The old headmaster's intention was clearly to warn Ian.
But.
"An agreement with the elves, huh..."
The little wizard muttered to himself, deep in thought.
The expression on his face made Albus Dumbledore feel a bit uneasy, though he couldn't pinpoint why, and he quickly changed the subject, fearing that Ian might say something shocking.
"You must be a bit tired, would you like some snacks?" Albus Dumbledore had barely finished his sentence before hastily adding another explanation.
"I mean some desserts, not something like steak." He clearly remembered some small incidents from previous conversations with Ian in this office.
"Then roast lamb? With extra chili?" Ian understood and responded accordingly, preferring to choose something unrelated to beef to avoid making things difficult.
"????"
Albus Dumbledore's expression was somewhat helpless, "Can't you think of eating some normal desserts? Like Sizzling Honey Candy, the Sizzling Honey Candy from Honeyduke's has Billywig stings added, which makes it much more delicious than candies from other shops. I'm sure you'll love it once you try it."
The old headmaster's strong recommendation failed to pique the little wizard's interest.
"Thanks, but I'd rather not; I'm worried about cavities. Wizards my age are prone to getting cavities." Ian's refusal once again left Albus Dumbledore silent.
A guy who took down Voldemort.
Actually talking seriously about cavities?
"There are also sugar-free desserts." Albus Dumbledore spoke again, surprised that the wizarding world also had sugar substitutes, and wondered if magic was used on the food to create a sweet taste.
"I'll have some roast lamb first, then dessert, to help balance out the greasiness." Ian blinked at the elderly man in front of him, his argument impeccable and hard to refute.
"..."
Albus Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, silently resolving never to habitually ask Ian what he wanted to eat again; the requests became increasingly outrageous each time.
"Eating too much greasy food isn't good either." Although Albus Dumbledore said this, he still waved his magic wand to fulfill Ian's wishes.
In the next moment.
A whole lamb, roasted to golden crisp perfection, appeared on the office desk, topped with plenty of fresh chili peppers, and it was accompanied by some thoughtful palate-cleansing corn chips and lemonade.
This treatment was clearly better than when Ian initially wanted steak—what could Albus Dumbledore do? He knew he had to cater to the whims of this little ancestor in front of him.
"Transformation Technique?"
Ian dared not touch it.
This made Albus Dumbledore feel a bit irritated.
"It's the handiwork of the little elves."
He explained in an extremely helpless tone.
Watching Ian relax and begin devouring the food, Albus Dumbledore adjusted his expression and pondered before speaking to Ian.
"Isn't there anything you want to ask?"
He felt Ian was even more composed than he thought.
Ian was gnawing on a lamb leg, his tone curious as he spoke, "Is it the Time Converter? The reason you can appear in so many places at once."
The little wizard had long suspected this, though still wasn't certain.
"That's right, I'm indeed using the Time Converter." Albus Dumbledore didn't hide it, and pulled out a uniquely shaped pendant from his robe lining.
"To fool our Tom, I needed to make him think I'm really occupied with his little tricks, so he'd have the courage to search for what he desires."
The old headmaster explained his actions to Ian, showing that a seasoned angler truly was frightening when angling. Voldemort, smugly thinking he had toyed with Albus Dumbledore, likely never imagined in his wildest dreams that he was always under the watchful gaze of his former professor, constantly being played with.
"That Magic Stone?"
Ian felt a little regret at the damage to the Magic Stone, though he had already guessed its magic power was likely depleted, but what alchemist could resist the chance to study a Magic Stone?
Sigh!
Professor Nicolas Flamel might not be able to create another one. Previously, the new professor had said everything could be left to Ian, and the young wizard felt it amounted to the defunct Voldemort owing him quite a bit. Thankfully, Voldemort still had other soul fragments, and this thought slightly lifted Ian's spirits.
"It seems you do indeed understand many things." Albus Dumbledore gave Ian a deep look but did not pursue why Ian knew so much.
Some things.
He had long since reached a firm conclusion in his mind.
"I originally thought you were just using the Magic Stone to fish, but I never expected noseless Tom to really be resurrected, entering that room gave me quite a scare."
Ian's doubts were genuine; he hadn't expected Voldemort to resurrect, but luckily he had made ample preparations long ago and had nearly a ninety percent chance of succeeding when facing Voldemort.
Despite the danger, the outcome was ultimately pleasing.
"Only in this way, can we better see his weaknesses... Of course, there was also a bit of a personal motive, but Tom remains as disappointing as always." Albus Dumbledore sighed again, clearly some of his objectives hadn't been achieved, and his face showed a bit of helplessness.