Chapter 290
At that moment, the shopkeeper noticed the wands hanging at their waists.
"Ah, so you're not ordinary customers."
"How about this? Come in and take a look anyway."
The man spoke enthusiastically.
The inside of the shop was simple, cramped, and incredibly messy.
Yet unlike its plain exterior, the room contained a dazzling variety of wands.
Countless wand boxes were stacked almost everywhere, making it difficult even to find a place to step.
"Although my shop isn't very famous…"
The man proudly puffed out his chest.
"I can confidently say that no wand shop in France possesses a richer collection of wand materials than mine."
"Compensation?"
Draco raised an eyebrow slightly.
"It seems you understand the inside story."
The man laughed openly without avoiding the topic.
"What compensation?"
Fleur asked softly.
The shopkeeper still heard her clearly.
"My poor grandfather once became obsessed with silver linden wood."
"He believed it was the greatest wand material in existence."
"He was ignorant, incompetent, and got deceived by merchants until he eventually went bankrupt."
The man shrugged helplessly.
"To this day, we still haven't used up all the wood he purchased."
"Of course…"
"Nowadays everyone understands there's no such thing as the 'best' wand material."
"There are only wands best suited for particular wizards."
The shopkeeper spoke slowly and seriously now.
"That's why I deliberately avoided repeating his mistakes."
"My father made me study countless books on wandlore."
"In order to compensate for our family's failures, I began researching the properties of different wand woods."
"I bet you never expected applewood could be used for wands."
The man looked rather proud.
He opened an elegant box from a nearby cabinet and carefully removed a wand.
"Hmm…"
"Fourteen inches. Applewood."
He raised the wand and examined it admiringly.
"Suitable for wizards with great power and noble ambitions."
He nodded to himself with obvious satisfaction.
"There were many failures before this one."
His lips twitched regretfully.
"Dragon heartstring and troll beard both performed terribly with applewood."
"The former is too compatible with dark magic."
"Powerful, yes—but completely incompatible with the wood itself."
"As for troll beard…"
"Too heavy. Not agile enough."
The man muttered while examining the wand carefully.
"Phoenix tail feather worked surprisingly well."
"I spent quite a fortune obtaining phoenix feathers through the black market."
"They seem especially likely to recognize righteous wizards."
Draco and Fleur listened politely.
The man's explanations were unexpectedly engaging rather than dull.
Even Fleur listened with obvious interest.
"Ah, forgive me."
"I got carried away."
The man laughed sheepishly before finally remembering why they were there.
"So?"
"Do your wands require maintenance?"
"Or are you looking for replacements?"
"I need a wand made from the same material as this one."
Draco suddenly produced a wand from somewhere and handed it over.
"What a strange request."
The shopkeeper looked surprised.
He accepted the wand and examined it carefully before casually flicking it.
"Whirlwind Sweep!"
A powerful gust of wind exploded through the shop with a loud whoosh, instantly blasting every speck of dust out through the doorway.
"Elder wood… dragon heartstring?"
The man looked genuinely shocked.
The magical output exceeded his expectations.
"I think I know who sent you here."
He rubbed the stubble along his jaw thoughtfully.
"Is he certain he wants this wand returned?"
"This wand is older than I am."
"My father once told me it was entrusted here for safekeeping by a highly respected wizard."
"Yes, sir."
Draco nodded calmly.
"Alright then…"
"Let me find it."
"It should still be buried somewhere at the bottom of the shelves."
"I honestly thought nobody would ever come for it."
The shopkeeper muttered while walking deeper into the cluttered store.
"What does that wand mean?"
Fleur quietly looked toward the elder wand displayed within the cabinet.
"It's a crude little object."
"Merely a token."
"Perhaps a symbol of one person missing another."
Draco shrugged lightly.
"Oh—found it."
"Messy as this place may be, I still know where everything is."
Soon the man returned carrying a long narrow box, which he carefully placed atop the glass counter.
Inside rested a pitch-black wand engraved with strange uneven patterns.
Unlike elegant modern wands, it lacked any sense of symmetry or refinement.
Small branches protruded awkwardly from certain sections.
Uneven knots bulged from the wood.
Its appearance alone suggested an unrestrained and dangerous owner.
Now, however—
The wand was covered in dust.
It had clearly not been used in many years.
Very few people knew this wand had once belonged to a dark wizard second only to Gellert Grindelwald.
"It's elder wood too…"
Draco murmured softly to himself.
That was clearly no coincidence.
Grindelwald's original wand had also been crafted from elder wood—
One of the rarest wand materials in existence.
Partly because elder trees themselves were uncommon.
But more importantly because of wizarding superstition.
Most believed that anyone who wielded an elder wand would suffer terrible misfortune.
An ancient saying even existed:
> "Wands of elder never prosper."
Because of these superstitions, elder wands demanded exceptionally powerful and unusual wizards.
Most wandmakers avoided them entirely.
They were expensive, difficult to sell, and troublesome to match.
Wands often reflected the personality—and even destiny—of their owners.
Fir wands were known as survivor's wands because of their resilience and tendency to save their wielders from danger.
Beech favored intelligent and scholarly individuals, making them popular among Ravenclaws.
Ash wands suited duelists and warriors, representing an unyielding fighting spirit.
As for Grindelwald—
A man obsessed with power—
He eventually became fascinated with the most legendary elder wand of all.
That obsession led him to steal the Elder Wand from its former owner, Mykew Gregorovitch.
By then, Ariana Dumbledore had already died during the conflict between the three of them.
The relationship between Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore completely collapsed afterward.
The two parted ways permanently.
Afterward, Grindelwald built his own army and unleashed chaos across Europe in the name of his so-called revolution.
Countless innocent lives were sacrificed.
Eventually—
The greatest dark wizard and greatest light wizard of the age met in a legendary duel.
Dumbledore won.
The defeated Grindelwald was imprisoned within the very prison he himself had created—
Nurmengard.
The Elder Wand—
Along with Grindelwald's original elder wand—
Naturally fell into Dumbledore's possession afterward.
What material was Dumbledore's first wand made from?
Draco's thoughts quietly drifted deeper into contemplation.