London.
Diagon Alley.
Beside a counter in Gringotts.
"I've always been curious—how do goblins view wizard magic?"
The goblin gave a slight smile, revealing a set of sharp teeth.
"We goblins have our own magic," he said. "It differs from that of wizards. Our magic focuses on craftsmanship and metalworking, especially in the creation and protection of treasures."
A blond boy listened attentively, clearly a young wizard not yet eleven years old. The goblin, sensing no immediate threat, was relaxed. They had been chatting for nearly half an hour.
"So, how does your spellcasting differ from that of wizards?" the boy asked. "For instance, how do you perform those complex enchantments?"
That question crossed a line.
The goblin's eyes narrowed, his demeanor turning cold.
"Why are you so interested in such details?" he asked, voice edged with suspicion.
The boy had clearly touched a nerve.
Realizing his mistake, he tried to explain.
"I'm just fascinated by different magical systems—especially goblin magic..."
The goblin's expression grew even more unfriendly.
"Our magic is our secret," he said sharply. "Not something to be shared with outsiders. Your question is out of line."
Feeling awkward, the boy quickly bowed his head.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I just—"
"Enough!" the goblin snapped.
"Please leave. Don't disturb us again."
"Okay, okay..."
The boy backed away from the counter, face red with embarrassment.
Damn it!
Develo cursed inwardly as he left Gringotts.
He had hoped to glean some knowledge of goblin magic, but that idea had crashed and burned.
After all, he was now what people called a magical prodigy. That meant he didn't have to limit himself to just learning wizard magic. If he could master goblin magic too—how incredible that would be!
He'd even considered whether goblins had any unique entries that might give him an edge. But after checking, he was disappointed. Like most wizards, goblins only had a blue-colored entry for [Magical Ability], nothing particularly special.
That's why he tried the direct approach—striking up a conversation. But that had obviously failed.
Still, Develo couldn't stop imagining.
If he could learn goblin forging techniques, maybe he could craft his own Gryffindor-style sword in the future.
With a sword like that, what would he have to fear from Voldemort?
He could become the legendary Gryffindor Sword Saint!
Unfortunately, real life wasn't that convenient.
The goblin had revealed nothing of value.
Just as in the books, goblins were fiercely secretive and self-interested.
It was nearly impossible to learn sword-forging from them.
But Develo wasn't discouraged. He had backup plans.
For instance, he could try learning wandless Apparition from house-elves. Or study astrology with centaurs.
These alternative magics were just as fascinating.
Over the past few days, Develo had scoured nearly all of Diagon Alley.
He went from Ollivander's Wand Shop to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, leaving no shop unexplored.
In the process, he'd loaded Ollivander's entry for [Genius Wandmaker], instantly boosting his affinity with wands.
Since then, he had developed a newfound hobby—reading wand-making manuals in Flourish and Blotts.
Yet, despite all his effort, his Secret Realm exploration progress remained stuck at 58%.
Develo suspected the remaining 2% might be tied to Knockturn Alley.
If he could just step foot in that dark and mysterious street, he'd probably collect the last bit of progress instantly.
He had also spent time watching other wizards cast spells on the streets.
Combined with the help of his new, perfectly fitted wand and textbooks, his spell proficiency had increased a lot.
At the very least, the Levitation Charm was now second nature to him.
But entering Knockturn Alley? That was dangerous.
Who knew what kind of dark wizards lurked there?
He could get kidnapped, used as a guinea pig—or worse.
Develo wasn't ready to take that risk.
He didn't even know a single proper curse yet. If he ran into a dark wizard, he'd have no way to defend himself.
It might be peacetime, but danger could still appear on any street corner.
For now, it was better to wait.
Soon, he'd be at Hogwarts. There would be plenty of chances to learn curses and defensive spells.
Once he had a solid foundation, he could return to Knockturn Alley and explore it safely.
Of course, if Professor Snape would agree to accompany him, that would be ideal.
Snape was well-versed in the Dark Arts.
With someone like him nearby, Develo would feel much more secure.
Still, that felt unlikely.
Snape was notoriously aloof and serious.
It was hard to imagine him agreeing to such an odd request from a first-year.
Since he couldn't progress the Secret Realm exploration, Develo spent most of his time rotating between the Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Blotts, and the busy streets of Diagon Alley.
At the Leaky Cauldron, he liked to sit in the corner, listening to gossip and stories about magical happenings and mysterious events.
One thing puzzled him, though—he hadn't seen Harry Potter yet.
Maybe the timing wasn't right, or maybe Harry just wasn't here at the moment.
Still, Develo was eager to meet the Boy Who Lived.
As the future savior of the wizarding world, Harry had to have some amazing entries.
Develo couldn't wait to find out what they were.
As for why he was always walking around?
Simple—he was trying to collect entries.
Ever since he'd missed the purple [Magical Cooking] entry on his first day, Develo had been determined not to let good entries slip by again.
Recently, he'd successfully loaded a new purple entry from Madam Malkin:
[Magical Tailor (Purple): Has a unique talent for using magic to tailor clothes, and can quickly learn various clothing design knowledge.]
It was a solid life-skill entry, so he took it without hesitation.
With this new power, he gave his old clothes a magical makeover.
They now looked fresh, fashionable, and uniquely tailored.
Besides the Leaky Cauldron and Flourish and Blotts, Develo kept going back to the second-hand book section.
There, he browsed old tomes and picked up many spells and potion recipes that were far beyond a first-year level.
However, he noticed one glaring weakness—he had no talent for Transfiguration.
Despite putting in the hours, he found the subject dull and difficult.
He figured he would need to load Professor McGonagall's entry when he got to Hogwarts.
That might help him overcome his Transfiguration struggles.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Develo walked from Gringotts toward the Leaky Cauldron.
The sun shone down on the bustling street, shop signs glittering in the light.
He moved through the crowd, eyes scanning left and right, looking for anything interesting.
"Dear wizards and witches! Want to improve your potion-making skills? Come to our Diagon Alley Herbology Shop and buy the best quality knotgrass!"
The loud sales pitch cut through the noise.
Develo paused, turning toward the sound.
It came from a quaint little shop with an old wooden sign swinging in the breeze.
"Fennell's Herbology Shop", the sign read.
"Knotgrass?" Develo whispered, a glint lighting up his eyes.
A slow, mischievous smile crept onto his face.
He had a plan.