"Do you really want to know about the teacher?" Ian asked coldly. "Just follow me!"
Regarding Voldemort's question, Ian spoke in an indifferent tone. He didn't seem to care about the change in Voldemort's expression.
Then, Ian moved closer to Vera and gestured to Voldemort. Immediately afterward, the two of them leapt into the air, hovering high in the sky. They seemed to be waiting for Voldemort's move.
But Voldemort merely stared without taking any action, while the two of them flew away into the distance. Their speed was neither urgent nor slow, seemingly deliberately setting aside time to wait for Voldemort's reaction.
As for Voldemort—no, it should be said that His Majesty Tom Riddle—was just watching. Before him, Lucius and Draco lowered their heads and knelt on the ground. Looking at Tom Riddle, who was exuding a cold aura at this moment, they felt as though they had encountered the Dark Lord who had killed countless people more than thirty years ago, and their hearts were filled with fear.
Tom Riddle squinted his eyes and watched Ian and Vera flying into the distance. He resisted the urge to take action, simply snorting with disdain, not bothering with Lucius and Draco in front of him. He transformed into a black mist and drifted away in the wind.
The next moment, Voldemort's figure reappeared in an underground palace somewhere in the center of London. His footsteps echoed through the chamber—tread! tread! tread!
The moment he appeared in the underground palace, he took a few familiar steps forward, walked up to the high platform, and sat on the throne at the top of the palace. At this moment, the entire palace was deserted and quiet.
Voldemort sat on the throne, slowly stretched his right hand forward, and with a wave, black mist filled the air in front of him. Soon, the black mist floating before him transformed into waves like water, and then scenes appeared.
And what was shown in those scenes? Ian and Vera.
Lockhart had always been very mysterious. Especially regarding the existence of the New World—although Voldemort had been with Lockhart for a time, he knew little about it. However, he vaguely knew that Lockhart was probably from another world.
Whether Lockhart was from another world, or had traveled from the wizarding world to other worlds, none of this mattered much to Voldemort. The most important thing was the unknown power behind the new world.
He had not forgotten that Lockhart possessed magic, potions, and various magical resources that were beyond his comprehension. Originally, Lockhart's strength had been far superior to his own. After more than thirty years in the wizarding world, Lockhart may have made even further progress, especially since there was a mysterious and unknown world supporting him.
Voldemort didn't dare to gamble. In particular, he sensed a threatening aura from Ian and Vera. Although it was somewhat weak, there was no doubt that it could definitely harm him. This made him more wary of Lockhart, so he didn't take direct action, but chose to observe secretly. He hoped to uncover the secrets and strength behind people like Lockhart.
In the magical image, Ian and Vera walked together, concealing their presence, flying out of London, and landing at a villa in the suburbs.
"Vera, what do you think?" In his temporary safe house, Ian sat on the sofa and asked Vera.
But Vera frowned at this moment and did not reply. She had already prepared for a significant confrontation and had unleashed the trump card given by her teacher. Yet, despite their dramatic exit, Voldemort, as the leader of a country, hadn't made any move at all.
Given the opportunity, the other party didn't even attempt to attack them. Vera found it strange. Could it be that Voldemort was afraid of their teacher? That would make sense. But it wasn't like him to take no action whatsoever.
This time, they had also been preparing to test Voldemort's true capabilities. In the Marvel world, under their teacher's training, their strength had increased significantly. If Voldemort was of average power, the two of them could compete with or even defeat him.
Then there would be nothing to worry about—if Dumbledore wasn't a serious issue, they could handle things themselves. Especially when other allies arriving in the wizarding world would join them. Not only the people of the saints, but also the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
As long as Voldemort's strength did not exceed expectations, they were confident they could seize control and power to welcome their teacher back. But now, despite their provocation, Voldemort hadn't even reacted. How could that not arouse suspicion?
At this moment, Vera's mind raced with possibilities. At the same time, she turned her head and looked around, extending her mental power, as if trying to detect something.
The only explanation she could think of was that Voldemort was watching them to gather more information. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain his behavior. Of course, this also suggested that Voldemort wasn't completely confident about dealing with the two of them.
Vera's actions made Ian's expression change, and with his intelligence, he could naturally deduce the reason. Without hesitation, he raised his wand and began to draw runes one by one in mid-air.
In central London, Voldemort watched the scene unfold, noting the traces of familiar runes. He couldn't help but lick his lips, a fierce light appearing in his eyes. He had not forgotten that Lockhart had used the same methods to imprison him, treating him as a test subject and torturing him continuously. Finally, Lockhart had cast him out as a chess piece to fight against his other Horcrux clone.
Fortunately...
As Ian waved the wand in his hand, runes glowing with light gold appeared and flew around. Faintly, a layer of pale golden ripples emanated from the center, enveloping the entire villa.
Ian was casting a spell to block magical surveillance from a distance.
Vera also withdrew her mental power. She had just investigated the surrounding area. There were no wizards nearby, just ordinary people—at most, mundane individuals practicing meditation diligently. Nothing even remotely threatening.
Seeing Vera open her eyes and shake her head slightly, Ian immediately understood the situation around them. At the same time, Ian nodded, indicating that his magic had been successfully cast and they could speak confidently.
"According to the information obtained from Lucius and the others, Headmaster Dumbledore was once in a good position, and he carried out the plan completely according to our teacher's instructions," Vera said. "It stands to reason that Headmaster Dumbledore should have been able to implement the reformed magic system and reunite with the teacher. I didn't expect that he would disappear inexplicably in just two years. This is definitely the key to solving the mystery."
Ian nodded slightly and continued: "I think Voldemort must know some relevant information. But he's definitely not the one with the upper hand. Under the circumstances at that time, with Headmaster Dumbledore's mysterious methods, there was absolutely no chance for Voldemort to make a comeback. It must have been an accident!"
Vera nodded in agreement. "We should first investigate and see if there were any major changes or phenomena that year. As long as something happened, it can't be without traces."
"You're right, Vera, but the most important thing now is to gather the other companions who have arrived. Otherwise, it will be difficult for just the two of us to quickly discover any effective information."
The two of them continued their conversation, arranging their next steps.
However...
In the underground palace of distant London, Voldemort looked at the two figures talking in the light curtain before him with cold, calculating eyes. Every word and every move they made was clearly visible to him.
Ian and Vera's protective measures had no effect at all.