Unfortunately, Mr. Ollivander paid no attention to Gary; he collected the gold coins one by one into the drawer, his silver eyes fixed on Gary.
Alfrina put Gary's wand into its box and handed it to him.
Gary thanked her and carefully placed the box between 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1' and 'Magical Theory'.
As the two exited the shop, the parents behind them quickly led their children rushing inside.
Just outside the shop, Gary saw James and Black rushing over, each carrying a stick-like object wrapped in brown paper.
"Hey, have you both finished buying your wands?" The smile on James's face was irrepressible, and even the usually gloomy Black rarely showed a hint of a smile.
"What's this?" Alfrina asked, hands behind her back, bouncing up and down.
"Broomsticks, flying broomsticks, the new nimbus model!" James laughed loudly, holding up the broomstick like an idiot.
James pulled Alfrina over to introduce her to the advantages of the new nimbus model, interspersing many technical terms that Gary couldn't understand.
Alfrina had seen James ride a magic broomstick before, but she wasn't interested. Now, James was saying a lot of things she couldn't understand at all, and the smile on her face was almost impossible to maintain.
"This handle has three new shock-absorbing charms, and the entire paint surface is enchanted with a simple anti-jinx system, it's extremely safe!" James caressed his broomstick through the packaging, his movements gentle, as if he were caressing his lover.
Black, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke, "Shafik, do you want to try the new broomstick?"
His expression was stiff, and his face looked a bit awkward.
Gary glanced at James, who was chattering endlessly to Alfrina nearby, knowing that it was James's idea to ease the tension between him and Black.
..."No, Black, but I appreciate your kindness." Gary shifted the bag in his right hand to his left and extended his right hand.
"..." Black stared at Gary's outstretched hand, unmoving.
Just as Gary was blushing with embarrassment and about to pull his hand back, Black suddenly gripped it firmly.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit hard on you before..." Black stammered.
"Me too, what I said at our first meeting was a bit much."
James had already told Gary about how eccentric Black's parents were, like a different species from his own parents, with an almost insane obsession with Pure-blood.
The two of them didn't have much animosity to begin with. After their relationship 'broke the ice,' they quickly became inseparable, after all, they were just children, and love and hate could change in an instant.
Only then did James feel relieved enough to let Alfrina go.
Alfrina looked a bit dazed, her light blonde ponytail a bit droopy, clearly overwhelmed by James's technical jargon.
"You two wait outside for a bit, James and I still need to go in and choose wands." Sirius spoke as gently as a spring breeze, clearly in excellent spirits.
James and Sirius put down their broomsticks, books, and cauldrons, and walked into the wand shop with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Alfrina and Gary found a shady spot to watch their belongings. Two broomsticks, four sets of cauldrons, telescopes, scales, and new books piled up, filling the empty space in front of them.
It was nearing noon, and the weather was getting hot. Alfrina tied her long hair into a ponytail to keep her neck cool.
Gary remembered that Alfrina didn't have her own pet yet. After asking for her thoughts and combining them with Gary's suggestions, she decided to also buy a snowy owl.
While waiting for James and the others, Gary went to Eeylops Owl Emporium to pick out a beautiful female snowy owl for Alfrina.
The two waited for nearly an hour before James and Sirius finally arrived, each holding two boxes.
"Let's go eat lunch! I'm starving, I've been exhausted all morning." James bent over, holding his knees, completely without image.
"Alright! I know a particularly good Muggle restaurant here!" Sirius perked up his ears like a dog sniffing a bone, saying excitedly.
"No, James, Sirius... my mom is still waiting for me at home." Gary said apologetically, he was out of money.
"Don't be like that, Gary, it's not often all four of us get together... besides, you've made up with Black, we should celebrate!" James put his hand on Gary's shoulder, pressed him a couple of steps into the corner, and gently patted his back.
Gary understood James's good intentions and knew that if he just said so, James would definitely pay for his meal.
But James didn't owe him anything. He accepted Alfrina's wand because he had indeed helped Alfrina a lot. Gary hadn't helped James, so he couldn't accept James's generous offer.
"I really can't, James. School is starting soon, we'll have plenty of time to get together then." Gary said sincerely.
Seeing his firm attitude, James knew that his friend, once he made up his mind, couldn't be easily swayed. He could only turn back and helplessly spread his hands at Sirius.
"Alright then... we'll see you at the station." Black took out his own belongings and pulled out a simple, light green comb with an antique feel from his pocket.
"..." Sirius glanced at the three people frozen in place, his face flushed red. He placed the comb on his Black hair and vigorously combed it three times.
Alfrina, James, and Gary almost burst out laughing watching this scene. The light green comb gradually turned emerald green, emitting a strangely incredible light.
Black also felt his actions were a bit foolish. He quickly picked up his belongings and grabbed the comb that was already shaking violently.
The moment he grabbed the comb, the emerald green light emanating from it enveloped him, and he vanished the next second.
Only a gentle breeze rustled where Sirius had stood.
"Wow..." Alfrina's mouth hung open, her face full of disbelief.
"That's a Portkey, it allows for directed travel. He should be home by now." Gary explained to Alfrina.
"See you on September 1st at King's Cross Station." Gary waved goodbye to Alfrina.
He planned to ride James's broomstick back to Godric's Hollow. Alfrina's home was in London, so she could just take the Muggle subway home.
"Bye-bye," Alfrina waved her small hand, "Remember to write back!"
"Got it!" Gary and James hung both their belongings on the tail of the broomstick. After ensuring they were secure, James performed a graceful flip and sat beautifully on the broomstick.
"Come on, Gary, let's see how fast the new nimbus model really is!" James rubbed his hands, a bit impatient.
"You know how to get out, right? Just keep going straight down the road, opposite Gringotts, it's that same brick, then you can go back to..."
"I know, I know!" Alfrina waved her hand, interrupting him.
Gary awkwardly mounted the broomstick. James pushed off the ground with force, and the broomstick carried the two of them into the air. James controlled the broomstick, sharply pulling up on the handle, and the broomstick shot straight up into the sky.
Alfrina on the ground happily waved goodbye to the two, gradually turning into a small Black dot and disappearing from sight.
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