Ollivander

Mr. Smith had no idea what Jon was thinking. He had already opened the envelope, looked over its contents, cleared his throat, and began to read:

"Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Albus Dumbledore

(President of the International Confederation of Wizards, President of the Wizarding Council, Chief Enchanter of the Order of Merlin)

Dear Mr. Jon Smith:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1.

We await your Owl no later than July 31 with your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall"

Then came a long list of books and required supplies, which Mr. Smith could not really make sense of.

"Let me see."

Mrs. Smith had written a reply and handed it to the Owl that had delivered the letter. She came over as well.

She picked up the list and scanned it a few times. "Magical Theory and Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection are different from the ones in my day, but everything else is more or less how I remember it. Thank Ravenclaw, my memory hasn't worsened yet. The books we ordered should arrive tomorrow. But Jon, we should still make a trip to Diagon Alley. You need to be there in person for your uniform, wand, and pet."

"Are we going today?"

Jon asked. It still felt rather sudden that the door to the magical world was opening so soon.

"Of course, my dear." Mrs. Smith glanced at her husband, her words carrying a pointed meaning. "Otherwise, someone will definitely use this as an excuse to tag along."

The moment she finished speaking, she turned to Mr. Smith. "Dear, aren't you going to the school for an academic seminar? Hurry along. Even if it's the weekend, being late is never a good thing."

Jon wisely avoided the resentful look his father shot his way. He understood the situation perfectly. In this household, Mrs. Smith held the highest status. Though his father often had objections, he was always the one most obedient to his wife. Not helping him would probably be fine, but helping him would mean facing a joint suppression from both parents.

He was not that foolish.

Thus, the resentful Mr. Smith drove away from home. Jon watched his mother wave her wand and change into another outfit. Just as he was wondering whether they would use Apparition or ride a Flying Broomstick, his mother took his hand and led him to the fireplace.

The Floo Network again.

Jon was a little disappointed, though not surprised. After all, it was the safest and most convenient method.

He had used the Floo Network several times as a child to visit his maternal grandmother, so he had experienced it firsthand. At the very least, it did not make him uncomfortable. It was far better than Apparition, which was said to be extremely unpleasant.

After years of firsthand verification, he had come to understand a great deal about this world. Much of that understanding differed from what he had known in his previous life.

For example, this world was not, as the online forums from his previous life had claimed, a "low-magic world."

In fact, even in his previous life, Jon had never believed that worlds could be ranked as higher or lower than one another.

Perhaps worlds differed in size, but their levels should be roughly the same. Like people, worlds also had life cycles.

When a world stood at the peak of mystery, either magic or technology would flourish. One would be at its highest point, while the other would be at its lowest. As for which one rose higher, that depended on the world's own inclinations.

The world of Harry Potter and the Muggle world from his previous life both existed on the same planet. Judging by their shared global characteristics, the Harry Potter world was clearly one inclined toward mystery.

The reason was simple. Even in an age of flourishing technology, magic still existed. That alone was proof.

One could imagine that if the Ministry of Magic lifted its restrictions, the various technologies of the Wizarding World might surpass contemporary science by several centuries.

And according to Jon's research, the decline of this magical world was nearly over.

According to the Original Work, beginning with the generation born alongside Dumbledore, the intensity of magic in this world had gradually begun to recover compared with several centuries earlier. For example, the Philosopher's Stone, capable of turning stone into gold and extending life indefinitely, had reappeared. There was the magic that revived Lord Voldemort, the existence of Archmages such as Grindelwald and Dumbledore, and even Young Wizards of mediocre talent learning spells far faster than before. All of these could be considered evidence.

He had arrived at a good time!

As his mother pulled him into the fireplace, Jon thought to himself. He had no intention of fighting Voldemort. That was the task of Harry Potter, the protagonist and child of destiny. Jon's personality and interests made him far more inclined to become a scholar who explored the essence of the world.

Ordinary people could seek the essence of the world through mathematics and physics, so why couldn't he conduct research through magic?

After all, his mind held far more than the plot concerning the world's course. He clearly remembered the powerful spells that had appeared, the names of potions, and even the few interesting spells Snape had invented and written in his potion textbook.

Once he had a wand, he could begin trying to practice magic.

He, Jon, would become a future Archmage and a world-class scholar of magic.

"Could this young one please stop blocking the fireplace exit?"

A somewhat aged female voice sounded behind him. Jon snapped back to his senses and quickly stepped aside.

Mrs. Smith was talking with a witch shopkeeper some distance away. The two seemed very close, so much so that Mrs. Smith had barely noticed her son had not followed.

Perhaps Diagon Alley was simply too safe.

Jon pursed his lips, glanced at the back of the old witch who had just walked away from him, and made his way over to Mrs. Smith.

"Oh, is this little Jon? What a handsome young man."

Jon smiled in greeting. The witch shopkeeper's enthusiastic praise made him somewhat uncomfortable. Of course, he had inherited his looks from his parents and was indeed handsome, but he did not like people constantly staring at his face.

Things would be better once he entered Hogwarts. There were plenty of attractive people there. If he kept a low profile, he could probably avoid drawing attention.

Fortunately, Mrs. Smith finally noticed his discomfort. She briefly said goodbye to her witch friend, then led Jon into Diagon Alley.

Mrs. Smith had already preordered his textbooks and other supplies. Thanks to Owls, delivery services in the Wizarding World had developed many years ahead of those in the Muggle world. Generally speaking, only wizards from Muggle-born families came to buy textbooks in person.

But clothes and wands still had to be handled personally.

After having his measurements taken at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, mother and son headed to the wand shop.

The only wand shop in Diagon Alley was not as shabby and cramped as described in the Original Work. There was even a young witch working there.

Jon turned his gaze to the sign above the door, where a familiar line of English was written.

"Ollivander: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC."