-.-.-Chapter 18-.-.-

We followed along behind Professor McGonagall as she pointed out the location of the various books on the school list, my mum carried mine for me, as my dad was making his own smaller pile of books from subjects I had asked him before to keep an eye out for, while I let my eyes trail over the various section labels keeping my eye out for one section in particular.

‘Where is it where…’ I thought to myself before I spotted it, ‘there it is, mind magics’

I walked over to the section and frowned, ‘no wonder it was hard to find it’s so small’ I thought as I looked at the very thin section of shelving, there were only really two books in the section.

Taking up both books I looked over the titles, Occlumency:A beginners guide to defending one’s mind, and a Guide to advanced Occlumency.

‘I was hoping for something more but these will have to do,’ I thought with a frown as I took them both back to my mum

“What books are those?” Hermione asked as she saw me handing them to my mum for my pile of books.

“Mind magics, Occlumency specifically.” I explain as I see the adults looking at me, “I figure with all the new subjects we’re going to be learning if there’s a magic that can help me to remember things more clearly mind magics would be the best bet.”

“Indeed, a wise decision,” Professor McGonagall nodded, “while the mind arts are not taught at Hogwarts, they can be divided into two categories, Legilimency which is the magic of reading another’s mind, and Occlumency which is the magic of protecting one’s mind from outside influences and preventing others practiced in Legilimency from reading your mind, it also allows for better control over emotions, recollection and even multiple thought processes, though both arts are rather advanced and they only get more advanced the deeper you go”

“There are witches and wizards that can read minds?” Monica, Hermione's mum, said in shock as Hermione’s dad, Wendell, put his hand, protectively, on Hermione’s shoulder.

“It’s a highly regulated art, and it is against our laws to use it on another without permission and it’s strictly prohibited to be used on minors” Professor McGonnagal informed them.

Internally I snorted, ‘Yeah right, and yet both Dumbledore and Snape likely do it on the regular to any student who catches their interest’ I thought to myself, but said nothing.

Wendell nodded, “as understandable as that is,” he said as he walked over to the mind section and picked up a copy of both books as well, “it’s better to be safe than sorry, and I’ll feel better knowing my little princess can protect her mind and private thoughts”

“Daddy,” Hermione said with a blush but they clearly both knew she wouldn’t say no to new books.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Do it to give your old dad peace of mind sweetie, okay” Wendell smiled fondly at her as he gave her shoulder a little squeeze as she blushed and looked down nodding.

We continued on after that, picking up the rest of our books. Once they were all picked out and we had gone to the front counter to pay for them, I pulled my trunk around and knelt down to open it.

“Gotta catch em all” I said as I put my hands on the front of my trunk, hearing the lock open as I spoke before opening my trunk as my dad knelt down beside me with the books he had gotten for me.

My mum rolled her eyes as I stowed all my new books away in my trunk, knowing full well why I chose that particular phrase for my security charm. What can I say? It was the first thing that came to mind.

“Why did you say that?” Hermione asked, having overheard me when I unlocked my trunk.

“Security charm, keyed to my voice and a certain pass phrase,” I explained as I finished loading my trunk, “Don’t want anyone getting into my things.”

Hermione nodded and went to put her own books away in her own trunk that her mum was pulling along.

“Oh before I forget, here ya go lad,” my dad said as he handed me a bag he’d been carrying in the bag he had, “happy late birthday.”

I took the bag from him with a smile and opened it to reveal a thick leather bound book, closed with a silver clasp, and three of the largest gray, black and brown writing quills I’d ever seen.

“The man at the store said that the feathers the quills are from some magical animal called a hippogryph, they are charmed to be remain sharp and are self inking all in black ink,” my dad explained, “the book is enchanted as well, the parchment has a drying spell on it so ink will dry seconds after you’ve wrote something and it has an updating index so you’ll be able to look back to quickly find something you’ve written in the past, but the real selling point is that it’s enchanted to never run out of pages so you can keep writing in it for the rest of your life but it will never get thicker or heavier than what it is now. I figured you could use it to make lots of notes and plans for your projects” he said with a subtle wink.

I knew instantly what he meant as my eyes widened. ‘This will be invaluable, I could use it to record everything I can remember, both from the movies and books about this world and about my Pokémon,’ I thought to myself excitedly, I’d definitely have to start planning as soon as I got home.

The only thing was that it didn’t have a security charm of its own anyone could read it, but that was okay, I could keep it in my trunk for now when I’m not writing in it, or I could leave it in the tent my dad and me set up in Pokémon home, no one would ever be able to get to it there. Both plans would do until I learned how to place my own security enchantments, though that could take a while.

“Thanks Dad,” I said with a grin as I put the quills and my new book in my trunk, that would be going straight into my Pokémon home the second we went home.

“No problem lad,” dad said as he ruffled my hair.

“Where to next?” I asked as I stood up, my trunk now closed.

“The only thing Hermione has left to get is her wand I believe” Monica said in reply as she looked towards Professor McGonagall for confirmation.

“That’s right, the most important tool a witch, or wizard, can own,” Professor McGonagall stated plainly.

“Leo hasn’t gotten his wand yet either,” my mum said with a nod.

“Then I guess we know where to go next then,” my dad mused as Professor McGonagall led us out of the store and towards Olivanders.

‘Time to pay a visit to the spooky old wand crafter’ I mused in my head as I pulled my trunk along behind me.

----------------------------------------

Chapter word count: 1208