The old headmaster's intention was clearly to warn Ian.
But—
"An agreement with the goblins, huh…"
The little wizard muttered thoughtfully.
The expression on his face made Albus Dumbledore feel something was off, though he couldn't quite say what. Afraid Ian might say something astonishing again, the old headmaster hurried to change the subject.
"You must be a bit tired—would you like some snacks?" Albus Dumbledore had barely finished speaking before hastily clarifying.
"I mean sweets, not something like steak." He clearly hadn't forgotten those little incidents that happened last time he spoke with Ian in this office.
"Then how about roast whole lamb? Extra chili?" Ian showed he understood, and responded accordingly. He didn't like making things difficult for others, so he deliberately picked something that was nowhere near beef.
"????"
Albus Dumbledore looked a bit exasperated. "Isn't there anything normal you'd like? Like Sizzling Honey Candy—Honey Earl's Sizzling Honey Candy has Billywig stings in it, much tastier than any other store's sweets. I promise, once you try it, you'll be hooked."
The old headmaster's enthusiastic recommendation failed to pique the little wizard's interest.
"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm afraid of getting cavities—little wizards at my age just love getting cavities." Ian's polite refusal once again left Albus Dumbledore speechless.
Someone who took down Voldemort,
was seriously talking to him about cavities?
"There are sugar-free sweets too." Albus Dumbledore added again, surprised that even the Wizarding World had sugar substitutes. He wondered if they just enchanted food to taste sweet.
"Let's have some roast lamb first, then desserts afterwards to cut the grease." Ian blinked at the old man before him; his suggestion was impeccable and left no room for argument.
"..."
Albus Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, silently promising to never casually ask Ian what he'd like to eat again. The boy's requests just kept getting more outrageous each time.
"Too much greasy food isn't good for you, you know." Although Albus Dumbledore said this, he still waved his wand to fulfill Ian's wish.
The next moment—
An entire golden, crispy roast lamb appeared on the desk, covered with plenty of fresh chili peppers. Beside it were thoughtfully prepared corn chips and lemonade for palate cleansing.
This treatment was clearly better than when Ian first wanted steak—what could Albus Dumbledore do? He just knew the little ancestor in front of him needed catering to.
"Transformation Technique?"
Ian didn't dare touch it.
Which made Albus Dumbledore feel a dull ache in his teeth.
"It's the handiwork of the little elves."
He explained in an utterly helpless tone.
Watching Ian immediately dig in once reassured, Albus Dumbledore adjusted his expression and spoke to Ian, pondering aloud.
"Is there nothing you want to ask?"
He felt Ian was even more composed than he'd imagined.
Ian tore into a lamb leg, speaking with a curious tone, "Is it the Time Converter? The reason you can show up in so many places at once."
The little wizard had been suspecting this for a while, but wasn't yet certain.
"Correct, I am indeed using the Time Converter." Albus Dumbledore didn't try to hide it, pulling a strangely shaped pendant out from the lining of his robe.
"To mislead our Tom, I needed him to believe that some of his tricks had me entangled and unable to get away—only then would he dare to search for what he wanted."
The old headmaster explained his actions to Ian. You could say the old fisher was genuinely terrifying when he fished. Voldemort, proud he'd outsmarted Albus Dumbledore, would never dream that he'd always been under the eyes of his old professor, manipulated all along—the so-called Black Demon King was nothing but a plaything.
"That Magic Stone?"
Ian felt a pang of regret for the Magic Stone's damage. He had guessed its magic power was nearly depleted, but what alchemist could resist studying the Magic Stone?
Sigh!
Professor Nicolas Flamel might not be able to make another one. This new professor had told Ian he could have anything he wanted; doing the math, the now-dead Voldemort owed him a lot. Luckily, Voldemort still had other soul fragments; thinking of this, Ian cheered up a bit.
"Looks like you really do know a lot." Albus Dumbledore looked deeply at Ian, but did not press him about why he knew so much.
Some things,
he had already reached a definite conclusion about in his heart.
"Honestly, I thought you were only using the Magic Stone as bait, but I didn't expect noseless Tom to get resurrected for real. When I walked into that room, I nearly jumped out of my skin."
Ian's confusion was genuine—he truly hadn't expected Voldemort's return. Luckily, he'd been well prepared and had almost nine-tenths of a chance when he faced Voldemort.
Even though it was still plenty dangerous, the result was pleasing.
"Only then can we see his weaknesses more clearly… Of course, I admit I had my own little selfish motives, but Tom is, as always, a disappointment." Albus Dumbledore sighed again, obvious that some of his goals hadn't been met, leaving his face touched by resignation.