Lys rushed to the kitchen, only to remember she now had her own room where all her belongings were stored. She darted upstairs to the second floor and rummaged through her suitcase.
After pulling out the materials, she hesitated briefly before grabbing a small pouch as well. Clutching everything in her hands, she patted Gulp on the head before returning to the potions room.
Muttering under her breath, "This one's for Mom, and this one's for Dad."
Senna clicked her tongue impatiently and tore open the bag, only to freeze for a moment. Right—other children received proper education from a young age, but before this child turned eleven, neither of them had paid her much attention.
Even now, she was only fourteen. Sure, she could lead them out of danger and take care of herself, but in every sense, she was still just a child.
Looking up from the bag, Senna's momentary hesitation vanished. This child, who from afar looked taller than herself and often muttered like a fool, had bought her father a bag of candy...
A bag of candy...
Candy...
Senna rubbed her forehead and waved Lys off. "Go on, deliver it yourself."
Standing before the cauldron, Senna found her thoughts wandering...
Hawthorn wood: a contradictory material. Its leaves and flowers have healing properties, yet its branches emit a deadly scent. It excels in both healing and curses and chooses wizards who are conflicted and uncertain.
If she remembered correctly, Ollivander only sold hawthorn wands to highly talented wizards because hawthorn wood could backfire under certain conditions. If it ended up killing its owner, Ollivander's reputation as a wandmaker would be ruined.
And this child's next two choices were practically extensions of her first wand: willow for extreme healing, and blackthorn for extreme strength.
This child really was growing up a bit crooked.
But at least she could trust that the blackthorn wand wouldn't explode in the hands of that little lunatic.
Returning to her senses, Senna resumed stirring her potion, then carefully examined the new potion ingredients she had just received.
Noticing the handful of candies the child had taken out, she popped one into her mouth. Her teeth immediately started clattering, and she thought, "Well, that's rather amusing," as she continued admiring the ingredients.
Meanwhile, Lys stood outside Noah's door clutching a bag of candies for a long time—so long that even Cocoa was about to start making dinner.
But Senna stopped it, and the house-elf came upstairs crying to its young mistress. "Oh, Cocoa is so useless! The mistress doesn't like Cocoa's cooking! Cocoa is unworthy of being a house-elf! Cocoa must punish itself!"
Lys ordered Cocoa to quiet down and not punish itself. Then, carrying the bag of candies, she headed to the kitchen. Seeing her impatient mother sipping whiskey at the dining table, she quickly put down the candies and started making dinner.
When Cocoa was about to deliver dinner to the master, Lys placed the bag of candies on the tray.
Later that evening, Lys was planning to test the Patronus Charm with her willow wand when she heard an exclamation from her father's room.
This had never happened before. Gripping the tiny wand in her hand, Lys rushed over. After knocking on the door, she heard a slightly delighted "Come in." Lys and the hastily arriving Senna saw Noah floating a few inches above his bed.
If not for the magical iron chains restraining him, he might have floated all the way to the ceiling.
Senna stared in shock at Noah's delighted expression. With her cheeks flushed red from drinking, she pushed Lys aside, entered Noah's room, and closed the door behind her.
Lys blinked, still processing what had just happened, as she found herself shut outside.
But at least it seemed her father liked the fizzing bee candies. Though they were a bit pricey, maybe she could buy more next year.
What was the ingredient again? Billywig stings. If she wasn't mistaken, the floating effect came from them.
Then Lys stood in the corridor, lost in thought. If she just wanted objects to not fully touch her gloves, she didn't necessarily need to experiment with such advanced spatial magic using Occamy blood.
Her father's legs were so thin...
Keeping objects in a floating state was just as good, though there were still a few small problems to solve...
Her father looked so happy. Did that make her mother happy too?
Lys wandered dreamily back to her new room and fell asleep.
Since they weren't at the shop and her mother had been drinking and crying in her father's room for an hour last night, breakfast was delayed.
Lys sat at the dining table, ate her meal quietly, and then went outside with Gulp to bask in the sun.
Fiddling with the small willow wand, she noticed it had a simple lacquer finish, giving it a misty black appearance. Apart from a few carved lines at the handle for grip, it had no decorations. Its shape was uniformly tapered, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom.
Lys took an old piece of clothing and used a household cutting spell to cut some strips of fabric. She tried tying the blackthorn wand to her forearm. This way, if her primary wand slipped from her hand, she could quickly flick out the second wand.
The blackthorn wand wasn't exactly straight; it curved in several places, yet the handle and tip somehow aligned in a straight line. She wasn't sure if this was the natural shape of the material or if her mother had adjusted it later.
After several adjustments, she finally managed to make it work. But after repeated experiments, she realized it wasn't practical. The wand was too long. Unless it stuck out of her sleeve, it would protrude awkwardly from her elbow when she bent her arm, making it very conspicuous.
Frustrated, Lys slapped her forehead. If the long one didn't fit, why not use a short one? Why hadn't she thought of that earlier?
After some tinkering, she finally succeeded. The little wand was so short that even if she flicked it out, it wouldn't be too noticeable—perfect for a last-minute comeback.
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