“No!” Professor McGonagall shakes her head, then looks at Rayleigh’s big, tear-misted eyes and softens her attitude: “All right, Mr.
Rayleigh.
Before we leave Diagon Alley, the wand will be kept by you.”
“Understood, Professor McGonagall!” Rayleigh nods and hurriedly agrees.
He does not argue with Professor McGonagall about the matter, nor does he press her about whether the old regulation is real or fake.
Since Professor McGonagall wants to inspect the wand and its origins, he will simply treat it as temporarily lending it to her.
Professor McGonagall nods in satisfaction: “Very good.
The wand problem is solved.
We still need to buy the first-year textbooks, Potions class tools, and Astronomy class equipment.
Of course, a young wizard may bring one pet to Hogwarts.”
“Wonderful.
I want to bring an owl.” Rayleigh is very eager about the owls of the magical world.
“That way, even at school, I can write letters to Mom.”
Professor McGonagall smiles: “An owl is a very good choice.
They can help students stay in contact with their families.
You will find that owls are loyal and reliable, and they are one of a wizard’s best friends.”
Next to Ollivanders’ wand shop is a secondhand general store called [The Junk Shop].
It is full of old items, including chairs with broken legs, worn-out wands, textbooks, robes, and even magical pets.
“Rayleigh, Flourish and Blotts and Potage’s Cauldron Shop in Diagon Alley can buy brand-new textbooks and tools, but the prices are not cheap.
You can also consider this secondhand general store.
Although the things are somewhat old, they are more affordable.” Professor McGonagall points at this shop and waits for Rayleigh to make his own choice.
Regarding the prices of European and American textbooks, Rayleigh heard about them in his previous life.
Brand-new textbooks are extremely expensive, and the total price of textbooks for one semester can reach over two hundred dollars.
In this kind of environment, the secondhand textbook market is especially developed, and there are even businesses specializing in photocopying.
‘It seems the magical world is in a similar situation.
No wonder even Harry and Hermione come here to hunt for goods.’ Rayleigh thinks to himself.
If he remembers correctly, Harry inherited a large fortune, and Hermione comes from a middle-class Muggle Family.
It seems they also feel economic pressure when it comes to studying.
He touches his money pouch.
It is now 1991, and the Soviet 819 incident is right around the corner.
He still wants to use it to make money and get a share of the soup and water from the big sharks of the City of London.
The compensation issue with the Ministry of Magic is still under negotiation, and it will be a long time before it all actually arrives.
On this point, no matter which world or which country, bureaucratic institutions are all the same: delay as much as possible.
Better save some money, and he can also leave Professor McGonagall a good impression.
“Professor McGonagall, I want to look in the secondhand shop first.” Rayleigh says cautiously.
Professor McGonagall does not know what Rayleigh is thinking in his heart, but seeing his cautious and frugal manner, she nods in satisfaction: “That consideration of yours is very responsible.
Going to a secondhand shop to find study tools that suit you is also a kind of training.
Let’s go to the Junk Shop and take a look.”
The owner of the Junk Shop is an old wizard.
His hair is graying and explosively messy, like a bird’s nest blown apart by firecrackers.
A pair of muddy gray-blue eyes sweep around the shop, afraid that someone will steal his old goods.
Although his appearance is not very friendly, he is still fairly warm toward customers.
Seeing Professor McGonagall, he hurriedly greets her: “Professor McGonagall, long time no see.”
“Hello, Elvin.
I brought a new student to look around.
Are there books and tools suitable for a first-year new student?” Professor McGonagall looks at the owner.
Her impression of this old fellow is too deep.
He is like his surname, Scrooge, stingy and fond of haggling.
“Of course there are.
High-quality old goods!
I guarantee they are completely like new, and the prices are very suitable!” Elvin hurriedly begins taking various old books and equipment down from the shelves.
“This copy of [A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration] is only 2 Sickles.
You see, the cover is somewhat worn, but the pages are all intact.” He points at the pages and says, “The writing is clear, the diagrams are complete, very suitable for a new student to study.
There are even notes from the previous student.
I will secretly tell you, the previous owner was even a witch.”
“Cough, cough.” Professor McGonagall glares at Elvin.
The old fellow is becoming more and more shameless in his speech.
“This cauldron I am selling for only 5 Knuts.
Although this part is blackened by gunpowder, the size is very suitable, and the bottom and walls are very even in thickness.” He picks up the cauldron and taps it.
“Sounds very sturdy, right?
Absolutely worth this price!”
“These slightly older quills and parchment I can sell to you a little cheaper.
Look, this bottle of ink still has more than half left.” Elvin takes out a few quills and a dozen sheets of parchment.
“The full set is only 10 Knuts.
I guarantee it is worth more than the price!”
“Do you want to buy school robes?
There are a few secondhand ones here.
I can give you a 20 percent discount.
The quality is all very good.” He takes a few black robes down from the shelf and pats off the dust.
“Look, the fabric is all very sturdy, with no damage.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
…
Elvin chatters on and on introducing the old goods.
Rayleigh stands to the side and cannot even get a word in.
Before he can react, a large pile of books, cauldrons of various styles, and old clothes has already piled up at his feet.
“There are also these old wands.
They have all been inspected by me.
Their condition is very good.
You can pick one.
I guarantee it is no worse than any wand in Ollivanders’ shop (anyway, most of them were made by Ollivander).”
A pen holder full of old wands is slapped onto the counter in front of Rayleigh.
Rayleigh stands in place, somewhat at a loss.
He wants to speak, but Elvin’s torrent of introductions makes it impossible to insert even half a letter.
The various old goods piled up in front of him, plus Elvin’s chattering sales pitch, leave Rayleigh momentarily unsure what to do.
Professor McGonagall watches the troubled Rayleigh with great interest.
From the first time she met Rayleigh, this child gave her a calm and steady feeling.
His words and behavior are more mature than others his age.
But at this moment, facing old wizard Elvin, McGonagall finally sees the childishness belonging to a child in him.
“Rayleigh, although Elvin’s shop is messy and chaotic, it really does hide quite a few treasures.
You can take your time choosing and find some usable old items.” Professor McGonagall hints.
“Do not be frightened by his enthusiasm.
You need to carefully inspect the quality of the goods, and then consider your own needs.
There is no need to buy everything that is not necessary.”
Elvin, standing to the side, was originally quite happy to hear Professor McGonagall’s introduction, but then Professor McGonagall changes the subject, and his face turns red directly.
He feels that Professor McGonagall’s words are warning the young wizard not to spend money recklessly in his shop.
Facing Professor McGonagall, Elvin cannot directly show it, so he squeezes out an ugly smile on his face.
“Elvin always likes to rattle off a lot of things as soon as he opens his mouth.
You need to learn to choose and find the study supplies that truly suit you.
But his prices really are quite cheap…”
Suddenly, a huge noise comes from the direction of Gringotts, and then the entire Diagon Alley shakes.
“What happened?”
Wizards run out and look toward Gringotts, where a plume of black smoke rises.
Professor McGonagall notices that the goblins have already cast a spell forbidding Apparition.
It seems something very serious has happened.