Memento Mori

Chapter 15: A change of heart and soul

27th August 1938,

"Olivander's Wand Shop." Professor Dumbledore stopped outside a little shop nestled between other shops. The windows was half covered with stacked boxes while the outer walls were a mixture of wood and stone. "The finest wandmaker in this country. Every other witch or wizard in Great Britain have gotten their wands from here."

The three entered the dimly lit shop. The musty scent of old wood filled the air as they stood among countless shelves filled with slender boxes and some boxes flew past them, nearly knocking into the three.

"It's busier than usual." Professor Dumblore noted, sounding disappointed. "Ah, we should've visited here after our visit to Gringotts."

"Well, it can't be helped." Tom said, looking around the busy shop, unsurprised at the state of shop.

"No, it can't. We'll just wait." He turned to a silent Tom and a wide-eyed Cordelia and asked. "I hope you two don't mind the wait."

Cordelia noticed Tom's face darkening before it went back to its typical blankness. He cleared his throat and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Can I take a look outside?"

Professor Dumbledore hummed quietly under his breath before he snuck a glance at the shop window overlooking the busy street. "Unfortunately, it's too busy to have a wander around for you, Tom. You'll have to wait inside."

Even though inside the shop was busy as ever with families gathered around the different wand displays and children chattering among themselves excitedly. Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to care or notice the difference and Cordelia bit the bottom of her lip to stop herself from laughing at the sour look on Tom's face.

"I won't be alone." Said Tom, trying once again to convince the eccentric Professor to let him go. "Cora will be with me. I won't get lost, she's been here before."

"Yes, when she was five or six." Professor Dumbledore gave him a pointed look and Tom's jaws clenched. "I'm sure Miss Alder knows her way around Diagon Alley but it is quite busy this afternoon and I'd rather not lose sight of either of you, Tom." His reasoning was sound and Cordelia was convinced; she had no idea why Tom wanted to go to explore at the busiest time of the day. Surely, his curiosity was not standing in the way of his rationality.

Cordelia looked at Tom; his grip slackened. Tom seemed to understand Professor Dumbledore but she knew that inside he was seething at being denied what he wanted.

The noise and the crush of people outside made her feel stuffy and sick. Her eyes darted around each of the faces in the crowd, scanning each and every one of them; her eyes scanned their entire being, stopping every time at their hands, some carried wands and some packages. Her palms were sweaty as she looked away from the crowd outside, distant screams only she could hear faded away.

Yet Tom smiled a calm smile at her which made her feel even more sick; his eyes almost trying to dig holes into her mind as he just stared, trying to silently convince her to play along to his charade.

"I don't mind waiting inside. I think it's much cooler here than outside anyway." Cordelia said instead, barely managing to speak. She wanted to stay inside. Tom dropped her hand instantly and looked away from her. "I hope you don't mind Tom." She added.

"Not at all." Tom said through clenched teeth and hollow smile that may have fooled everyone in the room but Cordelia could tell he was holding back.

Without a warning, Tom pulled her down, dodging a flying box as the shop was plunged into sudden darkness.

"Not that one!" She heard the shopkeeper shout as she almost fell.

Cordelia stumbled and nearly fell onto the floor before she felt two hands catch her. At first, she thought it was Professor Dumbledore who caught her along with Tom but the second pair of hands felt too small to belong to the eccentric Professor.

"Are you all right?" A small voice asked. The voice sounded like a boy around her age but in the dimly lit busy shop, she couldn't tell.

Cordelia nodded, feeling grateful for the help. Tom glared at him, his eyes full of sudden hostility. "Thank you." She said, silently giving Tom a signal to behave. He only ignored her.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you. I was just trying to dodge t-that box." The boy began to apologise before she even managed to focus in the sudden darkness. She felt Tom's cold but familiar hands around her arm tighten as an unfamiliar hand tried to help her up, only to be swatted away by Tom.

"No, worries. I wasn't…" Cordelia's eyes widened and she momentarily forgot how to speak. Her cheeks felt warm as blood rushed to her cheeks and she pursed her lips to stop herself from stammering like a fool. "I-I wasn't looking where I was. It was my fault." She stuttered out, cursing herself for sounding so stupid.

