In the days that followed, news that Harry had officially joined Gryffindor's Quidditch team spread through Hogwarts like wildfire.
Besides being the Chosen One, he now had another identity... Hogwarts's youngest Seeker.
On Friday afternoon, Oliver Wood took him to his first practice.
The results of the practice were kept secret, but that night, Gryffindor Common Room held a celebration that lasted until dawn.
As a member of Gryffindor, Silvan naturally joined in. He also found time to watch one of Gryffindor's practice matches, and while he was at it, tucked a bad broom into the very back of the broom cupboard.
It wasn't exactly bad. He'd only switched out the broomstick, which wouldn't affect its ability to fly normally... probably.
Using the century-old fir wood he'd removed, along with the last hair he had from Professor McGonagall, Silvan soon made a second wand.
[Fir wood, wizard hair, thirteen inches]
[Status: Perfect]
[Traits: Transfiguration +17 (55)%]
Just as Silvan had expected, this wand no longer had [Disguise], but in exchange, its basic Transfiguration bonus and its upper limit had both increased.
It was hard to say which was better. After all, once a bonus reached a certain point, it became difficult to improve any further. 55% was the highest Silvan had ever seen.
He gave it a wave and turned the ink bottle on the desk into an exquisite teapot.
It felt as easy as turning a match into a needle, but a teapot was far more complex than a needle. It even had intricate lines and patterns on it.
"Feels pretty good."
Silvan decided to give it to Professor McGonagall as a Christmas present.
With the wand's own price, plus the fact that it was custom-made, he might even get a decent gift in return.
Of course, he wasn't after a gift in return. It had just worked out that way, hadn't it?
Silvan pulled a sheet of gold-colored, stiff paper from his trunk and quickly folded it into a long, narrow box. He lined it with black velvet, then placed the wand inside.
A handmade, old-fashioned wand case. It had only cost him two Knuts to make, but it would fetch a high price on the market. Buying one in a shop would cost five Sickles.
It was the thought that counted.
Once he'd finished, Silvan focused on preparing for his plan.
On Halloween Eve, the castle was steeped in festive cheer. Even the most remote corridors were filled with the sweet, tempting smell of roasted pumpkin.
The first class of the morning was Charms. Lessons before a grand feast were usually the hardest to get through, but Professor Flitwick seemed to understand that.
To get the students interested, he finally stopped teaching those dull, everyday spells and chose the Levitation Charm, something most of them had been looking forward to learning.
Especially when Professor Flitwick used his wand to make Neville's toad fly all over the classroom. It practically fulfilled every Muggle-born student's idea of what magic was like, so naturally, they were eager to learn.
Eager or not, the Levitation Charm was much harder than everyday spells. The difference was... probably like going from addition and subtraction within ten to multiplying and dividing two-digit numbers.
After reminding them several more times about the incantation and the wrist movement, Professor Flitwick split the class into pairs to practice.
Because of where they sat, Harry paired up with Seamus, while Ron, sitting next to him, could only pair with Neville. He didn't look very happy about it, and seemed a little afraid, as if Neville might make his head fly off.
Next came Silvan, who had no choice. He was second to last in the row, and Hermione was last.
To be honest, Silvan felt a little uncertain. In his memories, Ron and Hermione's argument during Charms class had been a crucial prerequisite for the trio coming together. Now Ron's partner was Neville, and it was hard to say whether the Chosen One would still find his true "brains."
"Silvan, what are you thinking about?"
Hermione's voice brought Silvan back to the present.
"Oh, nothing," he replied casually, deciding not to dwell on it.
Never mind. Dumbledore was there.
With that thought, Silvan took out his wand, gave a light flick of his wrist, and a little shake... "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Compared to the Levitation Charm he'd performed on the train, full of flaws, this time his incantation and movements were much more precise.
The feather in front of him rose smoothly, floating five feet above his head.
"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick clapped and called out, "Everyone, look! Mr. Ollivander has succeeded. Five points to Gryffindor!"
Hermione didn't look too pleased. She knew the Levitation Charm too; she'd just been a little slower than Silvan. Otherwise, those five points would have gone to her.
But it didn't really matter. They were all Gryffindors, after all.
Hermione soon stopped caring, because she had a new problem.
Both students in their pair had learned the Levitation Charm, but the lesson had only been going for ten minutes. Finding something to do with the rest of the boring class had become their top priority.
Hermione decided to help the others.
Naturally, her first target was Neville.
He'd been too nervous when he waved his wand earlier and had used too much force, nearly jabbing Ron in the face.
There were at least three people between them now, so practicing together was out of the question.
"Use a lighter wrist movement. Don't put so much force into it. You're not hammering in a nail... Make sure you pause between the syllables. It's Wingardium Leviosa—with a long, clear pause in the middle..."
Hermione spent half the lesson teaching Neville and worked herself into a tizzy, but Neville made no progress at all. The feather in front of him remained perfectly still.
"I told you ages ago, his wand is the problem. That's the key. His pronunciation and movements are minor issues..."
"If you're so capable, why don't you try it yourself?" Hermione turned around irritably.
"Sure. Seven Galleons." Silvan held out one hand. "I can't promise it'll work instantly, but it'll definitely be better than what you're getting now."
"You're still trying to sell wands at a time like this?" Hermione said, glaring at him.
Neville... lowered his head and pretended not to see.
In truth, he didn't want to replace his wand at all. If he'd wanted to, he wouldn't have waited until now.
Mrs. Longbottom might have been the person most eager for Neville to inherit Frank Longbottom's wand, but if Neville himself insisted on buying a new one, she would probably give in.
After all, although the Longbottom Family had fallen on hard times, they weren't so destitute that they couldn't afford a new wand.
Silvan smiled but said nothing.
This had little to do with him. Since they'd been roommates, he'd already warned Neville twice, which was more than enough. Besides, if he kept bringing it up, Neville would only get annoyed.
In the end, it was up to Neville. Even if Silvan gave him a wand for free, Neville wouldn't use it unless he wanted to.
Of course, that was only a possibility. In reality, Silvan would never give one away for free.
Seven Galleons was already a losing deal. He wouldn't even get a Ministry of Magic subsidy for it. Asking him to give it away for nothing would be too much.
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