Chapter 6: Veela Hair
"Silver basswood, unicorn hair, thirteen and a third inches," Ollivander held out a wand and handed it over. "It's the same material as your last wand, but the length has changed."
Sean took it and waved the wand gently. Although it was barely usable, it always felt a little off to him. It seemed that the magic power was not flowing smoothly somewhere, so he shook his head.
"It's a little strange, but it's not a problem. Even if the wands are made of the same material, there will be big differences between them," Ollivander didn't seem to mind. He took the wand out of Sean's hand and replaced it with another one. "Try this one, fig tree, fire dragon heartstring. I think it will suit you."
Sean took the wand in his hand and felt a more obvious resistance than before. If the previous wand was like a traffic jam of magic on the highway, then this one was a dead end.
Ollivander also observed this situation. As he took back his wand, he muttered to himself, "This shouldn't be the case. Wands made of fig trees have always been the choice of curious, energetic, and exploratory wizards..."
As he spoke, he stood up and picked up seven or eight boxes and placed them next to Sean.
"Try this one, alder wood, phoenix feather..."
"What about this one? Spruce wood, dragon heartstring."
"...Elm, Thunderbird tail feathers..."
"Grapevine wood, dragon heartstring?"
"Black walnut, leopard hair..."
"Mahogany, Veela hair."
"Fir wood, unicorn hair...?" Just as Ollivander was about to hand the wand made of "fir wood" to Sean, he was surprised to find that Sean was already waving the last wand given to him—made of mahogany and Veela hair—extremely freely and smoothly.
When the wand was handed to him, Sean took it subconsciously. He felt a special coolness suddenly surge into his heart, making him feel extremely natural and comfortable.
This feeling was completely opposite to the feeling of holding his original wand in his hand. If we have to make a comparison, one is more like a masculine and powerful man, and the other is more like a gentle and affectionate woman. Both have their own unique advantages and charms.
Ollivander on the side was still immersed in the recent incident and did not react until Sean asked how much it cost. He subconsciously replied, "Fourteen gold Galleons."
He had just handed it over casually. He never expected that this "special" wand would satisfy this rather picky adventurer and writer.
That wand was his father's early work. The mahogany wand was "flexible, suitable for deformation, strong and durable, and highly protective," and it was paired with the "Veela's hair," which was known to be "sensitive and willful" as the core, which was more like a bold combination.
After this wand was made, it was found to have the characteristics of being "sensitive and willful." After so many years, it had never met a suitable wizard. He just handed it over as a routine matter, but he didn't expect it to produce such a surprising effect.
Sean took out a small purse from his pocket with satisfaction, counted out fourteen gold Galleons, and handed them over. Today's trip was worthwhile just for getting this satisfying magic wand, and his next stop would be Flourish and Blotts Bookstore.
When he walked to the side of Flourish and Blotts Bookstore, Sean realized that the current situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. There were huge crowds of people outside Flourish and Blotts Bookstore. The bustling wizards gathered together, forming a noisy crowd. Wizards came in and out in an endless stream, making the originally spacious entrance seem a little crowded.
A large banner was hung in front of the upstairs window:
Gilderoy Lockhart signs autographs for sale - Walking with Trolls
Today afternoon 12:30-4:30
There was also a short paragraph of text at the bottom of the banner, but it was smaller and in a smaller font than Lockhart's:
Sean Phillips, new book preview - "The Days I Lived and Ate with the Wild People of Shennongjia"
God knows why the book publishing company was so efficient this time. He had just sent the first draft of the book via owl last night, and the other party had already started activities to promote the book the next day.
Looking at this lively scene, Sean knew that it would be difficult for him to enter Flourish and Blotts to shop normally. Even if he took off his mask, who knew what those crazy book fans at the door would do.
Here, Sean needs to state in advance that he is more than one level more handsome than his senior Lockhart, and it is all natural. So there is a lot of overlap between Lockhart's book fans and his fans; basically, they are the same group of people.
So, without much thought, Sean turned and walked into Madam Malkin's robe shop next to the bookstore. There were some advertisements on the closet outside, saying that all the new season clothes had arrived and all the robes had self-ironing and self-repairing functions.
Sean picked out several magic robes in blue, black, white, and gray styles, and let the short and fat witch measure his body. Madam Malkin was quite surprised as she served this "strangely" dressed customer. She was always understanding of her big customers no matter what out-of-the-ordinary things they did. The richer you are, the more incomprehensible your behavior is.
Thinking back then, she had customized robes for more than one pure-blood family's mistress... Thinking of this, Madam Malkin couldn't help but blush.
After leaving his home address and paying a part of the deposit, Sean left Madam Malkin's robe shop. As for the clothes and the books he wanted to buy, he had paid extra and asked Madam Malkin to send them to him by owl. This saved him a lot of trouble.
This is a dark and dirty alley, narrow and deep. The shops on both sides exude a chilling atmosphere, as if unfathomable black magic is hidden behind each door. The appearance of these shops looks old and mysterious, making people dare not approach easily.
Among them, the most eye-catching is a store called "Borgin and Burkes." This store is not only much larger than other stores but also exudes an ancient and eerie atmosphere. The decoration outside the store is mottled and faded and looks very old, as if it has witnessed the changes of countless years.
The shop opposite it is even more frightening. What is displayed in the window is not exquisite goods, but some eerie shrunken heads, staring at passers-by expressionlessly, as if telling some unspeakable secret.
Between the two shops, a huge cage looked particularly terrifying. The cage was filled with huge black spiders that were densely intertwined and kept wriggling. These spiders exuded a creepy smell that made people feel palpitations.
This is the famous Knockturn Alley. At this time, in the Borgin and Burkes shop, two people were whispering about something.