Tom gave her a side-ways glance and sighed audibly. "Thank you for your help." He snapped and pulled Cordelia back. For a split second, she caught the slight confusion on Tom's face when he noticed the other boy. It was like the other boy wasn't meant to be there.

"I'm Arsene." The boy introduced himself as light slowly returned to the small shop. "Arsene Prince."

Almost as if she was in a trance, Cordelia dumbly nodded. Arsene Prince, like his surname, had the appearance of a prince with silky black long hair that rested just past his shoulders tied up in a satin ribbon and dark silvery eyes that gleamed brightly when he smiled. His features were soft but sharp at the same time.

"And you are?" Arsene asked with his brows raised and his eyes trained on Cordelia. Despite being around Cordelia and Tom's age he seemed so much more mature, much like Tom and she couldn't help but envy him.

"I'm Tom Riddle and thank you for helping her." Tom answered before Cordelia could.

Arsene's silver eyes darkened and the two boys almost glared at each other like they were natural enemies. The air around them grew colder and more stuffier as Cordelia took a step back, looking at the now-busy Professor Dumbledore, who despite having his ear on the conversation was acting like he was not listening—Cordelia knew he was listening in, she could tell—he didn't want to get involved.

She sighed and subtly pulled Tom back before Arsene ended up injured or Tom 'accidentally' summoned a snake. "I'm Cordelia Alder, first year at Hogwarts." She introduced herself with a sweet smile.

Arsene brightened while Tom rolled his eyes, slipping his hand into hers. "I'm a first year too and I guess Tom is one too."

"Well, I wouldn't be here otherwise." Tom snidely remarked.

The corners of Arsene's lips turned up into a subtle grin and he let out a small laugh. "Maybe you broke your wand," He retorted. "I've heard it happens a lot to new first years though I've never heard of anyone breaking their wand before they even got on the train—congratulations on being the first."

Tom stared blankly at the boy but Cordelia could tell he was hiding his anger. Before he could get a word in, she quickly jumped in. "Tom didn't break his wand." She quickly began before a fight broke out. "We haven't even gotten our wands yet."

"Oh. I didn't realise."

"Arsene! Arsene!" Arsene's mother or a woman that looked like his mother called out to him. She was with another woman. Her light auburn hair was up in tight short curls like the ones Cordelia had seen on the covers of those magazines Fran had in her room; she was dressed in a dark indigo coat dress with black leather gloves and a small matching indigo hat that made her look too much like a muggle. She stood out but she didn't seem to care. "It's your turn!" She said loudly.

Loud clicks of heels and the woman was standing right in front of Cordelia, Tom and Arsene. She, like Arsene, had bright silver eyes and a warm smile with rosy cheeks. Cordelia felt a sharp pang in her chest looking at the woman in front of her. She missed her own mother.

"Oh you were with friends." The woman said, glancing from Tom to Cordelia to Arsene. A flash of recognition flickered in her silvery eyes as she smiled. "It's nice that Arsene's already making friends. You two should know he's quite shy."

"We're not—" Cordelia pinched Tom's back to shut him up and gave him a look to behave. She was so embarrassed that she could only hope her face didn't show. She didn't know what was wrong with him; he was normally unbothered but something about Arsene seemed to set him off.

"Mum!" Arsene's cheeks turned a slight pink as he tugged at his mother's sleeve and looked up pointedly at her. "Don't embarrass me."

Mrs Prince laughed and patted her son's head fondly. Tom stared apathetically at the foreign signs of affection between the mother-son before he turned to Cordelia. She hadn't said a word since Mrs Prince had arrived and somehow he seemed to sense her feelings as he tried to gently drag her to the back of the shop where she could hide in peace from her emotions.

Though she appreciated his silent and oddly kind gesture, she stood firm. Mrs Prince sent Arsene off with the other woman and turned back to Cordelia and Tom with a smile.

"I never caught your names." Mrs Prince said.

"Tom Riddle." Tom answered with a charming smile as if he wasn't glaring holes at the face of her son. "And this is Cordelia Alder." Cordelia waved before dropping her hand.

Mrs Prince's brows knitted together and a wave of sadness washed over her face. "You're Virgilia and Corin's daughter—the younger one." She said with a quiet gasp. "You look so much like them."

