Chapter 6
mist hung low in the air, the patter of rainfall muffled by the heavy footsteps and chattering voices that filled the roads of the small village of hogsmead, their sources bustling around on the rain slick cobblestones in small groups, dressed in swooping black cloaks, heavy water logged coats and muggle attire. the weather, although grim, did nothing to lessen the joyous atmosphere that filled the narrow streets with a palpable electricity, loud laughter and jostling bouncing off the smooth walled houses. lanterns adorned houses at random, light unobstructed by the rainfall that sizzled around them, disappearing before coming into contact with their small glowing flames. hazel took a moment to absorb her surroundings from where she stood, eyes scanning hungrily over the vision that greeted her.
dark rain slick uneven cobblestones ran under her feet and continued around a bend, streams from the downpour collecting between their gaps and pooling in puddles within uneven patches of the road before her, still surfaces occasionally disturbed by a heavy footfall as passers by bustled around her, heads downturned and obscured by thick cloaks and hats to shield from the wet. houses of varying sizes and shapes stood mismatched along the sides of the road, each sporting various wooden signs and elegant scrawls advertising their merchandise within. the largest stood to her left, a large white building framed by wooden beams, rainwater streaming off its wooden roof and pooling around its sides, its large windows reflected the bright glow from within to the outside road, stuffed full of colourful books and rolls of parchment paired by neat price tags beneath.
the front door was thrown open, emanating the warmth from the shops interior as wizards and witches alike bustled in and out of it, hands stuffed full of quills and papers, ink pots and novels balanced between straining arms. a few houses over to the right stood another shop that caught her eye, a narrow paint peeling exterior which wooden sign hung low above the road, the words ‘hogshead’ carved in thick a gold signature upon it. the rest of the shops sported similar sights, with customers bustling in and out of their open doors, hands grasping different objects with each one they exited, bright smiles and small frown painted upon their faces to various degrees.
the feeling of magic was unavoidable, hanging thick in the chilled air and coursing through her veins, the feeling akin to an electrical current. it pulsed and retreated, various patches of different types mingling from the magic welders who possessed it, blending together in the fog shrouded air into a singular pulsing thrum. it was an unfamiliar feeling, the presence of magic unavoidable to ignore, but not completely unpleasant. she had gotten better at feeling it, at not shrinking away from its lingering brushes as she would have a year ago. now she allowed her eyes to flutter close briefly, feeling the power that thickened the air. not pushing it away, not retreating from it, but simply allowing herself to embrace it.
she felt a smile tugging at her lips.
margrets slight squeeze of her hand that was still clasped in her own after the apparition brought her eyes open. she turned her head to face the smiling woman, blue eyes twinkling as she regarded hazel with a soft smile.
‘marlene had the same reaction the first time we brought her here.’ she stated, fond smile playing on her mouth.
hazel huffed a laugh, smile growing as she imagined her friend’s reaction, eyes wide and mouth open in delight as she took in the village before her for her first time. ‘im sure she did.’
‘come on.’ margret removed her hand from hazels and took her arm as she began to move them down the road, weaving in and around the bustles of witches and wizards that flowed around them, faces flushed and pink cheeked, pushing her way towards one of the houses towards the end of the road. it stood tall and wide with a smooth wooden exterior, large polished windows displaying a collection of various wands to the street before it, warm light spilling through the panes and its open door, a throng of customers already clogging the entrance. above the door, carved into the wood stood the letters, stamped out to read ‘olivanders’ in a bold black print.
‘first things first, i think we should get you your own wand.’
hazel ignored the flutter within her chest at those words as they neared the entrance, pushing their way through the press of bodies and wet fabric. a wand. she was here to buy her own wand. it was trepidation at the fact, trepidation that after these days she still could not shake. trepidation over the fact that she needed a wand because she had magic. unease wormed itself in her gut, mixed by a slight pang of fear at the thought. something else was there too, something lighter that seemed to flitter just behind her ribcage. hope. it was smaller, more delicate than the anxiety and uncomfort that seemed to wrap themselves around her gut, twisting and coiling, yet still present, weak enough that she feared it may shatter if she looked at it to long. so she didn’t, blocking out all the emotions that flowed within her as she finally made it to the counter of the shop, locking them up tight and refocusing on where she stood. the shop was warm and filled with the scent of worn wood and dust, a large mahogany desk positioned in the middle where she and margret now stood. it was empty here, the rest of the customers milling around the front of the shop as they ran eyes and soft touches over the assortment of objects gathered there, such as the soft velvet pouches and straps that allowed for the safe storage of the wands they came here to collect.
a scuffle of boots against smooth stone drew her attention from the front of the shop and the people littering it to the desk before her, in which a small wizard was shuffling towards them from behind a row of elegant tall shelves, his pale wizened face flecked with moles and a grey frazzled beard, smile wide as he took in the girl and woman before him.
