A Nascent Kaleidoscope.

Chapter 484: Chapter 439

"A wand? Can I choose it!?" Kunou\'s eyes lit up. "I want a pretty one."

"Erm...." Oh jeez, I always hated to rain on her parade. "From what I\'ve been told, the Wand chooses the person."

"Oh." Her ears flattened a tiny bit.

"It\'s okay, there are some made from Dragons. And Unicorns, and even Phoenix." I reassured her.

Immediately, it was as if she forgot she was sad. "I want one made from all of them!"

"We\'ll see." I just pat her head, not wanting to ruin her excitement anymore.

Kind of sad that Medea and Kuzuki went off for their interview already, I think she would have loved to see this for herself. Not that she can\'t take a look any other time, but I was curious about her insights from her first impressions.

But alas, more important things for them to take care of.

I was genuinely rooting for them.

Thankfully, Ollivander\'s Wand Shop wasn\'t too far away. And it didn\'t have any holes in the building!

It saved me from answering some awkward questions and giving Kunou ideas.

Regardless, it\'s not like I felt guilty. The amount of gold I paid in compensation dwarfed the actual damages that spontaneously appeared, completely without my prompt.

Kunou apparently didn\'t wait at all and pushed the door right open.

The little bell was still there as we went in.

My eyes landed on Ollivander as he was about to address Kunou, but he then looked at me and his expression turned very sour. "Oh, it\'s you."

"What could he possibly mean by that?" Yasaka raised an eyebrow, looking at me.

"I\'ve never met this man before in my life." I quickly defended myself. "Speaking of, I have the materials to make the wand we talked about."

"Clearly, you are strangers." Yasaka drawled.

He perked up, but glanced at Kunou and seemingly pushed that to the side. "Important matters first. I assume you are here for your first wand, Young Lady?" His tone shifted noticeably as he addressed Kunou. Not to mention, he didn\'t even bat an eye at her features.

That won him some major points in my book.

"Yu huh." Kunou nodded. "Can I have a Dragon Wand? Also I want it to be a Unicorn. And make it red like a firebird."

Ollivander let out a chuckle. "I\'m afraid that\'s not how wands work. You see, wands are peculiar things, they are. They have a special bit of magic in them, and they choose the witch or wizard just as they are chosen in turn."

"But I want my wand to be special." Kunou pouted.

"It will be special my dear, do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because it will be your wand." He smiled, rather grandfatherly. "Because just like you, the wand is one of a kind. And it\'s been waiting a very long time to meet you."

"Really?" Kunou\'s eyes widened.

"Most certainly." He nodded. "Would you like to help me find it?"

"Yes!"

Alright, I officially liked this guy. Anyone who treated Kunou so kindly and genuinely will receive my good will. Woe be to anyone who tries anything against him.

"Now, let\'s just hope you are not like your father." He said quietly.

"Nuh, I\'m gonna be like daddy."

".....oh dear." His smile became rather strained.

"....I\'ll pay?" I said awkwardly.

"Yes, I\'m sure you will." His lips thinned. "Let us get started. What\'s your wand hand, my dear?"

"Uh right?" Kunou held up her right hand.

"Left." Yasaka corrected. "Her left hand is her dominant hand, but she\'s fairly decent at using her right as well."

Ollivander nodded and went to the shelves that were stacked with wand cases. "Dare we start with a Dragon core...?"

"Dragon, Dragon!" Kunou demanded.

"....Dragon it is." He smiled despite his previous reluctance. I could tell there was a genuine care and enthusiasm he had about his work. "Made with a good solid Oak wood from a 4,000 year old Grandfather Oak." He took it out, holding it up for her. "Go ahead, give it a nice flick."

Kunou grabbed it. "Look Daddy, I have my own wand now!" She casually swung it around, and a ball of fire molded into the shape of a fox burst out through the nearby window. ".....um....that wasn\'t me."

"....is that good or bad?" Yasaka asked.

