Chapter 5 - Unwanted Attention

Ignoring the unpleasant encounter at the store, Asmodeus and Dumbledore headed to the second-hand goods store. As Asmodeus mentioned, he didn't want to spend too much on books that could be borrowed from the school library if his own was not in good condition. They bought a cauldron, books, quills, dragon-hide gloves, and various other items that might be needed at school.

Before returning to Ollivander's shop, Dumbledore handed him a pouch of gold coins and said, "Here's your share, deducting the 54 galleons you spent. You'll have 46 gold galleons left. Plus, you need to buy a wand—don't worry about the cost. All first-year wands are only 7 galleons. So, you'll still have money left for sweets. At the beginning of the next school year, you'll receive another 100 galleons. This is the allowance allocated by the school for orphaned children. Don't worry; you don't have to return it, but try to save some. There's an hour left until 5 o'clock; do you want to join me for some candy shopping? Don't worry; it's on me."

"Of course, yes. Let's go," replied Asmodeus.

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While the young and the old strolled through Diagon Alley, the young scion of the Malfoy family had only one question in his mind: who was the teenager that even the headmaster himself took out for shopping? Although the Malfoys don't hold Dumbledore in high regard, they certainly fear him. That's why both the elder and younger Malfoy noticed Asmodeus and decided to figure out who he was.

Entering Ollivanders' shop and exchanging greetings with the only wandmaker in England,

Lucius inquired, "Mr. Ollivander, who was that just now?"

"Who are you asking about? You don't know Dumbledore?"

"I wasn't asking about Dumbledore but about the child beside him."

"And why would you need to know that, Mr. Malfoy? I don't disclose information about my customers."

"No, no, Mr. Ollivander," said Lucius. "I'm just asking out of curiosity. It's rare to see Dumbledore personally accompanying a student in Diagon Alley, so I'm curious."

"Well, I think he brought him to get back at me for lowering the price of Phoenix feathers last time," mumbled Ollivander, but Lucius overheard.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Ollivander? What do you mean 'get back at you'?"

"Alright, I don't think it matters much, so I'll tell you. See those two handfuls of ashes in the corner?" Ollivander pointed to the left corner of the room.

"Yes," replied Lucius, his face displaying confusion.

"Those are wands I let that kid try. His magical power is so immense that my poor wands burned up. He didn't even get a chance to wave them. That's why I think Dumbledore is nursing a grudge at me."

"You're kidding, Mr. Ollivander. How can a young wizard have such powerful magic? Even adult wizards don't have such powers."

"Not quite like that," Ollivander replied. "Actually, the first wand is precious because it grows with the wizard and gradually adapts to their strength and characteristics. So, if you give an elite adult wizard like Dumbledore a wand not crafted for him, there's a chance of such an outcome, usually, the wand simply won't work. But this child has such a strong affinity for the elements of fire that even a phoenix feather wand and a dragon heartstring couldn't withstand it."

Lucius Malfoy, upon hearing this, was briefly stunned. He didn't know what to say. In other words, Dumbledore brought a second version of himself to Hogwarts this year?

Lucius Malfoy thought, "We cannot allow the appearance of a second Dumbledore. This would surely be the end for a pure-blood family. And what if this child doesn't restrain himself and doesn't behave according to the rules? We must suppress him. But how can this be done? First, let's see how he behaves at Hogwarts. Maybe it's not so bad."

While the elder Malfoy convinced himself of this,

In Draco Malfoy's heart, hearing this ignited a competitive thrill. He was sure he wouldn't lose to this unknown child. So what if Dumbledore brought him? I'm Draco Malfoy, pure-blood, my father is on the Hogwarts board of governors. I can't lose! he thought.

And he said,

"Mr. Ollivander, let me choose a wand."

Although his speech was filled with arrogance, it was not directed at Ollivander, as he too belonged to one of the 28 pure-blood families.

"Alright, young Mr. Malfoy, which hand do you use?"

"Right," Draco answered and extended his hand. As he spoke, Ollivander had already taken measurements and went to the storeroom to select a wand.

Before leaving, Ollivander didn't forget to say, "Remember, it's not you who chooses the wand, but the wand that chooses you."

After a few minutes, returning with a box, Ollivander placed it on the table, pulled out a wand, and handed it to Draco.

Draco took the wand, and a light glowed at the tip, but there was no ignition or malfunction as Malfoy expected. Instead, Ollivander clapped and said,

"Excellent, Mr. Malfoy, a perfect match on the first try. This wand is 10 inches, unicorn tail core, not too stiff, but not too flexible either."

Hearing the wandmaker's words, Malfoy was dumbfounded.

"How can this be?" he thought. "I'm chosen; I'm a Malfoy."

But no one cared about his thoughts. Paying for the wand with glazed eyes, the Malfoy couple left the shop and headed towards the exit of Diagon Alley.