Chapter 9. Wand Fit
"See that white building? That's Gringotts, the wizarding bank. In the wizarding world, it's goblin territory."
Fawkes acted as Lynn's guide, pointing out the various shops in Diagon Alley.
"Goblins control the wizarding economy? Aren't they afraid of them embezzling?"
Lynn found this strange. The saying "Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts" exists everywhere, and wizards aren't stupid; they surely understand this.
"No, no, no, you don't know them well enough," Fawkes shook his head.
"Goblins are nominally independent, but in reality, they are still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic, vassals of the wizards.
They are the defeated, stripped of the right to use wands.
Don't underestimate this; without wands, they can never cause any major trouble. Moreover, letting them manage wealth is much more reliable than the wizards themselves. The goblins' sense of contract regarding money has stood the test of time."
Lynn wasn't interested in the history of the wizarding world; he was now eager to obtain his own wand.
"Should we go to Gringotts to get the money first?"
Fawkes pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.
"Hmm… We were delayed a bit too long at noon, and I have a dinner party to attend after six. Let's split up.
I'll go to Gringotts to get the money. You take this money and buy books and a wand, then go to Madam Malkin's Robes to order your school uniform, and then wait for me there."
"No problem."
Fawkes pulled a money pouch from his pocket and handed it to Lynn.
Lynn shook the pouch, and it made a pleasant metallic clinking sound. He opened it and counted about twenty gold coins.
"Twenty-five Galleons in total, enough for everything you need to go to school. Of course, my investment is definitely more than that, but the rest of the money will have to wait until I get it from Gringotts."
Fawkes pointed out the location of Ollivanders Wand Shop to Lynn, and then the two parted ways.
Diagon Alley was crowded. It was the largest commercial street in the British wizarding world, and almost all the magical items that could be bought through legitimate channels could be found here.
Of course, if you wanted stolen goods, you'd have to go to Knockturn Alley next door.
Ollivander's Wand Shop wasn't as easy to find as Lynn had expected. He walked for quite a while following the directions Fawkes had given him before finally spotting a slightly dilapidated storefront.
[Ollivander, the best wand makers since 382 BC.]
The narrow wooden door was emblazoned with partially peeling gold lettering. "
Wand makers for a thousand years, my family is the best. "
Lynn silently grumbled to himself before pushing open the wooden door, which looked like it might collapse at any moment.
"Ding-a-ling..."
The crisp doorbell rang pleasantly, and he stepped into the small wooden shop.
Inside, the room was filled with tall wooden cabinets.
"Oh, I didn't expect to have a customer today."
A short old man emerged from behind a row of cabinets.
He smiled at Lynn, who was curiously examining the shop's decorations, and asked in a gentle voice.
"Are you a new student at Hogwarts this year?"
Lynn nodded. "Yes, sir. I need a wand."
"You must be the last one to arrive this year." Ollivander took a piece of parchment from a drawer.
"Lynn Bellok?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Left-handed or right-handed?"
"Uh…right-handed."
A silver measuring tape floated out of Ollivander's pocket and hovered in front of Lynn.
"Come on, extend your right arm. Yes, very good, just like that."
The measuring tape made Lynn feel a little awkward, like a writhing snake.
At this moment, Ollivander waved his wand and pulled a wooden box from a cabinet.
The box floated onto the table where Lynn was standing, and the lid opened automatically.
"Beech wood with dragon heartstring, 12 inches, a powerful combination, give it a try."
He shoved the wand into Lynn's hand, who waved it blankly at the air, but nothing happened.
But in his mind, the system's voice rang out:
[Compatibility 23%.]
Lynn was stunned.
It could have this function?
Just as he was lost in thought, Ollivander's hands didn't stop. He snatched the wand back from Lynn's hand and shoved another one into his.
"You two don't seem quite right, so try this one, hawthorn wood and phoenix feather, nine inches, flexible and easy to use."
[Compatibility 51%.]
A little better than before, but still no special effect.
"A discerning guest, I like it very much. How about this one? Willow wood and unicorn hair, fifteen inches, overall long and very resilient."
This time, the wand finally changed. Lynn felt something flow into the stick at his fingertips, and a burst of brilliant sparks shot out from its tip.
[Compatibility 76%.]
Ollivander nodded in satisfaction: "It likes you very much, this is the one..."
"Wait, sir." Lynn suddenly interrupted him, pointing to the tall wooden cabinets, "Could I take a look at your wands myself first?"
Ollivander's expression was clearly surprised; this was the first time he had encountered a customer like Lynn who had proactively made such a request.
"Uh... of course, it's your right as a customer."
Lynn felt that the wand in his hand in this wand shop might not necessarily have the highest compatibility with him.
Although he didn't know how much the compatibility between a wand and a wizard would affect the casting and use of magic, Lynn felt that the higher the better. He
didn't need to take out each wand to touch; he could detect the compatibility of each wand simply by looking through the cabinets.
Lynn started from the first row of wooden cabinets, seemingly wandering aimlessly, but in fact, the system's voice kept ringing in his mind.
[Compatibility 59%, Compatibility 65%, Compatibility 13%, Compatibility 78%, Compatibility 45%...]
After more than twenty minutes, just as Ollivander's patience was about to run out, Lynn finally finished browsing all the wands and ultimately chose the one with the highest compatibility.
[Compatibility 92%]
"I think this wand is the most suitable for me, what do you say, Mr. Ollivander?"
Lynn gently waved the wand in his hand, leaving a bright silver trail at the tip that lingered in the air for a long time.
Ollivander stared at the wand in disbelief, muttering,
"Perfect... a perfect combination. It seems as if it was made just for you, Mr. Bellok. How... how did you find it?"
"Hmm... I just felt it, an indescribable feeling," Lynn said vaguely.
"The wand chooses the wizard!"
Ollivander suddenly shouted decisively, "It must be guiding you to find it! This is strong evidence that the wand itself actually has a spirit! I'm going to write it down and record it in Ollivander's family tree..."
Ollivander grabbed his messy hair and excitedly ran around the room.
Spiritual my foot! I chose it!
Lynn secretly rolled his eyes and then stopped the overly excited Ollivander.
"Mr. Ollivander, could you tell me about the characteristics of this wand?"
"Why not? Strictly speaking, this wand wasn't made by me alone. I usually only use unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, and dragon heartstrings for the core, but its core is made of a rather special material, a combination of materials brought by the Eastern European wandmaker Gregorovich and mine. A yew wood paired with a Thestral heartstring, eleven and a quarter inches. Ah, even among wands worldwide, this is a rare combination, mysterious and difficult to control, very suitable..." Ollivander suddenly paused here.
Lynn looked at him curiously.
"Suitable for what?"
Ollivander swallowed, as if he were hesitant to speak, but still said it.
"...Suitable for rational, quiet wizards who occasionally show signs of madness."
Lynn was somewhat confused; he didn't understand what this somewhat eccentric old man meant.
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(End of Chapter)