You read ahead up to 30 chapters on my P*treon: https:///darkshadow6395

  The girl was undeniably beautiful. Even under Ian's dising gaze, he couldn't find a single fw on her fabsp;

  She surpassed ay standard he'd entered online. Her skin was as fair as white snow, glowing faintly in the sunlight. A cold, elegant aura radiated from her delicate features, atuated by her ptinum-blonde hair, through which golden light danced.

  "I've seen you before," She said, her voice young and clear.

  "Uh, I think that must have been in Diagon Alley. I bought my wand before you did," Ian replied, reizing her immediately.

  Ollivander's Wand Shop. He had nearly bumped into her aloof parent there.

  "Is that so?" She replied nonittally, her gaze fixed on his face. Her heteroatic eyes shimmered like gemstones.

  "Yeah, that's right." Ian raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit self-scious under her intense scrutiny. Little girls had stared at him before, but never with suique and captivating eyes.

  He found her beauty truly dazzling. Despite haviures arguably more handsome than a young Leonardo DiCaprio, he felt slightly inferior to this girl.

  " I help you with anything? Kraft had to step out, so I'm temporarily in charge," She finally looked away. Kraft was likely the bookstore owner's name.

  "I'd like to sell these three books ba and then pick out some potiobooks," Ian said, a warm smile. It wasn't teenage infatuation; he had the mind of an adult. Of course, he wouldertain such thoughts about a young girl.

  Leaving a good impression was simply about getting a good price.

  Hmm. What's the charm of a minor pared to golden galleons?

  "Selling and buying books? Certainly."

  Her gaze fell ohree thick wizarding books c most of his chest.

  "So you're the overambitious little wizard Kraft mentioned," She said, reizing the titles with surprise.

  Her impolite remark was clear. Ian had bee a subjeusement in the bookstore owner's versations.

  Ian's smile stiffened.

  "Sorry," She quickly apologized, as if she'd itted a grave offense.

  "Thud!"

  The book on her p fell to the ground. Flustered, she bent down to retrieve it, a sincere expnation to Ian. It was ued behavior for someoh su aloof demeanor.

  "I didn't mean to mock you. Those were Kraft's exact words. I was just repeating them... Uh, I think he was definitely mog you, though."

  'Wow! Your expnation just made it worse!'

  "Magical script is indeed a bit difficult for me," Ian forced a smile. He hadn't expected su indescribable sense of marvel from this seemingly aloof and arrogant girl.

  "Yes, it's the same for me."

  She pced the book ba the table and took the three from him. Ian noticed the book she'd been reading: Runes Analysis and Research. A title he hadn't heard of. Or perhaps it wasn't a book at all.

  Most book covers had gilded titles, but hers was handwritten with a quill. Maybe it was a notebook? In any case, it was likely more advahan the basic books he'd bought.

  "It's a third-year elective. I was just curious," Ian sighed pretentiously, avoiding any show-off behavior.

  "Are you a first-year udent at Hogwarts?" Her eyes sparkled.

  "Yes, Ian Prince. If nothing goes wrong, we'll probably be cssmates?" Ian remembered she'd also retly bought a wand.

  "Maybe. The headmaster hasn't approved my applicatio... I'm Aurrindelwald."

  She seemed nervous during the introdu. Her heteroatic eyes held his, making him feel puzzled. Was she expeg a handshake?

  Thinking this, Iaended his hand.

  She hesitated, then quickly shook it.

  "That's a niame," Ian plimented her habitually. Her surname felt familiar, but he couldn't quite pce it, as if it were hidden behind a fog.

  "Thank you. You're quite brave too," She said, seemingly relieved.

  Her words left Ian scratg his head.

  Notig his fusion, Aurora's eyes darted away. She quickly looked at the three books.

  "Kraft said if you came to sell the books, he'd buy them back for three golden galleons."

  This was clearly a ge of topic, but Ian didn't notice. He felt disappointed.

  "The old man actually gave specifistrus." Ian had po tell a little white lie to get a better price, but the bookstore owner had been thh.

  "I kept them i dition and only read them for a few days. Maybe they're worth folden galleons!" Ian probed relentlessly.

  Uedly, "That makes sense. Folden galleons, then," she readily agreed.

  Leaving Ian at a loss.

  "Uh... Then could you get me some sed-hand potiobooks?" Ian had to swallow the pile uments he had prepared.

  "Sure. I think the potions books are..." Aurora looked around the cluttered bookstore, her eyes growing bnk.

  "I'll find them myself."

  He noticed her embarrassment. Fortunately, he was familiar with the bookstore and quickly located potiobooks from first to seventh year from the scattered piles.

  "How much?"

  Ian looked at the t stack of books, utling in. He wasn't sure if the money in his pouch, bined with the earnings from selling the magical script books, would be enough.

  'Curse this knowledge monopoly! This corrupt wizarding world! Was there no Big Boss in the wizarding world t down the price of these magical books?'

  "Let me see..." Aurora tried to check the prices on the back of the books, but most of the price tags were worn or torn off.

  The aloof girl now looked bewildered.

  "How much do you think they're worth?" After a long pause, Aurora feigned ess and probed.

  "I think... one golden galleon?" Ian responded with the belief that shameless audacity often prevails.

  "Hiss, at that price, if Kraft finds out, he'll be so mad he'll jump up and hit... hit his own face!" Aurasped.

  Her strange descriptio Ian puzzled. But now wasn't the time to ponder why Kraft wouldn't hit Aurora.

  "I'm not buying. I'm renting. I'll return them eventually."

  Ian, of course, couldn't afford to spend a single galleon on books worth far more. He po simply copy the tents with a quill. Wizarding quills had automatic transcription capabilities.

  "He'll notice, won't he?" Aurora's tone was hesitant.

  'Renting books? The shop didn't offer such a service.'

  "There are so many books here, and he only took over a few months ago. He's clearly never ahe iory. How would he know you rented some out cheaply?"

  Ian lowered his voice, employing his most persuasive "reasonable" analysis. It wasn't that he couldn't afford to buy them, but renting was more cost-effective. After all, a single book could only provide so muowledge. He was destio need many, many books.

  "Think about it. He's too zy to even cast a simple anizing charm. That proves tha he doesn't care much about these books. Meanwhile, I'm a book lover who treasures knowledge."

  "Miss Grindelwald! You must uand this! The purpose of knowledge is to be learned, not to rot in a er until it turns to dust!"

  Ian, having honed his exaggerated eloquence while running his divination stall, began his brainwashing leaving the girl named Aurora dumbfounded.

  Her gaze at Ian was filled with admiration.

  "I admire your eloquence, but Kraft would never agree. He cares a lot about golden galleons." Aurora hesitated but still shook her head.

  "I don't deny that, but clearly, her of us knows the actual price of these books, right?" Ian g the door, then put on his most sincere expression.

  "As a er, I definitely don't want to get the short end of the stick."

  His words made Aurora nod in agreement.

  (To Be tinued)