Chapter 4: The Wand Chooses the Wizard

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No matter what, Kyle still had to buy his wand. Carefully, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Diana and Chris hadn't followed him in. They likely thought that choosing a wand would take a long time, so after hearing that Kyle wanted to go to Ollivander's first, they headed off to Gringotts instead.

...

The inside of the shop was much better than the outside. Although it still looked old and the items were cluttered, it was noticeably cleaner.

As the clear sound of a wind chime echoed, a head of white hair suddenly appeared behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, young one," Ollivander greeted, eyeing Kyle curiously. "Did you come here alone?"

"Yes," Kyle replied, a little confused. "Is there a problem?"

Ollivander shook his head. "No, of course not."

While he spoke, Kyle caught a brief flash of disappointment in his eyes.

Strange. Why would a shopkeeper be disappointed when a customer came in?

"Maybe I just imagined it," Kyle thought, shaking off the odd feeling.

"Alright then, young wizard," Ollivander said as he stepped out from behind the counter. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Kyle Jobar," Kyle answered quickly.

"Jobar..." Ollivander paused, momentarily surprised. "So, Mr. Chris is...?"

"My father," Kyle explained.

"Oh, of course..." Ollivander glanced instinctively toward the shop's door but soon refocused on Kyle. "I was just thinking, the name Jobar is quite uncommon in the British wizarding world."

Now Kyle was certain—this old man was disappointed. He'd clearly seen it when he mentioned that Chris was his father. Ollivander's eyes practically brimmed with disappointment.

Not only that, the old man started muttering something under his breath—something about willow or hornbeam, but his voice was too quiet for Kyle to make out clearly. Not that Kyle cared.

All he could think about now was getting his wand. The rest didn't matter.

After stating his name, Kyle added helpfully, "Mr. Ollivander, I'm right-handed."

He stretched out both arms straight in front of him, ready for Ollivander to measure his height and arm length.

Kyle knew the process well by now.

Once the measurements were done, it would be time to choose the wand, which was the longest part. With the thousands of wands in the shop, Kyle figured even Ollivander wouldn't be able to find the right one immediately. He'd have to select a rough range of options and let Kyle try them out one by one.

Kyle had already braced himself for a long trial process.

In fact, testing out wands—just like moving trash bins—was something Kyle had been looking forward to.

But what Ollivander said next left Kyle utterly confused.

"Oh, young one, for you, that won't be necessary."

Without taking any measurements or asking any further questions, Kyle watched in disbelief as Ollivander walked back behind the counter, quickly pulled a box from one of the most prominent shelves, opened it, and pushed it toward him.

In one fluid motion, without the slightest hesitation, Ollivander completed the action.

"What are you waiting for? Give it a try!" he urged when Kyle remained still.

"Huh? Oh, right," Kyle snapped out of his daze, instinctively picking up the wand from the box.

It was dark gray, smooth to the touch, with no unnecessary carvings or decorations except for the essential grip. It looked quite ordinary.

As Kyle held the wand, before he could do anything, a burst of white light shot from its tip, instantly flooding the room. The once dim and stuffy little shop became as bright as if a skylight had just opened above.

"Excellent, excellent!" Ollivander exclaimed, visibly excited. Before Kyle could ask, the wandmaker began explaining, "Thirteen and a half inches, cedar wood, phoenix feather. I must say, this is a truly remarkable combination."

"A remarkable combination?" Kyle asked, confused.

"Yes, remarkable," Ollivander replied, looking at Kyle with deep interest as he explained, "Cedar wands typically choose wizards who are wise and possess keen insight. These wizards are naturally calm, and every choice they make is thoroughly considered. As my father used to say, 'You can never fool the owner of a cedar wand.' I wholeheartedly agree with that."

"That's why most cedar wand owners prefer the stable and loyal unicorn hair core. Phoenix feather, however, is quite different—it's far more assertive."

"Of the thirty-six cedar wands I've made and sold, thirty had unicorn hair cores, five had dragon heartstring, and the last one..." Ollivander trailed off, smiling as he gestured toward Kyle.

Kyle was still puzzled. "But sir, didn't you say these two materials don't usually complement each other? So why did you make this wand?"

"Materials being mismatched doesn't mean they shouldn't be made," Ollivander replied, shaking his head. "That's a common misconception. The wand chooses the wizard, my boy. Every wand, from the moment it's created, is destined for a specific owner. Like these..." He pointed to the towering stack of wand boxes behind him, smiling. "They're not here because they're flawed, but because their destined owners haven't come yet—they're still waiting for Hogwarts' owl to deliver the letter."

Pausing for a moment, Ollivander continued, "Also, when a seemingly mismatched wand wood and core come together in the right wizard's hands, they can work in perfect harmony. That's the true wonder of wandlore."

He pointed at Kyle's wand. "Your father, Chris, tried this wand once, as did your mother, Diana. But both of them were just a little off, just a fraction away from being its match."

"So, ever since I heard about your birth, I've been waiting for this moment. It's perfect, isn't it?"

Uh... well, yeah.

Kyle nodded instinctively.

The feeling of control, as if the wand was an extension of his arm, left him mesmerized. He couldn't help but fall in love with it. Despite the process being different from what he had imagined, the result was what mattered—Kyle was extremely satisfied with his new wand.

"Well then, seven Galleons," Ollivander said, clearly pleased.

"Alright." Kyle handed over the seven Galleons he had prepared, placing them on the counter.

Seven Galleons for a first-year's wand was a highly favorable price, one that only applied to newly enrolled young witches and wizards.

After paying, Ollivander gave a slight bow and watched as Kyle left the shop. Once Kyle was gone, he turned to greet another young wizard who had just entered, accompanied by an adult.

"Ah, Mr. Thomas, eleven inches, hawthorn wood..."

(End of chapter)