The Nortons' fireplace was not connected to the Floo Network, and Edward was clearly a little lacking in confidence when it came to magical transportation.
"When I took my Apparition test, the examiner added an extra challenge," Edward explained while grabbing his coat. "He told me to Apparate with a chipmunk. Luckily, he didn't notice the poor thing lost its tail during the trip, or I probably would've failed."
Ethan immediately felt a cold sensation somewhere behind him.
"Let's just drive," he said firmly. "At least I won't lose any body parts in a car accident."
Edward laughed loudly and patted Ethan on the head with satisfaction. Today, his son seemed far more cooperative than usual.
"Since you'll officially be entering the magical world soon, your mother and I plan to visit the Ministry next month and register the fireplace with the Floo Network. It'll make travelling much easier."
Normally, Ethan always dodged whenever Edward tried touching his hair. Rose, however, never faced that problem. Edward simply assumed his son was too distracted imagining the magical world to resist today.
"You may not look excited," Edward said cheerfully while shoving Ethan into the back seat, "but I bet you're secretly dying to see the wizarding world already."
In reality, Ethan's repeated deep breathing before entering the car had nothing to do with excitement.
It was restraint.
Crowded places meant souls. Souls meant hunger.
The more people gathered nearby, the stronger the sweet scent became, and Ethan constantly had to suppress the instinctive urge to feed. If he lost control and started stealing souls in public, the Aurors would drag him straight to Azkaban to live among actual Dementors.
Thankfully, ordinary sweets worked surprisingly well as substitutes. Ethan always carried a pocket full of toffees whenever he went outside.
During the drive, Ethan realised he probably needed to act a little more curious about the magical world. An eleven-year-old who remained completely calm about discovering magic would look suspicious no matter how mature he acted.
"So… are there noble families in the wizarding world too?" Ethan asked innocently.
"Of course there are," Edward replied while aggressively overtaking another car and running a red light without hesitation. "Anywhere people exist, aristocrats exist too."
The nearby traffic police completely ignored Edward's illegal driving, which immediately made Ethan suspicious. Arthur Weasley had enchanted his own car before, so Edward had probably done something similar.
Frankly, it was the only explanation for why Edward still possessed a driving licence.
Edward casually introduced several famous wizarding families while speeding through traffic. Ethan only remembered a few names from the original Harry Potter books.
"What about you and Mum?" Ethan asked curiously this time. "Do you come from wizarding families?"
"Technically, yes," Edward answered. "Your grandparents were wizards too, although our family line doesn't really go any further back than that."
Then he scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Your mother's situation is a bit different though. Rose originally came from the Burke family. According to pure-blood fanatics, that makes her nobility."
"Originally?" Ethan immediately caught the important detail.
He knew the Burke family name well enough. Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley had once belonged to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, though the family itself had mostly declined.
"She got disowned because of me," Edward admitted with a sigh. "Though honestly, she probably would've left eventually anyway."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That family got involved with all sorts of dark magic during Voldemort's rise. They even threatened to turn her into an Inferius because they thought she was a disgrace to the bloodline. Honestly, it's no surprise your mum ended up in Gryffindor. A Hufflepuff like me could never manage that kind of courage."
"Even if you're lazy, childish, and once forgot me at the zoo for three hours," Ethan said calmly from the back seat while patting Edward's shoulder, "you're still a good father. I appreciate you."
Edward visibly stiffened.
In the rear-view mirror, Ethan could see his father's bearded face trembling slightly with emotion.
No matter how flawed Edward could be, he genuinely loved his family. He loved Ethan despite the dangers surrounding his existence.
People should cherish the beauty they already possess instead of obsessing over imperfections.
"We're here," Edward announced softly a few minutes later. "The Leaky Cauldron."
The car stopped between a bookstore and a record shop. Hidden awkwardly between them stood a narrow, shabby pub with peeling paint and a worn wooden sign.
The Leaky Cauldron.
