"Is it enough?"
George didn't mind. He took out a bulging cloth bag and placed it on the table with a smile.
The reason he chose such a large owl was primarily for two reasons.
First, this owl, with its size, already had a decent attack ability. If he really encountered danger, it could provide him with considerable help.
Second, its flying ability was noteworthy. A normal magical owl could carry about ten to twenty kilograms while flying, so with an owl of this size, carrying over a hundred kilograms shouldn't be an issue.
If he ever got into trouble that he couldn't handle, he could have the owl fly him away. It wasn't just a pet; it could also serve as a flying mount. Who wouldn't choose it?
"Since you're sure, there's no problem." The clerk eyed the bag, estimating it to contain at least four hundred Galleons. Realizing George was serious about buying and not just joking around, he quickly and enthusiastically helped move the eagle-owl onto a cart, fearing George would change his mind.
This owl consumed a lot of food daily, and if no wizards came to buy it, they'd be losing money.
With his pet bought, George headed to the last and most crucial store: Flourish and Blotts.
Today, he wasn't just buying all the first-year textbooks; he also wanted to buy many other magical books, especially those about spellcasting using gestures.
If he couldn't learn spellcasting using gestures, his counterpart in the Marvel universe wouldn't be able to effectively wield magic until he crafted a wand.
Today was August 3rd, still eighteen days before Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing event at Flourish and Blotts, so the store wasn't too crowded. It made finding books relatively easier; he could simply ask the staff.
"Spellcasting using gestures? Those books haven't been sold in years. Everyone uses wands now. Who still learns that outdated way of casting spells?" the clerk shook his head.
George wasn't discouraged by this and continued, "I'm really interested in that outdated casting method. Could you find a way to get one for me? I'll pay extra!"
To show his sincerity, he took out twenty Galleons.
The clerk hesitated for a moment, then finally held up four fingers.
"Special orders are costly—forty Galleons."
"No problem."
George immediately took out forty Galleons and placed them on the counter.
He knew he was being ripped off, but if he could get a book related to casting spells with gestures, he'd pay four hundred Galleons if necessary.
"Three days. It will definitely be here within three days," the clerk responded, grinning ear to ear as he quickly pocketed the forty Galleons.
"I'll come back to pick it up in three days."
After browsing for a bit more and paying the standard price for everything else, George pushed his overflowing cart while humming an unknown tune and started heading back to the apothecary in Knockturn Alley to begin his self-study.
On his way back, the giant and noticeable eagle-owl attracted quite a bit of curious attention.
"Be good, don't make noise," George said as he placed the owl on the table in his bedroom. He fed it one of the rabbits he bought at the owl store and began sorting through the magical books he had just purchased.
Upon hearing George's words, the eagle-owl obediently nodded.
To ordinary young wizards, the eagle-owl's size was too much to handle and potentially dangerous, making it unsuitable as a pet.
But for George, it was different.
His body had more strength than even a typical adult. The size of the eagle-owl didn't pose a challenge for him. As for danger, his telepathic ability inherited from Professor X was only at level two—it had minimal influence on complex human minds, but it worked quite well on simpler creatures.
He could not only communicate easily with animals but also influence their behavior to some extent.
Sometimes, George wondered if he spent enough time researching magical creatures, he might end up as skilled as Newt Scamander or Hagrid—perhaps even become a master of magical creatures.
"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 and Magical Theory—let's start with these two," George said, pulling out the most important books from the stack and immersing himself in study.
Right now, his priority was to master practical spells. Subjects like the History of Magic, Herbology, and Potions could be put on hold until after he got through the crisis in the Marvel universe.
He studied until evening.
"It's not as easy as it seems!"
Putting down the magic book, George rubbed his dry eyes and took a bite of the bread he bought in Diagon Alley.
In movies, it always seemed as though wizards could cast spells with a simple wave of the wand, making it look easy.
But in reality, learning to cast a spell successfully was far from easy.
It was similar to cooking.
It might seem like just following a few simple steps, but when you actually try it yourself, you often end up lost.
Even if you follow the steps exactly, the outcome varies widely.
According to the book, in order to cast a spell, first and foremost, you needed wizarding blood—you needed magic. Without it, no matter how well you performed all the other steps, it would all be for nothing.
Next was the incantation. It had to be spoken clearly, and each spell had its own unique speed, tone, and emotional requirements. If these standards weren't met, the spell would either be significantly weakened or simply not work at all.
There was also the rare chance of some unexpected effects.
Lastly, there was the wand movement. Wand-waving wasn't random; different spells required specific wand trajectories.
Of course, this was only for beginners.
Once you fully understood and mastered a spell, and delved deeply into its fundamental principles, you could even perform it non-verbally and without a wand.
Top-tier wizards could cast most spells instantly, without words or wands.
"The Softening Charm, Severing Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, and Mending Charm—I'll focus on learning the Unlocking Charm first," George decided, flipping to the page in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 that explained the Unlocking Charm.
The first-year textbook spells were the most basic and easiest to learn, though they were essentially harmless.
For example, even if he mastered the Severing Charm, at his level, it might only be good for cutting a napkin; using it on a person would hardly scratch them.
Instead, it was more practical to learn the Unlocking Charm. With it, his Marvel counterpart could open the Mutant Power Inhibitor Collar around his neck and use his abilities.
He could also open various high-tech lab doors and make his escape.
If he had extra time, he could then learn some of the other spells.
In truth, he felt that a Transfiguration spell might be more useful than an Unlocking Charm, especially for sabotaging high-tech weapons. Disabling just one component could render a device inoperable.
But after careful consideration, he decided against it.
Transfiguration was a separate branch of magic, and much harder to learn than other spells. Even Hermione, a genius, couldn't manage it before school started. He didn't think he could master it quickly without a teacher.
Even if he managed to learn it, its effects might not be as impactful as he hoped—it wasn't worth the risk.