Tom had seen many young wizards and witches from Muggle families brought to his shop, and then into Diagon Alley.
In fact, to put it more bluntly, The Leaky Cauldron was the outpost between the magical world and the Muggle world. And Tom was, in a way, a half-time Hogwarts student greeter.
"Where's your guide, child?"
Tom asked the eleven-year-old boy in front of him, very interested.
"Guide?"
Ray was instantly bewildered; he didn't seem to have met any guide.
"The teacher who brought you into Diagon Alley, didn't you have one?" Tom saw Ray's confused expression. However, because he saw it clearly, he was naturally a little puzzled, so the tone of the words "didn't you have one?" was raised.
"I'm an orphan."
Ray sighed, a wry smile playing on his lips.
"No, no, child, you don't understand. Every Muggle-born wizard gets a guide. Since you're an orphan, you should also be receiving extra Allowance/Welfare."
Tom explained carefully, also pouring Ray a glass of sweet and sour juice.
Allowance/Welfare? Guide? Ray looked at Tom, feeling a mix of emotions.
He was an orphan, there was no doubt about that. And now, not only did he not have a guide, but he hadn't even seen any Allowance/Welfare.
"Sir, can you take me to Diagon Alley?"
A little disappointed, but Ray wouldn't dwell on it. Compared to a guide, what Ray really wanted was that Allowance/Welfare.
"Alright, drink this first, and I'll take you there later."
Tom didn't dwell on the matter. Although it was rare for a young wizard entering Hogwarts to be without a guide, it wasn't a huge deal.
Ray had already secured accommodation, and he could stay at The Leaky Cauldron until September 1st. Of course, this all cost money.
Fortunately, he had enough Pounds on him, and old Tom had kindly exchanged some for Galleons.
Twenty-five Galleons, thirteen Sickles, and twenty Knuts. That was the wizarding currency Ray had left after the exchange.
Tom was a decent man, but he was a bit of a penny-pincher. He even charged for the juice.
Ray could only smile wryly at that. Though he didn't have much money, he figured he should be able to receive the Allowance/Welfare for orphans once he got to Hogwarts, so he didn't dwell on the issue.
As the brick wall began to spin, Ray clenched his hands, feeling a thrill of excitement.
Magic was truly amazing; those shifting bricks seemed to possess a life of their own.
Tom smiled and gestured for Ray to proceed, reminding him that Knockturn Alley was on the right side of the entrance and not to be too late returning.
Thanking Tom for his kindness, Ray entered Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley was bustling, especially during the back-to-school season.
The crowds were diverse and lively, with adults dressed in retro robes everywhere, accompanying their children to buy school supplies.
Ray also joined the crowd, starting his search for Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley.
He decided to buy a wand first, then sell other things.
A wand, if all went well, would surely accompany him for life. As someone who had watched Harry Potter in his previous life, the first thing he wanted to know upon entering the magical world was what kind of wand he would have.
The shop of Ollivander's was small and shabby. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
The gold lettering on the door had peeled, but it still read: Ollivander's, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
In Diagon Alley, Ollivander's was easy to find, and besides, it was the only wand shop there.
When Ray arrived, a little girl was just coming out, beaming with joy, led by an adult. She must have gotten the wand she wanted.
With excitement coursing through him, Ray went inside.
His vague impression of the shop matched reality. Ollivander had a chaotic mess of silver hair, no beard, and wrinkles etched on his face. He was an old man, but he looked remarkably energetic with a rosy complexion.
To be honest, Ray's first impression of Ollivander was that he resembled Einstein, the giant of the scientific world.
"Hello, child, are you looking to buy a wand?"
Without waiting for Ray to speak, the enthusiastic Ollivander asked the question himself.
"Yes, sir."
Ray was a little reserved; this old man, who looked like Einstein, always gave him a slightly eccentric feeling.
"Don't be nervous, child. You'll find a wand you like here. Of course, the process is actually the wand choosing you..."
Ollivander was very talkative, as if trying to relax Ray with his words, while at the same time using a tape measure to measure Ray, in order to find the wand that would choose him more quickly.
"Sir, may I ask a question?" Ray asked while Ollivander was measuring him.
"Of course, I'm honored to answer your question, child." Ollivander replied kindly, without stopping his work.
