Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope everyone had a great day!
Ollivander's Memoirs
Narcissa Black
Mr. Ollivander examined the broken wand lying before him. It wasn't fully snapped in half, but hanging on by splinters. He could fix it, but whether it would ever work to its full potential again was unlikely. His work was interrupted by the tinkling of the bell signaling a customer had come in the shop. He left his work and made his way to the front of the shop. Entering as shop as he arrived at the counter, were three young girls. One tall and slender with long mane of thick dark hair, dark eyes and a sallow expression. She wore a dark cloak covering an equally dark dress. The next resembling the first very closely except for lighter, shoulder length hair and wider eyes. Contrasting the first, she wore a red cloak. Standing timidly in front of them was a third girl, much shorter with hair of white blond. She too wore a dark cloak. Mr. Ollivander recognized the girls as the three Black sisters, Bellatrix, the eldest, Andromeda, the second oldest, and Narcissa, the youngest. Although able to be differentiated, they all possessed the Black family trait of beauty and haughtiness.
"How about a walnut, Cissy?" asked Bellatrix to Narcissa as they walked towards the counter.
"Merlin Bella, can't you let her make any decision by herself," remarked Andromeda who kept a few feet behind them.
"Some people like to keep things traditional," Bellatrix argued in an angry whisper.
"Good morning Ms. Black, Ms. Black, Ms. Black," greeted Mr. Ollivander.
"Good morning," the girls answered in unison, Andromeda more positively than the other sisters.
"And Ms. Black," Mr. Ollivander looked towards Narcissa, "is here to purchase her first wand."
"Yes," Bellatrix answered. Mr. Ollivander nodded and began his search for a wand for Narcissa. In all his experience with the Black family, he learned it was not a good idea to keep them waiting.
"Will your parents be joining you?" asked Mr. Ollivander solely to make some sort of conversation. He was rather indifferent to whether Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa's parents would be joining them. Mr. and Mrs. Black were a particularly unpleasant couple and weren't much for conversation if one did not run in their circle.
"Yes," Bellatrix answered again, bored, running her fingers up and down the counter. "They're still outside talking with the Malfoys. We ran into them in…the apothecary." Mr. Ollivander had a feeling that wherever they ran into the Malfoys was not the apothecary, rather someplace such as Knockturn Alley. "You know, Cissy," Bellatrix turned to Narcissa, "They have a son Lucius. He just started school last year. Oh you've seen him before. Quite a handsome boy isn't he?"
"Honestly, Bella are you trying to pair her off before she even stepped a foot into school?" asked Andromeda.
"I am just trying to make sure she is friends with the right people," Bellatrix answered calmly.
"Oh the right people," Andromeda laughed.
"Yes," answered Bellatrix clearly getting angry. "We don't want her running around with mudbloods."
"Please don't say that word, Ms. Black," interjected limply Mr. Ollivander as he brought a wand forward. He would not stand for that kind of talk in his shop, but Bellatrix was not the type one would want to make angry. She angrily stared at him for a brief second before turning back to Narcissa. Andromeda just rolled her eyes.
"I think I saw some friends down by Flourish and Blotts. I think I'm going to go see them," said Andromeda. "Clearly, I'm not needed here." Bellatrix barely acknowledged that Andromeda said anything.
"Tell mom and dad where I went," she said on the way out the door. "Good-bye, Mr. Ollivander."
"Good-bye Ms. Black," replied Mr. Ollivander, saddened by Andromeda's leaving. She was really the only "light" in the Black family.
"Now, Ms. Black," he turned his attention back to Narcissa. He scanned the nearest shelf of wands and found one he thought would be particularly useful to her.
"Blackthorn, dragon heartstring, nine and one third inches," he stated as he handed it gingerly to her. She held it in her hands for a few moments, looking it over.
"Cissy," Bellatrix held out her hand. Narcissa placed the wand in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she eyed the wand all over turning it in her hands.
"If you like it," she sighed. Mr. Ollivander looked at Narcissa. He was sure that this wand would suit her, but perhaps not having a wand similar enough to her sister's would dissuade her from buying it. Narcissa took the wand back and examined it once more.
"I'll take it," she said. A wave of relief came over Mr. Ollivander. Now all he had to do was wait for Mr. and Mrs. Black, who were now visible outside the shop, to purchase the wand. Another wave of anxiety fell over him.