Disclaimer: Harry potter is property of JK Rowling not me. Consider yourselves disclaimed
Return to Mother England
Silas stared down at the letter on the table with a growing sense of unease. Staring up at him, in emerald green ink were the words he hoped he would never see.
Mr J Aurellius
2nd floor bedroom
4 Sayyid Al-Alamy
Al Qahirah
Cairo, Egypt
Silas continued to gaze at the yellowed parchment, hoping against hope that it would somehow spontaneously combust before his son came downstairs to see it. Even though he resolved himself to the possibility that Justin would receive a Hogwarts letter; the idea that the boy who became such an integral part of his life may soon be leaving left a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Still it could have been much worse; in that the letter could have been addressed to Harry Potter.
So caught up in his musings, he missed the sound of Justin coming down the stairs.
"Hey dad is breakfast rea..."
Justin trailed off, seeing his father sitting at the kitchen table, staring unblinkingly at the envelope on its surface.
"What'ya starin at?"
He drawled, mildly concerned over his normally unflappable fathers odd behaviour.
The question roused Silas from his contemplation; his calm and collected mask falling back into place.
"This letter came for you earlier; I believe it is your Hogwarts acceptance letter."
He said in a calm tone, as if discussing the weather; successfully concealing his conflicting feelings on the matter.
Were Silas in a better frame of mind he would have found amusement in the gobsmacked look on his sons face. As it was he barely noticed; his gaze still lingering on the letter in question.
Once Justin overcame his momentary stupor, he walked over to the letter and gingerly picked it up; his fingers ghosting over the Hogwarts seal almost reverently.
With an almost exaggerated delicacy he opened the letter.
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. Aurellius,
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 13.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
After re-reading the letter for the fifth time, Justin placed it back on the table and looked up at his father, who was staring back at him.
"Well, I guess I should write them back and tell them I can't go."
Justin said, a hint of dejection in his tone.
"Why?"
The question was barely louder than a whisper, making the boy wonder if he heard it at all.
"Why what?"
Was the confused reply.
"Why can't you go?"
Rather than alleviate his confusion, the reply only increased it.
"What do you mean why can't I go? You've got your job here and..."
"That would explain why I cannot attend; not why you should not."
The interruption was given in the same soft voice; as if his father was having trouble getting the words out in his normal baritone.
"But I can't just leave you here all by yourself."
This elicited a snort from the older man.
"I'll have you know that I am a fully grown adult; perfectly able to take care of himself. I'll even have that bloody elf here to make sure I don't starve, or set the house on fire."
This was not how Justin was expecting this conversation to go. Although he had longed to attend Hogwarts ever since reading the copy of 'Hogwarts a History' in the library; with the circumstances regarding his departure from Britain, he had long resigned himself to not attending the prestigious school. His father's attitude on the matter was quite surprising, considering his long standing paranoia on possibly being recognised.
"But, what about the Potters, and Dumbledore, and.."
Silas raised a hand to stop his sons confused spluttering.
"I do not believe the risk will be great. Dumbledore will be looking for a clone of Michael Potter, only with green eyes and black hair. You no longer resemble Michael that greatly; at best I think you could pass for a distant cousin. The only feature we need to worry about is you rather distinctive scar."
Justin had to concede that was true. He had seen pictures of his 'brother' in the Daily Prophet read by some of the workers on the excavation. Justin was at least a head taller, and was more solidly built than his estranged twin. He had also inherited some of his adoptive father's facial features; including his improved vision. And with his shoulder length hair pulled back, he showed little physical resemblance to Michael Potter.
The scar was a problem though. The jagged lightning bolt shaped scar, gained during the failed attack on he and his brother. The numerous healers and specialists his father hired over the years were able to remove the taint of dark magic surrounding the scar; but the damned thing refused to respond to any form of magical healing. While the majority of the wizarding world would not realise the importance of the scar; Justin failed to see how it could possibly be hidden from someone like Dumbledore. As if reading the boys thoughts, Silas continued speaking.
"I think that the best way to hide your scar would be through non magical means. This would include muggle makeup in the short term; and perhaps some form of cosmetic surgery for the long term."
This was all moving too fast for Justin. Not ten minutes ago it was just the start of a normal day; now it seems that the entire course of his life was about to change. He looked to his father, who had been unusually distant throughout the conversation.
