Chapter 155: Ollivander's Question
As the bricks on the wall rippled, shifted, and slid aside, the archway leading to Diagon Alley opened.
Before Ryan could even step through, sparks flew out towards him.
"This intense already?" Dodging the stray sparks, he saw a massive crowd surging past, chanting slogans. He even spotted a few of the Aurors who had been with them in France, mixed into the crowd, cameras flashing wildly.
Casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, Ryan waited patiently for the throng to pass. He estimated there were several hundred people. "I get the feeling... Ralvin might have taken this a bit too far..."
He didn't dwell on it. He quickly sent a message via his Communicator to George and Fred, who were at the Tower of Wonders today, warning them not to get involved in the protest and to stay put. Then he contacted Ralvin, who confidently assured him that everything was under control.
"Alright, just be careful," Ryan advised. "The atmosphere in Diagon Alley is so charged right now, it's going to need an emotional flashpoint to release the tension."
"Don't worry," Ralvin replied confidently. "There'll be a flashpoint, and it won't blow up in our faces."
Unfortunately, the current Communicators only projected the person's image, not their background. Ryan could only guess from the ambient noise that Ralvin was also somewhere in Diagon Alley. Since Ralvin was on the scene, he definitely had more moves planned. Sometimes, that senior of mine is quite the man of action...
Ryan ended the call and, still under the Disillusionment Charm, made his way to Ollivanders Wand Shop.
Ollivanders was quiet today, with no customers. The peaceful shop was filled floor-to-ceiling with wands in their boxes, densely packed. Ryan could feel a powerful magical energy flowing within the room—not from a single source, but a torrent formed by the combination of countless wands.
"Ryan Welles... long time no see..." Ollivander emerged from the back of the shop. He pointed his wand at a coffee cup sitting nearby; it immediately heated up, filling the small space with a rich aroma.
"It's been less than half a year since we last met, Mr. Ollivander. I was here with Hagrid and Harry Potter," Ryan said, picking up the coffee and finding a small space to sit amidst the towering stacks of wands.
"Albus told me," Ollivander said, settling behind his counter. "You wanted to learn about wandlore."
"I assume you saw the recent Daily Prophet, Mr. Ollivander. The Headmaster, Professor Flamel, and I discovered a giant bat in France..." Ryan began. "That bat was an alchemical creation. Some components in its skeleton act as excellent magical conductors."
Ollivander chuckled. "The greatest Seer of the century, a rising magical prodigy... aren't those titles enough for you? Do you aspire to add 'Great Wandmaker' to your collection?"
Ryan knew the old man was playfully asking his true motives. However, since his current plans were a hundred times more complex than the Communicator project, he didn't reveal the real reason. He just smiled sheepishly. "Just a few small ideas I wanted to trouble you with, sir."
Ollivander looked at him, holding a Communicator in one hand, the fingertips of the other lightly tapping a wand box. "I told you before, you will become an outstanding wizard, one with great influence. You yourself said a wizard's charm comes from their ability. But don't rush. Too much haste makes waste. Your current abilities cannot support your ambitions. The magical world is small, yet the magical world is vast."
"I underestimated you, sir. I didn't expect you to have already sensed my intentions," Ryan said, putting down his cup. He truly hadn't anticipated the old wandmaker's perceptiveness. Despite their limited interaction, Ollivander had somehow grasped the general direction of his thoughts. He felt a pang of shame, recalling how he had maliciously speculated half a year ago, when Harry got his wand, that Ollivander probably told every young wizard they were destined for greatness. Now, he realized it was simply because the old man had seen countless wizards, knew their potential, and could predict their futures based on a lifetime of experience.
Ollivander sighed. "But your ideas won't change, will they?"
"Time waits for no one," Ryan replied simply.
"What do you think a wand is?"
Ryan had expected more persuasion, but Ollivander cut straight to the chase, beginning the lesson on wandlore with the first question. Recalling the strange casting mediums and unpredictable results he'd seen in ancient ruins, compared to the stable effects modern wizards achieved with wands, Ryan answered confidently, "A device that assists a wizard in controlling their magic!"
"Well said," Ollivander replied, satisfied. He recounted a time he had visited a rival wand shop and asked an apprentice—who had worked there for many years—the same question. The apprentice, influenced by some unknown source, had spouted a piece of profound-sounding nonsense.
"What did the apprentice say?"
"He said, 'A wand is a wand, nothing more.' Can you believe such drivel!" Ollivander's face twisted in disgust, clearly wanting to throttle the apprentice wandmaker.
The fantasy version of "a sword is just a sword"? That fellow was born in the wrong genre. He'd have done great in a wuxia world, Ryan thought, struggling not to laugh. "Heh, perhaps he has his own philosophy of wandmaking."
"Hmph," Ollivander snorted, clearly having no tolerance for such heretical wandmaking philosophies. "A wand is a tool to help control magic. You got that right. Now, I have another question for you, listen carefully: In your opinion, what flaws or areas for improvement still exist in wandlore as it stands today?"
Ryan was speechless. "With all due respect, sir, I can't say I haven't studied wandlore, but my foundation is basically zero. How can I possibly identify flaws or areas for improvement?"
"You don't need prior study. Just follow your own thoughts," Ollivander said, his tone serious, his fingers stopping their tapping on the wand box.
What does he mean, 'don't need study, follow your thoughts'? Now he sounds less like an old gentleman and more like an old master from one of those wuxia dramas...
Ryan did have his own ideas, but they were largely theoretical, lacking practical basis. He knew they would likely need significant revision after actually studying magic. Does the old master want to hear the specific process of my ideas?
With that thought, he recalled his written plans and began to explain them to Ollivander. "Personally, I believe a wand is also a type of alchemical artifact, and thus should possess the properties inherent in such objects..."
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