"That\'s normal." I responded.

"....normal is subjective in this case." Ollivander quickly took the wand back from Kunou\'s grasp. "There was something here, but it was a tad too volatile, it was a good first try." He put it away in its case. "Lets try another wood, how about Dragon Heart String and Ebony." He produced another beautifully crafted wand. "A wand for someone steadfast in their beliefs and willing to blaze their own path."

"Do I do the thing again?" Kunou held it up hesitantly.

"Go ahead, give it another flick." Ollivander smiled calmly, despite ducking behind shelter.

Kunou flicked it again, rather than Fire, a torrent of water shot at the shelf, soaking everything in the vicinity before the magical water receded.

"Joy, more water damage." He said dryly.

"I\'m sorry." Kunou\'s ears flattened.

"Oh, my dear, it is most certainly not your fault." He quickly reassured her, despite retrieving the wand from her possession. "This is...entirely normal." Both Yasaka and I could tell he wasn\'t being entirely truthful there.

Despite that, we were thankful.

"However, I believe we are close. Dragon Heart String is a good match, and the wand was almost a match." He hummed. "It might have even accepted you if push came to shove. But regardless, there is a better wand amongst these present." He paused, snapping his fingers. "What is your birthday, my dear?"

"My Birthday?" Kunou tilted her head. "It\'s in 9 days!"

Ollivander\'s eyes lit up and he quickly searched through the small pile of boxes, fishing out another wand. "Then let me be the first to wish you a happy birthday with your new wand." He presented it to her. "Go ahead, I have a feeling this one will be a bit different."

Kunou took it into her hand, and a colorful array of lights enveloped her. They swirled around a few moments before settling it. "It\'s happy." Kunou looked down at her wand. "Daddy, I have a wand!"

"You sure do." So that\'s what it looked like when a wand accepted an owner.

"Dragon Heart String Core with Rowan wood. Fierce, yet kind. Protective, but that doesn\'t always mean defensive. For all the years that my family has made wands, I can boast that not a single one of my Rowan wands has gone on to do devil in the world. This Wand will serve your daughter well."

"Thank you." I said with full sincerity.

"It\'s always a pleasure to help young ones find their companions, Mr. Schweinorg."

"I noticed you said young ones." I pointed out.

"Indeed I did." His expression turned sour again. "That will be 7 Galleons for the Wand. Do you want anything else? A wand cleaning kit?"

"There are kits to clean your wand?" Yasaka blinked.

"Oh my, let me add a book on wand maintenance as well.....I feel as though it will be needed."

"Give us everything you think she\'ll need, don\'t worry about the cost." Yasaka agreed.

"Wonderful." He clapped his hands. "And I believe you have materials for me?"

Wordlessly, I pulled out the two strands of hair, one from Izzy, and one from Meridia, as well as the piece of wood that Meridia got for me.

Ollivander looked at what I handed him, then sighed.

"What?" I questioned. "What did I do wrong?"

"You did not do anything wrong, Mr. Schweinorg, I am just lamenting my workshop in its final moments. Ordinary materials can be extremely volatile. And while I do not recognize what you hold, I have been crafting wands for many years, I can recognize powerful reagents when I see them." He carefully, took them from my hands, as if they were the most dangerous of weapons. "I can\'t promise this will be done soon..."

"We\'ll be in town next when dropping Kunou off for school."

"That should suffice." He nodded. "Let me ring everything up and.....store away any potential hazardous materials."

[***]

"That was fun, where to next?" Yasaka asked as we walked back out onto the street. Many more people were gawking at us as they walked by. While the place wasn\'t particularly crowded, there were a good number of people coming and going.

I held up her letter. "Let\'s see, we need to get some stuff for potions class. I\'m a bit curious about their Alchemy practices myself, so let\'s go to the potion shop next."

"That\'s boring, let\'s go see the magic animals". Kunou tugged at my sleeve. "Dad, I want a familiar like you."

