Diagon Alley had a shop specifically for buying owls, Eeylops Owl Emporium.
There, Jeremy took a liking to an owl with black, white, and brown feathers, its white markings interspersed between the black and brown, making it very handsome and beautiful; although it was only a little over a year old, it was very steady and a handsome little gentleman.
Jeremy liked it very much, paid 12 Galleons on the spot, and left carrying the owl, Perry.
Jeremy silently tallied the items he had purchased.
Books cost 13 Galleons, tools and supplies cost 28 Galleons, first-year robes cost 40 Galleons, he also ordered some everyday clothes in ordinary materials for only 20 Galleons, various stationery items came to 5 Galleons, his wand was 7 Galleons, and the owl was 12 Galleons.
The total was 125 Galleons.
Not bad, with 77 Galleons remaining, it should be enough to get him through his first year.
Jeremy relaxed at the thought, following behind Professor McGonagall with a sense of contentment and anticipation.
"Professor McGonagall, I have a question I'd like to ask you," Jeremy said after some hesitation.
Professor McGonagall stopped walking, glanced at Jeremy, and said with slight puzzlement, "Although you haven't started school yet, I am still willing to answer your questions. Have you encountered some trouble, Mr. Pringle?"
"It's like this. When my parents took me into hiding before, they specifically told me not to use magic, so evil wizards wouldn't find me. I kept suppressing myself. For several years now, I've felt like I don't have magic anymore. Professor McGonagall, can I still attend Hogwarts?"
Jeremy's face showed anxiety and confusion, his lip bitten, carrying a hint of unease.
Upon hearing it was a magical problem, Professor McGonagall immediately became cautious.
"You found your wand at Ollivander's, which shows your magic is fine, but I'll check again just in case."
She led Jeremy to a quiet spot, drew her wand, and cast several diagnostic charms at him.
The charms reflected bright white light, and Professor McGonagall's expression softened.
"Draw your wand, Mr. Pringle. Imagine the wand tip glowing, and repeat after me: Lumos."
Jeremy obediently took out his wand, closed his eyes, and sensed the chakra within his body. He had spent all last night extracting it, and now his body held a considerable amount, but Jeremy was unclear how this quantity related to magical power.
The chakra was quickly mobilized, gradually moving along his meridians toward the wand. Jeremy didn't know the proper wand movements or gestures for spell-casting, relying solely on instinct as he gave a small wave. The chakra surged out along the wand.
"Lumos," Jeremy said softly.
The Wand-Lighting Charm wasn't very difficult; even first-years could do it easily, the only issue being whether the light was steady or not.
"An excellent spell. You truly are skilled at charms. Don't worry, Mr. Pringle. Your magical circulation has no issues. Your magical flux is stable, your output is steady, it's even better than most new students."
Professor McGonagall's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. Only then did Jeremy open his eyes, seeing the continuously bright light at the tip of his wand, and an involuntary smile spread across his face.
"Magic is closely connected to our souls. Some wizards, after an illness, suffer brain damage and temporarily lose their magic. Some Squibs suddenly perform magic as adults. And some young wizards, because they suppress their inner selves too much, find their magic trapped inside their bodies, unable to be released."
"Perhaps you lost your magical perception due to excessive suppression before. But now, you have no problems at all."
Professor McGonagall patiently explained, and Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed chakra in this world was equivalent to magic; he didn't need to worry about compatibility issues between the two power systems.
Furthermore, the total amount of chakra generally stabilized before a ninja turned thirty, and a wizard's magical power also typically solidified around that age.
This also indicated that the two shared certain commonalities.
And this brought certain advantages for Jeremy. For example, he could use the method of extracting chakra to enhance his magical power, training his magic in the way of a ninja, mastering spells earlier and faster.
Snapping back to reality, Professor McGonagall prepared to take Jeremy home. Jeremy seized the opportunity to make a request.
"Professor McGonagall, my father told me he has a friend who owns a shop in Diagon Alley. Could I visit him?"
Jeremy spoke with a mix of truth and falsehood, mainly due to his ninja instincts, which made him conceal certain information, fearing that being too forthright might attract those with ulterior motives.
Professor McGonagall didn't mind; instead, she was pleased for Jeremy.
"Of course. I'm very glad you have an elder who cares about you, Mr. Pringle. Young wizards always need guidance from their elders to grow."
Soon, following the address his father had left, Jeremy arrived at a quiet corner of Diagon Alley.
Hide-and-Seek Junk Shop.
This was a shop owned by Lawrence. Jeremy didn't know why his father had chosen that name.
But when he entered and saw the vast array of items inside, with wizards weaving between the shelves as if playing hide-and-seek, he acknowledged the name was fitting.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall and young wizard. Is there something you need to buy?" An old wizard with graying hair, stooped slightly, came over and asked warmly.
Professor McGonagall said nothing and looked at Jeremy. Jeremy spoke.
"Hello, are you Mr. Cora Hill? I am Jeremy Pringle. Lawrence Pringle is my father. Father instructed me to visit you before school starts and to convey his regards."
Upon hearing this, Cora Hill carefully examined Jeremy's features. A flicker of surprise crossed his face when he saw Jeremy's light-colored pupils, but he finally nodded.
"Yes, that's right. You look very much like Lawrence. We are good friends. Child, if you need anything at all, you can owl me anytime. I'd be very happy to help."
Jeremy smiled. "That's wonderful. May I call you Grandpa Cora?"
Cora Hill nodded kindly, smiling. Only then did Jeremy continue.
"Grandpa Cora, I came today to buy my school supplies, so I won't say much now. I'll come visit you more often when I have the chance."
Cora Hill, still beaming, turned and pulled a small pouch from under the counter.
"I've been waiting a long time for this day. This is your school gift, some little novelty items. Take them home to play with."
Jeremy guessed this was probably the shop's dividends from over the years.
Seeing it was getting late, Jeremy said goodbye to Cora and was taken home by Professor McGonagall.
"This is your ticket for King's Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Don't miss the time. See you at the start of term."
Leaving behind a ticket, Professor McGonagall disappeared.
Jeremy put away the items he had bought, sat cross-legged on his bed, laid his wand horizontally across his knees, and began to refine chakra.
Before school started, he not only needed to extract sufficient chakra but also master chakra control to better manage his magic and learn spells.
He also needed to grow closer to his own wand, increasing intimacy.
He should also find time to read through all the first-year textbooks.
He also needed to visit Grandpa Cora at his Diagon Alley shop again, to see if Grandpa Cora had anything to give him, and to exchange knowledge about common sense in the wizarding world.
Jeremy gently exhaled, and his consciousness slowly sank into stillness.
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