Ezio had bought two wands not out of greed, but out of practical necessity.
When he couldn't cast spells wandlessly, a wand was an essential aid to a wizard. If he was ever forced to lose the wand in his hand, he would need a backup ready.
An assassin had to remember the wisdom of being prepared for every eventuality. Often, a chance to assassinate lasted only for a fleeting instant. Miss it, and unnecessary trouble could easily follow. More thorough preparations meant he could handle more complicated situations and ensure nothing went wrong.
If Snape couldn't cast spells wandlessly, then once his wand was knocked away, he would inevitably become a lamb waiting for the slaughter. No matter how accomplished he was at magic, he would have no choice but to surrender.
Although Ezio was only eleven in body, he was no weaker than an adult—in fact, he was stronger than some. When it came to applying his strength, he was leagues ahead of most people. In unarmed combat, killing a dozen or twenty ordinary people would be a piece of cake. He had learned vicious techniques meant to kill with a single strike, not to box or grapple.
Combat and killing were related, but they could also be worlds apart.
The sky had gradually darkened. Ezio had no intention of staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Maybe it was the noisy atmosphere and filthy surroundings; maybe, having only just entered the Wizarding World, he didn't feel secure enough. He preferred to stay somewhere familiar.
He pulled up his hood and slipped away without a sound. It was easy enough to find a hotel. There was no surveillance in this era, and as long as nobody saw him, it made for an excellent place to rest.
Of course, checking in at the front desk was out of the question. Ezio chose to stay for free—not because he couldn't afford it, but because paying would risk exposing him. Making sure nobody was watching, he casually picked the lock on a guest-room door and made the room his temporary lodgings.
The hotel he chose didn't get many guests, and its best rooms were especially unpopular because they were poor value for money. For that price, you could stay at a much better hotel. The wealthy looked down on it, while the poor couldn't afford it. It was awkwardly positioned.
Before going to Hogwarts, young wizards didn't have the Trace. From a book on the subject, Ezio had learned roughly what it was.
The Trace was a kind of magical contract. Once a young wizard enrolled in any school of magic registered with the Ministry of Magic—including, but not limited to, Hogwarts—they would enter into this contract. Before they turned seventeen, the age of adulthood in the Wizarding World, any spells they cast without an adult wizard nearby would be recorded and reported to the Ministry of Magic.
However, the magic wasn't precise. If there was a source of magical interference nearby—in other words, another adult wizard—the spell wouldn't take effect. So young wizards could take advantage of having an adult wizard nearby and cast spells while underage.
The Trace was mainly meant to keep an eye on Muggle-born young wizards. The Ministry of Magic hated it when they used magic in front of Muggles. It was difficult to expose the existence of the Wizarding World, but doing so would still cause the Ministry trouble. They would have to modify memories and conceal the existence of magic. It took time and effort.
Ezio wasn't too concerned about this restriction. A crude safeguard like that had plenty of loopholes. For example, if he needed to use magic in the Muggle world, he could simply bring an adult wizard with him. As for how he would bring one along, it certainly wouldn't be because the wizard had volunteered to help.
But until he enrolled at Hogwarts, Ezio could use magic as freely as he liked. He didn't have the Trace, so the Ministry of Magic wouldn't notice him.
As long as the Ministry of Magic didn't find out, he could spend the next month and a half learning and using magic however he pleased.
"Lumos... Oh, this one's easy. Looks like I've got decent magical talent. I've never lacked focus, after all. Maybe it's because I have a mature soul, too? Magic is a matter of the mind. I wonder whether the Trace judges by the age of the soul or the age of the body. If it's the former... I'll test it later. The first time I use magic outside school, I'll probably only get a warning. I'm not Harry Potter."
Ezio quickly flipped through the first-year Charms textbook. It didn't contain many spells, only a handful. First-year textbooks focused on the fundamentals of magic, with more weight given to theory. Learning spells was just a way to help students understand the theory.
These basic beginner spells were easy to learn. All he had to do was say the incantation correctly and move his wand properly. Ezio's hand was steady, and he didn't stammer, so getting it right on the first try was only natural.
"Maybe I should try something more challenging?" Trying to run as soon as you learned to stand was likely to end in a fall, but he happened to know a spell that was difficult to cast yet required very little skill. It didn't even need a wand movement. It required only two things—
First, enough magical power.
Second, the resolve to kill the target as he spoke the incantation.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A flash of green light burst forth. The rabbit he had bought in Diagon Alley to feed Neil for dinner that night kicked its legs and dropped dead on the spot. Neil eyed the dead rabbit curiously, then looked at Ezio and flapped his wings in protest, as if to say, Meat that doesn't struggle or fight back has no soul!
In reality, the rabbit no longer had a soul at all.
Killing a rabbit meant to be Neil's dinner naturally gave Ezio no pangs of guilt. He closed his eyes and focused on what he could feel. As an assassin, he had precise control over and awareness of his body. The keen senses honed through countless brushes with death and battles meant that, when he entered a state of focus, he didn't miss the slightest change in his body. He paid close attention to how his body reacted after he cast the Killing Curse.
This was an evil Dark Magic spell, one of the Unforgivable Curses. Did it have any harmful side effects?
"If all it does is provoke emotions, I can ignore them." Ezio opened his eyes. He hadn't sensed anything unusual. "Voldemort hasn't killed as many people in his entire life as I've killed in a single day at the training ground. So can I understand the soul-splitting side effect of the Killing Curse as a result of the caster being unable to remain indifferent enough to taking another person's life?"
"Does anyone feel guilty for drinking a glass of water today?"
Ezio shook his head and gave himself a cold, rational assessment. "I've become completely numb to it."
"But there are plenty of ways to kill. Limiting myself to the Killing Curse is a bit narrow-minded."
"Petrificus Totalus." Ezio pointed his wand forward, and another rabbit froze in its cage. "Diffindo."
The petrified rabbit was torn apart in an instant. Strangely, though, its severed body didn't spray blood everywhere. The blood remained trapped inside the divided flesh until Ezio lifted the Petrification Spell, at which point it began to flow normally.
Neil protested even more vehemently, complaining that Ezio had wasted his second dinner of the night.
How am I supposed to eat it now that you've done this to it?!
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