Eighty Is the Prime Age for Striving

After a long while, Rhine finally calmed down from his excitement.

There was still more than a month before Hogwarts started, and he had some important matters to attend to outside Hogwarts.

Control Fire at Will and Spirit Beast Cultivation were both extremely practical talents.

The former would not only give him a natural advantage with fire-based spells, but also provide enormous convenience in disciplines requiring temperature control, such as alchemy and potions.

The latter would make it more likely for the magical creatures Rhine raised to break through their bottlenecks and gain greater power.

For example, the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest were Class 5X magical creatures to begin with. If Rhine could continue cultivating them, the combat strength of that colony alone would be terrifying.

And there was also the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets—the Thousand-Year Basilisk!

Rhine even suspected that if that thing were placed in the Primordial world, it would at least count as a demon that had gained some standing, wouldn't it?

If it could continue being cultivated, it would undoubtedly become a great help to Rhine.

With cultivation still a distant prospect, Rhine naturally could not abandon magic.

That was precisely why he had to obtain those two talents before going to Hogwarts.

The next day.

Diagon Alley.

Rhine walked down the street in his loose robes.

As he passed Gringotts, he sensed that its security had become considerably tighter. Goblins stood guard at the entrance, watching every wizard who passed by Gringotts with scrutinizing eyes.

At the same time, Rhine saw a notice outside Gringotts offering a reward for information on a wizard skilled in the Stunning Spell who had appeared near Gringotts.

Seeing this display, Rhine wore a strange expression.

Did Gringotts think Ragnok and the others had been knocked out by some powerful Stunning Spell?

Well, in the wizarding world, people really would assume such things.

So it seemed Gringotts believed someone was plotting against them.

Rhine's expression grew even stranger.

Of course, he knew that before long, on the very day the savior Harry Potter entered the wizarding world, Voldemort would possess Quirrell and break into Gringotts.

He just wondered whether his presence as a butterfly would add some trouble to Voldemort's plan to break in.

But Rhine quickly put those thoughts aside.

He arrived at Ollivanders Wand Shop.

Ollivander had clearly not forgotten Rhine's performance last time. When he saw Rhine arrive, delight appeared on his face.

"Mr. Rhine, you've come at just the right time. I've had some inspiration regarding wandlore these past few days."

"Come, try these wands."

As he spoke, Ollivander handed Rhine several wands.

While cooperating with Ollivander's strange tests, Rhine made small talk with him, trying to draw closer to him.

As long as they reached the level of Close Friendship, he could obtain the Control Fire at Will talent.

But after a full two or three hours, although Rhine and Ollivander had become somewhat more familiar, Rhine could clearly feel that they were still far from being close friends.

At most, they were merely acquaintances with some familiarity.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Ollivander was already so old; even adding together both of Rhine's lives, he might not have lived half as long as Ollivander.

At that age, and as a world-famous Wandmaker Master, Ollivander had no shortage of people flattering him.

Even if Rhine was of great help to Ollivander's wandlore research, becoming close friends with him would not happen overnight.

It might take several years!

Rhine only had a little over a month before school started to spend in Diagon Alley. He did not have that much time to wait.

"Looks like I need to find a way to draw closer faster."

After pondering for a moment, Rhine came up with an idea.

To get closer to someone, naturally, one had to start with what they cared about most.

What did Ollivander care about most?

Wands. That went without saying.

Both the sign hanging outside his shop and the information Rhine had gained from the original Harry Potter novels showed that old Mr. Ollivander harbored the ambition of surpassing Grigovich and becoming the Number One in Europe, or even the world's Number One Wandmaker Master.

But like the Ollivander Family, the Grigovich Family was also a family of wandmakers passed down through generations.

Grigovich had once obtained the Elder Wand. As a Wandmaker, it was not impossible that he had drawn inspiration from it, and his skills might even have improved further.

Forget surpassing Grigovich—Ollivander was probably already doing everything he could just to keep Grigovich from overshadowing his reputation.

No wonder he was still pursuing wandlore research at such an advanced age.

If Rhine wanted to get closer to him, this was the only angle he could think of.

A moment later, while Ollivander frowned as he pondered a question, Rhine spoke up.

"Mr. Ollivander, you repeatedly told me that wands and wizards choose each other and bring out the best in each other."

"But are there special wands that do not require a wizard's own talent, wands that possess the power to let every wizard who wields them display unparalleled ability?"

Ollivander's expression shifted slightly at Rhine's question, and he slowly nodded.

"Yes, of course there are."

"It is the most famous wand in the history of the wizarding world."

"Elder wood, the Elder Wand, the Deathstick... it has many names."

"Legend says that any wizard who wields the Elder Wand is invincible in every duel. It is universally acknowledged as the most powerful wand."

"Why are you asking about that?"

Rhine said with considerable excitement, "Such a powerful wand—have you ever seen it, Mr. Ollivander?"

Ollivander gritted his teeth.

"No."

Then he took a deep breath. As if recalling something, his expression became even uglier.

"Many people think the Elder Wand is merely a legend. For a time, I thought so too."

"But I have my suspicions. I suspect that one of my old rivals once obtained that wand. Otherwise, his wandmaking ability could not have improved so much in such a short time."

"But he certainly could not have kept the Elder Wand for long. A pity, though perhaps that was also a good thing."

Rhine then spoke with Ollivander for a while about the rumors surrounding the Elder Wand.

Longing for the Elder Wand showed in Ollivander's eyes as well.

When he saw that the atmosphere had been built up enough, Rhine's gaze flickered as he asked curiously, "The Elder Wand must be at least a thousand years old by now, right? Over all these years, the wizarding world's techniques have continued to develop. It should be possible to make a wand even more powerful than the Elder Wand."

"Mr. Ollivander, why don't you give it a try?"

Ollivander froze, pointing at himself in astonishment.

"Me?"

"Make a wand more powerful than the Elder Wand?"

Rhine replied as if it were obvious, "Of course."

"You are Mr. Ollivander, the greatest wandmaker in the world."

"What could make a wandmaker yearn more than creating a wand that rivals or even surpasses the Elder Wand? What could make his craft more renowned throughout the world?"

"Think about it. Even if your so-called rival obtained the Elder Wand, would he have the resolve to surpass it?"

"No. Only you could have such an exceptional idea. If you succeed, who else could possibly be mentioned in the same breath as you?"

A light gradually kindled in Ollivander's eyes as he muttered to himself.

"Yes."

"It has already been a thousand years. Why can't the Elder Wand be surpassed?"

But hesitation appeared in his eyes again.

"But my age... I am already over eighty."

Rhine said decisively, "Eighty is the prime age for striving, Mr. Ollivander. I will also do everything in my power to help you!"

Ollivander was deeply moved. It was as though his lofty ambitions were reviving, and the way he looked at Rhine had clearly grown warmer.

"Good."

"Then let me try to challenge this impossible feat."

"When will the Ollivander Family become Number One in Europe—no, Number One in the world? In my generation!"

A smile curved Rhine's lips.

For a wizard who regarded wandlore as the pursuit of his life, what could bring two people closer than a grand, difficult common goal?

Plan succeeded!