"It seems you got that cedar wood wand."

After meeting up at Madam Malkin's robe shop, Chris immediately recognized the wand in Kyle's hand. The unusual pairing left a strong impression on Chris, and it was also thanks to this wand that he had first met Diana. He never expected it would end up in Kyle's hands now.

Chris glanced at Kyle with a sense of nostalgia, but soon his expression changed, as if he remembered something. He solemnly patted Kyle on the shoulder. "Dear, I regret to inform you of some bad news. Holding this wand, you probably won't be able to enter Gryffindor."

"Not able to enter Gryffindor?" Kyle's mouth twitched slightly, and he began to grasp what his father meant. Ollivander had once said that wizards with cedar wood wands possess keen insight and are naturally calm, while Gryffindor... well, how should he put it? They might not need to be calm.

Kyle didn’t expect that before he even started school, he had already been turned away from a house. That was indeed disappointing news.

"What are you two laughing about?" At that moment, Diana walked over, curious. She had just gone to help Kyle buy a cauldron and stopped by Scribbulus to pick up some quills and parchment on her way back, so she hadn’t heard the conversation between father and son.

"Nothing, just Dad said that if I hold this, I won't be able to enter Gryffindor," Kyle explained, also showing Diana his new wand.

Diana clearly recognized the cedar wood wand, and combined with Kyle’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh. "I'm afraid, dear, your father is right."

Neither Chris nor Diana had a strong opinion about which house Kyle should enter; to them, as long as it was Hogwarts, it didn’t matter which house he was in. Kyle felt the same way.

...

Just like choosing a wand, making school robes was also a lengthy process; even though Madam Malkin was quite professional, it took a good twenty minutes. And that was just the time for measuring the necessary parameters. It would take even longer to get the finished product, especially since Kyle was taller than his peers. The shop didn’t have suitable stock, so they had to customize it, which would take about two hours.

Kyle thought for a moment and decided to leave his address for the owl to deliver it. It was already five in the afternoon, and two hours later it would be seven, which was too late; sending it by owl was more convenient.

The next stop after Madam Malkin's robe shop was Flourish and Blotts. This time it went quickly; in less than five minutes, Kyle found all the books he needed. In addition, he also bought two extra books for leisure reading.

First, definitely Newt's—"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Latest Revised Edition)." Although there were already nineteen copies at home, that didn’t stop him from supporting Newt, considering it a way to help boost sales. Moreover, this newly released revised edition was very considerate, with thirty more pages and seven entirely new magical creatures, making it highly cost-effective.

As for the second book, Kyle accidentally kicked it out from a corner while checking out.

"Ordinary Spells and Charms."

As its name suggests, it contained a variety of common spells, such as the Lumos spell, the Levitation Charm, and the Cleaning Charm. However, it excelled in quantity, covering many aspects, somewhat like a spell version of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," and it was also inexpensive, costing only one Galleon.

After flipping through it a couple of times, Kyle took it with him. Although it wasn’t particularly useful, it was good for passing the time.

In fact, aside from these two books, there were many more Kyle wanted to read—books on spells, potions, and transfiguration—enough to fill a sheet of parchment, but Kyle didn’t buy them.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have money; Chris and Diana’s income was still considerable, though not as much as those pure-blood families. They could afford a few books; the main reason was that he was about to go to Hogwarts. Why buy books when he would be near one of the largest and oldest libraries in the magical world? Unless they were necessary textbooks or books he truly loved, he could simply borrow whatever he wanted later.

He didn’t know what others thought, but Kyle didn’t want to be a fool; his Galleons didn’t come easy.

...

After leaving Flourish and Blotts, he had almost completed the items on his school list, or rather, he had completed it. The only thing left was a pet, which Kyle didn't need.

Over the years, Chris had rescued many injured owls, so their family had a very high profile in the messenger circle, and Kyle benefited from it. Every time he appeared at the window with an envelope or package, a large flock of owls would rush over, eager to help him deliver, many of which were from Hogwarts.

When the time came, he could just hire one with snacks if needed, which was very convenient. Look, he saved another Galleon.

Originally, Kyle wanted to use the money he saved to buy a broomstick. It didn’t have to be too good; a Nimbus 1500 or a Cleansweep Seven would do. Compared to the new models displayed in the window, these older models offered great value for money. In terms of quality, they weren’t much different, but the price was less than a third of the new models, making it quite affordable.

For example, the Nimbus 1500, which was all the rage two years ago, originally priced at three hundred Galleons, could now be taken home for just eighty; the pocket money he had saved over the years was just enough.

The Cleansweep Seven was a bit more expensive, around a hundred Galleons, but it wasn’t out of reach; he just needed Chris's support.

However, as soon as he proposed this idea, it was unanimously vetoed by Diana, and the reason was simple: Hogwarts had rules against first-year students bringing brooms; buying one would be useless since they already had one at home.

In response, Chris could only shrug helplessly at Kyle, indicating he couldn’t help either. However, he thoughtfully took Kyle to the broomstick shop's window, letting him feast his eyes before heading to the Leaky Cauldron.

...

The Weasley family, who had come with them, had already returned ahead of them, just as Kyle was buying his robes. Mrs. Weasley needed to go back early to prepare a hearty dinner; for a family with six children, this was no small task, even with the help of magic it would still take over an hour.

Kyle felt very disappointed that he missed seeing the twins make fools of themselves, a regret only second to not being able to buy a broomstick.

...