Cordelia's heart dropped. Blood rushed to her head and she let go of Tom's hand. For a second she couldn't hear anything but the beat of her heart. Someone knew her parents. Her eyes trembled as she held back tears from spilling. How long had it been since she met someone who spoke of her parents? She couldn't recall.

"You…knew my parents?" She questioned in a soft tone that was almost muffled out by the chatter around them.

Yet Mrs Prince had heard her. She smiled and nodded. "I went to school with them. Corin and I were both prefects for our house."

"You were in Ravenclaw?"

Mrs Prince nodded and she started to ramble. "I was much closer to your mother than your father even though she was in Gryffindor but we were good friends. She took after her family. Her brother was also in Gryffindor. A troublemaker, that one. Would never have imagined him to be such a great potion maker but I suppose it is in his blood to be so good given how many great potion makers your mother's family had produced. Your sister was in Gryffindor too. I don't see her with you. Is she—" She stopped when she noticed the pale cheeks and reddened gaze of Cordelia's.

Cordelia sucked in a shaky breath and smiled or attempted too. She knew it looked terrible but she smiled like her uncle had told her to. "It's just me." She said, looking down at her pale hands. "Just…me."

"Oh." Mrs Prince gasped out. "Oh no. I-I'm so sorry, Cordelia."

"She has me so she's fine." Tom said without even letting Mrs Prince finish. He didn't care anymore what Cordelia was thinking or if he was being rude. He didn't want to cause a scene and worst of all, he didn't want her to start crying even though she wasn't the type of person that cried easily.

"I suppose she is." Mrs Prince muttered out. "I didn't realise Monty had taken in a boy. He doesn't have any children if I remember correctly," She paused, furrowing her brows and looked down at Tom who at that moment tried his best to stand tall. He looked like he was struggling as he balled up his fist and dug his nails into his palm. "Riddle was it? What a peculiar name. I've never really heard of it. Muggle-born?" She carefully asked. "I don't mean to be rude—"

Cordelia looked up in silent alarm, her head snapped towards Tom in concern. She could feel his rage emanating from his form as he held onto her like a lifeline. "Mrs Prince—" She tried to stop her but it was too late as Tom spoke at the same time.

"Half-blood." Tom spat out, surprising Cordelia how he even knew such a word. "My mother was a witch, father a…" He sucked in a tired breath as though speaking of his father stung more than it should. "My father was a muggle. My mother gave me his name instead of hers."

"How did you—"

"Mrs Cole told me." Tom had lied with a foreign smile and Cordelia nodded as she played along.

"Oh you poor thing." Mrs Prince airily lamented. Despite seeming so smart a few moments ago, Cordelia couldn't help but think how foolish the woman was. "I'm so sorry. Is your mother around?"

"She died giving birth to me."

Mrs Prince's face drained of colour and she gasped out, covering her face with her gloved hand. She was mortified at her words like she couldn't believe the things she had just said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what came over me, Tom." She profusely apologised, even bowing her head in shame.

"I'm sure you didn't mean it like that." Cordelia tried to ease the tension but she didn't really feel like it. Mrs Prince, though she was her parents' friend had inadvertently hurt Tom and she knew Tom would get even more comments like those of Mrs Prince's the moment they arrived at Hogwarts.

"No, I-I don't know what came over me." Tom said nothing and took a step back, sparing a glance at Professor Dumbledore who had stopped pretending to be busy.

"Professor Dumbledore." Mrs Prince greeted. Her face still pale and her eyes wide; she was trembling. She hugged herself before she rubbed the temple of her forehead as if she was in pain. "Are these two with you?"

"Maeve O'Cary." Professor Dumbledore came out from behind one of the shelves. "It's been a while."

"It's Prince now, Professor. I've been married for over a decade and a half."

"So you have." Professor Dumbledore laughed and craned his head to look behind Mrs Prince. "And is that your daughter."

"Eileen." She said exasperatedly and the little girl who both Tom and Cordelia had not noticed trembled at the way her mother said her name. "She's the younger one so she's a little shy." She brought her daughter in front of her, almost pushing her forward.

