Chapter 7 I Have a Plan!

Chapter 7

London, Diagon Alley, by a counter at Gringotts.

"I've always been curious—how do goblins view wizards' magic?"

The goblin gave a slight smile, revealing sharp teeth.

"We goblins have our own magic, different from wizards'. Ours focuses on craftsmanship and metalwork, especially in creating and protecting treasures."

A blond boy listened with keen interest. Clearly, as a young wizard not yet eleven, the goblin's guard was lower. They had been chatting for nearly half an hour.

The boy pressed on, "So, how does your spellcasting differ from wizards'? For example, how do you perform those complex spells?"

That question was too sensitive!

The goblin's eyes suddenly turned wary. "Why are you so curious about these details?" His voice carried a hint of displeasure. The boy's question had clearly crossed a line for the goblins.

Realizing he might have gone too far, the boy tried to explain, "I'm just fascinated by 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. "And your questions have gone too far."

Feeling awkward, Devero quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I just—"

"Enough!" the goblin interrupted. "Please leave and stop bothering us."

"Alright, alright, alright..." Devero apologized as he backed out of Gringotts.

"Bad luck!" he muttered to himself. He had hoped to learn something about goblin magic from Gringotts. After all, he was already a magical prodigy, which meant he didn't have to limit himself to wizarding magic. If he could master goblin magic, how amazing would that be?

He had even checked the goblins' entries, but was disappointed to find that most of them, like wizards, had a standard blue [Magical Ability] entry—nothing special. So, there was no breakthrough there either.

That's why he tried chatting with the goblin. Even though it didn't work, Devero couldn't help but imagine: if he could learn goblin forging techniques and craft a Gryffindor sword for himself in the future, how thrilling would that be? With such a sword, what would he have to fear from Voldemort? He could become the Sword Saint of Gryffindor!

But reality wasn't so simple. His probing hadn't gotten any useful information from the goblin. As described in the original books, goblins were staunchly self-interested, and learning their sword-forging methods was near impossible.

Still, Devero wasn't discouraged. He had other options. For instance, he could learn wandless Apparition from house-elves or study astrology and divination from centaurs. Those magics were equally intriguing.

Over the past few days, Devero had practically turned Diagon Alley upside down. He wandered through shops, from Ollivanders' Wand Shop to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, leaving no corner unexplored. Along the way, he managed to acquire Ollivander's [Genius Wand-maker] entry, which instantly improved his mastery over wands. This sparked a new hobby of reading wand-making books at Flourish and Blotts.

Despite all his efforts, his Secret Realm exploration progress remained stuck at 58%. Devero suspected the remaining 2% was tied to Knockturn Alley. If he could enter that dark, mysterious place, he was sure he could quickly collect the rest.

By observing other wizards casting spells in Diagon Alley, combined with his perfectly fitted new wand and textbook guidance, his spellcasting had improved significantly. The Levitation Charm, for instance, was now second nature to him.

But Knockturn Alley was still dangerous. Who knew if a dark wizard might jump out, kidnap him for experiments, or worse? Devero wasn't prepared to face that without knowing a single hex. In a confrontation with a dark wizard, he'd have no countermeasures. Even though it was a time of peace, there was no guarantee some malicious wizard wouldn't cast a hex on the street.

Devero decided to wait before venturing into Knockturn Alley. Soon, he'd be heading to Hogwarts, where he'd have plenty of chances to learn hexes, defensive spells, and even some offensive techniques. By then, he'd have enough skills to protect himself in Knockturn Alley.

As for Knockturn Alley, if Professor Snape were willing to take him there, that would be ideal. Snape was an expert in dark magic, and with him around, Devero would feel much safer. But Snape was cold and serious—Devero doubted he'd offer such help willingly.

With Secret Realm progress stalled, Devero spent most of his time at the Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Blotts, or strolling Diagon Alley's streets. The Leaky Cauldron was always buzzing with gossip, and Devero loved sitting in a corner, listening to wizards discuss recent magical news and oddities.

Strangely, he hadn't yet run into Harry Potter. Perhaps the timing was off, or Harry wasn't in Diagon Alley. Devero was eager to meet the Boy Who Lived, curious about what entries Harry might have. He couldn't wait to find out.

As for why he wandered the streets—it was to collect entries. After missing a purple [Magical Cooking] entry on his first day, Devero successfully acquired a new one from Madam Malkin:

[Magical Tailoring (Purple): Exceptionally gifted in using magic for clothing design, with the ability to quickly learn various fashion design techniques.]

It was a great lifestyle entry, and Devero loaded it immediately. Soon, he was revamping his old clothes, making them look brand new.

Aside from the Leaky Cauldron and the streets, Flourish and Blotts was his favorite haunt. The shelves were packed with secondhand books, where he could scour for useful knowledge. With their help, he quickly mastered spells and potion recipes typically reserved for older students.

However, he found himself lacking talent in Transfiguration. Despite his efforts, it felt like the dullest subject. He decided he'd need to acquire Professor McGonagall's entry at Hogwarts to boost his skills in that area.

With this plan in mind, Devero walked from Gringotts toward the Leaky Cauldron. Diagon Alley's streets were bustling, with shop signs gleaming in the sunlight. As he walked, he kept an eye out for anything interesting.

"Dear witches and wizards, want to improve your potion-making skills? Visit our Diagon Alley Herb Shop for the finest Dittany roots!"

A loud vendor's call caught his attention. Devero stopped and turned toward the source—a quaintly decorated herb shop with a creaky wooden sign that read "Fenny's Herb Shop."

"Dittany roots?" Devero murmured, a glint flashing in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curled into a sly grin.

He had a plan!