He had no idea what kind of trouble that ridiculous brother wand of his might stir up.
Dylan absolutely didn't want to get involved in any of that.
After trying out all the wands Mr. Ollivander had presented, the one that suited him best was a thirteen-and-a-quarter-inch wand made of yew wood with a core of Thestral tail hair.
Ollivander was delighted.
After all these years, these wands, which he had poured his heart and soul into crafting in his youth, had finally found a worthy owner for one of them.
It gave him the joy of a father seeing his daughter get married.
For this reason, Ollivander didn't charge Dylan much, only asking for a friendly price.
He even threw in a bunch of materials for wand maintenance and a wand sleeve made of Thestral down.
"Sir, you're only charging me seven Galleons?" Dylan was in a great mood after buying a wand and receiving so many extras.
"Yes, young wizard. The Ministry of Magic doesn't allow young witches and wizards to spend a fortune on wands."
Dylan quickly realized that the Ministry must be subsidizing Ollivander's wand sales.
Then it hit him—these wands were made during Ollivander's youth and had been sitting around unsold for so long.
Dylan blinked.
So that's why!
No wonder he got so many freebies!
"Thank you, sir. I'll take my leave now."
Dylan walked out of the shop, arms full of his new treasures.
Ollivander watched his retreating figure with a smile. "Another interesting little one, and quite polite too."
As soon as Dylan stepped outside, he spotted Professor McGonagall waiting for him.
He hurried over. "I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall, for keeping you waiting."
"It's quite alright," Professor McGonagall replied with a faint smile. "Picky wizards often achieve greater things. I look forward to seeing your performance at Hogwarts."
Noticing the large bundle of items in Dylan's arms, she raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. Instead, she advised, "Your wand may stay with you for life. Take care not to damage it beyond repair."
"I'll take good care of it, I promise!" Dylan assured her.
He was feeling a mix of excitement—both for finally stepping into the magical world and for his new treasure.
Looking at the wand wrapped in Thestral down, Dylan couldn't help but grin.
Seeing this young wizard, who usually carried himself with an air of maturity, now acting like an excited child, Professor McGonagall's eyes softened with warmth.
"Let's go. You still need to get your robes tailored. One set will do for now."
Under Professor McGonagall's guidance, Dylan made his way through Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Potage's Cauldron Shop, and Flourish and Blotts.
By the time they left, his arms were laden with shopping bags.
"Professor, I'd like to visit the pet shop," Dylan said.
Professor McGonagall paused. "You… probably can't carry anything else, can you?"
Truthfully, Dylan hadn't bought much else.
But at Flourish and Blotts, he had gone all out, purchasing over thirty books of various sizes.
These were all recommended by Professor McGonagall, including some textbooks.
Dylan figured that with a professor by his side, he might as well make the most of it.
Such a knowledgeable guide wasn't something he'd have every day.
But it also meant he really couldn't carry anything more.
However, Dylan's reason for visiting the Magical Menagerie wasn't to buy a pet but to inquire about how to obtain a permit for keeping his Thestral, Shadow.
So he simply gave Professor McGonagall a shy smile. "Mr. Ollivander told me a bit about magical creatures earlier, and I'm curious to learn more."
"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall nodded. "Go ahead then. I'll wait here. Don't take too long."
"Yes, Professor!"
Dylan dashed into the Magical Menagerie, arms still full of bags.
After asking his questions, he didn't linger and had Professor McGonagall Apparate him back home.
After bidding farewell to the professor, Dylan carried all his purchases into his small basement.
The excitement of soon attending Hogwarts kept him from feeling tired, even after carrying so much and walking around all day.
After briefly explaining the day's events to his parents, he quickly washed up and slipped back into the basement.
It was then that he noticed a new message on his system panel. He wasn't sure when it had appeared, so he quickly checked it.
**[Message]:** You've unlocked a new achievement!
"Huh? A new achievement?" Dylan was puzzled, thinking it might be related to his first visit to Diagon Alley—like holding a wand for the first time or experiencing Apparition.
He hurriedly opened the achievement panel by tapping the magic scroll icon.
What he saw, however, was a description that looked as if it had been gnawed on by something.
The characters were jagged and twisted, their edges uneven, and the text was a dark, blood-red color, like dried, aged blood.
---
**[Achievement]:** Fallen (I)
**[Description]:** Well done! You've learned how to truly embrace the darkness!
**[Unlock Requirement]:** Learn an Unforgivable Curse (1/1)
**[Reward]:** Slight affinity for Dark Magic
---
**[Achievement]:** Fallen (II)
**[Description]:** Excellent! You're now a fully qualified dark wizard!
**[Unlock Requirement]:** Learn Unforgivable Curses (2/2)
**[Reward]:** Strong affinity for Dark Magic
---
**[Achievement]:** Fallen (III)
**[Description]:** Merlin's beard! Your heart is utterly devoid of light. You're even more evil than the Dark Lord!
**[Unlock Requirement]:** Learn Unforgivable Curses (3/3)
**[Reward]:** Supercharged affinity for Dark Magic
---
**[Achievement]:** I Am the True Dark Lord!
**[Description]:** You've mastered yet another forbidden curse at its highest level. Well done! You're one step closer to overthrowing the Dark Lord and claiming the throne for yourself!
**[Unlock Requirements]:**
1. Master the Cruciatus Curse at max level.
2. Master the Imperius Curse at max level.
3. Master the Killing Curse at max level.
**[Reward]:** +3 Max-Level Advanced Forbidden Curses, ability to cast Dark Magic without negative emotional backlash.
---
**[Achievement]:** What a Good Kid I Am
**[Description]:** Pretending to be harmless, you've fooled a Hogwarts professor! Who would've thought you're more skilled in Dark Magic than the Dark Lord himself?
**[Unlock Requirement]:** Possess max-level Unforgivable Curses and walk past a Hogwarts professor ten times without raising suspicion.
**[Reward]:** No one can trace the magical traces you leave behind!
---
**(End of Chapter)**