"Don't be impatient, mark, it's just that the time isn't ripe yet. Sooner or later, the opportunity will come."
Adam had come to terms with missing the chance to use the Condensed Love card. He already had a good idea of how it felt anyway. Even though he now possessed the card, he knew he wasn't ready to use it without the right conditions.
"Well, let's give it a shot..."
"Adam, are you still awake?"
Ms. Stein's voice came from outside the door.
Luckily, Ms. Stein always respected her children's privacy and didn't just barge in.
Is it okay for her to come in? Adam didn't intend to hide things from his family, but he hadn't figured out how to explain everything just yet.
"Oh, Mom, I'm about to sleep now."
Adam glanced at the clock and realized it was indeed time to get to bed. Experimenting with the Clow Cards or anything else could wait until after his visit to Diagon Alley.
I was super curious about magic at first, but now I'm feeling oddly calm... Have I had too many surprises?
Lying in bed, Adam found his thoughts wandering between what to buy at Diagon Alley tomorrow, how to use the Clow Card he'd just gotten, and mark and Sibi...
"Ha~"
"Alas~"
Was it an illusion? Just before he drifted into sleep, Adam thought he heard a faint, teasing female laugh and a sigh of resignation from a man.
When Adam woke up the next morning, the strange sounds he had heard before falling asleep were forgotten. He woke up early, as usual, and went downstairs.
"Good morning, darling."
"Good morning, Grandpa. Good morning, Grandma."
Sitting at the breakfast table, Adam greeted his family.
"Eat something simple. There will probably be plenty of delicious food at Diagon Alley," said Robert Sr. as Emma set a plate of bacon, eggs, and mashed potatoes in front of Adam.
"Since Diagon Alley is where British wizards gather, I don't have high hopes for the food."
Picking up the runny omelet with chopsticks, Adam made his observation quietly.
Although his father was British, he owned a French restaurant that was doing quite well—a fact that spoke for itself. As his mother, Ms. Stein, always said, "You can almost taste the resentment of the ingredients in British food before they die."
"Wizards are different from Muggles. There are plenty of tasty things in Diagon Alley! Like... well, like..."
Old Robert started to argue but drew a blank. All that came to mind were snacks like fizzing whizzbees and licorice wands; memories of any real meal were nowhere to be found.
Emma silently added a bit of butter and a few slices of toast to the pot as Robert fumbled.
After finishing breakfast, with high expectations, Adam followed Old Robert and Emma through the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley.
Old Robert tapped his wand against the brick wall to open the passage to the hidden street, saying with a grin, "Welcome to the world of magic, kid."
I already got a taste of magic last night... But that's beside the point.
The real issue here is that neither the book nor the movie ever mentioned that this trash can was actually used!
Adam, slightly unsettled by his need for orderliness, kept a polite smile on his face despite the disgust.
Once inside Diagon Alley, Adam's mood wavered.
At first, he was genuinely impressed by the magic that seemed to pop up around every corner. But maybe his expectations were too high. The more accustomed he became, the more he noticed the grime and musty smells that clung to the place. The real Diagon Alley wasn't as glamorous as in the movies or theme parks. The streets were narrow, packed with wizards and witches, and littered with trash that seemed to have been collecting in the corners for decades.
"Except for a few shops that look like they've been cleaned on purpose and the majestic Gringotts, everything else feels like it's stuck in the last century. I half expect someone to pour a bucket of filth from an upper window," Adam later grumbled to Mr. Robert and Ms. Stein after they returned home.
"...Do they even bathe?"
Ms. Stein abandoned her planned response, opting for a more cautious question instead.
Adam's expression only deepened the awkwardness of the situation.
"That person certainly doesn't seem to bathe," Adam muttered, leaning toward Old Robert after yet another stench passed by them.
"Well... Some older wizards are a bit more traditional. They believe bathing affects their magic. But most wizards do like to stay clean."
Noticing his grandson wasn't as awestruck as he'd hoped, Old Robert quickened his pace.
"The first thing we need to do is get you a wand. That's your true first step into the magical world!"
Adam's pulse quickened at the thought—he already had a wand of darkness. He wondered if it would interfere with the selection process for his official wand.
"Oh, welcome—"
It seemed like Ollivander had been expecting them, given that it was the beginning of the school year. He was already standing behind the counter when Adam and Old Robert entered. Emma had gone ahead to the robe shop, leaving the cramped wand shop, filled floor to ceiling with boxes, feeling a bit more manageable.
"Twelve inches, dogwood, unicorn tail hair."
Ollivander had the impressive ability to recall every wand he'd ever made. He looked at Old Robert with a nostalgic smile.
"Mr. Robert, it's been, what, fifty years since we last met?"
"Yes, nearly fifty," Old Robert replied, a hint of emotion in his voice as he patted Adam's shoulder.
"Help my grandson find the perfect wand. Your wands have always been the best."
"I don't know if they're the best, but they're always the most suitable," Ollivander said with a smile as he turned to Adam. "So, young Mr. Robert, which is your dominant hand?"
"My right hand, sir."
Adam hesitated. He wasn't sure which hand should hold his real wand. As Ollivander began his measurements, Adam asked, "Can I use a wand with my other hand?"
"Oh, are you ambidextrous? That's quite interesting."
Ollivander nodded and continued measuring Adam, checking everything from the length of his fingers to the circumference of his head. After several measurements, Ollivander handed Adam a wand to try.
Adam gave it a casual wave, and a powerful gust of wind nearly blew the roof off.
"No! Definitely not this one!" Ollivander grabbed the wand back quickly and restored the shop's order with his own.
He handed Adam another, smaller wand, but the result was no less dramatic. A loud explosion sent wand boxes flying in all directions.
"Protego!"
Old Robert's shield spell protected them as boxes tumbled toward them.
Adam scanned the scene, relieved that the explosion had only caused a racket. None of the wands appeared damaged, so at least there wouldn't be any charges for repairs.
"That's far more power than I expected," Ollivander muttered as he pulled out another wand. "Try this!"
"Boom—"
"No! Try this one!"
"Crack—"
"Still not right!" Ollivander tugged at his thinning hair, diving back into his pile of wand boxes.
( End of the chapter)
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