5: Chapter 5 Flourish and Blotts and Knowledge Accumulation

Leaving Ollivander's wand shop, Harry kept his head down, looking at his wand the whole way.

Hagrid watched him and chuckled, "Don't drop it, Harry. A wand isn't just some pencil you can buy at a Muggle shop."

Harry quickly put the wand away.

Allen tucked the wand box under his arm, the sleepiness washing over him again.

Hagrid turned back and asked, "Allen, that wand of yours was really strange. When it flew out on its own, I thought the shelves were going to collapse."

"The shelves didn't collapse, which means the Ollivander family's craftsmanship is decent."

Hagrid paused for a moment, then laughed until his beard shook.

Harry snuck a glance at Allen.

He was already used to it. His cousin didn't say much, but every time he spoke, he could leave someone speechless.

The three of them walked through Diagon Alley and stopped in front of Flourish and Blotts.

The bookstore window was piled high with textbooks for first-years, with a few copies of "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" on top, next to a parchment advertisement hanging nearby:

"Required textbooks for first-year Hogwarts students, 10% off for the start of the term."

Hagrid patted the doorframe, "Alright, buy your books here. I'm going next door to get you two something to eat and buy some parchment. Don't wander off."

After saying that, he added, "Especially don't go to Knockturn Alley."

Allen looked up, "The more you emphasize it, the more it sounds like a recommendation."

Hagrid opened his mouth, but in the end, he only managed to squeeze out, "Just don't go."

He turned and pushed into the crowd.

There were quite a few people inside Flourish and Blotts. The bookshelves were stacked from floor to ceiling, and the air was filled with the scent of paper and ink. A few first-years, clutching their book lists, were running back and forth under the clerk's direction.

Harry looked at the long book list, his expression a bit bitter.

"We have to buy all of these?"

"Hogwarts probably doesn't accept illiterates."

Allen took the book list from his hand and scanned it.

"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1."

"A History of Magic."

"Magical Theory."

"A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration."

"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi."

"Magical Drafts and Potions."

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

"The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection."

Basic textbooks, nothing difficult.

The truly useful things are usually not on the first-year book list.

Allen handed the book list to the clerk, "Two sets of first-year textbooks."

The clerk was a tall, thin young man who nodded after taking the list, "Please wait a moment, Mr. Potter."

"You know me?" Harry asked, feeling a bit nervous.

The clerk looked at his forehead, then at Allen beside him, and gave an awkward smile, "Everyone in Diagon Alley is talking about it today."

Harry lowered his head.

Allen wasn't interested in comforting him and turned to walk toward the back bookshelves.

The front part of Flourish and Blotts sold student textbooks; the back part was where the real focus was.

The spines read "Introduction to Advanced Transfiguration," "36 Practical Defensive Spells," "Manual for Countering Common Dark Arts," "Foundations of Ancient Runes," "Deconstruction of Spell Structure," and "a brief history of spatial magic."

The last book made Allen stop in his tracks.

He pulled it out and opened it.

It was very thin, mostly concepts. The Wizarding World's research into Spatial Magic was pitifully conservative; Apparition was described as high-level spatial movement, Portkeys were classified as external coordinate traction, and the Floo Network was just fixed-channel transport.

As for Portable Space, there was only half a page in the book.

"Theoretically exists, but successful cases are rare, the risk is extremely high, and it is not recommended for underage Wizards to research."

Allen closed the book.

The more they advise against it, the more it's worth buying.

He pulled out a few more related books: "Records of Spatial Folding Accidents," "Portkey Creation and Coordinate Errors," and "A Study of Ancient Alchemical Storage Devices."

The titles were increasingly dull, and the prices were increasingly expensive.

Harry walked over, holding two sets of textbooks, and saw that a pile of books half as tall as a person had already accumulated at Allen's feet.

"Are these also for first-year?"

"No."

"Then why are you buying so many?"

"To avoid becoming like you later, having to ask others about everything."

Harry was speechless.

He wanted to retort but couldn't find the right words. The Dursley family had never let him touch normal books, let alone magic books.

Allen didn't provoke him again and pointed to a row of low-level reading materials nearby.

"Over there, there's 'Common Knowledge of the Wizarding World,' 'Hogwarts: A History,' and 'Modern Quidditch Entry.' You can buy those."

Harry hesitated, "Are these useful?"

"At least they'll save you from asking a few stupid questions."

Harry took his textbooks and went over.

Allen continued picking out books.

For Dark Arts, he took reference books from first to fifth year. For Transfiguration, he took up to fourth year. For Potion, he only bought the basics and material identification; Snape's class relied too much on practical operation, so memorizing books in advance had limited value.

He also bought two books about pure-blood families.

"A Brief Genealogy of British Wizarding Families."

"The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

When the bookstore owner saw this pile of books, the beads on his abacus moved quickly, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Mr. Potter, these books altogether are not cheap."

Allen placed a bag of Galleons on the counter.

"Calculate the total."

The owner's hands moved even faster than before.

Harry watched from the side, stunned.

He had just acquired his vault and was still counting every few Sickles when buying things. Allen was already throwing Galleons at knowledge.

The gap was very obvious.

The books were wrapped in stacks, and the clerk prepared to find someone to help move them.

