Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk in the headmaster's office, half-moon gsses perched on his nose. A part rested in his hands, and as he read, a knowing gleam sparkled in his blue eyes.

  He sat upright, dressed in a purple robe over a crisp white shirt and gray vest, exuding both authority and ease. His ly bed hair, streaked with silver, added to his quiet fidence.

  Though he appeared to be in the prime of his life, there th in his gaze that made him seem far older, wiser—someone who had seen more than his appeara on.

  The sun had been up for a while, and this was usually wheook some time fht reading before joining his staff and students for breakfast. But today, he had a feeling his usual routine would be different.

  He set the part down and looked toward the door, as if expeg someone. Moments ter, the door opened, and in walked his trusted deputy, Minerva Magall, followed by a young man he didn't reize.

  Dumbledore's curiosity piqued as his magical senses, always sharp, noticed something odd... nothing. The boy had almost no magical presence. His first thought was that this young man might not be a wizard at all. Then, he remembered a versation with Magall from two years ago. He gave a small nod, silently agreeing with what she had said.

  He watched the boy walk in, his posture calm but alert. Every step was measured and deliberate. At first gnce, he seemed like any other young man, but Dumbledore could tell—this boy, though unassuming, was far from ordinary.

  Setting his curiosity aside for the moment, he smiled warmly at both of them. "Minerva," he said in his rich, weling tone. "And you must be Mr Caesar."

  Rising from his chair, he gestured to the seats across from his desk. "Please, take a seat."

  Magall gave a polite nod and sat down first, and Maverick followed with quiet fidence.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Speaker Dumbledore," the boy greeted him politely before settling into the chair.

  Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Professor Dumbledore is fine, young man. Or Headmaster, if you prefer."

  "We had a brief chat before ing, but I thought it best to include you as well…" Magall added, casting a g her mentor.

  A fortable siletled over the room as they all rexed into their seats.

  "Well," Dumbledore o Magall, then turned his attention to Maverick. "I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time, Mr. Caesar. But before we get into it, how about some tea? Or have you had breakfast yet?"

  "Thank you, Professor, but I've already had breakfast and shared some tea with Professonagall earlier."

  Dumbledore smiled gently and nodded. "Very well, the's get to the matter at hand." He reached into a drawer, retrieved a book, and pced it carefully on the desk. "I uand you wish to teach Muggle sce here at Hogwarts."

  Maverick subtly observed the famous wizard as he spoke. This was no frail old man—nothing like the typical wise wizard andalf figure.

  To the average person, Dumbledore would appear to be nothing more than warm, friendly, and effortlessly charming.

  But to Maverick, the ess was almost too perfect, as if it had been honed over years of practice.

  That was his clusion, formed from his keen observations and his familiarity with the character of Albus Dumbledore from the stories he had read in his previous life.

  There were no other subtle tells, no shifts in expression to analyze. His non-magical espionage skills were almost entirely useless against this quiet, trolled presence.

  Pushing the thoughts aside, he maintained his steady fidend replied, "Yes, Professor. I believe it's necessary for the British magical unity to learn more about Muggle sce."

  Dumbledore's expression remained calm and measured, much like someone assessing a aff member, as he listeo Maverick's answer. In truth, it wasn't far off.

  He leaned ba his chair, taking a moment before speaking with a thoughtful tone.

  "I've had a look at your work. It's impressive," he said. "The researd attention to detail really stand out. It's clear you've put a lot of thought into putting it all together."

  He gnced briefly at Magall before turning baaverick. "We've talked about this already," he said, "ah agree that the course materials are well-rounded."

  Maverick could tell there was a "but" ing, but he didn't interject, allowing the wise wizard to finish first.

  "But before we go any further, I would be most curious to hear your thoughts. Why do you believe it is so important for British witches and wizards to take your course, especially when we already have something quite simir in pce?"

  Maverick gathered his thoughts at Dumbledore's question. He decided to be blunt ahe old man's gaze. "The subject you're referring to... is it Muggle Studies?"

  When the headmaster gave a small nod, he tinued.

  "Professor, I've reviewed Muggle Studies materials from several schools, and holy, the Hogwarts curriculum... no offense, but it feels outdated—almost ughably so."

  He paused, watg for aion, but her Dumbledore nonagall refuted his cim. Their expressions remained ral, and the older wizard even chuckled lightly.

  Maverick saw the amused curiosity in the old wizard's gaze before he asked, "That still doesn't expin why it's necessary to teach Muggle sce to wizarding children."

  "Don't get us wrong, Mr. Caesar," Magall chimed in. "rove of your book. In fact, it's a well-anized course. We're simply curious—why do you think it's important for it to be taught?"

  Maverick gave Magall a side gnce before nodding and decided to go all out. He had prepared for this moment long ago and had the words ready.

  "Professors," he began, his gaze moving from Magall and fixing on Dumbledore. "I've visited every er of the world, magical and non-magical. It surprises me that this try, whose magical history is so rich, is now one of the most, if not the most, backward developing magical unities in the world."

  Both Dumbledore and Magall raised a brow at his blunt statement but chose not to interrupt. Maverick took their silence as tacit agreement and tinued.

  "Muggle teology... it 't be ighe way the British wizarding unity is doing now," he said firmly. "It's advang so rapidly that soon—I have no doubt—it will reach a point where it will seem indistinguishable from magic itself."