Eileen nearly fell but Cordelia reached out and helped steady her. The girl compared to her prince-like brother was quite plain and skinny; her long black hair hiding half of her face but she was tall for her age; Cordelia almost mistook her for a first year.

"Arsene's the older one—he's getting his wand and I suppose you're here with Cordelia and…Tom to get theirs?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I am. Cordelia's uncle had business to attend to so naturally it fell on me to come help," He looked at Eileen and smiled. The girl tried to smile back but it came out as a grimace. "Though I don't really mind—it's such a nice day today, don't you think Maeve?"

"I agree. I didn't realise Monty adopted a boy."

"He didn't."

"He didn't?"

"He didn't." Tom chimed in and Cordelia felt her cheeks turn pink. She felt so small like she was about to cry. "I'm an orphan." He added in a nonchalant tone as if he was already used to the remarks.

Mrs Prince let out a quiet gasp and Eileen bit her lips, leaning down towards Cordelia and Tom, she quietly said. "I'm so sorry about my mum, she's not really like this all the time."

Tom ignored the shivering girl while Cordelia patted her arm. "It's alright. I'm sure she means well." But Eileen didn't believe that.

"Oh then, Tom is—" Mrs Prince still carried on, glancing at Tom in question. "He is…"

"An orphan like Cordelia," It stung to be reminded that Cordelia could do nothing but stand there and listen. "He lives at the same orphanage as her and to our surprise, he was a wizard."

"An orphanage!" Mrs Prince gasped out, drawing the attention of many passers-by. Eileen caved her shoulder in like she was trying to hide from the world. "What happened to Monty? She has an uncle! She has an aunt! Why didn't they take her in?"

Tom's face hardened. It was as if he had taken more offence to those words than Cordelia did.

"Well, her uncle insisted on taking her in." Professor Dumbledore answered calmly, motioning Mrs Prince to quieten down. "But I considered the risks of placing her in his custody—"

"What risk is there to place a child with her family?"

"The risk of Grindelwald."

Mrs Prince's eyes widened; her breathing calmed. Her chest rising and falling as she took a step back. At the mention of the dark wizard's name, the air grew thick with tension as some patrons started to distance themselves from Mrs Prince and Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbeldore spared Cordelia a swift glance and carried on. "I'm sure you and everyone is aware of how the Alders passed."

"Grindelwald…" Mrs Prince whispered the name like a curse.

"It wasn't a pretty sight and it was unfortunately bound to happen given the nature of Corin's occupation and Virgilia's family heirloom."

"He should've quit when Virgilia begged him too."

"She was an Auror as well—she knew the risks well enough, Maeve."

"Did she? I've never heard of an Unspeakable more endangered or obsessive than Corin."

Tom let out a quiet breath that sounded like laughter. Professor Dumbledore and Mrs Prince paused. The two looked at Tom who acted as if he did nothing.

"Mum!" Arsene yelled out, mellowing the tension. A girl his age stood beside him. "It's my turn. Celina's already done."

"Coming dear." Mrs Prince said stiffly before giving Cordelia a sympathetic smile and following the sound of her son. "Come along, Eileen." She came back momentarily to grab her daughter and disappeared into the crowd.

Despite the animated chatter in the background, tense silence hung in the air between the three. Professor Dumbledore turned to Tom, his voice gentle. "Please, don't let Mrs. Prince's words trouble you. She spoke without understanding the depth of your situations." Professor Dumbledore spoke quietly, his voice carrying a comforting tone.

Tom's expression hardened as he shrugged off the professor's attempt at consolation. "She wasn't wrong, Professor," He retorted curtly. "I am an orphan, and Cordelia should've gone to live with her uncle. There's no need to lie or hide the truth." Cordelia felt a pang of hurt at Tom's dismissive words but she said nothing, attempting to gather her thoughts.

Professor Dumbledore sighed inwardly, a flicker of frustration crossing his eyes, though he quickly concealed it yet Cordelia had seen it. He knew that beneath Tom's cool demeanour lay a boy scarred by a painful past, resistant to the idea of receiving help or sympathy.

"Tom, my boy," Professor Dumbledore began, his voice gentle yet firm. "There is no shame in being an orphan. Your past does not define you. You have the ability to shape your future into something extraordinary."

