Ron seemed to grasp the hidden meaning, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Hmm?"
George wore a smug, feignedly mysterious smile, glanced around furtively, then rolled up his sleeve right in front of Ron.
There, etched into his skin, was the mark of a silver snake coiled around the Elder Wand.
!!!
That big-eyed George Weasley!
He got the Dark Mark before him!
Damn it, if I weren't still stuck as a pangolin, you wouldn't have beaten me to it...
"You kept this from me for so long!"
Ron's face was a mixture of laughter and tears. He'd thought he'd missed his chance to recruit his two older brothers into the Death Eaters after graduation!
But these two had been secretly plotting something big?!
Holy crap! The Weasleys had gained two more traitors!
"Hey, stop fooling around."
George patted Ron on the shoulder. "The professor's a good guy. We've had him teaching us for five years; we can tell. And unlike other professors, he's super cool! Fred and I both like him, so… I mean, why not?"
Ron nodded in agreement.
"But remember to keep it hidden."
George turned to leave, "If our families find out, the three of us are in big trouble."
Hearing this, Ron smirked, then, as if remembering something, added to George, "The money wasn't given by the professor. I never asked him for any money."
After all, Harry paid his salary.
...
Ollivander's Wand Shop.
Tom arrived alone.
In fact, he wasn't the only person in Diagon Alley, but he hadn't brought anyone else with him.
Harry and Malfoy were buying broom oil at the Quidditch Supplies shop.
Cassandra and Nagini were chatting and drinking at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
So, Ron's offer to cover for him had been unnecessary.
Ding-ling
Tom pushed open the shop door and went inside.
"Oh, another new little wizard, come to be matched!"
A familiar, aged voice came from the warehouse, piled high with long black boxes.
"Ahem, let me see which little wizard it is..."
Ollivander coughed, waving away the dust, and stepped out of the warehouse to see who it was.
"It's you again?"
Why is it always you?
Ollivander forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Professor, which little wizard did you bring to buy a wand this time? Could you please refrain from testing your wands on me?"
"I was not planning on buying a wand."
Okay, okay, you can have one.
"You didn't bring anyone to buy a wand either."
I already said... huh?
Ollivander then noticed that Tom seemed to have come alone. He looked left and right, and it was indeed him.
Wait, does that mean…no way? He's finally going to personally kill me?
"Wait! Wait! Professor, let's talk this over. Tell me how many wands you want. Just treat this place like a wand wholesale store; it's free!"
Ollivander thought about it and realized that his only valuable possessions were these wands. Tom couldn't possibly be here to kill him just because he doesn't like him, could he? If he was going to, it wouldn't have waited until today!
"Didn't you say that every wand needs to choose its own master?"
Ollivander's words piqued Tom's interest.
"..."
How am I supposed to answer that? This is called salesmanship, you know?! Anyone in business knows this! If I said it's just an ordinary wand, who would buy it? Why is Ollivander's Wand Shop so dominant in the wizarding world? Because I make them believe they've received their own "destined wand"!
But of course, he couldn't say those things.
Ollivander pondered for a moment, then, not daring to lie to Tom, he said tactfully, "Compatibility is indeed necessary, but exceptional wizards will elevate even a common wand."
"Whatever."
Tom didn't want to continue the conversation. "I didn't come to find a wand; I came to find you."
"Find me?"
Ollivander couldn't think of anything he could do to help Tom.
Help him make a wand? But wands made from all sorts of materials were available here; he could just grab a ready-made one.
"I need you to make me a wand."
Really, make a wand?
Ollivander didn't say much. Making a wand for Tom was nothing; it wouldn't take much time.
Tom didn't say much either, but instead took out a long, black wooden box.
Ollivander's interest was piqued by the wooden box. Something personally brought out by Tom Riddle couldn't be simple, could it?
"Take a look."
Tom opened the box, revealing a faint yet dazzling golden light.
It was a golden feather, about thirty centimeters long!
A faint, shimmering white electric light flickered on it, subtle yet radiating considerable power!
"A Thunderbird feather?! No! A Thunderbird feather couldn't possibly possess such powerful magic!"
Ollivander stared wide-eyed at the feather as if he had seen a priceless treasure. "What kind of magical creature's feather is this?! It's...it's incredible!"
"I've never seen anything good in my life," Ollivander thought, seeing this level of wand material for the first time.
Leaving aside the unique and extremely unusual magical properties of the Thunderbird itself...
There were very few magical creatures of "legendary wizard" caliber recorded throughout history.
Moreover, they were almost impossible for wizards to hunt. They were usually the rulers of their species, commanding powerful magical creatures. Even legendary wizards who attempted to harm them would most likely return empty-handed.
"Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale..."
Ollivander, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, reached out a trembling hand to touch the feather.
Before he could even reach out, Tom slammed the box shut.
This startled Ollivander, who, still unable to hide his joy and excitement, was no longer so afraid of Tom.
But Tom's serious gaze made him pause.
"Are you certain that you are the best wand maker in the entire wizarding world?"
"..."
Tom's words made Ollivander serious. He naturally understood what Tom meant; the rarity of materials used in wands of this caliber was unimaginable. Ollivander could even guarantee that the entire magical world would struggle to find a second one!
"Yes, sir, I can confirm it."
"..."
Seeing Ollivander confidently refusing to avert his gaze, Tom finally smiled. "Alright, it's yours then. You decide the material for the wand."
The feathers weren't that rare, at least not to Tom.
He could easily pluck them from a Garuda Thunderbird.
He had only done that earlier to prevent Ollivander from being perfunctory, though it was highly unlikely he would be.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Professor!"
Ollivander carefully put away the wooden box with trembling hands. "However, Professor, I need to study the magical properties of this wand material first, and then choose a suitable material for the wand wood based on that… This may take some time."
"Time is not a problem."
Tom said as he walked towards the door, "Give me your best results."
Ding-ling~
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