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The wand makers' apprentice

Chapter 4

Harry had never seen so much food in his life. He never had so much choice, at the Dursley's his uncle and cousin would eat anything he liked, leave Harry only so little, though in Harry's mind he never really starved, he was always just a bit peckish.

Harry and many of the others around him were amazed at how food much food Morris was piling on his plate; Harry almost had to strain his neck to see him, what was even more amazing was how fast he ate it all, after which he started to pile on it again before anyone else had even had chance to start own on there own.

When Morris started to make his third plate, he realised that everyone down the table, and some from the others, were looking strangle at him. Harry had to stop himself from laughing as Morris's skin and hair began turning completely shocking pink.

"I'm a Metamorphmagus, we kind of burn up a lot of energy when we go though large physical transformations, makes us hungry" he said sheepishly, sitting down, trying to turn back to normal. Which Harry found even more amusing.

Twelve minuets into the desserts the tables conversations had turned to their families, Harry listened to an Irish boy, his name was Seamus, he was talking about his parents "I'm half and half, my dads a Muggle, and me mums a witch, she didn't tell dad that she was a witch until after they were married, which was a bit of a shock for him" the others laughed.

"What about you Neville?" Ron asked, helping himself to some more ice-cream.

"My gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, said smoothly "but my family thought I was all squib for ages. My uncle Algie kept trying to to force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once– but nothing happened until I was eight. He came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my auntie offered him a cup of tea, and he accidentally let go."

"Were you all right?" Morris gasped in concern. Neville half blushed, and smiled awkwardly

"I bounced" he said proudly, before adding "all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was so happy she was crying. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magical enough to come"

Morris looked at Neville for a second, "bollocks" Morris held his hand across the table towards Neville "let me have a look at ya wand, that's probably the problem" people sitting around were now watching the scene as a ever so nervous Neville pulled out his wand.

Morris took it happily, then reached under the table and pulled what looked to be the same long silver tape measure, with gold markings on, that he used on Harry in Ollivander's, "well stand up, hold out your best arm" Morris's voice charged, it sounded more like it did when he was telling Hagrid to wait outside the shop.

Neville in a worried state did without complaint, and the silver tape measure flew from Morris's hand and started talking measurements. Neville's standing up had caused most of the hall's attention to now be focused on to what was happing.

Morris started making an angry clicking noise with his tongue, before looking up, at the now red face, Neville "this isn't your wand, is it Neville, it your fathers isn't it" the hall watched in amazement, as Neville, in a clash of awe and fear, slowly nodded.

Morris sighed as he looked at the wand in his hands "he was a great man you father, your mother too, its such a tragedy tha-" Morris's eyes widen slightly as he realised he may of said to much "well…" Morris huffed, as the silver tape measure flew back into his hand "Ron, can I have a look at yours now?" Morris asked Ron, changing the subject as he gave Neville his wand back.

"I… don't…I" Ron tried to protest, Morris tipped his head forward, and before everyone's eyes, changed into a red-headed, short, plump woman,. Anyone would only had to of look at the any of the four Weasley boys, to realize that this was obviously their mother.

"Ronald Weasley" even Morris's voice sounded like it should of been, only it was angrier than it had been when Harry spoke to the woman at the train station "give me that wand right this instant."

Ron purely out of instinct, did. Everyone around laughed, the Weasley twins could be seen holding each other, trying to stop themselves from falling over in laughter, even Morris couldn't keep a straight face.

After a couple of seconds Morris turned himself back and started look at Ron's wand as if it was going to bite him, he made the same angry clicking noise with his tongue as he had when looking at Neville's wand.

It was the first time Harry got to really see Ron's wand. It was battered, burnt and horrible chipped, Harry could almost see a unicorn hair poking out the end of it, at lest it looked like the one of unicorn hairs in one, of the many jars, in the back room of Ollivander's where Morris took Harry to make his wand.

"Your bother wouldn't happen to go by the name Charlie and be a dragon keeper in Romania would he? And have so many freckles he looks tanned?" Morris asked Ron who nodded curiously in the positive.

