Outside Ollivanders, Garrick Ollivander watched Alvin and Snape disappear into the crowd with a helpless smile.
Beside him, Snape wore an expression that was…
difficult to interpret.
After several moments of silence, he finally spoke.
“You are going to become a very successful businessman one day.” Alvin immediately detected the faint trace of sarcasm hidden beneath the compliment.
He wisely pretended not to notice.
After all, he had just sold one of Fury’s tail feathers for one hundred Galleons.
Considering a single feather could be used to produce multiple wand cores, the transaction was profitable for everyone involved.
And as an added bonus, Ollivander had agreed to create a completely custom wand free of charge.
From Alvin’s perspective, this counted as an overwhelming victory.
The remainder of the day passed in a blur of shopping.
Books.
Cauldrons.
Robes.
Potion ingredients.
By the time he had finished checking off every item on the Hogwarts supply list, the sun had already begun to descend toward the horizon.
Before leaving, Alvin made one final request.
Instead of returning home, he asked Snape to leave him at the Leaky Cauldron.
His custom wand would require several days to complete, and there was little point traveling back and forth between London and South Kensington.
More importantly, without a wand, he needed Tom the Innkeeper to open the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley whenever he wanted to enter.
Staying at the Leaky Cauldron was simply the more practical option.
After exchanging a few words with Tom, Snape departed.
Alvin carried his belongings upstairs, spent several minutes removing a truly impressive amount of dust from his assigned room, and finally collapsed into a chair beside the bed.
For the first time all day, he could properly examine his system notifications.
The moment he had entered Diagon Alley, messages had started appearing one after another.
Unfortunately, checking a mysterious floating interface while standing next to Severus Snape seemed like a poor life decision.
The system panel appeared before him.
[Achievement System Activated.] Alvin sat up slightly.
A new feature?
Interesting.
The next notification appeared.
[Achievement Unlocked: First Steps into the Wizarding World — Diagon Alley] [Reward: 200 Gold] Several more messages followed in quick succession.
[Visited Gringotts Wizarding Bank.] [Reward: 50 Gold] [Visited Ollivanders.] [Reward: 50 Gold] [Visited Flourish and Blotts.] [Reward: 50 Gold] …
The list continued.
Each individual reward was fairly modest.
Together, however, they added up surprisingly quickly.
Alvin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Looks like I should eventually visit every shop in Diagon Alley.” A grin slowly spread across his face.
“And once I’m strong enough…” “Knockturn Alley should be worth a decent number of achievements too.” The thought was tempting.
Dangerous.
But tempting.
His gaze drifted toward his current Gold total.
After a moment, he decisively closed the interface.
No card draws.
Not yet.
Experience had taught him a valuable lesson.
Temporary good luck was an illusion.
A man who relied on pity was still a man who relied on pity.
Only guaranteed rewards brought true emotional stability.
As for one-pull miracles?
Those happened exclusively to other people.
He was sure of it.
Absolutely sure.
Probably.
Three days later.
With Tom’s assistance, Alvin made his way back into Diagon Alley.
During his stay at the Leaky Cauldron, he had become surprisingly friendly with the innkeeper.
Tom turned out to be far kinder than his somewhat intimidating appearance suggested.
The three-day wait had also provided an unexpected opportunity.
Alvin had seen Harry Potter.
Not directly.
The moment Harry arrived at the Leaky Cauldron alongside Rubeus Hagrid, the entire inn had erupted.
People whispered.
People pointed.
People openly stared.
Several patrons looked as though they had just witnessed a historical figure walk through the front door.
The Boy Who Lived certainly attracted attention.
From a distance, Alvin had observed quietly.
Harry looked exactly as he remembered.
Small.
Thin.
Awkward.
And completely overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, Harry Potter also happened to be a magnet for trouble.
Which was precisely why Alvin had no intention of introducing himself.
Harry equaled trouble.
The formula remained remarkably reliable throughout the entire series.
Alvin preferred to keep a safe distance from both Harry and the chaos constantly orbiting around him.
Especially given his own circumstances.
Gaunt.
That surname alone was dangerous enough.
For all he knew, Dumbledore had already taken an interest in him.
Best not to provide additional reasons.
With those thoughts in mind, Alvin arrived at Ollivanders and stepped inside.
The bell above the door chimed softly.
Almost immediately, Ollivander emerged from between the shelves.
“Mr.
Gaunt!” The elderly wandmaker looked exhausted.
His hair was even messier than before.
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes.
Yet despite the obvious lack of sleep, excitement practically radiated from him.
Clearly, the last three days had been spent doing exactly one thing.
Making wands.
