After Potions class, Harry's mood was at its worst.
In addition to Snape's almost humiliating questions during class, the constant low chuckles of Slytherin students kept echoing in Harry's ears.
He couldn't understand why Snape hated him so much.
"Don't worry," Ron said. "Snape always takes points from Fred and George. These two points you lost don't matter. By the way, aren't we supposed to go to Hagrid's for tea later? Maybe we can invite Ivy."
Harry's invitation didn't work out in the end. He almost heard Ivy say, "Sure," but before anything could be finalized, Snape, looking like a dark bat, interrupted everything.
"I'm afraid Mr. Doom cannot attend, Potter," Snape said, glaring down at Harry's face. Even when speaking to Ivy, Snape maintained the same condescending tone. "Professor Dumbledore has requested your presence, Mr. Doom. The password is lemon drops. You know where to go to meet him."
Ivy shrugged and said, "Thanks for the invitation, but I'm afraid I'll have to postpone until next time."
"Oh… uh. No problem, we were chatting," Harry replied, trying not to let Snape's gaze affect him.
"Hmph. If I were you, Mr. Potter, I'd spend my spare time reading, to clear the clutter and flies from your mind instead of 'chatting'." Snape's words stung more than his glare.
Fortunately, after saying this, Snape left, giving Harry no further chance to mess up.
"Seriously, has he always been this nasty?" Harry asked, watching Snape's black robes disappear down the stairs.
Ivy nodded, "Maybe calling his mouth 'sharp-tongued' doesn't quite do it justice... but don't worry, he's still a decent person, I suppose."
Both Harry and Ron were skeptical about that. They both expressed regret that Ivy wouldn't be joining them, then left the Slytherin dungeons with heavy steps.
Ivy shook his head as he watched them leave. It seemed that Gryffindor students were prone to mental wounds in Potions class, and Harry always seemed to be under heavy fire.
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The founders had built Hogwarts tall and grand, and while it looked imposing from the outside, living inside meant walking up and down endless stairs.
The Headmaster's office was located on the highest floor of the main tower, nearly as high as the Astronomy Tower on the other side of the castle.
For someone like Ivy, who didn't have high physical stats, this was a small challenge.
But luckily, he was not just a wizard; he was also a mage.
The spell "Stride," designed specifically for quick travel, allowed Ivy to race through Hogwarts' numerous stairs, reaching the oak door of the Headmaster's office in no time.
He knocked, and Dumbledore's voice came from inside, "It must be Mr. Doom. Come in!"
The office looked as it always had—shelves filled with books, jars and bottles placed around the room, silverware glittering in glass cabinets, smoking bottles with narrow necks, and an old man with a white beard sitting comfortably on a cushioned chair.
Dumbledore was wearing a deep blue robe decorated with gold-threaded stars, and his pointed hat was slumped over his shoulder.
"Welcome," Dumbledore gestured for Ivy to sit. The chair was soft and seemed to offer good support.
On the table was a small plate of candy—yellow lemon drops. Ivy guessed this was the source of the password.
Noticing Ivy's gaze, Dumbledore smiled and introduced the candy, "Lemon drops! I got them from a Muggle shop. They don't accept Galleons, so I had to use a bit of magic. They're filled with jam inside, very tasty. Would you like some?"
Ivy picked one up and popped it into his mouth. It was pleasantly tart and sweet—quite nice.
Although he didn't know why Dumbledore had called him, Ivy, feeling at ease, continued to enjoy the candy. After all, he had always been a law-abiding student since enrolling in Hogwarts, and he hadn't even used dark magic once, out of respect for Dumbledore.
"Mr. Doom, what do you think of Muggles and their society?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
So this was the "main course"? Ivy inwardly thought, realizing Voldemort must have fallen far enough to not even be worth discussing.
Ivy couldn't help but mock this in his mind, but his face remained neutral as he pondered the question before answering.
"Before I became a student at Hogwarts, I was a Muggle myself. And at that time, Muggle society wasn't nearly as safe and peaceful as it is now."
"In my opinion, Muggles are no different from wizards, except they can't wave a wand and make sparks fly. They can be even more creative. A hundred years ago, Muggle society was a far cry from what it is now. Many people couldn't even afford to eat, and disease and hunger threatened many lives. But now, cities are expanding, transportation is convenient, and the streets are lit up. It's a far cry from a hundred years ago!"
"On the other hand, the British magical world hasn't changed much compared to a hundred years ago. At least I haven't faced any resistance when blending in."
Dumbledore nodded. At over a hundred years old, he had seen and heard much more than Ivy, especially since he hadn't been sealed in a crystal for over a century because of a magical accident.
"However, I've heard you've had some conflicts with your classmates?" Dumbledore asked, referring to the students who had been hospitalized after their encounter with Ivy. Thanks to Madam Pomfrey, most of them were released the next day, and even the worst cases recovered by the third day.
"Oh! That's exactly what I wanted to bring up," Ivy continued, tossing another lemon drop into his mouth. "When did Slytherin become so conservative? Pureblood theory? It's like we're going backward. When I went to school, bloodline discrimination wasn't as bad as it is now. And I held back—I fought a proper duel."
Ivy had already felt Dumbledore trying to read his thoughts through their eye contact, but that did not affect Ivy, who was a master of dark magic. He was sure he hadn't shown any weaknesses.
Ever since discovering the power of the Destruction Grimoire, Ivy's mindset had completely changed.
Initially, when he had escaped from the crystal, he was determined to stay at Hogwarts, which was why he had feigned weakness in his confrontation with Dumbledore.
Later, after discovering his name was on the entry book, his mindset shifted for the first time, and he stopped being so cautious.
When he fully inspected the Destruction Grimoire at the Leaky Cauldron and saw his character panel, Ivy decided to let loose and do whatever he wanted.
He was the ultimate Dark Magic Master, and as long as he didn't repeatedly cross Dumbledore's boundaries, Ivy was confident that Dumbledore's priority would still be defeating Voldemort.