Morris smiled brightly and laughed to himself "I thought I knew your name from somewhere, I met your bother when I was in china on the hunt for the Chinese Fireball dragon eggshells, it with great, he told me all sorts of stories about his family" Morris started laughing, as he began talking to Ron and his bothers about his and Charlie's adventures, in china.

Morris gave back Ron's wand back to him, who stuffed it into his belt as fast as he could "Russ, after you've finished, can you have a look at mine now please?" Harry asked suddenly realised that it was the prefect time to ask about his wand, while Morris was checking over peoples.

Morris looked at Harry curiously "okay" he said slowly, Harry gave him his wand Morris looked it over "looks fine to me Harry, is there anything wrong with it?" Morris asked, handing it back slowly.

"Whoa look at Harry's wand!" Seamus all but yelled

"Who made that Harry?" Ron asked, then bitterly add "I wish I had one like that" turning back to his ice-cream

"Where'd you get it Harry?" Neville asked, how'd seem to of gone quite quiet after Morris had given him back his wand.

"How much did it cost Harry?" Dean asked

"Well actually Mor- ouch" Morris kicked Harry under the table before he could finish. Harry looked at Morris, who gave him a look that seemed to say 'not tell them it was made by me'. "I got it from Ollivander's, I'm just lucky I guess" it wasn't exactly a lie, he did get the wand from Ollivander's, even if Mr Ollivander didn't make it.

Once Harry had hold of his wand again, it started shacking again, Harry turned to look at that head table and caught the dark eyed teachers glare.

"Harry?" Morris asked again, bring Harry back to reality "what's wrong with the wand?" Harry shook his head lightly.

"Oh…well it keeps shaking, didn't you just see?" Harry explained what happen at the train station and what happened when he was waiting in line for the sorting. Morris listened rubbing his chine as he did.

"Well…" Morris said thoughtfully "there are four things it could be. One, its reacting to magical fluxes, but I doubt there many fluxes in kings cross so that's out. Two, because of the use of the two polar opposite woods and the polar opposite core its probable that the wands having some trouble in integration with all opposite energy involved, if that's the case it'll take a while for it to finally settle" everyone that was listening, Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus Hermione, Dean and Percy who pretended he wasn't listening. They all nodded their heads blankly as if they knew what Morris as talking about, when really none of tem had a clue.

"Three" Morris continued "it's reacting to the large amounts of magic that's needed to maintain the cloaking spell that used to hide the platform, and to Hogwarts itself, though if that were the case, then I'm surprised that it didn't do anything on the train, did it?" Morris asked.

"No, I don't think…No, it didn't do anything on the train" Harry answered truthfully. Morris looked deep into Harry's eyes, with the sparkling blue one he'd used before on the train. He then began to rub his chine again.

"Yes, it must be two or three" Morris said to himself more than anyone.

"What's four?" Hermione butted in rudely, asking the question on anyone who was listening mind, Morris stared at her though a deep brow before answering.

"Four, four is very unlikely, it's very rare, for anyone to have it" Morris spoke airily, before looking into Harry's again "you wouldn't happen to…to have…a… a blood ward on you Harry?" Morris asked difficultly. Harry and the others gave him a strange look "Wandology is complicated, is Harry had a blood ward and say his blood was in his wand hypnotically speaking it would possibly increase the power of it, or change it completely…but as I said its highly unlikely" Morris shrugged.

Suddenly all the plates were cleared from the table, much to the horror of Ron and Morris who were still eating, as Dumbledore began the begging of term speech.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have just a few start of term notices a, first years should know that the dark forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils" his sparkling blue eyes then focused on the Weasley twins, and then onto Morris "except for those who have special permission to do so," Morris grinned to himself then winked to Harry "I have also been asked by Mr Flich, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes or in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in a fortnight to anyone who wishes to join their house team should contact Madam Hooch." He paused "And finally, I must tell you that this year the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die an exceedingly painful death" he then smiled "now the school song" Morris looked at Harry and Ron, as slowly a wicked smile began to grow on his face. There was something in his smile that Harry recognised, and it wasn't good, it was then that Harry knew that this was deftly going to be weird year.