The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 27 My Wand

It was a brownish-gold wand, as if made of honey, radiating a warm glow in the dimly lit shop. It possessed extremely beautiful and exquisite wood grain, with varying shades, like fine ripples on water.

Under Ollivander's impatient gaze, Lucas picked it up. His fingers were drawn to the warm, smooth touch, and instantly, the cheerful sound of wind chimes echoed in the air, while a series of golden lights shot out from the tip of the wand like fireworks.

Lucas felt his heartbeat again, as if it extended into his wand, thumping loudly.

"No need to measure, Mr. Ollivander." Lucas gripped it tightly. "This is it."

"Oh! Of course!" Ollivander exclaimed, looking a hundred times happier than Lucas. "It's the one, absolutely wonderful, truly wonderful!"

He intended to take the wand back and wrap it up for Lucas, but Lucas was unwilling to let go. So Ollivander stopped and stared at the wand in Lucas's hand, which was shimmering with a honey-gold light.

"A very beautiful and precious wood, scientifically known as maple, is commonly called maple wood."

"Maple wands favor travelers and explorers. They are not wands content to remain in one place, but rather yearn for their owners to have ambition, otherwise magic will become heavy and dim. As the owner's abilities improve and their status rises, and they constantly experience new challenges, the maple wand will temper itself and become more and more dazzling."

"In other words, maple wands are chosen by ambitious, naturally gifted individuals who will achieve great things in the future. Therefore, for centuries, maple wands have been regarded as a symbol of fame and achievement."

Are you ambitious and constantly seeking new challenges?

Lucas stroked his wand and took a deep breath.

Did you hear my heart's voice and know my dreams?

"Then, there's its core, the essence of the wand. It's a Thestral tail feather."

Lucas paused for a moment, then immediately thought of the Thestrals that had carried him and his grandfather across the Scottish Highlands. A dragon's head and a horse's body, lean and bony, silent and steady, exuding a tranquil and timeless aura.

Moreover, they showed an unusually closeness to me.

"Thestral tail feathers can grant wands tremendous power and are also extremely loyal to their masters."

"But compared to phoenix tail feathers, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstrings, Thestral tail feathers are a rather mysterious and difficult material to control. Making wands from it is extremely difficult; in fact, it is a work left to me by my father. Only those who have experienced life-and-death ordeals and can face death with equanimity can truly wield it."

Ollivander's gaze fell on Lucas again, his silver eyes seeming to have seen something.

"A young wizard with such qualities is truly a rare breed."

Professor Sprout suddenly remembered that Lucas could see Thestrals, those magical creatures that should only be seen by those who have faced death. Lucas's parents were deceased; could this experience have caused it?

"What's your name, child?" Ollivander asked.

"My name is Lucas McGregor, Mr. Ollivander."

Ollivander nodded and spoke in an aria-like tone.

"Maple wood, Thestral tail feathers, eleven and a half inches long, highly elastic."

"Remember, Mr. McGregor, it is the wand that chooses the wizard. Do not disappoint it; you will surely become a great man."

Lucas gripped his wand tightly, overjoyed. "Thank you. Uh, how much should I pay?"

Ollivander chuckled. "Maple wood is extremely precious, and combined with the mysterious Thestral tail feathers and the corresponding intricate craftsmanship, this is the most expensive wand in the shop. Even without the double subsidies from Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic, you'll still need to pay fifteen Galleons."

Lucas's smile froze.

Sigh, it seems that to become a big shot, one needs a solid financial foundation.

When they came out of the wand shop, Lucas didn't have a single Galleon left in his pocket, leaving only a few lonely Sidcos dancing a desolate ballroom dance.

Of course, it was all worth it. Lucas stroked the wand hidden in his sleeve, feeling its warm, smooth texture, and his heartbeat seemed to extend from his own...

That's awesome, man! We're destined to make a name for ourselves in the magical world. I can't wait!

Professor Sprout said helplessly, "I didn't expect your wand to be so expensive. A junior wizard's wand usually costs around seven Galleons after subsidies. It seems we don't have enough money to buy a pet."

"How much money did Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic both subsidize?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I don't know the exact amount. But if you want to buy a second new wand, it will cost several dozen Galleons," Professor Sprout said. "So you'd better take good care of your wand."

Lucas was taken aback, nodded emphatically, and hid his wand even deeper.

Come to think of it, a wand accompanies a wizard throughout their life, and is made with precious magical materials, so it's naturally quite valuable. And then there's that small, shabby wand shop, with its thousands of boxes piled up...

Wow, Mr. Ollivander might be the richest man on this street!

Although he couldn't afford it, Lucas still wanted to see what magical pets looked like.

Fortunately, the clerks at this magical creature shop were former Hufflepuff students.

Upon meeting Professor Sprout, she was very welcoming. Even though she knew Lucas didn't have the money to buy anything, she asked a colleague to attend to the other customers while she showed Lucas around the store.

"We don't have much space here, but we have the most complete selection of pets in all of Diagon Alley," said the witch named Sandy. "Besides the most common owls, cats, and toads, we also have mice, salamanders, turtles, snails, rabbits... and if you like cute things, we even have these newly bred fluffy balls..."

Lucas carefully observed these pets, trying to see how they differed from their counterparts in the Muggle world. Upon closer inspection, he was truly amazed.

A mouse that can use its tail to support its body and perform acrobatics, a salamander that can float in the air, a turtle that shines like a jewel, a snail that can change colors, a rabbit that can turn into a hat... If we set aside these magical abilities, the biggest difference is intelligence.

These magical pets all possess a certain level of intelligence. Even the snails showed a great ability to interact with people, and Lucas almost thought it was a puppy!

"It's intelligent, loyal to its owner, and knows the way home," Sandy explained. "In fact, once you buy a pet, unless you actively abandon it, there's a mysterious magical contract between you and it that guarantees that no matter where it's lost, it will eventually find its way back to you."

"So if you find that you've lost a toad or something, there's absolutely no need to cry. Just wait quietly, and it will reappear."