Leaving Ollivanders was like stepping out of a silent, dusty dream into a full-blown wizarding rave. Mum was already steering us, with a practiced grace that could only come from years of pure-blood social maneuvering, towards the next essential stop: Flourish & Blotts. My new wand, the blackthorn and Thestral hair beauty, felt surprisingly light in my hand, humming faintly with a power that was all my own. Or, well, ours, since it clearly recognized my unique... perspective.
The bookstore was, as expected, a multi-story monument to organized chaos. Towers of textbooks threatened to topple, enchanted quills scribbled furiously on floating parchment, and the scent of old paper and new spells hung heavy in the air. For an ordinary wizard, it might have been overwhelming. For me, with Great Sage humming in the background, it was a delight. It subtly highlighted sections, cross-referenced authors, and practically created an optimized browsing path for maximum lore acquisition.
"Alright, twins, get your standard texts first,"
Mum instructed, her voice cutting through the gentle roar of scholarly activity.
"Then you may choose a recreational read. Within reason, of course."
Daphne immediately made a beeline for the Charms section, probably already planning advanced levitation spells. I, on the other hand, gravitated towards a quieter corner, where the 'History of Magic' and 'Ancient Runes' sections were nestled. Boring for most, but with Great Sage, every word promised new data points.
I grabbed the required textbooks, giving them a quick mental scan. My mind practically inhaled the information. It wasn't like reading; it was like downloading. The basic concepts, the spell structures, the historical context – all of it clicked into place with startling clarity. It felt almost like cheating.
" Lucian, you haven't even opened that book yet," Daphne's voice drifted over, accompanied by the rustle of parchment. She was already halfway through Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. Her brows were furrowed in concentration.
"I'm merely... pre-reading, my dear sister," I replied, giving a dismissive wave.
"Efficiency, you know."
As I plucked a book on advanced arithmancy that probably wasn't on the first-year list but looked intriguing, I noticed a small cluster of people near the 'Beginner Charms' section. A witch and wizard, looking a tad bewildered, stood beside a girl with a thick mass of bushy brown hair, already buried nose-deep in Hogwarts: A History.
Hermione Granger. My internal System database flagged her instantly, thanks to my past life memories. The future brightest witch of her age. And boy, was she already living up to the hype.
Her parents, both looking perfectly normal and dressed in clothes that screamed 'Muggle,' exchanged glances, clearly impressed but also a bit lost in the sheer volume of magical knowledge surrounding their daughter.
Great Sage gave me a quick assessment:
'Subject: Hermione Granger.
Status: Highly Intelligent, Muggle-born.
Primary trait: Unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Current emotional state: Deeply focused, minor frustration with perceived inefficient information transfer (reading speed).
Potential for academic excellence: Extremely High.
Warning: May attempt to correct minor factual inaccuracies in casual conversation.'
Yeah, she was definitely Hermione.
I sidled closer, pretending to be utterly fascinated by a particularly dull volume on Gringotts' banking regulations.
"Interesting choices, you've got there," I commented, my voice casual.
Hermione startled, looking up with wide, bright eyes.
"Oh! Yes! It's all so fascinating, isn't it? I've already read Magical Drafts and Potions and One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi on the train. This is just to get a broader understanding of the history."
She clutched Hogwarts: A History like it was a priceless artifact.
"Did you know that Hogwarts was founded in the tenth century by four great wizards?"
Daphne, having finally finished her own book, drifted over, a polite smile on her face. Her eyes, however, held a distinct coolness as they swept over Hermione's Muggle-dressed parents, then settled briefly on Hermione's eager face.
"Indeed. A common fact for most wizarding children, dear. It's rather... charming... that you've absorbed so much already, given your... background." Her tone was pure Greengrass politeness, but the undertone of pure-blood superiority was unmistakable. I knew that tone. She wasn't genuinely impressed; she was subtly marking territory.
"Oh! Well, I just try to be prepared," Hermione said, her cheeks flushing slightly, but a proud glint in her eye. "It's all so new, you see. My parents aren't magical."
Her parents gave an awkward, friendly wave.
"Welcome to our world," I said, giving a small, amiable nod. My Instant Object Manifestation skill suddenly gave a little flicker. Hermione had a small, rather frayed bookmark sticking out of her book, clearly struggling with the sheer page count.