Tom's expression remained resolute, unmoved by the professor's words. Cordelia observed the exchange, her eyes flickering with concern and understanding. She had seen this dynamic between Tom and Professor Dumbledore before, the clash of stubbornness and concern.

Before she could interject with her own thoughts, "Cordelia Alder and Tom Riddle!" Their names were called out, signalling that it was their turn to be attended to. The trio stepped forward, leaving their conversation suspended in the air, unresolved for the moment.

Professor Dumbledore guided Cordelia and Tom to the counter where two wizards minded the counter.

"Afternoon Professor." One of the wizards greeted them with a tired smile. His wrinkled face stretched out into a welcoming smile as he slipped a quill into his long white and grey hair. His weary blue eyes looked down at the two and nodded. "Off to Hogwarts, are we?" He asked in a friendly tone.

Cordelia nodded, putting the exchange with Mrs Prince at the back of her mind while Tom only pursed his lips in silent acknowledgement.

"First years—you know how it is, Gervaise." Professor Dumbledore answered.

The old wandmaker let out a hearty fit of laughter before he sighed. "First years now and you blink and the years pass by and the next thing you know, they're sitting their NEWTs, ready to head off into the world." He remarked, picking out a dozen boxes with a lazy flick of his own wand. "It feels only yesterday that my boy Garrick was at Hogwarts and now he's running the shop with me."

"Ah, I remember that time. I was just a young graduate then, still so wet behind my ears."

"Now look at you!" Mr Ollivander laughed. His son gave Tom and Cordelia a look and ducked his head down as a wand box flew across the room. He scurried out to tend to another customer. "On your way to becoming one of the most renowned wizards alive! Ah, just yesterday, I sold you your first wand as a young wandmaker," He paused. "I take it that your wand is in great shape." Professor Dumbledore took his hand out and handed it to the old wandmaker who took it from him to take a look. He took out a loupe and popped it over his glasses. "Poplar 14 inches with a phoenix core—one of my father's first batches of wands to use phoenix feathers."

"I heard phoenix feathers are hard to get by." Cordelia commented in silent awe.

Mr Ollivander grinned and nodded. "It is." He said. "My father was fortunate enough that the Dumbledores had donated some a few years back, he just never got around to using them but as luck would have it, he finally used it by the time Professor Dumbledore was about your and Tom's age. It was one of the best things my father ever made and if I remember correctly. He only managed to make three, two went back to the Dumbledores and one was kept in our family collection." He sighed, almost lost in reminiscing as he unboxed two wands at the same time. "Very rarely do we have the privilege to work with such precious materials. I can still remember when I received the request to make Cornelius Alder's wand after none of the ones in our inventory worked."

Cordelia's eyes leaned closer, her curiosity piqued.

"Ah, you must've been elated." Professor Dumbledore chuckled. He shared Mr Ollivander's sentiments, it wasn't everyday that the Alders would make such requests, they were rare and they were always welcomed by the Ollivanders.

"Over the moon, Albus." Mr Ollivander grinned and beckoned Tom to stretch his arm out as a measuring tape flew out of the drawer and started measuring his arm.

Tom seemed exasperated but he didn't voice his thoughts. His focus was on the wall behind Mr Ollivander's son. His gaze flickered to the giddy old wizard and the corners of his lips went up. The air seemed to get slightly colder, Cordelia's gaze turned to him as he leaned closer to Mr Ollivander.

His voice was measured and in the most charming and polite tone she'd ever heard him use. "Forgive me for prying, Mr Ollivander, but why do you seem particularly excited about Mr Alder's wand? Was it really special?"

Mr Ollivander paused, a twinkle in his eyes. "Ah, you have a keen sense of observation, Tom. Cordelia's great-grandfather permitted the use of a tarrasque scale as the core for Cornelius' wand. Tarrasques are highly endangered creatures, rarely seen in the wizarding world."

"Then how did the Alders have it in their vault?" Tom asked, glancing at Cordelia for an answer. She shrugged in response.

She didn't know but instead her mind went back to the tense exchange between Tom and Professor Dumbledore who hovered around them. She knew Professor Dumbledore was frustrated by Tom's unwillingness to accept comfort and guidance, and yet the professor remained patient, trying to reach out to him when many had left.

