Chapter 10

As Professor McGonagall led me through the bustling streets of Diagon Alley,I grew more and more excited at the thought of getting my wand and practicing my magic. 

" Feeling restless already? " The professor asked me with a knowing smile. 

Of course, she knew that I was excited. How couldn't she when there was an extra spring in my step ever since we left Madam Malkins.

In fact, I'm sure that anyone who saw me right now would describe me as such as well.

"Yes, professor. Are we almost there yet? " I asked her as we passed by what appeared to be the tenth pet shop I had seen since we left Madam Malkin. 

" Not yet, but we will soon be there."

" Good things come to those who wait, Mr Grey and patience is a skill that you must have if you want to be a great wizard. Learning different branches of magic takes both time and dedication." The professor said this as she looked at me from the corner of her eyes. 

After hearing her reply, I once again went back to my thoughts as I followed beside her quietly whilst observing the magical street of London.

' Why on earth are there so many pet shops here ? ' I thought to myself as I glanced at the dozen or so owls that were on display in their respective cages outside of the shop. 

" Have you changed your mind about getting a pet, Mr Grey? " The professor asked.

' Why would she? Ah. She must have seen me looking at the owls just now ' I realized. 

This wasn't the first time she asked me if I wanted to get a pet for Hogwarts. She had already asked me the same question once before, on our way to Madam Malkins. However, just like before, my answer remained unchanged.

"No, Professor. I don't think I want one right now. Perhaps in the later years, I might consider getting a pet. Besides, I don't see myself needing one anytime soon. And if I do, wouldn't I be able to borrow someone else's owl?" I replied. 

Why would I spend money on a pet rat ,an owl or even a toad, for that matter, when I have millions of them roaming around Azeroth?

 "I understand, Mr. Grey. While borrowing an owl from a fellow student is certainly fine if they permit it, do keep in mind that Hogwarts also provides owls from the school owlery for students to use if needed. " 

" Noted, Professor. " I replied with a smile.

"Anyhow, Mr Grey. It looks like we are here." She said as we stopped in front of a tiny building. 

" This is Olivanders. One of the finest, if not the finest, wand shop in all of Europe. This is also the place where the majority of Hogwarts students get their wands from. " 

"This was the famous wand shop?" I wondered to myself as I observed the building we were about to enter.

Unlike Madam Malkin's shop, the Broom Shop, or any other shop that I passed by on this magical street, the building in front of me had to be one of the shabbier looking ones. 

It exuded a fairly unimpressive and uninspiring aura.

As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the dingy old sign with the faint gold lettering with the words " Ollivander's makers of fine wands since 382 bc ",I wouldn't even know that there was a shop here to begin with. 

"Go ahead, Mr. Grey. I will wait for you outside," the professor said as we stood in front of the door.

" You are not coming in ? "

"No. Choosing a wand is a very special and personal experience, and oftentimes it can be a bit of an intense one as well."

" Trust me, Mr. Grey."

" Having more people inside will only complicate things further. Now, please go ahead. You'll understand what I mean soon enough when Mr Olivander asks you to choose your wand." she said it with a reassuring smile, encouraging me to enter.

*Chime*

A small doorbell rang as I entered the place. 

' The interior matches the exterior. Now that's a first. This place is tiny and narrow, just like how it looks from the outside. But why? All the other shops used expansion charms, so why not this place? ' I pondered as I looked around the shop.

The inside of the shop was lit up by a single lamp that hung from the ceiling. Though small,its light illuminated the space well enough for me to see everything. 

The counter, which divided the shop in half,the small staircase that led up to the second floor, the walls that were adorned with shelves, and even the ladder leaning against the wall were all visible in the warm, mysterious glow from the lamp.

The shelves themselves were stacked to the brim with thin, narrow boxes. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of them. 

I had no doubt that each and every one of those boxes held a wand that was patiently waiting for its destined partner to enter through the very doors that I had passed through just seconds ago.

" Hello there. " came a voice from behind me. 

Spooked by the sudden presence behind me, I did what any typical 21st century individual would do.

I instinctively swung around, throwing a mean right hook before I could even see what was behind me. 

