The calm before school

Ollivander stopped what he was doing. He slowly turned to Zhang Chengdao and said solemnly,

"Not every kind of wood and core can be used to make a wand. People once firmly believed that kelpie hair and whiskers were the finest wand materials.

"But Ollivander proved they weren't."

Zhang Chengdao did not argue. Instead, he appeared to take another exquisite wooden box from a Heaven and Earth Bag, set it on the table, and graciously gestured for Ollivander to open it.

Zhang Xiao was already dumbfounded. Was the Daoist Order really this particular?

Even his wand had to be custom-made? Still, curiosity filled him, and he could not help leaning closer to see what materials his father had brought out.

Ollivander examined the wooden box with an appraising gaze, then gently lifted the lid. One glance was all it took; he could no longer tear his eyes away.

He lowered his head until he seemed about to press his face against the wood. His expression grew focused and feverish as he murmured,

"Merlin! What am I looking at? Beautiful, elegant, mysterious... incredible. I can actually see raging lightning within a piece of wood!

"I remember, yes... I remember. My grandfather wrote in his notes, 'Though we have tried the vast majority of woods in this world, some remain rare and impossible to find.' (Note 1)

"For instance, he once heard that ancient China possessed an extremely precious and exceedingly rare wood. It was called... lightning-struck wild jujube wood."

Ollivander raised his head, his eyes full of anticipation. As a dedicated master wandmaker, nothing excited him more than rare woods and wand cores.

Zhang Chengdao gave him a thumbs-up and said admiringly,

"You truly are a master. You're quite right. This is lightning-struck jujube wood, and millennium lightning-struck jujube wood at that! Hmm... the kind that grew in a particular location and sprouted again after being struck by lightning."

Holy crap! Millennium lightning-struck wild jujube wood? And the kind that came back to life in a place with auspicious feng shui? That was every buff stacked to the max!

Zhang Xiao was speechless. Because of his wife in his previous life, he had had some exposure to both Buddhism and Daoism. Almost all the millennium lightning-struck jujube wood sold on the market was fake, made by applying high-voltage electricity and soaking the wood.

Even a little bead bracelet made from it could sell for thousands. Genuine millennium lightning-struck jujube wood suitable for ritual implements would never be put up for sale. Its owners would be too eager to turn it into ritual implements themselves and keep them as family heirlooms!

That went doubly for lightning-struck wild jujube wood that met all three conditions! This little piece alone could easily be traded for a Cullinan with someone who knew its value, and they would still think they had gotten a bargain.

"The core? What will you use for the core?" To Ollivander, wands were not a matter of life and death-they were more important than that.

After confirming that the wood was the material his family had dreamed of for generations, he could not wait to ask about the core.

Zhang Chengdao took out another small bottle, this one made of jade, shook it gently, and placed it before Ollivander.

"A Qilin's whisker." (Note 2)

Ollivander accepted the commission with the utmost solemnity. As for his concerns about the wand's compatibility with its owner, Zhang Chengdao assured him there was no need to worry. The Daoist Order had its own methods.

Drawing on the novels he had read in his previous life, Zhang Xiao guessed it might involve something like refining it with its owner's blood. Or perhaps he would handle and polish it every day until it developed a patina and the wand resigned itself to its fate?

They spent the rest of their time visiting Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and the other shops selling school necessities.

By evening, when the family set off back toward Diagon Alley, the sun was nearly down. They passed through the wall, walked through the now-deserted Leaky Cauldron, and returned to their car.

Just like on a holiday, no amount of enthusiasm could hold out against exhaustion. All Zhang Xiao wanted now was to get home, lie down in his soft, comfortable bed, and enjoy a good sleep.

When Zhang Xiao woke again, his mother had already set steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk on the table. Zhang Chengdao sat nearby, casually leafing through a newspaper.

Zhang Xiao noticed that the people in the newspaper kept moving. A glance at its title revealed that it was the Daily Prophet.

"Dad, since when did you start reading wizard newspapers? Any interesting news?"

Zhang Xiao picked up a fried dough stick and dipped it into his soy milk. Once it had soaked up the milk, he stuffed it into his mouth and asked through a mouthful of food.

Zhang Chengdao set down the paper, picked up his soy milk, and took a small sip.

"Because you're going to Hogwarts, of course. I need to learn more about the wizarding world. If you get into trouble one day, your dad needs to know who to talk to-or who to wipe out-to settle things, right?

"There isn't much news. The headline says 'the legendary Chosen One, Harry Potter' is believed to be starting at Hogwarts this school year. He should be one of your classmates."

Huh, Harry Potter was already making headlines? No wonder he was the head of that trio guaranteed to land on the front page at least once a year. Zhang Xiao silently snarked to himself, then asked curiously,

"Dad, do you know what the story is with this legendary Chosen One?"

Zhang Chengdao frowned as he searched his memory, then said uncertainly,

"I think I've heard about it. Something to do with a gang of thugs run by someone called Voldemort. Apparently they caused quite a stir in Britain. Your mother and I were traveling in other countries at the time. By the time we reached Britain, he'd already fallen, and it had something to do with this child."

Finally, Zhang Chengdao added his own opinion.

"If you ask me, Britain needs a serious crackdown on crime. Just look at what a mess it's become. I heard they carried out a crackdown back home, and things became much more orderly."

Well, there it was. The Death Eaters had become a gang of thugs, and Voldemort their gang leader. Calling them a terrorist organization would have been closer, but his parents didn't know the details, so he could hardly blame them.

Li Qingshu gave her husband a reproachful swat.

"Don't listen to your father's nonsense. We in the Daoist Order don't start trouble, but we aren't afraid of it either. If someone bullies you, fight back. If you can't beat them, come home and tell us. If we can't beat them, you still have your martial uncles. Behind them are their masters, and if all else fails, we'll call on the old Celestial Master!"

Zhang Xiao gave his parents a thumbs-up while eating a tea egg, and the family finished their breakfast in a lively, cheerful atmosphere.

Zhang Chengdao wiped his mouth and patted Zhang Xiao on the shoulder.

"Come out to the balcony with me in a bit. I'll explain the Daoist Order's meditation practices and some of the basics. Starting tomorrow, you'll do morning practice with me."

Only half understanding, Zhang Xiao followed him out. Under his parents' patient guidance, he gradually got a grasp of the most basic principles.

The days passed like this, one after another. Zhang Xiao's life became highly regular. He got up each morning to practice with his parents, studied some Daoist Order teachings after breakfast, and, once his parents went out to work-which he suspected really meant going out to have fun-picked up his first-year textbooks and read through them again and again.

He spent the most time on The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One, Magical Theory, and A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Though he had yet to try anything in practice, his excellent memory made him confident that earning the title "Mr. Know-it-all" in the new term and pairing up with Hermione as the "Know-it-all Duo" should be no problem.

Incidentally, perhaps the Daoist Order really did have good genes. Not only was Zhang Xiao handsome in this life, but his brain worked well too, rivaling the one that had won first prize in a provincial mathematics competition in his previous life. (Note 3)

This regular routine was finally broken one day in late August, when an owl delivered an exquisite, long velvet box.

His luxury custom-made wand had arrived.

Note 1: The Ollivander Family has its own notebooks, in which they record their observations and insights. This is canon.

Note 2: I have mixed feelings about the Qilin in Fantastic Beasts 3. I don't want to acknowledge that thing as a Qilin. It's like turning Fenrir into a husky-utterly ridiculous.

Note 3: Zhang Xiao isn't based on the author, but there's definitely a bit of me in him. I really did win an award, though it was in the elementary-school division...