Chapter 11: An Abandoned Wand
"Come on Alphonse don't be like that, that time you were just a kid and nothing bad happened, it wasn't your fault"- Ollivander emphasizes to Alphonse".
"What exactly happened?"
"We'll come along and show you," Ollivander says as he turns around and heads back to the back of the establishment.
Upon reaching the back of the establishment, the wand manufacturing area could be seen, some boxes with wands were also still surrounding the place, making it a bit annoying to walk around the place.
"This is what happens when you don't control your wand properly"- Ollivander points his finger at a spot in the courtyard.
Upon reaching the patio of the site, a small crater can be seen in the ground where grass has already grown again.
"At that moment I was with a great friend of mine, playing at throwing flashes of light at us without any risk of anything happening, everything was going well until Mr. Ollivander decided to test us with the wand... a lousy idea for an adult, when my friend tested the wand nothing much happened, the wand didn't react, it didn't cast any spell, something that was totally the opposite of when I took it in my hands..."- Alphonse is silent for a few seconds.
"Nobody believed that a wand could have a will of its own, without even dictating a spell its tip lit up and started to launch fire projectiles... one of them falling on the other boy..."- the uncomfortable silence is present again-"Alphonse was paralyzed so much so that although the wand for his attacks, he would not let go of the wand, I, on the other hand, had to help the boy who was screaming in agony while his leg presented mortal wounds."
"And what happened to your friend Alphonse."
"...I didn't see him again after that, he didn't come back to the academy after that, it's almost like he disappeared from the earth. That's why I don't want you to have that wand, I don't want you to get hurt."
Alphonse is right, this is quite risky but if I don't take it I won't be able to realize my purpose... iolita approaches again and proceeds to put her head on the tip of the wand.
The tip of the wand lights up again, this time with an intense purple color, a purple that illuminates the whole place, for a moment I thought that the wand had caused damage to Iolita, but on the contrary, a purple gem appears on Iolita's forehead.
Moments later my skin begins to burn and just like Iolita a gem of the same color appears on my wrist.
Alphonse runs to quickly take the wand out of my hands, but even though he succeeds the wand comes flying back to me.
Alphonse performs several ways to prevent the wand from coming back to me but all are in vain, no matter which spell I used, she always comes back to me, so much so that in her last attempt the wand hides in my pocket quickly to avoid any direct attack from Alphonse.
"It's useless Alphonse, she already chose him."- Ollivander says as he grabs Alphonse's shoulder.
Alphonse angrily removes his hand from his shoulder, reproaching everything that just happened, taking my hand Alphonse proceeds to get me out of the place as soon as possible.
"Alphonse stop, we haven't paid."
Alphonse ignores my words and moves on, ignoring Ollivander as well.
"Alphonse is an order, stop!"
I had never raised my tone of voice with Alphonse until now, his face of surprise immediately changes to one of sadness as he sees me and my wrist with the gem embedded in it.
"I'm sorry my lord... I acted inappropriately, I got carried away by my emotions. We pay and we will leave"- says Alphonse as he takes out 20 galleons and puts them on Ollivander's desk.
"Alphonse... it is not necessary, take it as a gift for everything caused"- Ollivander says calmly and with a sweet tone.
"Gift?, this is almost a curse for the boy, believe me that if something happens to him, there will be no wall or spell that can protect you from what will happen to you"- Alphonse says without taking his eyes off Ollivander.
Ollivander lowers his gaze and without a second thought proceeds to kneel down and put his head on the ground.
"I'm sorry Alphonse, I was really excited to see you again after so long, after what happened a few years ago you didn't come back, I thought you hated me and that broke me for a long time because I considered you as a son..."- Ollivander says without raising his head.
The people around us keep looking at Mr. Ollivander and Alphonse. Even more surprised to see such an act performed by Ollivander, who because of his family's pride no one would think he would bow his head for anyone.
Even Alfonso's face reflects great surprise with his eyes wide open.
"I thought I could make amends to you for the harm I caused you at such a young age... and because of my recklessness I made a mistake again, hurting someone you love..."- Ollivander continues.
Alphonse clenches his fists as he hears those last words.
"I know that boy will be a great wizard, as great as you, he may even surpass you, so I wanted to give him something worthy of the student of the person I have most appreciated throughout my life... I am truly sorry, it was not my intention to harm you or young Dion"- Ollivander finished with a broken voice.
Silence fills the place, the only thing that breaks the silence are Alphonse's footsteps approaching Ollivander. Alphonse kneels down and puts his hand on Ollivander's shoulder and gently helps him stand up again.
Their gazes meet again and Alphonse proceeds to hug him tightly.
"Thank you... I needed to hear that from you, all this time I thought you never cared about anything but wands"- Alphonse says in a mocking tone trying to release the tension of the situation.
"Hahahahaha, you are definitely still the same noble and strong boy I was proud of"- Ollivander says while wiping a tear that was falling from his eyes in a quick manner to avoid the rest of his clients from seeing it.
After a long talk between Alphonse and Ollivander things were settled, generating a dignified farewell of mature people. On the way back Alphonse kept looking at my wrist with the gem.
Upon returning home Alphonse with some basic healing cleaned the area around where the gem was embedded
"My lord... I am sorry for my behavior a while ago, I did not take into account your opinion and took your hand forcefully forcing you to leave the place."- says Alphonse with his gaze lowered as he cleans the redness around Gem to avoid an infection.
"Don't worry Alphonse, I also made a mistake when I spoke to you loudly, but everything is better now, so the best thing to do is to rest, there are difficult days ahead before I leave for Hogwarts."
A small smile spreads across Alphonse's face.
"That's right, I have to help you with that wand to avoid trouble at the academy, so get ready for your training from here until the last day."
(next day)
After breakfast Alfonso and I went to the backyard to practice with the new wand, the thing was not so easy, because despite being such a "powerful" wand some spells were complicated to cast or at least those of high power, the common spells for beginners come out even easier than I thought, some spells I don't even have to recite them, because just by thinking about it the wand performs them, almost as if the wand read my mind.
I tried several times to shoot at some targets that Alphonse put in front of me but the shots were so powerful that they were deflected, exploded before their time, or sometimes didn't reach, but even so, Alphonse kept telling me.
"Trust in yourself, don't push yourself, I know you'll make it."
Words that served me as a mantra to be able to finally perform a more complicated spell and get it right for the first time... In part, the idea was to throw a fireball at a kind of scarecrow, the impact was direct of course, but... instead of catching the doll on fire, it ended up exploding without leaving a trace of it.
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