"Haha, bedhead—if you're going out, at least mind your appearance, Chu Yang!" Professor Sprout waved her wand, neatly smoothing Chu Yang's messy hair.
"You didn't give me time to fix it, Professor," Chu Yang shrugged, defending himself innocently.
"Get downstairs and have breakfast. We've got a lot to buy today." Professor Sprout turned and went downstairs, her heavy steps on the wooden staircase making creaking sounds that set one's teeth on edge.
Chu Yang followed behind her, deliberately keeping a bit of distance—just in case she stepped too hard and broke the stairs.
Bread, jam, milk, sausages—the classic four-piece set.
The Leaky Cauldron's breakfast wasn't exactly delicious; it was just enough to fill the stomach. Still, Chu Yang cleaned his plate completely.
Children raised in orphanages never wasted food.
After finishing, the two left through the Leaky Cauldron's back door. After a few steps, they were stopped by a solid wall. Chu Yang felt a surge of excitement—he knew that beyond this wall lay Diagon Alley, the true gateway to the magical world.
"The third brick above the rubbish bin, then count two bricks to the side. Remember it, then tap three times—the passage to Diagon Alley will open."
Professor Sprout took out her wand and gently tapped the bricks three times. The wall seemed to come alive, flipping and shifting to either side as a mysterious world unfolded before Chu Yang's eyes.
Professor Sprout walked in front, leading the way, while explaining everything about the alley.
"Besides the entrance behind the Leaky Cauldron, there are two other ways to reach Diagon Alley. One is Apparition, like what I used earlier. The other is Floo Powder."
"However, Apparition has very strict requirements. Ordinary wizards find it difficult to master. Usually only professor-level wizards like myself can use it comfortably."
"Floo Powder, on the other hand, is much simpler to use and not very expensive—two silver Sickles per scoop. It's the first choice for many wizarding families."
She pointed to the fireplaces along the street and explained, "Only fireplaces connected to the Floo Network will work. The method is simple—hold a pinch of Floo Powder, step into the fireplace, clearly state your destination, then toss the powder in."
At that point, Professor Sprout suddenly turned around and looked at Chu Yang seriously. "Remember—when you say the destination, your pronunciation must be very clear. Otherwise, the consequences can be severe. Do you understand?"
Chu Yang replied, "If you say it wrong, you might be sent somewhere strange, right?"
"More than that," Professor Sprout sighed. "Some people mispronounced the destination and ended up Apparating into a wall, dying on the spot. I don't want to see your name on the list of accidental casualties, Chu Yang."
Hearing this, Chu Yang nodded silently.
Next, Professor Sprout brought Chu Yang to a robe shop, where he had three sets of robes custom-made, along with pointed hats, protective gloves, and a winter cloak.
Then came the cauldron for Potions class. As for a pet, Chu Yang chose an owl—he didn't really have a choice anyway. What sane person would pick a toad or a rat?
This was something Professor Sprout did every year. She was highly experienced, and in no time at all, most of the required supplies had been taken care of.
All expenses were covered by Hogwarts.
Now only one thing remained—
A wand.
Professor Sprout and Chu Yang arrived at a shop that looked extremely old.
Ollivanders!
"Welcome, Professor Sprout! Chestnut wood, unicorn hair, ten and three-quarter inches. You look travel-worn—have you just come back from somewhere?"
An old man with an Einstein-like hairstyle slid down a ladder and carefully made his way through the stacks of wand boxes to reach Professor Sprout.
Professor Sprout smiled in response. "Good to see you, Mr. Ollivander. Your memory is as remarkable as ever."
"Of course. I remember every wand I've ever sold and its owner," Ollivander said proudly, then glanced at Chu Yang. "Is this young wizard here to buy a wand?"
Professor Sprout explained, "He's a new student at Hogwarts this year."
"Congratulations on entering Hogwarts—that's the finest school in the world. Trust me, you have a bright future ahead!" Ollivander winked, then flicked his wand. "Let me take your measurements first. Please don't move."
A set of measuring instruments, guided by Ollivander's magic, began gliding over Chu Yang's body.
To be honest, Chu Yang couldn't understand what measuring his body had to do with choosing a wand—especially measuring things like the distance between his eyes and nose.
"Every wand is unique. Its nature depends on the wood it's made from and the magical creature used for its core. Moreover, once a wand finds its ideal owner, it begins to impart its traits to the wizard, while also learning the wizard's nature."
"Wand and wizard complement each other. Even wands made of the same materials can grow into completely different things when paired with different owners."
As Ollivander spoke, he finished measuring Chu Yang and began searching for a suitable wand.
"Which hand do you favor?"
"Right hand!"
Ollivander bent down to rummage through the piles of wand boxes. After a while, he pulled out a dust-covered box and handed it to Chu Yang, blowing off the dust.
"Cough, cough." Chu Yang coughed as he took the box from Ollivander, opened it, and drew out the wand inside.
"Aspen wood, dragon heartstring, ten inches. Hold it and give it a gentle wave—remember, gently."
Following Ollivander's instructions, Chu Yang lightly waved the wand. An invisible shockwave burst outward, instantly knocking over the shelves behind Ollivander.
Professor Sprout staggered back several steps, retreating to the shop entrance, clutching her chest as she let out a long breath.
Ollivander jumped in fright, yet still found time to comment, "Very powerful magic, young man—but it doesn't suit you!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ollivander," Chu Yang quickly returned the wand. The commotion had startled even him.
He'd forgotten that, thanks to the Soul Palace, his talents in every aspect far exceeded those of ordinary people.
"It's quite all right, my boy. These things happen—though something of this magnitude is rather rare…"
Ollivander turned back to the shelves again, muttering to himself. "Perhaps it's because of your Eastern heritage. I may need to find you a wand from closer to home."
Generally speaking, the cores Ollivander used were of three kinds: phoenix feather, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring.
It wasn't that other materials didn't exist—Ollivander simply insisted on using only the finest. That was his rule.
Thus, aside from the three common cores, he also experimented with rarer materials from time to time.
At last, Ollivander took out yet another dust-covered wand box.
(End of Chapter)