"How about we finish everything we need, then we can shop around?" Yasaka gently nudged her forward between us. "And then, after we\'re done, we can get some Ice Cream. I heard they have a lot more flavors than we\'re used to back home. But, that\'s if you\'re a good girl."

"I\'ll be good." Kunou quickly affirmed.

Despite how much I loved seeing my Daughter act like a sweet little girl, it also strained my heart knowing she was going to have to grow up a tad during her stay at Hogwarts.

Yasaka and I have talked about her at length. It\'s not a secret that she was.....a bit immature at times. Not that she can\'t be, she\'s nearing only Eleven years old. But she lagged behind a little bit for other people her age it seems.

Yasaka said that older species tended to grow at different rates, which reassured me. And apparently my presence also did something to have her acting a bit younger than her age would imply. But we\'ve been watching it closely, making sure there\'s nothing wrong.

In hindsight, it made sense for her wanting to be childish more often than not. She\'s also had plenty of responsibilities thrust on her throughout her short life. Being the child of the literal ruler of her people can do that to someone.

Apparently, it\'s not much of a problem back at school when Raikou was looking after her there. Just her prerogative to be our little girl whenever we\'re around.

Thus, we\'re both happy she\'s going to have the chance to mature organically among people her own age.

Overall, this will be a very good experience for her.

"Dad, teach me some magic!" Kunou exclaimed, holding her want up. "I want to shoot lightning like you do! Pew pew!" She started waving her wand around.

I think Yasaka and I both sort of jerked at her sudden movements, recalling what she did before. But surprisingly, there was no errant Magic being shot off accidently.

"How about I teach you the first spell you\'re going to learn in school?" I offered.

Her eyes lit up. "Teach me!"

"Hold your wand up and say Lumos."

"Lumos?" Kunou said, and a tiny flickering light appeared and disappeared just as quickly. The visible excitement overtook her. "Lumos, Lumos, Lumos, Lumos Lumos!" She started saying without a second thought.

Yasaka looked at me, a growing grin as her tail found my waist again. "Well done."

"Thank you."

There were tiny little flickers appearing over and over as she tried to cast. But Yasaka was praising me for my ability to distract her from wanting to shoot lightning.

Thankfully, it was a short walk to the closest potion shop.

Slug and Jigger\'s Apothecary.

It sounded like names, in which case, who named their child \'slug\'?

That\'s even weird by my own standards and I visited a world where people thought hard on how to give their children unique names based on colors.

Kunou curiously poked her head inside and we had to gently nudge her forward.

The letter itself recommended this shop as they basically catered to new students preparing for Hogwarts for the first year.

There weren\'t many people inside, which was nice.

"Welcome, welcome." Someone was quick to greet us with that patented Sales Person fake smile. His eyes also lingered on both Yasaka and Kunou, no doubt their unique features. "Here to browse or do you have something particular in mind?"

"Our Daughter is going to be attending Hogwarts for her first year." Yasaka smiled, looking down at Kunou.

"Congratulations!" He clapped his hands. "We\'re having a sale on all the first year supplies as it were. We can get that all packed up neatly, no trouble at all."

"That would be wonderful."

"Do you mind if we look around?" I asked.

"No at all, feel free to peruse at your leisure, I\'ll have your supplies ready at the counter in a few minutes. Since we get new students the most, we keep a sample of each potion we have in stock with a description and effect next to them. If you see anything that catches your eye, just give us a holler and we\'ll add it to your costs."

Simple enough.

Yasaka quickly grabbed onto Kunou. "Why don\'t we look together."

Best to nip any mischief in the bud in such a situation.

Well, I also began to peruse as he said.

I admit, my desire here wasn\'t entirely set on Kunou\'s errands. My Mage Killer needed the right juice to get it started. I couldn\'t just find hydra Venom and dip my new sword into it. It needed to build up to something that powerful. Right now, it was probably the weakest sword I had, but it could grow.

