Chapter 99: The Worker

London, Diagon Alley.

A small, dilapidated shop; the golden sign above its door had peeled away, reading: Ollivander: Crafting Wands Since 382 B.C. Inside the dusty display window, a single wand lay alone on a faded purple velvet cushion.

Since it was not yet time for Hogwarts to send out acceptance letters, there were few customers in the shop.

But today, an unexpected visitor arrived. It was the height of summer in London, and passersby wore light clothing—yet this visitor was clad in a long robe, his hands tightly wrapped in fabric...

He hesitated for a moment at the shop’s entrance, then pushed the door open.

The interior was tiny, containing nothing but a long bench; the visitor sat quietly upon it, waiting.

“Good afternoon!” came a soft voice.

The visitor immediately stood up. “Hello, Mr. Ollivander!”

An old man stood before him, his pale, large eyes gleaming like two bright moons in the dim shop.

“Oh, ten and a quarter inches, sandalwood, dragon heartstring—excellent for Transfiguration, Finis. Welcome!” Mr. Ollivander murmured gently.

The unexpected visitor was Allen Finis.

It was clearly 10.24 inches—how crude the magical world’s measuring standards were! Allen silently grumbled; this length was the result of his precise measurement.

Yet he dared not show his thoughts. He bowed to Mr. Ollivander. “Sir, I am here to fulfill my earlier promise. Thank you for your help back then.”

“Every young wizard in the magical world is precious. I could not stand by and watch a child miss school simply because he had no wand,” Mr. Ollivander said softly.

“But it seems you’ve been doing well at Hogwarts—you’ve grown half a head taller since last year,” Ollivander added cheerfully.

“Yes, my teachers and classmates have been kind. I’ve made many friends there,” Allen replied, following Ollivander’s lead.

Ollivander seemed to recall something else. He studied Allen closely, sensing something unusual.

“Have you found a cure for your condition at Hogwarts? I see your cranial organs are perfectly normal! And why are you dressed so heavily on such a hot day? Look at you—drenched in sweat...” Ollivander said, puzzled.

Allen could only grimace. Lately, he had been performing Wand Talent Transformation daily. The random results had been relatively normal—until today, when he drew something decidedly abnormal.

He had almost decided not to come today. But he realized, with sorrow, he had nowhere else to go. His money wasn’t even enough to pay for one night at the Leaky Cauldron. Though he knew the people there well, he didn’t want to beg for a bed.

So he came straight here—to Ollivander’s wand shop. After all, he still had over two months of work ahead. He couldn’t stop his Wand Talent Transformation during that time. Mr. Ollivander would have to face this eventually—so he came directly.

Please don’t kick me out, Allen prayed silently.

“Child! Take off that robe and cool down! I fear you’re about to heatstroke. Here, drink this glass of iced water first.” Mr. Ollivander warmly urged.

A glass of iced water, beaded with condensation, floated gently toward Allen.

Allen stared at the water and swallowed hard—he was truly sweltering.

“Mr. Ollivander, please prepare yourself. Whatever you see next, don’t panic—it won’t harm you...” Allen warned solemnly.

Ollivander was confused.

“I’ve seen everything in my long life. But I don’t understand what you mean!”

Allen sighed. He had warned him. If he was frightened, it was no longer Allen’s concern.

“Drink up, child!” Ollivander gazed at him kindly.

The next moment, he drew a sharp breath.

A brown tentacle coiled around the glass, its suckers clearly visible through the transparent surface.

Yes—today, Allen’s random talent had become an octopus tentacle. Both his hands had transformed into octopus tentacles, each covered in numerous suckers—enough to trigger anyone’s trypophobia.

Fortunately, the tentacles retained the same sensitivity as human hands, so they didn’t interfere with his daily life at all.

Most peculiarly, whenever Allen experienced fear, excitement, or emotional shifts, the tentacles changed color.

Allen was unbearable hot. He took the glass of iced water with one tentacle and used the other to peel off his robe...

His full appearance was now exposed to Ollivander.

Allen drained the glass in one gulp. Instantly, he felt refreshed—then realized Ollivander had vanished.

“Mr. Ollivander, where are you? It’s still just my talent! Don’t be afraid!” Allen called out, searching the shop.

Finally, he found Ollivander huddled in a corner, staring at him in terror. His eyes darted over the tentacles but refused to linger on them.

“Why has your condition worsened since Hogwarts? Even Professor Dumbledore couldn’t cure you?” Ollivander’s voice trembled.

Allen spent considerable effort calming Ollivander down. Eventually, the old man’s emotions settled.

Still, he hesitated whether to keep Allen. But after Allen’s detailed explanation, Ollivander reluctantly accepted him.

Then Ollivander showed him around.

From outside, the shop looked small, the counter narrow—but inside, it was vast, containing multiple rooms: a materials room, an engraving chamber, an assembly room, a wand-testing chamber, and more.

Allen was especially curious about the engraving chamber. He wanted to know what kind of things were carved there.

Finally, Ollivander brought him to a bedroom. It was simple: one bed, one cabinet, one desk, one chair. Since Allen owned little, the small room was sufficient.

Opposite the room was Ollivander’s bedroom. There was no kitchen in the shop; all three meals were delivered by the Leaky Cauldron.

Ollivander explained Allen’s duties: assisting with customer reception and helping with wand-making. He would have two days off each week.

Allen gladly agreed.

Thus, Allen settled into Ollivander’s shop.

He had become a glorious worker...