10: It'll be a Wand's Honor

"Ahem."

Hermione was initially confused by the conversation: "Sorry, I mean, are you saying Ivan is a descendant of Merlin?"

Who is Merlin? Presumably, no one in Britain doesn't know. He is a legendary figure invariably linked with King Arthur.

Upon reflection, Ivan does indeed possess a strong prophetic ability.

"But Ivan doesn't seem to have the ability to become someone else."

Hermione isn't jealous of Ivan. She simply wants the best for her friend.

Yet, the title of 'eternal descendant' sounds quite burdensome. The young witch doesn't want Ivan to be in danger.

"Well, based on what I've just demonstrated in the bookstore, I should still be considered a natural Transfiguration Magus."

After Ivan spoke, he transformed into Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and Ollivander right in front of them.

Gasp!

"Oh, my...."

The transformation was seamless, executed swiftly without any hesitation, leaving the onlookers astonished and incredulous.

"This is the first time I've seen such a complete human transformation."

Professor McGonagall had witnessed Transfiguration before, but those practitioners could only alter their appearance to a certain degree.

However, Ivan could change his body shape, voice, and even minute details.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Professor McGonagall would have suspected that Ivan had swallowed a bottle of Polyjuice Potion beforehand.

"Remarkable magic!"

Ollivander felt honored to witness the blossoming of a descendant of Merlin. He trembled with excitement as he extended his hand to shake Ivan's: "Welcome back, great Ambrosius."

Ivan, inexperienced with his lineage, had received his Merlin bloodline from the system when he transmigrated to this world. Before today, he had no idea what the surname Ambrosius signified in the wizarding world.

"Oh, sorry, I'm too excited," Ollivander said, his fingers trembling as he began to search for a wand suitable for Ivan: "Now, let me see which wand is honored to serve you."

Facing the descendant of Merlin, a legendary figure in the magical world, Ollivander referred to choosing a wand as "serving," reflecting his inner turmoil and reverence at that moment.

Partner?

Please, is it aggrieved to be Merlin's knight?

It is an honor for a wand to fight side by side with the greatest wizard!

If you don't want to serve, there are other wands. If you do, Ollivander's wand shop has no shortage!

"Let's try this first."

Ollivander handed a wand to Ivan: "Elm, thunderbird tail feathers, nine and a half inches."

"Elm wands are usually chosen by those with grace, outstanding magical talent, and an innate noble temperament," Ollivander explained: "Its core comes from an extremely powerful adult thunderbird."

"While wands with thunderbird tail feathers as cores can be challenging to master, they possess great power and are especially valued by masters of Transfiguration."

The same material, just as lightning-struck wood varies greatly in age, so too does elm vary.

The wand Ollivander presented was his masterpiece, crafted from the finest elm and thunderbird tail feathers—top materials in their respective categories.

Its value far exceeded the usual seven galleons; indeed, it was practically priceless.

Buzz~~

When Ivan grasped the wand, a peculiar magical wave emanated from it.

Ivan tried waving it and noticed that the flow of magic within him became remarkably smoother: "I feel like my magic power has suddenly become ten times lighter."

"..."

However, just as Ivan thought he had found the perfect wand, Ollivander shook his head: "No, not this one."

The old man appeared very disappointed, as if his craftsmanship had not been fully appreciated.

"Why?" Ivan asked, seeing Ollivander continue his search.

Ollivander explained that the wand had not chosen Ivan but had merely surrendered under the overwhelming pressure of Ivan's formidable power.

Ollivander's intention had been to find a squire knight for Ivan, not just any wand.

If Ivan were likened to a king, then the wand should be a loyal minister to that king.

The elm wand was too obsequious. Its readiness to serve was not genuine fealty but rather an attempt to ingratiate itself with its master, an act of sycophancy....

This did not mean the elm wand was inferior; Ollivander still believed in the superiority of his creations.

But such thoughts were merely Ollivander consoling himself.

Reflecting on his own elm wand's obsequious behavior towards Ivan, Ollivander felt it was a blow to his pride.

'Choosing a wand is not about giving the best to someone.'

With no other recourse, the old wandmaker comforted himself by reciting the Ollivander family's guiding principle in wand-making: 'The most suitable is the best.'

The implication was clear: My craftsmanship was inadequate, so I had to seek guidance from my ancestors.

"This wand is my father's last work and his proudest creation."

Ollivander then selected a wand with a black shaft and a silver-white handle: "The wand body is made of ebony, known for its impressive reputation and appearance. It is particularly effective for all types of offensive magic and transfiguration."

"Ebony typically chooses those who dare to be true to themselves. They do not follow the crowd, are independent, and often find themselves on the fringes of society."

"Moreover, the ideal wielder of an ebony wand is someone who can withstand external pressures and remain true to their convictions."

"Additionally, the handle of this wand was crafted from fairy mithril, a highly valuable alchemical material in the wizarding world."

Ollivander's decision to offer it was a significant acknowledgment of Ivan: "The wand core is made from the tail feathers of a phoenix. Wands with this core are particularly selective and challenging to master."

"Go ahead, give it a try."

He handed the ebony wand to Ivan, who immediately sensed excitement from the wand upon touching it.

If the previous wand had made Ivan's spellcasting ten times smoother and easier, this one seemed to enhance it by at least twenty times—though not necessarily increasing the power twentyfold.

Ivan himself possesses the talent for wandless casting, yet he often experiences a sense of blockage, which significantly impacts his control and casting speed.

However, with this new wand, Ivan can easily perform spells that were previously challenging for him.

For instance, if the difficulty of casting the Lumos spell is rated as 1, the Protego spell as 5, and perfectly casting a controlled Fiendfyre as 20, Ivan's ability in wandless casting rates only about a 2.

This means without a wand, he cannot overcome the magical resistance required to cast Protego.

In the Harry Potter universe, wizards do not utilize a concept akin to "mana" or "magic points."

In Ivan's perspective, the magic in this world is not so much about expending energy, but rather about using what is termed magical power to manipulate rules to achieve desired outcomes.

Theoretically, as long as a wizard remains sufficiently focused, they could potentially cast spells continuously throughout an entire day.

Nevertheless, mental fatigue is unavoidable.

After all, even without engaging in any physical activity, humans naturally feel extremely tired at night, let alone when performing spellcasting, which is as mentally demanding as doing intensive mental work.