In the Harry Potter Without Harry Potter

Chapter 8: Dumbledore

But when you seriously think about it, it's also arguably inevitable that the current Neville character is a world away from the original story.

A large part of the reason why Neville in the story became as timid and cowardly as he did was because of the fact that his parents were tortured into insanity by a Cruciatus Curse when he was a baby, and he was constantly subjected to his strict grandmother's high-handed upbringing on his own, which made his character flawed from the start.

And the main reason the Longbottoms were captured and tortured by the Death Eaters was because Voldemort's followers wanted to find clues about their lord from the couple after the disappearance of Voldemort, who intended to kill Harry Potter only to have his own killing curse backfire on him.

Judging from the current situation, Neville's parents most likely did not fall into such a miserable situation, and Neville was thus taught well by them.

"I have always wanted a wand of my own, and I used to steal Percy's wand and play with it at home, which I one day almost dropped into the fireplace. My mum and dad threw a huge fit when they found out about it, and I've never seen them that angry before."

When he said that, Ron still had a palpitating look on his face.

"They locked me up in the attic for two whole days to make me reflect on my mistake, during which I was only given a glass of water and two slices of bread. I really didn't understand why they reacted that violently when it is only a wand, I went to ask George and Fred about it and they both criticised me with a serious face without telling me why, even though they enjoyed playing tricks on Percy with me before."

Justin asked curiously.

"Is that little wooden stick that Professor McGonagall had in her hand a wand?"

Neville explained to him.

"Yes, that's the tool that wizards use to cast their magic. Maybe all the adults are very attached to their wands and that's why they punished Ron like that."

"How will the professors distribute the wands to us later? Just straight up give us one each?" Lavender asked.

Neville said hesitantly.

"I suppose so, we certainly won't be able to just choose our own here like how it is in the wand shop."

Jon, who hadn't been much involved in their conversation for a while now, apart from speaking a few words, felt certain that the wand thing isn't that simple.

To the wizards of this world, a wand is undoubtedly a very important thing.

In the history of wizardry, after the goblin rebellion was successfully suppressed, the greatest punishment imposed on them was depriving them of the right to use wands, as illustrated in the historical record.

This does not mean that without a wand, a wizard is completely deprived of the ability to use magic, but a wand's complimentary effect on casting magic spells of all kinds is undoubtedly enormous.

The vast majority of wizards would struggle to even cast a proper spell without their wands, and the power of the spell would naturally be greatly diminished.

Even Jon could see that the wand is a vital strategic resource, and he couldn't believe that people on Voldemort's side are too stupid to realise its importance.

After all, there are only a few people in the wizarding world who are capable of making wands, apart from the three most famous wand-making families.

By controlling every source to prevent any new wands from being sold to Dumbledore's people, and by making it compulsory to record all existing wands in the hands of other wizards at the Ministry of Magic, it would be extremely difficult for Dumbledore to get new students their own wands.

It wouldn't be impossible to buy one, but it would inevitably cost a very high price, and it is unlikely that the quantity available would exceed more than three in a short period of time respectively.

So Jon is now curious about the source of the wands they will get later.

Just as the few newly enrolled children were chatting and getting to know each other, Professor McGonagall, who had been away for about ten minutes, reappeared.

"All of you come along with me."

Regardless of whether it is Justin, who was recently brought here, or Ron and Neville, who seem to be somewhat familiar with the place already, looked at Professor McGonagall with great respect.

They rose nervously from their chairs and followed Professor McGonagall out of the room together.

No one spoke on the way, and they kept walking along the long corridor deeper inside, for about twenty metres or so, moving past dozens of room doors before they eventually made their way to the end.

At the end of the long corridor, there is also a door, on which Professor McGonagall knocked gently and addressed the person inside.

"Albus, I've brought the new students to collect their wands."

"Come in."

A gentle, elderly voice came from inside.

Jon followed the four of them at the back of the line after Neville and walked into the room.

It is a modest office, in which only an old man with a head full of white hair sitting in a chair, with a golden perch by his side, on which a bird with golden-red feathers stood, and dozens of portraits behind him, in which every wizard looked old, and each one of them was dozing with their heads down and eyes closed.

And above those portraits, Jon finally saw the familiar school crest.

A lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake, and these four animals surround a capital 'H'.

The identity of the old man in the office is obvious.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. A legendary figure whose achievements shone brilliantly through the wizarding world and whose strength reached the upper level of the wizarding world, he is a figure considered to be the greatest wizard of the twentieth century.

There is nothing special about his appearance, wearing half-moon-shaped glasses, his hair and beard are both dusty white and his face is full of wrinkles left by the passing years, and his smile is just so affable that everyone who sees him smiles can't help but let go of the tension and stress in their hearts.

"I love to see the arrival of new children to this wagon." Dumbledore rose to welcome them, "It means that the cause we are taking on is not one that will be lost after us. I am your Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore."

He didn't look like he was saying that as a polite gesture and acted genuinely happy, pulling a large variety of sweets out of his drawer and gesturing for Jon and the rest of the group to help themselves as much as they wanted.

It was only when Professor McGonagall coughed lightly in the background that he remembered the main business.

"A good working wand is, of course, essential to have before you can actually become a student at a wizarding school."

The smile on Dumbledore's face slowly faded, and his face turned solemn for some reason.

"But for you all, the wand would certainly be more than simply essential; it would be a representation of your, and another's beliefs."

His voice trailed softly as if he was reciting some eulogy that evoked nostalgia.

And then, under the blank stare of Jon, as well as Neville and the rest of the children with him, the old man pulled open the door of a wooden cabinet to the right of his desk.

Inside the cabinet, a dozen wooden boxes were neatly arranged and cushioned on top of white velvet, each of the wands lying quietly inside the wooden box, looked ancient and worn.

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