"Good afternoon, Professor Quirrell."
Ian noticed that when Quirrell saw him, his whole body momentarily froze, and his expression seemed a bit nervous. Ian wondered if Voldemort had told this double-crosser their story.
"H-hello, little wizard."
When Professor Quirrell responded to Ian, he did so with a stammer.
"You seem a bit nervous?"
Ian attempted to soothe Quirrell's emotions.
"N-no, I'm just feeling a bit weak." Quirrell avoided eye contact, trying to switch topics. "Aren't you going to the great hall for lunch?"
A very clumsy attempt to change the topic.
Ian chuckled.
"I plan to study in the library. I ate too much last night and I'm feeling a bit congested." He indeed wanted to go to the library to study some alchemical knowledge thoroughly.
"Truly a young wizard who loves to learn. Your dedication to knowledge ensures you'll surpass those who are mediocre." Quirrell's voice suddenly became normal.
"It's an honor to receive such praise from you, Professor."
Ian maintained his cheerful expression, realizing that the person he was conversing with might not actually be Quirrell, but without showing any unnatural reaction on the surface.
"This isn't praise, just stating facts. Of course, I must remind you not to arrogantly delve too deeply into Dark Arts in your pursuit of magic. For instance, those books on the sixty-second row in the Forbidden Book Area can easily erode the souls of those who are not mentally strong."
Quirrell, or rather Voldemort, who had seized control of the body, reminded Ian in a sincere tone, speaking with such clarity and coherence without a hint of a stammer.
"Understood, Professor."
Ian didn't believe Voldemort was genuinely offering well-intended advice. He could see through Voldemort's psychological tactics, attempting to lure him into studying soul-corrupting magic.
Borrow books to kill someone.
The Black Demon King's mind is truly sinister.
"Remember, those spells can indeed grant immense power, but most who study them only end up falling into the abyss. Never think of yourself as so unique."
Controlling Quirrell's body, Voldemort spoke with a meaningful tone, intending to pat Ian's shoulder, but Ian deftly dodged it.
"Sorry, Professor, I have a phobia of germs." Ian was always on guard against Voldemort's tricks. Both of his hands were in his robe pockets; one gripping his magic wand, the other holding a bottle of Forbidden Magic Potion brewed from the old bones of Voldemort's relatives.
"It's a good habit; for someone who brews potions, a germ phobia isn't a bad thing." Quirrell gave Ian a deep look before continuing to walk forward.
His figure gradually faded into the distance.
Ian watched until Quirrell disappeared from sight before he looked away.
"It's a shame… I wonder what Dumbledore intends to do, or else I'd definitely help purify the air at Hogwarts." Ian really couldn't stand the garlic smell in the air.
If not for the many little wizards nearby who might get affected, he'd likely take on Lin Zhengying's role, using the Soul Furnace to exorcise souls that shouldn't linger in the human world.
"Too restless, even more so than I am. There shouldn't be anyone this restless in Hogwarts." Ian knew from their brief exchange how strongly Voldemort harbored malevolence towards him.
This Black Demon King, whose mind seemed broken, perhaps wasn't entirely damaged, as he employed several psychological techniques concerning "reverse psychology."
Not particularly sophisticated.
However, for children around ten years old, it's undoubtedly a highly effective form of guidance. Kids at that age particularly love trying things they're advised against.
Especially when hints like "weak-minded," "arrogant," and "don't think you're unique" are added, if Ian were merely a gifted little wizard untouched by setbacks, seeing Quirrell as a Hogwarts professor, he'd likely fall for it due to his defiant mindset.
"The sixty-second row in the Forbidden Book Area is full of curses. Those books themselves even carry curses, it's no wonder he wants to use this method to eliminate me stealthily." Ian knew more about the Forbidden Book Area than the Ravenclaw Common Room, and to him, Voldemort's little scheme seemed utterly ridiculous.
A guy who boasts about conquering the world dares only to use such tactics to plot against others?
"Lady Ravenclaw is right, what a Black Demon King, using nothing but petty gangster tricks." After retracting his gaze, Ian quickly made his way to the library.
His research on the Resurrection Stone filled him with motivation, yet finding books related to the God of Death in the vast library was no easy task.
Though Ian was quite familiar with the library, he was only acquainted with the types of books he had previously studied. He rarely explored topics related to a legendary entity like the God of Death.
In fact.
Throughout the wizarding world, from ancient times to the present, even among the outstanding among wizards, rarely have any mentioned information about the God of Death in their writings.
During the entire afternoon, among the books Ian found, besides some alarming tales with dramatic plots, there was no trace of clues concerning the Resurrection Stone or its creation.