Diagon Alley had a dedicated owl shop, Eeylops Owl Emporium.
There, Jerael took a liking to a black, white, and brown tricolor owl.
White patterns were woven between the black and brown feathers, making it remarkably handsome.
Though barely over a year old, it was very composed—a handsome young owl.
Jerael liked it immensely, paying twelve Galleons on the spot, and walked away holding the owl, which he named Fury.
Jerael mentally tallied his purchases.
Textbooks cost 13 Galleons, school equipment and supplies 28 Galleons, first-year robes 40 Galleons.
Jerael had also custom-ordered some ordinary everyday clothes, which, being made of plain fabric, cost only 20 Galleons.
Miscellaneous stationery took 5 Galleons, the wand 7 Galleons, and the owl 12 Galleons.
A total of 125 Galleons.
Not bad—he had 77 Galleons left, which should be more than enough to last through his first year.
Jerael thought relaxed, following Professor McGonagall with cozy anticipation.
“Professor McGonagall, I have a question I’d like to ask you,” Jerael said after a moment’s hesitation.
Professor McGonagall paused and looked at Jerael with slight confusion.
“Though you haven’t formally enrolled yet, I am still willing to answer your questions.
Has something happened, Mr.
Prentiss?”
“Well, when my parents were fleeing with me, they specifically told me not to use my magic so the dark wizards wouldn’t find us.
So I’ve been suppressing it for years.
Lately, I’ve felt like…
like my magic is gone.
Professor McGonagall, can I still attend Hogwarts?”
Jerael looked anxious and confused, biting his lip with a hint of unease.
Hearing that it was a matter regarding his magic, Professor McGonagall instantly grew serious.
“You found your wand at Ollivanders, which proves there’s nothing wrong with your magic.
However, let me double-check.”
She led Jerael to a secluded spot, drew her wand, and cast several diagnostic spells on him.
The spells reflected a bright white light, and Professor McGonagall’s expression relaxed.
“Take out your wand, Mr.
Prentiss.
Imagine the wand lighting up, and repeat after me: *Lumos*.”
Jerael obediently pulled out his wand and closed his eyes to feel the chakra inside his body.
He had spent the entire night refining it, and currently had quite a bit of chakra, though he wasn’t sure how this amount translated to magical power.
The chakra was quickly mobilized, flowing along his pathways toward the wand.
Jerael didn’t know the exact hand signs or movements for casting spells, so relying purely on instinct, he gave a tiny flick.
“*Lumos*,” Jerael whispered.
The Wand-Lighting Charm wasn’t difficult; even first-years could easily cast it.
It was simply a matter of whether the point of light was stable.
“A very fine spell.
You truly have a gift for spellwork.
There is no need to worry, Mr.
Prentiss.
Your magical circuit is perfectly fine, your magic fluctuations are steady, and your output is consistent—even better than most new students.”
Professor McGonagall’s satisfied voice sounded.
Only then did Jerael open his eyes to see a bright, steady point of light at the tip of his wand, and a smile broke out across his face.
“Magic is deeply connected to our souls.
Some wizards suffer brain damage after illness and temporarily lose their magic; some Squibs suddenly manifest magic as adults; and some young wizards suppress their inner feelings so severely that their magic gets trapped inside them, unable to release.”
“Perhaps you once lost your magic sensitivity due to excessive suppression, but now, you have no issues whatsoever.”
Professor McGonagall patiently explained.
Jerael breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed chakra was equivalent to magic in this world, so he didn’t need to worry about reconciling two different energy systems.
Furthermore, a ninja’s total chakra capacity generally settled before age thirty, and a wizard’s magic level stabilized around the same age range, showing a definite commonality between the two.
This was advantageous for Jerael: he could increase his magic level by refining chakra, using ninja training methods to train his magic and master spells earlier and faster.
Coming back to his senses, Professor McGonagall prepared to escort Jerael home.
Jerael seized the opportunity to ask, “Professor McGonagall, my father told me he had a friend running a shop in Diagon Alley.
May I go visit him?”
Jerael spoke with half-truths, mostly due to his subconscious habit from his time as a ninja to hide certain information, fearing that being too candid might attract unwanted attention.
Professor McGonagall didn’t mind and was happy for him instead.
“Of course.
I am glad you have an elder who cares for you, Mr.
Prentiss.
Young wizards always need elders to guide their growth.”
Soon, Jerael arrived at a quiet corner of Diagon Alley following the address left by his father.
The Hide-and-Seek General Store.
It was a shop under Laurence’s name.
Jerael didn’t know why his father had given it such a name, but when he stepped inside and saw the vast array of items, with wizards weaving back and forth between the shelves like playing hide-and-seek, he approved of the name.
“Hello, Professor McGonagall, young wizard.
Is there anything you’d like to buy?” A white-haired old wizard bent over as he walked over, greeting them warmly.
Professor McGonagall remained silent and looked at Jerael. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Jerael spoke up, “Hello, are you Mr.
Cora Hill?
I’m Jerael Prentiss.
Laurence Prentiss was my father.
He asked me to visit you before starting school and send his regards.”
Hearing this, Cora Hill looked closely at Jerael’s features.
When he saw his light-colored eyes, a flash of surprise crossed his face, but he ultimately nodded.
“Yes, indeed.
You look very much like Laurence.
We were very good friends.
Child, if you ever need anything, you can owl me anytime.
I would be more than happy to help.”
Jerael smiled.
“That’s wonderful.
May I call you Grandpa Cora?”
Cora Hill smiled kindly and nodded.
Jerael continued, “Grandpa Cora, I came today to buy my school supplies, so I won’t stay long.
When I get the chance in the future, I’ll come visit you often.”
Cora Hill beamed, turned around, and took out a small pouch from beneath the counter.
“I’ve waited for this day for a long time.
Here is your matriculation gift—some novel gadgets.
Take them back and play with them.”
Jerael guessed this was probably the shop’s accumulated dividends over the years.
Seeing that it was getting late, Jerael said goodbye to Cora and was escorted home by Professor McGonagall.
“Here is your ticket for King’s Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Don’t miss your train.
See you at the start of term.”
Leaving behind a ticket, Professor McGonagall vanished.
Jerael packed away his purchases, sat cross-legged on the bed with his wand across his knees, and began practicing chakra refinement.
Before the start of term, he not only needed to refine enough chakra but also master chakra control to better command magic and learn spells.
He also needed to bond with his wand to build rapport and affinity.
He’d also have to find time to read through all the first-year textbooks.
And he needed to visit Grandpa Cora at Diagon Alley again to see if he had anything else to hand over, as well as discuss common knowledge in the wizarding world.
Jerael let out a soft breath, and his consciousness slowly drifted into quiet focus.