Chapter 240 The Wand Of Sirius

They successfully found the ownership titles, the purpose of this journey had been fulfilled, and no one touched the seemingly dangerous items of the Dark Arts and other curious collections.

Guided by Griphook, they returned to the starting point.

Over half an hour later, the cart finally emerged on the surface after another wild ride.

Inhaling the fresh air and gazing at the familiar buildings of Diagon Alley and at Professor Lupin, who smiled and greeted them, Evan, Harry, and Hermione felt a sense of renewal. The location of the vault and the countless secrets beneath Gringotts were truly thrilling, although they couldn't behold the fortune of the Black family as they had anticipated.

The three conversed with Lupin about what they had seen and heard underground, the chained Ironbelly, the small islands in the molten lava, the vaults of the pure-blood wizard families from thousands of years ago, and more.

Vault number one, bearing the Slytherin family emblem, proved to be the most fascinating.

Evan was absolutely convinced that there was a connection between the ornament on the vault door and the peculiar ornament on the Slytherin Locket he carried with him.

There was another detail about the keys to the secret treasure left by the Four Founders.

Evan had speculated on the clues to the keys' whereabouts.

In a literal sense, considering that the key to Gryffindor's treasure was kept among the tribe of Centaurs, Slytherin's treasure key would likely be hidden by the goblins in Gringotts, right in the mysterious vault he had just seen.

The question then was: how to ensure that and obtain the key!

It was impossible to inquire a goblin about it, and entering Gringotts directly meant only death.

For a moment, Evan thought that if Slytherin's treasure key was truly in Gringotts, he would have to start searching for it with the vampire girl named Elaine and her family.

Despite being vampires, they were also descendants of the Slytherin family.

Like Voldemort, they were the legitimate heirs of the vault.

While Evan pondered this, Lupin discussed with Harry and Hermione the magic the goblins placed in Gringotts and the vulnerability they had just witnessed in the Ironbelly.

Sirius trailed behind and did not engage in the conversation.

He did not look very pleased, and they did not know if it was due to the rough and wild cart ride or the empty vault.

He gazed straight ahead, and nobody knew what he was thinking.

Harry and Hermione quickly noticed it. They exchanged an uneasy glance, with faces full of concern, and a silence filled the air.

Hermione gently touched Evan and indicated to look back at Sirius.

Evan turned and could grasp Sirius' feelings at that moment.

Even though he did not care for those treasures and gold, it was the accumulated wealth of the Blacks over centuries, passed down from generation to generation, and now all owned by other families.

Anyone would feel unhappy in that situation.

Especially Sirius' mother, who chose to entrust the ownership to her two cousins instead of leaving something for her own son.

If Evan found himself in that situation, he would be sorrowful to the core.

"Sirius..." Harry exclaimed anxiously.

"I'm fine, just recalling some unpleasant memories," Sirius took a deep breath of cold air, rallied, and joined the conversation. "Remus was right, the weakness of the Ironbelly lies in its eyes, you can use Obscuro or other spells to attack that part and make it retreat in pain. Besides, each dragon has a particularly fragile scale. If you want to kill the dragon, then..."

As they walked, Sirius appeared completely recovered.

Before returning to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, they decided to go to 36 Diagon Alley to take a look.

They left the main street and ventured into a narrow back alley, where the snow had not been cleared for a long time, and the deepest point was enough to reach their knees.

The streets were very desolate, and all the shops were closed.

Only a small shop opened its door. An old wizard with two large, pale silver eyes was sweeping the snow in front of the shop. The peeled golden letters above the door read: Ollivanders: Wand Makers since 382 B.C.

Upon seeing Mr. Ollivander, Evan was greatly surprised that he had not changed at all since the last time he saw him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander!" They all hurried to greet him.

"Good afternoon, everyone, nice to meet you!" Ollivander looked up, his pale pupils slid over the five faces, lingered longer on Evan and Harry, and finally fell on Sirius, "Sirius Black, it's a great pleasure to see you again. It's been over twenty years since the last time I saw you, and I never thought there would be an opportunity like this..."

"Oh, yeah, I thought I wouldn't have a chance to return to Diagon Alley." Sirius said cheerfully, "Have you seen the recent news! With the help of these three children, my innocence was proven!"

"Of course, of course!" Ollivander said happily, "Ebony, twelve inches in length, good at Transfiguration, right?"

"Yes, but that wand broke when I was captured by the Ministry twelve years ago." Sirius pulled out a wand and said sadly, "That's a good wand, but it doesn't feel as right as the other."

"Of course, it's not easy; it's resisting your power!" Ollivander approached and whispered softly, "This wand doesn't belong to you. I don't know where you got it from. It's my grandfather's work, a very ancient craftsmanship, made of elm and dragon nerves, quite stubborn. Back in those days, dragon materials were very rare, and only the wealthiest pure-blood wizard families could afford to buy..."

Ollivander took Sirius's wand and examined it closely, speaking about how good and ancient it was, as if he were appreciating a piece of art.

"Mr. Ollivander?!"

"Oh, yes!" Ollivander returned the wand to Sirius. "This wand is great, but it doesn't suit you! If you can, I suggest you choose a wand from my shop."

"I don't think it's necessary. I am no longer a young wizard. I can handle any wand skillfully." Sirius said proudly.

"What a pity!" Ollivander continued. "You know, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, and using someone else's wand affects your strength."

"Mr. Ollivander is right. You really should change your wand." Evan joined in and persuaded him; he knew the importance of the wand for a wizard.

For wizards, using someone else's wand could be extremely difficult, affecting the power of their spells and the transmission of magic. Powerful wands could even resist the user's will, completely working against them.

In the original book, for this reason, the Elder Wand in Voldemort's hands resisted the use of the killing curse against its true owner, Harry, and ultimately led to Voldemort's unintended demise.

The same happened to Sirius, who, in the original book, had been on the run and possibly could not choose a wand of his own. He had to use this wand that belonged to one of his ancestors.

When he faced Bellatrix in a duel, he lost his life, perhaps because he could not use his true strength with that wand.

Yes, to face the dangers that would arise in the future, it was very necessary to change this wand.

"Sirius, since Mr. Ollivander and Evan have said it, just go and change your wand..." Harry said with concern.

"It is not necessary, I can handle this wand!" Sirius replied stubbornly.

"That's only temporary. Over time, it will affect you more and more," Ollivander whispered. "The core of this wand is dragon nerves. You see, dragons are powerful creatures and do not obey will..."

Upon hearing Ollivander's words, Harry hurried to shout, "Sirius!"

"It's fine, it's fine, I can return later when I have time," Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder and said gently, "Don't you remember, lads? We're heading to the store now and then off to the hospital to see young Weasley. We can't afford to waste time here."

"It won't take us long. We can wait for you at the store," Evan pointed to a very dilapidated house near the wand shop and said, "I saw the sign. It's 36 Diagon Alley!"