Hogwarts: Not Even Voldemort Can Stop My Learning

Chapter 123: Leslie's General Store

Theo grew up in Diagon Alley, and aside from places his parents forbade him from going, like Knockturn Alley, he was familiar with most of the shops.

Having been exposed to it his whole life, even without consciously paying attention, he generally knew which shops offered good value and which owners were deceitful.

"We call this place 'Rag Alley' around here," Theo said. "Because everyone says they sell junk."

Diagon Alley was fairly clean and tidy, but this particular street was like a rural market Wade had once seen, with all sorts of things piled up even on the roadside.

At first glance, one might think there was a dazzling array of goods. But on closer inspection, most of it was stuff no one would bother picking up even if it were left on the ground.

—Old, yellowed books, oddly shaped stones, crudely carved wood, bald Quills, tattered carpets, and water pitchers.

Thanks to all these items, the path left in the middle of the road was very narrow.

Theo led Wade through it, weaving back and forth, while sharing the wisdom he'd heard from his elders:

"Uncle Jason told me you can come here during the day, but don't go near it after six."

"After dark, some thieves or Werewolves come here to fence stolen goods."

"And anything displayed outside is trash; it's not even worth picking up for free. The real good stuff is kept inside by the owners."

"But many shopkeepers judge people. It's easy for newcomers to get ripped off their first time. Boon Leslie, on the other hand, is much better."

"He always has clear prices. It might be a bit more expensive than others, but it's definitely worth the money, and he won't trick you into buying junk for a high price."

They reached the depths of the alley. Wade looked up and saw "Leslie's General Store" written on the wooden sign.

Theo pushed the door open, and the bird-shaped wind chimes hanging by the door immediately made chirping sounds. In an instant, the entire shop lit up.

Dozens of magic candles illuminated the originally dim shop from the entrance to the back, making it bright and spotless.

An old man in a wheelchair slid silently towards them.

His white and black hair was messy, like a tangled steel wool scrub; his eyebrows were dark and thick, very striking.

His green Wizard robe was faded, and a pilled, plaid blanket covered his lap. On the blanket, a completely black cat was perched.

"Mr. Leslie," Theo said with a bright smile, "I brought my friend here to buy some things."

"Hmm."

Leslie also smiled, glancing at Wade: "Feel free to look around. The prices are on the labels."

"Alright."

Wade nodded and walked into the store.

Behind him, Leslie was still chatting with Theo: "You little rascal, school's starting soon, isn't it?"

"One more week."

"Why are you here today? Didn't that Mancini kid tell you not to run around alone?"

"I wasn't alone, I was with Mr. Werner! My brother and I almost got kidnapped by Werewolves today, and Mr. Werner saved me..."

Theo had no intention of hiding his morning's experience.

Leslie's expression immediately turned serious: "What happened? Tell me all about it!"

Theo said, "It was this morning when..."

...

The general store's goods were neatly arranged, just like a regular supermarket.

Rows of shelves stood tall, with price tags on the items. Some even had warnings like "Extremely dangerous, do not take without permission."

The prices were a bit higher than the outdoor second-hand shops, but much cheaper than the shops in Diagon Alley.

For example, Wands.

Ollivander's Wands for new students ranged from a few Galleons to over a dozen. Some adult Wizards liked to embed gold and jade into their Wands, which made them even more expensive.

The Wands at Leslie's store were mostly around one or two Galleons. There was also a small area nearby for testing magic effects, with items like feathers, stones, and spiders.

These Wands were dusty and showed clear signs of use, but at least they were intact.

As for the Wands displayed outside at the second-hand shops, some even had visible signs of being broken and repaired, and only cost a few Sickles.

Wade thought that if one were to cast a Spell with such a Wand, it was uncertain if the enemy would be hit, but the user might well end up in St. Mungo's.

Wade's own Wand was Poplar Wood with Unicorn Hair.

Poplar Wood is a reliable, adaptable Wand with consistently strong power, requiring its owner to have a clear moral compass.

Unicorn Hair produces the most stable magic and makes the most loyal Wands, but they are difficult to use for Dark Magic.

According to Michael—

If a stranger heard about his Wand's materials, they would surely assume he was an upright and loyal Hufflepuff.

Wade had felt gloomy at the time, wishing the Sorting Hat could understand it that way.

For Wade, his Wand was like an extension of himself; when casting Spells, it was as easy as moving his own limbs, working in perfect harmony.

Though Wade had now mastered some wandless magic, he still felt most comfortable and powerful when wielding his own Wand.

That is, provided he was using legitimate Spells, and not hexes, curses, or Dark Magic.

A Quill would cooperate with minor hexes, but even slightly stronger jinxes would meet resistance.

Wade could sense that if he insisted on using this Wand to learn Spells like Fiendfyre or the Imperius Curse, the Wand might "die."

Books about Wands often mentioned that Unicorn Hair easily became melancholic, an inherent flaw.

What to do if your kid has too high a moral compass? Well, you just have to find another "enforcer" with fewer morals.

Wade tried for a while and selected three Wands that suited him well.

One was a Walnut Wood Wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, symbolizing intelligence.

Another was a Rowan Wood Wand, also with a Phoenix Feather core, offering excellent defensive capabilities.

The third was a Pine Wood Wand with a Thunderbird Feather core, representing individuality.

They weren't expensive anyway, so he simply bought all of them. Then he browsed the shop for a bit and discovered a few more pleasant surprises.

There was a Magic Mirror that could offer fashion advice to its owner. He wondered who its previous owner was, as its aesthetic taste was surprisingly high, and it had a sweet tongue.

As Wade walked past it, it loudly exclaimed:

"Oh my, I can barely believe my eyes! Sir, you are truly wasting the blessings bestowed upon you!"

"Listen to me, put on that silver-grey robe over there, and wear the pocket watch to my left. If you have extra funds, please also wear the hat on the shelf; it will complement your melancholic yet charming demeanor!"

The Magic Mirror amused Wade.

He carefully "read" the runes on the Magic Mirror, confirming there were no attached curses or other negative enchantments, and decided to buy it.

Fiona would surely love this mirror that could discuss outfits with her.

-----------

Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/

Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский 

Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate

Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa

-----------