At Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, a shop specialising in prank items and novelties similar to Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade, Wayne bought two of each product—one to play with and one to study.
Though he only purchased two of each item, the sheer variety meant the clerk's face was practically glowing with delight. Some young pure-blood heir must be on a shopping spree—dozens of Galleons spent on prank items alone meant a hefty commission for him.
After his shopping frenzy, Wayne sat under the shade of an umbrella at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, enjoying a cone.
Meanwhile, points began steadily appearing in his mind.
[Successfully prevented a wizard from entering Diagon Alley, +5 points]
[Successfully prevented a wizard from entering Diagon Alley, +5 points]
[Successfully prevented a wizard from entering Diagon Alley, +5 points]
[...]
Wayne smiled.
Though the points were small, they were sustainable. In just this short time, his total had already reached 80.
System points could be used for draws—100 points per attempt. The draw quality ranged from white, blue, purple, to gold, with a guaranteed gold reward every 100 pulls.
In the years since obtaining the system, Wayne had only gotten one gold reward—15% of Microsoft's original, non-dilutable shares.
He wondered if the pity counter had carried over.
He'd done over 130 draws so far. At most 64 more, and he'd get another gold reward.
"System, confirm this for me."
[Ding! The draw mechanism remains unaffected by upgrades. The host is guaranteed a gold reward within the next 64 draws.]
"That's more like it."
Pleased, Wayne finished the last bite of his ice cream. Seeing his points had just hit 100, he casually did a draw. To his surprise, it landed on purple—a mere 10% chance. A small stroke of luck.
[Congratulations, host! You've obtained the talent: Magical Creature Affinity!]
'Hmm?' Wayne's eyebrows rose. 'This looks promising.'
Magical creatures were an essential part of the wizarding world. When utilised effectively, even the Dark Lord could be thwarted.
'Don't you agree, old chap?'
After settling the bill, Wayne immediately headed towards the magical creature shop on the southern side of Diagon Alley, eager to test out his newfound abilities.
...
Meanwhile, at the Leaky Cauldron...
"Who on earth did this?!"
Old Tom stood before the brick wall, howling in frustration. Behind him stood several wizards, all equally furious.
"This is downright despicable!"
"Exactly! I searched forever and couldn't find the right brick!"
"Don't even mention it—I found the spot, but I wasn't sure if it was the correct one. Didn't dare tap it in case I summoned the Hit Wizards and got fined!"
Faced with a now-clean wall and a row of identical rubbish bins, the group of wizards gritted their teeth in irritation.
This was truly wicked!
Red-faced, Old Tom began removing the duplicated bins one by one, leaving only the original. Glancing back at the wall, his anger subsided slightly.
Admittedly, the repaired wall did look far better than the previous dilapidated one.
Using his wand, he turned the original brick red and decided to leave the rest as they were.
"Who could have done this?"
"Who else? Probably those mischievous young wizards."
"Did anyone see who came in just now?"
The wizards chattered animatedly, trying to pinpoint the culprit. Old Tom fell into deep thought.
His mind instinctively conjured up Wayne's image.
The young wizard had left shortly before the problem arose, making him the prime suspect.
However, Tom quickly dismissed the idea. The reason was simple.
The young wizard, accompanied by Professor McGonagall, was undoubtedly from a Muggle family, with no prior exposure to magic.
How could he possibly master such intricate Repairing and Duplication Charms in just a few days?
He'd examined the bins—they'd last at least a month. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Wayne also seemed far too well-behaved to be the troublemaking type.
Suddenly, someone spoke up.
"I saw the Weasley twins come in earlier while I was drinking."
The room fell silent, then erupted in outrage.
"That's it! It must've been them! Last time, they moved the bin to the other side, and I ended up tapping the wrong brick like an idiot!"
"Disgraceful! Molly and Arthur need to discipline them properly!"
The group piled blame onto the unsuspecting twins with fervour.
Even Old Tom was convinced—he had seen the twins earlier, though it was quite a while ago. Few wizards had entered Diagon Alley through his establishment since then.
Perhaps the regulars had memorised the location and didn't need the bin as a marker?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Storming behind the counter, he pulled out a stack of parchment and began writing a letter.
He was going to report this to Molly!
...
When the twins sneaked out for a day of fun and returned home via Diagon Alley's fireplace later that evening...
They were immediately greeted with a dose of their mother's 'loving' discipline.
Utterly bewildered, they protested their innocence once they understood the situation. They hadn't pulled any pranks today—they'd merely wandered around, checking the joke shop for new products.
It wasn't them! Unfortunately, given the twins' past antics, Molly didn't believe their tall tales.
After serving each a hearty helping of 'bamboo shoots fried with pork slices' (a sound thrashing), she promptly confined them to their rooms. The twins exchanged glances, seething with resentment.
They were always the ones pulling pranks on others—how dare someone turn the tables on them today?
...
But that was all hindsight. At this very moment...
The true culprit, Mr Wayne Lawrence, had arrived at the Magical Menagerie, basking in the adoration of its creatures.
The moment he entered, every magical creature's attention snapped to him.
Several dozing owls fluttered over, squabbling over who got to perch on his shoulder.
Even the usually aloof Kneazles sauntered over with feline grace, purring as they rubbed against Wayne's trouser legs.
Wayne scooped up a short-haired Kneazle and began petting it without hesitation. The shop assistant gaped.
This particular Kneazle was the most standoffish in the store. Customers often tried to buy it, charmed by its cuteness, but it couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them, forcing them to give up. Yet today, it was not only cooperative but rolling onto its back, belly exposed, utterly content.
The assistant stared at Wayne.
This wasn't some ordinary young wizard—he might as well be a Veela who'd wandered in from who-knows-where.