August 1st, 1991

"Draco Lucius Malfoy!"

To say that Lucius Malfoy was furious with his eleven-year-old son would be an understatement; he was bloody outraged.

Draco gulped as he made his way into the living room, finding his parents frowning down on him.

"Y-yes, Father?" he stammered.

"Have you received a letter from an owl yet?"

Draco, shocked at the strange question, replied, "No, Father."

"Evidence!" Lucius roared. "He's a sqiub!"

"Lucius, calm down," Narcissa told him. "I shall take care of this."

"You are nothing but a squib," she continued, turning to Draco. "You have never shown any sign of magic, and you are a disgrace to this family. A disgrace! Even the Grangers' daughter is a witch, and you, heir to one of the most powerful pureblood families in the wizarding world, are a squib!"

"Therefore," Lucius said, "you must be punished. Crucio!"

Draco crumbled to the floor, crying and screaming in pain.

"Minerva, I feel as if we have skipped over a student in the process of sending the letters."

Minerva McGonagall turned to the headmaster of Hogwarts. "And what makes you believe so, Albus? Hagrid has already taken care of Potter! You needn't be worried."

"No, no, no. I have this feeling that a student other than Harry Potter is missing his or her letter. I am sure of it. Check the list of students who have replied. The deadline was yesterday, wasn't it?"

"Alright," the woman sighed.

Hannah Abbott

Susan Bones

Terry Boot

Mandy Brocklehurst

Lavender Brown

Millicent Bulstrode

Justin Finch-Fletchy

Seamus Finnigan

Hermione Granger

Neville Longbottom

Morag McDougal

Theodore Nott...

"Albus!"

"Yes, Minerva?"

"Draco Malfoy is a wizard, correct?"

"Minerva, do not tell me you have forgotten to send the Malfoy heir his letter?"

"Oh, dear. I shall get on it right away."

"That should teach you!" Lucius growled after ceasing to torture his son.

Tap, tap, tap.

Draco's parents snapped their heads towards the window. Draco, in too much pain to even do that, was thankful that he was already facing the window.

"It's an owl!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"Really, Mother," Draco drawled, "I thought it was a giraffe."

"You will apologize immediately!" Lucius ordered.

"Sorry," Draco mumbled.

"Properly!"

"My dear mother, I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to accept my sincere apology."

"Better, and she'll think about your forgive-."

"Lucius," Narcissa interrupted. "It has the Hogwarts seal."

The two parents looked at each other for a moment before the mother tore the envelope. She took out the first piece of paper and read aloud:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,

I would like to offer my apologies for this delay, but I had merely skipped over your son's name due to my poor eyesight. I hope you are all well. I have included Draco's acceptance letter and supply list. I apologize once more.

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

After a moment of silence, Draco spoke, "Why don't you apologize this time?"

"Quiet, boy!" Lucius said. He rumaged through the envelope and pulled out the letter, giving it to Draco. "Read it. Out loud."

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than August 2nd.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress"

"There's got to be a mistake," Lucius said.

"Why, dear Father," Draco said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "can't you accept the idea that your son is a wizard?"

"Then why haven't you shown any signs of having magical qualities? Ever?"

Turning to Narcissa, Lucius said, "We must see Albus immediately."

CRASH!

Dumbledore looked up from his desk to see Draco Malfoy fall through the fireplace.

"Bloody Floo," the younger said. "I'm never doing that again."

Seconds later, Narcissa Malfoy stepped gracefully through the fire, followed by her husband.

"Draco," said the latter, "do get up off the floor. You are sharing physical similarities with a house-elf."

His son obeyed him and brushed the dirt off his clothes once he was up.

"Lucius," Dumbledore started, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Albus, how can Draco be a wizard?" he asked. "He has never shown any signs of being magical. Ever."

Dumbledore frowned as he rose from his desk and walked over to the Malfoy heir. How odd indeed.

"I fear I do not know, Lucius. Is it all right with you if I bring him with me to Diagon Alley to purchase his wand and supplies?"

"Yes, I suppose it'll be fine," Lucius unwillingly agreed.

"I'm getting a wand?"

"Well, all wizards and witches need a wand. How else are they supposed to do magic?"

"Wandless magic?"

Dumbledore stopped in the middle of Diagon Alley and asked, "How did you know that?"

"Magic without a wand? I don't know, lucky guess."

Dumbledore continued on his way to Ollivander's. As he stepped through the door, Ollivander greeted him warmly.

"Albus, good to see you again!"

"Hello, Garrick. Unfortunately, I have no time for chit-chat. Young Mister Malfoy here requires a wand."

Ollivander nervously glanced at the boy whose father had killed many of his relatives.

"R-right away!" he exclaimed and went about the shelves.

"Here," he said, handing Draco a short box. Draco opened a box to find a really short wand.

"Eight inches, hawthorn, dragon heartstring, unbendable," Ollivander stated proudly.

Without even trying anything, Draco immediately handed it back.

"No," he promptly said.

Ollivander frowned and asked, "Why not?"

"It's not meant for me," Draco simply stated.

Raising an eyebrow, Ollivander replaced the box with another containing a "nine inch, ebony, dragon heartstring, somewhat supple beauty".

Draco complained once more. "Why are you giving me the short ones? I am not lacking in character!"

Ollivander looked surprised. "You know how the wand lengths are determined?"

"Well, it's obvious you're just prejudiced against me because I'm a Malfoy. Thus, you are providing me with short wands. I happen to be tall for my age."

Dumbledore was amused by this remark and couldn't help but wonder what instigated Draco to say it.

Before Ollivander could respond, a box started glowing from one of the shelves in the very back. The box was isolated, sitting on the shelf all by itself.

"No!" Ollivander whispered. "It cannot be!" He immediately grabbed the box and handed it to Draco.

Once Draco took out the wand, wind started blowing. Papers swirled around in an orderly manner before settling in a neat pile on the front desk. Boxes of wands floated back to their original locations as the door swung open, then shut. Open, then shut.

All of a sudden, the commotion stopped.

"Found my wand," Draco said nervously.

"It cannot be," Ollivander repeated to himself.

"What seems to be the matter?" Dumbledore asked.

"This wand is thirteen inches and reasonably supple."

"So?" Draco said.

"That is the normal part. What is so extraordinary is that this wand not only contains the tail feather of the phoenix that belongs to Albus, but also has a combination wood: acacia, elder, and wood."

Dumbledore's eyes grew wide, but Draco noticed that the old man wasn't really surprised. "I've never heard of such a wand! Why would you even make it?"

"It is my duty to replicate every unusual wand wood ever in existence. The wand of Merlin was made of the very wood in Draco's hands."