In the corridor.
The conversation between Ririm and the Little Nightingale was inaudible.
While they shared their opinions about Ian, Ian had already arrived outside the office of the Professor of Alchemy. Nicolas Flamel's office door was much easier to find than Arthur King's office door.
This was largely due to Nicolas Flamel's open-door policy, welcoming students seeking guidance and generously spending time even on those less gifted.
His teaching approach was markedly different from the previous Professor of Alchemy, Arthur King, as he did not favor or deploy different methods based on students' varying talents.
Honestly speaking.
The suddenly resigned Professor Arthur King had a polarizing reputation among students, especially those less gifted who did not rate his teaching as highly as Nicolas Flamel's.
In retrospect, it was understandable why phrases like "You don't know this?" and "Didn't I explain it pretty clearly?" might come off as unintentionally mocking to those not as outstanding.
Ian sympathized with Jin Pao Pao, but from a standpoint of dedication to the profession, Nicolas Flamel was indeed much more diligent and responsible than Jin Pao Pao.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
Ian gently knocked on the wooden door that anyone could find. He heard no sound from inside, indicating that Nicolas Flamel was not conducting any dangerous experiments.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
After waiting without a response, Ian knocked on the office door again. He believed Nicolas Flamel wasn't asleep; after all, when people reach their seventies or eighties, they hardly sleep much.
Not to mention this centuries-old living fossil... Ian wasn't new to visiting Nicolas Flamel late at night, so he had a fair understanding of Flamel's routine.
Indeed.
After knocking several times, footsteps sounded from within the room. Soon, the footsteps approached the door, followed by someone turning the door handle.
"Strange... Is the automated door switch malfunctioning?" Ian, a frequent visitor to Nicolas Flamel's office, had just this slightly puzzling thought.
The next moment.
The door opened.
He finally understood why—it wasn't that Nicolas Flamel's device had malfunctioned, but the person inside the room was not Nicolas Flamel, who had the room's authority.
"Harry Potter?"
Upon seeing the person who opened the door, Ian's expression slightly froze. Yes, the figure that appeared when the door opened was indeed the Savior from the current Slytherin College.
His black, slightly messy hair covered the scar on his forehead. Even at Slytherin, Harry Potter seemed uncomfortable with the praises for his Savior status.
"Good evening, Ian..." Harry Potter also paused upon seeing Ian, but quickly regained his composure, scratching the back of his head and greeting Ian.
"Good evening, Harry. Isn't it resting time now? Why are you in Professor Nicolas Flamel's office?" Ian asked, scrutinizing Harry Potter with surprise.
The Savior who didn't go to Gryffindor appeared more unruly than if he were studying at Gryffindor College, considering no senior students dared wander outside casually at this time.
Let alone today, no—a just-enrolled freshman tonight... Ian had only seen two such little wizards, one being Harry Potter in front of him, and the other being Ririm whom he met earlier.
Even he had never been this "brash!"
Facing Ian's skeptical gaze.
Harry Potter grew increasingly embarrassed, "Actually, I originally clogged the dormitory's toilet, and so I was forced to go to the corridor's washroom to continue with diarrhea."
"There, I met Professor Flamel. He said he was interested in my scar, so I came to his office to assist him with research." Harry Potter was clearly uncomfortable with this socially awkward situation, defending himself after speaking.
"I think I must have eaten too much at dinner." He emphasized his condition, attributing the clogged toilet to his intestines rather than himself.
Meanwhile.
This guy also explained why, as a first-year student, he appeared in the office of Nicolas Flamel, meant for higher-grade students.
"..."
Honestly speaking.
Ian wasn't concerned about whether Harry Potter was constipated. He was curious if Master Nicolas Flamel had identified Harry Potter's Soul Artifact status concerning his forehead scar.
"What did Professor Flamel say?"
Ian tentatively asked.
Harry Potter, however, shook his head somewhat bewilderedly.
"Professor Flamel hasn't said anything yet; he got called away by Headmaster Dumbledore and told me to wait in his office." Mr. Savior's tone carried a hint of helplessness.
It was clear he'd been waiting in the office for quite a while, possibly even having slept due to tiredness, evident from the speed he opened the door and the crust in his eyes.
"Alright, we'll wait together. I also have matters to consult our Professor of Alchemy about." At this moment, Ian finally stepped into Nicolas Flamel's office.