Chapter Two

The young wizard sat at the workbench, running a knife along Joshua Perk's wand, carving elaborate swirls into the length. He had been at it for nigh two hours now, making ever design with master exactitude. This was Marvin's element, with every grain of wood that he shed from the wand, every cut he made, every design he finished, he felt the stress of his life slowly dwindling. This was what he was born to do.

"Marvin my boy," Eugene called from the front desk, where he was attending to a customer. A pretty woman, perhaps thirty, with brown hair that stretched to her shoulders. She wore a light grey hooded sweater, with some No-Maj symbol emblazoned on it. "Fetch me that cypress wand, rougarou hair core." He turned to the lady. "I have a feeling that one will suit you just fine."

Marvin paused in his work, brushed his long auburn hair from his eyes, and limped to the shelve of wand boxes. They were well labelled, and he quickly found the one he was looking for. He brought it to the old man, and set it on the desk. The woman gave him a small smile, her hazel eyes shining. The wizard returned the grin, though his was great deal more shy.

"What did you say happened to your old wand?" Eugene inquired. His memory wasn't quite as great as it once was.

"It snapped under a curse." She replied kindly and patiently. "My line of work is notorious for that."

"And what do you do, dear?"

"I'm an Auror."

Eugene nodded fondly. "Then I must thank you for your occupation Ms. Gilliam. You've been rather busy these days I assume? I have an old friend who just retired from your line of work"

"Who's your friend."

Before Eugene could respond Marvin raised an eyebrow and said, "Busy? But I haven't seen anything in the news about dark wizards."

The old man laughed bitterly. "Well unfortunately not everything is publicized." He then turned to the woman. "To answer your question however, his name was Stephan Hog."

"Ah, yes. I went to his retirement party. He was a good Auror, and an even better man." She opened the wand box and with a flick and a murmured incantation, the wand's tip engulfed in violet flames. "This will do well."

"That will be nine galleons then," Eugene announced, holding out a wrinkled hand.

The woman dug in her jeans and produced the required sum. "Good doing business with you Eugene."

"And you as well, Jessica Gilliam. I wish you the best of luck in your work."

She turned on her heels, tucking the wand into the waistband of her pants and covering it with her sweater, she exited the shop. Marvin watched her go before turning to Eugene.

"Is there really so many dark wizard attacks going on?"

Mr. Alton nodded gravely. "Indeed, my boy. There's been a great deal of...Unsavoury happenings lately."

"Why are we not hearing about them?" Marvin demanded incredulously.

"Ah, that's not quite so easy to explain, I suppose the Congress is scared of the community's reaction. They're trying to keep it under wraps until it's impossible to hide."

The young wizard slammed his fist on the front desk, a sudden fit of rage hitting him like a well aimed curse. "That's ridiculous! It'll be too late soon enough. Then what?"

Mr. Alton wasn't alarmed by Marvin's outburst. He knew the boy to well, instead he calmly said, "Then what, well that's the question we all have my dear boy."

"How can you be so reserved about this?" the young wizard asked, his tone rough.

Eugene gave him a sad smile. "Because I'm an old man. I've no time to be so angry, so worried...I only have time to live out my days as I want, and I want to be happy."

Marvin took a deep breath, "And you have every right to that. You've paid your dues, perhaps it's time for me to pay mine."

"Do not get involved, Marvin." The old man warned. "Let the authorities handle the situation."

"Right?" the young wizard spat. "Because they're doing such a great job right now?"

Eugene sighed, "Have faith boy, will you?"

"There's dark wizards out there, doing Merlin knows what!"

The old wandmaker sighed and slumped into the wooden chair in front of the front desk. "Perhaps we should do something, this is true, but the moment we stop this problem, another will surface. That's just how the world works, Marvin. You'd do well to remember this: The world is an unjust, miserable and wicked place. Evil always trumps, because there's simply more of it."

"That's not how it has to be!" Marvin insisted. "Good can triumph!"

"Perhaps for a time," Eugene admitted. "But not forever. Now, let's get to work, we've only a few hours before Mr. Perk arrives."

Marvin swore, but he sat back down at the workbench and continued carving. Despite his anger, he still carved with precise and expert motions, and soon enough he was done. The wizard checked the old analog clock and found it to be forty-five minutes to close. This Joshua Perk should be here any time now.

"Are you done with that wand, my boy?" Eugene called from the shelves where he was stacking wandboxes on an old creaking stool. The tension had lessened since Marvin's outburst.

"Just finished," the young wizard replied, brushing the leftover reside and scraps from the bench. "It's a fine wand, if I do say so myself."

The old man walked over, stood behind him, and placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. "Magnificent, Marvin, simply magnificent."

"Thank you, Mr. Alton, I learn from the best."

He laughed. It was a good laugh, deep and infectious. "I just saw raw talent and refined it, my boy, nothing more."

Marvin stood from his worktable, stretched, yawned, and leaned against his cane. "And for that I must thank you."

"Ah dear boy, dear boy, you're often too polite, you know? Now head home to your grandmother, I can close the shop up. Don't worry, Joshua will here of the great work you've done today." Eugene assured Marvin, shooing him out the door. "Tell Edna I expect her to come by for tea someday soon, will you?"

The young wizard shook the old man's wrinkled hand, and they performed a secret handshake they had made up quite some years ago. "Thank you, Mr. Alton, and I will. Have a great night, and an even better weekend." And with the handshake being completed, and the pleasantries being exchanged, Marvin left Wand-erers.