You obtained a wand of your own. Timed mission complete. Magic Power Index +1.
After Lynn paid Ollivander nine Galleons, the system promptly chimed with a notification that the mission had been completed.
Compared with boosts to his other magical talents, the increase in his Magic Power Index was something Lynn could feel much more clearly.
Something inside him had previously been like a slender sapling, but now, as if it had been fed Jinkela, it had suddenly grown into a small tree.
It was still young, but compared to before, it was far more substantial.
Those things were probably magic power.
After completing the timed mission, Lynn deftly spun his wand around his fingertips, then gently stroked its smooth, straight shaft. Its slightly cool touch put him in an excellent mood.
After leaving Ollivander's wand shop, Lynn went to Flourish and Blotts and bought all the Hogwarts textbooks, along with several books the clerk recommended for beginner wizards.
There were quite a lot of books, but delivery was included. Lynn left his home address, and the bookstore manager promised to have an owl deliver them within a week.
There were also other supplies, such as cauldrons. The shops all offered owl delivery, which was convenient for wizards but practically treated owls like they weren't people.
Well... there really was no need to treat them like people.
In the end, the only thing he still had left to buy was his Hogwarts robe.
But that needed to be tailored in person. After Lynn cooperated with the measurements, it would still take some time for the robe to be made. With nothing else to do, he went outside and squatted in front of the nearby Magical Creatures Pet Shop, teasing an owl that looked rather depressed.
"You're a new Hogwarts student this year, aren't you? Interested in buying an owl as a pet?" A shop clerk kept chattering away, trying to sell Lynn one of their magical creatures.
"This owl may look a little introverted, but both its parents are public owls at Hogwarts. Its bloodline is excellent, and after it was born, it received careful training from our shop's animal handlers. It is absolutely an outstanding wizarding companion."
Lynn lightly touched the sharp beak of the supposedly well-bred owl with one finger. The owl shrank its neckless head back and stared at him with displeasure.
"It doesn't seem to like me much." Lynn spread his hands. "And I wasn't planning to keep a pet."
Just as he was about to stand and go back to check on the progress of his robe, he suddenly heard a small, soft, adorable voice.
"Nya! Nyanya!"
Lynn turned toward the source of the sound.
It was a pure white hamster, about the size of a fist, round and plump. It was pressed between the bars of its cage, looking at him with a pair of bright black eyes. It looked incredibly cute.
Its voice amused Lynn. He crouched down in front of the hamster's cage again and said with a broad grin,
"The moment you opened your mouth, I knew you were an old otaku."
"Nya?"
The hamster tilted its head at him, as though curious about what he had said.
"What kind of magical creature is this?" Lynn pointed at the hamster and asked the clerk.
The pet shop clerk seemed not to know where the creature had come from either. After stammering for a long time, he blatantly made up a story, claiming it was a rat with an impressive background.
One of its ancestors had supposedly assisted Merlin in magical experiments. It was unquestionably of noble blood.
Lynn immediately stood and said he would buy it only if they wanted to sell it. He would pay no more than one Galleon.
And then... the hamster became his.
Holding the hamster cage, Lynn gave it a little shake in front of his eyes. The hamster was not afraid at all, blinking its little eyes as it looked at its new owner.
He truly had not planned to keep a pet, but the sound this rat made had, for once, reminded him of certain things from his previous life.
He considered it fate, which was why Lynn bought it.
"Since I've decided to keep you, I should give you a name..." Lynn raised his head and thought for a moment.
"Since you're an old otaku, how about calling you Umr?"
"Nya! Nyanya!"
It was impossible to tell whether Umr's response was agreement or refusal, but its owner had decided its name just like that.
Lynn returned to the robe shop with Umr. Madam Malkin had already finished his school robe and was waiting for him.
"Come on, child. Try it on and see if anything needs adjusting."
He changed into the robe and posed flamboyantly in front of the mirror.
Still as handsome as ever. Whether ordinary clothes or wizarding robes, his looks made them seem far more upscale.
"Thank you, Madam. I'm very satisfied." Lynn said to Madam Malkin, "May I stay here for a while? Professor Foxx arranged to meet me here."
Madam Malkin helped him wrap up the robe. "Of course you can, child."
Rather than sit around doing nothing, he casually opened one of his Hogwarts textbooks and skimmed through it.
From Lynn's professional perspective in his previous life, the Charms textbook in his hands was written terribly.
But considering how wizards used magic, it was understandable that things had turned out this way.
After all, learning magic was not something one could handle simply by memorizing and writing things down. It was highly practical, and it was difficult for text alone to explain every aspect of casting a spell.
It was like art students in high school. Whether they studied painting or music, they needed guidance from professional teachers; they could not learn it simply by shutting themselves away and figuring it out alone.
Still, some simple spells could be learned just by reading. At least, Lynn found them quite easy.
"What's going on today? Why are so many goblins coming out of Gringotts?"
Madam Malkin's quiet mutter drew Lynn's attention.
He looked out at the long street of Diagon Alley, where many ugly, short humanoid creatures were searching everywhere.
They wore Gringotts-issued uniforms, their expressions stern and their footsteps hurried.
They seemed to be chasing someone.
Kurt was a department supervisor at Gringotts's British Diagon Alley branch.
He was in an extremely bad mood.
Because not long ago, Gringotts had been robbed.
Yes, even Gringotts could be robbed. It was rare, but not surprising.
The stolen item was not important, but the nature of the incident was extremely serious. If it was not handled properly, it would severely affect Gringotts's reputation—and even the reputation of goblins themselves.
"We lost him, sir." One of the goblins under his command returned to report.
Kurt's already unpleasant expression immediately became even uglier, like a rotten orange.
"You had better tell me some good news right now, or I am about to give you some bad news you won't want to hear." Kurt stared coldly at his subordinate, showing no mercy whatsoever.
The goblin looked extremely nervous. He stammered, "We saw his face while chasing him. One of the goblins recognized who he was."
"Who?" Kurt perked up. At least they had gained something.
"Hans Johnson."
Kurt had no impression of the name. "Who is he?"
The goblin swallowed.
"He is the owner of the vault that was robbed."
Kurt looked at his subordinate as though he were staring at a brainless troll. "He came to steal his own things?"
"Not only that, but according to our records, this Hans Johnson died of old age nine years ago."
"Are you telling me a ghost committed this crime?" Kurt found the entire matter absurd.
"Could it... be Polyjuice Potion?"
"You said he died nine years ago. What kind of Potions Master could make a potion whose effects lasted that long? And what would be the point?"
He stroked his chin and fell into thought.
After a long while, he looked back at his subordinate.
"Is there still a chance of recovering the item?"
The goblin shook his head.
"That thing had almost no value. We did not leave any tracking measures on it."
Kurt tapped the wooden table with his long fingers.
"We probably can't keep this hidden. The stolen item may be worthless, but our reputation is priceless.
Prepare to control public opinion. Don't be afraid to spend Galleons. Try to make the Daily Prophet focus its reporting on a ghost committing the crime and downplay Gringotts's involvement. I shouldn't need to teach you this. You know what to do."
"I understand."
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