The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 5 The Story of the Magic Wand and Elderberry Mother

Diagon Alley.

The streets are paved with cobblestones, and all sorts of novel shops line both sides of the street. No novel or movie can describe the scene here. The magical elements are diverse and wonderful.

But Ino ignored this and focused solely on following Snape.

Even though he was curious about everything around him, he knew that he was not following the responsible Professor McGonagall, nor the kind-hearted Hagrid.

Therefore, completing all tasks as soon as possible is the most important thing to do right now.

Anyway, I know the way, and there are still two months before school starts, so I can come back again in a while and have a good time exploring.

……

As Ino walked out of Gringotts, she held a small cloth bag containing 20 Galleons, which was all the financial aid Hogwarts provided to new students.

Of course, this funding was not free; he had already seen the contents of the document when he signed for the money.

Upon closer examination, this money can only be considered an interest-free loan, which students need to repay within three years of graduation. Even so, this measure has genuinely helped many people, a fact that no one can deny.

Holding the grant in her hand, Ino turned to Snape and asked, "Professor, what do we do next?"

"It's you, not us!" Snape corrected Ino's grammar expressionlessly, then said indifferently:

"Take your money and buy what's on your list. My job is just to lead you to Diagon Alley and get you the money you want."

Ino: "..."

Watching Snape walk away without turning back, Ino raised her arm and rubbed her sore cheeks. She maintained a harmless smile for so long that her facial muscles were always in a stiff state.

"This is ridiculous! Did I dig up your family's ancestral home in Spider's Tail Alley?"

To this day, he still doesn't know how he offended this guy. Although he has black hair, he doesn't have emerald green eyes.

Although somewhat resentful, this was the only option for the time being.

Just as Snape said, the other party fulfilled the responsibility of the professor's guidance, although he was not very clear about the specifics.

But he also knew that Snape wouldn't lie about something like this.

……

Standing in front of Gringotts, the scene of their first meeting flashed through Ino's mind once again.

The phrase "a clumsy Occlumency" made him start to imagine things. Just as Snape disdained lying, the other person wouldn't say anything meaningless.

"He mentioned Occlumency..."

While thinking, Ino immediately thought of his disguise.

In order to survive safely in a fantasy world, pretending to be an innocent and kind child is an essential tactic.

Fantasy worlds may be illogical and unreasonable, but they adhere to a principle, or rather, a principle that all fairy tales, legends, and folk tales adhere to.

That is, kind children will always be safe and sound, and even if they encounter setbacks along the way, they will turn danger into safety.

That's why he kept trying to pretend and forced himself to act harmless.

"This may only be part of the story..."

Ino shook his head slightly. There were still too few known conditions, which made it difficult for him to understand the reason for the time being.

"Never mind! I'll find the answer in the library after I enroll."

If I can't figure it out, I'll just stop thinking about it, since there are still many things to do right now.

……

Fifteen minutes later.

Ino walked out of the secondhand general store with an obedient look on her face. She not only bought a secondhand crucible and glass bottle that looked to be of good quality at a discount, but also took the opportunity to find out the location of Ollivander's Wand Shop.

Perhaps because of the anticipation for the magic wand, they walked very quickly.

Before long, they arrived at their destination, the only wand shop in Diagon Alley and even the entire British Isles: Ollivanders Wand Shop.

The passage of time has made the shop's signboard look somewhat mottled, and even some of the gold lettering has fallen off. However, if you look closely, you can still clearly see the content written on it.

Ollivander: Crafting fine wands since 382 BC

Standing outside the door, Ino gazed at the name that had appeared countless times in books and movies, feeling a surge of excitement within her.

"Where the story begins..."

With a sigh in his heart, Ino then pushed open the door and entered.

……

Upon entering the shop, Ino discovered that it was not as spacious as it appeared from the outside; the actual usable area was pitifully small, and cramped, small, and old became synonymous with the place.

Although the space is small, the room's furnishings are full of mystery.

One by one, the wands were displayed on faded purple cushions, while even more wands were stuffed into long boxes and piled on old shelves that were almost touching the ceiling.

Thousands of wands were neatly stacked together, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere, as if this place had been forgotten by time.

Good afternoon! A new face.

Just as Ino was looking around, a soft voice came from the side.

His face was aged, and his long, messy, silver-gray hair reached his shoulders, but his eyes were bright and unforgettable.

"Good afternoon, sir," Ino replied politely, then added, "If it's alright, I'd like to purchase my own wand."

"Of course! Every summer, the little wizards who come here are looking for their wands."

When Ollivander secretly replaced "select" with "find," Ino just smiled and remained silent.

"Child, which arm do you usually use to wave your wand?" Ollivander rolled up his sleeves and then picked up the ruler from the corner.

"Right hand, sir!" Ino proactively extended his arm to make it easier for the other person to take the measurement, even though he still didn't understand the purpose of these steps.

Seeing how cooperative the other party was, Ollivander skillfully pulled out the measuring tape and began to take measurements, while also promoting his wand philosophy.

"...Actually, many people think that wizards choose wands, but on the contrary, it has always been the wands that choose wizards."

This time, Ino didn't remain silent, but instead took the initiative to pick up the conversation, saying:

"I agree with that. It's like the story of Mother Elder. To some people, they are just trees, but to others, they are kind spirits."

"Elder Mother?" Ollivander stopped what he was doing and looked at Ino with a puzzled expression.

"It's a Muggle fairy tale, sir! The story is very vivid and meaningful."

Seeing Ollivander's curious gaze, Ino didn't hold back and began to tell him a story from "Andersen's Fairy Tales".

Two years of reading have given him a wealth of knowledge about various stories and folk customs.

"In that distant ancient time..."

The incident is quite simple: a mischievous little boy broke his leg and refused to drink the bitter elderberry medicine, thus embarking on a fantastical journey.

The little boy first saw the elderberry in the bowl grow into a towering tree, and then a woman with green skin emerged from the tree. In an instant, the boy was carried to the sky by the continuing-growing elderberry, and he was so frightened that he clung tightly to a branch to avoid falling.

After an unknown amount of time, the elderberry stopped growing, and he was moved to a beautiful place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

The branch he had been holding had now transformed into a beautiful young girl, and the boy had fallen in love with her from the bottom of his heart.

I like this girl who exudes the fragrance of elderberry.

The boy boldly expressed his love to the girl, who accepted his request. She then picked an elderberry flower, placed it on the boy's head, and said, "This is your eternal life."

The story was short; Ino finished it in less than fifteen minutes.

Throughout the entire process, Mr. Ollivander remained silent and listened attentively.

However, a dramatic twist occurred at the end of the story.

The two got married with various small animals as witnesses, and lived a peaceful and happy life, even having a clever and adorable child.

One day, when their child injured his leg again and had to be treated with elderberry, the little boy remembered everything and his mother waiting for him at home.

"...When he woke up, he was back in the same place, and he became that injured little boy again. Looking at the still warm elderberry medicine in front of him, this time he did not refuse and drank the bitter medicine in one gulp."

As Ino uttered his last word, this profound story came to an end.

After a brief silence, Ollivander couldn't help but applaud, and commented with some excitement:

"A truly fascinating story! Yes! They are all living things—elderberry, pear wood, apple wood, grapevines…"

A new book release marks a new journey. Thank you to all our readers, both new and old, for your support.

The new book has been signed, so big shots can add it to their collections with confidence.

(End of this chapter)