Chapter 22: Heading to Diagon Alley [Please keep reading]

“Haha, bird's nest hair! You have to watch your appearance when you go out, Chu Yang!” Sprout waved her wand, smoothing down Chu Yang's messy hair.

“You didn't give me any time to tidy up, Professor,” Chu Yang shrugged, offering an innocent defense.

“Hurry downstairs and eat breakfast; we have a lot to buy today.” Sprout turned to head downstairs, her heavy footsteps making a teeth-gritting creaking sound on the wooden staircase.

Chu Yang followed behind her, maintaining a certain distance for fear that she might snap a stair under her weight.

Bread, jam, milk, and sausage—a very classic quartet.

The breakfast provided by the Leaky Cauldron wasn't exactly delicious; it was merely enough to fill one's stomach, but Chu Yang still ate everything in his bowl clean.

A child from an orphanage never wasted food.

After finishing their meal, the two left through the back door of the Leaky Cauldron. After walking a few steps, they were blocked by a wall. Chu Yang felt a surge of excitement; he knew that on the other side of this wall lay Diagon Alley, the symbol of the true wizarding world.

“The third brick above the trash can, then two bricks to the side. Remember that, then knock three times, and the passage to Diagon Alley will open.”

Sprout took out her wand and tapped the bricks lightly three times. The wall in front of them seemed to come alive, flipping continuously to both sides, and a mysterious world unfolded before Chu Yang's eyes.

Sprout walked at the very front, leading the way.

She then began introducing Chu Yang to everything about this alley.

“Besides the entrance at the back door of the Leaky Cauldron, there are two other ways to reach Diagon Alley. One is Apparition, which I demonstrated earlier, and the other is Floo Powder.”

“However, the requirements for casting Apparition are very high, and it is difficult for ordinary wizards to master. Generally, only professor-level wizards like myself can perform it with ease.”

“The use of Floo Powder is relatively much simpler, and the price isn't expensive either—two silver Sickles per spoonful. It is the common first choice for many wizarding families.”

Sprout pointed to the fireplaces on both sides of the street and explained, “Floo Powder only works in fireplaces connected to the Floo Network. The method is simple: just hold a handful of Floo Powder, stand in the fireplace, clearly state the destination, and then throw the powder in.”

At this point, Sprout suddenly turned and looked at Chu Yang seriously. “Remember, when you say the name of a place, you must enunciate clearly. Otherwise, the consequences are very serious. Do you understand?”

Chu Yang replied, “Saying the wrong name will teleport you to a strange place, right?”

“Not just that. Some people have said the wrong name and teleported themselves into a wall, dying on the spot,” Sprout sighed. “I don't want to see your name on an accidental casualty list, Chu Yang.”

Hearing this, Chu Yang nodded silently.

Afterward, Sprout took Chu Yang to a robe shop to have three sets of robes, a pointed hat, protective gloves, and a winter cloak custom-tailored for him.

There were also cauldrons needed for Potions class, and for a pet, Chu Yang chose an owl. He could only choose an owl; what normal person would choose a toad or a rat?

This was something Sprout did every year; she was well-practiced, and in the blink of an eye, most of the necessary supplies were prepared.

All expenses were covered by Hogwarts.

Now, only the wand remained!

Sprout and Chu Yang arrived at a wand shop that looked very ancient.

Ollivander's!

“Welcome, Professor Sprout! Holly, unicorn hair, ten and two-thirds inches. You look quite travel-worn; have you just returned from somewhere?”

An old man with a hairstyle similar to Einstein's slid down from a ladder, finally making his way past the piles of wand boxes to stand before Sprout.

Sprout responded with a smile, “Hello, Mr. Ollivander. Your memory is as excellent as ever.”

“Of course, I remember every single wand I have sold and its owner.” Ollivander raised his head proudly, then glanced at Chu Yang. “Is this young wizard here to purchase a wand?”

Sprout explained, “He is a first-year student at Hogwarts.”

“Congratulations on entering Hogwarts. It is the best school in the world. Believe me, you will have a bright future!” Ollivander winked, then waved his wand and said, “Let me measure your body first. Please do not move.”

Subsequently, a set of measuring tools, controlled by Ollivander's magic, began to move across the surface of Chu Yang's body.

To be honest, Chu Yang couldn't understand what measuring his body had to do with choosing a wand; it even measured the distance between his eyes and nose.

“Every wand is unique. Its characteristics depend on the wood of the tree it came from and the magical properties of the core. Furthermore, once a wand finds its ideal owner, it begins to impart its own traits and learn the characteristics of its holder.”

“The wand and the user complement each other. Wands made of the same material, when encountering vastly different owners, will grow into wands with completely different characteristics.”

While speaking, Ollivander had finished his measurements and began searching for a suitable wand for him.

“Which is your dominant hand?”

“Right!”

Ollivander leaned over and rummaged through the pile of wand boxes for a while before finally pulling out a dusty box. He handed it to Chu Yang and gave it a light blow.

“Cough, cough, cough.” While coughing, Chu Yang took the wand box from Ollivander and pulled out the wand inside.

“Elder wood, dragon heartstring, ten inches. Give it a gentle wave in your hand. Remember, be gentle.”

Following Ollivander's instruction, Chu Yang gave the wand a light wave. An invisible shockwave surged out, directly overturning the shelf behind Ollivander.

Sprout took a few steps back, standing at the entrance of the shop, clutching her chest and letting out a long breath.

Ollivander was startled, not forgetting to grumble, “Very powerful magic, young man, but it does not suit you!”

“I'm sorry, Mr. Ollivander.” Chu Yang hurriedly put the wand back. He had been startled by the commotion himself.

He had forgotten that because of the existence of the Soul Palace, his talents in all aspects far exceeded those of ordinary people.

“It's alright, child. These things happen, though a commotion as large as yours is rare...”

Ollivander turned back to rummage through the shelves again, muttering, “Perhaps it is because you have Eastern blood; I must find you a wand from your homeland.”

Generally speaking, Ollivander used three types of materials to create cores: phoenix feather, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring.

It wasn't that there were no other materials, but Ollivander only used top-tier materials; that was his rule for making wands.

Therefore, in addition to the three common materials, Ollivander would also attempt to find even rarer materials to craft wands.

Finally, Ollivander pulled out another dusty wand box.