The warm morning sun slanted onto the street, but it couldn't warm up the deserted Diagon Alley.
Many shops had their doors closed, with signs saying: "Open after the Christmas holidays."
However, they had already hung up all the necessary Christmas decorations, and the bells swayed gently in the wind, making a tinkling sound.
"Many people have gone home for Christmas," Luna said, hopping on the cobblestone floor with her hands behind her back.
Flourish and Blotts was still open, with a table set up in the most prominent spot, filled with all sorts of magical greeting cards.
Some of them made a bell sound, some scattered snowflakes when opened, and some even sent a Christmas blessing...
Vizette and Luna went into the bookstore, picked up a copy of "Why I Didn't Die When the Birds Cawed," and huddled together to read it.
"Vizette! Merry Christmas!"
"Mr. Blotts, Merry Christmas!"
Mr. Blotts, the owner of Flourish and Blotts, approached the two of them. "Have you forgotten the seat I saved for you upstairs? Come on up and have a seat!"
Luna was very interested in the contents of the book, so Vizette naturally had no reason to refuse.
The second floor had been renovated, and the table settings were more stylish, resembling an elegant salon.
Even during the Christmas holidays, wizards gathered here to discuss and share their thoughts.
Mr. Blotts brought over a tea set and some desserts. "And this is..."
Vizette introduced naturally, "My sister, Luna."
Luna spoke in a soft, dreamlike voice, "Hello, Mr. Blotts, it's a pleasure to meet you."
She looked around and said slowly, "My dad once told me that bookstores are like gateways to higher dimensions. I think... ghosts would also enjoy lingering here."
Following her own feelings had always been one of her strengths.
Vizette, who was very familiar with this, nodded in agreement and said with a smile, "The ghosts of Hogwarts are very knowledgeable, like that Grey Lady."
"Mr. Blotts, Ms. Grey is a Ravenclaw ghost, and she would be happy to help us solve problems when we encounter difficulties."
"Hmm…" Mr. Blotts tried to understand the conversation between the two, "Vizette, you think… I can let the ghosts inhabit this place?"
"That's a very magical experiment." Vizette looked at Luna, and the two smiled at each other.
Vizette continued, "Bookstores are places where knowledge gathers, and books can provide knowledge. I think... ghosts can do the same."
"Oh!" Mr. Blotts seemed to understand what the two meant. "To add some unique features! After all, there are so many ghosts at Hogwarts, perhaps this can create an atmosphere that is unique to the school."
"Perhaps we could try a different theme each month?" Vizette thought back to his past life and came up with another idea. "After all, we're in the initial stage now, so we can reach a wider audience."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Mr. Blotts nodded repeatedly, his eyes lighting up. "Novelty is also important; it keeps them engaged with the bookstore…"
Vizette chatted with Mr. Blotts for a while, mainly as a listener, listening to Mr. Blotts explain his upcoming plans.
Only when Mr. Blotts's mouth was dry did he gently shake his head and say, "Sorry, I got a little carried away. It must be very boring, right?"
"Of course not." Vizette smiled slightly. "These prospects you're talking about are things I've never encountered before; they're quite novel."
Mr. Blotts was a man of action, and he left the bookstore while the iron was hot, intending to find someone to carry out his plan.
Luna was engrossed in the book and showed no intention of leaving Flourish and Blotts.
Vizette greeted Luna and then left the bookstore.
Many shops in Diagon Alley were closed, so if you wanted to buy something, you had to go to a regular store.
For Vizette, the difference between the two was not significant; it simply required exchanging currency at Gringotts.
Gringotts, being a goblin-run bank, didn't have the tradition of celebrating Christmas. However, there were far fewer wizards coming and going in the lobby, and the processing speed was faster than last time.
Gringotts had not imposed any restrictions on the exchange of Galleons for pounds, making Vizette's spending much more flexible.
His second stop was the wand shop. He had been studying the wand notes recently and had a few questions he wanted to ask Ollivander.
To his surprise, the wand shop not only had Ollivander, but also Dumbledore.
"Vizette, you're here!" Ollivander's head was wrapped in bandages, from which a strong herbal smell emanated.
Those silvery-white eyes seemed to have dimmed considerably, revealing a hint of bewilderment.
Vizette quickly asked, "Mr. Ollivander, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine, it was just a little accident." Ollivander waved his hand. "Albus was just mentioning you, saying you were doing very well at school, and I didn't expect you to come here."
"Indeed, what a wonderful coincidence." Dumbledore gently pushed up his half-moon spectacles. "Are you here to buy something?"
"Yes," Vizette nodded. "I happened to be in Diagon Alley, so I thought I'd come and visit Mr. Ollivander…"
Dumbledore continued, "You look very relaxed, which is a good thing."
"Because I went home!" Vizette smiled. "May I ask what happened to Mr. Ollivander?"
"It's quite a rare occurrence for a wand shop to be burgled." Dumbledore blinked. "But the culprit has been caught and will likely be in Azkaban."
Vizette looked at Ollivander with concern, "Mr. Ollivander... is he seriously injured?"
"It's a minor issue!" Ollivander waved his hand. "It just needs a gentle treatment, which is why it seems a bit exaggerated."
"A gentle healing? I can…" Vizette subconsciously thought of the Scouring Charm, but immediately changed his mind, "I have bandages made of unicorn hair."
Snape's words inspired him greatly, and he decided to hide the Purification Charm and try not to use it in front of many people.
However, faced with a respectable old man who was willing to keep the secret with an "unbreakable vow," he still wanted to do something.
"Bandages made of unicorn hair…?" Ollivander's voice suddenly rose, and the blankness in his eyes vanished instantly.
He ran quickly to Vizette. "Can I take a look?"
"Of course, no problem." Vizette took out a bandage from the inner pocket, pulled out the longest one, and handed it to Ollivander.
When it came to the cause to which he had dedicated his life, Ollivander seemed to become a different person.
He held the bandages in his hands, his wide eyes gleaming with energy. "Merlin's beard! Unicorn tail hair! Extremely high quality!"
"Absolutely superb wand core material! And it's been made into bandages? It's simply...it's..."
For a moment, he couldn't find a suitable adjective.