‘ah, ms mckinnon!’ he bustled forwards, hands fluttering up as he greeted her, small wire glasses slipping down his crooked nose before he absentmindedly pushed them forwards, a completely redundant gesture as they immediately slipped down again. he hardly seemed to notice as he beamed at the pair infant of them, brown eyes kind as he continued ‘i didn’t expect to see you here again, i must confess- i was under the assumption both mckinnons where already wand equipped and well into their hogwarts years. its not a broken wand that’s brining you here, i hope?’
‘olivander’ margret greeted him with a warm smile of her. ‘no its nothing of the sort, i can assure you that.’
‘oh good, good’ the old man preened. ‘difficult business, having to match a bonded wizard with another wand- difficult indeed, can never seem to find the same connection as the one lost.. stubborn things, those bonds. not something lightly replaced, not indeed. tell me then, how can i help you today, ms mckinnon?’
‘im looking to get a wand for my daughter here,’ margret squeezed hazel around the shoulder as the girl felt something warm glow within her chest at those words- her daughter, even as the old mans eyes flew to her own, scanning. ‘she’s older, were aware, but has only come into her magic recently. that’s why we came to the best place to help us find her a suitable match in time for hogwarts. she’s joining fifth year in a few days and in desperate need of a wand of her own.’
the man blossomed under her compliments even as hazel stifled the urge to roll her eyes- the only wand place in hogsmead is what margret meant- but managed to keep her reaction under wraps as the man brought his focus upon her once more, brown eyes deceptively observant underneath his aged demeanour.
‘yes, yes, she’s a tad bit older then the usual students i get in requesting a wand, a bit older indeed- tell me child, will this be the first wand you have owned?’
she nodded, watching the mans kind eyes light up.
‘marvellous, truly. its always such a pleasure brining a wand to its owner, a beautiful thing indeed...’ he trailed off then brought his wrinkled fingers upon the counter, outstretched towards her own.
‘child, may i have a look at your hands. a lot is said about a witch in their hands when pairing a wand, a lot indeed.’
she hesitated for a brief moment before brining her hands up and gently resting them in the mans outstretched palms, watching as he rotated them, face scrunched in concentration as he scrutinised them, trailing worn finger pads along her various lines and grooves.
‘hmm, strong heart line, fortune line is present aswell, yes…’ he continued mumbling to himself as the assessed her hands, then withdrew and turned back to the towering shelves behind them, stacked full of boxes of various sizes, ranging from plain wood to gold decorated, muttering continuing as he pottered around them.
‘this may do…’ he mused, withdrawing a crooked stool ladder and climbing up to its third step, then reaching up and clasping an embroidered box before him before retreating back to the desk, quickly sliding the lid open and withdrawing the wand from within. it was a thick dark thing, plain in its features and nestled among thick plush velvet cushion as he gently grasped it and brought it before her.
‘ten inches, dragon heartstring, birchwood.’ he extended it towards her, her fingers wrapping around the cool wood. it was surprisingly heavy in her grasp yet apart from that felt otherwise completely unremarkable to her touch. olivander seemed to think the same as he frowned slightly, shaking his head as he bent forwards and removed it from her clutch, turning back to the shelves and disappearing behind their rows, the sound of muffled footsteps and shuffling the only indicator of his presence. long moments dragged past, until he once again emerged, this time with three more boxed stacked between his arms. he deposited them gently upon the wooden desk with the tenderness one would use for handling a newborn, then went to retrieve the first one.
‘eight inches, phoenix core, blackthorn.’ he handed it over, the object lighter than the one previous as it rested within her hand. again, nothing happened.
‘twelve inches, unicorn hair, yew’. nothing.
‘nine inches, dragon heartstring, apple.’ nothing.
she senses margret throw a concerned glance her direction and felt perspiration bead on her forehead. this wasn’t a good sigh, she was able to gather that much. most magic wealders where paired with their matched wand the first time- there was a reason olivander was the best wand maker in britain after all. if not the first time, then the second. but four wands down and no notable reaction to speak of- this was bad. olivander seemed to share her thoughts as he pursed his lips then paused, cocking his head as if heeding an invisible calling. his eyes widened slightly, expression undecipherable as he stood back and instead of wandering over to the shelves at his back bent down, reaching for something concealed under the desk. he re-emerged moments later, a thick white embellished box clasped between both hands and sat it onto the desk with a resounding thunk.