Let\'s see..... a Beautification Potion, meh.

It was only temporary.

A Befuddlement Draught, that\'s interesting. If the user drinks it, they become confused and reckless. I wonder if we could alter it to turn it into a vapor if it touches air? Make it a throwable weapon...

Bulgeye Potion....makes the user\'s eyes swell...?

Okay, that\'s strange.

Bundimum Secreation....oh, a magical cleaner, that\'s actually very convenient, I\'ll need to get a good supply of that to experiment with. Many people wouldn\'t understand how difficult it is to clean up after certain experiments involving magical materials. If it works out well, we could make a mint back at the Mage\'s Association.

Uh, they were ordered Alphabetically.

I turned the next isle.

Madame Glossy\'s Silver Polish – Another Magical Cleaner.

I\'m making another note.

Memory potion, enhanced the user\'s memory for a spell. Now that sounds extremely useful and worth picking up.

I skipped a few isles because I wasn\'t finding anything particularly useful. I decided just to start at the first and work my way down instead of randomly bouncing around.

My eyes skimmed the first few of the \'A\' Section and I came to a screeching halt.

Amortentia, otherwise known as the world\'s strongest Love Potion.

Just mentally reading the words made my nostrils flare up.

It doesn\'t create real love, just a powerful obsession.

...and they\'re just selling it openly.

What the fuck.

Note to self, enhance Kunou\'s protections to account for ingested mental alterations. Especially Love Potions.

I\'m going to need to tell Medea about this shit, and she is most definitely not going to be happy.

"Dear, find anything interesting?" I didn\'t even realize Yasaka was poking her head over my shoulder. "....oh dear." She realized what I was staring at.

"Already on it." I reassured her.

"Good." She gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I would rather not burn down this country."

And that wasn\'t hyperbole.

"What?" Kunou pushed between us.

"Nothing sweetie, just some icky potions. Did you know they add live frogs to some of these?" I grinned at her.

"Eww, dad." She made gagging noises, and walked away.

I couldn\'t help but chuckle. "I\'ll go pay for everything." I gave one of Yasaka\'s tails a little squeeze as I walked towards the front counter. The same guy from before was sorting things out, putting them on the counter, I presumed they were what we needed, but my eyes were drawn to something else.

Similar as the lines of potions from behind me, there was another potion sitting on the counter, but it was locked away with noticeable enchantments to protect it.

A very thin vial containing a golden liquid.

Felix Felicis, also called \'Liquid Luck\'. A potion that made the drinker lucky for a period of time.

That sounded like complete bullshit. Luck was.... A nebulous concept. It was hard to conceptualize, not to mention measure and alter in the form of a potion.

"Ah, Liquid Luck caught your eye?" The salesperson grinned from behind the counter. "Not many people have actually seen it properly brewed. We only get a tiny bit every now and then, and it\'s bloody expensive."

"How much?" I asked.

"For that right there, that be costing about 5,000 Galleons." He responded.

"I\'ll buy all of it that you have." Honestly, I really wanted to investigate the claims.

"Sorry mate, no can do. One of the Ministries\' regulated substances, not allowed to sell more than that to a person. It\'s toxic in large quantities, and banned in almost everything." He shrugged.

Well, that\'s unfortunate. Slowly, I put my hand on the counter, producing a small stack of gold. "And there\'s nothing you can do?"

The guy, he paused, looking at the gold for a long moment. He stretched his hand out, sliding it over to himself and putting it into his pocket. "Unfortunately, the Ministry is thorough in their checks of our supplies. However, I did hear rumors that certain shops in Knockturn Alley are not as closely monitored." He replied.

Interesting.

"By happenstance, do these shops you\'ve heard rumors of, do they also have other potions, such as poisons and the like?"

"My good sir, I could not comment on what they sell and do not sell. Only that for some reason they remain open, catering to a large audience even though we sell everything anyone could want with a clear conscious."