"Do you think I should go?"
Silas gave his son a pensive look before he responded.
"This decision is yours alone; I will support you in whatever choice you make. It may be beneficial for you to be around people your own age, instead of being around adults all the time. I know that the life I have chosen for us didn't give you much chance for a proper childhood."
Here Justin chose to interrupt his father before he got all maudlin on him.
"Oh stop it; I've had a great childhood. How many children can say that they've seen the things that I've seen, or done the things that I've done? Most kids would give anything to have a dad as cool as you; so that'll be enough of the melodramatics, you weepy bitch."
As expected that drew a chuckle from the older man; along with a mumbled "insolent brat". Assured that he had removed his father from his previous funk, at least temporarily; Justin sat back and thought on his options. After a few minutes he decided.
"I'm going to Hogwarts."
"Hurry up dad; I wanna get to Diagon Alley before the crowds".
Justin yelled excitedly. He had awoken at five am, and was bouncing around the house ever since; looking forward to visiting the famed magical alley.
Silas, amused at his son's exuberance, contemplated delaying visiting Diagon Alley for a day or two just to see how long the enthusiasm would continue. Justin was not typically a boisterous child; most who knew him would describe him as an old man trapped in a boy's body.
The pair had arrived in England two days ago, and was now staying in one of the many manor houses owned by the Aurellius family. Silas had decided to use up some of his vacation time to ensure his son got the proper Hogwarts experience; including the customary first trip to Diagon Alley.
"Calm down, the Alley's not going anywhere; sit down and eat your breakfast, and then we'll see about going. Also you may want to think about changing into something else; unless of course you are looking to start a new fashion trend?"
Justin looked down at his clothes; in the excitement of going to Diagon Alley, he seemed to forget to change out of his sleeping clothes. He bolted back up to his room, and two minutes later was back down stairs in black cargo pants, a black shirt and his favourite black dragonhide duster and fedora hat. Fortunately for his father, he left his magical snake back in Egypt; they were going to attract enough attention with Justin's 'Indiana Jones getup', without having to explain a winged serpent wrapped around his neck.
After what was seemed like the longest breakfast he had ever endured; Justin finally managed to drag his father out the door, and the two apperated into Diagon Alley.
Justin's enthusiasm did not diminish upon seeing the fabled magical alley; the boy pulling his father down the street, to the amused glances of passersby.
Eventually Silas' amusement at his son's attitude was overpowered by the exasperation of being dragged down the alley while Justin set about looking at all the shops. He stopped them both then pulled them to the side of the street, so they could talk out of the traffic of shoppers. He gave his son what he hoped was a stern look.
"You're not going to turn into one of those hyperactive brats that never sit still or shut up are you? Because it would be a real shame if I had to disown you."
He deadpanned; the only indication that the comment was in jest was a slight glint in his eyes. Justin poked out his tongue in response.
"I don't understand why you're so excited; you were never like this any of the times we went to 'Al Mamlakah Sirh Suq' in Alexandria. And if I may say so, that was a damn site more extravagant then this place."
This was true. Egypt's magical market was a truly impressive spectacle. The grand pavilions filled with magical merchants selling anything and everything you could imagine; it made Diagon Alley look rather quaint by comparison.
"If you are quite through with your little display of infantile behaviour; we need to go to Gringotts first. Your uncle set up a trust account for you years ago; you'll need to talk to one of the goblins about picking up your key."
Visibly calmer now; Justin nodded at his father's words, and began walking at a more sedate pace towards the opulent marble building that housed Gringotts bank.
Upon entering the bank Silas strode past the numerous counting goblins and impatiently waiting wizards; and walked straight up to what appeared to be an ordinary door. He placed his hand on the knob and held it there until a soft 'click' indicated the door was unlocked, then pushed it open and ushered his son inside. They began walking down an office filled corridor.
"This is the wizard employee entrance into Gringotts. Fortunately for you, your father is not only strikingly handsome; but also possesses the connections to ensure you won't have to wait in line like the rest of those saps"
Justin restrained the ingrained urge to comment on the fact that his 'strikingly handsome' father was little more than a goblin errand boy; knowing full well that such a comment would leave him back in the line with the other wizard 'saps'.
They stopped at one of the doors, the name AXEGRINDER displayed in bold goblin runic script; below that in much more understated English was printed 'Aurellius Family Account Manager'.
