Magic, Here I Come!

The weather was a bit cold.

Ian looked back at the closing door, then up at the weathered sign of Ollivanders Wand Shop, feeling as though he had discovered the greatest scam in the wizarding world.

"What a cunning villain."

Ian muttered his judgment of Ollivander, even suspecting that Voldemort's ability to attract so many followers wasn't just because he used Avada Kedavra to threaten people.

Ollivander probably had to shoulder some of the blame himself!

Just think about it!

If you were ten years old and met a fortune teller who told you that you were destined to become a great general, and then, after growing up, you happened to run into Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.

Who could resist that?

Most people would likely mistake a tragedy for destiny!

"I've found the root cause of the chaos in the wizarding world!"

Ian felt that with this discovery, he could write a brilliant thesis, though it was a pity that Hogwarts lacked a journal capable of publishing his clever insights.

"Perhaps I should consider the Daily Prophet; a newspaper that famous must pay well." As Ian let his thoughts wander, he looked left and right, searching for Snape.

The unreliable professor hadn't abandoned him. Seeing Snape standing outside a shop, Ian quickly trotted over in his direction.

"Professor, could you teach me how to write a wizarding thesis?"

Ian figured that if his article carried the signature of a Hogwarts professor, the chances of it being selected and published by the Daily Prophet would be significantly higher.

He might even earn a little more in royalties.

"Mr. Prince, I have no interest in the childish and foolish thoughts of children. Now, you should choose a pet that will be of assistance to your studies."

Snape cast a cold glance at the wand Ian had tucked into his trouser pocket.

Then.

He tapped on the glass window of the shop in front of them. Only then did Ian realize it was a pet shop, filled with many creatures kept in cages.

Cats, toads, owls, lizards, and rats—there was a wide variety, even some small animals with magical bloodlines, yet none of them stirred any excitement in Ian.

Admittedly.

Ian still had a bit of a soft spot for owls.

However, there were plenty of owls kept at Hogwarts, and in Ian's view, owls that could be petted for free were definitely more cost-effective than one he had to pay for and care for himself.

By comparison.

Ian preferred to keep a more unique pet.

"Professor, can I buy the pet I want?"

Ian asked tentatively.

"Hmm."

Snape grunted a single syllable through his nose.

"Then, can I have a phoenix?"

Ian blinked.

A lion... well, a lion was an animal that knew its place, so he probably couldn't ask for that. Faced with Ian's whimsical request, the corner of Snape's eye clearly twitched a few times.

"Are you sure you haven't had too much Calming Draught and are still not awake?" Snape was truly stunned; he had never seen someone so shameless!

Get you a phoenix?

I want one too!

Who's going to get one for me!

"A bird with phoenix bloodlines would work too? I saw that the shop uses phoenix feathers to make wands." Ian's implication was clear: he thought phoenixes must be quite common.

As a child living in a Muggle orphanage, such a perception was naturally reasonable. However, Ian actually did want a phoenix.

How cool would that be?

"Aside from the Dumbledore family, no wizard this century has been able to gain the favor of a phoenix. I suggest you quickly forget such unrealistic fantasies."

Snape rolled his eyes.

He continued in a slow, drawling tone, "Of course, perhaps Mr. Prince has enough influence to make Dumbledore give you his phoenix."

Clearly.

This was just a jab at Ian.

"Why don't you go ask for me, Professor? Dumbledore would surely give you that much face!" It wasn't that Ian was shameless; it was that he had found a way to handle Snape.

Sure enough.

With just that one sentence.

Snape was left completely speechless, not knowing how to respond.

"Sharp-tongued brat!"

Snape merely glared viciously at Ian in the end.

"If your brain had even the slightest distinction from a troll, you wouldn't be here daydreaming about impossibilities, but instead honestly choosing a toad or a rat."

"They are the best partners you could use for your potion experiments." Snape was clearly suppressing his irritation, yet he still offered his advice in a slow, drawling tone.

