Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Apparition, You Didn’t React at All?
Charlie had nothing to pack.
He simply followed Snape out of the orphanage.
Snape led Harry to a secluded spot, carefully scanning the surroundings.
After confirming no one was around
"Apparition!"
Snape cast the spell.
At that moment
The space around them began to distort.
Charlie narrowed his eyes.
Apparition… this is a great skill.
[You witnessed someone using Apparition, comprehended the technique, and gained resistance to its effects.]
A flood of information surged into Charlie's mind.
But before he could fully process it
His surroundings suddenly shifted.
By the time everything stabilized,
Charlie and Snape were standing outside a rundown pub.
"We're here. Rest for a moment, Charlie,"
Snape said, turning to support Charlie.
After all, this was Charlie's first time experiencing Apparition
He should be feeling extremely unwell.
At best, dizziness and nausea.
At worst, he could pass out on the spot.
Snape had seen it happen plenty of times before.
But now, he froze in shock.
Charlie showed no signs of discomfort
In fact, he was full of energy.
There was even a hint of excitement on his face
As if he had just enjoyed a thrilling roller coaster ride.
"Something wrong, Uncle Snape?"
Charlie asked.
"Oh… nothing," Snape replied.
"I mean… Charlie, are you feeling unwell at all? Even a little?"
Charlie stretched his limbs
Not a single trace of discomfort.
"Nope," he answered confidently.
Snape was stunned.
Is this Charlie's talent?
Back when he practiced Apparition, he had thrown up more times than he could count.
Even now, he still felt a slight discomfort every time he used it.
It was just better than when he was young and inexperienced.
But if Snape knew that Charlie had already grasped the fundamentals of Apparition from just witnessing it once…
He wouldn't know what to think.
Apparition wasn't some simple spell
It was highly complex, extremely difficult to control,
And only powerful wizards could truly master it.
A single mistake could result in being torn apart mid-transport.
"Uncle Snape?"
Charlie snapped his fingers in front of Snape's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, Charlie, sorry… I was just too surprised."
"Where are we going?"
Charlie asked.
Of course, he already knew
The rundown pub before them was none other than The Leaky Cauldron,
Which held the secret entrance to Diagon Alley.
"Come with me inside,"
Snape adjusted his robes and composed himself,
Then led Harry into the pub.
As soon as they stepped in,
Charlie frowned slightly.
It was far too noisy.
Snape's Reputation Was Not Small
The moment they stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, all eyes turned toward them.
Of course, that included Charlie as well.
The people inside paused their actions, casting meaningful glances at Snape and Charlie.
Snape, however, paid them no attention.
Maintaining his usual cold and aloof demeanor,
He led Chsrlie through the pub and into a small courtyard.
Then, he tapped a few times on a brick above a trash bin.
A passageway appeared before them.
"Follow me in."
With that, Snape stepped forward, and Charlie followed suit.
Meanwhile, inside the Leaky Cauldron
The onlookers erupted in whispers.
"That was Severus Snape! I can't believe he's here. He's a rare sight in this place."
"Yeah! And who's that kid with him? Could he be here for school shopping?"
"I've never heard of Snape personally escorting anyone to get their school supplies before."
For a moment, speculation about Charlie's identity spread among them.
Back to Charlie
He and Snape had already entered Diagon Alley.
To be honest, Charlie's heart wasn't entirely calm.
"Charlie, I'm heading to Gringotts to retrieve your payment. You can wander around for a bit, but don't cause any trouble."
Snape instructed him.
He didn't want to reveal too much information about Charlie.
By going alone, he could ensure that no one would associate the payment with Charlie.
At most, people might assume Charlie was one of Snape's prized students.
"Got it."
Charlie waved him off with a grin.
"Ollivanders Wand Shop."
"Magical Menagerie."
"Flourish and Blotts."
"…"
All essential stops in the wizarding world.
Without overthinking,
Charlie walked straight into Ollivanders.
A wizard's first priority was, of course, to get a wand.
As for the payment, Snape would cover it later.
Should be enough, right?
"Oh, welcome!"
The moment Charlie stepped inside, a thin, elderly man greeted him.
Upon seeing that Charlie was alone,
Mr. Ollivander let out a small hmm, seeming a little surprised.
"It's not quite the start of term, young wizards rarely come in at this time to choose their wands."
"Come, future star of the wizarding world. Tell me what you're looking for."
"Hmm, I was wondering… do you have any broken or defective wands?"
Charlie asked directly.
Ollivander's expression flickered with confusion.
He had never heard such a request before.
Broken or defective wands?
What wizard would ever need those?
"Oh, young wizard, if you're struggling financially, I can make an exception and gift you a basic wand."
"But please, don't use defective ones, they could be dangerous to you."
Ollivander said.
In his mind, he had already labeled Charlie as a poor child from a struggling family.
Of course, Charlie wasn't trying to be cheap.
He had his own plans.
He intended to get a batch of wands.
Yes, a batch.
He wanted to study and experiment with wand-making and modifications.
After all, he had already grasped the theoretical knowledge,
But lacked the materials to put it into practice.
Now that he was at Ollivanders, he wasn't about to miss the opportunity.