"Do you believe that?" Albert asked in return.
"I don't. I believe that a wand made of rowan wood is attracted to certain types of wizards, ones who have already developed the ability to overcome danger when they encounter it."
"So, it isn't the rowan wood that brings luck, but rather, its owner who earns it the reputation of being lucky?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"You could say that," Ollivander nodded. "That will be 10 Galleons in total. Thank you for your patronage."
***
**Chapter 6: First Attempt at Magic**
That night, Albert showed his family his new Hogwarts uniform: a plain, black set of work robes and a pointed black hat—nothing particularly special.
If anything, he thought it looked rather silly, especially that confounded pointed hat. Wearing it out for a stroll would certainly turn heads; at least, that was what Albert thought.
Nia, however, was delighted with her gift. She swirled around the living room draped in a cloak that was far too big for her, wearing the pointed black hat and striking poses while Herb used his camera to take a photo of them both.
Daisy sat on the sofa, quietly flipping through Albert’s *A History of Magic*. She wanted to understand more about the place her son was about to go.
"Look, Mom, it's a living Chocolate Frog!" Nia opened the box, and seeing the frog leap away, she couldn't help but giggle.
Herb, who had gained some experience already, quickly reached out to catch the frog as it landed on the table and handed it back to Nia.
Then, Herb opened another box, which also contained a Chocolate Frog. He swiftly grabbed it and handed it to Daisy, who was busy scrutinizing the book.
"Can you really eat this thing?" Daisy arched an eyebrow, eyeing the lifelike frog with suspicion, clearly doubting its safety.
"Mom, Chocolate Frogs are edible, and they taste pretty good!" Nia had already bitten off the frog's head and was eating happily, melted chocolate smeared across her face.
"Alright, clean your face; you look like a little kitten!" Albert handed his handkerchief to Nia, then turned to look at Tom, who was staring down the owl. He picked the cat up, placed it by the sofa, and scratched its chin, whispering, "Tom, don't bully her."
Albert took some owl nuts from the package, poured a few into the dish inside the cage, and muttered, "What should I call you?"
"Jerry."
Albert thought for a moment and decided on that name for the snowy owl.
Tom and Jerry.
Even though that cat-and-mouse cartoon didn't exist in this world, Albert thought the name had a nice, humorous ring to it.
The snowy owl seemed to sense its master's mischief, but it didn't react to "Jerry."
"Albert, that's such an ugly name!" Nia picked up the owl and rubbed her face against it. "It should be called Shera. That’s a nice name."
*Why not call it Celebi?* Albert thought with a mischievous grin.
"Albert, the person in the picture just disappeared!" Herb exclaimed in surprise, noticing that the figure on the Chocolate Frog card had vanished.
"Picture?" Albert looked at his father, who was holding the card.
"Perhaps wizards' photographs move by nature? If the Chocolate Frogs can move, why shouldn't the figures in the pictures be able to?"
"True!" Herb accepted this explanation. He flipped the card over and read the text on the back: "Albus Dumbledore... Current Headmaster of Hogwarts, widely recognized as the greatest wizard of the modern age."
"Oh, that's the old man who sent Albert the letter," Daisy took the card from her husband, wanting to see who exactly had sent the invitation to her son.
Unfortunately, the portrait on the card was empty.
Daisy flipped it back over and continued reading the rest: "Dumbledore's most famous achievements include: the defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon blood, and his collaborative work in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling."
"Dragon blood?" Daisy's eyes widened, and she said in disbelief, "Dragons exist in this world? And Nicolas Flamel, I remember him being..."
"A famous alchemist from the 14th century," Albert added. "He created the legendary Sorcerer's Stone, which is said to turn metal into gold and grant immortality. If he's still alive, it means the Sorcerer's Stone has kept him immortal."
"Alright Daisy, cheer up," Herb reached over, wrapped his arm around his wife, and comforted her softly. "Things aren't as bad as you imagine, especially since we don't know much about the wizarding world yet. It’s best not to judge too quickly. Besides, you should trust our son; he's a genius. No matter where he goes, he’ll find a way to let his talents shine."
