Chapter 23
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12 Aug, 2007,
Diagon Alley, London
Their trip to Gringotts's proved to be a quick one.
They entered the bank, passing the little goblin guards who bowed at their presence. James alone went ahead, the rest waiting at the bank's counter.
"So prongslet," Sirius started, leaning his elbow on the bank counter to look at him. "I heard you're experienced in fights and stuff. Think you'll enter some dueling tournaments?"
Harry looked at the man, causally standing with not a worry in the world...but there was a certain darkness behind his eyes. The kind he'd seen in some traumatized people...a similar kind of spark James and Lily had.
Whatever he could say about this wizarding war, it had definitely left some scars. And no matter how much this man acted like a clown, he couldn't hide them all.
"Perhaps." He answered the man. "I've heard Hogwarts has these tournaments as well."
"Oh yeah, curtsey of our valiant minister, the great Albus bloody Dumbledore!" The man exclaimed, though there was a nasty sarcastic bite in his words. "A piece of advice, prongslet."
The man leaned closer, his eyes grim and serious, quite like his namesake. "Make sure to enjoy your time in Hogwarts. No matter what dragon dung that old man spouts in the newspaper, make sure to enjoy."
He straightened back again as James came back from behind the bank's counter.
Harry glanced at Sirius, working through his words before replying. "I intend to."
And he did. The amount of fun he was going to have at this Hogwarts, learning magic and becoming stronger...yeah, he simply can't wait.
The other kids were staring at the two of them weirdly, even Rosalia, who had a strangely calculating look in her eyes. He shook his head and ignored them as James quickly approached.
"All sorted out and done." He announced, jingling a small pouch of coins. "Now comes the fun part. Let's go kiddies, we've got some shopping to do!"
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Their first stop came as no surprise to anyone; Quality Quidditch supplies.
"Mom isn't going to like this." Dorea muttered from behind as James led them through the shop's entrance, passing by multiple prop brooms kept on both sides behind glass panes.
"Oh don't you start too Dora. Didn't I get you the latest comet for your first year?"
The shop was completely filled to brim with brooms. There were 6 glass shelves at the very front, filled with different models of brooms that looked to be on display. Each one of them had their company's nameplate stuck at the top; Cleansweep broom company, Comet trading company, Ellerby and Spudmure, Flyte and Barker, Nimbus racing broom company, and the last, Universal brooms Ltd.
Though the last one only had a single broom on display and looked more like an antique piece rather than something they wanted to advertise.
"Ah welcome, honoured customers!" Barked out a jovial old man from behind the counter. "It's such a pleasure to see young ones getting their first...James? Is that you lad?"
"Sir Wimberley." James greeted with a smile. "Always a pleasure."
"Indeed, indeed. Which one's getting a broom then? I must say you're very lucky." The man came out from behind the counter, waving at us to follow "The latest model of Nimbus just hit the market, and believe me, it is dominating the sky. A little costly, but well worth it. Very well worth it indeed."
He came to a stop in front of the nimbus shelf, opening it with a wave of his wand.
"Nimbus 2000." He announced. "Top of the line. Goes from nought to hundred miles per hour in ten seconds. Got the best braking charms, enabling you to make the sharpest of turns that you've never thought possible. Slick, comfortable, and very precise. Oh, and the brakes come with a year of warranty by the way."
James and Sirius had the biggest shit eating grins on their faces by now.
"What do you think, Harry?" James asked, turning to him with a smirk. "Think you can handle it?"
"Harry...?" The shop keeper cut him from responding, his eyes widening like saucers as he looked him up and down. "Dear lords...could you be?"
James cleared his throat. "Would you mind keeping it low Mr. Wimberley? We don't want to cause a scene."
"Hmm?" The man shook his head. "But of course, of course! No problem at all! Just...would you mind giving an autograph? My daughter's a huge fan."
