iv

Kazui left Gringotts with a mokeskin pouch that has two hundred galleons inside of it. According to the letter from Jasmine, every year Kazui is eligible to withdraw two hundred galleons, and further withdrawal needed Jasmine's approval. Aside from that, he was given a mokeskin pouch, a magical pouch enchanted to have carrying capacity more than its size. After the ritual in which he became the owner of the pouch and were given money, he was made to sign some papers that he read carefully, as well as McGonagall, and was promptly kicked out of the room.

"Well then, Mr. Kurosaki. I will wait for you at the Leaky Cauldron to send you home. You can take as much time shopping as you want. I suggest you go first to get your uniforms fitted, so that you can return for it later after buying the rest. Have a nice day." The older witch said and she suddenly started walking away.

"I think you broke her." Shingetsu, who was silent for a while, said to Kazui.

"No, she's already broken. There's an instantaneous shift in her emotions after every time I speak of something that confuses her. Makes you wonder how long has she been trained."

"Hmmm. Still, she will be useful."

"Right. She can be a good source of info, as a hidden eye or ear. Even without Bankai, I can still use that ability in a thirty minute span."

Kazui and Shingetsu then talked about some rather long-term plan as Kazui is walking towards the clothes shop.

"Just like always, then. Kazui, your oncoming school years will be boring for me, so I'll take a rather long nap. You'll be fine with a sleeping Zanpakuto either way, so don't wake me up." And just like that, Shingetsu fade.

'Sleep, huh? He only does that when we're about to fight a large amount of strong enemies. Heh, now that's something to look forward to.'

After that, Kazui started shopping his school supplies. Following McGonagall's suggestion, he went to had his uniform fitted first, so that he can return to it later after shopping for everything else. The last shop he went into was Ollivanders, a wand shop.

As Kazui opened the door, the chimes had alerted the owner of the shop the incoming customer. From between the two wand shelves appeared an old man, curiosity and wonder plastered on his face. After all, it's not every day that you'll see someone with a natural orange hair.

"Greetings, young fellow. I assume you're here for your first wand, yes? I've never seen anyone like you before, perhaps a Muggleborn? And clearly of Asian descent as well." The old man keep on spouting questions and stuff, and before he finished, Kazui noticed a change from the old man's eyes, as if it were twinkling.

"Yes, sir. I'm Kazui Kurosaki, and I'll be entering Hogwarts this year."

Kazui noticed that he was using some sort of analysis or identification magic on him, but he didn't bother stopping him. To Kazui's thousand-year-old soul, it's the same as giving permission to a naughty child to prank someone.

After the old man stopped using his magic, he gasped, and looked at Kazui with a bit of worry.

"Merlin's beard, y-you are that m-m-man's child, S-…" He was about to continue, but Kazui interfered.

"Stop, Mr. Ollivanders. Whomever you think my father is, I don't care. I've never known him, nor I plan on doing so. So if you don't mind, I'd be happy to receive my wand now." Kazui remained amicable, smiling at the old man.

"O-oh, yes. Of course, of course. My mistake, I apologize." Ollivanders said, and soon started pulling out some boxes from the shelves and brought it to Kazui.

The first time Kazui held a wand, he started feeling his connection to his magic for the first time in a while.

'This is annoying. It seems that due to my body being made of both human flesh and spirit particles, my spiritual power overpowers my magic, and I cannot freely cast magic without a medium.'

When Kazui first awakened his magic, he felt it bursting inside of him. But maybe due to his overwhelming spiritual power, and his body is made differently that of a normal human – or wizard, that his magic power was pushed to the sidelines, and he wasn't able to use, even remotely control a part of it, for that matter. At least that's what his theory of why he can't use magic all this time even with Jasmine's help, after his accidental magic.

While he did feel his connection to his magic now, there's still the matter of finding the most compatible wand for him – even more so since he needs a really good medium that won't entirely be consumed by his spiritual power. It took them fifteen minutes to find the most compatible wand, and it is one of the rarest kinds in Ollivanders' shop due to the material used.

It was a thirteen inch long Hawthorn wood and the rare-in-Ollivanders Thestral hair.

"Hawthorn wood-made wands are good for both healing spells and curses, a contradiction in which made me pair in jest with a Thestral hair for it's instability. It took me fifty tries to complete functioning one, and I'll never do so again." Ollivanders said as he took a deep breathe.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Kurosaki. And it makes me wonder why you were chosen by such a wand, even though it is my creation. Anyway, that'll be twenty galleons, Mr. Kurosaki." The old man said to Kazui, his professional smile returning. It seems that the small amount of time they've spent together made the old man kind of warmup to Kazui.

Kazui paid the old man twenty galleons, and when he was about to leave, he looked at Ollivanders one more time.

"Mr. Ollivanders, it seems that you're aware of who my father is. And based on your earlier expression, it doesn't look like he's got a nice reputation. So if possible, please keep it to yourself. I don't want to be hounded by people just because I cannot choose who my father is. Thank you."