‘thirteen inches, phoenix core, black walnut.’
slowly he lifted the lid, withdrawing the wand from within. it was beautiful, longer then the rest he had previously handed her, smooth dark wood flawlessly shined, curving in a delicate pattern towards the top. wordlessly he handed it over her, breath held as she accepted it from his wrinkled grasp.
she tensed, waiting, waiting, and…
nothing.
she stared down at the wand, feeling nothing but its cool touch on her skin. it was olivander who broke the silence first.
‘strange, very strange indeed.’ he frowned, gaze stripping as hazel found herself frozen under it, feeling as if the old mans brown gaze was peering right down to the marrow of her bones. ‘black walnut wands are one of the less common wands one can produce. very strong, very powerful but not a kind wood to all those who posses it.’ his gaze was searing, unrelenting. ‘it has chosen you however. it may just take some time to get used to you my dear girl. very interesting indeed.’
she resisted the urge to squirm beneath his gaze. there was no warmth, no rush of giddy magic that she knew to expect when paired with ones chosen wand. it just felt cool to the touch, a constant weight between her clenched fingers.
he turned to margret then, lips still tugged into a slight frown of consideration. ‘i assume she has just come into her magic recently?’
margret blinked, jolting out of her thoughts as she addressed him back, smoothly replying ‘yes, it only presented itself a few weeks ago.’
hazel stiffened at the memory, gut churning. margret seemed to sense the movements, eyes sliding to her own and softening, the woman brining a warm hand onto hazels shoulder and squeezing gently.
‘and i assume she was regarded as a squib before hand?’
now it was margrets turn to bristle, voice hardening as she replied ‘i can assure you, my daughter possesses magic. there is no question about it.’
‘my apologies, my apologies, i do not mean to insinuate otherwise.’ olivander quickly assured as margret deflated ‘i only mean to state that such a… difficulty in wand bonding may only be due to her late possession of her own magic. i have never personally dealt with witches that have presented so late, so my knowledge is lacking. however, i feel it is safe to assume that the lack of a strong connection is not down to the witch in question and simply due to the sudden recognition of the magic within herself.’
he turned towards hazel, brown eyes kind as he continued ‘worry not my dear girl. i am sure that given time, you and your wand will bond beautifully.’ his tone was assuring but his eyes betrayed him, uncertainty gleaming there. enough so that all hazel could managed was a nod, zoning out as olivander and margret began discussing prices, the wand plucked out of hazels reach and prepared to be sold. doubt seemed to creep into her bones, wrapping around her heart and squeezing. why couldn’t she feel a connection with any of them? this surely couldn’t be normal, even if she was late to coming into her magic. her mind roiled, enough so that she barely registered the exchange and margret leading them out of the shop, hazel trailing mutely behind her as they made their descent down the cobbled road.
her tumbling inner thoughts where interrupted by margrets voice, reassuring as she stated ‘you’ve got your worry face on. do try not to panic, im certain its perfectly normal not to immediately click with wands for some one who has spent their entire life unaware of their magic. do try not to stress your self out to much dear.’
‘i dont have a worry face.’ she grumbled back, ignoring the quirked brow and small smile that appeared on margrets pretty face. instead, voice tentative she asked ‘can i try holding it again?’
‘of course dear.’ margret reached within the folds of her cloak, withdrawing a small velvet package and the wand held within. hesitantly hazel reached out, fingers wrapping around the cool wood. she waited.
it felt…
it felt like…
a stick. it felt like a stick.
well great.
sighing in defeat, she handed the wand back to margret who gave her a sympathetic smile, ruffling hazels drizzle splattered curls and handed her another small velvet pouch, smaller then the one that housed hazels new wand, fat and sagging under the contents of its belongings. it jangled as she plopped into hazels obediently outstretched palm, coins clinking together.
‘no need to come along while i sort out all the school books and essentials. why dont you pop down and grab yourself something nice from honeydukes.’
she forced her lips into a strained smile, carefully tucking the small pouch into the folds of her own jacket to keep out of reach from the rain, before turning and making her way down the bustling street that led to the plaza that housed the majority of the most popular shops, one of those being honeydukes. now alone she allowed her mind to fall back into the concerns that plagued her, the worry of the wand dancing around her skull. so enwrapped she was that she didn’t notice the oncoming body until she felt herself collide with another figure, breath momentarily whooshing out of her chest.
