These are all things that might be conjured up by the God of Death in Ian's mind at the moment.
Better safe than sorry; he definitely didn't want to encounter all sorts of accidents while out and about, with a slew of fatal incidents toppling like dominoes.
"From the tone of the Ravenclaw ancestor, even the gods in the World of the Dead have their wars. As long as I don't court disaster myself, the God of Death will certainly not have time to mess with me."
"I've now found a solution for the Patronus Charm. The real challenge is to find the segment of the alchemy formula on the Resurrection Stone that can anchor a particular soul." Ian repeatedly toyed with the Resurrection Stone Ring in his hand and began to reshape the Illusion Black Stone he had brought back, according to the Resurrection Stone.
He raised his magic wand, and unseen forces seemed like large hands, causing the seemingly unyielding stones in front of him to show unprecedented fragility at the touch of magic.
Pieces of stones the size of the little finger were "plucked" down, then reshaped under the magical influence to become almost identical in appearance to the Resurrection Stone.
The surface of the stones gradually revealed faint patterns, which seemed to be imbued with life, gently moving, intertwining, and finally solidifying into an ancient and mysterious sigil—the mark of the Resurrection Stone.
"Clang~"
Ian, feeling a bit of a sting, flicked several Golden Galleon coins like marbles with his other hand. As they flew mid-air, they transformed into a fluid state by Ian's will, ultimately enveloping the modified stones, setting into replicas of "Resurrection Stone" rings.
Of course.
They were just hollow replicas, mere craftworks without any added magical power. Ian's idea was that if he couldn't successfully extract the alchemy formula segment he needed, he would attempt to replicate the entire inscription on the Resurrection Stone, creating a batch of thoroughly counterfeit "Ring of Resurrection Stone."
Could this possibly help him get the "anchor" he desired?
"Anyway, such counterfeits surely wouldn't still belong to the God of Death. It remains to be seen whether my reproductions retain the power and attributes the Resurrection Stone should possess."
Ian was well aware that this was an improbable scheme.
Like Nuwa creating humans, Nuwa could whip clay into people, while others could only whip clay into bizarre sculptures at best.
Similarly, the alchemy inscriptions on the Resurrection Stone perhaps only the God of Death can endow with power. If so, even if Ian deciphered its secrets, it might be difficult to use them himself.
"Lady Ravenclaw has indeed presented me with a formidable challenge... In any case, various methods must be tried. This is not just for the Patronus Charm but also for my alchemy." Ian watched the formed rings fall into his hand, seven rings identical to the Resurrection Stone with the same mysterious luster.
He thought that besides getting Teacher Morgan's approval, Ariana could be anchored by him as well. Ariana died young after all, and if she wished to return to the human world, Ian considered it a good deed, making up for her early demise and allowing her to witness the bustling human world once more.
"If Ariana were a Patronus, she'd actually be quite strong, perhaps even stronger than Teacher Morgan in some ways. Summoning Ariana is almost like summoning Magic Dumbledore." Ian thought with Ariana's help, he could make Dumbledore use the Fire God's Path to heat his foot bath.
What a delightful enjoyment that would be.
"Who'd have thought I'd want to bully an old man! Aurora was right; I am a bit too wicked!" Ian seemingly realized this obvious truth as if for the first time.
He placed the seven counterfeit Resurrection Stone Rings along with the authentic ring into his money bag and then took out the Slytherin pendant box to study its alchemical structure and inscriptions. After all, it was an artifact crafted by Salazar Slytherin to be used in conjunction with the Resurrection Stone, so it must contain some knowledge about "anchoring."
"This is the structure and alchemy that people can understand!" Ian carefully opened the surface of the pendant box and, sure enough, beneath, he found hidden alchemical inscriptions intertwined in its texture.
Ancient alchemical techniques were used, yet Ian's major was in ancient alchemy, and he wanted to see if he could research what he needed by himself.
If he could.
Why bother referencing those scribble-like marks on the Resurrection Stone?
"Tick, tock, tick, tock~"
Time passed by the minute, the second.
In the warm common room, Ian also took out the fragments of Morgan Witch's dress, studying them with reference to the knowledge on them, toiled away at his research, burning the midnight oil over the desk by the fireplace.
Outside the window.
The temperature had already dropped below zero.
The downpour persisted.
Lightning like sharp, silver longswords darted across the dark clouds again and again, momentarily illuminating the world as if in daylight. In those fleeting flashes of light, the silhouette of the Forbidden Forest loomed in the rainy mist, like a slumbering giant beast slightly crouching, or as if innumerable hidden eyes were watching over the tranquility of Hogwarts.
In these hours when most people occupy their dreams.
Each flash of lightning ripping through the night sky didn't just illuminate Hogwarts but also cast light upon some unknown corners deep within the Forbidden Forest, where secrets sheltered by ancient trees had nowhere to hide under the bolts.