Chapter 8:
"Is it enough?"
George asked with a casual smile as he placed a bulging cloth pouch on the counter.
There were two reasons he had chosen such a large owl.
First, its size made it dangerous—an owl like this could easily defend itself, and in an emergency, it might even help protect him. Second, it was strong. A normal magical owl could carry over ten kilograms without issue. A massive eagle owl like this one? It could probably carry a person.
If George ever ran into trouble he couldn't handle, he could rely on this owl as an escape mount. A pet and a getaway ride in one—what more could you ask for?
"Since you're certain," the clerk said quickly, eyeing the pouch, "then of course there's no problem."
Judging from the weight, the clerk estimated there were at least four hundred Galleons inside. This young man wasn't joking—he was absolutely serious about the purchase. Delighted, the clerk enthusiastically helped move the massive eagle owl into George's cart, eager to seal the deal before George changed his mind.
This owl had been sitting unsold for ages, eating the shop out of profits. Finally getting rid of it was a blessing.
After buying his pet, George made his way to the last—and arguably most important—stop: Flourish and Blotts Bookstore.
Today's goal wasn't just to pick up the standard Hogwarts first-year textbooks, but to find more advanced magical theory books—especially those related to gesture-based spellcasting.
He had a very specific need: if he couldn't learn to cast spells without a wand, then his main body in the Marvel world would be helpless until he could craft or acquire one.
Today was August 3rd, and with eighteen days left until Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing, the store wasn't too crowded. Finding books—or help from a clerk—was easy.
"Gesture spellcasting?" the clerk repeated, frowning. "That kind of book's been out of stock for years. Everyone uses wands now. Who still wants to learn that outdated technique?"
"I do," George said firmly. "I'm very interested in that 'outdated' method. Could you help me locate a copy?"
He dropped twenty gold Galleons on the counter to show he was serious.
The clerk hesitated, clearly weighing the effort. Then he raised four fingers. "Special order only. Expensive. Forty Galleons."
"No problem." George didn't hesitate. He placed forty gold Galleons on the counter without blinking.
He knew he was being ripped off, but it didn't matter. He would've paid four hundred if it meant unlocking wandless magic. The knowledge was worth more than gold.
"Three days," the clerk said, pocketing the coins with a grin. "It'll be here within three days."
"I'll be back to collect it."
After picking up the rest of his books and paying the marked prices for his remaining supplies, George pushed his overloaded cart down the street, humming an unfamiliar tune. His spirits were high—he was about to start his magical studies in earnest.
The giant eagle owl sitting proudly atop the cart drew curious glances from passersby, but George ignored them.
"Be good, and don't make a fuss," he whispered as they arrived back at the shop.
Inside his bedroom, he placed the eagle owl on the table and fed it a fresh hare he'd bought from the owl shop. As he gave it some simple instructions, the owl… nodded.
For most first-years, an eagle owl would be far too dangerous and unwieldy as a pet. But George wasn't most first-years.
His body was stronger than most adults', and even the eagle owl couldn't overwhelm him. As for taming it—his Level 2 psychic ability, inherited from Professor X, wasn't strong enough to influence complex human minds, but it worked well on animals.
He could not only communicate with them more easily but also subtly guide their behavior.
Sometimes, George thought that if he ever studied magical creatures seriously, he might rival Newt Scamander or even Hagrid. Becoming a Magizoologist might not be such a bad path.
He picked out two books from his pile: The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 and Magical Theory.
"Let's start with these."
For now, practical magic was his top priority. Other subjects—Magical History, Herbology, Potions—could wait until the threat in the Marvel world was resolved.
The hours slipped by as he studied until evening.
"Of course it's not that simple," George muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.
He set the book aside and pulled out a loaf of bread he'd bought earlier in Diagon Alley.
In movies, magic seemed easy—just wave a wand, say a word, and voilà. But in reality, it was like cooking. The steps seemed straightforward, but when it was your turn, you'd suddenly draw a blank. Even if you followed the steps perfectly, the results might not match expectations.
According to Magical Theory, casting a spell required three essential components:
Innate magic – You must be born with magical blood. Without it, nothing else matters. Spell pronunciation – Each spell must be enunciated clearly, with precise tone, rhythm, and even emotion. A slight mispronunciation could reduce its power—or fail entirely. Worse, it might backfire. Wand movement – Each spell had a specific wand motion. You couldn't just wave it randomly and hope for the best.
But these rules applied mostly to beginners. Once you truly understood a spell—its structure, logic, and principles—you could cast it wandlessly and silently.
Top-tier wizards could perform magic without even blinking, no wand or chant required.
"Softening Charm, Cutting Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, Repairing Charm…" George flipped through the first-year spellbook.
"I'll focus on the Unlocking Charm first."
Beginner spells were intentionally weak. Even if he mastered the Cutting Charm, it probably wouldn't cut more than a napkin. It wouldn't be enough to injure someone.
The Unlocking Charm, however, had real utility.
If he could learn it properly, his Marvel-world self might be able to remove the mutant suppression collar around his neck—freeing his abilities at last.
It could also open locked doors in the lab or containment facility, providing a potential escape route.
He briefly considered learning the Transfiguration spell instead. After all, if you could change or destroy even a small part of a high-tech weapon, you could disable it.
But after thinking it through, he gave up on the idea.
Transfiguration was an entirely separate discipline—and significantly harder to learn than the standard charms. Even a genius like Hermione hadn't mastered it before school started. Without guidance, George didn't believe he could grasp it in time.
Even if he did learn it, the results might not be reliable.
Better to focus on the basics for now.
*****
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