Chapter 5: Shopping
Chapter 5: Shopping
"So, you got the Cedarwood Wand."
As they met up at the entrance of Madam Malkin's Robes Shop, Chris immediately recognized the wand in Kyle's hand.
The unusual combination had left a deep impression on Chris, and it was through this wand that he had first met Diana.
He never expected that it would end up in Kyle's hands.
Chris gave Kyle a thoughtful glance, but his expression soon changed as if something had occurred to him, and he patted Kyle's shoulder with a heavy heart.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, dear. With that wand, you probably won't be sorted into Gryffindor."
"Not Gryffindor?" Kyle's lips twitched slightly, as he understood what his father meant.
Mr. Ollivander had once said that wizards with cedarwood wands possessed keen insight and were naturally calm, while Gryffindors... well, they might not need that calmness.
Kyle couldn't believe that even before starting school, he had already been rejected by one of the houses. It was indeed a sad piece of news.
"What are you two laughing about?" Diana asked curiously, having just returned from buying a cauldron for Kyle. She had also stopped by Flourish and Blotts to pick up some quills and parchment, so she hadn't heard the conversation between father and son.
"Nothing much. Dad just said that with this wand, I won't be sorted into Gryffindor," Kyle explained, showing Diana his new wand.
Diana also recognized the cedarwood wand, and combined with Kyle's words, she couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm afraid your father is right, dear."
Neither Chris nor Diana had a particular preference for which house Kyle would be sorted into. In their eyes, as long as it was Hogwarts, any house would do.
Kyle felt the same way.
...
Just like choosing a wand, getting fitted for a school uniform was also a time-consuming process, even for the highly skilled Madam Malkin. It took over twenty minutes.
And this was just the time needed to take the necessary measurements; it would take even longer to receive the finished product, as there were no ready-made robes in the shop that fit Kyle's height, which was taller than his peers. He would have to have one custom-made, which would take about two hours.
After some thought, Kyle decided to leave his family's address so the robes could be delivered by owl post.
It was already 5 pm, and two hours later would be 7 pm, which was too late. It was more convenient to have it delivered.
After Madam Malkin's, they headed to Flourish and Blotts.
This time, it was quick; in less than five minutes, Kyle had gathered all the required books. Additionally, he purchased two extra books for leisure reading.
First, it was undoubtedly Newt Scamander's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' (Latest Revised Edition).
Although there were already nineteen copies at home, it didn't stop him from supporting Newt Scamander. It was like helping boost sales.
The newly released revised edition was also very well-done, with an additional thirty pages and seven brand-new magical creatures, making it a great value for the price.
As for the second book, Kyle stumbled upon it by accident when he went to pay.
'Basic Curses and Counter-curses'
Just as the title suggested, it contained common spells like the Lumos Charm, Levitation Charm, and Scouring Charm.
But the advantage was that there were plenty of them, covering various aspects, almost like a magical version of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', and they were cheap too, only one Galleon each.
Kyle flipped through the books and casually picked them up, even though they weren't of much use, but they would be good for passing the time.
In fact, apart from these two books, there were many others Kyle wanted to read, including spell books, potion books, and transfiguration books. If he were to list them all, it would fill an entire sheet of parchment. But Kyle didn't buy them.
It wasn't because he didn't have the money. Chris and Diana's income was quite substantial, even though it couldn't compare to those of pure-blood families. It wasn't to the extent that they couldn't even afford a few books. The main reason was that he was about to go to Hogwarts.
Why buy books when he would soon have access to one of the largest and oldest libraries in the British Wizarding World? Unless it was a required textbook for class or something he truly liked, he could just borrow whatever he wanted to read later.
He didn't know what others thought, but Kyle didn't want to be a fool. His Galleons weren't just blowing in the wind.
...
After leaving Flourish and Blotts, almost everything on the school supply list was purchased, or you could say everything was bought.
The only remaining item was a pet, but Kyle didn't need one.
Chris had rescued many injured owls over the years, so their family was well-known in the owl messenger community. As a result, Kyle also gained a lot of attention from the owls. Whenever he appeared at the window with an envelope or package, a large group of owls would rush over, all vying to deliver his mail, including many from Hogwarts.
If he needed to send something, he could just hire an owl with treats, which was very convenient.
See, he saved another Galleon.
Kyle had originally wanted to use the saved money to buy a Flying Broom. It didn't have to be a top-of-the-line one, a Firebolt 15 or a Comet 260 would do.
Compared to the new models on display, these older brooms had a much better price-performance ratio. In terms of quality, they weren't much different, but the price was less than a third of the new models, making them very affordable.
For example, the once-popular Firebolt 1500, which originally cost three hundred Galleons, could now be taken away for just eighty Galleons. The money he had saved over the years was just enough.
The Comet 260 was a bit more expensive, around one hundred Galleons, but it was still affordable, he just needed Chris's support.
However, as soon as he mentioned this idea, Diana vetoed it with a simple reason: Hogwarts rules prohibited first-year students from bringing brooms, so buying one would be useless. One broom at home was enough.
In response, Chris could only shrug helplessly at Kyle, indicating that he couldn't help. But he was very considerate and took Kyle to the window of the Broomstick Shop, allowing him to feast his eyes on the brooms before they headed towards the Cauldron Pub.
...
The Weasley family, who had come with them, had already left earlier, just as Kyle was buying his robes.
Mrs. Weasley needed to return home early to prepare a sumptuous dinner for her family of six. Even with the help of magic, it would still take more than an hour.
It was a pity that Kyle didn't get to see the twins make a fool of themselves, which left him feeling quite regretful, second only to not being able to buy a Flying Broom.
...
(End of Chapter)
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