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The voice was very familiar. That wild laughter just ended.
A tall, thin figure burst through Ollivander's door. A handsome boy walked out, eyes glowing red, body trembling slightly, examining a yew wand in his hand with extreme excitement. Completely ignored Hofa and Indor at the entrance.
Air filled with violent magical energy. Hofa's hair blew back.
Watching the boy's departing figure with lingering fear, Indor whispered, "Who's that? How's he got such powerful magic at this age?"
Hofa knew exactly who.
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Future Dark Lord Voldemort just got his first assistantâthe powerful yew wand. No wonder he was so excited. Pity that wand would be ruthlessly abandoned after fifty years.
Hofa shook his head. "Should we go in together?"
Indor shook his head. "You go. Goblins don't need wands. Won't enter this kind of shop. This old guy's wand materials include goblin bones. I'd kill him if I saw him."
Hofa fell silent. Pushed open Ollivander's door alone.
The moment he enteredâ
Ding!
System: Current Realmâ[London Wizard Market]
Exploration 50% complete. Received Spell Fragment (1/3)
A hazy fragment appeared in his mind.
Hofa tried examining it. Couldn't access it.
He abandoned the thought, focused on the current scene.
Before him, thousands of boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. Air filled with silence and solemnity.
Ollivander's was a family shop.
This family's wandmaking history traced back to 382 BC. The name Ollivander meant "one who possesses an olive wood wand." Some believedâincluding this generation's Ollivanderâtheir ancestor followed Romans to Britain.
This generation's owner was Garrick Ollivander.
He didn't look as aged as the books described fifty years later. A vigorous middle-aged man.
Just currently somewhat dazed.
Ollivander hadn't noticed Hofa's arrival. Still stood with mouth open in scattered wooden boxes, immersed in recent shock.
Until Hofa waved a hand before his eyes.
"Hey. Hello."
Garrick Ollivander snapped back. Saw the new customer, rubbed his face quickly. "Sorry. Distracted. You wouldn't believe what just happened."
Hofa said calmly, "I know. I want to buy a wand."
Ollivander muttered, "Of course. Everyone here buys wands. Left or right hand?"
"Right."
"Raise your arm."
He measured Hofaâshoulder to fingertip, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, finally head circumference.
While measuring: "Every Ollivander wand contains powerful magical substancesâthat's its essence. We use unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings..."
Hofa chuckled. "Do you say the same thing to everyone?"
Interrupted, Ollivander looked slightly annoyed.
"Rude child. I'm a businessman, understand? Businessman!"
He quickly collected boxes from the floor, then stuffed wands into Hofa's hands one by one.
"Holly, phoenix feather, eleven inches... no, no!"
"Unicorn hair, rosewood, thirteen inches... no, no!"
"Dragon heartstring, walnut, nine inches... no, still no!"
"Beech, veela hair, ten inches... no, of course not. What was I thinking?"
Ollivander muttered while rapidly moving boxes.
Wands rotated through Hofa's hands like a carousel. But holding them felt like holding ordinary sticks. Nothing happened.
"Applewood, seventeen inches. No."
"Acacia, fourteen inches. No."
"Cypress, nine inches. No."
"Ash. No."
"Rowan. No."
"Fir... no!"
"Cedar... no!"
"Cherry... no!"
"Blackthorn... oh, still no!"
...
Time passed. Empty boxes piled higher beneath them. Hofa nearly yawned. If not for the Hogwarts letter, he'd doubt his magical talent.
He glanced outside. Indor paced impatiently.
Finally, when both stood waist-deep in boxes, Ollivander couldn't run anymore. Panting: "Are you really a wizard? Or actually a Squib?"
Buried in boxes, Hofa said helplessly, "Want to see my Hogwarts letter?"
"Ugh!" Ollivander cried out in frustration.
"How can this happen? It shouldn't!"
This surprised Hofa too. Didn't expect to match with no wands.
But school required a wand.
Hofa scratched his head, asked hesitantly, "Are there other wandmakers in Diagon Alley?"
That touched Ollivander's nerve. His pale gray eyes widened.
"What? You doubt my skill! I'll tell youâfrom 100 BC until now, no wizard's wand Ollivander couldn't make. Even Merlin used our family's wands!"
Hofa stayed silent. They stared at each other in the box pile.
Air fell into awkward silence.
After a moment, Ollivander asked softly, "You're not British."
"Half and half. Not sure, but my father's Chinese," Hofa said.
"Eastern?" Ollivander smacked his lips. "I see. Their customs differ from ours."
He waved his wand. All boxes collected their wands, returned to positions.
"Follow me."
Hofa followed to the back room.
