Dylan pondered over his magical abilities. While his research into most spells wasn't particularly advanced, he had mastered six full-level black spells—enough to make him fearless in the Forbidden Forest.
Still, his mind kept drifting toward the idea of beautifying his wand.
"I've already sent a good amount of money home for my dad to invest in stocks. The prices haven't skyrocketed in the past few months, but I've still made a considerable profit," he mused.
"With this money, I can definitely afford a little cosmetic upgrade for my spellcasting. Even if someone catches me using magic, what can they do? Who would believe that a spell cast by a wand flashing pink light is actually the Killing Curse?"
The thought amused him. A Pink Furry Rabbit version of the Killing Curse? Most people would assume it was some special effect rather than dark magic.
"Apart from potion materials, I can even sell the remaining resources for extra profit," Dylan thought. Not that he was particularly interested in making money from magical creatures, but profit was profit.
Then another idea struck him.
"If I get my hands on that cloak of Harry's... could I rob Gringotts?"
The thought sent a thrill through him. He couldn't even imagine the kind of reward his achievement system would grant if he actually pulled off a heist on Gringotts.
While he entertained the thought, he was already strategizing how to sneak into the Forbidden Forest and gather potion ingredients.
A Visit to Hagrid's Hut
Meanwhile, Hagrid had just finished talking with Neville, arranging a time for him to return and pick up some special nutrients. After seeing Dylan and Neville to the door, he turned and disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.
Dylan cast a glance into the darkness of the forest before looking away.
"Let's head back," he said.
As they walked towards Hogwarts, Neville rubbed his round face. "Oh my God, this cake is going to break my teeth!"
Dylan blinked. "What?"
He had been so lost in thought about sneaking into the Forbidden Forest that he hadn't paid attention to much else.
"The pancake!" Neville exclaimed. "Hagrid just baked a fresh batch!"
"Ah? What about it?"
"Didn't you notice? Hagrid dropped one by accident, and Fang was right underneath him. The poor dog got hit on the head and fainted!"
"Huh?" Dylan was stunned. "I really didn't notice that."
Neville winced. "I guess Fang's used to it. He woke up after a few moments."
Dylan nodded absentmindedly. "That explains why I missed it."
"I'm going to check on my flame thorns. Hagrid managed to dig out a little bit of special nutrients for me, so I can use it for now," Neville said.
Dylan nodded slightly. "Alright, you go ahead. I'm heading back to the dormitory."
Neville hesitated. He wanted to ask if Dylan wanted to come along but stopped himself.
"Then..." Neville trailed off, concerned.
Dylan smiled, patting Neville's shoulder. "Relax. I won't study for too long today. I'll do something fun instead."
Neville raised an eyebrow. "Fun? That still sounds like studying to me."
"No, no, I mean something really interesting, not the usual textbook stuff." Dylan shook his head quickly.
"Alright then," Neville relented. "I'll see you later. Take care of yourself!"
"I will, Mr. Longbottom." Dylan grinned.
"Moo!" Coal Ball, his pet, also waved at Neville.
"See you tonight, Coal," Neville chuckled before heading off.
Back in the Dormitory
Dylan returned to his dorm with Coal Ball, but Seamus was nowhere to be seen. He kicked off his shoes, climbed into bed, and lay on his back.
He tossed Coal Ball aside and pulled out his wand.
It was pitch-black, with a cold sheen. If he looked closely, he could almost see mysterious runes shimmering within the wood grain. But if he stared too long, they seemed to disappear.
"I don't really need to change its skin, do I?" Dylan murmured. "It looks cool enough as it is. But... maybe I should add some effects?"
He tapped the tip of his wand with his index finger.
"What do you think? Pink effects? Or maybe something more colorful?"
The wand remained motionless.
"If you don't answer, I'll assume you like all of them," Dylan smirked.
He opened his system panel and checked his funds.
"After setting aside money for my parents' business, I still have over 10,000 Galleons. A hundred gold coins isn't much!"
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Dylan navigated to the wand beautification section.
Then, a wicked thought crossed his mind.
"Why not add a pink starlight particle effect?"
As if on cue, a system prompt popped up:
[Message]: Yes/No – Spend 300 gold coins to apply pink starlight particle effects to the magic wand's attack effect?
"Three hundred??" Dylan was dumbfounded.
Hadn't the system said modifications only cost a hundred gold coins each? He stared at the message, then slowly pieced things together.
"Wait a second... is it charging separately for color, starlight, and particles?"
Testing his theory, he modified his request.
[Message]: Yes/No – Spend 100 gold coins to add pink special effects to the magic wand's attack effect?
Dylan smacked his lips.
So, pink alone was 100. The starlight and particle effects were separate costs.
"Ugh... might as well go all in."
He confirmed the 300-gold option.
The Wand Transformation
The moment he did, an unseen force enveloped the wand.
"Buzz!"
It trembled violently in his grip. A surge of unfamiliar, mysterious magic coursed through it.
Within seconds, the process was complete.
Dylan peeked out from under his blankets, making sure no one was around.
"Let's test it out!"
He waved the wand.
In an instant, a dazzling stream of pink starlight particles burst forth, cascading like a shimmering waterfall of magic.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Dylan couldn't help but grin.
This was going to be fun.
(End of Chapter)
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