Theo grew up in Diagon Alley, and aside from places his parents forbade him to go, like Knockturn Alley, he was familiar with most of the shops.
By osmosis, even without paying close attention, he generally knew which shops offered good value and which owners were cunning and sly.
"We call this the Rag and Bone Alley around here, because everyone says they sell junk," Theo explained.
Diagon Alley was still relatively clean and tidy, but this particular street was like a rural market Wade had once seen, with all sorts of things piled up even along the roadside.
At first glance, it seemed like a dazzling array of goods. But upon closer inspection, most were items no one would bother picking up even if they were free.
—Old, yellowed books, oddly shaped stones, crudely carved wood, bald quills, worn-out rugs, and ancient pitchers.
Thanks to these items, the path left in the middle of the road became very narrow.
Theo led Wade through the twists and turns, simultaneously imparting wisdom he'd heard from his elders:
"Uncle Jason told me you can come here during the day, but don't go near after six o'clock."
"After dark, some thieves or even werewolves come here to fence stolen goods."
"And anything displayed outside is rubbish; it's not even worth picking up for free. The truly good stuff is kept inside by the owners."
"However, many shop owners judge people. Newcomers are easily ripped off on their first visit. In comparison, Boon Leslie is much better."
"He always has clear prices. It might be a little more expensive than others, but it's definitely worth the money, not just tricking you into buying junk for a high price."
They arrived at the depths of the alley. Wade looked up and saw "Leslie's General Store" written on a wooden sign.
Theo pushed the door open, and the bird-shaped wind chime hanging by the door immediately chirped, and in an instant, the entire shop lit up.
Dozens of magical candles lit up sequentially from the entrance to the back, illuminating the formerly dim little shop, making it bright and clear.
An old man in a wheelchair silently glided over.
His white and black mixed hair was messy, like a tangled steel wool; his eyebrows were dark and thick, very prominent.
His green wizard robe was faded, and a pilled plaid blanket covered his knees. On the blanket, a completely black cat sat crouched.
"Mr. Leslie," Theo said with a bright smile. "I've brought my friend here to buy some things."
"Hmm."
Leslie also smiled. He glanced at Wade. "Feel free to look around. The prices are on the labels."
"Alright."
Wade nodded and walked into the store.
Behind him, Leslie was still chatting with Theo: "You little rascal, school's about to start, isn't it?"
"One more week."
"Why did you come over today? Didn't that Mancini boy tell you not to wander around alone?"
"I'm not alone; I'm with Mr. Wagner! My brother and I almost got kidnapped by werewolves today, and Mr. Wagner saved me..."
Theo didn't hide anything about his morning experience.
Leslie's expression immediately turned serious. "What happened? Tell me in detail!"
Theo recounted, "It was this morning when..."
...
The goods in the general store were neatly arranged, just like in an ordinary supermarket.
Rows of shelves stood tall, with price tags on all the merchandise. Some even had warnings like "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, DO NOT TOUCH WITHOUT PERMISSION."
The prices were a bit higher than the secondhand shops outside but much cheaper than the shops in Diagon Alley.
Take wands, for example.
Ollivander sold wands to new students ranging from a few Galleons to over ten Galleons. Some adult wizards liked to inlay their wands with gold and jewels, making them even more expensive.
Wands at Leslie's shop were mostly around one or two Galleons. There was also a small area to test magical effects, with items like feathers, stones, and spiders.
These wands were dusty and showed clear signs of use, but at least they were intact.
Meanwhile, the wands displayed outside at the junk shops sometimes showed obvious signs of being mended after breaking, and cost only a few Sickles.
Wade thought that when casting spells with such wands, it was uncertain whether the enemy would be hit, but the user might very well send themselves to St. Mungo's.
Wade's own wand was poplar wood with a unicorn hair core.
Poplar wood was a reliable, accommodating wand that possessed consistently strong power, requiring its owner to have a clear moral compass.
Unicorn hair produced the most stable magic and was the most loyal wand, but it was difficult to use for Dark Magic.
According to Michael—
If a stranger heard about his wand materials, they would certainly assume he was an upright and loyal Hufflepuff.
Wade then thought dejectedly, If only the Sorting Hat could understand it that way.
For Wade, his wand was like an extension of himself, responding perfectly when casting spells.
Although Wade had now mastered some techniques for casting magic without a wand, it was ultimately most comfortable holding his own wand, and the magic was more powerful.
Provided... he was using legitimate spells, not jinxes, curses, or Dark Arts.
For ordinary minor jinxes, the wand would cooperate, but for slightly stronger curses, he could feel resistance.
Wade could sense that if he insisted on learning spells like the Fiendfyre or Imperius Curse with this wand, the wand might "die."
It was written in books about wands that unicorn tail hair could easily become melancholy, which was its inherent flaw.
What to do if your own wand has too high a moral compass? Then he would just have to find another "enforcer" with no morals.
Wade tested for a while and chose three wands that had better compatibility with him.
A walnut wood wand with a dragon heartstring core, symbolizing intelligence.
A rowan wood wand, also with a phoenix feather core, offering excellent defensive capabilities.
A pine wood wand, with a Thunderbird tail feather core, representing independence.
Since they weren't expensive, he simply bought them all, then wandered around the store and discovered a few more pleasant surprises.
There was a magic mirror that could offer advice on the owner's clothing. He didn't know who its previous owner was, but its aesthetic sense was surprisingly high, and it had a sweet tongue.
When Wade walked past it, it loudly exclaimed:
"Oh my goodness, I can hardly believe my eyes. Sir, you are wasting the looks heaven has bestowed upon you!"
"Listen to me, put on that silver-gray robe next to you, and wear the pocket watch to my left. If you still have funds, please wear the hat on the shelf too; it will complement your melancholic yet charming demeanor!"
Wade was amused by it.
He carefully "read" the runes on the magic mirror, confirmed that no curses or other undesirable things were attached, and decided to buy the mirror.
Fiona would love this mirror that could discuss clothing and appearance with her.