Chapter 8: September 1st
“Arrogant, extreme, explosive…”
Sitting on the steps in front of Ollivanders Wand Shop, basking in the bright sunlight, Vaughn examined the brand-new Elder Wand in his hand.
Ollivander’s muttering from ten minutes ago still echoed in his ears.
“Dragon nerve is hardly repelled by any magic, Mr. Vaughn Weasley. Unlike unicorn hair, it doesn’t resist evil. Unlike phoenix feather, it’s not so conventional. It can assist you in perfecting any spell, making it powerful and dazzling.”
“But I must say, it is also the most accident-prone of all wand core materials, especially when combined with elderwood—this wand wood has a volatile temperament, and it has been craving the peak since the moment of its birth.”
“There has long been a saying in the wizarding world that elder wands bring bad luck. Based on my personal experience, I can certainly say that it’s unreasonable, but the fact is, if one day your destiny is no longer unique, no longer powerful, or you are defeated…”
“Then, it might abandon you!”
“You must have heard the story of the Elder Wand, right? 《 The Tales of Beedle the Bard 》 may be a fairy tale book, but it also illustrates the characteristics of the elder wand—it has never truly belonged to anyone!”
Vaughn’s fingers gently brushed over the wand. The unique knobby feel of the elderwood was smooth and extremely comfortable to hold.
He could feel it trembling, rejoicing, almost impatiently welcoming his magic!
“So, will you abandon me?”
Vaughn murmured, the wand naturally lacked the intelligence to answer him.
“Meow!”
Guo Guo Cha, resting its head on Vaughn’s lap, heard him speak, raised its head, and meowed softly, licking his chin as if to comfort him.
Vaughn smiled and scratched Guo Guo Cha’s thick fur.
Letting the large cat snuggle against him, purring comfortably.
How could he possibly worry about the wand betraying him?
The conditions Ollivander mentioned, with his personality, he would never let them happen.
Destiny no longer unique… unless there was another transmigrator in this world!
No longer powerful… then he would continue to be powerful!
Defeated… impossible!
The cunning Ollivander, even when recounting the story of the Elder Wand, had done so under the guise of a fairy tale.
But Vaughn knew that the Elder Wand did exist; it had once assisted Grindelwald in stirring up trouble, and then remained obedient in Dumbledore’s hands for decades, never once actively abandoning its owner.
Ultimately, whether Grindelwald’s failure or Dumbledore’s death were the choices made by them as wizards themselves.
The wand was, after all, just an auxiliary tool!
“Since you desire power, then in the future, I will compare you with the one holding the Elder Wand!”
Thinking this, Vaughn smiled and tucked the wand into the wand pouch at his waist.
Inside Ollivander’s shop behind him, the sounds of trying wands continued for a while longer. The door finally opened, and Ron emerged, his face flushed with excitement, holding a new wand, chest puffed out.
“14 inches, willow, unicorn hair, brilliant!” Ron boasted loudly. “I just made all the thousands of boxes inside float! Too bad you didn’t see it, Vaughn!”
He looked so smug, completely forgetting that just over 10 minutes ago, he had been wailing and almost dragged into the shop by his mother.
Finally holding a new item, no longer an old hand-me-down from his brothers, the boy was feeling quite puffed up!
Then he heard Vaughn say with a smile, “Did you buy a wand sheath?”
“……” The triumphant smile froze on Ron’s face.
“It’s very precious, needs oiling, and a set costs at least dozens of sickles.”
“……” He began to droop his shoulders involuntarily.
“Tsk, don’t you have to exchange gifts on Halloween? It seems some people don’t need them anymore?” Vaughn continued to say with a smile.
Ron sniffled, his eyes starting to water. The lingering stubbornness wanted him to stand tall and shout a rebuttal… but Halloween gifts…
Damn it!
He felt like he’d fallen into a trap!
Molly, like all middle-aged women, was always eager to chat about family matters. When she finally finished her pleasantries with Ollivander and walked out of the shop, the Diagon Alley shopping trip was considered a complete success.
Well, perhaps not so satisfying for Ron.
Returning to The Burrow via the fireplace, by the afternoon, the purchased goods were gradually delivered by owls, including Guo Guo Cha, who was being looked after, as it couldn’t use the fireplace.
Besides Vaughn’s own school supplies, there were also various candies he had bought for Ginny.
The little girl gave Vaughn a big kiss, then took the candy and prepared to share it with Guo Guo Cha.
From the moment she first saw Guo Guo Cha, Ginny had fallen in love with the “little cat.” Especially after Guo Guo Cha smelled Vaughn’s scent on her and nuzzled her, Ginny couldn’t help but want to stick to Guo Guo Cha, taking it all over the house to explore its new territory.
This made Ron even more miserable. He had spent most of the day holed up in his room, not daring to let Scabbers out.
But early the next morning, Guo Guo Cha still caught Scabbers on the second-floor windowsill.
At that time, the mouse had somehow opened Ron’s bedroom window, with a few cookies rolled around its tail, seemingly preparing to run away.
Unfortunately, a Stunning Spell flew from above. The cunning little mouse, without any resistance, became Guo Guo Cha’s toy.
When Ron, getting up for the toilet in the middle of the night, discovered Scabbers missing and rushed to find them, Scabbers’ fur was torn off in large patches, and the whole mouse was nearly done for. Ron was so scared he broke down crying, noisy and disruptive. He tried to drive away Guo Guo Cha, but Ginny, with her short legs, beat him up.
Then he nailed shut all the windows in his room and begged Arthur to make him a mouse cage, thereafter keeping it as a treasured pet.
Every day when Vaughn walked past the fourth floor with Guo Guo Cha, he could see Ron hiding behind his room door, opening a small crack, and warily watching them.
Honestly, he looked quite creepy…
Only during Vaughn’s potion-brewing sessions every half-month, when he would stay in the attic for several days, would Guo Guo Cha accompany him. Those days became Ron’s happiest.
As for Scabbers, Vaughn didn’t pay it much mind, as long as he ensured it didn’t escape.
While waiting for school to start, Vaughn’s life continued as usual. He brewed potions every half-month and practiced spells in his free time. He had begun mastering the spells in his textbooks since he was eight, utilizing his brothers’ old books and wands.
His mastery varied, as he lacked a teacher’s guidance and discovered that simple self-study made significant progress difficult.
Arthur and Molly couldn’t be relied upon; they had work and household chores, leaving them with little time. As for his brothers… Percy was quite selfish, so don’t expect him to put aside his own schoolwork to tutor his brother.
Fred and George were even more so. Their spellcasting skills were a mess. Vaughn remembered reading in a novel from his past life that this pair, despite being two years older than Harry Potter, still needed Harry to guide them in the Disarming Charm…
Ridiculous!
Time flowed, and finally, September 1st arrived!