Well, if I couldn\'t understand the hidden subtext there, I didn\'t deserve it.

I wouldn\'t be surprised if the owners of this place didn\'t own a shop over there as well, and they sell the less savory things out of prying eyes.

"Thank you for your explanations." I added another tip.

"It\'s my pleasure sir. And here are the items you requested, A beginner\'s set of Crystal Vials. A Brass Scale for measuring ingredients. One basic potions ingredients\' kit, complete with everything you will need for the first year. We also included the books needed, if you haven\'t already purchased them. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Magical Drafts and Potions. Will there be anything else, sir?"

"Can you add in a few different Cleaning potions? The kind for removing magical stains, and the like. I don\'t care about cost or whatever, just give me your best. Also, give me a bottle of Amortentia." I want to see how it works so I can make a counter, just in case.

"Coming right up." He didn\'t even bat an eye when I said I want to buy a Love Potion that induces obsession.

Yet, the other thing is regulated.

The more I learn about this place, the more I find it confusing to my morals and sensibilities.

@***@

"That was certainly interesting." Yasaka commented as we left the shop. "I saw a potion that apparently turned your tongue into a snakes."

"Oh?" I looked her way. "Does it give you ideas?"

A wide grin slowly tugged its way up her face. "It\'s certainly something we\'ll have to play with."

"Eww, why would you want a snake tongue?" Kunou made an ick noise. "I liked the one that turned your head into a pumpkin. Can we get that later?"

"Well, you\'ll be getting your own allowance while you\'re at school, so if that\'s something you want to get, you\'re allowed to." Yasaka forced a smile.

One of the things we agreed on was to not limit Kunou\'s spending. That is to say, she had a limit on the amount, but what she purchased was up to her. Teach her a bit of responsible spending by her own hand. Obviously all her needs would be taken care of, and if something came up, Medea was there for certain things.

We were almost positive she was going to blow her first allowance – we were doing it twice a year – within the first week, and would have to wait nearly 6 months for a refill.

"Let\'s see, next should be getting outfitted for robes." And that\'s probably going to be just as fun as it sounds.

"Robes." Yasaka scrunched her nose. Despite the continuous stares the people were giving us, we didn\'t really dwell on it all too much. But in the same vein, we could see what robes really entailed while looking at the normal attire here.

"I like them!" Kunou exclaimed

"I suppose that\'s all that matters." Yasaka pursed her lips.

It was basically right across the street from where we were. "Do you mind if I step away for a few minutes while you get started?"

"Hmm, got something you want to do?" Yasaka asked.

"Yeah, there\'s apparently the more unsavory parts of this place that sell some things I need, and I didn\'t want to disrupt anything, nor, well..." I glanced at Kunou who was staring into the window of the clothing place.

"Go take care of it, but come back soon." She gave me another kiss on the cheek.

Will do.

"Come on sweetie, daddy needs to run a quick errand, so we\'re going to find some nice clothes that you can model for him when he comes back." Yasaka took her hand.

"Okay, Momma." Kunou accepted it and she was led into the clothing store.

I waited a moment before making sure they were fine, then cast a quick illusion over myself to gradually blend into the surroundings. Once I noticed no one noticed me, I used Shunpo to move quickly across the Alley, as I vaguely recalled where the entrance to Knockturn alley was.

For some reason it was spooky looking.

Very few people were nearby at this point, and I just shrugged, walking down it.

It was definitely less kept than Diagon Alley, that was for certain. Even the cobblestone road was...uneven, pieces of stock sticking out, cracked and shattered in other places. There were some destroyed buildings that were slowly rotting and falling apart, while others showed exuberance that came from lots of traffic and use.

There was also graffiti, which was something I didn\'t expect from a Magical Place.

There seemed to be more people as I went deeper. Lots of people with covered faces, and hoods. And not everyone was human either.

I think I saw a Hag walking on the other side of the street.

