"Is this… the Shrouded Wood?" Seeing the wooden board that Dracula produced, Ollivander's face showed a look of surprise. "This is one of the materials most suitable for dark arts and black magic according to records!"
He then scratched his chin and said, "But as far as I know, this kind of wood has been extinct for many years…"
Ollivander stared at the hexagonal wooden board in Dracula's hand, scrutinizing its perfectly human-sized hexagonal shape, and his eyes widened in realization.
"You didn't just take this from someone's coffin, did you?!"
Dracula's face darkened.
"Stop with the nonsense and just tell me if you'll make it or not!"
"Of course, I will make it!" Ollivander said with a hint of excitement. "How could I miss such a rare material!"
"What wand core do you want? Dragon heartstring or phoenix feather? Unicorn tail hair is out of the question; it's not suitable for you…"
When it came to discussing wand making, Ollivander immediately became chatty.
Dracula raised his hand to interrupt his chatter.
"I'm not interested in those three cores. Do you have any other options?"
"To be responsible, after decades of testing, I've concluded that unicorn tail hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather are the most stable of all wand cores!" Ollivander said confidently. "So I've never used materials other than these three for cores!"
At this point, Dracula's lips curled up with interest.
"Not even if I offer more money?" he asked.
"Sorry, I am a man of principles. I think you're mistaken about me." Ollivander remained unmoved.
"Principles can change, can't they?"
Dracula spoke softly as he pinched the tip of his right pinky.
With a "snap," his right pinky broke off and was pulled away.
A pitch-black, chilling flame swept across, leaving only the slender white bone of the pinky, shining like jade…
Ollivander's eyes widened as he watched Dracula, who remained indifferent like a bystander, pass the bone over to him.
Meanwhile, Dracula's right pinky regrew at an astonishing speed, quickly returning to its intact, pale, and slender form.
"You… you are…" Ollivander looked at Dracula's deep wine-red eyes and silver hair, showing a slight realization.
"Mind your words." Dracula's gaze was dangerous.
"No, no, no, I meant to continue from before…" Ollivander quickly changed his tone, smiling obsequiously. "I mean, you have a keen eye for people!"
He then eagerly took the coffin board and the pinky bone from Dracula.
"The Shrouded Wood wand material combined with the core of a powerful magical creature's bone is truly a perfect combination!" Ollivander praised. "Rest assured, Ollivander's wands will never disappoint you!"
At this moment, a clinking bell rang.
This indicated that another customer had arrived at Ollivander's wand shop.
Seeing this, Ollivander immediately wiped the smile off his face and resumed his inscrutable demeanor.
Dracula looked curiously toward the shop entrance and saw a large and a small figure hesitating as they entered the narrow space.
The size difference between the two was extreme—
The smaller figure was a boy, short and skinny, giving an impression of malnutrition; while the larger figure, whether in width or height, looked like a combination of two muscular men, almost squeezing out the door frame as they entered.
"Good afternoon," Ollivander said gently. "Yes, yes, I knew I would see you soon, Harry Potter. It's no problem. Your eyes…"
"Hey, aren't you that kid who was surrounded by a bunch of people before?" Dracula interrupted Ollivander's carefully prepared emotions, looking curiously at the skinny boy with round glasses.
"Don't you know me?" the boy asked, surprised.
"Should I?" Dracula asked with a hint of amusement.
Before the boy could respond, the huge man beside him exclaimed, "What? You don't recognize the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter?!"
His loud voice made the wand boxes in Ollivander's shop, stacked almost to the ceiling, sway precariously.
Dracula looked disdainfully at the dust swirling in the shop, flicking his sleeve to create a gentle breeze that blew the dust out of the shop.
He then walked up to the boy, interested in the lightning-shaped scar partially hidden by his hair.
"So you're the savior Harry Potter? From your appearance, it's hard to tell," Dracula said, studying the boy's skinny body and worn clothes with curiosity.
"If all goes well, I should be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor when you start school. You can call me Professor Dracula." The professional vampire professor immediately took on the role, addressing his first student.
"Then we'll have plenty of time to discuss how you defeated Voldemort."
Hearing Dracula's unreserved mention of Voldemort's name, both the large man and Ollivander involuntarily shivered.
In contrast, young Harry looked up at the tall, handsome silver-haired man with a touch of admiration.
In the short time since he had entered the magical world, he had heard so many wizards refer to "You-Know-Who" in front of him.
It seemed as though everyone knew Harry had defeated "You-Know-Who" but did not know that the person's real name was Voldemort.
At this moment, Dracula's image rose significantly in Harry's eyes.
However, Harry had one more question.
"Professor, but earlier at the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell also said he would be my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Harry asked, "Are there two professors for the Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
Upon hearing this, Dracula's expression darkened.
"Oh? Someone's trying to take my position?" He sneered, causing the air in the shop to chill a few degrees.
"No one can take such an interesting job from me."
Saying this, he waved his hand at Ollivander and Harry and walked directly toward the Leaky Cauldron.
The three people in Ollivander's wand shop watched Dracula leave, shivering, and only relaxed once he was completely out of sight.
"Where did Dumbledore find such a terrifying professor…" Hagrid mumbled, rubbing his stiff face.
At this moment, Ollivander, having regained his composure, continued with his earlier speech in a profound manner:
"I knew I would see you soon, Harry Potter, that's no problem. Your eyes are just like your mother's. When she came here to buy her first wand, it feels like it was just yesterday…"
But Harry was no longer interested in his words, his mind filled with anticipation for the upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
"Compared to the stammering Professor Quirrell with his strange turban, the powerful and handsome Professor Dracula is definitely more reliable!" Harry thought.