  This time, Magall couldn't help but interject. "Surely, that's a rhetorical statement, isn't it?" she asked, her gaze curious as she looked at him.

  Maverick turned his head, meeting her gaze directly. "I'm afraid not, Professor. Sinewton aein, Muggle teology has advanced expoially... frighteningly fast, even. unicatioertai, reaissance, energy, onry... every field has evolved at an incredible pad tio do so every day."

  He g Dumbledore, but the old wizard offered no obje, only a slight gesture with his hand to ence him to tinue.

  "Do you know Stark, Professor?"

  "I do," Dumbledore replied, his tohoughtful. "I've met the man on a few occasions. A brilliant mind, though unfortunately, his genius seems directed toursuits that are... less, admirable."

  Maveriodded, tinuing without hesitation. "First, it was on. Theein. Each of them revolutiohe way Muggles uood the world and shaped their teological progress. And now, I believe Stark is . He's already proving it with his innovations."

  As he spoke, his mind briefly wandered. By the end of the year, if things followed the events of the MCU, the Stark couple would be killed by the Winter Soldier. He hadn't decided yet whether he would step in or not. That roblem for another day. Right now, he o stay focused on the discussion.

  "America, Russia, a... these superpowers have already started edug wizarding children about the wonders of sce," Maverick said, his voice steady. "Everywhere I've been, it's already begun in their schools... except here, in Britain, Headmaster."

  He paused, his gaze intensifying as he locked eyes with the older man. "When the iable happens, we'll be the only ones left behind, the only ones who haven't caught up with the rest of the world."

  The room fell into silent. her professors spoke nor refuted his cim. Maverick didn't press further either, letting the weight of his words settle over them.

  But before the silence could stretch too long, another voice broke through.

  "Are you implying that the secrecy will soon be shattered, boy?"

  The sound came from above and to his right. Maveristinctively turned his head and saw the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses staring at him, their eyes sharp and curious, as though he were an anomaly.

  Just as Maverick's gaze lingered on the curious faces in the portraits, Dumbledore's voice gently pulled his attention back to the living.

  "Well," the old wizard began, his tohoughtful, "this isn't quite where I thought our discussion would be heading… but," he gnced briefly at Magall, who remained silent, though it was clear she was teetering on the edge of asking her owions, "I 't say I disagree, young man."

  Maverick raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what he expected to hear from the old wizard. He g Magall, but she didn't seem as calm or accepting as Dumbledore. It was clear she had something on her mind.

  Maverick heard the older man chuckle, and wheurned back, he saw an amused glint in Dumbledore's eyes.

  "We may be wizards who care little for how Muggles are evolving," Dumbledore said with a trace of humor, "but we are her ignorant nor stupid." He cast a g his deputy. "Isn't that right, Minerva?"

  Magall quickly regained her posure. Normally, she was calm and unshaken in any situation, but she realized she had slipped slightly today in front of this junior. Thankfully, her boss had stepped in.

  "That is correct," she said firmly. "Your cims hold some truth, and we haven't been blind to it either."

  Maverick cast a scrutinizing look at the two wizards. "Then why, may I ask?"

  At his question, Dumbledore sighed—a weary sound, as if faced with a task not impossible but undeniably difficult. "To be perfectly ho, we simply haven't had the time..."

  Maverick raised an eyebroords came to mind: bullshit. Deg to push further now that this topic had surfaced earlier than pnned, he said, "Professor, isn't it ironic that the headmaster ay headmistress of such a prestigious schouilty of procrastination?"

  Dumbledore burst into ughter, a deep, genuine sound that filled the room. Even Magall couldn't suppress a chuckle, though she shook her head at his audacity.

  A fortable siletled over the room, dissolving the earlier tension, until Dumbledore spoke once more.

  "I agree, Mr. Caesar. It would be a pleasure to have you join us as a professor at Hogwarts. Though, I must say, our pns may differ slightly from what you have in mind."

  Maverioted how effortlessly the old wizard steered the versation in a new dire. He chose not to press further. This discussion could always resume at aime.

  Maverick's eyes lit up at Dumbledore's suddeion, a the older man's gaze.

  "Don't look so surprised, Mr. Caesar," Dumbledore said with a faint smile. "In truth, even if your book hadn't been as impressive, or if the discussion we just had wasn't as insightful, we still inte you on board. In fact, had you deyed in sending your manuscript to Professonagall, I would have instructed her to send you an invitation myself."

  Maverick cast a genuinely puzzled g both of them, and Magall met his gaze with a faintly amused expression.

  "Mr. Caesar, are you fetting that you're a master alchemist? The you ever recorded in modern magical history?" she said, her tone carrying a hint of pride, even though she had no part in his aplishment. That was simply who she was—a witch of great character, free from unnecessary feelings like jealousy.

  Maverick silently gave a mental five-star review to the motherly witch before returning to the matter at hand.

  He now uood what both of them were implying, but he had never po bee a professor of alchemy—and still didn't. Without missing a beat, he responded firmly, "But, Professor, I wish to teach Muggle sot alchemy."

  —————————

  Author's Note:

  Just a quick update — up to Chapter 96 is already avaible on P AT r30n!

  PAT r30n [.] / RyanFic