Ollivanders
When she thought the boy in front of her couldn't get anymore unpleasant, he seemed to defy her expectations.
"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and Hayley and pointing at three large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.
"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.
"He works at Hogwarts." Hayley provided.
"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. They liked the boy less and less every second.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage. Lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."
"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly. She nodded sharply in agreement.
"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," said Harry shortly. She felt a bit sad at that and couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if they were both here with them.
"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
This boy was annoying her by every passing second. What kind of line of questioning was this?
"Our kind? What do you mean 'our kind'? Do we look like goblins to you?" Hayley asked hotly. The boy looked a bit taken aback. Then his expression turned into a scowl.
"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean." Harry said, trying to diffuse whatever argument was going to take place between the both of them.
The boy turned to Harry, now seemingly ignoring her.
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"
"You talk like you are better than them," Hayley hissed at him, crossing her arms over her chest, daring him to say more.
Oh how she was itching to put that nasty little brat in his place!
But before he could answer, Madam Malkin said to Harry, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, quickly hopped down from the footstool.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the blonde boy. He then turned to her with a sneer, "See you too, Witch."
-•••-
Harry was quiet as they strode to the next shop, eating his ice cream. Hayley also savoured the tasty delicacy as she followed behind. The man looked at her then Harry.
"What's up?" Hagrid asked.
"Nothing." They both lied and spoke simultaneously.
They bought parchments and inkwells, they cheered up a bit as they saw various kinds of quills and color changing inks.
Harry suddenly asked Hagrid, "What's Quidditch?"
"Blimey, Harry! I keep forgetting how little you guys know about our world!"
They told him about the boy they met at Madam Malkin's. Hagrid shook his head in disappointment and told them not to worry about what the boy said.
Hagrid then explained Quidditch. It was a wizard sport, very popular and played on flying broomsticks.
If anyone had come up to her yesterday and had told her there existed a sport played on flying broomsticks, she would have immediately called emergency services to report a mental patient on loose.
She then asked, "What's Hufflepuff and Slytherin?"
"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot of duffers, but—"
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily.
"Better Huflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."
"Vol-sorry. You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"
"Years and years ago," said Hagrid.
They bought school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.
Hagrid almost had to drag the twins away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"We were trying to find out how to curse Dudley." Said Harry grumpily.
"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but you're not to use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "And anyway, you couldn't work any of them curses yet, you'll need a lot more study before you get to that level."
Hagrid wouldn't let them buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on your list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope.
Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff
stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling.
She couldn't wait to get out of here. Her brother looked fascinated with silver unicorn horns. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
After the Apothecary, Hagrid checked their list and announced only their wands remained to be purchased.
"Oh and I also need to get you two of your birthday presents!"
Harry went red and Hayley beamed at Hagrid. She never got a decent birthday present before and wondered what Hagrid would be getting them.
When Harry said he didn't need to that, Hagrid said in that case, he would be getting them their animals then. Toads were out of fashion so that was no. Cats made him sneeze so it was taken out of the option as well.
So they got owls. As they exited the Eeylops Owl Emporium, Harry had a magnificent, snowy owl in a large cage who was sleeping and she herself had a barn owl in a cage as well.
Stammering their thanks to Hagrid, they made their way to buy their wands.
Magic wands!
She was so excited that as soon as she spotted the shop, she ran ahead, a huge grin plastered on her face.
Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
"Oh come on! Hurry up, Harry!"
Hagrid laughed heartily as she entered the shop first.
A bell rang as she entered and she felt as if she had entered a library. It was eerily quiet and instead of books lined upon the shelves, it were wands. Another chime of bell sounded and Harry and Hagrid stepped inside.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice, startling them all.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," they both said in unison, shifting on their feet awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. He turned to her, "Miss Hayley Potter."
"You both have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work "
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry, his eyes boring into his, unblinking.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it-it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose.
Has the man never heard of personal space? Hayley thought hotly.
"And that's where..."
Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do... " He shook his head and then, to both Harry's and Hayley's relief, spotted Hagrid.
