“Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.”
Hermione read the sign aloud.
“Should we go buy a wand now?”
“We’re mainly here to buy books this time,” Luke replied.
“We’ll buy wands the next time we visit.”
Luke still wasn’t sure how the Trace worked.
The fact that pre-Hogwarts children weren’t punished for underage magic might have something to do with the Sorting Ceremony or perhaps a spell placed on newly purchased wands.
He planned to buy a second-hand wand first and test it himself.
[Mission Triggered: The Lost Mysterious Energy.]
[Find and absorb the mysterious energy.]
[Reward: One lottery draw.]
Luke had been thinking about wand-related matters when the system suddenly issued a new mission.
The task had appeared completely without warning.
“Dad, why don’t you and Hermione rest at the café over there for a while? I need to buy something. I’ll be back soon.”
“Be careful, and don’t take too long,” James reminded him.
“Okay, Dad.”
As Luke walked down the street, he carefully observed every shop and stall on both sides.
He had already entered almost every major shop in Diagon Alley.
If the mysterious energy had been inside one of them, the system should have reacted already.
Following a side street he hadn’t explored before, Luke frowned.
Hopefully this doesn’t lead to Knockturn Alley.
Just then, he spotted a second-hand shop.
Perfect.
He could buy a used wand first and continue searching afterward.
Inside the shop were broken wands, tarnished brass scales, worn robes, and stacks of old books.
“Sir, I’d like to buy a wand.”
“They’re over there.” The shopkeeper pointed lazily toward a corner.
“Five Galleons each.”
Luke walked over and immediately noticed that most of the wands were badly damaged.
Using one of them would probably end in an accident.
After searching for a while, he finally found one that appeared to be in decent condition.
The moment he held it, he could clearly feel that controlling his magic became easier.
This one will do.
“Sir, isn’t five Galleons a bit expensive? A brand-new wand only costs seven Galleons. Could you lower the price?”
The shopkeeper shook his head.
“You must be Muggle-born. The people who buy second-hand wands either can’t afford new ones or need them for special purposes. The price isn’t negotiable.”
While bargaining, Luke’s eyes suddenly landed on an old hourglass buried beneath a pile of miscellaneous items.
Curious, he picked it up.
“How about five Galleons for both this old hourglass and the wand?”
The shopkeeper took the hourglass, glanced at it, and shrugged.
“Fine.”
At that moment, the system reacted.
[Residual Time Energy detected.]
[Absorb?]
“Absorb.”
[Mission Complete: The Lost Mysterious Energy.]
[Reward available: One lottery draw.]
After purchasing the hourglass, Luke finally understood why the system had reacted.
It was actually part of a Time-Turner.
The golden chain was missing, leaving behind only the hourglass itself.
Somehow, it had ended up in this second-hand shop.
I’ll draw the reward after I get home.
There are too many people here.
After putting the wand away in his storage space, Luke headed back toward the café.
“Dad, I’m back. Let’s continue shopping.”
James waved his hand.
“You two go ahead. I’ll rest here for a while.”
He didn’t think there was any danger inside Diagon Alley, so he felt comfortable letting the two children explore on their own.
“Okay.”
“We’ll have lunch here later,” Luke said.
“If everything goes well today, we can bring Mom and Anna next time.”
As they walked, Luke told Hermione about the second-hand wand he had bought.
He planned to test it once he got home.
If there were no problems, Hermione could buy one the next time they visited and practice basic magic at home.
Together, they visited nearly every remaining shop in Diagon Alley.
One thing Luke noticed was that Crookshanks wasn’t at the Magical Menagerie.
On the other hand, his Natural Affinity proved to be even more remarkable than he had expected.
Most magical creatures possessed relatively high intelligence, allowing him to communicate with nearly all of them.
To Luke, the Magical Menagerie felt far livelier than the bustling streets outside.
Every creature seemed to be talking to him, hoping he would take it home.
Those that weren’t confined to cages had already gathered around him.
