Chapter 289: Kate Bleeding
Alexander was speechless. Completely speechless.
He never imagined he'd stumble upon his own merchandise in Knockturn Alley — and worse, that it would end up hurting his own friend, Kate.
Those wands displayed on the stall weren't some black-market curiosities.
They were the products of his own alchemical workshop.
---
The design was beautiful — sleek, modern, and charged with subtle magical patterns — but Alexander knew their secret: they weren't nearly as powerful as their looks suggested. Each one was crafted using rare wand wood, precious metals, and advanced magical cores, yet they could only match the strength of an unprocessed branch cut straight from a magical tree.
The craftsmanship was meticulous, the alchemy exquisite — and yet, by his own standards, the result was… disappointing.
He had created them mostly as prototypes, styled after the aesthetic of his wand from a wizarding dress-up game in his previous life. They looked impressive, yes — but he couldn't bring himself to tarnish the reputation of Skywalker Alchemy Workshop by selling them publicly.
So he handed the leftovers to some of Smith's former employees, giving them permission to sell for high commission.
That also meant these wands didn't come cheap.
To this day, only one had ever sold — a showy wand wrapped in a green glow known as The Extraordinary Guide Elderwood.
Its buyer? Lucius Malfoy.
Not Draco — Lucius.
The older Malfoy had been completely enchanted by its sinister elegance. Alexander could still recall laughing about it the whole day back then.
But now? There was no laughter in sight.
---
"Kate, calm down," Alexander sighed through their telepathic link. "These are just for display."
"What's wrong with just for show?" Kate's mental voice sounded indignant. Still disguised as a tall man in a black robe, she strutted up to the stall and demanded, "Hey! How much for these wands?"
The old man behind the stall hesitated. For a second, his confidence faltered — then, recalling that his last big sale had gone well, he straightened and said, "These wands? A hundred Galleons each."
"One hundred?!" Kate's eyes widened.
Even knowing Alexander wasn't exactly poor these days, the sheer price still hit her like a thunderbolt.
"Ollivander's wands cost ten Galleons at most!" she protested. "And he's the best wandmaker in Britain!"
"Ollivander?" the old man sneered. "His work is child's play. Ours are infused with rare metals and enhanced magical circuits. His cheap sticks can't compare."
"And for your information," he added smugly, "without the Ministry subsidy, Ollivander's wands go for fifty Galleons minimum."
Kate frowned. Subsidy? She glanced at Alexander. He gave a small nod — the old man wasn't lying.
"So," Kate pressed, "apart from looking fancy, what makes these wands special?"
---
Around them, the sparse crowd barely paid attention. For buyers here — smugglers, alchemists, and shady potion traders — a hundred Galleons was nothing. Some had just bought unicorn blood and thunderbird feathers without blinking.
Something about this setup felt… off.
"The power of these wands," said the old man with a sly smile, "depends entirely on their wielder. Only skilled wizards can handle them. In the hands of an ordinary fool — they're barely better than sticks."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "So what, you're saying I'm ordinary?"
Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose. His employee really had learned how to sell. Confidence and partial truth — the two tools of a successful merchant.
Lucius had fallen for the same pitch, and Alexander had no doubt others soon would too.
---
"Hmph, clever indeed," Alexander muttered under his breath.
Kate pointed to one of the wands — the one with a hollow sphere at its tip, blue lightning flickering inside. "What about that one? What's it called, and how much?"
The old man's eyes gleamed. "Ah! Excellent taste, sir! This is our masterpiece — thirteen and a half inches, pine wood, embedded with a thunderbird feather core. We call it Thunder Feather Loop Pine."
Penelope hesitated beside them, opening her mouth to speak — but when she saw Kate's bright, childlike excitement beneath the disguise, she fell silent.
Forget it, Penelope thought, the money isn't that much. We've earned plenty from helping Alexander with art commissions and dubbing. Even if it's useless, it'll look nice as a candle holder.
"Is this one also a hundred Galleons?" Kate asked.
"If you truly appreciate fine craftsmanship," the old man said, leaning forward, "I can give you a discount. A special price for someone with your refined taste."
Kate's eyes lit up. "A discount?!"
She almost bounced in place — momentarily forgetting she still looked like a hulking man in a dark robe.
Meanwhile, Alexander froze. A discount? He didn't remember authorizing that. Had the man realized who he was? Had his concealment charm failed?
The old man grinned. "Ninety-nine Galleons — and I'll even throw in a wand sheath worth one Galleon, free of charge."
Kate blinked. Then, with a sigh and a stubborn grin, she said through gritted teeth, "Fine. I'll buy it!"
---
End of Chapter 289
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics