Chapter 1

Ollivander's

As we walked through the streets of Diagon Alley, my little brother skipped along behind my mom and dad. It wasn't fair. I was born in February and him in December. Why was he able to come to Hogwarts the same year I was?

"Cheer up Steve," My mom said to me.

"It's not fair," I said, "I'm going to have to watch over that little brat all year."

"Don't call Lance names," my mom snared, but I could see a faint smile in her face. She knew that she spoiled us. Well, as much as she could spoil us. She's a muggle. Dad's a wizard. So I've gotten a taste of both the muggle and wizarding world.

"What do you say we go to Flourish and Blotts for your books and then we'll go for ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor?"

"Ok," I said, "But what about our wands?"

"Oh," my mom said, "I forgot about that. We'll do that after ice cream."

"That's alright with me," I said.

We walked in Flourish and Blotts and looked around a bit. Lance, mom, and dad where looking at some books for home. I held the list off books we needed and found them. Once I got two copies of each book, I checked them off the list. Once I was finished I walked over to my mom. She paid for a few books and was then a little occupied with Lance who wanted water.

I looked at the books she had already paid for and picked up Hogwarts A History by Bathilda Bagshot. It was actually quite interesting. My mom looked back at me and laughed.

"Steve," she said, "We've been waiting quite a while, now come on."

"But, but, but…" I said.

Dad grabbed me by the arm while my mom took the book from my hands. I still wanted to read it.

We sat at one of the outside tables and ate our ice cream. I always got chocolate ice cream. I would never even think of getting a different flavor. After ice cream we walked to Ollivander's.

"Oh no," said mom as she looked through her purse.

"What's wrong?" asked dad.

"We're out of money."

"Fine, since I know Mr. Olivander, I'll go with the boys and you can go to Gringotts," replied dad.

"I don't feel comfortable at Gringotts."

"Do you want to switch," asked dad.

"No," said mom as she glanced at the shop, "I don't know much about any of these places."

"You've been with me for fifteen years. I thought you'd be used to magic by now," said dad. Mom looked at him. I knew that look. Mom always gave him that look every time she wanted something.

"Alright," dad said, "Boys go in. Mom and I are going to get more money."

"But," started mom.

"Don't worry," said dad taking her towards Gringotts.

"I want to go with mom," said Lance, "This shop scares me."

"Come on," I said as I led him up the front door, "We'll be fine."

'Well, I know he won't be in Gryffindor' I thought.

We walked in to a tinkling belle. Long narrow boxes were piled up to the ceiling. Inside those boxes were probably wands. A ladder was upright against the back wall. Behind the front desk was an old man with wide pale eyes. His white hair was sticking up in all directions.

"Hello," I said awkwardly.

"Yes, yes, yes," he said, "I'm Ollivander and I would ask this boy to sit. I'd like to go one at a time."

Lance sat down and Ollivander's magic ruling tape measured me almost everywhere. It measured things like the length and width of my eyes, my head, etc. etc. I looked up at Olivander as he looked through the boxes.

"You must know that I now use much more magical items for wands now than we did before. I've actually most recently started using, strands of Dementor skin, Banshee hairs, Pixie wings, Hippogriff feathers and Blast-Ended Skrewt scales. All of which are hard to obtain. However we still use some of the basics; Unicorn hairs, Dragon heart strings, and Phoenix tail feathers.

"Ah," he said looking at a box. He handed the wand from the box to me.

"Maple, Banshee hair, thirteen inches, flexible," he said.

I waved the wand a bit but nothing happened. Suddenly there was a terrible wailing sound running throughout the room. Olivander waved his wand to stop the wailing and took the Banshee wand from me.

"If a wand is not for you it usually does nothing but this…" he said, "This is most defiantly not you're wand."

We went through countless wands. I turned to Lance who was yawning as his eyes heavily and slowly closed until he woke himself up.

"Hmmm," he said, "Maybe this wand? This is of Unicorn hair, Oak, fifteen and a quarter inches, quite sturdy."

I waved it and a flash of blue light sprang out of it. It circled around the room and spiraled back into the wand.

"I'm guessing that's my wand," I said.

"Yes what did you say you're name was again?" he said.

"Well you never asked," I said, "I'm Steve Horwits, and this is my little brother Lance."

"Yes, yes, yes," he said, "I remember you're father. Now Lance, come switch places with you brother. After what seemed like forever Olivander gave him a wand of Holly and Dementor skin, thirteen inches and slightly flexible. When he first held it, dark gray smoke covered the room and popped out. Just then our parents walked in.

"Well," said Mr. Olivander, "I'll just wrap these up."

Mom paid him ten gallons and we left the store.

"Dementor skin eh?" said dad, "how on earth could he get that? Maybe I should've worked with him instead of becoming part of the ministry. Oh, got to go to work. Bye kids."

We hugged dad and he ran off to use flew powder.