Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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"Ha, the Cleaning Charm."
Fred looked at his newly renovated robes and sighed softly, "Mother uses this spell almost three times a day, why can't Ron remember it?"
"Who knows." Kyle shrugged.
His previous plan was a last-minute idea, almost riddled with flaws.
The biggest problem was the Cleaning Charm, which was also the main reason Fred and George thought Ron wouldn't fall for it.
In wizarding families, this spell is one of the most commonly used household spells, and they felt that Ron couldn't possibly not know it.
Kyle thought so too.
In fact, when he saw Ron's cautious look in the Leaky Cauldron, he had already started to wonder whether to let Ron go.
But since he was already here... it wouldn't be good to do nothing.
So he came up with this plan to minimize the difficulty for Ron.
Otherwise, he could have simply let Ron ask directly; given Ron's desire for a new wand, he believed he wouldn't refuse.
Kyle's idea was simple: if Ron said, "Why don't you use a cleaning charm?" he would abandon all his plans and immediately buy a wand.
But... Ron didn't.
Not only did he not, he actually believed it!
That was absurd.
"Ollivander seems to be out..."
Fred raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's go in quickly, I can't wait to see the show."
"Hey, is that alright?" Kyle teased, "Ron is your own brother."
"Thanks for reminding me, otherwise I almost forgot."
Fred smiled slyly, then opened the shop door and went inside. Just as Kyle was about to follow, he suddenly noticed a familiar face around the corner not far away.
A black cloak fluttered without wind, greasy hair gleamed slightly, and a sinister gaze darted left and right, making him look like a large bat walking in the night, completely out of place in the lively atmosphere around him.
And there seemed to be someone following behind him, though they were hidden by his robes, only a pair of short legs visible.
"Long time no see, Professor Snape."
As the other person approached, Kyle greeted him first, "What a coincidence, Professor, are you out shopping with your daughter... Oh, it's Kanna."
Only when they got closer did Kyle realize that the person following Snape was actually Connor.
Snape's eye twitched, as if he'd been force-fed a turd, his face instantly darkening.
"Don't talk nonsense, Kyle." Connor poked her head out, "Uncle Snape hasn't..."
"Shut up, Kanna!"
The little girl was abruptly interrupted by Snape before she could finish.
A strange look flashed in Kyle's eyes; he noticed Kanna's address to Snape had changed.
But before he could think further, he heard Snape's slightly mocking voice.
"Why are you here, Ollivander… Is your wand broken?"
"No, Professor, I cherish my wand."
Kyle said calmly, "I came with Fred and George to buy new wands for their little brother. Ron Weasley is also a freshman this year."
Snape looked somewhat disappointed.
"Also, I'd like to buy some potion-making ingredients." Kyle continued, "I can't wait to take your Potions class."
"Hmph…"
Snape made a short, incomprehensible sound, his face darkening as if he'd been fed a second turd.
But for some reason, he held back, giving Kyle a thoughtful look without saying anything.
"Let's go, Kanna."
Snape didn't look at Kyle again, turning and continuing on his way.
Kanna clearly wanted to stay a little longer. So many bizarre things had happened around her this summer; her experiences in just two months were more exciting than her previous two years.
She desperately wanted to share them with Kyle.
Snape, however, didn't see it that way. He glanced at Kyle with disgust, grabbed Kanna by the collar without a word, and dragged her away.
Kanna kept gesturing, but he remained unmoved, even bluntly saying, "Don't associate with Kyle again. He's not a good person."
Kyle watched them turn into the nearby cauldron shop before turning and entering Ollivander's Wand Shop.
Having been delayed by Snape, Kyle thought he'd miss the most exciting moment, but as soon as he entered, he heard Ollivander's somewhat hurried voice.
"The shop never gives away wand care kits; you have to buy them separately."
"I remember you're from the Weasley family, so why don't you even know about the Cleaning Charm?"
At this moment, the dust Ron had deliberately rubbed on his arm was gone; he stood there, his face flushed, head down, searching for something on the floor.
Kyle thought he was probably looking for a crack in the floor.
"As for why I don't clean…"
Ollivander paused, then said without changing his expression, "It's for the balance of gray magic. The dust acts as a barrier to protect the wands in the shop from external magical influences.
It involves a lot of complex things, and only we wand makers understand it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained!"
"Then… which hand do you use your wand with?"
Ron shakily extended his right hand.
Then a measuring tape flew from the counter and began to roughly measure his body.
Beside him, Fred and George were both looking down, clutching their stomachs, trembling uncontrollably.
If it weren't for Ollivander's presence, they probably would have burst out laughing.
After measuring his body, it was time for the wand testing. For Ron, this process was far from smooth.
When he tried the seventh… or maybe the eighth wand, the wand repelled him. As soon as he held it, a rapid stream of water gushed from the tip, soaking him completely.
This left him drenched, shivering in the wind.
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An hour later...the boxes on the counter were almost piled up like a mountain.
George and Kyle sat cross-legged beside him, idly playing wizard chess, while Fred watched, occasionally offering his opinions.
Neither of them listened to him.
"A great combination,"
Ollivander's voice suddenly rang out.
"Fourteen inches, willow, unicorn hair core—it suits you perfectly, Mr. Weasley. So...seven Galleons."
Had he...finished choosing?
Kyle immediately stood up, which immediately drew George's displeasure.
"Hey, I'm about to win!"
But Kyle ignored him, instead taking out his wallet and grabbing a handful of Galleons.
Just as he was about to hand the Galleons to Ollivander, Fred suddenly hooked his arm around Kyle's shoulder and said with a grin, "Kyle, what else do you want to buy?"
Taking advantage of this moment, George quickly stepped forward and handed the seven Galleons to Ollivander.
"Ginny will also get a new wand from her brother next year, or a new robe," Fred winked.
Kyle chuckled, "Not so bad about Galleon now?"
"I still am," Fred sighed. "Ron's too clumsy; it feels like a waste to give him a new wand."
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After leaving Ollivander, the group stretched.
"Kyle, we need to hurry," Fred said. "Mom's probably getting impatient; if we're any later, she might come looking for us."
"What else did you need to buy?" George asked.
"Some parchment," Kyle said, "and a bottle of Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution."
[End of the chapter]