She knew that the professor's actions came from a place of genuine care, but she also understood Tom's struggle to accept the compassion offered.

Professor Dumbledore, who had been quietly observing the conversation, interjected. "The Alders were—are a family of researchers and explorers, they have samples of rare or long-gone creatures in their vault." But Tom had stopped listening, his gaze flickered to Cordelia's and he looked like he knew what Professor Dumbledore was talking about; only for a moment, she felt as if she had known him for a lifetime, his dark eyes felt so heavy that she had no choice but to look away.

Mr Ollivander took out the wand from his box and handed it to him. "Supple, pear with kelpie hair core, 12 inches. Give it a try and I'll pick up where I was."

Tom just stared at the wand as if he knew it wouldn't work and sure enough, the wand despite his attempts to wave it, did nothing. "I don't think this one works and you were saying…"

"I was saying that it's quite rare for the Alders to open their vaults for anyone else. I was fortunate that they opened it for me." Mr Ollivander said as he turned around and took out another wand. "Stiff beech with coral 13 1/2 inches, give it a go." Tom held it and the air grew colder before Mr Ollivander took the wand out of his hands. "Try this 12 inches blackthorn wood with salamander tongue core—this wand favours the strong and most suited for duellers."

The moment the wand landed in Tom's hands, it flew off into the shop causing a few customers to duck and Cordelia was pulled under the counter by Tom. Boxes were knocked down and Garrick, Mr Ollivander's son raised his wand to silently pick and sort those boxes while the blackthorn wand carried on with its rampage.

Professor Dumbledore raised his wand and shouted. "Immobulus!"

The wand paused mid-air and hovered in the centre of the small shop. A collective sigh of relief was heard around the shop. Professor Dumbledore slowly lowered his wand, bringing the rogue blackthorn wand down with it; he brought it into his hand and placed it on the counter.

"I don't think that one's the one." Cordelia remarked.

"What made you think that?" Tom quipped and Cordelia elbowed his arm playfully. He grinned but his smile dropped when he noticed Professor Dumbledore and Mr Olivander's eyes on him. He leaned on the counter and let his fingers touch each of the wands on the counter. "I don't think any of these wands will work for me."

"Well, you haven't tried every wand." Mr Ollivander tilted his head in confusion and turned to get another box. "Garrick, are you done ringing the other customers up?"

Garrick Ollivander, with his arms full of boxes moved up and down in response before he dropped the pile next to the counter. "Yes, do you want me to get a few of my wands out?"

"That would be great, Garrick."

Mr Ollivander's son disappeared behind the shelves and reappeared a few moments later with more boxes and a few following him. He dropped the boxes with a quiet slam that echoed through the now quiet shop. Most of the customers had left, leaving only the three of them inside with the Ollivanders.

Garrick took out his wand, lightly flicking through the air. Tom let out a quiet tired sigh as he followed each of the boxes being unboxed. Cordelia noted his gaze stuck on one particular box. He waited patiently for all the boxes to be unboxed and laid on a roll of soft cushiony material before leaning over the counter like a curious child.

"There's a few new wand cores that I've been testing; unicorn hair, dragon heartstring and of course phoenix feathers donated by Professor Dumbledore." Garrick said, clasping his hands together. He swallowed and took a step back. His nervous eyes on the keen Professor before he turned to Cordelia and Tom.

He was a little anxious about the reactions, it was clear to Cordelia that his father had still not formally acknowledged his skills. She gave him a soft smile and scanned the selection of wands.

Without a word, Tom placed his hand on the counter. "Can I try one?" He asked in the most polite tone he could muster.

"Of course." Garrick said, a little enthusiastically. "I mean 'of course' you can. I brought these out for you and Miss Alder to try." He pushed the pillows with the wand closer to

Tom's eyes lit up in anticipation. He scanned the wand selection yet Cordelia could tell his attention was already on one single wand; a pale wood that was slightly crooked at the hilt. At first, he pretended to go for another wand, a simple dark wood wand. He grabbed it with an unsure smile and lifted it.