Always strike first and ask questions later. 

' What the ? ' I thought to myself as my fist failed to make contact with anything but air. 

There was no one behind me.

" But I was sure I heard something. " I mumbled under my breath. 

" I assure you that you did. "

" And your mean swing is exactly why I don't stand behind them when I do that anymore."

" I'm afraid that these old bones are no longer built to take punches like those. " An elderly voice came from above. 

I looked up. Sure enough, this time there was someone leaning against the railing of the second floor. 

' He looks ancient. ' I thought to myself as I observed the old man who was now coming down the stairs. 

' His hair was the same color as mine. And those eyes. Are his eyes naturally that color, or are they because of old age? ' I wondered as I looked at his wide, silvery eyes that shone like full moons on a dark, cloudless night. 

" Are your eyes naturally that color? " I asked in order to quell my curiosity. 

The old man chuckled as I said that. 

" I'm afraid not. Consequences of a ritual gone bad, I'm afraid. "

"Nasty stuff. I am extremely blessed that this was the only side effect I suffered. " 

"Rituals? Those are real?" I asked, my mind racing at light speed as I considered the potential ways I could explore and exploit this newfound knowledge.

" Very real and very dangerous. It is magic that must not be tempered with unless you know exactly what you are doing. " 

"Dangerous but not restricted like mind magic? Are they restricted or dangerous because they are dark magic?" I asked.

The old man sighed and responded, "Bah. The Ministry and their rules. These days, any magic they consider even slightly dangerous is labeled as restricted or dark. It's as if everyone is walking on eggshells."

" When I was younger, life was much simpler than it is today."

"There were no such things as restricted magic.There was no such thing as dark or light magic. There was only magic and those willing to make the necessary sacrifices to learn it. No one stopped us from exploring this wonderful gift that is given to us by Mother Nature. We were all free to explore whatever we wanted to whenever we wanted to."

"Listen, child. There are very few kinds of magic that are considered to be inherently dark by nature. Those kinds of magic require more than a simple incantation and a wand movement; they need sacrifice and negative emotions as fuel. To use these spells successfully, you must want to hurt your victim, to maim them, or to kill them."

" While rituals and mind magic are dangerous branches of magic and could be used for dark purposes, it doesn't make them inherently dark."

"Remember, lad, even the most basic charms can be used to take a person's life. Even the lightest spell used to heal a person can be used as a form of torture. The reason rituals and mind magic are considered restricted and dangerous isn't because they are dark, but because you can't teach yourself these branches of magic. "

"No." The old man whispered.

" You need a teacher that is willing to teach you in order to learn them, lest you want to end up in ST Mungo for brain damage or, worse, dead. Even then, you won't excel or get far in these branches of magic if you don't have an affinity for them."

"Some people are destined to be great, child. They are born with the ability to use magic in ways others can only dream of. Of course, there will always be people who look up to these kinds of people and those who try to imitate them. However, those that try to imitate them will quickly learn that dabbling in magic beyond their understanding can often be unforgiving and nine out of ten times lead them to their doom. " The old man said it to me ominously. 

" I see, and where can I find these teachers that will teach me these exotic branches of magic.?" 

The old man laughed as I asked him that question.

"Well, that is the beauty of it, lad. You don't. They will find you. If you are destined to learn something, then magic will always find a way for you to learn them."

" No one can flee from their fate, just like how no one can escape from death. You can hide from it, flee from it, but eventually both fate and death will have their dues. " 

I thought to myself, 'This man has lost his marbles. How is magic going to find a way to teach me something if I don't even try to find a way to learn it? Fate and death? '

"Now enough about that. What is your name, child?" The old man asked.

"It's Edward, sir. Edward K Grey," I replied.

"Ah, Mr. Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Shall we find your destined partner, Mr. Grey? "

" I, too, am curious to see what kind of wand would choose you? " The old man said it with a warm smile as he took out a box from the shelf and placed it on the counter in front of me.

'Is it just me, or do his eyes look even brighter than before?' I thought to myself as I gazed at his eyes, which seemed to be glowing now.

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