“Luke… what’s happening?” Hermione asked in surprise.
Luke leaned closer and whispered,
“I have another ability called Natural Affinity. It lets me communicate with intelligent animals, and it also speeds up the growth and evolution of nearby plants.”
Hermione stared at him in amazement.
“So all these magical creatures are talking to you?”
Luke nodded.
“Yes. They all want me to take them away.”
“My goodness, young wizard!” the shop assistant exclaimed.
“I’ve never seen magical creatures take such a liking to someone before.”
He paused before adding,
“Not even Mr. Newt Scamander.”
Luke had a feeling that if he stayed any longer, the magical creatures might actually riot and follow him out of the shop.
He quickly pulled Hermione away from the Magical Menagerie.
As they walked, Luke secretly glanced at Hermione.
Ever since she had taken the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the front teeth she had always been self-conscious about seemed noticeably smaller.
Luke had never thought her teeth were unusually large in the first place, but he remembered how much Hermione had cared about them in the original story.
“How’s your mental control training been lately?” he asked.
“My control, precision, and speed have all improved, but I can only control five objects at once because I’m still not very good at multitasking,” Hermione said, sounding a little discouraged.
“You’ve only been training for a little over two years. That’s not long at all, so don’t rush.” Luke smiled as he gently patted her on the head.
“You’re already doing very well. Have a little more confidence in yourself.”
“Mmm…” Hermione replied softly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
“Come on, let’s have lunch. This afternoon, you can pick out some souvenirs for your mom and dad. I’ll choose a few gifts for Anna and Mom too.”
“Okay~”
Hermione suddenly seemed much more cheerful.
The three of them had lunch at a café.
Luke found the food rather ordinary and couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
It looked like he’d have to carry out his plan to improve the food at Hogwarts after enrolling.
They didn’t stay in Diagon Alley much longer that afternoon.
After buying a few souvenirs, they headed back.
On the way, they stopped by the London Temple once again, but the old man was still the only one there.
Luke gave him a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, hoping he would find them amusing.
After dropping Hermione off at home, Luke left several books with her and reminded her not to practice any of the spells inside them for the time being.
He didn’t stay long before returning home with James.
“Mom, we’re back!” Luke called as soon as he walked through the front door.
Ta-da!
Anna was the first to appear.
“Luke! Where’s my present? Where’s my present?” she asked excitedly, stretching out both hands.
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Mom’s upstairs.”
Without another word, Anna turned and ran toward the garage.
Luke went upstairs to greet Helen before returning to his room to claim his lottery reward.
“System, begin the lottery.”
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Wind Qilin Cub.]
“A Qilin?”
Luke was stunned as he summoned it.
The little creature looked more like an oddly shaped blue puppy than a legendary Qilin.
Its scales, horns, and auspicious cloud patterns had yet to fully develop.
Should I give it to Anna?
I wonder if she’ll like it.
I’d better ask Mom first.
“Mom, could you come to my room for a moment?”
“Is something wrong?”
Helen walked in and froze the moment she saw the little Wind Qilin playing on the floor.
“What… is that?”
Although it was still very young, it certainly looked unusual.
“Mom, this is a Wind Qilin. My teacher just gave it to me.”
Luke picked it up.
“I was thinking of giving it to Anna, but I don’t know if that’s okay.”
Helen looked at the little creature in surprise.
“A Qilin?”
She naturally knew of the legendary beast, one that stood alongside the dragon and phoenix in Eastern mythology.
She simply hadn’t expected one to resemble such a strange little puppy when it was young.
“Yes. It was only just born, so many of its features haven’t developed yet.”
Luke held it closer so Helen could examine it.
Helen carefully observed the tiny Qilin before speaking.
“Even though the Qilin is considered an auspicious beast, we should still ask your father whether it’s dangerous.”
“Anna is still very young.”
“And before we decide to keep it, we should also ask your father if he’s comfortable raising it.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll go get Dad.”
With that, Luke hurried downstairs to find James.