"You'll need to go in here and speak to Axegrinder, the family account manager, to check on the status of your trust vault. You are allowed to take out a small sum of money for whatever purchases you wish to make; however I will be paying for your school supplies myself, so you will not need that much. I think anything over a hundred galleons would be excessive. I will not be going in with you; I need to file some paper work while I'm here on the details of my new work assignment. I'll meet you after your finished here."
With that Silas knocked forcefully on the door then continued on down the corridor, leaving Justin alone to see the goblin. A rough gravelly voice yelled "ENTER", and the door swung open revealing an ancient looking goblin sitting behind an ostentatious looking gold desk. Justin hesitantly entered the office and was directed into a chair in front of the desk. Once he was seated the office door shut under its own power, and the goblin began speaking.
"Mr Justin Aurellius, first son of Silvanus Aurellius, you are here to access your trust vault, set up by your uncle Petrus Aurellius, and given to all those of Aurellius blood for the purpose of financing your magical education."
"I am."
Justin stated simply. Time was money to goblins so being as concise as possible was considered proper etiquette; not that many wizards bothered with such courtesy.
The wizened goblin nodded somewhat approvingly at the boy, and continued.
"In order to confirm your position in the Aurellius family a test on your blood must be conducted. Please take this knife and allow seven drops of blood to fall into this potion."
He said passing over both a small silver ritual knife and a vial of inky black potion.
Justin pricked the tip of his index finger with the knife and placed seven drops of blood in the potion as instructed. As the seventh drop was added, the potion took on a deep blood red colour for an instant, before returning to its original jet black.
When Justin was finished the goblin snatched up the potion, and poured it over a piece of blank parchment. When words began to form on the parchment, he picked it up and began reading.
As he read, a look of what could only be described as surprise flitted over his face; of course it could have just been gas, it is difficult to tell with goblins. He looked up at Justin, and noticing his confused expression, chose to clarify.
"Most interesting Mr Aurellius. According to the results of this test, you are the heir of all the founders of Hogwarts as well as of Merlin himself."
Justin sat there flabbergasted, unable to process what he just heard. How was it possible? What would this mean? He tried to voice all his questions, but he was able to produce was a rather strangled sounding.
"r-r-really."
The goblin looked at him like he was perhaps the single stupidest person to ever grace his office.
"No, not really. This test confirms you as seventh in line as head of the Aurellius Family, and second in line for the head of the Potter family; that is all. Now if you don't mind I am very busy, someone on the main floor will take you to your vault. Good day."
With that the surly goblin thrust a small golden key into his hands, then quickly ushered him out of his office; all the while muttering about "idiot wizards" under his breath in Gobbledegook.
When Justin's mind finally caught up to him, he was able to process the fact that he had just been played, by a goblin.
When Justin finally got back from visiting his vault, he was met in the waiting area by the sight of his father; holding a bottle under his arm, and looking inordinately pleased with himself.
"What's that you've got there? And why do you look so damned chipper all of the sudden?"
Justin snapped, still mildly annoyed by his earlier meeting.
"Oh, this"
Silas said entirely too innocently.
"I won a bet you see. I bet Axegrinder a bottle of Ogden's finest that he would be able to convince you that you where the heir of Merlin. Axegrinder was of the opinion that nobody, not even a wizard, would be stupid enough to fall for that. But you my dear boy proved him wrong most spectacularly. Now, let's go to collect your school supplies, shall we."
Silas finished off by ruffling the boys hair condescendingly, before walking towards the exit.
Justin stared after his father unbelievingly. Really he should have suspected that the old man had something to do with that train wreck of a meeting; it had his stink all over it. Well if he thought that he would take it lying down, he would be in for a surprise.
As they walked out of the bank Justin was still thinking up creative methods of retribution; most involving sharp implements on delicate portions of the anatomy. He was so caught up in his fantasies that he failed to realise that his father was speaking to him. This prompted Silas to start snapping his fingers in front of his sons face to get his attention.
"You can plot later; for now what do we need to get you for school?"
Justin glared at him, but pulled out the equipment list that came with his letter
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
Wand
Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set
Glass or crystal phials
Telescope set
Brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
Silas looked over the list and mentally deduced their itinerary for the day.
"Now then, let's start by getting you fitted for your uniform; while you're in there I can pop over to the apothecary to get your potion supplies."
