"Qin, you're incredible! You cut that price in half!" Hagrid was absolutely delighted with his new three-headed dog, and his admiration for Qin Yu was written all over his face.
"Honestly, you could've gotten a good deal too—just don't look so desperate next time," Qin Yu replied with a grin.
"Not as good as you, though! Did you see the look on that bloke's face? He was practically in tears… Do you think he lost a lot of money on this?" Hagrid asked, sounding a little guilty at the end.
"You're actually feeling sorry for that swindler?" Qin Yu couldn't help but laugh at the big man's innocence. He sighed and continued, "Trust me, he still made at least a hundred Galleons off us. That's a guarantee."
"What?!" Hagrid looked skeptical.
"Be honest—what would you have paid for this three-headed dog?" Qin Yu pressed.
"Somewhere between a hundred and fifty to two hundred Galleons, I suppose. But you hardly ever see creatures like this… It's been ages since I last came across one," Hagrid admitted.
"Exactly. We gave him two hundred forty-five, so he's made plenty. There's a saying back home: 'From the southern capital to the northern capital, buyers are never as shrewd as sellers.' Take that to heart," Qin Yu said, passing on a little Eastern wisdom.
"Oh, I get it now!" Hagrid nodded, looking genuinely enlightened.
Qin Yu was just thinking, "He's finally learned something," when Hagrid's next words nearly made him choke.
"From now on, whenever I go shopping, I'm bringing you along! I'll save a fortune!" Hagrid declared, beaming.
Looking into those honest, twinkling eyes, Qin Yu suddenly realized that maybe this was what people meant by "great wisdom in seeming foolishness."
…
Qin Yu had lent Hagrid two hundred thirty-five Galleons, allowing him to pay it back in twelve installments. The reason was simple—Hagrid really didn't have the money, and would have to scrape it together bit by bit.
Thus, Qin Yu became Hagrid's biggest creditor—which, in turn, gave him a certain confidence when dealing with the gentle giant.
But Hagrid didn't act like a debtor at all. He happily left Qin Yu to pick out his wand alone, while he dashed off to arrange transport for his new pet—now christened Fluffy.
After they parted ways, Qin Yu strolled toward Ollivander's, continuing his "half-day Diagon Alley tour."
On the way, he passed a shop window where a group of young boys were pressed up against the glass, eyes shining as they gazed at the latest broomsticks.
Those must be the new Nimbus 2000s, Qin Yu thought—the very model Harry would ride in the future.
Broomsticks in the wizarding world came in all tiers: the Cleansweep series were like bicycles, the Nimbus 2000 was more like a sleek sedan, and the Firebolt… well, that was a supercar.
Rumor had it the Firebolt cost upwards of a thousand Galleons, maybe even more. Qin Yu certainly couldn't afford one, and he didn't have a rich godfather like Sirius to buy it for him.
Besides, first-years weren't allowed to bring broomsticks to school, so he had no reason to agonize over which one to buy.
He wandered on, window-shopping his way through Diagon Alley and picking up all the essentials from his supply list: robes, cloaks, a cauldron, a set of scales…
He had to admit, he was tempted by nearly everything he saw—even the jars of bat spleens and eel eyes, as revolting as they looked. But after lending so much to Hagrid, he was running dangerously low on funds.
Still, he did manage to buy a hair clip with a cute kitten design, planning to give it to Hermione.
"Little lad, let Granny tell you—a hair clip like this is all the rage these days. Not only is it lovely, it glows at night. All the young girls love it," the old lady at the general store said with a warm smile.
Qin Yu pictured Hermione wearing the glowing hair clip at night and couldn't help but smile.
"I hope she likes it," he said, paying ten Sickles and tucking the gift away safely.
—It wasn't until he'd walked quite a distance that he realized he'd completely forgotten to haggle.
…
"Ollivander's—established over a thousand years. Finally found it!"
Even though he'd seen it in the movies, Qin Yu still thought the nearly 2,400-year-old wand shop looked astonishingly shabby.
