.

That didn't matter, though; as long as she had this prophecy, Dumbledore could ensure the Hogwarts board of governors paid to support her.

Professor Trelawney was the classic example of living off a single sentence for a lifetime.

Dumbledore had assumed Isaac's prophecies would be like Trelawney's or Grindelwald's.

But reality proved that Isaac was simply Isaac; his prophecies were like no one else's.

In truth, after learning that Isaac possessed the gift of prophecy, Dumbledore had considered asking him to foresee the current status of Tom Riddle.

However, he ultimately abandoned this tempting idea.

First, one had to consider that Voldemort had already suffered a bitter loss regarding prophecy.

He was not a magnanimous man.

A man who could curse the Defense Against the Dark Arts position he couldn't obtain might well use some form of Dark Magic to shield himself from a seer's vision.

Besides, Isaac was, in the end, just a young wizard—a young wizard who was very much like Grindelwald.

Once a person reaches a certain age, they develop their own selfish concerns; for decades, most of Dumbledore's heart had been occupied by the wizarding world.

But the remaining small portion had to have a place of its own.

He had not expected Isaac to so casually bring up the matter of finding Voldemort.

"Child, are you serious?" Dumbledore stared at Isaac, confirming one last time.

"Of course. His Death Eaters have already shown up at my doorstep; do you expect me to be on friendly terms with him?"

Isaac was well aware that, aside from magic itself being quite fairytale-like, the rest of the British wizarding world was a complete mess.

Voldemort was nothing more than a troublemaker.

It was hard to tell if his brain had been fried by Dark Magic or if he hadn't been very bright to begin with.

If Voldemort were truly allowed to return, it would benefit no one.

That's right, no one—not by the distinctions of pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born wizards.

Don't let Voldemort's banner of "pure-blood supremacy" fool you; look at the things he did...

Did those pure-blood aristocrats willingly serve as Voldemort's servants? Were they some kind of low-born scum?

"There's no time to consider all that, Professor! Voldemort has already returned!

He is hiding right here in the British wizarding world!"

"Tell me, where is he?" At that moment, Dumbledore truly showed Isaac what it meant to be the greatest wizard of the age.

The Elder Wand was held in Dumbledore's hand, and the white-bearded old professor straightened his aged frame.

His presence subconsciously forced Isaac to take a half-step back.

Although Isaac retreated, his eyes were "fanatical."

Yes, yes, that's it!

This was the aura Isaac believed the greatest wizard of the modern age should possess.

To deal with Tom, one had to have that Dumbledore-esque momentum of "I am going to drag you out and beat you to death."

Back in the day, Dumbledore never flinched when facing Voldemort at the height of his power; how could he possibly cower before a mere wisp of a soul now?

"Quirinus Quirrell, Voldemort is currently on the back of his head. This fellow took a trip to the forests of Albania and brought back the remnant soul of the Dark Lord."

"Quirinus..." Dumbledore's expression was somewhat complex.

Quirinus Quirrell was a professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, a course notorious for being a complete joke.

Although the wizarding world maintained a certain degree of separation from Muggle society, the two were not entirely disconnected.

Every year, young witches and wizards from half-blood and Muggle-born families enrolled at Hogwarts.

Those interested in Muggle society would naturally seek them out to inquire and ask questions.

Those who weren't interested simply wouldn't choose the Muggle Studies course.

Furthermore, the wizards' understanding of Muggles was lagging behind to an extraordinary degree; as Muggles developed with each passing day, wizards simply hadn't kept pace.

In other words, during his time as the professor of Muggle Studies, Quirinus Quirrell was a minor character among the Hogwarts faculty, receiving absolutely no attention.

And it made sense; had it been otherwise, Quirinus Quirrell would not have been able to secure a teaching position at Hogwarts so easily.

Last school year, Quirrell resigned to travel and study, aiming to broaden his horizons and gain practical experience.

Dumbledore had supported this, as he himself had once traveled and studied, and had even more practical experience.

Then, during this holiday, Quirrell sought the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from Dumbledore.

This position itself was notoriously difficult to fill.

Dumbledore had great prestige and knew many people, but even with so many connections, he couldn't withstand the attrition of losing a professor every single year.

Excluding those who weren't good at teaching, those who weren't skilled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and those who had already taught at the school, Dumbledore was truly struggling to find a candidate for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at that moment.

Just then, Quirrell's job application arrived.

In his letter, Dumbledore posed several questions regarding Defense Against the Dark Arts, all of which Quirrell answered perfectly.

Some of the answers even pleasantly surprised Dumbledore.

With that level of competence, even if his practical experience was a bit lacking, he was more than qualified to be a professor for the young students.

Yet, Dumbledore had not expected that Quirrell's journey of practical experience would be more "radical" than he had imagined.

Did it involve coming face-to-face with the modern-day Dark Lord, finding himself unable to win despite giving his all, and choosing to surrender?