"By the way, Albert, can you perform magic?" Nia lunged at Albert, grabbed his hand, and began to shake it playfully, looking at him with wide, expectant eyes. "I want to see you do some magic."
"Well... let me look into it first. I don't know how to use it yet," Albert said, ruffling Nia's hair.
"Mean!" Nia covered her head and ran back to Daisy to share some pumpkin pasties.
Albert began leafing through Miranda Goshawk’s *The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)*, then took his wand from its box, ready to attempt his first spell.
"Don't—Albert, don't try it in here!" Herb’s face twitched as he recalled the incident at the wand shop.
"You should have a little more faith in your son!" Albert raised his wand, gave it a flick, and whispered, "Lumos."
The tip of the wand flashed brightly, then went out.
"Just then, the tip of that stick flashed, right?" Daisy asked, unsure.
"Yes, it flashed! My son, a true prodigy!" Herb, seeing Albert perform magic so instantly, wore an unconcealable look of pride.
"Albert, what was that?" Nia asked excitedly.
"Uh, it's the Wand-Lighting Charm. It's supposed to be one of the easier ones to master. Let me try again." Albert secretly checked his panel and sure enough, found the Wand-Lighting Charm in his skill list.
The spell was still at level 0, but he had already gained 7 experience points.
Only by reaching level 1 could it be considered truly mastered. It would take 100 XP to go from level 0 to 1, but Albert didn't intend to use his precious stored experience for this—even 100 XP was quite valuable.
"Let me try again." Albert cleared his throat and repeated the incantation. This time, the tip of the wand emitted a pale light again.
Albert tried five times before he managed to master the spell. As long as he focused his attention, the light on his wand wouldn't easily vanish.
Seeing this, the other three couldn't help but applaud. Though it was only a simple Wand-Lighting Charm, in the eyes of the Anderson family, it was quite remarkable.
"Albert, Albert, let me try, I want to try too!" Nia lunged at her brother, excited.
"No," Albert quickly put away his wand. "At the very least, you can't play with it here. Do you know? The last time I tried using a wand, I nearly blew up the counter at the shop."
"Stingy."
"It's not about being stingy. A wand itself is very dangerous, and I don't know much about it yet. What if something goes wrong?" Albert immediately put on a stern face and pulled out his trump card: "If Nia keeps being this stubborn, I won't teach you how to use magic later."
"Albert is right," Herb said quickly. "You should wait until he's familiar with magic before he teaches you."
"Fine!" Nia pouted in dissatisfaction, but she conceded. She looked a little disappointed, however, as she envied Albert's ability to use magic.
"Your grandfather intends to come over in the next couple of days. However, I think we’d better go visit them instead so we don't have to make them travel," Herb said. He set aside some wizarding sweets and gifts; he knew his father might not eat them, but he would certainly be happy to see them.
***
**Chapter 7: A Night of Magic**
Late at night, at 19 Tibble Avenue, the light in the second-floor window was still on.
Albert was speed-reading through the books. He had even used some points to upgrade his "Fast Learner" skill to level 2. His memory had improved significantly—a normal person simply wouldn't have this ability; at least, not in terms of raw memory.
Just a moment ago, Albert noticed he had gained a new, unfamiliar skill: "Wizard Bloodline," at level 0.
Ordinary experience points couldn't upgrade this skill; it could only be leveled up using skill points.
This was the first time he had seen something like this, and after a moment of hesitation, Albert upgraded "Wizard Bloodline" to level 1.
After upgrading, Albert found that his efficiency in learning magic had increased, or rather, his magical power had grown. His mastery of the Wand-Lighting Charm improved rapidly, and after just ten minutes of practice, he had pushed the skill to level 1.
This meant Albert had essentially mastered the spell; he could cast it easily without needing to concentrate specifically on it.
Should he dump all his skill points into it?
Albert hesitated. Skill points were very hard to come by, and he needed to save some for other things.
However, after weighing it repeatedly, he decided to spend his remaining 2 skill points, only to discover he could only raise it by one level!