"This place is famous in the wizarding world," Edward explained proudly while wiping his eyes discreetly after getting out of the car. "It's also the entrance to Diagon Alley."
Then he puffed out his chest.
"Back in my day, I was quite well known around here."
The moment they pushed open the creaking door, a wave of noise and mixed smells washed over Ethan. Laughter, alcohol, stew, smoke, and magic blended together into a strange but lively atmosphere.
Several elderly witches sat together in the corner drinking sherry.
[Soul Strength: 27]
Ethan immediately decided they were not people to provoke.
One of them somehow managed to smoke and drink simultaneously without choking, which honestly raised more biological questions than magical ones.
Behind the bar stood Tom, the nearly bald innkeeper, polishing glasses while chatting with customers.
[Soul Strength: 19]
Not bad, though still weaker than Rose despite her years living mostly among Muggles.
A few customers glanced towards Edward and Ethan when they entered, but none recognised Edward at all. Apparently ten years away from the magical world was enough to erase whatever reputation he once possessed.
Edward looked slightly embarrassed.
"Right… well, let's buy your school supplies first."
He hurried Ethan through the crowded pub and into the small courtyard behind it, stopping before an ordinary brick wall.
While Edward fumbled through the instructions Rose had written down for him, Ethan quietly reviewed the soul strength data he'd gathered so far.
Most adult wizards seemed to range between fifteen and forty points.
Which meant Edward's score of ten remained suspiciously low.
There was probably a deeper reason behind it, but if Edward and Rose chose not to explain, Ethan wouldn't pry for now. Growing stronger and securing his position in the magical world came first.
More importantly, Dumbledore apparently tolerated his existence.
That alone removed an enormous amount of pressure.
"…two bricks across and three up…" Edward muttered while reading Rose's note before tapping a brick three times with his wand.
Ethan's mouth twitched.
Who exactly designed a hidden magical entrance that required a secret combination code? Muggles weren't even supposed to enter the Leaky Cauldron.
"Because drunk idiots from the pub kept wandering into Diagon Alley," Edward explained while pocketing the note. "Luckily your mother remembered the sequence. I almost forgot after ten years."
The tapped brick trembled slightly.
Then the wall began moving.
A small opening appeared before rapidly expanding outward until a huge archway formed in front of them, revealing a long cobblestone street overflowing with life.
"Oh…"
Even after years of reading novels and watching films about places like this in his previous life, Ethan still couldn't suppress his amazement.
Sunlight reflected from polished cauldrons, golden shop signs, glass windows, brass instruments, and enchanted displays. Wizards hurried past in every direction while shopkeepers shouted advertisements from crowded storefronts.
It felt as though the entire magical world existed inside this single street.
The overwhelming number of nearby souls immediately made Ethan unwrap a toffee and shove it into his mouth before instinctively trying to bite a passing child.
Under Edward's guidance, they walked past apothecaries, broomstick shops, and Eeylops Owl Emporium.
"Want an owl?" Edward asked while pausing outside the owl shop.
"Does it count as magical?" Ethan asked seriously. "And more importantly… can it eat without pooping?"
Edward stared at him.
"What kind of question is that?"
"I'm just asking whether there's some cleaner version of pet ownership."
"Of course owls eat and poop," Edward replied helplessly. "But they're not difficult to care for. Hogwarts even has an owlery. You mostly just feed them snacks occasionally so they remember you exist."
Then he pointed toward another nearby shop.
"If you prefer cats, dogs, salamanders, or something else, we can look around."
Ethan thought carefully about it.
Cats and dogs sounded troublesome. Owls at least came with their own storage facility at Hogwarts.
"Let's get an owl," he decided. "At least it can deliver letters."
Animal souls were completely useless to him anyway. Ethan had once tested this by partially devouring the soul of a mouse that wandered into his room.
It tasted like chewing flavourless air.
No nutrition. No soul restoration. Nothing.
Owls were probably the same.
"Let's buy your wand first," Edward said while ruffling Ethan's hair again. "Then we'll come back and choose an owl properly."