With that decided the pair wandered over to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked.
"Please, I would also like three sets of casual ware robe, and one set of black formal robes. Also I would like all of that made with Acromantula Silk."
If it was possible, the seamstress expression brightened even further upon hearing that. No doubt she was mentally calculating the commission on such an expensive order.
"Yes sir, step right this way, another young man is being fitted up just now, in fact."
In the back of the shop, a boy with pale skin and sharp facial features was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. By the look of the boy he was clearly a member of one of the pureblood elite families. His perfect posture and the rather haughty look on his face was a clear giveaway.
As Justin walked over to the free stool next to him, he realised how short the other boy was. Even perched atop that stool, he was still shorter than him. Granted, Justin was quite above average in the height department; but still, that was some difference.
"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," said Justin.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Throughout the boys little speech, Justin had to fight the urge to laugh. You could tell he was trying so hard to impress, to convince Justin of just how cool he was; but it wasn't coming out right at all. Instead of laughing, Justin chose instead to take his father's advice; and arched a single eyebrow at the statement.
FLASHBACK
"Now son, whenever you're dealing with self important purebloods there's one expression you need to have mastered; and that is the raised eyebrow. With a single raised eyebrow you need to be able to convey both a sense of self-superiority, and a mocking scorn of whomever you are speaking with.
"I know this sounds rather absurd, but trust me most of the neutral pureblood families will have these types of mannerisms drilled into their children. The ability to convey such feelings non-verbally is a sign of intelligence, and good breeding. Also it's very handy when dealing with other idiots who are concerned with social standing, such as politicians and the like. You will find one single look enough to intimidate people such as these into submission."
END FLASHBACK
It appears all the practice his father had forced him through in front of a mirror was actually paying off. The boy looked decidedly uncomfortable under the weight of Justin's gaze; if the fidgeting and slight flush in his cheeks was any indication. Eventually Justin decided to take pity on the boy, and broke the silence.
"What would you do with your broom after you smuggled it in?"
He said in a soft, even tone.
"W-what?"
The boy stuttered, obviously unnerved at the turn the conversation had taken.
"Your broom, what would you do with it? You wouldn't be able to ride it; you would risk getting caught and it would likely be confiscated. Where would you hide it? How would you ensure the silence of your dorm-mates? And even if you could somehow ensure its safety while at Hogwarts, what would be the benefit in having it there?"
The boy seemed stumped by Justin's logic; obviously he had not put a great deal of thought into his plan before he announced it.
"Eh... well... I'll just... I'll get my father to have the rule overturned. He is on the board of governors you know.
The boy's superior drawl returning with his new thought out plan.
"A more sensible plan, perhaps. I wish you good luck in that endeavour."
Justin said in his 'Obi-Wan' voice, making his words sound more profound than they really were.
The boy just nodded at him; his face a mixture of curiosity and self satisfaction at the others words. Confidence regained, the boy tried once again to raise conversation.
"Do you know what house you'll be in yet?"
Justin looked at the boy, mentally deciding if it'd be worth it to enter this conversation. Eventually he decided he had nothing better to do, and answered.
"I am unsure; though I should think I am able to rule out Gryffindor and Hufflepuff as possible choices."
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been -- imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"Really? You don't see the benefit to be gained in such a situation? The serpent in the badgers den, able to act with impunity; without drawing suspicion from the rest of the school. With enough cunning and guile, a Hufflepuff could easily take over Hogwarts."
Again Justin had to suppress laughter; this time at the flabbergasted expression on the boy's face. It was as if Justin had told him that the sky was down and the ground was up.
It was clear to Justin that the opinions the boy was parroting were not his own; most likely they were his father's, and he had been instructed from a young age to think the same way. This was yet another reminder to Justin on just how different his own father was concerning such matters; he often pushed his son to find his own answers and draw his own conclusions, never just accepting information given at face value. The thought was almost enough to forgive the man his earlier prank in Gringotts, almost but not quite.
Before the boy could respond, Madam Malkin returned and said, "That's you done, my dear."
The boy hopped down from the stool, his small stature now all the more obvious.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose." Said the drawling boy, trying to affect an air of nonchalance.
"Perhaps you will." Justin replied enigmatically
After leaving the robe shop Justin met up with his father and made their way towards the bookstore. Once inside the shop they quickly separated; Silas went to collect Justin's school books from the list, while Justin went looking for extra books to bring.