"Ah, a dragon heartstring wand." Garrick clapped his hands together in anticipation. "Give a little swish and flick!"

Tom followed his instructions in rehearsed unsureness and the wand refused to do any magic at first but he tried again, only for a few boxes to be knocked over.

Garrick sighed loudly at his first failure. "Not that one."

Tom put down the wand. "Can I try another one?" Garrick nodded his head vigorously, not letting the past failure hinder him.

He reached for the pale wooden wand and the moment it was in his hand, there was a light breeze and he grinned in victory. He turned to look at Cordelia who didn't return his smile, she only gave him a nervous nod of acknowledgement as she bowed her head.

"Well, I can proudly say that you're meant for some great things Mr Riddle." Mr Ollivander said, slapping his son's back in a proud outburst of affection. "Yew 13 1/2 inches, phoenix feather core. All the makings of a great wizard. A yew wand doesn't pick any old wizard or witch, you see. They only choose the best of the best."

Her stomach dropped and she suddenly felt a little sick but she could exactly pinpoint the reason why. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, stepping up to take her place. It was her turn next.

Tom grinned, basking in the praise of his future and even Professor Dumbledore seemed pleased yet he, like Cordelia, felt uneasy and he kept glancing at the silent younger girl in question as if beckoning her to say what was really on her mind but she didn't say anything.

She didn't want to and the voice in her head cried out, telling her to run out of the shop or take that wand out of Tom's hands but that wand was already away from him as Garrick Ollivander wrapped it up for him to take.

"Miss Alder, your turn." Mr Ollivander beckoned her to come closer as he laid out his own creations alongside his son's. "Try this one, a yew wand like Mr Riddle's but this one has a coral core." Cordelia only touched the wand and she recoiled at the touch as if the wood had burned her. "That was foolish of me. I should've given you an alder wood wand." Mr Ollivander muttered under his breath, bowing his head in apology. "Ah, try this one. 10 1/2 Alder with a coral core—your sister had a similar wand. Alder is just as powerful as yew so don't be too disappointed; alder wood is the choice wood for the Alder family," He said with a quiet laugh, finding his words a little humorous. "they tend to favour wizards or witches that have the gift of non-verbal magic; sure enough your ancestors were quite skilled in non-verbal magic and I'm sure you will be too."

She sucked in a shaky breath and picked up the pinkish-orangey wand and to her utter disappointment, the wand didn't react to her at all. She dropped the wand back onto the counter and picked up another alder wood wand.

"11 inches alder wood with a hippogriff feather—not as powerful as a phoenix feather but they have been a standard in the past for wizards and witches alike who make and adhere to rules and laws, still powerful. Your mother had a hippogriff feather wand so maybe…"

The wand felt heavy in her hand as she gave it a little flick, accidentally shattering the shop windows and knocking over the shelves. She dropped the wand and ducked to take cover from the carnage she had accidentally caused.

"Sorry." She apologised loudly.

"No worries." Garrick Ollivander laughed and took out his wand to set things back as they were. "Well, I suppose we can't get a tarrasque scale for you." He joked, reminding her how rare her father's wand was. "Though we do have one spare wand with a tarrasque scale in the back, it was only for experimentation purposes."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled stiffly at the joke. "I'm sure there's something…less rare for me."

"How about this?" Garrick pulled out a dark wood wand with bluish sheen and carved swirls resembling calm waves on the hilt. "Alder 10 inches with unicorn hair. Give it a go."

"Hmm, that might work. Very flexible too. Garrick worked hard on that one. It's good for duelling, very loyal and excellent against dark arts." Mr Ollivander commented as Cordelia nodded along.

Tom moved closer to Cordelia, standing right behind her. She turned around to look at him and he beckoned her to continue, compelling her to pick up that wand. She turned back and carefully picked up the wand.

It was light, lighter than the other wands she had tried. It was warm and comfortable in her hands like it belonged to her yet something felt off.

The warmth faded and she felt so cold. The wand suddenly felt heavy and her lungs constricted like something heavy was weighing down on her chest.

Strange images flashed across her eyes as macabre shadows danced in the corner of her vision; she caught sight of a glowing gateway. It's entrance flowing like the ocean on a full moon night that was cut out and trapped onto its stone cage. The light casted an eerie glow that beckoned her to come closer as whispers of voices so familiar yet so unknown flooded her ears.