However.

This kind of advice clearly didn't align with how most people defined a pet.

"Those are called test subjects, not pets."

Ian sighed helplessly.

"Is there a difference?"

Snape sneered coldly. "Perhaps you'll end up in the foolish Gryffindor; only those mediocre sorts would harbor sympathy and affection for such animals."

He was disparaging his most detested house once again.

Ian chose to ignore him.

"Forget it, I've spent enough money today. I don't want to keep any animals; I can barely support myself as it is." Ian leaned against the glass wall, observing for a long while.

In the end.

He still couldn't find any animal he liked.

He possessed the soul of an adult.

His preferences regarding pets were naturally different from those of an ordinary child.

"That is your own choice."

Snape didn't try to persuade him further.

With a flick of his robes, he turned and walked away.

"Since I can't keep a phoenix, can I keep a snake?" Ian hurriedly grabbed his suitcase and followed, as Snape had been keeping an eye on it previously.

"First-year students are not permitted to bring such dangerous pets." Snape slowed his pace to wait for Ian to catch up, looking at him with the standard, disdainful side-eye.

"Didn't you say forget it? Changing your mind again? Too bad, you've lost your chance to purchase one." The corners of Snape's mouth curled slightly; his deadpan face finally showed a hint of fluctuation.

"No, I was thinking of getting one in my second or third year." Ian didn't know if he and Harry Potter were in the same year, but he figured he might have to rely on the Savior to get a pet to his liking.

Yes.

Ian wanted to raise a Basilisk.

That was the kind of pet an adult soul desired!

Size is truth!

"Heh, it seems Mr. Prince isn't unwilling to keep a pet, but rather feels that the pets in the shop aren't worthy of him. I hope you don't regret this foolish decision today."

"Don't blame me for not warning you; even a pet with a mere trace of magical creature blood is priced at a level that a little wizard like you could never afford."

Snape looked at him with an expression that suggested he had seen right through Ian.

"Understood, thank you for the reminder, Professor."

Ian nodded.

He didn't show the look of embarrassment Snape had expected to see.

This caused Snape to frown slightly.

Meanwhile, Ian looked around at the various magical shops without a hint of worry.

"Get ready."

Snape suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Before Ian could turn to ask why.

His hand gripped the back of Ian's neck once more.

The next moment.

Ian felt the world spinning.

He knew this was the sensation of Apparition taking effect. However, compared to his previous experience where he felt nothing at all, he now felt a slight sense of dizziness and nausea.

It wasn't severe.

Perhaps it was because the effects of Snape's potion were beginning to wear off?

Just as Ian's thoughts began to wander.

"Whoosh~"

As his vision suddenly cleared, the journey of Apparition ended. The bustling streets of Diagon Alley vanished from before his eyes, replaced by a quiet and peaceful village.

The sound of a babbling brook in the distance intertwined with the occasional hoot of an owl, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of various magical foods and candies.

This was Hogsmeade Village.

A magical village nestled within the embrace of the Scottish mountains.

"You will stay here until school begins."

Snape led Ian, who was looking around like a curious toddler, to a secluded little wooden cabin. Before Ian could feign confusion and ask where this place was, Snape had already pulled out a key and tossed it, along with the remaining half-bag of Galleons, to him.

"If I catch you running off again, you won't like the consequences." After delivering this stern warning, Snape turned and left without a moment's hesitation.

His retreating figure seemed somewhat hurried, as if he were in a great rush to attend to something—surely he hadn't forgotten to turn off the heat under a precious potion he'd been brewing before leaving, had he?

He seems to be telling me not to... run off again?

Ian noted the unusual nuance in Snape's words.

However.

Looking at the stacks of textbooks in his trunk, what Ian wanted most right now was to become a real wizard; everything else, in his eyes, would have to be set aside for the time being.

"Magic! Here I come!"