By the time both Dumbledore and Snape had realized that the name Ivy initially gave to his magical tome was not "The Doom Spell Tome," it was already too late.
Neither of them could change Ivy's firm mindset.
After all, they were facing a teenager who had experienced a magical accident in ancient magic, resulting in his body shrinking and his mind partially regressing to that of a younger age—a boy with a somewhat juvenile and rebellious personality.
For such a self-aware child, besides "stubborn," it was hard to find another word to describe the energy he wasted on things he thought were cool (especially in his own eyes).
Whether those things were his own or belonged to the adults in his life.
Fortunately, the strange sound coming from the Headmaster's office startled the three people present.
It was a "clacking" sound, like nails tapping on a table or like a hard book being gently placed onto a surface.
"What's making that noise?" Ivy looked around, suspecting that one of the portraits of past headmasters was responsible.
"Maybe it's one of my collections?" Dumbledore, too, seemed unsure of what the sound was. "Or perhaps it's Fawkes pecking at the door."
As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, Fawkes, perched on his golden branch, immediately began to sing out. His wings flapped, sending a gust of hot air as if trying to clear his name.
But before Dumbledore could calm the phoenix down, there was another visitor to the already crowded Headmaster's office.
A middle-aged witch with an elegant high bun and a deep green robe entered. Her expression was both serious and confident. Ivy instantly recognized her as Professor Minerva McGonagall from his memories.
"Oh," Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd gone to Honeydukes, Albus. It's good to see you here. As for the other gentlemen, good afternoon."
When McGonagall's gaze moved to Ivy, she couldn't help but ask, "Who is this gentleman…? I don't remember seeing a Slytherin this young among the students, Severus?"
"I'm Ivy Doom, good day…" Ivy greeted her politely and then looked at Dumbledore, asking for clarification.
"Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, my most capable assistant," Dumbledore proudly introduced, then turned to McGonagall, "This is Ivy Doom, a former fifth-year student of Hogwarts."
"Former?" McGonagall muttered, "I don't remember approving the expulsion of such a young Slytherin fifth-year…"
Her stern gaze swept over everyone in the room. She subtly nodded toward Ivy and continued, "Alright, Albus, whatever game you're playing, let me get to work. I need to check the Register of Admittance. I've heard that Harry Potter still hasn't received his acceptance letter. I think it's time he knows on his birthday that he's a wizard."
Snape rose and made way for her. McGonagall didn't look back as she climbed a rather unremarkable staircase in the Headmaster's office.
From Ivy's previous experience wandering the Headmaster's office over a century ago, he knew the stairs led to a hidden tower that contained only two important magical items: the Register of Admittance and the Acceptance Quill. These were the tools that determined who could attend Hogwarts. Once a name was recorded by the Acceptance Quill in the Register, a magical contract was formed between the wizarding world and the young witch or wizard. From that moment on, as long as the student wore the Sorting Hat during the Sorting Ceremony, Hogwarts would fully accept them.
Everything within the castle, including the stairs and the portraits, would cater to or play tricks on the students, and the house-elves who worked at Hogwarts would treat them as part of the castle's family, offering services such as carrying luggage, cleaning, and preparing meals.
Therefore, for every young witch or wizard who longed to attend Hogwarts, the Register of Admittance and the Acceptance Quill were incredibly important. However, no wizard had ever been able to change the decisions made by these items or add a name that didn't belong.
Over a century ago, Ivy had tried to use the Acceptance Quill, but he wasn't able to write anything in the Register. The old, faded feather pen made of augury bird feathers could not draw any ink, and the ink bottle next to the Register was empty. Ivy hadn't had the time to investigate these magical items further, so he had never witnessed how they worked.
However, according to certain books in the Restricted Section, the ink that flowed from the Acceptance Quill was a silvery liquid that no one had ever fully identified.
McGonagall's figure disappeared up the stairs, and the Headmaster's office became quiet once again.
Ivy wasn't sure whether he should continue the previous topic or not, whether it was about The Doom Spell Tome, ancient magic, or something else entirely.
From Dumbledore's expression, it was hard to tell whether he was interested in continuing the conversation.
Suddenly, Dumbledore tore off a piece of parchment, scribbled something quickly, and called for Fawkes. He whispered a few words to the golden-red bird before sending it flying out of the window.
"Maybe we should resume this conversation at another time. Since you were once a Slytherin, Severus can take you…" Dumbledore had not finished his sentence when he was interrupted by McGonagall, who had already returned.
"I can't believe my eyes, Albus!" She looked somewhat angry for reasons Ivy couldn't discern. "There are still three little wizards who haven't received their acceptance letters!"
"Ivy Doom?" Professor McGonagall's voice rang down the stairs as she descended, and after Ivy hesitantly responded with a "Yes," she continued, "This letter is for you. After the Sorting Ceremony, you can wear that shiny Slytherin robe of yours."
By the time she finished speaking, McGonagall had reached Ivy and handed him an envelope.
The wax seal on the envelope bore a shield-shaped crest, with a large letter "H" surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
"You've only solved one-third of the problem for me. You should at least think about the remaining two-thirds, Albus," McGonagall didn't pay attention to the surprised look on Ivy's face. Instead, she addressed Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's expression, while surprised, also had a hint of a smile. "I've already asked Hagrid to handle the Harry Potter situation. As for the last little wizard who hasn't received a letter... Severus, I'm afraid you'll need to go."
Snape sighed in frustration, exhaling through his nose, and reluctantly took the second letter from McGonagall.