Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

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Immediately, the tape measure seemed to come alive. It began by measuring the distance from shoulder to fingertip, then moved on to wrist to elbow, knee to armpit, and even her head circumference.

Such a magical scene left Hermione and the Granger couple slightly stunned. Even Ian gave the blond-haired boy a surprised glance, not many young wizard could cast charms so proficiently even before starting school.

"This is mainly to measure body proportions, not height. Even as your body grows and develops in the future, the overall structure and proportions won't change much."

Lirim explained this kindly as he put away the measuring tape. When Ian had purchased his wand from old Ollivander, he hadn't received such a detailed level of service.

"So… will I be able to find a wand that suits me?" Hermione still looked visibly nervous. It was clear that the phrase "the wand chooses the wizard" was weighing heavily on her mind.

"Of course." After saying that, Lirim turned and walked over to the wand shelves.

"She might be better suited to a dragon's vein or a heartstring core. What remains is to determine the type of wood," Old Ollivander couldn't help but offer a suggestion.

His eye was indeed quite sharp.

However,

"Maybe there's an even better option," Lirim responded, without adopting his grandfather's advice.

"What's a dragon's vein? Do dragons really exist in this world? Is a wand's power really drawn from such magical things?" Hermione launched three questions in a row, full of doubt and curiosity.

Lirim answered her gently.

As he rummaged through the shelves, he muttered to himself, things like: "Where did I put it?" and "Was it stolen?"

In a view only visible to him, a faint beam of light shimmered from an old wooden box on one of the shelves.

"The core is the essence of a wand. It's the key to stabilizing and amplifying magical effects. In our shop, the most commonly used core materials come from unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes."

"Of course, there are exceptions. In cases of experimentation or innovation, other types of wands are created as well, though each of those wands is basically one of a kind."

Lirim's explanation received a rare nod of approval from Ollivander.

"That's right. Take Mr. Prince's wand, for example, elder wood with unicorn hair. An impossible miracle," he finally seized the opportunity to show off his beloved memory.

"An impossible wand?" Hermione had just voiced her confusion, when a brand-new wand was handed right to her by Lirim.

"This one…"

Ollivander furrowed his brow.

"Is there another story incoming?" Ian perked up his ears, ready to start taking notes.

However,

"No, no, no, there's no story. It's just a practice piece my unworthy grandson made. I don't even remember how many years ago. Anyway, no one's taken it in all these years."

Ollivander's words left Ian somewhat disappointed.

"So... if it's just a practice piece, does that mean there's a discount?" This wasn't a question from Ian, but from Mrs. Granger, who seized the opportunity to try entering bargain mode.

The family wasn't exactly short on money, but, well, everyone knows the joy of a good deal. Besides, even for a dentist family, it's not like they were at the point of spending gold without blinking.

"This is a completed product. It has no flaws," Lirim quickly defended his wand. Then, he looked toward the little witch who held the wand, uncertain of what to do.

"Give it a wave."

He gently prompted her. Hermione, understanding the cue, awkwardly gave the wand a wave. At once, a warm and powerful energy surged through her entire body. In the air, bright and vivid flowers began to blossom, spinning slowly before gradually fading away, leaving only awe in their wake.

"This is… amazing!"

Hermione felt an unprecedented sense of connection, as if this wand was destined to be her companion, capable of understanding her every thought and amplifying her every ounce of potential.

"Jejejejejeje~"

Whether it was her imagination or not, Hermione thought she heard a strange, abstract laughter in her ears. The sound faded the moment the vision ended, vanishing without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"It's this one, Miss Granger. This wand has been waiting for you, just as you were chosen by fate. Together, you will write a chapter destined to be different."

Lirim smiled as he gave his evaluation. It was quite similar to old Ollivander's usual phrasing, though noticeably more restrained. One could see it as a heartfelt blessing.

"What kind of wood is this wand made from? And is the core really the dragon's vein?" Hermione, clearly learning as she went, stared curiously at the wand that felt so in tune with her.

"Just as our old man said, you're exceptionally gifted, with a clearly competitive nature. So, this wand is made from vine wood."

"Vine wood wands typically only choose wizard with remarkable talent and great ambition," Lirim patiently explained. After a brief pause, he added:

"Of course, I also noticed something my grandfather didn't, that you are already favored by fate. Absolute loyalty will lead you to a bright and promising future."

The blond-haired boy's words made Hermione's heart stir with excitement. Honestly, when it came to salesmanship, perhaps there really was something to be said for family inheritance.

"So what's the core, then, young Mr. Ollivander?" Ian, silently impressed, still voiced his curiosity. Cores representing loyalty could be several things.

He had been studying wandmaking himself on the side.

"A raven's tail feather, Mr. Prince," Lirim said cheerfully, looking at Ian with a broad smile. "And not just any raven, this one came from a psychotic raven!"

He even emphasized the last words dramatically, giving it a flourish. Just as Ian was about to frown and ask how one could tell if a bird was mentally unstable,

"Seven gold Galleons, thank you."

Old Ollivander had already swooped in front of the Granger couple.

Same tone.

Same price.

"Not a knut less, not even one. This is the Ministry of Magic's regulated price. We barely make a profit," he added, preemptively countering what Mrs. Granger had clearly been about to say.

"Uh…" Mrs. Granger, feeling the weight of Ollivander's firm tone, could only sigh as she handed over seven gold Galleons, every single one of which had come from Ian's private exchange stash.

Each gold Galleon they owned had cost significantly more in pounds than the official Gringotts exchange rate, though still less than the black market price. After all, Gringotts only allowed Muggle currency exchanges in very limited amounts each year.

It was never enough.

"Now that I have a wand too, can I start learning magic? Is magic hard to learn?"

Hermione clutched her wand tightly, bursting with excitement as she looked at Ian.

"Of course it's not hard."

Ian gave her a very confident answer.

"In fact, it's really simple." Being someone who enjoyed sharing, he quickly organized his thoughts and continued, "Every type of magic has its own color and scent."

"For example, the Patronus Charm smells like licorice. Transfiguration has a chocolate scent. The Unforgivable Curses have… well, that's something you don't need to know."

"In short, when you're practicing magic, if you smell the right scent, that means your spellcasting wasn't wrong."

Ian was genuinely sharing knowledge he had personally discovered.

But his abstract explanation left Hermione visibly puzzled.

Still,

Ian firmly believed this was just because Hermione's comprehension wasn't quite there yet. Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the blond-haired boy, Lirim, gave him an emphatic nod of agreement.

"Yes, exactly. That's how it is. If you're reading a book and the description of a spell doesn't match the color you envision when casting it, don't hesitate. Close the book immediately and go return it. Get your money back. That's solid proof the book's teachings are inaccurate."

"It's never your fault, it's the book that's wrong." Lirim's response was firm and full of conviction, making Ian feel like he had finally met a kindred spirit.

Until now, Ian had never successfully taught this method to any other young wizard. Honestly, he had started to doubt himself. But now, reality proved that his theory wasn't wrong after all.

There were other young wizard who could grasp it.

Then clearly, the one with a problem wasn't him.

"Huh?"

The more Hermione listened, the more confused she became.

"Is that really the case?"

She wasn't sure if it was just because she hadn't read any magic books yet that she couldn't grasp the feeling they were talking about.

(To Be Continued…)