Allen raised his hand and pressed it on the topmost package, using the bookshelf to block the view from the outside.

The bags of books disappeared.

The second stack, disappeared.

The third stack, gone too.

When the clerk turned back, only two sets of textbooks were left in place.

"Huh? Where did those books go?"

"You have quite large rats in your shop."

The owner's face twitched, and he didn't dare ask more.

Being able to open a bookstore in Diagon Alley, the most basic rule was not to pester Wizards about where their personal items went. Especially when the person was named Potter and had just come out of Gringotts.

Allen handed one set of first-year textbooks to Harry.

"Take these. Don't expect me to carry them for you."

Harry said quietly, "Thank you."

Allen didn't respond.

Just then, the bell at the bookstore entrance rang.

The atmosphere in the shop, which had been relatively relaxed, dropped.

A blonde man in black robes walked in, his cane topped with a silver snake. His long hair was groomed perfectly, his clothes were expensive, and the surface of his shoes was so clean it didn't have a speck of Diagon Alley dust.

Lucius Malfoy.

Behind him followed a boy with the same blonde hair, about their age, his face written all over with, "My family is very rich, you'd better understand that first."

Draco Malfoy.

Allen only glanced at them once and then looked away.

The young master from the original work.

Arrogant in the early stages, not very brave, but with good family resources. The direction of his upbringing was skewed, but the foundation was usable.

Lucius walked to the counter, and the owner bowed even lower than before.

"Mr. Malfoy, the books you need are already prepared."

Lucius nodded, his tone very soft, "Draco is starting school this year, don't make any mistakes."

"Of course, of course."

Draco, however, didn't look at the books; his attention fell on Harry's forehead.

"Are you Harry Potter?"

Harry hugged his books tighter, "Yes."

Draco looked him up and down, then looked at Allen.

"And you? Your last name is Potter too?"

Allen didn't answer.

Draco frowned, "I'm talking to you."

Allen opened the "Hogwarts: A History" in his hand, too lazy to look up.

"I heard you."

Draco was stumped.

Lucius finally turned his gaze to Allen.

"The other Mr. Potter."

His tone was very polite but carried scrutiny.

"I heard the Potter Family still had a side branch. I've finally met one today."

Allen closed the book.

"Mr. Malfoy, your news travels fast."

Lucius's hand rested on his snake-head cane.

"The Wizarding World is not large. One Potter entering Gringotts, another Potter taking half the inheritance—it's hard for such things not to spread."

Harry was stunned.

He had thought no outsiders would know about the Gringotts matter.

Allen wasn't surprised.

Goblins have tight lips, but the walls in the Wizarding World aren't thick. If pure-blood families want to find out information, they always have ways.

"Then you should have also heard," Allen said, "I don't represent Harry, and he doesn't represent me."

Harry looked at him, feeling a bit blocked in his heart, but couldn't find words to retort.

Lucius paused for two seconds.

This sentence was very interesting.

The name Potter was already sensitive enough in the British Wizarding World. Harry was The Chosen One pushed to the forefront by Dumbledore; whoever got close to him would be grouped with Gryffindor.

But the child in front of him had drawn a line first.

Eleven years old.

Excessively sober.

Lucius nodded slightly, "A wise statement. Hogwarts will teach young people that bloodline, stance, and friends—none of them can be chosen wrongly."

Harry frowned.

Allen shoved the book into his bag, "That also depends on whether the teachers are reliable. I heard the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class changes teachers every year; the teaching quality leaves much to the imagination."

The bookstore owner lowered his head and coughed, almost laughing out loud.

Draco couldn't hold back and interjected, "My father says I will definitely enter Slytherin. That's where it's suitable for an ancient family."

Harry couldn't help but say, "Isn't the house determined by the Sorting Hat?"

Draco looked at him, "Some things, even the Sorting Hat understands."

Allen put that book, "The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," into his bag.

"I hope it's more humble than you are."

Draco's face turned red, "What do you mean?"

"Literal meaning. Speak less before enrollment; it can reduce trouble after school starts."

Draco wanted to retort, but Lucius raised his hand to stop him.

"Draco."

Draco shut up, but his eyes were still fixed on Allen.

Lucius looked at Allen, "You are interested in pure-blood family history?"

"Interested in things that can influence Ministry of Magic voting, Board of Governors seats, and newspaper trends."

After these words fell, Lucius finally became a bit more serious.

An ordinary first-year buying "History of Magic" is normal.

An eleven-year-old child buying family genealogies and looking at the Ministry of Magic, the Board of Governors, and newspapers together is not normal.

Lucius's tone softened slightly, "Mr. Potter, you will find that the order of the British Wizarding World is not complicated. As long as you find the right door."

Allen glanced at Draco.

"The door is easy to find. The key may not necessarily be in the hands of adults."

Draco didn't understand.

Lucius understood.

He didn't say more, just took the package handed over by the bookstore owner.

"Draco, let's go."

Before Draco followed his father out the door, he looked back at Allen again.

It wasn't the disdain he had when looking at Harry.

It was curiosity.

And a bit of unwillingness to concede.

Allen tucked the last book into his bag, and his eyelids drooped again.

The first seed had been planted.