Chapter 29: A Happy Ending for All

The next day, Leonard headed back to Ollivander's Wand Shop to continue his magic studies. On the way, he made a detour and stopped by Jigger's shop, just as it opened.

"Morning, William," Jigger greeted him. "Have you decided?"

"I'll take the job," Leonard replied. "But you'll have to provide the materials."

"No problem, deal. I'll supply the materials and the Galleons, and you'll give me the Essence of Dittany." Jigger looked excited, already anticipating a hefty profit.

"Do you want me to give you the materials now?" he asked.

"No, wait until I'm back. I've got other things to handle first. And I also have a few questions for you," Leonard said, shaking his head.

"You really are busy. Alright then, see you later," Jigger said.

...

When Leonard returned to Ollivander's Wand Shop, Ollivander was already waiting inside. He wore a peculiar expression as he flipped through a ledger of students who had purchased their wands.

"Strange… it's nearly the end of July, and he still hasn't come. Did I get the timing wrong?" Ollivander muttered to himself, so distracted that he didn't even notice Leonard enter.

"Mr. Ollivander? What are you talking about?" Leonard asked curiously.

"Oh, I was just looking at this term's list of new Hogwarts students. There's one who hasn't shown up yet, and I find it odd." Ollivander set the register aside. "But that's not for me to worry about. Let's get back to testing wands."

One student missing? That had to be Harry Potter. He was probably still locked up by his uncle, and wouldn't be freed until Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds, came for him at the end of the month.

Which also meant Harry Potter would end up staying at the Leaky Cauldron until term started. Inevitably, Leonard would run into him.

And where the so-called Chosen One went, trouble followed. Leonard would rather avoid him altogether and quietly focus on his own growth.

But ignoring Harry Potter too deliberately would only cause offense, and people who drew the protagonist's ire rarely met a good end.

What a hassle.

And then there was Quirinus Quirrell to worry about, who could appear at any time. That man carried Voldemort with him—he was the real danger. Other people carried wise old mentors; Quirrell carried a bald, noseless monster. He was practically a walking time bomb.

Voldemort would no doubt linger in Diagon Alley while plotting to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts. Leonard, as an underage wizard, likely wouldn't attract his attention, but if he stood out too much, there was still a risk of being noticed.

So Leonard decided he'd better keep a low profile during that time. Not out of fear—just out of caution.

"William? What are you daydreaming about? Come over here." Ollivander summoned the practice dummy, calling out when he noticed Leonard still standing in a daze.

"Oh, sorry, I drifted off for a moment." Leonard walked over. "What are we learning today?"

"Not so fast. Before new spells, you should review the Disarming Charm from yesterday." Ollivander shook his head. "From your use of the Disarming Charm and the Wand-Lighting Charm, it's clear this wand really does have an amplifying effect, much like the Elder Wand. The other spells are mainly for observation. What matters most now is learning to control this wand."

"You've noticed it already—it boosts your spells across the board. That's useful, but without control, the amplification can cause real problems."

"Yes, it makes practice awkward. I could easily hurt others—or myself." Leonard still remembered the fake wand that had whizzed past his face yesterday. It nearly blew his head off.

"Exactly. So focus on controlling your magic. Try to cast at the level of a normal spell and get used to that restraint. It'll not only help you adapt to this wand's power but will also benefit you later when you learn wandless or nonverbal magic." Ollivander pointed at the dummy.

"Go on—cast a Disarming Charm. This time, feel the exact amount of magic you put into it, then control it, again and again. It's difficult, but worth the effort."

Leonard nodded and began his training as instructed.

By midday, he had already learned to regulate his magical output with ease. Now his Disarming Charm was only slightly stronger than the standard version.

At that point, Ollivander moved on to teaching him the Mending Charm, a basic support spell. Leonard picked it up in just over ten minutes.

The quick progress was thanks to Ollivander's earlier focus on magical control with the Disarming Charm, which made Leonard's learning far more efficient.

And this powerful wand's Mending Charm could even repair wands themselves.

"That's enough for today. Go rest," Ollivander said, thoroughly satisfied as he watched Leonard mend a broken wand.

He had finally completed a wand on par with the Elder Wand. Even if only Leonard could use it, it still fulfilled one of his lifelong ambitions.

Leonard was just as excited. Thanks to this wand, he had mastered spells ahead of schedule, and its performance was extraordinary.

It was a victory for them both.