Professor McGonagall, who had risen to her feet, was stunned once again. This time, it was not by Ollivander, but by Draco Malfoy.
Her eyes brimmed with astonishment, disbelief, and a trace of shock that had touched her deeply.
"...To perceive magical resonance so clearly, and describe its connections and differences so precisely, is truly rare among young witches and wizards."
The underlying tone of Professor McGonagall's words had quietly changed. Gone was her earlier cold skepticism, replaced by an emotion she could scarcely conceal.
Hermione stood to one side, listening with particular attention, her intelligent, innocent eyes fixed unblinkingly on Draco.
She silently committed every word he said and every detail to memory, clearly already regarding these insights as exceedingly valuable experience.
Looking at the three different reactions before him, Draco was filled with helplessness and reflection.
He had merely mentioned a few truths about wands in passing, yet they had caused such a stir.
Ultimately, he supposed, the Malfoy family's past image had become too deeply ingrained. The labels of spitefulness, arrogance, and bigotry had long since been branded into everyone's minds.
Now, showing even a slight difference created such a striking contrast that they found it difficult to believe.
Seeing their reactions, Draco could only speak up again, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"Mr. Ollivander's profound wisdom has always been captivating, and these observations on souls and wands are especially thought-provoking. For now, though, perhaps we could take a small step back and allow Miss Granger to connect with her wand in the quietest possible atmosphere, so that this silent conversation can be heard in full and truly felt."
At this, Ollivander readily nodded, a flicker of approval passing through his eyes. "Ah, what a thoughtful, considerate suggestion. Quite so. Silence is often the finest vessel for resonance. Only by clearing away distracting thoughts can the spirits of wizard and wand truly connect and sense their compatibility."
Professor McGonagall sat back down on the sofa. Listening to this, she, too, slowly gave a slight nod, her tense expression easing a little.
She clearly approved of this composed consideration as well and was no longer as on edge as before, though her gaze remained somewhat searching as it rested on Draco and Hermione.
Hermione's shoulders had remained tense under the scrutiny while she chose a wand. Now they quietly relaxed a fraction, and she became more focused and intent, clearly ready to meet the wand that belonged to her.
As soon as Draco finished speaking, Ollivander turned and walked deeper among the shelves.
Before long, Ollivander returned to the counter carrying a small box. He placed it on the faded purple velvet cushion on the counter, moving gently, as though handling a priceless treasure.
Opening the lid, Ollivander introduced it softly. "Mahogany, with a unicorn hair core, nine and a half inches, supple."
"This wand is highly adaptable and particularly suited to Transfiguration. Casting Transfiguration spells with it will be especially smooth."
Hermione looked up at Draco, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
Draco gave her a gentle nod and smiled. "An affinity for Transfiguration is an excellent thing. Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts is one of the foremost Transfiguration masters of our time. If you study Transfiguration in the future, you will certainly benefit greatly."
Though he said this aloud, his thoughts ran along different lines. In the original story, Hermione's wand had been vine wood with a dragon heartstring core. That combination was the best match for her spirit and talent; this mahogany wand would presumably only be an interim choice.
Reassured, Hermione nodded and carefully reached out to lift the wand from its box.
The wand felt warm and smooth in her hand, with the fine texture unique to wood, but that was all. There was nothing else unusual about it.
Holding the wand, she gave it a gentle wave. Nothing around her stirred.
No tiny sparks burst forth, no gentle warmth flowed, and not even the faintest ripple of magic arose. It was like holding an ordinary wooden stick, finely crafted but utterly devoid of spirit.
Hermione frowned slightly, a thoughtful look flickering through her eyes, then spoke in the tone of someone rigorously analyzing a problem:
"It's very... docile. It doesn't deliberately resist, but I keep feeling that we haven't established a sufficiently stable magical connection. The channel through which magic should flow seems closed, making it difficult for us to connect."
Ollivander watched quietly from the side. At her words, he gave an almost imperceptible nod, a flicker of approval in his eyes.
Then he stepped forward and swiftly but gently retrieved the wand from Hermione's hand, returning it to its box. His movements were brisk and decisive; clearly, he had already determined that this wand was not a match for her.
"A very precise description, Miss Granger," Ollivander said. "The connection between wizard and wand is at the heart of the selection. If they cannot connect, they can never truly become partners."