"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.
They both exchanged pleasentries and Hagrid clutched his umberlla when the old man asked about using his wand.
Turning to them once again, Mr. Ollivander instructed them to hold out their wand hands. That simply meant their dominant hand. They both held out their right hands and the old wand maker started to take measurements.
He first beckoned Harry to try some wands. Her brother took one and gave it a flick. As he did so, a stack of wands blew away from the shelf and Harry immediately let go of it.
Mumbling to himself, Mr. Ollivander had Harry try more wands, all of them had given the same results: mild disaster.
The old man went to grab another and look deep in thought, worry and curiosity etching his face.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere-I wonder, now-yes, why not-unusual combination-holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Harry took the wand.
His eyes widened as he held up the wand. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.
Hagrid whooped and clapped. She joined in as well, bouncing on her heels.
Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..." He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..."
"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather-just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."
Harry swallowed and Hayley gasped out loud.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things- terrible, yes, but great."
Harry visibly shivered.
Now it was her turn. Those silver creepy eyes turned to her and she swallowed. Once again, mumbling to himself, he went to search in wands for her to try. He came back with handful of boxes. She tried each but did not like the end results and they were snatched away from her hands as soon as she flicked and swished.
Mr. Ollivander disappeared further inside his shop and after several silent minutes came back with an old looking box, covered in dust and cobwebs.
"Hmm... I wonder..." He muttered, opening the box. Inside, lay a wand so black it almost looked like charcoal.
Fascinated, she gently grabbed it and with an encouraging nod from Mr. Ollivander, she gave it a light flick. Sparks burst out of its tip and danced around the room in a colorful display.
A warm sensation crept up to her wand arm and she knew this was the wand she wanted-needed.
"Magnificent!" The wand maker beamed, Hagrid and Harry joining in to applause.
"Elder wood, dragon core, thirteen-and-half inches, stubborn and loyal."
She examined her new wand, its black, obsidian surface was definitely burnt, two whorls of vines adorned the length of it, twisted and crooked. She looked up at Ollivander.
"Why is it black? It's burnt, isn't it?"
The old man nodded, his expression calm but a look of worry crossed his face. "Well, it's just a legend of some sort. I do not know the actual story behind it. It has been in my family for generations and no witch or wizard has been chosen by the wand so it had been forgotten."
"What kind of legend?" Harry asked this time.
A far away look crossed his features and Mr. Ollivander started his tale, "There's a legend regarding a powerful wand, it is known as the Elder Wand. It is rumoured to give its user immense magical powers but of course no one truly knows if it exists or not."
He paused before continuing, "The tree it was made from was an ancient one, the Elder tree, they called it. When the wizard who had the possession of Elder Wand at that time burned the tree so that no one else could make another. The tree was razed to ashes except this piece of little wood. My ancestors made a wand out of it."
The silence filled the little shop, no one dared to say a word as the old man finished speaking. He looked around at their faces and suddenly smiled.
"But of course! It's all but a rumour! A legend! The wand is so old even I do not know its origins for certain."
Hagrid gave a nervous chuckle and quickly made them pay the man for the wands and made their exit.
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as the twins and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Hayley didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; she didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them and their weird, strange packages as they went.
Hagrid offered them to have lunch together with a kind smile and they beamed at him but as they ate their hamburgers, Harry became very quiet.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hagrid inquired softly.
Harry's face scrunched up in deep thought. "Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-sorry. I mean, the night our parents died."
Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.
"Don't you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yourself. I know it's hard. You've been singled out, and that's always hard. But you'll have a great time at Hogwarts-both of you. I am sure of it-I did. I still do."
Hagrid helped them on to the train that would take them back to the Dursleys, then handed Harry an envelope.
"Your tickets for Hogwarts," he said. "First of' September-King's Cross- it's all on your tickets. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with your owl, she'll know where to find me... See you soon, Harry. Hayley."
The train pulled out of the station. The twins wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; they rose in their seats and pressed their noses against the window, but he was gone in a blink of an eye.