Aha!
I subtly focused. A perfectly neat, emerald green ribbon, the kind used for formal pure-blood invitations. It would be a bit fancy, but useful.
POP!
A tiny, almost imperceptible sound, and the ribbon appeared, neatly tucked into the exact page Hermione had just finished reading. Her eyes widened, and she blinked, looking at the ribbon, then at the empty air, then at me.
"Oh! How... how did that get there?" she mumbled, utterly perplexed. "It wasn't a spell, was it?"
I just gave her a small, innocent smile. "Magic's full of little surprises, isn't it?"
Daphne, having caught the subtle flash of green, shot me one of her "I saw that, you menace" looks. Great Sage instantly ran a quick cross-reference:
'Daphne's interpretation: Early stage Accio proficiency.
Reason: Observed previous instances of user subtly 'summoning' nearby items without apparent wand movement. User's ability to 'figure things out' reinforced this misconception.'
Right. Accio. The Summoning Charm. It made sense. Daphne wouldn't question how I did it beyond assuming it was incredibly advanced, silent magic. And who was I to correct her? She merely offered Hermione another polite, if still slightly cool, smile.
"Well, we must be off," Mum interjected smoothly, sensing the awkwardness. "A pleasure to meet you all. Perhaps we'll see you on the Express"
Hermione, still looking at the ribbon, gave a distracted nod. As we moved away, I heard her whisper to her parents, "Did you see that? It just appeared! It wasn't a spell, was it?"
Chuckling internally, I steered us out of Flourish & Blotts. Next, the Magical Menagerie.
The Menagerie was loud, smelly, and full of fur and feathers. Owls hooted, cats purred, and a cage full of purple toads croaked rhythmically. My Great Sage hummed with animal auras and magical creature classifications.
"You two need a familiar," Mum stated, holding Astoria's hand firmly as the toddler tried to lunge for a rather plump pygmy owl.
I scanned the options, a wistful thought crossing my mind. Oh, how I still longed for a Pikachu or a Charizard! The Ministry's rules on "unregistered magical beasts" were such a buzzkill. And the thought of explaining a Pokémon battle to Professor McGonagall was honestly beyond even my current level of System optimization.
Just then, my gaze landed on a familiar flash of red hair near a cage full of enormous, fluffy rats. A boy, tall and gangly, with freckles and a rather loud voice, was peering into a cage with wide, eager eyes. Ron Weasley. And beside him, almost certainly his parents, looking kind but perpetually overwhelmed by the sheer number of their offspring.
My sage gave me a quick assessment:
'Subject: Ronald Weasley.
Status: Protagonist's Best Friend.
Primary trait: Loyalty (High), Common Sense (Variable), Appetite (Extreme).
Emotional State: Excited (New Pet Prospect).
Compatibility with Subject: Harry Potter: Extremely High.
Warning: May exhibit occasional bouts of jealousy or short-sightedness. Recommend cautious engagement.'
Great Sage was really hitting its stride today.
Ron spotted me. "Hey! You're the one from Ollivanders, right? You took ages to find a wand!" he blurted out, his voice loud enough to make a kneazle jump.
Daphne gave a faint, elegant sigh.
"Indeed," I replied, nodding. "Some of us prefer a more... discerning selection process."
"Yeah, well, I just waved it and it worked," Ron said, looking proud. "Mine's twelve inches, ash and unicorn hair. My brother, Charlie, has one too. He works with dragons!"
"How... peculiar," Daphne murmured, though she was looking at a rather fluffy, if slightly cross-eyed, ginger cat in a nearby cage.
"Are you getting a pet?" Ron asked, his eyes lighting up. "I'm hoping for a toad, but Mum says they're useless."
"We're still deciding," I said. "Though the Ministry's rules on 'unregistered creatures' can be quite prohibitive, you know. Can't just import anything that breathes fire." I gave him a subtle, knowing look. He just blinked. Right, probably only understood dragon fire, not meta-references.
Just then, his mother, a plump, kindly-looking witch, called over. "Ronnie! Come on, dear, let's look at the owls!"
"See ya at Hogwarts, I guess!" Ron called, as he was pulled away, still craning his neck back at me.
"An interesting boy," Daphne commented, a slight amusement in her voice. "Remarkably... loud."
"He certainly is," I agreed. This was going to be an experience