Not only that.
He also mentioned something that made Ian's pupils slightly contract.
"We all knew you entered a time loop, and we also knew you altered some things within it. This new alchemy device, in my view, could recreate such miracles." Albus Dumbledore gave Ian a deep look, with a significant amount of information hinted in his words.
Clearly.
This was Albus Dumbledore voluntarily exposing some secrets Ian wasn't previously aware of.
And the reason for the vagueness?
Perhaps it was due to certain concerns, or possibly existing restrictions?
"So, were you successful?"
Ian's eyes flickered intensely.
"We made some attempts, making changes in history that could be buried in the dust of time, like bringing back things destined to be lost and never sought again."
"This is also why we were able to repair the ancient time converter... Initially, we just used an ordinary time converter to enter the recent past."
"You also know that I was studying similar rules last semester, so there were no unexpected events. In this regard, we achieved very smooth success."
"In the past few days, we also attempted to enter more distant pasts, and it was quite successful. I've begun to further explore whether we can make unnoticed and unnoticeable changes in the death manner of some creatures approaching death."
Albus Dumbledore spoke slowly, with a flavor of open honesty. He didn't hide the direction towards which his step-by-step research was headed.
The old headmaster knew how clever the little wizard was.
He believed.
Ian had long known his scheme.
"I have a doubt. According to your rule, all changes should hide the truth as much as possible, and restore the original appearance of history in the representation as much as possible."
"Then, in the duel between us, how does the altered past that affected you now relate?" Ian's mind was indeed very agile.
He noted some contradictions in Albus Dumbledore's words.
"That's the crux of the problem, child."
Albus Dumbledore didn't avoid it, but looked at the little wizard with bright eyes, "You accomplished something Grindelwald and I have tried multiple times but never achieved."
"You truly changed the past and successfully returned to the present... I think the two unknown doubts in my heart have now been answered definitively."
The headmaster's voice became complex again.
"Not a good thing?"
Ian detected the headmaster's change in emotion.
"Bittersweet,"
Albus Dumbledore forced a smile, "You proved that the past can be changed, that's a good thing, and at the same time, you also proved that the future was already predetermined."
"Or perhaps, the causal relationship in time isn't that simple; maybe the effect comes first, then the cause in the past… that's not so good information." He was evidently talking about Ariana's death, the little wizard guessed it must be related to his ability to summon Ariana, who shouldn't have been in a spectral state, in the past.
"Well, quite profound issues, definitely not something for a second grader like me to deal with..." Ian yawned, sorting out a rough idea of Albus Dumbledore's words.
Not something that can be clarified in a short time.
A lot happened today.
The little wizard just wanted to go back and have a good sleep now.
Probably noticing the little wizard's exhaustion.
"You can go back to your dormitory to sleep first. I want to think over a bit more... I deeply apologize again for today's ordeal; it was my oversight that led to you encountering things you shouldn't have."
Albus Dumbledore sent Ian to the office door.
"Remember my contribution!"
Before leaving.
The little wizard reminded Albus Dumbledore.
"Never forgotten."
Albus Dumbledore seriously replied. After seeing off the satisfied Ian, he returned to the office, standing before the large Big Ben, starting to sort out the additional past in his mind.
"He shouldn't be so exhausted."
Suddenly.
A voice sounded.
Deep and magnetic.
"What do you mean?" Albus Dumbledore wasn't surprised by the voice's appearance, just turned his head with some confusion to look at a painting on the office wall.
He saw.
A young voice came from within the golden wheat field.
Godric Gryffindor.
It was the painting Ian had been looking for a year but didn't find; who would've thought it was hiding here. Probably it had read "The world's most dangerous place is the safest place," from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War."
Knew that the most dangerous place in the world is the safest place. This was indeed a peculiar truth, hiding in a place where Ian often appeared but was never found by him.
"Changing the past affects him as well."
Gryffindor softly responded while brushing off some locusts from his body.
"Do you know something I don't?" Albus Dumbledore heard an extra layer of information, raising his wrinkled brows in slight surprise.