===

As Kazui walked towards the clothes shop to get his uniform, his eyes wandered towards a pet shop.

'I remembered the matron saying that the most common means of communication for wizards are through owls. Considering she gave me a lot of money, it seems that she wants me to buy one.'

Therefore, Kazui entered the shop. Inside the shop is a wide variety of pets. As he started looking for his owl, his attention was caught by a clearly out of place avian creature in the premise.

"You have a good pair of eyes on you, lad. Noticing the most expensive product of our store." A middle-aged man approach Kazui.

'Well, more than the most expensive, this shouldn't be here.' Kazui thought, smiling wryly.

"Does she send letters as well?" Kazui asked the clerk.

"Of course she does. She's a fast one as well. About half the time less than that of most of our owls. The previous boss raised her, and he's one of the best trainer in the world. On his deathbed, he decided to sell her, afraid that all the time he spent on training her would go to waste, on the condition that she'll accept the buyer. She's a bit prideful, you see." The clerk said proudly.

"I see. Then can I ask you why did he train an eagle, knowing that the letter delivery was mostly done by owls?" Kazui cannot take it anymore, so he decided to ask directly.

'Eagles and owls are mortal enemies. What the hell went through that man's head when he trained her?'

The clerk, hearing Kazui's question, had his eyes metaphorically lit up.

"You're a smart one, aren't you? Yes, eagles and owls would tear each other apart when they see one another, but you can't deny the regality exuding from this bird. Apart from them being classified as endangered by muggles, the former boss believed that the Philippine Eagle is the most beautiful of its kind. When the previous boss was wandering, studying animals and magical creatures from the Southeast Asia, he rescued her as a chick and brought her home to nurse her. Don't worry about the legalities since he made a deal with the local authorities. It was just a whim in the start, but she showed physical abilities more than she should be capable of, so the previous boss went all out on her." The clerk explained, his tone raising a little bit higher every time a word came out of his mouth. Kazui noticed the excitement and the little bit of madness on the clerk's eyes.

'Right, the eccentricities of a genius. Maybe because Kisuke-san has been dead for a long time, or I haven't entered the lab for a thousand years that I've forgotten this quirk.' Kazui sighed.

"Very well. I'll take her in, as well as the sand cat kitten over there. Please prepare the sand cat and the temporary holdings of her majesty. I'll start the convincing." Aside from not compromising on his grades, Kazui wanted to keep a low profile the whole time he'll be in Hogwarts to have his research provide no interference. But there's one line that he strongly agreed to from what the clerk said, you cannot deny the regality of the bird.

The eagle is resting alone on the tallest perch in the shop, grooming herself. When she noticed Kazui approaching, the eagle stared at him, hair raised. Kazui, unperturbed, continued walking until he reached the bottom part of the perch. The eagle unfurled her wings and started to fly, circling around Kazui. It continued for a bit, until it decided to land on a branch near Kazui's eye level.

Due to living for a long time, Kazui picked up a few tricks every now and then. One of them was how to talk to animals, with the use of spiritual power of course.

"Come with me. It kinda makes me sad knowing you can't freely unfurl your wings. I have the perfect place for you to be in." Kazui said to the bird after successfully establishing a link with her.

From anyone else's perspective, Kazui and the eagle are just staring at each other. That cannot be far from the truth, as the two of them are talking with their minds. Kazui was busy explaining the "perfect place" he wanted the bird to send to, and she's liking almost everything of it.

Now, would Kazui, the being that he is, would patiently recruit just a bird? Of course not. The bird being able to show physical abilities more than it is capable of, is because of it strong soul. It may be due to an accident before the previous pet shop owner rescued her, but the fact that she has a powerful soul cannot be denied. Kazui was wondering what would happen to her if she were to stay in a spiritually condense location for an extended period of time.

If something positive were to happen, then it's a good news and could be a new way for Kazui to pass time. If not, then he still have a unique letter courier.

In the end, the bird accepted. She unfurled her wings once more and went inside a clearly expensive cage made out of bronze adorned with rubies that the clerk from before brought near them while they were communicating. Kazui closed the cage and brought her to the counter. He paid for her and the kitten while making small conversations with the clerk, and left holding the two of them in each of his hands.

After that, he went straight for his uniform and to McGonagall, asking her to bring him home. She looked incredulously at the eagle, but never said anything. As soon as she delivered him in front of the orphanage gate, she bid him farewell and left promptly.

===

Evening of the same day, at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Inside it's Headmaster's Office, two figures could be seen facing each other – Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, all that is left after a late-night faculty meeting.

"Did your day went well, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.

McGonagall, hearing the question, hesitated for a bit before retelling the events she had been part of the day. After hearing all of that, Dumbledore only sighed.

"We cannot bring back those who have died, that's why we must do our best to live for their sake. It is good news that Abbott have something to have her mind occupied." Dumbledore said as he was stroking his beard.

'But the boy, even after being brought up in a place with Abbott's guidance and still having an open mind. Curious, and intelligent as well. Hmm, I'll make sure to remember him.'

"You can rest for tonight, Minerva. Good night."