London.
Diagon Alley.
Beside a counter in Gringotts.
"I've always been curious, how do you goblins view wizarding magic?"
The goblin smiled faintly, revealing sharp teeth.
"We goblins have our own magic, quite different from that of wizards. Our magic focuses more on craftsmanship and metalwork, especially in the creation and protection of treasures."
A blonde boy listened with great fascination. Evidently, as a young wizard under eleven years old, his presence hadn't raised the goblin's guard too much. The two of them had been chatting here for nearly half an hour.
The boy continued to ask, "Then how do your casting methods differ from those of wizards? For instance, how do you execute those complex incantations?"
That question was far too sensitive!
The goblin's expression suddenly turned wary. "Why are you so curious about these details?"
A hint of displeasure edged his tone. It was clear the boy's inquiries had crossed a line into goblin territory.
Realizing he might have pushed a bit too far, the boy nevertheless tried to explain. "I'm just very interested in different magical systems, especially goblin magic..."
The goblin's face darkened further. "Our magic is our secret, not something to be casually revealed," he said coldly. "Furthermore, your questions have crossed the boundary."
Feeling a sudden wave of awkwardness, Devereux hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I was just..."
"Enough!" The goblin cut him off. "Please leave this place and do not disturb us any further."
"Right, right, right..." Apologizing profusely, the boy backed out of Gringotts.
"Bad luck!" Devereux muttered to himself in complaint. He had originally intended to learn something about goblin magic from Gringotts. After all, he was now a Magic Prodigy, which meant he wasn't necessarily restricted to learning only wizarding magic. How wonderful it would have been if he could master goblin magic!
He had even wondered if the goblins possessed any special traits, but checking them left him somewhat discouraged. Like ordinary wizards, most of them simply carried a blue [Magical Ability] trait—nothing out of the ordinary. Therefore, there was no way to make a breakthrough through traits alone. That was why he had gone to talk to the goblin.
Even though it hadn't worked, it didn't stop Devereux from imagining. If he could master goblin forging techniques and forge a Sword of Gryffindor for himself in the future, how thrilling would that be? With such a sword, what was there to fear from Voldemort? He could become the Swordmaster of Gryffindor directly!
However, reality wasn't as simple as he imagined. His probing failed to extract any useful information from that goblin's mouth. Just as described in the original books, goblins were thorough egoists; trying to learn sword-forging methods from them was practically impossible.
Still, Devereux wasn't discouraged by this. He had other alternative plans. For instance, he could learn the technique of wandless Apparition from house-elves, or study astrological divination from the centaurs. These types of magic were equally alluring.
Speaking of which, Devereux had practically turned all of Diagon Alley upside down over the past few days. He had shuttled between various shops, from Ollivander to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, leaving no corner unexplored. Along the way, he had successfully loaded Ollivander's [Genius Wandmaker] trait. Instantly, his mastery over wands had grown even stronger.
Consequently, Devereux had developed a new hobby of reading wand-making books at Flourish and Blotts. Yet, despite all his efforts, the realm exploration progress remained stuck at 58 percent.
Devereux suspected that the remaining two percentage points were related to Knockturn Alley. If he could enter that dark and mysterious place, he would surely be able to rapidly gather the remaining exploration progress.
Through observing other wizards casting spells every day in Diagon Alley, combined with his newly purchased, perfectly fitted wand and guidance from textbooks, his proficiency with spells had improved significantly. At the very least, the Levitation Charm was now second nature to him.
However, entering Knockturn Alley remained fraught with danger. Who knew if some dark wizard might suddenly pop out, grab him as a test subject, or throw him straight into a cauldron? Devereux certainly didn't want to encounter such a situation unprepared. He didn't even know a single jinx yet, leaving him completely defenseless if he ran into a dark wizard.
Although it was a time of peace, no one could guarantee that some malicious wizard wouldn't cast a jinx out on the street. Devereux decided to wait a while before visiting Knockturn Alley. After all, he would soon be heading to Hogwarts. There would be plenty of opportunities to learn jinxes there. By then, he would not only learn various defensive spells but also master some necessary offensive means. Thus, when he finally went to Knockturn Alley, he would at least have some ability to protect himself.
As for Knockturn Alley, if Professor Snape were willing to take him there, that would naturally be the best choice. Professor Snape possessed a profound understanding of the Dark Arts; with him around, Devereux would feel much more at ease.
However, Devereux figured that was unlikely. Professor Snape had always been cold and stern; it was improbable he would volunteer such an offer.
Since he couldn't advance his realm exploration progress, Devereux's most frequent stops now were The Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Blotts, and strolling down the main street of Diagon Alley.
The Leaky Cauldron was always buzzing with various gossip. Devereux liked to sit in a corner, listening to wizards discuss the latest magical news and oddities.
Yet, what he found strange was that he still hadn't run into Harry Potter. Perhaps the timing was wrong, or perhaps Harry wasn't in Diagon Alley at the moment. Devereux was very interested in meeting the Boy Who Lived. After all, he was The Chosen One of the future, and Devereux was quite curious about what traits Harry might possess. He truly couldn't wait to find out.
As for why he strolled down the main street, it was naturally to collect traits. Ever since missing that purple magic-cooking trait on the first day, Devereux had successfully loaded a new trait from Madam Malkin:
[Magic Tailor (Purple): Possesses a unique talent for using magic in garment tailoring, allowing for the rapid learning of various clothing design knowledge.]
This was a rather decent daily-life trait. Devereux had loaded it without a moment's hesitation. Soon, he had given his old clothes a major overhaul, making them look brand new.
Aside from The Leaky Cauldron and the main street, Flourish and Blotts was another place Devereux frequented. The shelves here were packed with all sorts of second-hand books, and Devereux could browse through them to unearth useful knowledge. With the help of these books, Devereux had quickly mastered many spells and potion recipes that older students would only learn later.
However, Devereux found that he seemed to have no talent for Transfiguration. Despite studying hard, he always felt it was the dullest subject of all. It seemed he would need to load Professor McGonagall's trait once he reached Hogwarts to improve his skills in this area.
With these plans in mind, Devereux began walking from the entrance of Gringotts toward The Leaky Cauldron. The street of Diagon Alley was bustling with people coming and going, the signs of various shops gleaming in the sunlight. As he walked, he looked around, hoping to spot something interesting.
"Dear wizards and witches, looking to elevate your potion-making craft? Come to our Diagon Alley Herb Shop and pick up the finest mandrake roots!"
Suddenly, a loud hawking voice drifted into his ears.
Devereux paused in his tracks, turning his head toward the source of the sound. It was a quaintly decorated herb shop with a swaying wooden sign hanging at the entrance that read "Fennel's Herb Shop."
"Mandrake roots?" Devereux whispered the words to himself. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a mischievous smile.
He had a plan!