After all.
Such a thing... dare to think about it? Dare to attempt it?
"Now it's your turn to tell me why." The German girl clearly had enough curiosity, but her cold face didn't show it as obviously as Ian's.
"It's for someone he cares about, to be able to bathe in sunlight without external interference... live. Of course, the premise is that his attempt can succeed." Ian stood in the hall, looking up in the direction of the Headmaster's Office, his tone carrying a complex mix of emotions and surprise.
"Hmm."
Aurora nodded thoughtfully.
She did not continue to ask questions.
Instead, she took the initiative to change the topic.
"You'll still be skipping the flying class later, right?" Aurora used an affirmative sentence, because the little wizards all knew that even if a professor deducted points, it wouldn't stop Ian from skipping the flying class.
"Even if Hooch deducts a hundred points from me, our house will still win this term, so I'm going to attend to my own matters. I've recently found an incredibly remarkable treasure."
"Once I confirm it's not dangerous, I'll let you marvel at my new treasure." Ian looked at the hourglass recording the house points and waved to Aurora before running towards the stairs.
The big treasure he mentioned was naturally the black-robed skeleton, as he had been researching the contract with the black-robed skeleton these days, reaching a point of almost forgetting to eat and sleep.
As long as the classes weren't important, he skipped them.
All to figure out whether the black-robed skeleton posed any threat to him.
It's no wonder Ian would be so reactive to the contract with the black-robed skeleton, given that Salazar Slytherin truly made him understand the treachery of human nature. Who knows if there were any issues within the black-robed skeleton's contract.
"If the contract really is related to my phoenix, it shouldn't cause me much harm, right?"
Ian had a mental connection with the black phoenix, and he believed that the black phoenix wouldn't truly lead him astray. After all, there haven't been any historical records of traitorous phoenixes.
You know, the phoenix has always been the epitome of loyalty. Even if its feathers turned black, this trait shouldn't change due to a strange appearance, right?
Honestly, seeing the black phoenix fly to him and start laughing eerily, Ian couldn't quite figure it out either.
"Hehehe~"
This phoenix with the eerie call might indeed be an exception, as it was entirely different from most phoenixes, particularly with its ability to take others' souls directly.
After returning to Hogwarts with the black-robed skeleton and the black phoenix, Ian first set some ground rules with the black-robed skeleton, restricting its activities to the Room of Requirement.
Then he went to the library to conduct thorough research. In the first few days, Ian rummaged through all the books on phoenixes in the Hogwarts Library.
However.
He still couldn't find a single reference, even in wild tales, connecting phoenixes with "soul attacks," let alone absorbing souls to replenish magic power for the master.
"Perhaps it's not a natural ability?" Ian was quite concerned about the black-robed skeleton repeatedly mentioning that the black phoenix was a success of biological alchemy, that it lacked a soul and was just a shell.
Yet even after examining the black phoenix inside and out, he couldn't find anything anomalous as mentioned by the black-robed skeleton, confirming that the black phoenix was indeed completely immune to soul-targeting magic.
Whether this was due to a lack of a soul was uncertain.
"Biological Alchemy... I, can't be wrong." The black-robed skeleton bullied the Dementor every day, and when questioned by Ian, it temporarily set aside its toy.
The abused Dementor indeed seemed to have lost all hope for life. Having an evil little wizard use it as a workhorse was bad enough, but now there was also a terrifying undead creature that fancied sticking its head into its mouth.
This world!
Doesn't even allow the Dementor to live!
"I didn't notice any traces of biological alchemy. Maybe my alchemy skills aren't advanced enough?" Ian's uncertainty only earned the black-robed skeleton raising its hand.
It pointed to its head again.
Silence speaks louder than words, confidently indicating it couldn't answer Ian's questions. The little wizard sighed, thinking he should consult Professor Nicolas Flamel about the problem.
Of course.
About the black-robed skeleton and the contract issues as well.
Nicolas Flamel, the greatest alchemist of this century, the most powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore, and the most terrifying Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald could all be approached for help.
If not for fear that Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald might take the black-robed skeleton away, depriving him of a workhorse better than a Dementor, Ian would have sought the help of the two old Dens before the holiday ended.
"You stay here and don't move; I'm going out to grab some oranges." Ian instructed the black-robed skeleton once more and then darted out of the Room of Requirement.
Nicolas Flamel's office was easy to find because he had granted Ian access to visit, unlike the previous Professor of Alchemy, Arthur King, whose office was always elusive.
Standing before a door that wasn't certain to appear anywhere, could change location at any moment, and was invisible to most people, Ian composed his thoughts before raising his hand to knock.
"Come in, little one."