53. History

Aurelius does not care what Tina Sebastian wants to do, and it has nothing to do with him.

Aurelius' goal is to find a replacement for the Crystal Hub and arm the children in the orphanage who are practicing.

However, achieving this won't be easy, and Aurelius is prepared to spend a year, or even multiple years, searching for it.

In addition to this important goal, there are also some smaller goals to address.

The issue of the Blood Curse needs to be solved, as well as the Legilimency.

But ultimately, these goals come down to recruiting subordinates and followers.

He wanted to solve the problem of exposure to the wizarding world that was almost destined to occur in the future. Merely thinking about it was not enough. Did he want to retreat to a school like Dumbledore? Disagree with anyone who has ideas of their own?

No, he did not want that.

If he desired change, he needed power.

That's right! He would use authority and persuasion.

All of his actions revolve around this central purpose. Sebastian? Before they meet, it's none of his concern!

Siren City is not his destination nor his goal.

It's quite chaotic here, which is perfect for capitalizing on the chaos, but it's not chaotic enough...

His focus is still on communicating with Nagini and learning Legilimency.

Aurelius' life seems to have entered a stable cycle, but an extraordinary transformation is occurring within the prison of the Magical Congress of New York.

Each cold cage held a felon.

Only those who committed heinous crimes were locked up here.

Unlike Azkaban in the UK, Azkaban was an isolated desert island offshore. Thousands of years ago, it served as the fortress of a dark wizard called Ekrizdis, who enjoyed luring Muggle sailors to the island and then brutally torturing them until they died.

For some reason, wizards always enjoy converting the original wizard's fortresses into prisons.

The prisons of the Magical Congress are different. Although wizards arrived in America much earlier than Muggles, the wizarding history there is still insignificant compared to other regions.

The various relocations of the Magical Congress have made it challenging for prison guards to manage.

Therefore, the prison of the Magical Congress was simply constructed underground beneath the Magical Congress.

The deeper one goes, the tighter the security becomes, and the more depraved the criminals residing here are.

The man with white hair appeared somewhat disheveled—naturally, anyone who has been imprisoned for several months would look like this.

His long hair was unkempt, and his beard was messy.

But his eyes never changed.

"I will always remember December 30, 1926, the day I was sentenced to life imprisonment and put in this cell," he said in his deep voice, instantly capturing the attention of everyone listening.

"I have no regrets or remorse, but I am still pondering why I ended up in prison. As a wizard, fighting for the greater good, why are so many wizards against me? Why do they even fabricate facts to imprison me?" He exclaimed with frustration.

"I don't understand!" he sighed, his voice filled with emotion.

"But I was never lost. I began searching for answers to these questions," he told himself.

"From where? From this life of mine," he continued in contemplation.

"I was fortunate to have grown up on the banks of the Danube River, such a beautiful place. My childhood was carefree. Back then, I had no worries, no goals, and no ideals."

"Everything changed when I turned eleven... Yes, I received an offer from Durmstrang."

"I discovered my talent, and I was so proud! In the magical world, I was meant to be a leader. I started following the path of magic, but unfortunately, those ordinary people failed to understand," he explained.

"Until I met him - a confidant and a partner. We were the same age, and we shared the same talents. We saw through the flaws of this decaying world. We discussed magic, criticized the system, and found something worth fighting for - our cause."

Finally, his monologue prompted a response.

A young voice couldn't help but ask, "What is your goal? Is it to break the International Statute of Secrecy? Sir... Mr. Grindelwald."

Grindelwald?!

Indeed, this disheveled figure was none other than the recently notorious Gellert Grindelwald!

"Abernathy, you're an exceptional young man. You're perceptive. Am I truly born to bring destruction? Or am I a born troublemaker who enjoys mischief?" Grindelwald rattled his specially made shackles and shook his head, struggling to stand.

"No, sir, I don't believe you are. We've been together for nearly a year," Abernathy reassured, holding Grindelwald's hand, his thin voice escaping through the narrow gap in the cell.

Grindelwald looked at Abernathy with his distinctive eyes. "Abernathy, I've been pondering a question. We are wizards. We are born with magical powers... Muggles and No-Majs are weak. They're like ants, easily crushed even by a first-year student."

"Then... why? Why do powerful wizards hide like mice in this small place, referred to euphemistically as the magical world, while feeble Muggles rule the world with ease?"

"Because... because..." Abernathy's voice grew softer and softer, realizing he couldn't find a reason at all.

"Because of the International Statute of Secrecy?" Abernathy ventured feebly.

Ignorant! This is a shared characteristic among most individuals in the wizarding community today. On one hand, they hold a disdain for Muggles and view those who lack an understanding of magic as insignificant. On the other hand, due to their age, they have limited knowledge about the origin and history of the Statute of Secrecy.

Even now, many wizards still fail to comprehend why an anti-wizard organization is called 'Second Salem'. This lack of understanding has consequences.

Regrettably, most wizards, if not all, do not engage in knowing/reading history.

Out of the eleven magic schools worldwide, only five offer a History of Magic course, and only one of them requires it. The reason for this singular requirement is simply that the school cannot dismiss a longstanding teacher who has been there since its inception. If this teacher were to lose their passion, they would disappear.

The truth remains that wizards do not glean any insights from history, not even the lesson of not learning from history itself!