"Will this cover it?"
George plunked a bulging pouch of Galleons onto the counter without hesitation. His choice of the massive eagle-owl wasn't whimsy—it was strategy.
Reason One: A raptor this size could shred an attacker's eyes out.
Reason Two: If it could carry 100+ pounds, it could evacuate him mid-battle.
"Absolutely, sir!" The clerk nearly tripped hauling the owl to George's cart. At this point, he'd have paid them to take the gluttonous bird.
Flourish & Blotts
"Wandless magic? Nobody studies that archaic nonsense anymore." The bookstore clerk scoffed.
George slid 20 Galleons across the counter. "I'm eccentric. Find me a tome on gesture-casting."
The clerk's eyes gleamed. "40. Supply chain issues, you understand."
"Done." No haggling. Time was worth more than gold.
Mortem's Apothecary - Evening
The eagle-owl—christened Battering Ram—gulped down a whole rabbit before nuzzling George's hand. Wandless Legilimency worked wonders on simple animal minds.
"Good owl. Now shut up—I'm cramming."
He cracked open Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, skimming past History of Magic drivel. Survival came first:
Priority Spell: Alohomora (unlocking charm)
Marvel-World Application: Disable power-suppressor collar
Secondary Use: Escape lab security doors
Rejected Alternatives:
Diffindo (cutting charm): Useless against armored guards
Transfiguration: Too complex without mentorship (even Hermione failed pre-Hogwarts)
The Reality of Spellcasting
Movie magic lied.
Waving a stick and shouting fake Latin? Child's play compared to the real deal:
Magical Core: No shortcuts—either you had it or you didn't.
Incantation:
Pronunciation: "Al-oh-ho-MOR-ah" (roll the R)
Cadence: 0.8-second delivery
Intent: Visualize tumblers rotating
Wand Motion: Counterclockwise loop with upward flick
Six hours of practice yielded:
37 scorch marks on the bedroom wall
1 melted doorknob
0 functional unlocks
"No wonder Muggle-borns struggle," George groaned, massaging his wrist. Magic demanded precision engineering—something his lab-trained mind respected.