Harry looked on, slightly bewildered. He'd never imagine his midget of a sister to be right. It seems he truly was quite famous.
James looked at him imploringly, his eyes silently urging Harry to say yes.
"Sure." He agreed with a sigh.
Not what he was imagining his trip in the magical world to go like...but hey, at least he got a fast broom.
He'll take what he could get.
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Their brief foray into shopping came to a quick and tragic end when they were caught red handed by Lily and Amelia. With seven brand-new Nimbus 2000s in their hands.
"I knew it was a mistake to trust you with kids." Lily sighed in disappointment, not even angry.
"We have a lot to discuss, Sirius." Amelia stated, brows arching down at the man. "Especially the sanity behind your decision to even think of placing a racing broom in our daughters hands."
The two men flinched, and the children quickly changed sides, moving to stand behind their mothers. Their Nimbuses were still clutched in their hands, but the ladies had eyes only for the two men.
Harry carefully slipped away from the entire group, not wanting to get into... whatever mess this was.
After a few minutes of berating in the middle of the road, the group of 11 restarted their shopping. Thankfully the ladies seemed to save the worse of their wrath for behind closed doors, and they quickly moved on.
Their next stop, Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.
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The large group of 11 entered the store, making a tinkling bell sound deeper inside. It was a tiny place, not large enough to contain all of them. But even their presence couldn't manage to shoo away the silence that dominated the shop. He felt like he'd just entered the Potter library again.
His eyes took in the thousands of boxes neatly stacked in shelves that touched the ceiling, each with a serial number on them.
Another presence entered his range, and Harry turned to the side just as a moon-eyed old man silently creeped up beside the children.
"Good afternoon." He softly announced himself, making everyone in the room save Harry to jerk upright.
"Merlin, Mr. Ollivander." James swore, calming himself. "Do you always need to do that?"
The man pinned him with his eyes before a smile lit up on his face. "James Potter...how nice to see you again. It seems only yesterday you were buying your own first wand. Eleven inches, pliable, and made of mahogany. A powerful wand, perfect for transfiguration. I take it you still take care of it?"
"Of course."
"Good, good." He nodded, getting back behind the counter. "Now I would ask you to not crowd my little shop, if you will. Take a seat by the door, those who are not here for their wands."
Sirius waved his wand towards the back, creating multiple chairs for them to sit.
The time for wand selection varied a lot for all the kids. Andrea Black got hers on the first try and quickly ran back to sit with Dorea. Her adopted sister Susan on the other hand, took a few minutes and multiple wands to find a suitable one.
Then came his and his sister's turn.
"Ah, Rosalia Potter, The-Girl-Who-Lived...or so they say. I was wondering when I will see you, I already know just the wand that will fit. But first, your arm?"
Ollivander's tape quickly took her measurements while he himself brought back a long black box, blowing away the dust on it. "Ten inches, unyielding, made of Alder wood and unicorn tail hair."
She held the wand, but it didn't produce the same golden shower that it did for others.
"Worry not, Ms. Potter. The wood is clearly receptible to you...the core however. I wonder..."
He went back in, climbed one of the ladders, and brought back another box. "Ten and a half inches, Alder wood but with a phoenix feature. Best for non-verbal spells and suited for only the most advanced witches and wizards."
And sure enough, the moment she took ahold of the wand, it let loose a golden fountain of sparks.
"Yay!" Rosalia squealed. "Mom look!"
The girl ran back, holding onto the wand as if her life depended on it.
"Excellent! That will be another successful match up. Now, the last one."
The man then turned to him, a smile on his face.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter. I'm pleased to know you will be attending Hogwarts this year." The man said, before waving at him to come forward. "Your wand hand please."
"I'm ambidextrous." Harry replied, before raising his right hand. "But I prefer my right one."
The man's magical tape measured his arm length, then wrist, shoulder, waist, legs... everything. It even tried to measure his ears. And all this it did on itself as Ollivander searched for wand boxes behind his shelves.
