As Maggie stepped into the store and breathed in the faintly dusty air, she fancied she could smell the magic and mystery of the place. Ollivander's, at last. Subject of many longing gazes on visits to Diagon Alley with her parents, Ollivander's was the only destination that 11 year old Maggie could keep her mind on this trip. Robes, school books, supplies - none of them held the lure that getting her wand did, or that even entering Ollivander's did. Wandlore had fascinated the girl ever since she had been old enough to aware that it existed. She had read every book on wandlore she could - and there weren't very many of them out there. She had spent many enjoyable hours in her parents' library and at Flourish and Botts combing likely - and unlikely - books for any reference to wands and wandlore. Now that she was going to Hogwarts, all she could think of was finally being able to enter the wandmaker's shop.
Maggie jumped slightly as Ollivander (the man himself!) appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of them.
"Ah, a first-timer, I see," said Mr Ollivander. "And Mrs Brighton, how is the new wand? It's been ... a year and a half? You have surely built a strong relationship by now."
"Oh," replied Maggie's mother, rather taken aback, "yes, it's working wonderfully."
"Excellent, excellent. And now -"
Maggie excitedly extended her right arm as Mr Ollivander turned towards her, pulling out his tape measure.
"Know the drill, do you?" He murmured as he began measuring. She couldn't nod in reply, as he was already measuring around her head, but she didn't think he was paying attention anyway. As Ollivander continued measuring her, Maggie almost couldn't contain her excitement. She knew about how the measurement ratios, such as shoulder height to distance between knee and armpit, helped the wandmaker choose potential wands for the customer to try, but height of ear to distance between the nostrils was a new one to her. She wondered what its significance was, but didn't think she ought to ask just now. Wandmakers kept their secrets, after all.
Ollivander finished his measuring, and selected wand after wand to test Maggie. In none of them did she feel that answering spark, and the pile of rejected wands, wands that had rejected Maggie, grew and grew. Finally, Ollivander stopped and stared at her for a moment. Then his gaze wandered towards the window display.
"I wonder, I wonder..." he said with a speculative glance back at her.
"Wonder what?" she asked, as he went to the window with a suddenly decisive movement.
"Here, try this," he said, carefully removing the single wand from the display case in the window, and presenting it to her with a slight bow.
Maggie took the wand gingerly, and gasped at the sudden warmth in her hand. Now gripping the wand firmly and confidently, she swished it in a great arc through the air, sending forth a shower of bright white sparks.
"Bravo, bravo!" exclaimed Ollivander as her parents applauded. When her parents subsided and started taking out their money, Ollivander stared intently at her. Maggie was about to ask him what he meant when he seemed to make up his mind, and told her, "Come back when you've graduated, and we'll talk about an apprenticeship." That matter concluded, he turned businesslike to her parents while Maggie could only stand and gape at him.