Chapter 682: Wand and Loot
Chapter 682: Wand and Loot
"Child, although you saved me and gave me a second Life, you cannot insult my abilities in this field." After hearing Liam's words, Ollivander coughed a few times and then spoke with a hint of anger.
"Our clan has preserved almost the oldest wand-making techniques from all of Western Europe, encompassing all the techniques from the Heroic Age to the present. So I don't think I am much inferior to the Wandmaker who created the Elder Wand in terms of technique."
After saying this, Ollivander opened his eyes wide and glared at Liam, expressing his dissatisfaction with Liam's earlier statement. As a Wandmaker, Ollivander had his own pride and would not allow others to casually belittle his craftsmanship.
"Do you really believe that fairy tale?" Ollivander seemed to suddenly remember something. "I can assure you that the so-called Reaper's creation of the Deathly Hallows is just a legend. Mr. Gregorovitch, who was imprisoned a few days ago, told me that he once owned the Elder Wand. According to his examination, that wand was indeed made by a human wizard, not a miracle of any deity. Although I don't entirely agree with his style, I believe he wouldn't be wrong in this aspect."
"I know that", Liam said to Ollivander. "What I meant is that to create a wand like the Elder Wand, one must reach a certain level of power. If one's power is insufficient, even following the correct method won't result in such a powerful wand."
"Power, huh?" After hearing this, Ollivander fell into deep thought. As a Wandmaker, his own power wasn't particularly strong. In the past, he never had to consider his own power when making ordinary wands, so he had never thought about it in this way.
"It must be power." Liam stared into Ollivander's eyes and nodded solemnly, then summoned the Rose Madonna. "Take a look at this, and you'll understand."
"This is the Philosopher's Stone, isn't it?" As a Wandmaker, Ollivander naturally had some knowledge of alchemy. After a brief examination of the gemstone in Liam's hand, he quickly understood what it was. "If I remember correctly, Nicolas Flamel once had a Philosopher's Stone. But since that Philosopher's Stone was destroyed, there shouldn't be any more in Europe."
"That was indeed the case." Liam raised an eyebrow. "But I managed to recreate it. In the process, I discovered that personal power plays a significant role in the creation of such special items. For example, the Philosopher's Stone can be found in Muggle literature, but very few people can actually create it because there are so few who meet the requirements for the alchemical process."
"——You are right", Ollivander, who had been about to insist on his own view, could only admit that his level of skill was insufficient to create a powerful wand like the Elder Wand after seeing the Rose Madonna.
"However, you should be cautious. I believe the Dark Lord's search for powerful magical artifacts is not solely to defeat you or Headmaster Dumbledore", Ollivander said, frowning. "From his past behavior, I get the impression that he now believes his power has reached a perfect level. So, he is pursuing various magical artifacts and even mythical items because he believes they will make him invincible."
"It's a strange notion", Hermione said, somewhat puzzled. "A wand is just a wand. Why would someone think that these powerful magical items can make them stronger than they already are?"
"I think it's because he feels he has already walked far enough on the path to conquering death, perhaps even to its limits", Liam explained to Hermione through the Phoenix Mark. "At least in the aspect of Horcruxes, he can no longer create more soul fragments, which might make him feel that his potential has been fully tapped. So now he is seeking external means to enhance himself. And the two times I used the power of the Rose Madonna should have reminded him of the importance of external forces."
"But you're not—using external power", Hermione said, still somewhat confused. She knew that Liam's Rose Madonna and the Philosopher's Stone were different and didn't count as external assistance. It was a completely different concept from the Deathly Hallows.
"But Dark Lord doesn't know that", Liam conveyed through the Phoenix Mark, winking mischievously at Hermione.
After interacting with Hermione, Liam turned to Ollivanders. "Thank you very much for the information. It will be of great help for our next move. We'll leave now so you can rest properly."
"Yes, yes, I really need to rest. Dark Lord's torture was unbearable, the Cruciatus Curse... you can't imagine..."
"We know", Liam nodded seriously. "I truly do. Please rest well, and if you need anything, just instruct the metal robots. They will carry out your requests. Thank you for telling us all this." With that, Liam and Hermione tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind them.
For the rest of the afternoon, Ryan and the others began sorting through the pile of magic materials they had seized from the basement. Under Voldemort's call, many Pureblood Families had brought out their most treasured items. This allowed Ryan and the others to find many valuable things that even the School Library didn't have.
"I finally understand why Dark Lord didn't allow the Death Eaters to enter that house", Hermione said, holding up a palm-sized piece of amber. Inside, a drop of sky-blue liquid was encased, and strangely, a layer of white frost covered the amber's surface. "That room was filled with precious treasures. Given Dark Lord's paranoid nature, he would never let anyone else near them."
"Moreover, that's where Dark Lord's wand is being made", Liam added, picking up a piece of Goblin-forged Silver and examining it in the sunlight. "A wand is like a wizard's second life, so Dark Lord wouldn't allow his subordinates to witness the process. If I'm not mistaken, Ollivanders and the others really did create a wand that rivals the Elder Wand. Their fate would have been to be killed and silenced."
It took Ryan and the others the better part of the day to sort through the vast pile of treasures, and it wasn't until late at night that they finally managed to categorize everything. During this process, Liam realized that the magical power in Harry Potter's world must have been much more prosperous in the past. The containers of unknown claws, feathers, and scales they found were rich in magical energy, indicating the strength of the creatures they came from.
"Imagine how powerful these magical creatures must have been when they were alive", Hermione marveled, sensing the energy. "Perhaps in those times, the world was like Silvermoon City, teeming with a strong magical civilization."
"But such a world wouldn't be friendly to most people", Liam pointed out. "For example, Silvermoon City was the safest city in that region, but an ordinary person would be in grave danger if they left the safety of the city walls."
"You're right, so this is the best state for the world now", Hermione shrugged. "As for these magic materials, we have so many worlds, we can always find one that produces materials of this quality."
"You're right, but even in those worlds, it's not easy to gather such a large amount of top-tier materials. Even in a prosperous place like Silvermoon City, I only saw such a collection in Lady Elastron's treasure vault. It seems Dark Lord has stripped the Pureblood Families of their most valuable possessions."
"But now, they're all ours", Hermione smiled brightly. "Saving the innocent and stopping violence is our duty. But if we can have some unexpected gains, that would be even better."
"Don't get your hopes up", Liam laughed, shaking his head. "Even the Pureblood Families don't have many of these materials, so I doubt we'll have another big haul like today."
"I know, but one must have a bit of optimism. Who knows, maybe one day Dark Lord will have a brain lapse and gather another batch of treasures", Hermione said, standing up. "Come on, let's go eat. We're having dinner very late tonight."
(End of Chapter)
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