“Come.” “Quickly.” “I’ve prepared several candidates.” Without waiting for a response, he ushered Alvin toward the testing area.
“All contain phoenix feather cores.” “The differences are in the wood and dimensions.” His pale eyes gleamed.
“Let’s begin.” The first wand was placed into Alvin’s hand.
“Maple.” “Nine inches.” Alvin gave it a cautious wave.
A crimson bolt exploded from the tip.
BOOM!
A fresh hole appeared in the wall.
Silence descended.
Ollivander stared at the damage.
Then calmly removed the wand from Alvin’s hand.
“No.” “No, no, no.” “Far too reactive.” His eyes, however, were shining.
“Excellent compatibility.” “Utterly unacceptable behavior.” He hurried away and returned carrying another wand.
“Mahogany.” “Thirteen inches.” “A marvelous wood for Transfiguration.” Alvin accepted it obediently.
At this point, he felt less like a customer and more like a test subject.
He flicked the wand.
Immediately, dozens of wand boxes flew from nearby shelves.
They began orbiting around the room in perfect circles.
Ollivander’s eyes widened.
“Fascinating.” “Absolutely fascinating.” He paced back and forth, muttering to himself.
“Both highly compatible.” “Extraordinarily compatible.” “And yet…” He stopped.
“There is still something missing.” Without another word, he disappeared into the workshop.
Several minutes later, he returned carrying a wand unlike any of the others.
The wood possessed a rich reddish-gold hue.
A faint warmth radiated from its surface.
Even before touching it, Alvin felt something stirring within his magic.
Ollivander’s expression had become unusually solemn.
“Phoenix Wood.” “Twelve and a half inches.” His voice dropped slightly.
“Try this one.” Alvin accepted the wand.
The instant his fingers wrapped around it, everything changed.
A powerful resonance surged through him.
Magic flowed effortlessly between wizard and wand.
His blood seemed to ignite.
The wand no longer felt like a tool.
It felt like an extension of his own body.
Instinctively, Alvin raised it.
Golden-red light erupted from the tip.
A piercing cry echoed through the shop.
From the torrent of magic emerged a magnificent phoenix.
Its wings blazed with living fire.
Its body shone like molten gold.
The construct spread its wings and soared toward the front of the shop.
At that exact moment— The door opened.
A girl stepped inside.
An Asian girl around Alvin’s age.
The phoenix was flying straight at her.
The newcomer froze.
Completely.
For obvious reasons.
Most people didn’t expect to be greeted by a giant flaming bird when entering a wand shop.
“LOOK OUT!” Alvin reacted instantly.
He twisted the wand sideways.
The phoenix responded at once.
Just before impact, it banked sharply.
Its blazing wings passed within inches of the girl’s face before it veered away.
A second later, it slammed into a nearby wall.
BOOM!
Dust erupted outward.
The phoenix dissolved into countless sparks.
Alvin didn’t hesitate.
He crossed the distance in seconds.
“Are you alright?” He gently grabbed the girl’s shoulders.
“Were you hurt?” “I’m sorry.” “That was completely my fault.” Only then did he properly notice her appearance.
She was beautiful.
Even at eleven years old, it was obvious she would become exceptionally attractive in a few years.
Long dark hair.
Delicate features.
Bright intelligent eyes.
At the moment, those eyes were wide with lingering shock, making her look unexpectedly adorable.
For several seconds, she simply stared at him.
Cho Chang had only come to Diagon Alley to purchase wand-care supplies.
Her parents were busy, so she had made the trip alone.
It should have been an entirely ordinary errand.
Instead, the moment she walked into Ollivanders, a giant flaming phoenix had attempted to fly directly through her face.
The experience had temporarily disconnected her brain.
Before she could fully process what had happened, a boy had rushed over and started checking whether she was injured.
As her thoughts gradually returned, one observation surfaced above all others.
He’s really handsome.
The realization appeared without warning.
Alvin had already been good-looking before awakening the Wizard Spirit Bloodline.
Afterward, his appearance had become even more refined.
Not enough to rival mythical beings or storybook protagonists.
But certainly enough to attract attention.
Cho finally managed to find her voice.
“I-I’m fine.” Then she realized something.
Alvin was still holding her shoulders.
Her gaze dropped briefly.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
The effect only made her look more charming.
Across the room, Ollivander watched the scene unfold.
A handsome young wizard.
A pretty young witch.
Standing far too close while awkwardly staring at each other.
For some reason, the old wandmaker suddenly felt strange.
He pressed a hand against his stomach.
Curious.
He hadn’t eaten lunch yet.
So why did he suddenly feel full?