"May I ask, why do you need to measure all parts of the body when choosing a wand?" Ray had been very curious about this question when he watched the movie in his previous life, and now, driven by his curiosity, he finally asked it.
Ollivander was taken aback by the question, then he chuckled. "You're the first child to ever ask me that."
Ray didn't reply, waiting for Ollivander to explain.
"Well, how should I put it? The wands in the shop are all made by me and my ancestors. They're like children to my family, with a subtle connection to me. As for measuring each person who chooses a wand, it's to clearly convey these data through me to each wand, allowing them to have a general understanding of you beforehand. So, the more detailed the measurement, the better."
Ollivander measured very carefully, taking the length of his arm, forearm, height, head circumference, and so on. Then, he began to delve into the depths of the two rows of shelves. After fumbling around for a while, he pulled out a box and took out the wand inside, walking over to Ray.
"Hawthorn, 11 inches long, Unicorn Hair. A very special wand, I think it should be very suitable for you."
Ollivander explained as he handed the wand to Ray, urging him to try waving it.
The wand felt cool in his hand. Ray looked at Ollivander, who was encouraging him, and waved the wand in his hand.
Waving the wand in his hand, Ray didn't feel any magic flowing away. Even the objects in the shop didn't make a sound.
"Hmm."
Nothing happened in the shop. Ollivander pondered for a moment, then went to the shelf and took out another wand.
"Hawthorn wands can be a bit mischievous sometimes, so it's not unusual that nothing happened. Try this one, holly, twelve inches, Thestral Hair, it's very good at defense."
Ray put the hawthorn wand on the table and took the holly wand from Ollivander.
Holding wands of different materials, besides the difference in weight, he could also feel the difference in how cold they were. This one seemed colder than the last one.
Encouraged again by Ollivander, Ray waved the wand in his right hand.
However, nothing happened.
Harry Potter made a drawer fly out on his first try; on his second, he blew up a vase.
Ray didn't know what it was like for others when they chose their wand, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't like this. Nothing was happening.
It felt like he was a Squib.
How embarrassing!
Ollivander's old face couldn't quite hold its composure. The wands he'd selected twice now hadn't reacted at all in the young wizard's hands. This was really a bit much.
"What's your name, child?"
Ollivander wanted to know more about the child in front of him, to have more basis for providing more wand choices.
"Ray, my name is Ray Fasti, sir."
"Oh, Mr. Fasti, your last name reminds me of an old wizarding family: MacFasti."
"MacFasti?"
"Yes, legend has it that this family lives in the Hebrides Islands and is subservient to the Hebridean Black Dragon."
"A family subservient to a dragon?"
Ray was a little puzzled. After all, in the world of Harry Potter, dragons didn't have a very high status.
For example, the dragons used as obstacles in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; the small dragons that spewed flames and roasted beans in the Ministry of Magic's vending machines; and the Ironbelly Dragon chained up in Gringotts, used to guard the doors.
Dragon meat was edible, and dragon hide could be made into gloves. It could be said that dragons were the most miserable creatures in the world of Harry Potter. So, Ray was somewhat surprised to hear that an old wizarding family was actually subservient to a dragon.
Ollivander didn't dwell on the question. He went back into the depths of the shop and, after a long while, brought out a box. "I think this should be it."
"Eleven inches, holly, phoenix feather. This wand is a twin, the other is owned by a wizard who has done great things, we call him He Who Must Not Be Named."
Ollivander said a lot, but no matter how much he said, Ray finally understood the origin of the wand: Harry Potter's wand.
"Try it, see if the waiting fate will change." Ollivander handed the wand to Ray.
He said this because this wand was destined for Harry Potter. Now, he strangely felt that the child in front of him should also be very compatible with this wand.
Taking the wand, Ray felt the temperature coming from the wand in his hand. It wasn't cold, and touching it, he felt a warmth.
Taking a deep breath, Ray steadied himself and finally waved the wand in his hand again.
Autumn Wind is working hard to write, although the current manuscripts are only a few chapters, but also shamelessly asks for some collections and recommendation votes from the audience.
Recommendation votes are very important for potential value. I hope that those who think this article is okay can vote for your precious vote.
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(End of Chapter)