Here lay various materialsâfeathers, hair, nerves, hearts, spider legs, different woods, even a goblin skeleton. Hofa thought no wonder Indor wouldn't enter. Wandmaking was quite cruel.
Under the materials, Ollivander bent down, rummaged, finally pulled out a wrinkled gray box. He blew. Massive dust rose.
Gray box became black.
Ollivander stood before Hofa solemnly, opened the box.
Inside lay a wand. Calling it a wand wasn't quite rightâit still had branch knots, looked rough. Not refined like outside wands. Like a branch cut directly from a tree.
A strange feeling appeared in Hofa's heart.
It's watching me.
Hofa realized this.
It's excited.
Hofa reached out without hesitation, grabbed the simple branch.
That moment, a bloodline connection appeared. Ancient, gentle warmth flowed through his body. Thousand years of lonely waiting almost made him want to cry.
Nothing happened, but Hofa knewâthis was his destined partner.
He released his hand. Something strange happened. The wand didn't fall. It floated above Hofa's palm.
Floating, he saw the only artificial mark on this wand.
At its base, a deep carving. Painted with slightly faded red lacquer.
A square character.
[Seal]
After admiring the wand's full appearance, it fell back into Hofa's palm.
Hofa smiled, looked at Ollivander joyfully, hoping for explanation.
But Ollivander's eyes were full of suspicion. Hands behind back, turning around.
"How can this be... how can this be?"
"What's wrong?" Hofa asked. "How much? I'll take it."
"Money..."
Ollivander coughed. "Forget it. The wand chooses the wizard. So be it. But I must warn youâthis wand's unfinished. If something happens, I'm not responsible."
"What?" Hofa said in surprise. "Unfinished? What do you mean?"
Ollivander explained.
"Over 100 years ago, my grandfather Gerbold Ollivander traveled with the British Queen's ship to India. At the border between the Qing Dynasty and India, there was a very high snowy mountain. Below the mountain stood a treeâlocals called it a Bodhi tree.
My grandfather stayed there a while. When leaving, an old monk gave him this branch, said it contained miraculous power.
My grandfather felt no power. Just brought it back as a souvenir. My father found nothing special either. Neither did I.
Years ago, I tried making it into a wand. Found it couldn't pair with any coreâdragon heart, phoenix feather, unicorn hair, nothing worked. So it's been stored here."
Ollivander sighed. "I always thought grandfather brought back just non-magical wood... Now it's quite strange. Wood that can cast spells without magical substances..."
Hofa said in surprise, "So this thing's just a branch?"
"Correct." Ollivander shrugged. "But it's my precious keepsake. If you want it, pay double."
Hofa...
Leaving Ollivander's shop, the sky was nearly dark.
Distance showed crimson clouds. Road had hurrying wizards. By their dress, many came from the Ministry after work to shop in Diagon Alley.
Hofa stood outside Ollivander's, happily examining the Bodhi branch carved with[Seal].
Thought he finally had his own wand.
After spending 20 Galleons, Hofa got his wand. And Ollivander "generously" gave Hofa a small leather holsterâcould strap to his arm for daily carrying and maintenance.
Indor outside nearly fell asleep waiting. Seeing Hofa emerge, he cursed, "Did you fall in love with that old man? Took so long?"
Hofa's mood was good. Didn't want to argue. He put away the wand, patted the goblin's shoulder.
"Alright, young goblin. Don't be so impatient. Want to grab a drink?"
"Drink my ass!" Indor said irritably. "I waited to tell youâI promised books and wand before dark. Now I've done it. Our contract's over."
"Hey," Hofa paused. "Where are you going?"
"Where am I going? I told you I'm from Germany's Heligoland. Now I'm going home." Indor said.
Germany... Hofa's mood was good, couldn't help adding, "Don't get caught in war."
"What, you also think there'll be war?" Indor looked at Hofa again. "These British guys don't think so. Muggles have a word, what's it called... appease..."
Indor tilted his head thinking.
"Appeasement," Hofa sighed. Couldn't help it. Everyone hoped for peace. Even illusory peace.
"Right, appeasement. You know quite a bit." Indor muttered. "Don't worry. I don't like war either."
He raised his finger.
Hofa stepped back. Was this the gesture to leave?
But nothing happened. Indor looked at Hofa, expression hesitant.
"Hey, can you find King's Cross Station?"
Hofa nodded. "I can."
"Platform's between nine and ten. You have to run straight through."
Hofa smiled. Of course he knew this. But hearing it from this goblin felt strange. Maybe the guy wasn't as much of a bastard as he seemed.
"Got it. Thanks for telling me. Really helps."
"Hmph!" Indor said proudly. "You're a bit clever, but you're only eleven."
"Alright, alright. Go back to your whateverâ"
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