"Elder Wood."
The moment Cedric heard the name, his heart clenched.
He quickly suppressed his reaction, keeping his face composed. After speaking, Mr. Ollivander had already turned his attention to Professor McGonagall. He did not spare Cedric so much as a glance.
Professor McGonagall stood to one side, seemingly deep in thought, but said nothing.
Mr. Ollivander waited a moment before continuing. "Hardly anyone takes it seriously. Many wizards think it's just a legend from a story. Never mind that for now. Let's talk about this Wand."
With that, he held the Wand out to Cedric in both hands, looking solemn. He had the air of a father entrusting someone with his most precious daughter.
"The wand is made of Elder Wood, and its core comes from a Unicorn's horn. I added dozens of other expensive materials as well, all to make it more powerful."
He paused, regret creeping into his expression.
"But while making it, I was so focused on putting the best materials into it that I overlooked the most important thing. No matter how powerful a Wand is, a wizard still has to be able to wield it."
"Once it was finished, I realized something was wrong. This Wand was too powerful. Ordinary wizards couldn't catch its interest, and it wouldn't accept any of them as its master."
Ollivander's gaze returned to Cedric.
"But after meeting you today, I've begun to think differently. There's something unusual about you. Perhaps you really can keep it under control."
Expectation shone plainly in his eyes.
"Whatever it is that even wand-core materials instinctively fear might make this wand behave."
Watching them, Professor McGonagall felt uneasy.
She wanted to warn Ollivander that letting an eleven-year-old use a Wand like this hardly seemed wise. Cedric was hardly a well-behaved student to begin with. He had an odd temperament and never did things the usual way.
If he really takes such a dangerous Wand into Hogwarts...
Professor McGonagall could not bear to follow that thought any further.
But choosing a first Wand held special meaning for a wizard. She did not want to dampen the moment, much less spoil its solemnity.
I hope I don't come to regret this.
She sighed inwardly.
Mr. Ollivander watched Cedric with eager anticipation, while Professor McGonagall looked distinctly worried. With both of them staring at him, Cedric really did begin to feel the weight of the occasion.
He hesitated for quite a while, even seriously considering whether he ought to say a few impressive words before taking the wand.
In the end, common sense kept his urge to make a scene in check.
Don't mess around.
Cedric reached out and gripped the Wand.
The instant his fingers touched it, a crushing pressure bore down on him.
It was a strange feeling, as though countless pairs of eyes were watching him from every direction. One pair stood out: clear, calm eyes that studied him directly and pressed down on him harder than all the others.
But before long, those gazes seemed to see something utterly terrifying. In an instant, they all withdrew.
Only the clear eyes remained. They lingered for a long time, hesitating, before slowly closing.
Cedric opened his eyes again.
At almost the same moment, a cloud of pure white mist emerged from the tip of the Wand in his hand. It floated gently in midair, quiet and even rather pretty.
"It seems to have accepted you."
Mr. Ollivander smiled wistfully.
"Honestly, I never thought I'd live to see someone pick it up successfully."
Cedric said nothing. He just stared at the little white cloud above the wand's tip. The longer he looked, the stranger it seemed.
Why does that look so much like a white flag?
So did the Wand really choose him?
Or had he simply scared it into submission?
But he was only a little wizard with a hunting level of one. How could he have frightened something like this so badly?
Now that he had the Wand, payment naturally came next.
But when it came time to actually pay, Cedric felt awful.
While listening to Ollivander describe the Wand, all he had heard was top-tier materials, meticulous craftsmanship, and tremendous power. Caught up in the atmosphere of the magical world, he had seen nothing wrong with any of it.
Only now, faced with the bill, did it hit him.
Isn't this just a television sales pitch?
Talk the thing up to the skies, and once it's in your hands, your wallet takes the hit.
Unfortunately, the Wand had already "surrendered" in his hand. He could hardly say he wanted an ordinary one instead. He steeled himself and asked:
"Mr. Ollivander, how much does this Wand cost?"
As soon as he asked, he began thinking about how he would borrow the money and how he would ever pay it back.
Professor McGonagall had already mentioned that the Wand's materials were extremely expensive. He hoped it would not come to borrowing from those detestable Goblins.
Other people who crossed into another world usually never had to worry about food or money. Why did he have to worry about going into debt on the spot just to buy a Wand?
As for asking Professor McGonagall for help, Cedric held out no hope at all.
They were only student and teacher, after all. They were not relatives, nor did they have any other close ties. No matter how kind Professor McGonagall was, she could not be expected to cover an expense like this or make a fool of herself for his sake.
"You certainly can't afford this Wand."
Cedric's heart sank as soon as Mr. Ollivander spoke.
But the words did not sound final. There seemed to be a qualification coming, so he had not given up entirely.
"However..."
Sure enough, Ollivander continued.
"I can tell you won't be an ordinary wizard. You can owe me the money for now and pay it back when you're able. I won't charge interest, so there's no need to worry."
Cedric quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"We can put it on your account for now. And I won't charge you for making it, either. You'll only have to pay the cost of the materials."
Ollivander looked down and leafed through his records. Then he raised his head with a warm smile.
"Twelve thousand Galleons in total."
Twelve thousand Galleons?
The number struck Cedric, and he immediately clutched his chest. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it.
Right now, he desperately wanted to file for bankruptcy.