Wand Compatibility

"See that white building? That's the wizards' bank, Gringotts. In the magical world, it's goblin territory."

Fawkes acted as Lynn's guide, introducing him to the various shops in Diagon Alley.

"Goblins control the wizards' economy? Aren't they worried they'll embezzle from those they oversee?"

Lynn found it strange. There were sayings like "those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts" everywhere. Wizards were not fools; surely they understood that principle as well.

"No, no, you don't understand them well enough." Fawkes shook his head.

"Goblins are nominally independent, but in reality, they are still under the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction. They are subordinates of wizards.

They were the defeated side, stripped of the right to use wands.

Don't underestimate that. Without wands, they will never be able to stir up any major trouble again. Besides, having them manage wealth is far more reliable than having wizards do it themselves. When it comes to money, goblins' respect for contracts has stood the test of time."

Lynn had no interest in the history of the magical world. Right now, he could hardly wait to get a wand of his own.

"Then should we go to Gringotts to withdraw money first?"

Fawkes took out his pocket watch and checked the time.

"Mm, we spent rather too long at lunch. I have a dinner banquet to attend after six. Let's split up.

I'll go to Gringotts to withdraw the money. Take the money I have on me and buy your books and wand first, then go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to have your school uniform made. Wait for me there afterward."

"No problem."

Fawkes took a money pouch from his person and handed it to Lynn.

Lynn shook the pouch, and the pleasant clinking of metal rang out from within. He opened it and counted; there were a little over twenty gold coins.

"Twenty-five Galleons in total. That's enough to buy everything you need for school. Of course, my investment will certainly be more than this, but you'll have to wait until I withdraw the rest from Gringotts."

Fawkes pointed out the location of Ollivanders Wand Shop to Lynn, and the two went their separate ways.

There were many people in Diagon Alley. This was the largest shopping street in the British wizarding world, and nearly every magical item available through legitimate channels could be found here.

Of course, if you wanted contraband, you had to go next door to Knockturn Alley.

Ollivanders Wand Shop was not as easy to find as Lynn had expected. He followed the direction Fawkes had indicated for quite some time before spotting a somewhat shabby storefront.

Ollivander, maker of fine wands since 382 BC.

The narrow wooden door bore gold lettering that had partly peeled away.

A thousand years of wandmaking, my family does it best.

After silently mocking the slogan, Lynn reached out and pushed open the wooden door, which looked as though it might fall off at any moment.

"Ding-a-ling..."

The crisp chime of the bell was pleasant to hear as he stepped into the little wooden shop.

Tall wooden cabinets filled the room as far as the eye could see.

"Oh, I didn't expect a customer today."

A short old man emerged from behind a row of wooden cabinets.

He smiled at Lynn, who was curiously examining the shop's furnishings, and asked in a gentle voice.

"You're a new Hogwarts student this year?"

Lynn nodded. "Yes, sir. I need a wand."

"You should be the last one to come this year." Ollivander took a piece of parchment from a drawer.

"Lynn Belloc?"

"That's right, that's me."

"Left-handed or right-handed?"

"Uh... right-handed."

A silver measuring tape floated automatically out of Ollivander's pocket and hovered in front of Lynn.

"Come, hold out your right arm. Yes, very good, just like that."

The measuring tape made Lynn feel rather uncomfortable, like a twisting snake.

By then, Ollivander had already waved his wand and drawn a wooden box from one of the cabinets.

The box floated onto a table beside Lynn, and its lid opened on its own.

"Beechwood with Dragon Heartstring, twelve inches. A powerful combination. Give it a try."

He shoved the wand into Lynn's hand. Lynn somewhat foolishly waved it at the air, but nothing happened.

Yet a system notification sounded in his mind:

Compatibility: 23%.

Lynn froze.

It could do that?

While he was still stunned, Ollivander's hands did not stop moving. He snatched the wand back from Lynn and shoved another into his hand.

"You two don't seem very suited to each other. Then try this one: Hawthorn and Phoenix Feather, nine inches, flexible and easy to use."

Compatibility: 51%.

It was better than before, but there was still no special effect.

"Picky customer. I like that. Then how about this one? Willow and Unicorn Hair, fifteen inches, rather long overall and very resilient."

This time, the wand finally changed. Lynn felt as though something flowed from his fingertips into the wooden stick, and a brilliant spray of sparks burst from its tip.

Compatibility: 76%.

Ollivander nodded in satisfaction. "It likes you very much. This is the one..."

"Wait, sir." Lynn suddenly interrupted him and pointed at the tall wooden cabinets. "Could I look through your wands myself first?"

Ollivander's expression was visibly stunned. It was the first time he had encountered a customer like Lynn, one who actively made such a request.

"Uh... of course. That is your right as a customer."

Lynn felt that the wand in his hand was not necessarily the one with the highest compatibility with him in this wand shop.

Though he did not know what effect wand-wizard compatibility had, or how greatly it would affect the casting and use of magic, Lynn felt that the higher it was, the better.

He did not need to take out and touch every wand. The system could detect each wand's compatibility even through the cabinets.

Starting from the first row of cabinets, Lynn appeared to be wandering aimlessly, but system notifications kept ringing in his mind.

Compatibility: 59%, compatibility: 65%, compatibility: 13%, compatibility: 78%, compatibility: 45%...

After more than twenty minutes, just as Ollivander's patience was about to run out, Lynn finally looked through all the wands and chose the one with the highest compatibility.

Compatibility: 92%.

"I think this wand is the one best suited to me. What do you think, Mr. Ollivander?"

Lynn lightly waved the wand in his hand. A dazzling silver trail lingered from its tip, hanging in the air for a long time.

Ollivander stared incredulously at the wand in Lynn's hand and murmured.

"Perfect... a perfect combination. It is as though it was made specifically for you, Mr. Belloc. How... how did you find it?"

"Um... I just felt it. A feeling that's hard to describe," Lynn said vaguely.

"The wand chooses the wizard!"

Ollivander suddenly shouted with absolute certainty, "It must have guided you to find it! This is powerful proof that wands themselves truly possess spirituality! I must write this down, record it in the Ollivander family history..."

Ollivander clutched his messy hair and ran wildly around the room in excitement.

What spirituality? I was the one who chose it.

Lynn secretly rolled his eyes, then stopped the overexcited Ollivander.

"Mr. Ollivander, could you first tell me about this wand's characteristics?"

"Why not? Strictly speaking, this wand was not made by me alone. I generally use only unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, and dragon heartstrings as wand cores, but this one has a rather special core material. It was made jointly with materials brought by the Eastern European wandmaker Grigovich. Quercus with Thestral Heartstring, eleven and a quarter inches. Ah, even among wands across the entire world, this is a rare combination—mysterious and difficult to control, highly suited to..." Ollivander suddenly stopped there.

Lynn looked at him curiously.

"Suited to what?"

Ollivander swallowed. He seemed to be wary of something, but he still said it.

"...Suited to wizards who are rational and quiet, but occasionally reveal madness."

Lynn was somewhat baffled. He did not understand what this rather twitchy old man meant.

Please vote! Simple, straightforward, with just a hint of cuteness.