‘jesus fuck-’ she swore, stumbling back from the body she had just collided into. ‘sorry, i didn’t see you there.’
the figure just stared back at her, lips pressed together. she was a girl, seemingly hazels own age yet a good few inches taller, with dark glowing skin and long beaded braids that hung to her waist, interlaced with thick gold and ivory beads that clinked together as she straightened. she had deep brown eyes and full lips, her frame obscured in a thick black robe that fell to her feet, edges soaked with rainwater that clung to the deep fabric.
‘sorry,’ she said again, wincing, not wanting to piss of one of the first witch she had encountered outside of the mckinnon family. ‘these cobblestones are a bloody hazard. its my bad, didn’t mean to ram into you there.’
the girl simply blinked those dark eyes at her, voice cool and low as she retorted with the last thing hazel expected to hear from her just now.
‘you swear a lot for a witch.’ she paused then added, ‘muggleborn?’
her gut clenched and she fought to keep a scowl from tainting her features, voice tense as raised a brow. challenging. ‘you got a problem with it if i am?’
the girls perfectly plucked brows shot to the roots of her long braids, eyes flying comically wide. ‘no- that’s not what i meant, its just..’ she stalled, explications seeming to clog her throat and get stuck there. hazel just raised another brow.
‘wow, that’s a very convincing case you make there.’
‘oh piss off’ she grumbled, eyes trailing down to the cobble stones where she was scuffing the toe of her boot. she flicked her eyes upwards again, scanning hazel from head to toe.
‘you in hogwarts?’
‘im going into it.’
the girls brows knitted together in confusion. ‘your not a first year.’
‘really?’ she quipped. ‘what gave it away.’
‘well first years are usually a lot shorter, and dont swear enough to blacken their tongue.’
‘perhaps im just an abnormally tall foul mouthed eleven year old.’ she replied sweetly.
the girl snorted and hazel smiled back, genuine this time, relaxing her posture. ‘im going into sixth year in the following term.’ she explained, watching as the girls eyes widened slightly. she perked up at that, beaded braids bouncing along her waist as she straightened. ‘that’s my year too.’ she exclaimed before tilting her head slightly. ‘do you know what house you’ll be in yet?’
hazel just shrugged, ignoring the feeling of discomfort that wormed its way back into her stomach.
the girl only smiled, musing ‘maybe you’ll be in slytherin.’
‘that your house?’
she nodded enthusiastically, face glowing. ‘it is, the best house of the lot.’ she declared and hazel laughed slightly at her unashamed favouritism. the girl grinned back, slightly abashed and amended ‘well perhaps not the best out of all of them, but its far better then gryffindor, that’s for sure.’
‘my best friends in gryffindor.’
‘then you need a new best friend.’ she said it with such passion, face morphing into such a comical expression of horror that hazel burst out laughing, helpless as the sound tore out of her.
‘why, you offering to fill the spot?’ she teased.
the girl only tilted her head again, light dancing in her dark brown eyes as she exaggeratedly pretended to think, face scrunching up. ‘that depends,’ she stated ‘which do you prefer- burtys every flavour beans or snapping chocolate- keep in mind there’s only one correct answer to that.’
hazel winced slightly at her lack of emersion into wizarding culture. the mckinnons had done their best, they truly had, but it was only natural they would forget about certain things. apparently things such as trying the best wizarding sweets.
‘ive actually never tried either of those.’ she admitted, slightly sheepish and watching as the girls eyes widened again.
‘salazar are you lucky you found me.’ she declared, moving forwards to interlink her arm with hazels and guide them down the road towards the thick smell of chocolate and spun sugar.
‘am i now?’
‘you are.’ she stated primly, ‘because i am going to help you change that right this second. no student may enter the premises of hogwarts without having tried the delicacies that are hogsmead chocolates.’
‘your generosity knows no bounds.’
the girl simply smirked, chuckling as she guided them into a plaza, footsteps echoing upon the rain slick cobblestones.
‘im dorcas, by the way,’ she spoke as they neared a row of large cream coloured shops, colourful banners and signs adorning them. ‘dorcas meadows.’
‘hazel o’mallenough.’
dorcas smiled at her. hazel smiled back.