After a brief conversation, Hermione excitedly picked out her wand and ran over to her father. "Dad, look! I have a wand!" Then she noticed Ryan standing nearby and asked in surprise, "Ryan? Hogwarts?"
"Yes," Ryan replied with a smile.
At that moment, Mr. Granger and Mr. Lambert finished their greetings. Mr. Granger pulled Hermione aside and said, "We still have a lot of things left on the list. We should hurry up." After bidding farewell to Ryan and his father, the Grangers left the wand shop.
Once they were gone, Ryan approached the counter. Behind it stood an elderly man with piercing, light-colored eyes that seemed to shine like two moons—this was undoubtedly Mr. Ollivander.
"Hello, I'm Ryan Smith. I'll be attending Hogwarts this year and need a wand," Ryan said, feeling slightly nervous.
"A first-year student, I see," Ollivander responded, taking out a measuring tape. "Which hand do you use for casting spells?"
"Uh, my right hand," Ryan answered.
The measuring tape immediately sprang to life, wrapping around Ryan and measuring various parts of his body. Meanwhile, Ollivander retrieved several wand boxes from the shelves. "Wands are not mass-produced. Each one is unique, so we must find the right match for you," he explained.
Once the measurements were complete, the tape measure coiled itself into a ball and rolled under Ryan's feet.
"Now, try this wand," Ollivander said, handing him one. "Ebony, unicorn hair core, eight and a half inches long, quite flexible."
Ryan barely lifted the wand before a box shot off the shelf and nearly hit him in the head.
"Not quite right," Ollivander mused. "Let's try another one—holly, snake nerve, eleven inches long."
...
By the time Ryan tested his seventh wand, something finally felt different. The moment he gripped the handle, a warm sensation spread through his palm, and golden sparks burst from the tip.
"Ah, excellent!" Ollivander exclaimed with a satisfied smile. "This one is a perfect fit."
He carefully placed the wand in a long case, wrapped it in brown paper, and said, "Pine wood, phoenix feather core, twelve inches long—a wand that chooses its owner carefully. You're fortunate."
After paying eight Galleons, Ryan and his father left the wand shop.
Shopping and Heading Home
After completing their shopping, they had a little over seventy Galleons left. Since Hogwarts covered room and board, this amount would be enough for Ryan's school year.
Finally, they hailed a cab outside the Leaky Cauldron and headed home with bags full of supplies.
During afternoon tea, Ms. Sally eagerly questioned Ryan and Mr. Lambert about their trip. It took considerable effort to satisfy her curiosity. As they enjoyed their scones, Mr. Lambert suddenly asked Ryan, "Do you think wizards have a pen that can write novels by itself?"
Ryan thought for a moment, recalling the enchanted quills used by reporters in his fifth year at Hogwarts. "Wizards probably have self-writing quills or even automatic correction pens. But Dad, I don't think there's one that can write a whole novel for you."
Hearing this, Mr. Lambert sighed in disappointment.
Preparing for Hogwarts
During the rest of the holiday, Ryan dedicated himself to studying his textbooks. Occasionally, he met Hermione at a fast-food restaurant to discuss their lessons.
Initially, Ryan had considered distancing himself from the main characters of the story, but as an eleven-year-old facing an unfamiliar world, it felt unnatural to avoid the only person he knew. In the end, he decided to just let things play out naturally.
Since this period was the only time before adulthood when he could legally practice magic in the Muggle world, Ryan tried casting every spell in his books over the next twenty days. Unfortunately, he only succeeded with the simplest ones.
It seemed that merely knowing the spells wasn't enough—just like how reading martial arts manuals wouldn't instantly make someone a master fighter.
A Mysterious Guest
On the night before his departure to Hogwarts, Ryan packed his trunk and prepared to sleep early. Just as he lay down, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[A guest has arrived. Please prepare to receive them.]
Ryan immediately got up and put together a small bag. Inside, he placed some magical plant seeds he had purchased from Diagon Alley, along with a cultivation manual. Then, he entered the grocery store.
The store looked the same as before, except for a new glass bottle on one of the shelves. Inside the bottle were countless golden particles, each about the size of a soybean.
When Ryan picked it up, a system message appeared:
[Sunlight Crystal: A special product from small-scale planting bases. Produced by light-generating plants every two hours. Can accelerate plant growth and provide sunlight.]
[Usage: Bury near plant roots while ensuring proper watering and fertilization. For sunlight, soak the crystals in water to generate an hour of equatorial noon sunlight within a five-meter radius. Alternatively, crushing a crystal releases intense sunlight for three seconds.]
Previously, Ryan had asked the system to plant new crops in his yard. Since zombies wouldn't appear in an empty house, he had filled the space with sunflowers and sun mushrooms, except for a row of pea shooters at the edge. Now, the yard was fully stocked, capable of producing over 100 sunlight crystals per day.
After reviewing the new items, Ryan sat behind the counter and instructed the system to allow the guest in.
The air at the entrance distorted, and a middle-aged man in a heavy fur coat stepped inside. Snow covered his shoulders, suggesting he had just come from a frigid environment.
Feeling the warmth of the shop, the man unbuttoned his coat, revealing a Victorian-style suit underneath.
Upon seeing Ryan behind the counter, the man's eyes widened in disbelief, but he quickly composed himself and approached. "My child, my people and I are in grave trouble. When we were on the verge of despair, a voice in the shadows guided us here. I hope fate has not played a cruel joke on me."
Ryan nodded. "Tell me about your situation. Only by understanding the problem can I determine if I can help."
The man described their struggles, mentioning "London," "global cooling," "steam cores," and "Winterhome." Ryan immediately recognized him as a character from the game Frostpunk. These were the people who had left after the energy tower exploded, but their journey had been far more perilous than expected, leaving them desperately short on resources.
Ryan considered the situation and then said, "I have three magical plants. Two can generate sunlight at any time, while the third produces 7–10 large peas daily. Each pea, when ground up, is enough to make soup for an adult."
Hearing this, the man grasped Ryan's hand in gratitude. Once he calmed down, Ryan asked, "This shop operates on an equivalent exchange system. What can you offer in return?"
The man hesitated. "We left the UK in a hurry and only brought survival supplies. We have no money."
Ryan checked the system's valuation and said, "I can't use your banknotes, but I accept various forms of payment—precious metals, materials, or technology. Since these plants can save your lives, I need something of equal value."
The man thought for a moment before replying, "Give us the seedlings and breeding techniques, and we will trade you our difference engine, energy tower, and robot technology."
"Deal," Ryan said. A glowing portal appeared, and a golden ribbon of light flowed out, transforming into a book titled Winterhome Industrial Handbook on an empty shelf.
After confirming the trade, Ryan handed over the plants, a cultivation manual, and a bottle of sunlight crystals. "These will help while your crops grow."
The man's eyes glistened with emotion. He took out a finely crafted gold pocket watch and pressed it into Ryan's hand. "This is my most precious possession. I hope it conveys my gratitude."
With a deep bow, he turned and left.
As he disappeared, the system chimed:
[You saved a city and changed its fate. Earned 3 Offset Points.]
Ryan reviewed the new system function, realizing that these points allowed him to open new world portals or instantly learn certain skills.
Satisfied, he opened a portal to Plants vs. Zombies to deliver the promised seeds to Crazy Dave.
Ten minutes later, he returned to his bed, ready for his journey to Hogwarts the next day.
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