Chapter 77: New Wand
Chapter 77: New Wand
Bang, bang, bang!
Professor Mcgonagall pushed open the door and saw Harry and Ron, both wrapped up warmly.
She ushered them in, and Harry and Ron sat down in the chairs by the fireplace.
"Potter, Weasley, what brings you here?" Professor Mcgonagall asked.
Ron pulled out a wand from his robes, a sorry sight, broken in half and barely held together by a single unicorn tail hair.
"Professor Mcgonagall, I was wondering if I could have permission to go buy a new wand", Ron said hesitantly.
"Oh?" Professor Mcgonagall bent down to examine the broken wand, her bun perfectly in place. "Weasley, you should have replaced your wand long ago. No wonder you've been having so many accidents in class."
Ron lowered his head and said nothing.
Harry spoke up from the side. "Professor, we might need to use your fireplace to go to Diagon Alley."
Professor Mcgonagall glanced at them. "Of course, that's no problem." She waved her wand, and a silver cat sprang from the tip, its eyes ringed with the same pattern as Professor Mcgonagall's glasses.
"Weasley, come to my office for a moment", she said.
The silver cat leapt out the window and quickly vanished from Harry and Ron's sight.
Harry was still staring at the window when Ron stammered, "Professor Mcgonagall, we can go by ourselves..." He was met with Professor Mcgonagall's stern gaze.
"Don't be silly. I won't let two second-year young wizards go to Diagon Alley alone", the Transfiguration professor said firmly.
Ron's face fell, and though Professor Mcgonagall hadn't mentioned names, his not-so-sharp mind knew she wasn't referring to the twins.
Harry couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward Ron, knowing the brothers' relationship was still strained.
"Professor, what was that spell just now?" he asked, changing the subject.
"The Patronus Charm, Potter. You'll have the opportunity to learn it when you're older."
They waited quietly for a moment, and then Percy Weasley appeared in the office.
Seeing his younger brother, Percy was clearly surprised. "Professor Mcgonagall, has Ron done something wrong?"
"No, Percy", Professor Mcgonagall said. "Ron needs to go to Diagon Alley to buy a new wand, and I need an older student to accompany him. You're the best choice."
Percy's expression grew even more surprised as he looked at Ron. "Where did you get the money?"
"None of your business!" Ron snapped.
"I'm your older brother! I warn you, if you dare to—"
"Percy!" Harry interjected. "It's from Professor Flitwick." He turned to Professor Mcgonagall and added, "To recognize that night's bravery."
Professor Mcgonagall's face showed understanding, but Percy Weasley was even more confused.
"Ron Weasley, I'm proud of you. And you too, Potter", she said, uncharacteristically emotional.
Percy still had more questions, but Professor Mcgonagall said, "Go on, and come back soon."
The three of them stood in the fireplace, and in a burst of green flames, they vanished.
Half an hour later, they returned. Ron was carefully holding a new fourteen-inch wand, a look of pure happiness on his face.
Percy had his arm around Ron's shoulders, and it seemed their relationship had improved.
As they walked out of the office, Ron was still raving about his new wand. "Willow wand, unicorn tail hair core, it's the perfect combination! Harry, look at its lines..."
Back in the common room, Percy pulled Harry aside and whispered, "Harry, can you tell me what you guys actually did?"
On the way, Ron couldn't help but let it slip that he, Harry, and Hermione had collectively received the school's special contribution award. But when Percy pressed for more details, both of them clammed up.
Harry mumbled, "You'll find out when the new term starts. It's going to be a big surprise."
Meanwhile, Ron couldn't resist showing off his new wand to the twins, and they immediately dragged him off to play a dueling game.
Fred grinned, "Ron, you need to get familiar with your new wand as soon as possible."
"Right, we're happy to help", George patted his shoulder.
Hearing the twins' suggestion, Harry was instantly intrigued. He had seen a few simple spells in the dueling manual, a Christmas gift from Professor Hup, and he was eager to try them out.
"Come on, Ron", he said.
But Percy wasn't interested, so Harry, Ron, and the twins left the castle and headed to an open area by the Black Lake.
They took turns being opponents, casting spells at each other.
With his new wand, Ron's spellcasting was indeed smoother, but he still ended up at the bottom of the group.
He was knocked down three times in a row.
Harry first defeated Ron and then narrowly beat George, but when he faced Fred, he tripped and was frozen in place by a petrification charm.
Ron grinned widely, "So, this is what it felt like when Hermione cast a spell on Neville in first year?" He poked Harry repeatedly with his finger.
Once the spell wore off, Harry immediately retaliated by scooping up a large clump of snow and throwing it at Ron.
The duel quickly turned into a snowball fight, and the four of them rolled around in the snow, having a blast.
Harry managed a successful sneak attack with his agile movements but was soon cornered by the twins. He ran as fast as he could until he spotted Professor Hup's figure.
It was a rather peculiar sight.
Outside the cold castle, Professor Hup was lounging in a rocking chair, leisurely reading a book.
The chair creaked back and forth, and above his head was a blue fire that flickered like a ribbon.
"Hello, Professor Hup", Harry greeted.
Felix closed his book and sat up, a pleasant smile on his face, "Hello, Potter."
At that moment, Harry noticed the title of the book Professor Hup was reading: Selected World Jokes. It didn't seem like a typical magical book.
However, it had a translucent, pearl-like appearance, much like the gift Professor Hup had given Hagrid. Harry had a sudden thought.
Could this book also be a modified version by Professor Hup?
"Harry—"
"Stop running!"
Ron and the twins caught up, and they, too, saw Professor Hup.
"You're having a snowball fight?" Felix asked.
"We were practicing dueling, and this is our halftime break", Fred explained. "Professor, could you give us some tips? Your performance in the Dueling Club was amazing!"
"Ah, not today. I've decided not to think about anything magical today", Felix winked. "But don't worry, I'll restart the Dueling Class when the term begins."
"Oh, right", Felix looked around, "Where's Granger? Isn't she with you?"
"Uh, Professor", Harry stammered, "Hermione, she's, she's sick."
(End of Chapter)
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