A few days away from home.
A whole new look.
Yet returning, still a boy.
The molten-gold candlelight brushed lightly across Ian's eyelashes. When he opened his eyes, that peculiar figurine-grade globe of Nicolas Flamel's was slowly turning on the bookshelf.
The parchment Scrolls gave off their distinctive smell in the air, and a certain scent mixed with sulfur and metal rushed into his nose—that was the unique smell of the Hogwarts Professor of Alchemy's office.
Albus Dumbledore's deep eyes watched Ian through his half-moon glasses, his expression tense, as if checking whether Ian was safe and sound. Complex silver patterns were embroidered on his robes, and in his hand he held an Elder Wand, its tip glimmering faintly; clearly, the Magic Power that had just brought Ian back came from this powerful Wizard.
Nicolas Flamel stood to the side, a trace of weariness on his face, yet his eyes shone with relief. In his hand he held an ancient book; its pages were yellowed and the edges already worn.
Perhaps this was the ancient tome the Professor of Alchemy had used to search for a way to draw Ian back.
"Hogwarts!"
Ian focused his gaze on his surroundings.
Aside from Professor Nicolas Flamel and Headmaster Dumbledore, there was no one else in this office. His gaze finally settled on an oil painting hanging on the wall.
The oil painting depicting him and Helbo made the Little Wizard feel rather uneasy inside.
"Thank Merlin for his favor, we finally managed to bring you back." Nicolas Flamel's voice carried a hint of relieved lightness; his fingers gently stroked the pages as if thanking the ancient book.
The Alchemy Master had always treated knowledge with a near-ritualistic respect. Beside him, Dumbledore also inclined his head slightly; that gentle smile was still the same, containing a reassuring strength.
"Merlin probably isn't all that keen on favoring me."
Ian replied to his own Professor of Alchemy with a cheerful grin.
"Oh?"
Nicolas Flamel seemed to understand something at once.
"Looks like your experiences really were extraordinary."
He couldn't help but sigh.
It was obvious he had at least guessed that Ian had indeed met Merlin.
"Welcome home, Ian." Dumbledore stepped forward with a smile and gave Ian a brief hug; there was warmth and concern in his voice, and his gaze lingered on Ian for a moment.
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had seen something, and a trace of emotion flickered through his deep gaze. "I can tell you've been through a very remarkable journey."
He was clearly not just talking about the fact that Ian had somehow met Merlin. The greatest White Wizard of this century had already keenly perceived the Legendary Rank Ian now possessed.
"I have, a lot has happened." Ian sighed, memories of everything that had occurred surfacing in his mind; his thoughts surged back, like the tide, to that short yet unforgettable stretch of time.
He calmed his emotions, then looked again at this extraordinary old headmaster. "You've changed quite a bit yourself. Don't tell me I've actually been gone for a long time?"
The reason he could even have such a question was because Ian could likewise feel that the Rank Dumbledore now possessed had actually reached the same Legendary level as his own.
Especially just now, while the Magic Law Movement lingering on the Elder Wand hadn't yet dissipated, it had been particularly obvious.
This was no small matter.
No wonder Ian was worried he might have been gone for ages.
"You're quite lucky; as of now, it's only been a few days since you disappeared." Dumbledore gave Ian a reassuring answer. He lowered his head to glance at the Elder Wand in his hand, his smile still gentle.
"As for the changes in me… I can't very well let a student of the next generation surpass me that easily, can I?" He spoke as if joking in his usual way.
However, Nicolas Flamel was the one who told the truth. "In order to find a way to bring you back as quickly as possible, Albus had no choice but to abandon his original plan and hurry to complete his own Rank promotion."
"After all, bringing you back from more than two thousand years ago is far more difficult than merely opening a Time Passage." The Alchemy Master's tone was full of emotion.
After hearing this, Ian fell into thought at once, and looked at his old headmaster with deep gratitude—of course he could hear what Nicolas Flamel was really saying.
Albus Dumbledore had given up certain better possibilities in order to save him.
Feeling the Little Wizard's gaze on him—
"What I've achieved now already far exceeds my original extravagant hopes," Albus Dumbledore said with a soft chuckle, hoping the Little Wizard wouldn't feel any psychological burden.
Ian opened his mouth.
He really didn't know what he could say to that.
"Sigh, it was my carelessness too. I rushed after him without thinking things through." Ian was indeed quite upset about it, although in truth it was hard to blame him for being too reckless.
Back then, Riddle had given him almost no time to think.
Besides.
The Sorting Hat had said he was worthy of Gryffindor.
"This wasn't your fault. We all know Tom isn't someone easy to deal with. He didn't just toy with Nicolas, he also managed to pull off a successful deception on me."
"We both underestimated him… Mm, perhaps because we've spent too long facing Voldemort; even I ended up forgetting that he once was, indeed, an extraordinarily gifted Wizard."
Albus Dumbledore spoke softly, comforting the Little Wizard.
"True enough—Voldemort the clumsy, Tom the cunning." Ian agreed with Dumbledore's assessment wholeheartedly; he could truly relate, as he had also been misled by his own idea of who Voldemort was.