He patted the pouch at his waist proudly.
"Your mother gave us seventy-seven Galleons and an entire bag of Sickles, so don't hesitate if you see something you want."
"I'll probably buy extra books," Ethan replied thoughtfully. "More knowledge is always useful."
He wanted to compare bookstore magic books with the items sold in the Goodwill Shop. If there was overlap, he could save valuable points for more important purchases later.
Eventually, they arrived at Ollivanders.
From the outside, the wand shop looked narrow, dusty, and unimpressive. The moment Ethan stepped inside, however, the illusion vanished completely.
The interior stretched far deeper than physically possible.
Towering shelves filled with wand boxes climbed all the way toward the distant ceiling. The entire shop felt silent enough to resemble a restricted library.
"It's bigger on the inside…" Ethan muttered instinctively.
A certain blue police box suddenly came to mind.
"'The Application of the Undetectable Extension Charm in Architecture' is an excellent book," a soft voice said nearby. "You might enjoy it."
An elderly man descended from above on a sliding ladder attached to the shelves.
Only then did Ethan realise even the ceiling itself was stacked with wand boxes.
"Good morning," Ollivander said pleasantly. His pale eyes contrasted sharply against Ethan's dark ones.
"Morning, Mr Ollivander," Edward greeted politely. "This is my son, Ethan Norton."
"Edward!" Ollivander smiled faintly. "It's been thirty years since I last saw you. Alder wood, unicorn hair, thirteen and a half inches. Moderately flexible. Still using it?"
Edward immediately pulled out his wand proudly, though Ethan clearly noticed him secretly cleaning it first with a silent spell.
Ollivander obviously noticed too but politely ignored it.
Instead, his gaze shifted towards Ethan.
"Now then, young Mr Norton. Which hand do you use?"
"Right."
At that moment, Ethan smelled it.
Souls.
Not just Ollivander's soul either.
The scent rapidly intensified as countless invisible presences approached from every direction. Ethan understood instantly.
The wands.
Every wand in the shop possessed something resembling a soul.
Ethan swallowed hard.
The temptation was horrifying.
Yet the moment those wand souls approached him, they recoiled violently in fear.
Ethan hadn't even done anything.
Some of them were overreacting dramatically.
More importantly, unlike humans, these wand souls lacked measurable soul strength values. Ethan could sense them, but he apparently couldn't consume them properly yet.
After explaining wand lore and the principle that "the wand chooses the wizard," Ollivander finally selected the first box.
"Let us begin. Beech wood, dragon heartstring, nine inches, quite flexible—"
CRACK!
Before the wand even left the box, a violent red flash exploded outward. The lid slammed shut by itself.
"I didn't touch it," Ethan said immediately while raising both hands.
Ollivander frowned deeply.
"Curious… very curious…"
He selected another wand.
"Maple wood, phoenix feather, seven inches—"
THOOM!
This wand reacted even more dramatically. The instant the box opened, the wand shot out like an arrow and buried itself into the wall at the back of the shop.
"…Not that one either."
Ethan quickly realised Ollivander probably relied almost entirely on trial and error when matching wands. Harry himself had needed to test countless wands before finding the right one.
Hours seemed to pass.
Eventually, both Ethan and Edward sat half asleep in chairs while Ollivander continued sprinting through the endless shelves searching for candidates.
Edward clearly had many concerns weighing on his mind.
Lunch.
Buying the owl.
Making it back in time for his Dungeons & Dragons club meeting.
Finally—
"Haaah…"
Ollivander let out a long exhausted breath after opening another box without immediate disaster.
"Elder wood. Unicorn hair. Twelve inches. An extremely unusual combination…"
Ethan stood up curiously and looked toward the wand resting peacefully inside.
Strange.
Elder wood symbolised death, while unicorn hair represented purity and kindness.
Why would someone pair those together?
More importantly—
Why was a wand containing unicorn hair willing to let a Dementor touch it?