"That will do." Ollivander snapped out, and the tape dropped to ground, suddenly losing life.
He came back with 3 brown boxes from behind his counter, before opening and presenting one of them. "Twelve inches, Beechwood and Dragon heartstring. Hold it tight and give it a wave."
But Harry already knew it wasn't for him. This was the exact combination of wand he'd received from his Hydra teacher.
He was surprised when he held it though, because it shot a few half-hearted yellowish sparks.
"She senses your hesitation, Mr. Potter." Ollivander said, eyeing him critically. "Wands are the one who selects their wizards, but not if the wizard himself is reluctant."
"I've used this exact same wand before." Harry dismissed. "It didn't do well for me then either."
"Every wand is unique, Mr. Potter. Just like every tree of beech is different, and every heartstring of a dragon is unique. You should not judge them based on your prior experience. But then again, it is clear that this one is no longer for you."
He took the wand away, and packed it back in the box before moving to the next one.
"Thirteen inches, Alder and dragon's heartstring." He said, presenting another wand.
This time it didn't even give a spark, and Harry quickly observed the thing in curiosity.
Alder wand
Wood: Alder
Core: Dragon Heartstring
Compatibility: 54%
Loyalty: 5
Versatility: 4
Power: 4
Even worse than his first beech wand. The other two followed the same example, having no reaction in his hands. Ollivander didn't seem to mind. The more wands he pulled the more he became excited.
"A difficult customer." Ollivander declared happily. "Very tricky. Not to worry though, we'll have a right match for you here somewhere."
The man made him try 6 more wands, and the only one with a hint of success was an Elder wand with phoenix feature as core, granting a 79% compatibility rate. It was a very powerful wand, but a wand's stats varied with compatibility, so any wand with less than 90% will be weaker in his hands.
Elder wand
Wood: Elder
Core: Phoenix Feather
Compatibility: 79%
Loyalty: 3
Versatility: 6
Power: 7
Still a powerful wand, but not at its peak in his hands, and certainly not trustworthy. Obviously, neither Harry nor Ollivander were satisfied with it.
"I wonder..." The man stared at the ceiling, looking lost in thoughts.. "...Holly and Phoenix? Unusual, very unusual...Yes, why not. It's worth a try..."
This time he took several long minutes before coming out with a single dusty case, spider webs still clinging to it. He blew the webs off of it, and opened the case, presenting to him a chocolate coloured wand with a uniquely rough handle.
"Holly wood with phoenix feature as core. Eleven inches and supple. Very powerful. One of the most deadly wands I've ever made. A shame it has been sitting in my shop for more than five decades. Perhaps you might prove...worthy."
Harry cautiously took the wand in his grasp, and he knew; He'd hit the jackpot. The most fiercest of warmth spread through him, comforting and powerful. So lost was he in the sensation of power that he almost didn't notice the volcano of sparks that ignited the air around him.
It was beautiful.
"Bravo Mr. Potter! Would you look at that!? Seems likes a perfect match. It is curious though. Very curious."
He looked up at the man. "What is?"
Ollivander stapled his fingers under his chin, looking mysterious under the low light as he fixed Harry with an intense gaze. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single one. 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 it's brother...Why, it's brother gave you that scar."
His long spindly finger pointed at the lightning scar on his forehead, which was usually hidden beneath his long hairs.
"I see." That was certainly curious. Did this mean the wands were alive in some capacity? The way this guy talked about them, Harry feared he'll need to feed them.
...Maybe that was why his previous wand didn't work well. Perhaps it was hungry all the time...?
"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."
"I'm sure I won't disappoint." Harry answer with a snort.
Voldemort will only be a stepping stone for him. A good bag of XP that will help him on his path. Nothing more, nothing less.
He didn't wish to be overconfident, but now that he had a wand...magic has opened its doors for him.
And he absolutely intended to make full use of it.