She struggled to breathe. She clutched the wand tightly in her hand, almost burying it into the palm of her hands before she dropped it onto the floor. The wand clattered to the floor with a quiet thud as she looked up to meet the still faces of the Ollivanders, Professor Dumbledore and Tom.

"Cora?" Tom softly called out to her. Concern etched onto his face along with anger. She lied to him. She told him that she was fine but she wasn't fine. Her nightmares had not gone away. She already knew the question at the tip of his tongue.

"Sorry, did you say something Tom?" Cordelia looked around and swallowed. The wand lay at her feet. It no longer felt familiar to her. "I–can I try another one?"

Mr Ollivander shared a look with Professor Dumbledore and pursed his lips in confusion. "But you didn't even try that one."

"I did." She remembered it well enough. She did try it.

"No, you didn't." Tom refuted her words. "You just stood there, staring off into space."

Her face paled and she forced a nervous laugh out of herself. "Oh." Her smile stiffened. "Then I'll just," She bent down to pick up the wand; Tom did the same. Their fingers brushed and she fought the urge to get away from him. "Thank you." He handed her the wand and stood back with silent anticipation.

She swallowed nervously and balanced the sudden heavy weight of the dark wooden wand and gave it a little wave. Sparks shot out of the tip of the wand before it fizzled out into nothing.

"Not that one." Mr Ollivander murmured and picked up another wand from his son's set of wands. "Here, try this one."

Cordelia did as she was told yet her hand felt so empty when the dark wood wand was taken away from her. Again, the wand that Mr Ollivander gave her failed. He handed her another one and that too failed. They went back and forth, with each failure, Cordelia felt her heart drop further to the ground.

The father-son duo took a step back and let out a sigh; the Ollivanders were considering a request for a custom wand—that seemed like the only option for Cordelia. "Perhaps a custom wand might be needed for Miss Alder." Mr Ollivander suggested.

"Like Cornelius?" Professor Dumbledore questioned. His brows knitted together into a frown, mirroring Tom's expression. Neither Tom or Professor Dumbledore seemed happy at the idea of a custom wand. "Is there nothing else she could try? Perhaps another unicorn or kelpie wand?"

"We could go through her entire catalogue but I'm not confident that we'll find anything for Miss Alder." Mr Ollivander said in a soft tone with his focus on a disappointed Cordelia.

Garrick Ollivander looked at the three of his customers and looked down at the wands displayed on the counter. He pulled at them of his shirt with his gloved hand and tilted his head side to side as if contemplating something. Cordelia stared at him hopefully with wide eyes and he let out a breath.

"Well, there are some experimental wands I've got in the back." He said, clasping his hands together. "They're not meant to be on sale because well, they're experiments and I'm not sure if they'll work well but I was fortunate enough to gather and find some different materials in my quest to find a suitable and stable wand core."

"Like what?" Tom asked, breaking his silence.

"Like banshee hair, mermaid scale and hair, dryad's leaf, werewolf fur and all sorts of things that have not typically been used for wand cores in standard wands."

"Well, I don't see the harm in trying." Professor Dumbledore said and Garrick with a quiet permission from his father disappeared, only to reappear moments later with a small chest. He took out three wands from the chest and placed it in front of the three. Professor Dumbledore picked up one and carefully inspected the intricate carving of the wand. "This one is…"

"Tarrasque scale. It was a spare one gifted to us by Miss Alder's great-grandfather, Octavius Alder." Garrick answered and motioned Professor Dumbledore to pass the wand to Cordelia. "I hope this one will work. It's alder 11 1/2 inches."

He handed her a pale blue-grey wand with a thick handle of silvery-blue vines wrapping around the wand. She gave it a wave and for a moment, light flickered and a melodious hum filled the shop along as the light grew brighter.

The Ollivanders let out a sigh of relief though Mr Ollivander was obviously sad to see the single tarrasque wand in their possession go, his relief over Cordelia finding a wand triumphed over his disappointment at parting with the wand. Professor Dumbledore paid for the wands and the three left the shop without any more incidents.