What a scam!
After raising his Wizard Bloodline to level 2, Albert didn't feel any other changes.
Is it a passive skill?
Albert felt a bit frustrated, but he didn't regret it. He walked out of his room and began to attempt the Alohomora Charm.
Holding his wand in one hand and *The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)* in the other, he followed the gestures taught in the book, flicking his wand twice in what felt like a reverse 'S' shape—it felt quite awkward.
After a few more tries, Albert closed his door and pointed his wand at the handle, casting "Alohomora."
He twisted the handle a few times, but it wouldn't open.
Failure.
Though the failure was expected, there was good news: a new entry for the Alohomora Charm had appeared on his panel, though this time there was no experience gained.
"Albert, what are you doing?" A girl’s voice sounded from behind him. Nia, wearing her pajamas, appeared at the end of the hall.
Albert turned to look at his sister. He knew her mood; it was like catching a thief sneaking a snack.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Albert asked.
"I can't sleep!" Nia complained. "You're so sneaky; you really are practicing magic in secret."
Albert felt a bit embarrassed, but it was the truth. It was like being caught stealing... *cough, cough*, sneaking a dessert; he felt a bit guilty.
"I want to play too!" Nia stared fixedly at Albert's wand.
"But this isn't a toy!" Albert shook his head. He wouldn't let his sister use this wand.
Children had the least self-restraint and only acted on their whims. Who knew what kind of trouble she might cause?
Of course, that was assuming Nia was a witch herself.
After all, Albert was a wizard, and the chances of Nia being one were high, so he wouldn't let her try using the wand easily—at least, not right now.
"So sneaky. Aren't you just sneaking around playing with it yourself?" Nia complained, like a child whose toy had been snatched away.
"Aren't you going back to bed?" Albert changed the subject.
"No, I can't sleep."
"Then I'll tell you a story!" Albert pulled out his key, reopened his door, and walked inside.
"Albert is so sneaky!" Nia grumbled, but she picked up Tom and followed him into his room.
As soon as Tom entered, he began sniffing everywhere, seemingly looking for the owl; he had strong opinions about the birdcage by the window.
"Alright Tom, Shera has gone out to hunt!" Albert picked up the shorthair cat, rubbed its belly, and then made sure to lock his wand in the drawer. He kept the key in his pocket, as if guarding against a thief—he knew his sister's personality all too well.
"Mean! Is there really any need to guard it like a thief?" Nia pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Don't I know you?" Albert rolled his eyes at her. "If I let you get your hands on the wand, wouldn't you blow up our house?"
"I wouldn't!" Nia said stubbornly.
"Who knows? Don't forget how you got that scratch on your arm." Albert didn't want to test it. "Don't make promises to me. I don't want you to suddenly lose an arm, or worse, lose your life one day."
"I wouldn't," Nia said, feeling a bit guilty.
Indeed, that had happened under similar circumstances. Shortly after Tom arrived at their house, she had been scratched because she treated him roughly. She still remembered Albert getting very angry and lecturing her.
That was the first time Nia had seen Albert truly angry.
"Don't forget the lesson," Albert asked. "Do you still want to hear a story or not?"
"Fine!" Nia curled up on a cushion, stroked Tom’s fur, and quietly listened to Albert tell fairy tales. He was quite practiced at this; he had used to do it to practice his spoken English and improve his language level. After all, his core wasn't a native Briton. Even after transmigrating, he still felt a gap in that area.
It was worth mentioning that he had also mastered a foreign language—he had used experience points to raise his French to level 1. It wasn't without reason that Albert was considered a genius.
"Albert, do you think I'll be able to use magic later?" Nia suddenly asked.
"I should think so. I can use magic, so Nia should be able to as well," Albert comforted her.
"That's because you're a genius; you learn everything so quickly."
"That has nothing to do with being a genius or not!" Albert was speechless. "We're siblings. If I can do it, you should be able to as well."
"But Grandpa can't. He says everyone in his family can, except for him," Nia whispered, "and Dad can't either."