Maybe this was just how the magical world did things—"the best wine needs no bush," as the saying went. Qin Yu mused as he pushed open the ancient door, feeling the weight of centuries in the wood.
"Oh, young sir, hello! Here to buy your wand?" The thin, wild-haired Ollivander greeted him with a twinkle in his eye.
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander, I'd like to choose my first wand," Qin Yu replied.
"Your first? So you're a first-year, then. But it's already September first—you're cutting it a bit close!" Ollivander teased.
"Er, my guide was a little late picking me up…" Qin Yu answered sheepishly.
"No matter, no matter. We'll find you something wonderful—your very first wand!" Ollivander smiled, then began measuring Qin Yu and searching for the right match.
"Rosewood with dragon heartstring—give this a try!" Ollivander handed him a wand from a polished wooden box.
Qin Yu took it, recalling scenes from the films, and raised his arm to give it a wave.
But before he could finish, Ollivander snatched the wand from his hand in a panic.
"No, no, this one won't do. Dragon heartstring would only make you more dangerous—and my shop can't take that kind of risk…" Ollivander muttered, putting the wand away.
He rummaged through more boxes, murmuring to himself: "Beech—no… troll whisker—too silly… thunderbird tail feather—just as risky as dragon heartstring… holly and phoenix feather—definitely not right… ah, silver lime and unicorn hair! Yes, this is it!"
At last, Ollivander pulled a slim silver-grey wand from a box, his eyes bright.
"Try this one, my boy!" he said, handing it over.
Qin Yu took it cautiously and gave it another wave. This time, Ollivander didn't intervene.
As the wand swept through the air, the room filled with a gentle, glowing light.
"Silver lime is resilient, unicorn hair steady and gentle. Together, they'll help you master your power! A wand is a wizard's partner—strength and gentleness, perfectly balanced, create true magic!" Ollivander said, his voice full of warmth.
Catching the old wandmaker's knowing smile, Qin Yu guessed that he must have sensed something. His own Obscurus Power was potent and prone to losing control—no wonder Ollivander had stopped him from using the dragon heartstring wand.
But this silver lime and unicorn hair combination was gentle, allowing Qin Yu to channel his magic safely.
The best wand is always the one that suits you.
Qin Yu couldn't help but admire Ollivander's expertise—his eye for detail was truly remarkable.
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander!" Qin Yu said sincerely.
"Haha, no need to thank me. Helping every young witch or wizard find their perfect wand—that's my life's work!" Ollivander chuckled.
Holding his very first wand—the first in both his lives—Qin Yu felt a surge of excitement. From now on, you'll be my companion in this magical world, he thought.
As if in response, the wand trembled gently, its tip glowing softly once more.
…
After making his choice, Qin Yu paid seven Galleons and tucked his wand away with satisfaction.
Peeking into his nearly empty pouch—just a few Galleons and a handful of Sickles left—he finally understood the true meaning of "scraping the bottom of the barrel."
A thousand Galleons sounded like a fortune, but it vanished all too quickly. Qin Yu sighed inwardly.
"Goodbye, Mr. Ollivander!" he said politely, already pondering ways to save and earn more money.
"Goodbye, young man! Come back anytime!" Ollivander called after him, then added as if struck by a sudden thought, "Oh, and if your wand ever gives you trouble, I offer one free core replacement!"
Qin Yu was halfway out the door when he heard this, and stopped in his tracks, eyes lighting up.
"Mr. Ollivander, do you buy wand core materials? Like unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, things like that?" he asked hopefully—he'd just heard those ingredients mentioned.
Ollivander blinked, then nodded. "Of course! They're essential for wandmaking—I'm always in need of good materials."
Hearing that, Qin Yu broke into a wide, satisfied grin.
Images of Hagrid's menagerie and Dumbledore's phoenix flashed through his mind. Opportunity was everywhere in the magical world!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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