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"Hurry!" hissed Albus' brother, James.

"Why? It's not like anyone is here to see us." replied Albus.

"You're bother is right, Albus. We can't risk being seen. Not in these times." said Harry. James flashed a smirk at his brother. Albus hated when his brother was right. His brother, who was three years older than him, had been acting like that ever since Albus had received his letter from Hogwarts. Lately, James had been acting real angry towards Albus and his cousins, Lucy and Rose, hadn't made it any easier on him. When he had first received his letter by owl, Albus had been bursting with excitement but now he wasn't so sure.

"Okay, back up now." said Harry to his family. He then took out his wand and tapped rapidly on the brick wall in front of them. Slowly, the bricks started to recede until they revealed their destination, Diagon Alley.

"All right," said James, "We're good now. With all the Muggles who have made it into the Leaky Cauldron lately, we have to be extremely careful."

"Show off." muttered Albus under his breath. James and his cousins had been telling him all summer that he would end up in Slytherin house. At first he had thought it a joke but after they had realized that Albus' initials were A.S.P- asp. He had been worried. He couldn't be in Slytherin! And yet… Albus' mind wandered off. Why didn't he have to be there? He was sick of people comparing him to his father, Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived. There was confusion in Albus. He didn't want to be like his father but he didn't want to be a Slytherin either.

"Albus!" cried Harry. Albus jumped. He had been so immersed in his thoughts that he had forgotten where they were. "Which one would you like?" Harry pointed to the owls in Eeylops Owl Emporium. Albus looked around the Emporium at all the owls until his eyes fell on a barn owl whose wings were tipped green and whose lower half was a subtle red. The strange colors intrigued Albus and pointed to it.

"Interesting choice, son." Harry smiled as he headed to go buy it. But Albus wasn't listening, because across the street on the other side of the alley Albus saw a store that he knew contained the most important thing he would need.

"Ah, it seems you have discovered Ollivander's Wand Shop, Albus." Harry smiled. He then dropped some coins into his son's hand. "You mother will be finished getting your books soon, so why don't we all meet back in the Leaky Cauldron in, say, half an hour?"

Albus nodded and ran out of the store. Within a second he had forgotten his worries and rushed across the street to the wand store. As he approached the shop he slowed down, his heart beating with anticipation. He slowly pushed his way through the door and saw four figures. It took him a second to adjust to the dim light, but as he did he recognized the people in front of him. His Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were standing on both sides of their daughter, Rose who was holding a wand spitting out gold sparks. The fourth figure was an old, balding man who was smiling faintly over the wand that Rose was holding.

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander and have a good day." said Hermione. The three of them both turned around and found themselves facing Albus. Hermione let out a shriek of happiness when she saw her nephew and said, "Albus dear, hello! Coming in to buy your wand?"

Albus nodded. "Yes. I didn't know you were coming today as well."

Ron replied "Neither did we but I had to come in to help out at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. George is at home with Roxanne. Ever since the divorce with Angelina, he's been pretty busy taking care of his children. So we decided to come today. Anyways, where are your parents?"

"My dad just bought me and owl and my mum is getting my books and uniforms with Lily and James. If you want, we're all meeting back at the Leaky Cauldron in half an hour." Albus explained.

"All right, we just have to go find Hugo and then we'll meet you there." said Hermione.

"But I wanted to go to look at the new Crimsonstrike 1000." Ron complained.

"Just come on." Hermione pulled Ron out of the shop. "Honestly."

"Bye, Al!" Rose chirped, seeming more excited than usual.

Albus watched them leave as he heard the voice of the fourth figure, Ollivander, address him.

"So, Albus Potter, is it finally your turn?" asked Ollivander.

"Yes Mr. Ollivander." Albus said, knowing what Ollivander was referring to.

"Let's see." Ollivander said glancing over his shoulder. "Ah, here she is. I trust you know, my assistant?"

Albus nodded as a swaying Luna Lovegood walked into the room holding a few boxes of wands. "Hello, Luna."

Luna smiled over at Albus and said dreamily, "Hello, Albus."

"Mrs. Lovegood has opted to act as my assistant during the summer." Ollivander said to Albus.

"The Jindoks hibernate during the summer, so I need to wait until the seasons change." Luna explained thoughtfully. Albus nodded, although he had absolutely no idea what a Jindok was or if it even existed. "The usual, Mr. Ollivander?"

