Following the bald wizard's directions, Liam continued walking.
After only a few minutes, the atmosphere around him changed completely.
The dark, oppressive feeling of Knockturn Alley vanished, replaced by a lively and welcoming environment.
Diagon Alley was bustling.
Witches and wizards moved between shops carrying packages and chatting cheerfully. Children dressed in new robes excitedly examined store windows while proud parents followed close behind.
Many wore nervous yet eager expressions.
Liam guessed most of them were first-year Hogwarts students preparing for the upcoming school year.
"Hey. Stop right there."
A clear voice called out from ahead.
Liam looked up.
Blocking his path was a girl around eleven years old.
She had beautiful golden curls, emerald-green eyes, and wore an elegant dark-green robe that immediately suggested wealth and status.
There was a natural confidence in her posture.
No.
Confidence wasn't the right word.
Pride.
The kind of pride that came from generations of privilege.
At a glance, Liam guessed she belonged to an old pure-blood family.
"What is it?" he asked.
The blonde girl frowned.
"Why did you come out of Knockturn Alley? That's a dangerous place. Where are your parents?"
"Oh."
Liam shrugged casually.
"I haven't seen them in years. Since I was raised by a Death Eater as a servant, they're probably dead. Or maybe I was kidnapped when I was young."
The girl froze.
Her confident expression disappeared instantly.
"D-dead?"
"Most likely."
Liam's tone remained calm.
"That's usually how these stories go."
The blonde girl stared at him for several seconds.
"You were raised by a Death Eater?"
"Until I killed him."
The silence that followed was almost comical.
"W-what?"
"I said I killed him."
Liam repeated the statement as casually as if discussing the weather.
The girl blinked several times.
Then, unexpectedly, determination appeared in her eyes.
"Come with me."
Before Liam could react, she grabbed his wrist.
"My name is Cassandra Greengrass. My father works at the Ministry of Magic. If that Death Eater is still alive, I can have Aurors investigate him and throw him into Azkaban."
She pulled him forward.
"I'll help you."
Liam found himself genuinely surprised.
Most people fled the moment they heard the words Death Eater.
This girl was talking about hunting one down.
"That's kind of you," Liam said.
"But the Death Eater is already dead."
Cassandra stopped.
"He's dead too?"
"Several years ago."
Liam nodded.
"I'm free now."
For perhaps the first time in years, Liam found himself liking someone almost immediately.
Brave people were rare.
When he had been enslaved by the Death Eater, nobody in Knockturn Alley had ever offered help.
Not once.
Yet this girl had done so without hesitation.
"Then you've been living alone all this time?"
There was obvious concern in Cassandra's voice now.
Looking at the black-haired boy with silver eyes, combined with the tragic story he had casually revealed, she felt an overwhelming urge to protect him.
"It wasn't particularly difficult."
Liam spoke honestly.
Compared to living under a Death Eater, survival had been easy.
"What are you doing in Diagon Alley?"
"Buying supplies for Hogwarts."
Liam tapped the letter in his pocket.
"I'm a first-year student."
"Wait."
Cassandra's eyes widened.
"A first-year?"
"Yes."
Liam pulled out his acceptance letter.
Cassandra examined it.
Then she looked back at him.
Then at the letter.
Then back at him again.
"You don't look eleven."
"That's because I'm not."
Liam smiled slightly.
"I'm ten."
"How is that possible?"
"I have no idea."
He shrugged.
"Hogwarts accepted me anyway."
Cassandra stared for a moment before suddenly smiling.
"Then let's shop together."
"What?"
"I need to buy my supplies too."
Her tone made it sound less like a suggestion and more like a decision.
"We can go together."
"Sounds good."
Liam agreed immediately.
Walking around with a beautiful girl while shopping was an experience he had never had before.
It seemed interesting.
"Then we'll start with a wand."
Cassandra nodded confidently.
"I already bought mine, but you need one."
"If you're short on money, I can pay."
"Actually..."
Liam pulled a wand from inside his sleeve.
"I already have one."
Cassandra blinked.
"Have you been to Ollivanders?"
"No."
Liam shook his head.
"It belonged to the Death Eater."
The girl's expression immediately became serious.
"No."
"What?"
"You can't do that."
She grabbed his wrist again.
"A wand needs to choose its wizard. You can't just pick up somebody else's wand and use it forever. An incompatible wand can cause all sorts of problems."
Without waiting for an answer, she dragged him toward Ollivanders.
Liam simply followed.
In truth, he rarely depended on a wand at all.
His understanding of magical theory allowed him to cast many spells without one.
Still, a proper wand could improve efficiency.
And since Cassandra was insisting, there was no reason to refuse.
Besides, wandlore was one of the few magical disciplines he had never studied in depth.
Perhaps she was right.
Maybe a suitable wand would provide unexpected benefits.
A moment later, Cassandra pushed open the shop door.
A small bell chimed overhead.
Inside, thousands of wand boxes stretched from floor to ceiling.
An elderly man stood atop a ladder organizing inventory.
"Ollivander!"
The old wizard turned.
"Miss Greengrass."
His smile appeared immediately.
"What brings you here? I believe your wand has already been selected."
Then his gaze shifted.
Toward Liam.
The smile faltered slightly.
"Get him a wand."
Cassandra pointed directly at Liam.
Ollivander climbed down the ladder slowly.
"Interesting."
He studied Liam carefully.
"You appear younger than the usual Hogwarts student."
"Mr. Ollivander," Cassandra said impatiently, "he has an acceptance letter."
"Does he?"
Liam handed over the envelope.
Ollivander examined it.
His eyebrows rose.
"Well."
"That settles that," Cassandra declared.
"My friend was accepted into Hogwarts. Now hurry up and find him a wand."
Friend.
Liam found the word strangely pleasant.
Meanwhile, Ollivander continued staring at him.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
For decades he had been able to sense compatibility between wands and potential owners.
Yet Liam produced a sensation he had never experienced before.
It wasn't that none of the wands suited him.
It was almost the opposite.
As though every wand in the shop could potentially work.
Impossible.
Such a thing shouldn't exist.
"Curious," Ollivander murmured.
After a moment, he selected a wand.
"Let's start with this one. Hawthorn wood, unicorn hair core."
Liam reached toward the wand.
Before his fingers touched it, a mocking voice sounded from behind.
"Well, well."
The drawling tone was full of contempt.
"Kassandra Greengrass."
A blond boy stepped into the shop.
His pale face carried the unmistakable arrogance of old wizarding nobility.
"Since when did you start associating with filthy Mudbloods?"
The newcomer sneered at Liam.
"It's damaging to the reputation of pure-blood families."
Cassandra's expression instantly turned cold.
"Draco Malfoy."
Her wand appeared in her hand.
"Since when did I need your permission to decide who I talk to?"