Poor Herb was an innocent bystander.
"Even if you can't use magic, you can do other things," Albert comforted her.
"You're just so sneaky. You’re already able to use magic, yet you use words like that to comfort others. Tom, attack him." Nia grabbed Tom's paw and placed it on Albert's face.
The night deepened, and Nia fell asleep without realizing it.
The door was pushed open, and Daisy and Herb, dressed in their pajamas, walked in, looking helplessly at their sleeping daughter.
"She's finally asleep." Herb picked up Nia and carried her back to her room.
"Goodnight, Albert. Get some sleep, don't stay up too late. You can read those books tomorrow," Daisy kissed Albert's cheek and said softly. "Your father and I won't oppose your decisions."
"Goodnight." Albert stifled a yawn and nudged Tom, but the cat just lazily rolled over, clearly not intending to budge.
"Fine, goodnight, Tom." Albert pushed the cat aside, adjusted his pillow, and lay down in a comfortable position, ready to rest. He was exhausted.
Still, magic really was a marvelous thing.
***
**Chapter 8: Grandfather**
Two days later, the Anderson family drove to Charles Street. Albert’s grandfather and grandmother lived at number 21.
The Andersons made time to visit the two elders every year. During summer break, Albert would always stay here for a few days.
"Dad, I’ve come to see you."
"Albert, come here, let me get a look at you!" Luke completely ignored his son, stepping forward to stare at his grandson. "Herb said you received your letter from Hogwarts. That’s wonderful. If there’s anything you want to buy, just tell me..."
"Dad, I already took Albert to Diagon Alley in London to get his supplies," Herb looked at his father helplessly and cleared his throat. "I even brought you a gift."
"I’m not a child; I don’t need gifts," Luke looked up at his son, then took Albert’s hand. "Come inside first and tell me what magic you’ve learned."
"Luke has been excited for days, like a little boy," Sansa said to Herb and Daisy. "He hadn't told me about it before; I only found out a few days ago. Long time no see, Nia, did you miss me?"
"Brother won't let me touch his wand; he always guards it against me like I'm a thief," Nia immediately tattled to her grandmother.
"Herb, keep an eye on Tom, don't let him run off." Daisy picked up the packages from the car and told her husband to carry the cat cage, so the animal wouldn't vanish the moment it was out.
"Can Albert really perform magic?" Sansa found it all very amusing; she never expected her grandson to be a wizard from the legends.
"He can. He can make his wand glow, and he practices in his room secretly every night," Nia held her grandmother’s hand, listing Albert's "crimes." "He even said that if I ever touched the wand, I'd blow the house to bits."
"Mom, you don't know, that wand is really dangerous. Let me tell you..." Herb carried the cat cage, following them inside, babbling about what he had seen in Diagon Alley.
"Albert thinks it’s dangerous to mess around with magic," Daisy added. She had read those books on the history of magic and knew a little bit about what happened in the wizarding world.
"Alright Daisy, it's not as bad as you imagine."
"No, Mom, the truth is, even in the wizarding world, they don't let young children handle wands easily." Daisy stood firmly on Albert’s side; their son was always very reliable.
"How do you know?" Herb asked curiously.
"If you had finished those books, you’d know," Daisy chided her husband. "Can you pay a little more attention to Albert? He’s our precious son."
"Don't worry, Albert has never been the kind of child we need to worry about," Herb knew his son's character well; Albert had always been very sensible.
"Even so, you should pay more attention." Daisy carried the packages inside and closed the door behind her.
Once Tom, who had been locked up during the ride, was let out of the cage, he started scampering everywhere. Sansa and Daisy went to the kitchen to prepare tea and dessert, while Luke listened to his son and grandson talk about Diagon Alley, occasionally filling in the gaps for each other.
Luke, of course, knew that wizarding portraits could move and had some knowledge of Dumbledore.
He took the Chocolate Frog Herb had brought, put it inside a large glass jar, and placed it in the living room as an ornament.
"I actually wrote a letter to Dumbledore back then, asking why I hadn't received an invitation..."