The tall bookshelves were filled with ancient books and scrolls.
Various magical artifacts and alchemy equipment were arranged neatly on the workbench, and the giant clock symbolizing the mysteries of alchemy still emitted a faint ticking sound beside Ian.
"Ian, are you alright?"
Harry Potter, seeing Ian return, also happily stepped forward and said, "You really scared me, I just took a moment to clean my glasses and you disappeared in a flash."
"If I couldn't dismantle this big clock, I would have wanted to crawl inside to see if you were playing hide and seek with me." Mr. Savior still had a Muggle-like way of thinking.
His first reaction wasn't that Ian was transported somewhere by some magic.
"Did you go to find the two professors?"
Ian looked up and checked his hands. He couldn't bring anything back from the past, and the grains of sand that were on him before had disappeared without a trace.
He didn't know if this was some rule of time travel or related to some restrictions of the Room of Requirement.
"Yes, that's right. Once I realized you might have encountered some accident, I immediately went to find Professor McGonagall, and she took me to Professor Flamel and Professor Dumbledore."
"They tinkered with this big clock for quite some time before successfully bringing you back... Can you tell me where this big clock took you before?"
Harry Potter wasn't trying to take credit; he was simply curious about Ian's experience.
"It's a place where neither planes nor rockets can reach." Ian looked back at the clock, feeling somewhat embarrassed about his experience.
"Perhaps even Ian doesn't know where he went. It's just a Door Key, Harry. If you studied your textbooks, you'd know what a Door Key is."
Nicolas Flamel, seeing Ian wanting to speak, immediately stepped in to smooth things over; this Alchemy Master clearly didn't want too many people to know about the clock's secrets.
"Alright, I will go back and review my textbooks, Professor." Despite feeling something was off, Harry Potter still chose to trust the authoritative explanation unconditionally.
"Very good, loving to learn is a standard quality in Slytherin... I will be very happy to tutor your studies in the future, but for now, let's go to the next room to discuss your scar."
"I lost quite a bit of time going out earlier; I still hope to write a paper by analyzing your scar. I believe this will greatly help your future credits." Nicolas Flamel, of course, didn't care much for papers; he clearly just wanted to give Ian and Dumbledore some space to talk.
Persuading and cuddling the still a bit confused and concerned Harry Potter, he walked all the way to a wall and twisted a doorknob on a canvas.
The seemingly just a painting door was indeed opened by this Alchemy Master, revealing a spacious room inside. This magical scene immediately captured Harry Potter's attention.
"Is this also some kind of magic?"
He temporarily put other matters aside.
"Of course, if you'd like to learn, I'll teach you. People of the Potter family always have a good talent for alchemy... Perhaps I can even tell you about your great-great-great-grandfather's story of stealing my candies."
Nicolas Flamel spoke with a nostalgic tone and led Harry Potter into the room within the painting, but did not forget to turn back and activate some sort of recording device.
Obviously.
Some interested parties knew certain things, so they didn't want to miss some exciting fun. Watching the door on the painting slowly close, only two people were left in the quiet alchemy office.
Ian and Albus Dumbledore stood facing each other.
"Professor Dumbledore..." The little wizard's gaze fell on the old headmaster in his white robe; it was truly hard to associate this peaceful and gentle elder with the cunning young man he used to be.
It's really hard to imagine.
What kind of life experiences.
Could turn someone so harsh on 'himself' into such a kindly old man today.
Now Ian finally somewhat understood why many people, when talking about Dumbledore, praised not only his strength, but countless feared his wisdom and strategy.
"I'm very glad to see you again, Ian." After a long silence, Albus Dumbledore finally spoke in a low voice, turning his head to look at the Big Ben that was slowly becoming quiet.
"I really should thank your kindness and benevolence... I am grateful for your mercy in the past time." Albus Dumbledore's voice carried a trace of indescribable emotion.
He was evidently very clear about what happened with Ian and his younger self. At the same time, he understood that Ian did not use the many terrifying methods at his disposal.
Needless to say much.
Just speaking of magical accomplishments.
Ian's talent in the Dark Arts was far greater than his talent in White Magic, and this young wizard spent more time studying the Dark Arts than studying White Magic by an unknown factor.
Yet Ian, in that nearly century-spanning past, did not use a single Dark Art, evidently considering the situation where once Dark Arts were used, it might become uncontrollable.