Man of Archives

Chapter 5

The "date" went smoothly. It turned out that Tamara's football player boyfriend had dumped her because he didn't want to be involved with a "psycho"—that "psycho" being me, the one who had humiliated him in front of his friends and teammates.

Tamara tried to flirt with me in that way only sixteen-year-old girls can, but I didn't respond. Whenever she approached, signaling she wanted a hug, I simply stepped aside, maintaining some distance. The last thing I needed was to start a relationship now, especially when I hadn't fully studied or trained in magic. I quickly shut down her cheap tricks, like trying to drag me into the bushes or kiss me. Why would I need that?

It was clear Tamara was unhappy, as she thought she could get together with me quickly and that we'd start dating. A foolish idea, honestly, especially considering how she had treated me not too long ago. Morally, she didn't interest me at all. Sure, like any teenager, I had my own desires, but fulfilling them with someone so young didn't appeal to me. If she were at least twenty or older, then maybe I'd consider it.

When I got home, my father immediately started questioning me with interest about how everything went, and my mother was curious too. I brushed them off with some meaningless phrases and went back to studying my magic books.

Early the next morning, I decided to head back to Diagon Alley to continue gathering books and finally check out the public bulletin board I had always ignored. It was high time I looked at it and figured out if there was anything interesting or important there.

My father gave me some money, and I took a taxi to the entrance, then slipped inside, avoiding much attention from both wizards and ordinary people. There were quite a lot of people in Diagon Alley today, which was a bit strange. I overheard two young wizards hurrying somewhere:

"Have you bought a Tent for yourself yet?"

"Na-a-h, I spent my money on tickets to the First Zone."

"The First Zone? Impressive. I only managed to get tickets to the Third."

"MacSnaffin even got tickets to the Ministry loge."

They went into a shop selling all sorts of trinkets, while I continued on my way, trying not to attract their attention. It seemed like everyone was heading to some local game.

I made my way to a large bulletin board, a bit off to the side from the other shops. The square was small, holding at most two hundred wizards—unless magic was involved. The board itself was large, with the most interesting notices and paid advertisements displayed as colorful, bordered posters. There were Ministry of Magic notices, wanted posters, and various ads. The ones that caught my eye were about seeking helpers, offering lessons, and the summer school.

Using the bulletin board was simple. You just had to approach the notice you were interested in, and some magical process would make it fly up. You'd then grab it, and a copy would appear in your hand—a fascinating mechanism.

I took all the copies I needed and tucked them into my bag, which I always carried with me. It was enchanted with anti-theft charms, so I wasn't worried about anyone stealing from me in broad daylight.

Without immediately diving into the information, I headed to the bookstore to search for the books I needed. This time, my focus was on the creation of magic wands. Last night, as I lay staring at the ceiling, I realized I knew nothing about wand-making.

This realization troubled me because I was so dependent on this tool. If I wanted to become a great wizard, I had to understand how my wand worked from A to Z and be able to make one myself. Without this knowledge, I couldn't consider myself a true wizard. I'm sure it's difficult—otherwise, every wizard would be making their own wands, which clearly isn't the case.