Hearing that Dudley had called for backup, everyone felt much more relaxed.
One more person meant one more layer of protection.
"So next, the first thing we need to solve is your wand, Ron! I don't want your wand failing to cast spells when we're fighting the basilisk," Dudley said, looking at Ron.
Ron's wand had broken when he came to school. Although Dudley had used superior magical skill to cast a repair charm and restore the wand, it was simply too old. After breaking once, its functionality had obviously diminished—sometimes spells wouldn't even work.
"Go to Diagon Alley this weekend to buy a wand?" Ron asked.
Dudley had mentioned before using Apparition to take him to buy a wand.
"No time. We'll go this afternoon," Dudley said.
He'd mentioned it the weekend before because he didn't know the Chamber's entrance yet. Now that he knew where it was, he didn't want to keep waiting.
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon," Hermione reminded him.
"I'll request leave. I'm confident Professor Lockhart won't make things difficult for me," Dudley laughed.
The group exchanged knowing smiles.
After the morning Transfiguration class ended, Dudley went directly to find Professor Lockhart.
Originally, Dudley had planned to use his extraordinary abilities if Lockhart didn't agree.
Unexpectedly, when Lockhart heard Dudley had something to do and wouldn't attend class, he seemed quite pleased and almost immediately approved Dudley and Ron's leave request without hesitation.
It seemed that for Lockhart, seeing Dudley in class each time made him feel somewhat uncomfortable and nervous.
After obtaining the leave slip, Dudley took Ron into the secret passage leading to Hogsmeade.
They didn't need to go to Hogsmeade—they just needed to leave Hogwarts' boundaries so Dudley could perform Apparition.
After walking a short distance, Dudley felt the spatial constraints around him disappear. He immediately grabbed Ron's arm.
"Apparition!"
Their bodies quickly twisted and disappeared from the secret passage with a crack.
When they reappeared, they were already standing in a corner of Diagon Alley.
"Oh!" Ron cried out, his face pale, swaying before steadying himself.
"That feeling really can't be called pleasant," Ron said after resting a moment.
"Once you get used to it, it's actually fine."
After Dudley finished speaking, he put on his hood, and he and Ron headed toward Ollivanders Wand Shop.
There weren't as many people in Diagon Alley as during term time, but there were still quite a few wizards. The two concealed their faces, moving through the crowd.
Soon, they stood outside Ollivanders Wand Shop. Dudley pushed the door open and entered.
Ding-a-ling...
The doorbell rang. A sliding ladder flew out from inside and stopped behind the counter.
Ollivander's cloudy eyes looked toward the two people at the entrance.
Generally speaking, his shop didn't have much business normally—only during term time when many young wizards came to purchase their first wands. Other times there was rarely any business.
After all, as long as a wizard's wand didn't meet with an accident, it could last a lifetime. Very few people would change wands midway.
"Mr. Ollivander," Dudley lowered his hood and greeted him with a smile.
"Dudley! Good heavens, what are you doing here?" Seeing Dudley, Ollivander was extremely surprised.
His impression of Dudley was very deep—after all, his family's heirloom wand had chosen Dudley as its master, and he'd given it to Dudley without charge.
However, Dudley was currently in second year and should be at Hogwarts right now. How could he appear in Diagon Alley?
"Mr. Ollivander, I'm here to accompany my friend Ron to purchase a wand. His old wand broke, and he needs a new one." Dudley pointed to Ron beside him.
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander." Ron lowered his hood and greeted him, his face flushed.
"Let me guess—a Weasley child, correct?" Ollivander said with a smile, looking at Ron's head of red hair.
"Yes," Ron nodded.
"May I see your old wand?" Ollivander asked.
Ron took out his previous wand and handed it to Ollivander.
Ollivander examined it carefully, then raised his cloudy gaze to Ron. "This is your brother Charlie's wand, isn't it? I remember every wand that's been sold from my shop very clearly."
"That's right," Ron said in surprise. He hadn't expected Ollivander could actually recognize the wand's owner.
"A very impressive repair charm. Unfortunately, the wand was damaged too severely. Although the exterior has been repaired, the unicorn hair inside has already broken," Ollivander said with some regret.
"Can you tell me who repaired this wand?" Ollivander asked. Just as he finished speaking, he guessed on his own. "It couldn't be Professor Dumbledore, could it? Otherwise, I really can't think of who would have such magical power to repair a broken wand to this degree."
Ron glanced at Ollivander, then at Dudley.
"I repaired it," Dudley volunteered.
"Truly astonishing magical talent!" Ollivander looked deeply at Dudley and returned the old wand to Ron.
"Well then, let me take your measurements."
As Ollivander spoke, he waved his wand, causing a measuring tape to begin automatically measuring Ron's dimensions.
Taking advantage of the pause, Dudley asked, "Mr. Ollivander, you mentioned before that the wand chooses the wizard. Is it possible for a wand, after choosing a wizard, to choose another wizard?"
Ollivander looked at Dudley and said, "Generally speaking, that doesn't happen. Unless in a duel, if the wand's master is defeated or killed, then the wizard who defeats or kills him automatically becomes the master of that previous wand."
"I see," Dudley nodded.
"Wands can be taken, but wands obtained this way aren't necessarily suitable for you," Ollivander reminded him.
"I understand."
As Dudley spoke, he took out his own wand.
Actually, Dudley now rarely used his wand. Many of his spells could be cast without a wand—he only pulled it out for show when professors were watching.
This wand was a gift from Ollivander to Dudley—elder wood, thirteen inches. Even Ollivander didn't know what the core was. It was supposedly passed down through his family.
Seeing the wand in Dudley's hand, Ollivander's expression shifted.
"Mr. Dursley, have you noticed anything special about this wand?" Ollivander inquired.
"Something special?" Dudley was stunned. He really hadn't discovered anything particularly special about this wand.