Turning the corner, I stopped because someone was pressing a wand to my throat. Did I notice them there? Yes, I did.

Did I care?

No, I did not.

"Why don\'t you –"

I jabbed him in the throat and grabbed his wand, snapping it in half before tossing it onto his prone body after he fell to the ground.

It was enough that the other people who had been eyeing me turned away and went about their own business.

Yeah, I knew how places like this operated. I could guess what they thought, that I was some rich kid in their eyes with more money than brains. Once I showed that I was more than able to deal with problems that came up, they stopped caring too much.

But regardless, I eyed what I came here for. There were no names present, but a wooden sign overhead with the picture of a cauldron told me all that I needed to know.

I wasted no time entering, but I took a moment to take in my surroundings once I stepped foot inside.

There was the peculiar scent of death inside. Perhaps that was from the hanging dead animals that were decorating one side of the wall.

"Welcome." A rather smooth voice brushed against my ears.

I saw the person sitting behind the counter, he looked probably about thirty years old, a bit pale. Atleast, that would be for a normal person, I would assume.

I could see through his magical disguise.

The red eyes, the elongated teeth when he opened his mouth.

"A vampire, huh." I idly commented.

He stiffened, surprised that I said it. I think I momentarily put him at a loss for words. Well, I suppose his disguise worked the vast majority of the time.

"I can\'t smell any blood on your hands, so I\'m guessing you don\'t go around freely for your meals." It\'s rather easy to tell when someone kills frivolously once you reach a certain point. "I don\'t care as long as you\'re not causing problems."

While I can\'t claim to have any love for Vampires as a whole, it would be very hypocritical of me to deny him his life because of simply what he was.

Objectively, I believe the fact that I\'m a Half-Devil trumped him being a Vampire.

He seemed to ease up a tad. I don\'t think he\'s been a vampire for very long. Relatively speaking of course, Vampires are very long lived, a couple centuries is basically a baby in the eyes of the really old ones.

Well, since the charade was dropped, and he realized I wasn\'t here to do anything, a slowly forming smile grew on his face. "Welcome to Night-Time Tonics. We have a wide selection of potions and herbs for any occasion. And I accept payment in many forms. Blood, if you would be so inclined, is one of my favorites."

"You\'re not getting my blood." I immediately denied that avenue.

"A shame, I can smell it from here, and it\'s intoxicating."

"You can always try taking it forcibly." I raised an eyebrow.

"I much prefer my life, thank you." He quickly responded.

Well, don\'t let it be said that Vampires can\'t have good instincts.

Well, let\'s get down to business. "You wouldn\'t happen to have some Felix Felicis, would you?"

"A curious choice." He hummed. "I do have half a flask of it remaining. It\'s going to be twice as expensive than if you purchased it elsewhere." He emphasized.

I casually waved it off. "Money isn\'t an issue."

"Ah, my favorite sort of customer." He perked up. "And what else can I do for you?"

I began to wander between the shelves he had stocked. "Poisons?"

"I have a large variety."

"I want them all."

".....all of them?"

"A flask of each." I clarified. "Do you have any particularly potent ones?\'

"I just happened to get a small vial of Basilisk Venom." He revealed.

"Basilisk Venom?"

"One of the most potent Venoms in the world. However, it is very expensive. And highly illegal to possess without the proper documents and Ministry oversight."

"Well, good thing I don\'t live here under the Ministry." I shrugged. "Price isn\'t an issue. Feel free to throw in anything else in that same vein."

"Allow me a moment, I will prepare your purchase." He was moving all around behind the counter, and into a small back room, taking things out, setting them on the counter as they piled up.

"I have a question if you don\'t mind." I leaned against the counter.

"Information comes with a price." He casually responded.

"For a Vampire, you sure care a lot about money."

"Being a Vampire does not absolve me of needing to make a living."

"Huh." I pondered that. "What was it like? Becoming a Vampire, then realizing that you still needed to work?"