One of the first things Justin noticed was that there was a surprisingly large amount of people in this store. And it seemed that few of them were actually perusing the shelves. Most seemed to be looking for something else, or someone else. There were also a large number of people with cameras.
However, as it didn't affect him, Justin did what any normal eleven year old would do, and ignored it. Instead searching out the shops obscure rune section.
He found the section in a cramped, poorly lit corner of the store; and began looking at the titles on offer. Whilst searching he came across a young boy around his age, hiding behind one of the stacks. Justin was curious as to the boys' behaviour, so took it upon himself to investigate. He strode silently up to the boy, who was faced away from him, and asked.
"Excuse me, what are you doing?"
The boy jumped and spun around, narrowly avoiding toppling over a stack of books; it was clear he was badly startled by the noise. When he started scrambling for the wand in his robes, Justin raised his hands in surrender and took a step back placatingly; not wanting to scare the boy any further.
"Easy now, no need for that; I'm sorry if I startled you, but I was curious as to what you were doing."
The boy looked at Justin warily, as if trying to determine if he was being truthful. Justin took this time to inspect the boy who was holding him at wand point. He had short, messy, auburn hair; and hazel eyes. He also had a small round scar underneath his eye.
It didn't take an Arithmancy master to realise this was Michael Potter; which probably explained why he was so jumpy when talking to strangers in abandoned corners of bookstores.
Justin continued to surreptitiously study his long-lost brother. In truth he had often wondered how a meeting with his twin would go. He'd have to admit that being held at wand point was not something he had envisioned; but it did have a rather dramatic irony to it, which he desperately tried not to smirk at.
Truthfully, he had always pictured Michael as a clone of the James Potter his father had always told him about; an arrogant prankster, with a mean streak and an overinflated ego. The Michael Potter standing before him was a stark contrast to the persona he had envisioned; small, scared and wary. Justin felt a small surge of protectiveness at the sight, and he wondered if this was perhaps a big brother thing; although he honestly wasn't sure who was older.
During this time Michael lowered his wand; apparently deciding that Justin was harmless.
"Sorry 'bout that, I'm hiding from that pack of vultures outside."
Seeing as he did look genuinely sorry for overreacting, Justin decided to let it go.
"S'ok don't mention it. If I may ask what are you doing hiding in this corner of the shop?"
Michael sighed heavily, but began telling his story.
"I'm here with my mum doing my school shopping for Hogwarts. I was at Ollivanders getting my wand, but it was taking a real long time, so mum decided to get my other supplies while she was waiting; we agreed to meet in the Leaky Cauldron when we were finished. I was on my way there, when I was ambushed by that pack of reporters outside. I ducked in here to try to lose them, but they followed me in. And now I can't get out without getting past them."
Michael said; getting more despondent as the story progressed.
Justin, not normally one for sentimentality, felt sorry for the boy; who seemed to be fighting the urge to break down crying. He thought for a moment on how to help.
Suddenly inspiration struck him. He ripped off his black fedora and stuck it on the other boy's head; tilting it slightly to obscure the top half of his face. He then took off his full length jacket and threw that around him. He stopped to look at his handiwork, and was pleased with the result. The jacket was dragging on the floor slightly due to its size, but aside from that it would make a more than adequate disguise.
"I can't take this..."
Michael spluttered, Justin merely waving away his protests.
"Look, you going to Hogwarts, you can find me on the train and give them back then."
Michael looked at his newfound saviour with a mixture of suspicion and amazement.
"Why are you doing this for me?"
Justin looked at him with a contemplative expression.
"I don't know"
He answered honestly.
"Look this will only work if you act casually. Just walk out the door like you don't have a care in the world. Don't run, walk at a normal pace; and resist the urge to look at them, keep your head down."
With that Justin pushed the smaller boy towards the exit.
Michael took a step forwards before he turned back towards the other boy.
"By the way, my name is Michael."
A smile crossed Justin's face at the introduction.
"I kind'a figured that. Justin Silvanus Aurellius, at your service."
He finished it off with a flourish and a dramatic bow.
Michael snorted at his theatrics, before turning around and calmly leaving the store.
