Graveyard Cypress
Diagon Alley was as crowded as always, the winding rows of shops covered in bright colours and signs, enticing customers to shop within their doors. Even though she had been many times, Camdyn’s sister was looking around with slight awe. His mother was herding them towards Gringotts, her hands grasping her children’s shoulders.
“Alyssa,” his mother scolded as Alyssa tried to stop at a potions display. “We’ll come back when we have money for your school things.”
With an exaggerated pout, Alyssa allowed herself to be dragged along, her eyes turning to look at Camdyn. Maneuvering herself to be next to him, Alyssa whispered, “I’m excited for potions classes, I hear the youngest potions master ever is teaching! I bet you’re excited for Astronomy, you’re always staring at the stars.”
Camdyn hummed noncommittally, barely glancing at the goblins as the small group passed them. He heard Alyssa babbling on about something or the other as their mother told them to stay there. Getting lost in his own thoughts, Camdyn had the sudden epiphany that he would be going to school with his first incarnation.
Harry James Potter. Camdyn knew what the boy had gone through - what he was going through, but he felt detached. Camdyn found it hard to associate with the naive little boy he had once been, so easily manipulated to others whims. Maybe this should be telling him something, after all, Camdyn had stuck to a moral code for centuries, even millenia, but apparently it had fallen into severe disrepair.
He couldn’t bring himself to care.
A massive, hulking figure caught Camdyn’s attention, the man was striding through the door, the child at his side small, dwarfed even father due to the man’s figure. It was Harry and Hagrid. Camdyn hadn’t checked the calendar, not like his sister did everyday, only just now realizing what day it was.
It was Harry’s first foray into the Wizarding World, still enchanted by the glamour that slides over everyone’s eyes when they see it for the first time. Camdyn wasn’t too interested in Hagrid, but Harry did catch his attention. The hand-me-down clothes hung off his small frame, his shoulders hunched inwards, making himself a smaller target.
Obviously a habit.
The sight of the boy caused something inside Camdyn to roil, an instinct he thought long dead clawing from its coffin. He shook it off, trying desperately to convince himself he was sick. Camdyn didn’t want to get involved, didn’t want to get attached a voice whispered inside his head. Maybe the voice was right, whenever he got attached, it never ended well. Usually with the other person dead.
What he wanted to do was curse, scream, throw a fit, and punch Death in the face. Camdyn hated the feelings that came with being reincarnated, it always messed with his mind, tearing him apart from inside. Outwardly he kept his cool, while there were plenty of insane people in the Wizarding World, Camdyn would rather not be one of them.
Shaking his head, Camdyn eagerly got up to follow his mother when she approached them, wanting to get away from the boy who made him feel.
§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§
It was easier to be an apathetic asshole when he wasn’t near Harry James Potter. His sister was pointing out certain potion ingredients with an enthusiasm that would have been astonishing had Camdyn not lived with her for eleven years. He only got the standard potions items needed, he wasn’t a potions nut like his sister.
Everything he got from the stores was the standard things he needed, Camdyn had never really been one to get more than he needed (Even during one of his lives as a prince of an extremely wealthy kingdom.) When they arrived at the Magical Menagerie however, his heart took a second beating today. He had never truly gotten over Hedwig’s death, even after he saw her (not really alive) and well in the after life.
He wanted to bring her with him, he wanted to take her home and love her with all the love his dead heart could produce, but she wouldn’t be Camdyn’s Hedwig, and that tore at him. Instead he bought a kneazle kitten that looked suspiciously like a tuxedo cat and named him Toby. His mother told him to head to Ollivanders while they went to Madame Malkins, and sent him off with a small pouch of galleons.
Camdyn felt relief when he left the Magical Menagerie and headed to Ollivanders and then cursed Fate when he saw who was inside.
§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§
Of fucking course Camdyn would meet Harry Potter for the second time in a row, after all, Fate couldn’t just let her favourite chew toy go off scotch free. Ollivander and Harry both looked up when the little bell rang, and Camdyn hurried into the store, clutching Toby tighter.
When the kneazle let out a small mrrow of discomfort, he loosened his grip, allowing the kitten to leap onto his shoulders. He squared his shoulders, turning to Ollivander who was inspecting him with his silvery eyes.
“I remember your mother’s wand, Oak, 11 and ½ inches with Dragon Heartstring, firm. You, however, seem quite different than your mother, Camdyn Stewart.”
Camdyn wanted to ask how Ollivander knew his name, but knew it was probably some mumbo-jumbo he came up with to spook children. Ollivander continued speaking, ending with, “Let me just get Mr. Potter here fitted with his wand and then we’ll move on to you, eh?”
Camdyn nodded, and not knowing what else to do, leaned against the counter. He watched as countless wands passed through Harry’s hands, and as the shop fell into a further state of chaos, right until the Phoenix and Holly wand fell into Harry’s hands.
Camdyn felt a small fondness bubble inside him until he stamped on it firmly, no getting attached. Moving forward, Camdyn grabbed the first wand Ollivander handed to him, noticing that in the corner of his eye, he could see Harry hovering near the counter now.
Ollivander’s face grew more delighted when he noticed how many wands passed through Camdyn’s hands as well. After trying nearly every goddamn wand in the shop, a wand of light coloured wood came into his grasp, and he felt and hum echoed through his body.
“Very interesting,” Ollivander said, his tone slightly severe. “The wand that chose you, Mr. Stewart is one that leans to more darker areas. The wood is Graveyard Cypress, which symbolizes death to many, including the Romans. The core is from a Curupira, the hair indicates a talented, powerful wizard that is very unpredictable. I hope you will use the power at your disposal very well Mr. Stewart, or we will all be doomed.”
Shivering at the words that came from Ollivander’s mouth, Camdyn paid for his wand and hightailed it out of the shop, with a dignified grace of course.
He could help but feel that this was the start of a darker journey than what he first went through at Hogwarts.