"Then... can I return it?"
Cedric had barely touched the Wand for two minutes, and he already regretted it bitterly.
He wished he could smack time back to before Ollivander had introduced the money-burning stick and turn it down on the spot.
"No."
Mr. Ollivander's answer left no room for argument. "It may feel a little like a forced sale, but those are the rules. Each person can choose only one Wand from my shop."
"And honestly, this Wand is worth every penny you paid. I only charged you for the materials. Ask Professor McGonagall if you don't believe me."
Cedric looked pitifully at Professor McGonagall, like a puppy whose bone had been stolen.
Professor McGonagall gritted her teeth and nodded.
Cedric sighed.
He was just unhappy about it. The Ollivander name carried weight in the Wand trade; the man had no reason to cheat a little kid out of his money.
With the Wand settled, he still had a whole list of things to buy.
Professor McGonagall said goodbye to Mr. Ollivander and led Cedric, whose heart was bleeding over his new debt, toward the door.
Just as they reached it, Mr. Ollivander called after him. "If you have time, you can come help out here. Do odd jobs to work off the debt."
He had probably said it to help Cedric out.
Cedric turned back and gave Mr. Ollivander a grateful look, then followed Professor McGonagall out of Ollivander's Wand shop.
The rest was a matter of shopping down the list.
Cedric took out his Hogwarts acceptance letter and checked the list inside. Without asking Professor McGonagall to help, he ran from shop to shop, gathering everything he needed for his first year.
Robes, uniforms, and pointed wizard hats had to be made to order. Then there were a cauldron, first-year textbooks, Dragon Hide protective gloves, brass scales, a telescope, and a set of glass or crystal potion vials.
The list was as scattered as beans spilled across the floor, and the shops in Diagon Alley were spread out too. By the time he had run from one to another, he felt as worn out as the girl who had gone to war in her father's place.
All those odds and ends took Cedric ages to buy. At last, he stood outside a shop with dried plants hanging from its doorframe.
He planned to pick up the final items there: the set of glass or crystal potion vials and the cauldron.
Earlier, Professor McGonagall had said she needed to take care of something personal. She had told him to wait there after buying the vials and not wander off.
Since he was in no hurry and had to wait anyway, Cedric entered the shop without reaching for his money. First, he looked over the wares.
The shop sold Potions supplies. It stocked cauldrons of every size, with fresh and pretreated ingredients displayed side by side.
The plants still beaded with water caught his attention.
The fresh plants actually had Hunting Levels!
He hadn't expected plants to count as prey.
Holding back his excitement, Cedric used the tags hanging in front of them to identify the plants one by one.
Presumably because plants could bite, all the fresh stock in this shop had Hunting Levels below five.
One plant, no bigger than an adult's fist, had a tag reading "Chinese Chomping Cabbage." Its Hunting Level was five. Its body split down the middle, revealing rows of saw-like teeth.
The cabbages were tied into their pots with rope. When Cedric came closer, they bared their teeth at him as though they wanted to leap up and chew off his nose.
"Be careful. Those things are vicious. People still get their fingers bitten off by the little monsters. Every year, St. Mungo's takes in more than a dozen wizards injured by Biting Cabbages."
The shopkeeper was a kindly-looking old woman. She had greeted Cedric as warmly as if he were her own grandson. After all, who could bring themselves to be cold to such an adorable little boy?
Cedric studied the lively Biting Cabbage for a moment, then asked, "What does it taste like?"
"Huh?"
The old woman stared at him, bewildered.
"I mean, can you eat it?"
Cedric asked again.
"Well... I honestly couldn't tell you. No one's bothered to study that. Wizards usually use it to brew Potions, or train it to guard their herb gardens. No one's ever thought of putting one in their mouth. If you're hungry, I have a couple of sweets."
The old woman looked at Cedric with pity, wondering what the child had been through to make him so hungry he was eyeing something inedible.
"No, you've got the wrong idea."
Cedric pushed away the sweets she offered. After a moment's thought, he decided not to explain and asked instead, "How much is this pot of Biting Cabbage?"
"You really want to buy it? It's no toy."
The old woman hesitated. Knowing the boy had considered eating it made her even less willing to sell.
"Please? I'm just curious. I want to take it home and study it."
Cedric blinked his eyes like twinkling stars and gave the old woman his most innocent look.
One glance at his little face, and the old woman's heart turned to cotton. As if under a spell, she sold Cedric the Biting Cabbage, taught him how to handle and prepare it, then gave him a steep discount on the cauldron and potion vials.
The lot should have cost at least five Galleons. Cedric paid only half.
When he walked out carrying a stack of boxes, the old woman even followed him to ask whether he wanted them delivered.
Cedric thanked her but declined. He checked his reflection in a shop window along the street, thoroughly pleased with himself.
Apparently, his face could earn its keep. His looks alone had won him a discount.
Before long, Professor McGonagall returned, carrying a cage covered with black cloth.
"Did you get everything?"
Professor McGonagall asked.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall."
Cedric nodded.
He was burning to know what was inside the cage, but as a "sensible" "good boy," he wasn't about to pry into someone else's business.
"Good. I'll take you to the Leaky Cauldron now. You'll be staying there until September first. How you spend the rest of your time is up to you. Keep an eye on your money; the wizarding world has pickpockets too."
Professor McGonagall kept giving him reminders.
"I will, Professor."
Cedric answered with perfect obedience.
Professor McGonagall was pleased. The boy had seemed rather troublesome at first, but after spending time with him, she found him quite sensible.
If only he could give up eating owls, he would be even better.
With that uncertain hope in mind, Professor McGonagall reached over and lifted the black cloth from the cage.
Inside crouched an absurdly large Crow, twice as bulky as an ordinary one. It could have held its own beside an owl, and its wing feathers shone dazzlingly in the sunlight.
"Consider this a gift from me."
Professor McGonagall said.