Hogwarts Raven

About three hours later, under Snape's guidance, Ian had completed most of the necessary purchases.

The items required for a first-year Hogwarts student weren't too many. Apart from the essential textbooks, Ian also needed some equipment for Potions and Herbology classes.

Three sets of plain robes.

A plain pointed hat for daytime wear.

And a pair of Shield Gloves— any gloves made from dragon skin would suffice. The ones Snape bought for Ian were made from Hungarian Horntail dragon skin.

Which was very expensive and excellent in terms of protection.

Since Ian had no gold galleons to his name, he had no say in the choice of gloves. He could only watch as Snape paid for almost all the necessary items.

To be honest, although Ian had given nearly all of his savings to Ms. Helena for his siblings' winter livelihood, he had actually kept a decent amount of British pounds for himself.

He originally intended to exchange his pounds for wizarding currency at Gringotts, but Snape had no intention of taking him there. So, Ian was left with magic-world-incompatible money, watching Snape decide everything on the shopping list for him.

Many of the things Snape purchased didn't exactly match what was listed, and in fact, a lot of the items were more extravagant and expensive than necessary.

However, whenever Ian wanted to ask something, Snape always managed to shut him down with sarcastic remarks, leaving no room for further questions.

There must be a reason for the high prices.

As a first-year new student at Hogwarts, Ian certainly didn't have the grounds to argue with Snape, so he simply watched as Snape chose all the items Ian needed.

Every time Snape pulled out his money pouch to pay, Ian's suspicion of Snape grew. The Snape he knew didn't seem so enthusiastic and responsible.

Just like what many fanfics had mentioned, Snape might be a wizard with excellent personal charm, but as a Hogwarts professor, he clearly didn't measure up.

His constant mocking of students from other Houses aside, his "House discrimination" views were so severe that most people didn't have a very high opinion of him.

However, during this shopping trip to Diagon Alley, while Ian was constantly subjected to Snape's biting sarcasm, he also felt the professor's seriousness and meticulousness when it comes to Ian's studies.

The cauldron had to be the best.

The Shield Gloves and plain robes had to be of the finest material.

Even the first batch of study materials were brand new, with no discounts in sight. This clearly wasn't something covered by Hogwarts' student loans.

One thing was clear: The items Snape bought for Ian, even leaving aside the "brand new" factor, were still of top-notch quality.

Whether it was the brass cauldron worth dozens of galleons or the Hungarian Horntail dragon skin gloves, these were undoubtedly premium items in their respective categories.

Hogwarts might be a historically renowned magical school, but as someone who understood basic economics, Ian definitely didn't believe Hogwarts' student loans could cover such luxury items.

Economics is a field that's easy to understand, no matter the environment. If Hogwarts' student loans were substantial enough to allow an orphaned young wizard to buy these luxury goods, how many concerning economic effects would Hogwarts be generating in the magical world each year?

"Hogwarts is definitely not that wealthy."

Ian's judgment was not without reason.

If Hogwarts' student loans were really that sufficient, then Ron, the best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived, who is often portrayed in fanfics as the victim of a love triangle, definitely wouldn't be so destitute.

Think about it.

It was already his Second Year and he is still using the wand his older brother discarded.

Could this be the scenario in a world where Hogwarts' student loans were really that rich? After all, Ron's younger sister purchased second-hand books and equipment when she became a new student.

As part of a pure-blood family, the Weasleys definitely weren't ineligible for student loans. Given their family's financial situation, the loan could only reasonably cover second-hand goods.

It's like winning the lottery, going on a vacation, and only returning home when you're broke. The family's educational expenses were probably also supported by student loans.

A poor family's young wizard should be able to buy only second-hand textbooks with a student loan. That would be the most reasonable and consistent with basic economic principles.

Yet,

Right at this moment,

Everything Snape had purchased for Ian was luxury goods, making Ian unable to avoid excessive speculation and assumptions.

'What could Snape possibly owe him to spend so much on him?'

'If his parents hadn't passed away, Ian would even feel that the Hungarian Horntail dragon skin gloves were too extravagant!'

"Professor, does Hogwarts really pursue perfection this much?"

Unable to bear his growing curiosity, Ian finally asked the question after Snape bought him a limited-edition telescope.

"Think carefully, as a student, it's far more important to focus on how to absorb more knowledge at Hogwarts, rather than waste time on trivial and meaningless things like this," Snape responded coldly, watching Ian stuff the items into his suitcase before quickly heading to the next stop.

…

The Ollivanders Wand Shop.

This could be said to be more important than any textbook. It was the only wand shop in Diagon Alley, and in fact, in all of Britain, this is a place that every magic world newcomer would inevitably visit.

Time had weathered the shop's sign, making it look worn, with a small, shabby storefront that didn't reveal the fact that this was the legendary shop every young wizard must visit.

Compared to the gold-plated Gringotts and Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, Ollivanders appeared rather inconspicuous. Yet, it was one of the few places Voldemort never even thought about conquering.

A unique and irreplaceable business—just like the great families of ancient China, no matter how much time passed, it could not be influenced.

"This is the last stop."

Snape was swift with the payment, but when he spoke, he was brief.

Ian had actually been looking forward to this moment for a long time. He gazed at the weathered sign of the shop with a look full of anticipation and some indescribable nervousness.

It was no wonder he felt uneasy.

After all, from what little Ian knew of this world, aside from Harry Potter and Hermione, this place was certainly one of the most mysterious.

It's said that the entire Harry Potter story is linked to prophecy, and whether in the original books or in fan fiction, the Ollivanders Wand Shop is always the most eerily prophetic place.

Other prophecies about You-Know-Who's defeat or Dumbledore's death might be seen as trivial.

But Ollivanders, the place where Wands choose Wizards, holds the most chilling prophecies— prophecies that could shape the future of powerful beings like Dumbledore and Voldemort. Even Harry Potter couldn't escape the prophecy tied to his wand selection.

If the owner of Ollivanders didn't have some extraordinary gift beyond ordinary diviners, Ian would be the first to express his disbelief.

The first book of the grand finale hinted at it: 'Who can predict better than you?'

(End of this chapter)