“Elder, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches, unyielding—this is easily one of the most demanding wands of all.”
Ollivander looked at the wand Harry had chosen with immense satisfaction.
“This wand possesses immense power and an unwavering will that refuses to fail. It chose you, Mr. Potter, because you likewise refuse to permit your own failure. But be warned: if you ever fail or falter, it will no longer obey you, and the dragon heartstring will cause it to lash back with disastrous force.”
Dumbledore’s eyebrows twitched slightly at this outcome, though he remained silent.
“…Such as?” Harry asked, curiously waving the wand and returning the scattered wooden boxes back into their shelves one by one.
“Such as every curse you cast rebounding directly onto yourself,” Ollivander answered, his eyes fixed intently on the sight before him.
“Astonishing talent, Mr. Potter. The Levitation Charm—a first-year lesson.”
It wasn’t just him; even the other wizards gathered outside the shop, peering in through the glass windows, were whispering heatedly among themselves.
Separated by the shop door, however, their voices were kept well at bay.
Harry ignored his praise; he had already heard far too many such compliments along the way.
He was currently staring at the wand in his hand with a strange expression.
Lash back, will it?
If that’s the case—
The moment it shows signs of disobedience, I should break it immediately and get a new one to avoid messing things up.
That was what he truly thought in his heart.
Besides, I was able to master even a legendary relic like the Sword of Triton—let alone a wand.
“I thought you would buy some new textbooks,” Dumbledore remarked casually as they stepped out of Flourish and Blotts.
“After all, you told Madam Malkin that you needed the very best.”
His mood was no longer as heavy as when they had first arrived in Diagon Alley that morning; it seemed to have returned to the gentle warmth he radiated in the very first second they met.
“Of course clothes can’t be secondhand,” Harry replied, both arms laden with bags—robes, a cauldron, scales, potion phials, a thick stack of textbooks, and that small cloth bag stuffed with his entire fortune tied tightly to his belt.
“But books are different. Well-preserved secondhand textbooks contain the experience left behind by those who came before.”
Pausing, he turned his head to look at Dumbledore in confusion.
“Besides, you didn’t tell me that using magic requires chants in addition to a wand. That sounds rather foolish—if you have to shout out your spell during a duel, wouldn’t your enemy know what’s coming?”
“Professor, I remember when you used magic, you didn’t make a sound—you simply…”
He raised a finger and gave it a wave.
“Non-verbal and wandless magic require a long period of study and mastery,” Dumbledore offered, sharing information beyond a first-year’s curriculum.
“I believe it is time for us to depart. Although I sent your letter in advance, it appears quite a few young wizards have still come early to buy their supplies.”
He looked toward the far end of Diagon Alley, his cloudy eyes seeming to spot the flame-haired Weasley family among the crowd following them.
“You don’t seem keen on fame or attracting attention,” Harry observed.
“So, where are we heading now?”
“Lastly, to buy your pet. Do you remember the list on your letter? Young wizards are permitted to bring a pet to school; they can offer you some assistance—delivering mail, for instance.”
Dumbledore led him toward their next destination.
“We must hurry, Harry.”
“An owl, a cat, or a toad? Hmm, those all sound like pets I wouldn’t particularly care for,” Harry chatted casually as he followed behind.
“In truth, I’d much rather buy a snake. After all, I can talk to them, and they could be my friends.”
The single sentence brought Dumbledore to a sudden halt.
Unprepared, Harry bumped right into him.
“Hey!”
Harry let out an annoyed cry and raised his head, only to find Dumbledore had turned around and was staring straight down at him.
“Harry, did you just say… you can understand the language of snakes?” Dumbledore kept his gaze locked on Harry.
“You can communicate with them?”
“Yes, I can communicate with them,” Harry answered.
For some unknown reason, the surrounding noise seemed to vanish all at once.
He looked off into the distance at the crowd that had been following them ever since they entered Diagon Alley.
Quite a few of them were backing away, staring at him with terrified expressions.
Others held even more complex looks.
Clearly, he had just said something quite shocking.
Harry realized this.
“Since you don’t intend to buy a pet suitable for a first-year wizard, I suppose it is time for us to leave, Harry.”
Dumbledore took him by the arm.
“For the remaining time, do I need to return to Mr. Dursley’s house and wait quietly for the holiday to end? In order to maintain that…”
Harry cut himself off mid-sentence.
“Perhaps you could help me explain things to them—that I’m going to Hogwarts for school. After all, they still don’t know about any of this, and I can’t persuade them. As you know, I’m just a child.”
Dumbledore shook his head and replied, “I will go and explain things on their end.”
“However, for the coming month, I believe I need to find someone else to look after you. In truth, even I am no longer certain whether it is necessary for you to remain at the Dursleys’.”
“You might feel a bit dizzy next, Harry. Be prepared.”
“What?”
Puzzled, Harry placed his hand on Dumbledore’s.
In the next instant, the world spun wildly.
The bustling sounds of a crowd flooded his ears.
Before his eyes, it was no longer the Diagon Alley full of ‘freaks’—normally dressed people were walking along the street, though they seemed unable to see him or Dumbledore.
“Perhaps you, like your father, possess a natural talent for becoming a professional Quidditch player,” Dumbledore observed Harry, noting, “Normally, experiencing this magic for the first time causes a bit of nausea and dizziness.”
“Where is this?”
Harry surveyed his surroundings warily, searching for a sign or street name.
“So we just traversed through space and teleported?”
“Wizards are far more powerful than I imagined. What is this magic called? When will I learn it? Can it allow me to travel anywhere in the world at will?”
He could hardly wait to go to school now.
In that dream of his, he had searched endlessly for legendary artifacts just to command such power.
To think he possessed this power all along—no one had ever told him.
And no one had taught him how to use it, to the point where he had mistakenly believed this power was granted by the Sword of Triton!
Just like that Muggle, Blackbeard!
“This is a sixth-year subject, and it requires passing an examination by the Ministry of Magic. Its range of travel is limited; for example, I cannot take you directly to Hogwarts from here.”
Dumbledore again shared advanced knowledge before continuing, “This is Spinner’s End in Cokeworth, England—the residence of a Hogwarts professor. Over the next month, I must make preparations for the start of the term, so I cannot personally look after you.”
Pausing, a smile appeared on his face.
“Furthermore, he shared deep ties with your parents. I am confident you two will get along well over the next month or so.”
With that, he led Harry up to a completely bare doorstep and pressed the doorbell.
Harry didn’t hold any expectations—for the exact same reason as before: for now, he temporarily chose to believe everything Dumbledore said.
As for whether it was true or false, he would find out for himself.
However, this “old acquaintance” of his parents was most likely a man—and a very dull, uninteresting one at that.
In front of his house, there were no potted plants, nor even a door number.
Oh, there wasn’t even a mailbox.
There was nothing at all—just a dark, gloomy door.