With that, he turned toward the shelves again, continuing his search for a suitable wand for Hermione.
While Ollivander rummaged through the wands, Draco turned to Hermione beside him and took the initiative to explain the finer points of wands.
"Essentially, a wand has just two fundamental components: the material that forms its body, and the core concealed within. The two complement each other, jointly determining the wand's characteristics and what it suits."
Hermione nodded earnestly, instantly entering a mode of focused information absorption. Her clear eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on Draco, as though afraid of missing a single detail.
Seeing this, Draco continued with a more in-depth explanation, smoothly relating what he knew about wands:
"The material of the wand's body often defines its basic personality, its inherent moral inclinations, and the fields of magical talent it suits. It actively chooses a witch or wizard whose qualities match its own; only spiritual harmony allows them to remain together for long. The core, meanwhile, is the wand's central engine, directly determining the strength of its magical output, its style of spellcasting, and how closely it connects with the wizard's soul."
"Mr. Ollivander's shop has always used only the three most powerful and stable wand cores: dragon heartstring, phoenix feather, and unicorn hair. Of course, I'm something of a special case. For most witches and wizards, these three cores are sufficient to match their talents, with no need to seek out other kinds."
Behind the shelves, Ollivander was, in fact, quietly listening to Draco as he searched for wands.
At this point, he gently shook his head, a profound, knowing smile appearing on his face.
Then Ollivander poked his head out from behind a stack of wand boxes and said warmly to Draco, "Ah, my boy, you are not some so-called 'exception,' but an inevitability ordained by unseen forces."
"Wandlore is an infinitely vast ocean. Cores derived from dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns are merely its three brightest lighthouses, guiding the majority of witches and wizards."
"But deep within that ocean, other ancient and powerful spiritual resonances still lie dormant. Those special cores are not inferior to these three. They are simply more discerning, quietly awaiting the particular person whose soul resonates at precisely the same frequency as their own. Only then can their full power awaken."
Draco did not know whether to laugh or cry. The old man was always like this, fond of saying things that sounded utterly mystical.
Still, he had to admit that there was some truth to his words.
Having finished, Ollivander said no more and busied himself rummaging among the shelves again, focused on finding a suitable wand for Hermione.
Draco turned to Hermione and continued:
"Of these three cores, dragon heartstring is the most powerful. Its magic tends to be dazzling and flamboyant, with tremendous explosive power. It is also very quick to learn and easy to master, making it suitable for those eager to learn. Its loyalty is relatively low, however. It naturally admires the strong, and if its wizard lacks sufficient strength or encounters someone more powerful, it may willingly change allegiance and seek a new master."
Hermione paid particular attention to this kind of core.
Draco continued his introduction:
"Phoenix feather is the rarest and most precious. It encompasses an extremely broad range of magic, is highly adaptable, and possesses a great deal of independence and spirit. It is also the most discerning core. Without an exceptionally close match, gaining its recognition is all but impossible."
"As for unicorn hair, its two most prominent qualities are, first, an extremely stable magical output that makes mistakes in spellcasting unlikely, and second, a natural aversion to Dark Magic. If used to practice Dark Magic, its power will be greatly diminished. Its loyalty, however, is the highest. Once it recognizes a master, it will remain devoted to them. Even if someone else takes it, they will struggle to draw out its original power, which will be substantially reduced."
After hearing all of Draco's explanations, Hermione still found dragon heartstring very appealing!
Watching Hermione ponder so earnestly, Draco smiled. "With your spirit and talent, I think a wand with a dragon heartstring core might suit you better. Its explosive power and broad compatibility could bring out your potential more effectively. As for the wood, you'll need to take your time sensing it. Just find the kind that connects with your soul."
Hearing this from her seat on the sofa, Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her eyebrows and objected, "That judgment is rather too categorical. The affinity between wizard and wand is mysterious. How can you reach a conclusion so readily on the strength of a few words?"
Draco merely smiled faintly without offering much of a defense. Naturally, he was so certain because he knew the original plot and had activated his "heavenly eye." Otherwise, how would he dare make such a bold pronouncement?
Of course, he could not say that aloud. He merely thought to himself, I never expected Professor McGonagall to be the one getting "face-slapped" this time.