"One of the worst days of my existence." He snorted. "Do you know what the worst part about finding work as a Vampire is?"

"Discrimination?"

"No, well yes." He tilted his head. "You get used to the looks and such after awhile. But no, it\'s that you\'re expected to work overtime without additional pay. Just because I\'m a nocturnal being does not mean I don\'t have a life." He sniffed.

"That\'s a shame." I said with full sincerity. "But that wasn\'t the only question I wanted to ask. I was curious about your opinion on Felix Felicis."

"My opinion?" He questioned.

"I\'m mostly just buying it just to see if I can\'t understand it better. Do a bit of research, that whole thing."

"Many people have attempted to decipher the potion over the years. Even the original creator – Zygmunt Budge, couldn\'t claim that the potion was entirely his doing."

"What, like it was an accident?\'

"Perhaps. Or maybe that the potion wished to be created?" He said cryptically.

"Well, if luck is an actual measurable and quantifiable factor, that means that it\'s possible for it to retroactively activate and give birth to its own existence. Such that he would obviously test his own creation, thus the first time he used it, it was in fact, the potion itself that let him accidently create it previously." I just spoke my thoughts aloud.

"You would not be the first to have that theory." He set another flask and vial onto the counter.

Huh, I guess there are proper researchers in this world then.

"So, what can I expect if I drink this?" I held up the vial I purchased from the other place.

He paused, looking at the vial. "12 hours of unmitigated good luck." He said evenly. "Give or take 15 minutes. If you merely wish to test the initial effects, I suggest only drinking half of it. Any less and the effects become drastically reduced."

I was admittedly skeptical about this.

I would need to do some thorough testing before I used it in a more dubious situation.

And there was the consideration if the \'luck\' it bestowed could stand up to things that were, let\'s just say, higher up on the food chain than the run of the mill Wizard or Witch that prances around here.

Probability manipulation wasn\'t exactly an uncommon concept used among my cohorts.

"So it\'s assuredly good luck?"

"Most assuredly." He nodded. "Even if the situation appears to be detrimental, you can be assured that it is to your overall benefit. I once heard a story of a wizard who drank a phial, then was stabbed by a non-magical mugger. He quickly apparated to the nearest hospital, and they found out the vial he drank contained poison. He would have never found out had he not been stabbed."

Huh....

"Speaking of poison."

"You will have enough to put down several giants." He swept his arms around at the many containers littering his counter.

I merely waved my hand, and an equal number of bags of gold dropped onto the free space left.

His eyes sparkled. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"I\'ll be back if I need anything else." I quickly collected my new stuff and left. I admit I was a little anxious to get started on my new Sword. Heck, I haven\'t even thought of a proper name yet! Maybe something like Greed, since it continuously takes in things to strengthen itself?

Was that too on the nose? Considering that it contained a purer concept of greed itself?

I admit I liked a more simple naming convention.

Whisper, Mirage, etc.

I would need to ask my girls for their opinions, I don\'t think I\'m really the best at naming things.

With a burst of Shunpo, I was back at the entrance to Knockturn Alley, ready to head back.

I stopped though, and looked at the vial of Felix Felicis in my hand.

He said it was purely good luck, so, how about we give it a shot?

I popped the lid off and downed half of it in one god.

Tasted like a mix between apple and strawberry.

I waited for something to happen, for something in me to change. I felt nothing, and nothing around me was out of place.

I gave it a second, looking around curiously, but there didn\'t appear to be any response.

With a shrug, I took a step back into Diagon alley, and immediately? I heard an explosion in the direction of where Yasaka and Kunou were.

[Well done.] Ddraig noted.

How the hell is that in any way my fault?

[Let\'s be honest, something was bound to blow up around you with or without a magical luck potion to facilitate it.]

...fuck you.

I quickly used another burst of Shunpo to check up on my girls.

This wasn\'t my fault this time.

[Sureee.]

It wasn\'t!

[I totally believe you.]

[***]

A/N

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