Chapter 77: Persuading You to Teach Me
"Sure enough, it really was robbed!"
Pushing open the door to the potion shop and seeing the chaotic scene inside, George couldn't help but twitch his lips.
The potion shop had been ransacked, looking as if it had been burglarized. Clearly, during the six months he had been at Hogwarts, some dark wizard had broken in and looted the place.
Fortunately, he had already sold off all the valuable items, so the intruder likely left empty-handed.
"Reparo!"
Waving his wand, George cast the Repairing Charm, and the messy potion shop quickly returned to its original state.
The main issue was that he hadn't yet learned protective spells. Otherwise, he could have set up some anti-unlocking charms and protective spells before leaving, preventing ordinary dark wizards from breaking in.
These petty thieves among the dark wizards weren't particularly strong. Those with real power wouldn't stoop to such lowly acts.
"Scourgify."
After tidying up and unpacking his luggage, George began studying by lamplight.
The book he was reading now was titled *An Introduction to Wandlore*, a specialized guide on wand knowledge written by the wandmaster Garrick Ollivander.
It contained a wealth of information about wands.
Of course, it only covered the basics of wand knowledge and didn't delve into how to make them.
A wand primarily consists of two parts: the wand wood and the core.
Not all types of wood are suitable for making wands. Only trees imbued with magical properties can be used.
These trees are rare and difficult to identify, as they look identical to ordinary trees of the same species. It takes years of experience to distinguish them.
However, there is a simpler method: look for Bowtruckle nests. Trees with Bowtruckle nests are usually suitable for making wands.
Different types of wood produce wands with different characteristics. Finding a wand that matches one's traits can make spellcasting more effective.
For example, wands made of acacia wood only reveal their full power in the hands of the most talented wizards. Otherwise, they produce strange noises and unpleasant odors, significantly reducing their magical potency.
Alder wands favor kind and helpful wizards, applewood wands prefer those with goals and ideals, and cedar wands are drawn to strong-willed and loyal individuals.
The length, hardness, and flexibility of a wand also affect its power.
The core is even more critical. It is far more important than the wood, as the core determines the wand's magical amplification.
Cores are typically made from the hair or organs of magical creatures, such as Veela hair, Thestral tail feathers, Troll whiskers, Rougarou heartstrings, and White River Monster spines.
The most precious cores are unicorn tail hairs, dragon heartstrings, and phoenix feathers.
"Unicorn tail hairs?"
At this point, George quietly pulled out a small box from his suitcase and opened it, revealing several bundles of unicorn tail hairs.
He knew that wizards like Ollivander probably weren't short on money. Trying to bribe him with Galleons to teach wandmaking would be extremely difficult.
That's why he had prepared these rare unicorn tail hairs.
Unicorns, as the most sacred magical creatures, were treasures in every sense.
Unicorn blood could sustain life, pulling someone back from the brink of death.
Unicorn horns could be used to brew advanced potions, with powdered horn fetching twenty-one Galleons per gram.
Unicorn tail hairs were among the most premium materials for wandmaking.
However, unicorns were incredibly rare, with only a few existing worldwide.
The Forbidden Forest happened to be home to a few unicorns, though one had been killed by Voldemort the previous year.
A few days before leaving Hogwarts, George had snuck out of the castle at night and used his "Wing" magic to fly into the Forbidden Forest.
Using his psychic abilities to communicate with the forest's creatures, he avoided dangers like centaurs and Acromantulas and located the surviving unicorns.
Then, using his magnetic control, he swiftly cut the tails of the unicorns, collecting several bundles of snow-white tail hairs.
After all, unicorn tails were similar to horse tails—cutting them wouldn't harm the unicorns, as the hairs would grow back in a few years.
He didn't believe that such a large quantity of unicorn tail hairs wouldn't convince Ollivander to teach him wandmaking.
A single unicorn's tail contained about two thousand hairs, and just one hair could be used to craft a top-tier wand. George had harvested the tails of four unicorns, amounting to eight thousand tail hairs.
He was determined to persuade Ollivander, even if it meant overwhelming him with the sheer quantity of materials.
The next morning, George pushed open the door of the potion shop to find the world outside blanketed in white.
It had snowed all night, softening the usually eerie and sinister atmosphere of Knockturn Alley.
Treading through the snow and leaving a trail of footprints, George made his way to Ollivander's Wand Shop, located in the southern part of Diagon Alley.
This was his second visit to the shop. The first time had been before the school term started, when he came to buy his wand.
Ollivander's Wand Shop was one of the oldest establishments in Diagon Alley, having been in operation since 382 B.C. The shop looked small and somewhat shabby, with the gold lettering on the sign peeling off.
As George pushed the door open, a series of tinkling bells announced his arrival.
"Good afternoon. Are you here to buy a wand?"
An old man with silver-white eyes and white hair greeted him softly.
It was Garrick Ollivander, the owner of the shop.
George walked up to Ollivander and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander. My name is George. I'm not here to buy a wand but to learn the art of wandmaking from you."
"Are you joking?"
Ollivander's expression stiffened. He felt the young wizard must be playing a prank on him.
In response, George placed a large bag containing one hundred Galleons on the counter.
"I can pay for lessons. Name your price, and I'll pay it."
"I'm sorry, but I can't teach you."
Ollivander glanced at the Galleons on the table, showing a hint of surprise, but he firmly shook his head.
Being able to produce so many Galleons indicated that George was serious about learning wandmaking. However, wandmaking was the foundation of the Ollivander family's survival in the wizarding world. There was no way he would casually teach an outsider.
Not even ten thousand Galleons would convince him.
Seeing Ollivander's resolute expression, George sighed. He had known that Galleons alone wouldn't sway Ollivander. He then placed the box containing four bundles of unicorn tail hairs on the table.
"What if I offer these as tuition?"
He opened the box and pushed it toward Ollivander.
"Nothing could—wait, unicorn tail hairs?!"
Ollivander, who had been calm and composed, nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the four bundles of unicorn tail hairs. His silver eyes seemed glued to the box.
(End of Chapter)