Once that was done Justin returned to his search for books. After finding around a dozen interesting looking books, he met up with his father at the cashier. Upon seeing Justin, Silas raised an eyebrow in question at his son's missing garments; the boy shrugged, but remained silent. Seeing he was not going to get an answer now, he let the matter drop until they had some privacy.
"Where to next?"
Justin asked, to which his father replied.
"We need to get you a wand."
While walking towards Ollivanders the duo passed a shop called Magical Menagerie which had an array of exotic animals on display. Seeing the animals reminded Justin of his own exotic animal back in Egypt.
"Dad, the letter from Hogwarts said that first years could bring a cat, toad or owl. What about Nehebkau, will I be able to bring him?"
Silas stopped walking and turned to look at his son.
"Are you sure you want to bring him. Quetzalcoatl's are not something that can be easily hidden. People in England have deep held prejudices, and will likely draw conclusions on your character based on your choice of pet."
"Of course I want to bring him. Nehebkau's my friend, I can't just leave him. Who cares if some sheeple think I'm the second coming of Satan. Plus, if I leave him with you for most of the year you'd probably try to flush him down the toilet at some point."
Silas opened his mouth to protest the accusation, but realised he was probably right.
"Well, since he's your familiar you should be able to bring him along so long as you file a 'Familial Pet Exemption Waiver' with the board of governors before school starts. Considering your uncle Petrus is on the board, there shouldn't be any trouble. You should know however, that you will be held directly responsible for the actions of your familiar while at Hogwarts. So if he develops a taste for Hufflepuffs, it's your responsibility to make sure none go missing."
"Or at least that we both have an ironclad alibi."
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. The pair entered the creepy looking shop and looked around at the hundreds of narrow boxes that lined the walls.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Both father and son jumped at the voice of the old man standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining brightly in the gloom of the shop.
The old man looked up at Silas.
"Ah, Silas Aurellius. African Blackwood, twelve inches, with a phoenix feather core. Powerful yet very precise, good for delicate work."
Silas nodded but did not speak. Justin could tell, even with his emotionless mask in place, that his father was weirded out by the old man; a sentiment he was sharing at the moment as those pale eyes landed on him.
"Well, now Mr Aurellius. Let me see."
He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
Justin stuck out his right hand and the tape measure shot out and started taking all kinds of different measurements all over his body, while the wand crafter was drawing boxes from the shelves. He was starting to fear for his virtue when the old man looked back over to him.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Aurellius. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Justin took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try --"
This continued on for fifteen minutes, the eccentric old man getting more excited with each failure.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere -- I wonder, now - - yes, why not -- unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Justin took the wand. He felt sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head; brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of gold and silver sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.
Silas clapped, having been getting quite board; and Justin smiled at the feel of the wand in his hands. Ollivander however, became quite distant and started muttering "curious" under his breath. Justin wondered what was curious, and voiced his question to the wand maker, who replied.
"Oh, it's nothing really; I just expected that wand to go to someone else that's all. Still, it's the wand that chooses the wizard not the other way round; that will be seven galleons please."
After quickly paying and leaving the shop both Silas and Justin were more than ready to go home.
TBC
A/N- Hear we are another chapter. I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the support this story has received. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to most of them, but my schedule has been hectic lately ever since my baby niece was born on the 15th, I've been busy helping out, plus with Uni and work, I'm stretched a little thin at the moment.
There have been so many reviews, that I won't try to respond to them in this AN. But I will say to anyone who made a suggestion on a pairing, I will consider every option presented when making my choice. To anyone who asked a question on the upcoming plot, the answer is I don't know, I'm really
winging it at the moment; writing chapter by chapter, with only the vaguest plan for the future of this story.
To anyone who offered constructive criticism, or provided suggestions to improve my writing style; a million thankyous go out to each of you. I'll try to take your suggestions on board for future chapters.
The address used for this chapter in Egypt does exist. I zoomed in on Cairo with Google maps; I don't know what is really there, or what type of neighbourhood it is.
Translations:
Al Mamlakah Sirh Suq: The Kingdoms Magical Market
This is supposed to be in Arabic, I got it off an online translation program.
As to the topic of pairings. I put up the poll on my profile to get an impression on what the readers were interested in. I must say that I've been shocked as to the results. I'll keep it up until the pairing has been decided, which won't be until around 4th year. The poll itself will not be the only deciding factor when I choose the pairings, but it will influence the decision.
Well that's it. Till next time.