School Starts
Although Robert didn't need a new wand, there were still other things he had to buy.
Robert had been coming to Diagon Alley since he was six years old, and almost all the shopkeepers here knew him. He didn't even need to open the envelope to read the acceptance letter. Just walking around for a bit, Robert knew exactly what he needed.
"Little Robert, I knew you'd come. The new books are all here, wrapped up…"
"Thank you, Madam Blott. How much do I owe you?"
"Two galleons in total. How's that for a discount?"
"Irresistible," Robert said with a smile.
Eight books for just two galleons? Madam Blott at Flourish and Blotts must have only charged him the cost price. Such a huge favor had nothing to do with him, probably because of Ollivander.
Was this her way of paying back the discount on the first wand? Perhaps.
After that, Robert also bought a complete set of pewter cauldrons, a brass telescope, a standard measure of potion ingredients, and three sets of plain robes, including gloves and cloaks. All of them came with discounts that others couldn't get, saving him a lot of money.
The herbalist's owner prepared far more than the standard amount of ingredients for him—about one and a half times the usual amount. The items weren't worth much money, but the sentiment was strong. Robert didn't stand on ceremony, accepting everything with a smile.
Except for Eeylops Owl Emporium.
Robert didn't understand why Madam Theodore, the owner, was so enthusiastic, insisting on giving him an owl for free as a back-to-school gift. Owls weren't cheap—common ones cost ten galleons, and better breeds could even double that price. Robert naturally refused.
He looked at the elderly shopkeeper, who was about sixty years old, and scratched his head in confusion. To be honest, he wasn't familiar with Madam Theodore at all, having only met her a few times, and he couldn't figure out why she was so eager to offer him such a valuable gift.
Out of caution, Robert didn't accept her gift. But the shopkeeper was too insistent. Unable to refuse, Robert reluctantly chose another pet.
A tabby cat… maybe.
It looked very much like a tabby cat, but its fur color wasn't as pretty, looking mottled and grayish. When Robert glanced over, the cat was staying in the corner with a ginger-colored, flat-faced, long-haired cat, both being ignored by everyone, though the price was incredibly low.
One galleon—only five sickles more than the cheapest rat and even cheaper than most toads. That was why Robert chose it. At this price, he could accept it with a clear conscience.
As for why he didn't choose the ginger one… it was mainly because he didn't have a hobby for collecting soda cans, especially flattened ones.
Although Madam Theodore repeatedly urged Robert to exchange it for a better-looking, gentler purebred cat for the same price, Robert remained firm in his decision. He didn't want to accept such an overly generous gift until he figured out the other party's specific motives.
In fact, he really wanted to pay for the cat, but Madam Theodore refused, saying that Robert had already done her a great favor.
"That cat is too fierce. You'd better be careful at school. It might eat someone's pet rat or toad," she warned.
Robert looked at the tabby cat climbing lazily on his arm and felt suspicious about Madam Theodore's words. Of course, even if it was truly fierce, it didn't matter. After arriving at Hogwarts, he probably wouldn't have the time to take care of a pet, so a bit of wildness would suit the cat. It could be self-sufficient.
An hour later, Robert, loaded with his purchases, pushed open the door of the wand shop. He planned to give the enthusiastic shop owner a wand care kit as a return gift before school started, along with a sheet of special wand stickers.
The stickers were something he had invented last year. Based on Chocolate Frog cards, they could move but wouldn't suddenly disappear. Many people didn't mind spending a sickle to add a moving Dumbledore to their wand.
Though Ollivander had agreed to sell these stickers, he wasn't keen on promoting them. He felt they were a rip-off, so only a handful of people knew about them, and sales were average.
Then there were custom color sprays that could change the color of the wand. However, Ollivander absolutely refused to let Robert sell these in the shop. So, Robert locked them away in a box.
But this time, he planned to take the sprays to school and see if he could sell them.
Actually, Robert knew exactly why Ollivander objected. Wands needed to be discreet, especially for dangerous jobs like Aurors. The same color as the wood was the best camouflage. Wands were mostly brown, reddish-brown, or black. Imagine someone on a night mission suddenly pulling out a bright red wand—way too noticeable, almost like having a Lumos Charm on them.
Of course, it wasn't a problem at Hogwarts. Students didn't need to fight at night. At their age, they were at the perfect time when they wanted to be different, so who could resist dyeing their wand a unique color?
As Robert thought about this, he opened a small bag containing roughly thirty-odd galleons and a few silver sickles. This was all the pocket money he had so far.
Considering Robert's age, this amount was actually quite a lot. Most first-year students only had about seven or eight galleons for the whole school year. But Robert had many things to spend money on! He needed to make wands, the cores cost money, and the wood for the shafts wasn't cheap either.
Moreover, after school started, he wouldn't be able to freely use his family's wealth. He'd have to buy whatever he wanted himself.
Thinking about it, thirty galleons wasn't enough.
How about making the gold and red sprays rare items and doubling their price? Hmm… green and silver could triple the price…
Robert silently made a decision.
He wasn't deliberately targeting anyone, of course. He wasn't that kind of person.
After experiencing the magic of the wizarding world, some young wizards from Muggle families were reluctant to leave and came almost every day. Some of them weren't sure how to open the entrance with a wand, so they stayed at the Leaky Cauldron. Old Tom, the innkeeper, had prepared enough rooms early on and made a tidy profit.
This made Diagon Alley more crowded in August. Every shop was bustling with people… except for the wand shop.
Wands weren't consumables. Apart from the new students who came every year, it was nearly impossible to have repeat customers in such a short period.
Robert was happy to have some free time. He seized the days before school started to rummage through the things in the storage room.
Inside, there were woods suitable for making wands that Ollivander had found all over the world during his decades of travel. Every piece was top-quality.
Before, Ollivander had been hesitant to take them out. But now that Robert had received his acceptance letter from Hogwarts, as a grandfather, he was unusually generous this time.
Robert practically became a Niffler in a vault, his eyes glinting with excitement.
Applewood soaked in pine resin for a whole year… A great find—he had to have it!
Ironwood, hard to handle but rare… Definitely taking that too.
Sycamore wood, excellent—it pairs explosively well with Phoenix tail feathers. Just so happens there's a Phoenix at Hogwarts… I'll take that too.
Grapevine wood… not the best, but it's decent. Might as well grab it…
Robert walked further to the end of the room and suddenly stopped, staring wide-eyed at a reddish-brown branch on a shelf in front of him.
Merlin's beard! At least a thirteen-hundred-year-old Dragonblood tree main branch! His grandfather had hidden such a rare piece?
Ollivander's face behind him turned pale. He immediately wanted to stop Robert.
Dragonblood wood wasn't rare in Romania, but a branch that had survived over a thousand years of chewing from fire dragons was incredibly rare. Few could withstand the constant chewing for so long.
Before Ollivander could even speak, Robert had instinctively grabbed the Dragonblood tree branch, cradling it tightly in his arms.
Putting it back wasn't an option. A wizard had to keep their word—going back on it was what Dark wizards did.
Was Ollivander a Dark wizard? Certainly not.
And Robert wouldn't let his dear grandfather become the kind of person who went back on their word.
The result of this was that the poor young wizards who came later to buy their wands found a disheveled, grumpy Ollivander muttering to himself in the shop.
A few of the more timid children almost cried, not wanting to buy wands anymore. Ollivander had certainly caused a lot of trouble. Hopefully, this image wouldn't leave a lasting shadow in their young hearts.