Chapter 24. Diagon Alley
Edward nodded indifferently, let Kreacher accept the gift, exchanged a few polite words, and then used "practicing magic" as an excuse to send the mother and daughter away.
No sooner had they left than the knocking on the door sounded again. This time it was Goyle's father, Graham Goyle, who came carrying two large boxes of rare potion ingredients, saying with a face full of smiles: "Master Edward, I was muddled before and said things I shouldn't have. These potion ingredients are what I specially collected; they are all necessities for brewing advanced Potions, and I hope they can make up for my fault. If you have any needs in the future, just command our House Goyle!"
Edward patiently dealt with them, the smile on his face becoming increasingly stiff.
In the following days, the threshold of 12 Grimmauld Place was almost worn down. Crabbe's mother brought her son to apologize, presenting the latest broomstick model; those pure-blood families who remained silent at the banquet also sent people to deliver generous gifts; even the usually arrogant Selwyn family specially sent someone to deliver a humble letter of apology.
The letter repeatedly apologized for Bolo's rude words and actions, saying he was young and frivolous, and arrogant, and begged Edward not to take this matter to heart. In the future, the Selwyn family would certainly restrain their juniors and would never allow similar offensive behavior to occur again. As for the Petrificus Totalus on Bolo, naturally, the elders in the family would take action to undo it; there was no need to trouble Edward.
After reading the letter, Edward just threw it casually into a corner of the desk, not a ripple of emotion rising in his eyes.
He had thoroughly witnessed the sycophancy of these pure-blood families.
Every day there were guests visiting, every day he had to repeat hypocritical small talk and polite smiles, which made Edward, who only wanted to focus on practicing magic, feel extremely annoyed. He even began to miss the days when no one bothered him, and he could immerse himself in fire and spell practice all day long.
Whenever he sent off a batch of guests, Edward would immediately return to the courtyard, pushing the flames in his palm to the limit, letting the orange-red flames wrap around his fingertips, practicing the coordination of fire and spells over and over again. His progress was rapid. A wandless Lumos could keep the light sphere shining for a full two hours; the fire line of Alohomora could precisely pry open the most precise secret locks in the library without leaving a single burn mark on the lock core; he could even use fire as a medium to condense an indestructible barrier for Impedimenta, which usually required a wand to guide.
Fire was no longer his accessory, but a force that had merged with him.
Such days lasted for nearly half a month, until the day Hogwarts started grew closer, and the visitors gradually became fewer. On the day the last guest left, Edward stood in the courtyard, looking at the empty alley, and let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, it was quiet.
He could finally practice magic without distractions.
In the next few days, Edward devoted all his time to practice. The Gubraithian fire in the courtyard shone in mutual reflection with the flames in his palm, the orange-red light illuminating every morning and dusk. His control over the flames became stronger and stronger, even allowing the flames to turn into tiny threads, precisely bypassing obstacles to light candles in the distance.
Just as Edward was immersed in magic practice, almost forgetting the time, Kreacher finally couldn't help himself.
This morning, Kreacher held a long shopping list and ran hurriedly into the courtyard, interrupting Edward's practice: "Master Edward! Master Edward! You can't keep practicing! There are only two days left until Hogwarts starts! We haven't gone to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies yet! If we don't go now, it will be too late!"
Edward finally came back to his senses, looked at the list in Kreacher's hand, and nodded. He really needed to make a trip to Diagon Alley, especially for a wand that suited him - although Regulus's old wand could be used, it was ultimately not the choice that fit him best. Moreover, this was his first time going to Diagon Alley.
The next morning, the sun was bright. Edward and Kreacher took a carriage to the Leaky Cauldron. Kreacher led him through the bar's backyard, familiar with the way, and knocked five times on the mottled brick wall. With a "clatter" sound, the brick wall slowly parted, and a winding cobblestone street appeared before their eyes.
"Master Edward, this is Diagon Alley!" Kreacher pointed excitedly at the shops on both sides of the street, his voice full of excitement, "It is the busiest shopping street for us Wizards! All the magical supplies you need can be bought here! We don't need to go to Gringotts; the House of Black's vault is very full, and the gold coins in Kreacher's hands are enough to buy everything!"
Edward curiously looked at everything around him, a hint of novelty flashing in his eyes. This was his first time truly stepping into the wizarding world, and looking at those dazzling magic items, it felt both strange and novel.
Kreacher was like a dedicated guide, holding Edward's hand and introducing the shops on both sides of the street one by one: "Master Edward, look! That one is Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where all Hogwarts students have their school uniforms tailored! Next to it is Flourish and Blotts, which has all the textbooks needed for magical courses! And that Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Hogwarts students must buy an owl to deliver letters!"
Edward followed Kreacher and first walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. The mirrors in the shop were hung with all kinds of wizard robes. Madam Malkin was a chubby witch with a warm smile on her face. Seeing Edward, she immediately recognized the House of Black temperament on him and eagerly came up to greet him: "Oh! Handsome little Wizard! Are you here to have Hogwarts school uniforms tailored? I will measure you right now! I guarantee it will fit perfectly!"
Madam Malkin took a measuring tape and measured Edward's size, while still muttering: "Slytherin's silver and green will suit you best! One look and I can tell you are a noble pure-blood wizard!"
Edward responded indifferently, his gaze falling on the hanging wizard robes. Soon, the measuring was finished, and Madam Malkin promised that the school uniforms would be ready in two days. Edward paid the deposit and left the robe shop with Kreacher.
Next, they went to Flourish and Blotts and bought all the textbooks needed for the first year at Hogwarts; they went to Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Kreacher insisted on buying Edward the most beautiful snowy owl, but Edward refused - he didn't need an owl for the time being; they also went to the cauldron shop and bought a sturdy and durable brass cauldron, as well as a set of exquisite scales.
Along the way, Kreacher was chattering away, introducing everything from the history of the shops to the pros and cons of the goods, speaking quite eloquently. Edward listened patiently, nodding occasionally in response, his eyes full of curiosity about this wizarding world.
Finally, they came to a small shop at the deepest part of Diagon Alley - Ollivander's Wand Shop.
The shop's frontage was very small, the display window covered in dust, and a faded sign read "Ollivander, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC." Pushing open the door, a scent of mixed wood shavings and sandalwood rushed to meet them. The shop was dimly lit, with thousands of wands neatly arranged on the shelves on the walls, extending all the way to the ceiling, looking like an endless forest of wands.