"Please." replied Ollivander, taking the wands from Luna. He took the first one from the pile and handed it to Albus. "Try this one."

Albus held it in hand and immediately dropped it from how cold it had become. He then took another one that was offered to him by Ollivander but found it unsuitable as well. Seven wands later he had still been unable to find a suitable wand.

"Well, Mr. Potter, it seems these wands are not for you." Ollivander looked around as if in search of something. "Now, normally I wouldn't do this, but you're a…special case." Ollivander picked up a wand from one of the drawers of his desk. "As I am sure you know, lately magic has become wild and unpredictable, harder to control. So a while back the Ministry of Magic had commissioned me to search for ways of enhancing wands. Before that time, I had only used Phoenix feathers, Dragon heartstrings, and Unicorn tail hairs. After being notified by the Ministry of this request I decided it was time use different cores that I normally wouldn't use. Few of my original cores are made into wands. These new wands were certainly more powerful, to an extent, but they still had trouble with magic. What you are holding in your hands is one of my newest experiments with wands: using two cores for the same wand." Ollivander offered the wand to Albus who took it in hand. Immediately the wand became warm in Albus' hand and started spitting purple sparks from the tip.

Ollivander's silvery eyes glowed. "12 ¾ inches, Phoenix feather and basilisk scale cores made of Ebony, nice and sturdy. To tell you the truth, Mr. Potter, I am glad that wand was the one or else I don't know what I would do."

Albus was confused. "What do you mean, Mr. Ollivander? There must be hundreds of wands in here."

"The wand chooses the wizard, Albus. You would do well to remember that. Ever since your cousin, Victoire Weasley, walked into my shop seven years ago every member of the Potter and Weasley families have been chosen by wands with a phoenix feather core, undoubtedly the most trusted of all wand core, although many wizards and witches prefer to use other, more powerful cores. Even you father's godson, Ted Lupin, has a phoenix core in his own wand."

"So why did you give me this wand to try?"

"Because, Mr. Potter, I knew you would respond as your family had and after not responding to the regulars I decided that it is time." answered Ollivander.

Albus was curious, "Time for what?"

Ollivander sighed a huge sighed and continued, "Dark times are approaching us, Mr. Potter. If ever it was a time to give someone a powerful wand as this it would be now. You know, I remember every wand I have ever sold. It seems just like yesterday your father walked in my shop searching for his wand. And he found one that proved to be quite useful to him in the battles that came. 11 ½ inches, made of holly with a core of a Phoenix feather. Nice and supple. It seems you and him are quite alike, as much as I can tell you don't want to hear it. But in times to come you will take your similarities as a virtue. I was never any good at Divination when I myself was a student, but I can tell Mr. Potter, that you will need this wand in the times to come."

Albus nodded and held out his hand to give Ollivander the money for the wand but Ollivander pushed it away.

"Oh no, Mr. Potter, this wand is free of charge."

Albus thanked him, although was slightly suspicious as to why Ollivander hadn't charged him for his newly purchased wand. At any rate, he left and headed off towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Albus arrived at the inn to find his parents talking to Neville Longbottom.

"Albus, did you get your wand?" asked Harry.

Albus held up the wand. "Yes. Hello, Neville."

"Hello, Albus." said the round faced Neville.

"Neville." called out the voice of Neville's wife, Hannah. "I need you up here."

"Probably little Jon making a mess upstairs, excuse me, Harry." and Neville headed up the stairs of the inn.

Harry turned his attention back to Albus. "Rose and her parents stopped by. You're doing?"

Albus smiled a little. "Yeah."

"Well, if you have everything we are ready to go." said Harry.

"I am." replied Albus waving his wand.

"Then let's head out." Harry turned around and led his family out of the inn.

Albus looked at his wand and gently flicked it. A few small yellow sparks came from it and caused Harry's robe to fly upwards. Harry quickly flattened his robe back down but merely thought it to be a sudden gust of wind. But before he flattened the robe, Albus had gotten glimpse of something. Something silver. Albus was about to ask when he decided it would be best not to. Besides what did it matter to him in two weeks he would be going back to Hogwarts.

Suddenly the terrible woes of life at school filled him once more.