The Wand Chooses the Wizard

Regardless, a wand had to be bought, so Kyle carefully pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Diana and Chris did not follow him in, likely thinking that buying a wand would take a long time, so after learning that Kyle was heading to Ollivander first, they diverted their path toward Gringotts.

The shop was much better inside than it appeared from the outside; although it still looked quite antiquated and the items were arranged in a cluttered manner, it was at least much cleaner.

Following a crisp chime of a bell, a head of white hair appeared from behind the counter, though it was unclear when he had arrived.

"Good afternoon, child."

Ollivander looked at Kyle and asked in a puzzled tone, "Did you come alone?"

"Yes," Kyle replied, confused. "Is there a problem?"

Ollivander shook his head. "No, of course not."

As he spoke, Kyle caught a faint glimmer of disappointment in his eyes.

Strange, why would a shopkeeper be disappointed when a customer arrived?

Must have seen it wrong, Kyle thought, shaking his head and not dwelling on it.

"Very well, young wizard."

Ollivander stepped out from behind the counter and asked, "Now, child, can you tell me your name?"

"Kyle Chopper," Kyle said quickly.

"Chopper..." Ollivander paused slightly. "Then, is Mr. Chris..."

"My father," Kyle said.

"Oh, of course..." Ollivander instinctively glanced toward the door, but quickly withdrew his gaze and explained, "I only meant that, after all, in the British Wizarding World, the surname Chopper is quite rare."

Confirmed, the old man was definitely disappointed!

Kyle saw it clearly; the moment he mentioned that Chris was his father, the disappointment in Ollivander's eyes was practically overflowing.

Not only that, but he also began to mutter to himself, repeating words like "willow" or "oak"—the voice was too low for Kyle to hear clearly, but he didn't care.

At this moment, Kyle's mind was entirely occupied by his own wand; he had no mood to worry about such trivial things.

After stating his name, Kyle took the initiative and said, "Mr. Ollivander, I am right-handed."

Having said that, he stretched out his arms to make it easier for Ollivander to measure his height and arm length.

He knew the process here all too well.

After the measurements, it should be time to choose a wand, which was the most time-consuming part.

There were at least eight or nine thousand wands here; in Kyle's view, even Ollivander would find it difficult to identify a matching wand for a young wizard at a single glance, and he would likely have to narrow it down to a range before testing them one by one.

He was already prepared for that.

Besides, testing wands was one of the things Kyle wanted to do, just like moving trash cans.

However, Ollivander's next sentence left Kyle somewhat stunned.

"Oh, child, if it is you, that won't be necessary."

Following that, there was no measuring of height, nor any questions about details; Kyle simply watched as Ollivander walked behind the counter, swiftly pulled a box from the most prominent position, opened it, and pushed it toward him.

The movement was fluid and accomplished in one go, without a hint of hesitation.

"What are you waiting for? Go on, try it!"

Seeing that Kyle didn't move, Ollivander couldn't help but urge him.

"Ah? Oh, right." Kyle finally snapped out of it and instinctively picked up the wand from the box.

It was greyish-black, smooth in appearance, and aside from the necessary handle, it lacked any extra patterns or ornaments.

It looked quite ordinary.

As Kyle gripped the wand, before he could even make a move, a burst of white light erupted from the tip, instantly filling the entire room. The previously dim and cramped shop became bright in the blink of an eye, as if a skylight had been opened in the roof.

"Good, excellent."

Ollivander looked very excited, and without waiting for Kyle to ask, he continued on his own: "Thirteen and a half inches, cedar wood, phoenix feather. I must say, this is a very magical combination."

"A magical combination?" Kyle asked, puzzled.

"Yes, magical."

Ollivander gazed at Kyle and explained patiently, "Cedar wands usually choose wizards who are wise and possess keen insight. These wizards are naturally calm, and every choice they make is the result of careful deliberation. Just as my father once said, you can never deceive someone holding a cedar wand, and I deeply agree with that."

"Therefore, those who possess cedar wands often favor the stable and loyal unicorn hair, while phoenix feathers are a bit too proactive."

"In fact, I have crafted and sold thirty-six cedar wands in total; thirty of them had unicorn hair cores, five had dragon heartstring, and the last one..."

Ollivander didn't finish, simply smiling as he pointed at Kyle.

Kyle asked, "But sir, didn't you say these two materials aren't suitable together? Then why did you make it?"

"Materials aren't suitable, so don't make it? No, no, that is wrong. The wand chooses the wizard, child. Every wand, from the moment of its birth, chooses its destined master, just like them..."

Ollivander pointed to the mountain of wand boxes behind him and laughed, "The reason they are still here is not because they are bad, but because the timing hasn't arrived yet. Their masters are simply waiting for their Hogwarts owls."

Ollivander paused, then continued, "Furthermore, the way completely contradictory wand woods and cores can function in perfect harmony within the hands of a single wizard—that is the most fascinating aspect of wandlore."

"Just like the wand in your hand; your father, Chris, once tried it, and your mother, Diana, tried it as well, but they were both just a tiny bit off—just a hair's breadth."

"So, ever since I heard the news of your birth, I have been waiting for this day. It is perfect, is it not?"

Uh... right.

Kyle nodded subconsciously.

The sensation of the wand feeling like an extension of his own arm was truly intoxicating, and he found himself naturally unable to put it down.

Although the process had deviated somewhat from what he had anticipated, the result was good, and Kyle was extremely satisfied with his wand.

"That will be seven Galleons, my boy."

Ollivander's smile grew noticeably wider.

"Very well." Kyle took out the seven gold Galleons he had prepared in advance and placed them on the counter.

A first wand for a new student is generally seven Galleons, which is already a very favorable price in the wizarding world, though this discount only applies to young witches and wizards just starting school.

After the payment was settled, Ollivander bowed slightly in greeting and watched Kyle leave before turning his attention to another young wizard who had just entered the shop, along with the adult following behind him.

"Oh, we meet again, Mr. Thomas. Eleven inches, hawthorn wood..."