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"Indeed, it's been ransacked!"
As George pushed open the door to the apothecary, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth at the chaotic scene inside.
The shop was in complete disarray, clearly having been robbed while he was away at Hogwarts for the past six months. Fortunately, he had already sold off all the valuable items, so the thieves likely left empty-handed.
"Reparo!"
He waved his wand and cast the Repairing Charm, causing the disordered apothecary to swiftly return to its former state before his departure.
He had not yet learned any protective charms, or else he could have set up spells like Anti-Opening Charm and protective wards before leaving, which would have prevented ordinary dark wizards from entering.
These petty thieves weren't particularly strong; true dark wizards with decent power wouldn't stoop to such disgraceful acts.
"Clean and tidy."
After tidying up and organizing his belongings, George began to study by the dim light once more.
The book he was currently reading was titled Introduction to Wandlore, a text dedicated to the knowledge of wands, authored by the master wandmaker, Ollivander.
It contained extensive information about wands, though it only provided basic knowledge, without any details on how to craft one.
Wands primarily consist of two parts: the wand wood and the wand core.
Not all types of wood are suitable for wand-making; only those from trees that possess magical properties can be used.
Such trees are rare and hard to identify, often looking just like ordinary trees of their kind. It takes years of experience to discern their differences.
However, there's a simpler method: checking for the presence of tree guardian boggarts' nests. Generally, trees with these nests can be used to make wands.
Different types of wood yield wands with varying characteristics; finding a wand that matches one's own traits can greatly enhance the effectiveness of spellcasting.
For example, a wand made from acacia wood can only unleash its full potential in the hands of the most talented wizards; otherwise, it may emit strange noises and unpleasant odors, significantly reducing its magical power.
A wand made from poplar wood favors wizards who are kind-hearted and eager to help, while apple wood wands prefer those with goals and ideals. Cedar wood wands suit wizards with strong, loyal personalities, and so on.
The wand's length, rigidity, and flexibility also influence its power.
The wand core is even more critical; it is much more important than the wood itself. The amplification of a wand's spellcasting power primarily depends on the choice of the core.
Cores are typically made from the hair or organs of magical creatures, such as the hair of a veela, the tail feathers of a Thestral, the beard of a troll, the heart strings of a Manticore, and the spines of a Wyrm.
Among these, the most precious are the tail hairs of a unicorn, the heart strings of a dragon, and the tail feathers of a phoenix.
"Unicorn tail hair, huh?"
At this point, George quietly retrieved a small box from his suitcase and opened it, revealing several bundles of unicorn tail hair neatly packed inside.
He knew that wizards like Ollivander likely didn't lack for money; trying to persuade him to teach wand-making with just gold Galleons would be incredibly difficult.
That was why he had prepared this rare unicorn tail hair.
As one of the most sacred magical creatures, unicorns are treasure troves in their own right.
Unicorn blood can sustain life; even on the brink of death, it can forcibly prolong one's life.
Unicorn horns can be used to create high-grade potions, with powdered unicorn horn fetching twenty-one Galleons per gram.
Unicorn tail hair is the finest material for crafting wands.
However, unicorns are extremely rare, with only a few remaining worldwide.
Fortunately, there are still a few unicorns living in the Forbidden Forest, despite one being killed by Voldemort last year.
A few days before leaving school, George stealthily exited the castle at night and used his Wingardium Leviosa spell to quietly fly into the Forbidden Forest.
By utilizing his telepathic abilities to communicate with the creatures in the forest, he skillfully avoided dangers like centaurs and Acromantulas, ultimately finding the surviving unicorns.
With a flick of his magnetic control, he swiftly severed the tails of several unicorns, collecting several bundles of their pristine tail hair.
After all, unicorn tail hair is similar to horsehair; cutting it won't cause lasting harm, as it grows back after a few years.
He was confident that with so much unicorn tail hair, he could convince Ollivander to teach him wand-making.
Typically, a unicorn's tail contains about two thousand strands of hair. Each strand can create a top-tier wand, and since George harvested the tails from four unicorns, he had a total of eight thousand strands.
He was determined to persuade Ollivander to teach him.
The next morning, George pushed open the door to the apothecary, stepping into a world blanketed in white.
The snow that had fallen overnight softened the typically eerie appearance of Knockturn Alley.
Walking over the pristine snow, leaving a trail of footprints, he made his way to Ollivander's Wand Shop, located on the southern side of Diagon Alley.
This was his second visit to the wand shop; his first was before school when he had purchased his wand.
Ollivander's Wand Shop is one of the oldest in Diagon Alley, having been established in 382 B.C. The shop appeared small and somewhat worn, with the golden sign above the door showing signs of wear.
Upon entering, the familiar jingle of a bell greeted him.
"Good afternoon! Are you in need of a wand?"
A frail old man with silvery-white eyes and a head full of white hair greeted him softly.
This was Garrick Ollivander, the shop's owner.
George walked slowly up to Ollivander, wearing a small smile.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander. My name is George, and I'm not here to buy a wand; I would like to learn the craft of wand-making from you."
"You can't be serious," Ollivander replied, his expression stiffening. He sensed that this young wizard was likely joking.
In response, George placed a large bag containing one hundred Galleons on the counter.
"I can pay for tuition. Just let me know how much you require."
"I'm sorry, but I can't teach you," Ollivander said, glancing at the Galleons with a look of surprise, before decisively shaking his head.
The amount of gold indicated that George was genuinely interested in learning wand-making, but the craft was the lifeblood of the Ollivander family in the wizarding world. He couldn't just teach it to anyone.
Even for a thousand Galleons, he wouldn't part with such knowledge.
Seeing the resolute expression on Ollivander's face, George sighed, realizing that gold alone wouldn't sway him. He then placed a box containing four bundles of unicorn tail hair on the table.
"What if I offered these as tuition instead?"
He opened the box and pushed it toward Ollivander.
"What do you mean, unicorn tail hair?!"
Ollivander, who had maintained a calm demeanor until then, nearly jumped in shock at the sight of the four bundles of unicorn tail hair, his silver eyes practically gleaming with desire.
(End of Chapter)