Chapter 5

"It looks like you got the cedar wand."

After meeting up at the entrance of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Chris immediately recognized the wand in Kain's hand.

Due to its unusual combination, Chris had a vivid memory of it, and it was with this very wand that he had first met Diana.

He didn't expect it to end up in Kain's hands now.

Chris looked at Kain with a mix of emotion but soon his expression changed, seemingly recalling something serious, he patted Kain's shoulder heavily.

"My dear, I regret to inform you that with that wand, you probably won't be getting into Gryffindor."

"Not getting into Gryffindor?" Kain twitched the corner of his mouth, understanding what his father meant.

Ollivander had mentioned that a wizard with a cedar wand possesses sharp insight and is inherently calm, and Gryffindor... well, they might, perhaps, not need calm.

Kain hadn't expected to be virtually excluded from a Hogwarts house even before his enrollment; it was indeed distressing news.

"What are you two laughing about?" At that moment, Diana approached, curious.

She had just been to buy a cauldron for Kain and stopped by Scribbulus Writing Instruments to pick up some quills and parchment, so she hadn't heard their conversation.

"Nothing much, just Dad saying that with this wand, I wouldn't get into Gryffindor." Kain explained and showed Diana his new wand.

Diana obviously recognized the cedar wand, and combining it with Kain's words, she couldn't help but laugh too.

"I'm afraid your father is right, dear."

Both Chris and Diana had no particular preference for which house Kain should join; as far as they were concerned, as long as it was Hogwarts, any house would do.

Kain felt the same way.

...

Like choosing a wand, fitting for school robes was also a lengthy process. Even with Madam Malkin's expertise, it took a solid twenty minutes just to measure the necessary dimensions.

Since Kain was taller than most of his peers, there were no ready-made robes in the store suitable for him; custom ones would take about two hours.

Kain thought it over and decided to leave his address instead, opting for the robes to be delivered by owl post.

By then it was five o'clock in the afternoon. Waiting another two hours would mean getting his robes at seven, far too late. It was more convenient to have them delivered.

The next stop after Madam Malkin's was Flourish and Blotts.

This visit was quick; in less than five minutes, Kain found all the textbooks he needed. Additionally, he bought two extra books.

Firstly, of course, was Newt Scamander's — *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Newest Revised Edition)*.

Though already owning nineteen copies, that didn't stop him from supporting Scamander, considering it helping with the sales. The revised edition added thirty pages and seven new magical creatures, making it a high value purchase.

The second book, *Standard Spells and Their Counterspells*, was found accidentally by Kain when he kicked it out from a corner while checking out.

As the title suggests, it contained various common spells like the Lumos (Lighting Charm), Leviosa (Levitation Charm), and Scourgify (Cleaning Charm).

It was useful for its comprehensive coverage, similar to a spell version of *Fantastic Beasts*, and reasonably priced at one Galleon.

Kain flipped through it and decided to buy it. While it wasn't particularly necessary, it was good for passing the time.

Besides these two, Kain had many more books he wished to read — on charms, potions, transfiguration, enough to fill a sheet of parchment — but he didn't buy them.

It wasn't about the money; Chris and Diana had a comfortable income. The real reason was that he was about to go to Hogwarts, home to the largest and oldest library in the magical world.

Why buy books when you could borrow what you wanted from there, unless they were essential textbooks or something he truly loved?

Others might think differently, but Kain wasn't keen on wasting his Galleons.

...

After leaving Flourish and Blotts, the list of necessary school supplies was nearly complete — Kain didn't need a pet.

Over the years, Chris had rescued many injured owls, earning their household a high reputation among these messenger birds. Whenever Kain appeared at a window with an envelope or package, a crowd of owls would swoop in, vying to deliver it for him, including many from Hogwarts.

When needed, he could simply hire one with treats — very convenient.

See, another Galleons saved.

Initially, Kain wanted to use the saved money to buy a broomstick. Not a top-of-the-line one, but a Nimbus 1500 or a Comet Seven would suffice.

Compared to the new models showcased in the shop windows, these older brooms offered excellent value. They were nearly as good in quality but cost less than a third of the new models.

For example, the once-popular Nimbus 1500, originally priced at 300 Galleons, was now only 80 Galleons — an amount Kain had just about saved up.

The Comet Seven was more expensive at about 100 Galleons, but still within reach with Chris's help.

However, no sooner had he voiced this idea than Diana vetoed it. The reason was simple: Hogwarts regulations prohibited first-year students from bringing brooms, and they had enough at home.

Chris could only shrug helplessly at Kain, showing his inability to assist. Yet he kindly took Kain to the broomstick shop to window-shop to his heart's content before they headed towards the Leaky Cauldron.

...

The Weasley family, who had come shopping with them, had already gone home by the time Kain was fitting his robes.

Mrs. Weasley needed to prepare a lavish dinner for a family of six, a substantial undertaking even with magical help, taking over an hour.

Kain regretted missing the twins' embarrassing moment, second only to his disappointment at not buying a broomstick.

...

(End of Chapter)