"Is it enough?" George didn't mind, taking out a bulging cloth bag and placing it on the table with a smile.
There were two main reasons why he chose such a large owl. First, an owl of this size already has considerable attack capability, and if he encounters danger, it can provide him with significant help. Second, he valued its flying ability. A normal magical owl can carry something weighing more than ten kilograms, so an owl of this size should be able to fly with something weighing more than a hundred kilograms without any problem. If trouble arises in the future and he can't handle it, he can have the owl take him away. It's not just a pet; it's also a flying mount. Who else would you choose but it?
"Since you're sure, then of course there's no problem."
The clerk estimated that there were at least four hundred gold Galleons in the bag. George was serious about buying it and wasn't joking, so the clerk enthusiastically helped George move the eagle owl to the cart, fearing that George would change his mind. This owl consumes a lot every day, and if no more wizards come to buy it, they will lose money.
After purchasing the pet, George made his way to the last and most important store, Flourish and Blotts. Today, he wanted to buy not only all the textbooks for the first grade but also many other magic books, especially those about hand gesture casting. Because if he can't learn hand gesture casting, then his original body in the Marvel world will not be able to fully utilize his magical abilities before crafting a wand.
Today was August 3rd, eighteen days before Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing at Flourish and Blotts. The shop wasn't crowded, making finding a book relatively easy. Just ask the clerk.
"Gesture spellcasting? Those books are no longer sold. Everyone uses wands these days, so who would want to learn such an outdated spellcasting method?" The clerk shook his head.
George didn't give up. He continued, "I'm very interested in that outdated spellcasting method. Could you help me find a copy? I'll pay more!"
To show his sincerity, he offered twenty gold Galleons. The clerk hesitated, then held up four fingers. "We'll need to buy them separately, which is very expensive. Forty."
"No problem," George said, taking out forty Galleons and placing them on the table. He knew the price was a rip-off, but if he could get a hand-casting spellbook, he'd pay not just forty, but four hundred.
"Three days, it'll arrive within three days," the clerk said, smiling as he accepted the forty Galleons.
"Then I'll pick it up in three days."
After another round of shopping and paying the marked Galleon price, George, pushing his overflowing cart and humming an unfamiliar tune, began his journey back to the potion shop in Knockturn Alley, ready to teach himself magic.
On the way back, the large, striking eagle owl attracted many curious glances. "Be good and don't make a fuss," George said, placing the eagle owl on the bedroom table and feeding it the rabbit he'd bought from the owl shop. Then, with a few words of caution, he began to sort through the magic books he'd just purchased.
The eagle owl, upon hearing George's words, nodded docilely.
For ordinary young wizards, an eagle owl is too big to handle, dangerous, and unsuitable as a pet. But George was different. His body was stronger than that of an adult, so even the eagle owl, despite its size, was no match for him. As for the danger, his inherited telepathic abilities from Professor X were only at the second level. While they had minimal impact on complex humans, they had a significant effect on simple animals. Not only could he communicate with them easily, but he could also influence their behavior to a certain extent.
Sometimes, George wondered if he devoted time to studying magical creatures, his future would likely be no less impressive than Newt and Hagrid, becoming a magical creature master.
"'Standard Spells, Elementary' and 'Magical Theory'—let's study these first."
He pulled the two most important books from the pile and began studying them intently. For now, the priority was to master practical spells. Other subjects like history of magic, herbology, and potions could be put aside for now, waiting until the crisis at Marvel Studios was over.
This research lasted until the evening.
"Sure enough, it's not that simple!"
George put down the magic book, rubbed his dry eyes, and picked up the bread he bought while shopping in Diagon Alley and started to eat it. When watching the movie, it seems that wizards can cast magic by waving their wands. It seems very simple. But when you actually learn it, you find that it is not that easy to successfully cast a spell. It's the same as cooking. It looks like the same few steps, but when it comes to yourself, you are at a loss. Even if the steps are the same, the taste is different.
According to the magic book, in order to successfully cast a spell, you must first have wizard blood and magic power. Otherwise, even if all the steps behind are fine, it will be in vain. Next is the spell itself. The words must be pronounced clearly. Different spells vary in speed, emotion, and other aspects. Failure to do so will either significantly diminish the magical effect or completely negate it. There's also the rare possibility of unexpected effects.
Finally, there's the wand swing. The wand shouldn't be swung randomly, and the trajectory of each spell will vary. Of course, these are for beginners. If you truly understand and master a spell, even deeply studying its underlying principles, casting it silently and without a wand is easy. A truly top-notch wizard can cast most spells instantly and without a wand.
"Softening Charm, Cutting Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, and Mending Charm. Focus on the Unlocking Charm first."
After finishing his bread, George turned to the page in "Standard Spells, Elementary" that discussed the Unlocking Charm. The spells in the first-year textbook were the most basic and easiest to learn, and they were also essentially powerless. Take the Cutting Charm, for example. Even if he learned it, with his skill level, he could only cut a napkin or something. He probably wouldn't even break a person's skin.
Instead, it would be better to learn the Unlocking Charm first. That way, in the main Marvel universe, he could unlock the mutant power inhibitor bound around his neck and unleash his own abilities. He could also open the various high-tech doors in the laboratory and escape successfully. If there was more time, it wouldn't be too late to learn a few more spells.
In fact, he felt that the Transfiguration Charm should be more useful than the Locking Charm, especially for high-tech weapons. As long as one of the components could be destroyed, it could be disabled. But after thinking it over, he gave up. As a separate category, the Transfiguration Charm would definitely be much more difficult to learn than other spells. Even a genius like Hermione couldn't learn it before school started. He didn't think he could learn it in a short time without guidance. Even if he did learn it, the effect would probably not be that obvious. There was no need to take the risk.
(End of this chapter)