"Obliviate."
Once everything had been restored to its original state and every trace of their little visit behind the counter had been removed, Jamie lifted the Imperius Curse from Ollivander and immediately followed it with a Memory Charm. His movements were smooth and unhurried, as though he had done nothing more serious than pay for a wand.
"Confundus."
Tyler, standing beside him, was still not entirely reassured, so he added a Confundus Charm for good measure. Poor old Mr Ollivander had no idea what the two boys in front of him had done, and he remained cheerfully pleased that he had just made an unusually profitable sale.
"Oh! By the way, Mr Campbell, what were you saying just now?" Ollivander asked, patting his forehead with a puzzled look. "Forgive me. When a person gets old, one does tend to forget things. Now, what was it I forgot?"
"You had just complimented me on my generosity, Mr Ollivander," Jamie said with a pleasant smile. "You said there were not many young wizards as generous as me."
"Yes, yes, Mr Campbell," Ollivander said, nodding at once. The confusion in his face faded, replaced by a satisfied smile. "You are indeed a very generous young man."
"Then we'll take our leave, Mr Ollivander," Jamie said. He gave a polite nod, while Tyler followed his lead with an equally calm smile. "We wish your shop continued prosperity."
The two boys turned and walked out of Ollivanders together. Poor old Ollivander still did not realise that those fifty Galleons had not merely bought a snakewood wand. They had also bought Jamie and Tyler a copy of the Ollivander family's most valuable wand-making knowledge.
"You can buy the rest of your supplies yourself," Tyler said after they stepped back onto the street. "I want to go to the pet shop and have a look."
"I'll find you later," Jamie said casually.
He headed off alone toward Flourish and Blotts, one of the shops lucky enough to survive the disaster because it stood far from Gringotts. Tyler watched him go for a moment, then turned toward the part of Diagon Alley where several pet shops were clustered.
There were several places in Diagon Alley where wizards could buy pets. Some specialised in owls, like Eeylops Owl Emporium, while others sold cats, toads, and more unusual magical creatures. Tyler eventually stopped in front of a shop called the Fantastic Beasts Pet Store, whose name made its business rather obvious.
The moment he stepped inside, the smell of straw, feathers, warm fur, and faintly sharp magical creature musk surrounded him. Cages lined the walls, perches hung from the ceiling, and glass-fronted enclosures held all sorts of small creatures that blinked, chirped, rustled, or stared back at him with suspicious intelligence.
"Oh, dear, are you looking to buy a pet?" an old witch asked warmly as she came forward. "We have owls, cats, toads, and several magical creatures as well. Nifflers, Puffskeins, Kneazles, and plenty more."
"I'd like to look around first, madam," Tyler replied.
"Of course, child. Take your time and choose carefully," the old witch said with a friendly smile. "I'm not boasting too much when I say that in all of Diagon Alley, the pets in my shop are among the very best."
"Hoo. Hoo. Hoo."
Tyler walked over to the owl perches, where dozens of owls of different colours and sizes stood neatly in their places. The moment he approached, every round head turned toward him, and dozens of bright eyes fixed on him at once.
He studied the owls one by one, then immediately noticed a particularly special bird. It was larger than the others, standing with its head held high and an almost regal air, as if it considered the entire shelf beneath its status.
Its feathers were nearly pure white, without the slightest patch of mixed colour. Against the dim shop light, the bird looked clean, bright, and beautiful, with the quiet elegance of falling snow. It was clearly a snowy owl, and not an ordinary one.
"Oh, dear, have you taken a liking to this snowy owl?" the old witch asked, hurrying over when she noticed Tyler's gaze. "I must say, your eye is excellent. This is the finest owl in my shop."
She gestured proudly at the bird. "Look at its size, look at the colour of its feathers. I'm quite sure you won't find a more beautiful owl anywhere nearby."
"It is very beautiful," Tyler admitted.
He really was tempted. Everyone liked beautiful things, and it was not only girls who appreciated something elegant and rare. Boys were no different, and Tyler had never believed there was anything wrong with liking what pleased the eye.
"Then, madam," Tyler asked, "how much is it?"
"Twenty Galleons, dear, and it's yours," the old witch said with a smile.
"Madam, could it be a little cheaper?" Tyler asked, lifting his gaze toward her. His clear, flawless light-blue eyes fixed on the old witch, and he blinked gently. "I really do like this owl. How about ten Galleons?"
Those eyes were difficult to refuse. When Tyler looked at someone that way, it was almost like staring into a bright blue sea beneath a perfect sky, calm and pure enough to make people hesitate before disappointing him.
"Oh, dear," the old witch said, visibly softening. "To be honest, I can hardly bear to refuse you. But at ten Galleons, I would lose money, and fifteen Galleons is already close to my cost."
Tyler frowned slightly.
The old witch's heart gave another uncomfortable little twist at the sight. She truly could not bear to see those beautiful eyes clouded with disappointment, as though she had personally wronged something innocent.
"Madam," Tyler said, pointing toward an iron cage beside the owl perches. "If fifteen Galleons includes that Niffler as well, then I'll buy them both."
Inside the cage was a small magical creature with black fluff and a long snout. It was a Niffler, a creature famous for burrowing and hunting treasure. No matter how deeply something shiny was hidden, a Niffler often seemed able to find it.
Nifflers had a special love for anything that glittered. Because of that talent, some wizards and even tomb raiders liked using them to search for treasure, though keeping one under control was another matter entirely. Their cute appearance hid an endless appetite for mischief.
"Please, madam?" Tyler asked, raising his face slightly again. His pale-blue eyes looked up at the old witch with just the right amount of hope, bright and soft at the same time.
"Oh!" the old witch said at last. "Very well, dear, you win."
She looked at Tyler for another moment, then sighed as if she had lost a duel she had never meant to fight. "Fifteen Galleons for the snowy owl and the Niffler. They are both yours."
"Thank you, beautiful lady," Tyler said with a smile. "Generosity only makes you more charming."
He placed one hand over his chest and bowed slightly.
.....
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