Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Spoilers: 1-7
Chapter 7: Creepiness will always be
He never had playmates when he was younger. In fact his grandmother barely invited any kids or let him go anywhere, so he had no friends. That's why he spent most of his time in the greenhouses his grandmother had. Sometimes his uncle came over and then his grandmother and him tried to get Neville to do magic. Both of them were very concerned because he hadn't done any accidental magic until he was eight. How happy they were when he finally did and as for Neville himself he was relieved that he wouldn't be shoved around or spooked by his uncle.
When he received his Hogwarts letter his relatives were ecstatic, but he always was worried. Oh, of course he was happy, but he was scared too. What if he didn't do as good as other kids? What were others like? What if he didn't do any good at all? After all his family was worried that he didn't show any accidental magic before he was eight, so they started thinking he might be a squib.
Now there they were, Diagon Alley. If his grandmother would have found his father's old robes that fit him they wouldn't even be here. Everything else she could have actually ordered by owl post. He even got his father's wand. Diagon Alley was a busy place with lots of people.
They entered Madam Malkin's and then his grandmother left. There was another boy already who Mme Malkin's assistant was taking care of. The shop owner stood him on the stool next to the other boy and went to get a robe to fit it to his measurements.
"Hello", greeted the other boy. "So, you're going to Hogwars too?"
"Y-yeah", he stuttered. 'So this was one of his future classmates,' he thought nervously. He looked up a bit and saw the boy crook his head slightly and look at him. 'Oh, no. Am I supposed to say something?' he lowered his eyes again trying to think whether he forgot something.
"Well, I don't know what about you, but I'm pretty much excited ever since I got the letter. I was really surprised when I found out I was a wizard," said the other boy.
'Ah, he's a muggle-born. Maybe he's just as worried as I am… But then he doesn't seem worried…' Well didn't actually the other boy. The brief glance told him only that he had black hair and wore glasses.
Neville lifted his head to look at the other boy, but he had turned to look in the other direction. He had messy jet-black hair and looked scrawny. "M-me too. I was really glad," he finally said bringing up the courage he had. The other boy turned to look at him. He had bright green eyes behind big round glasses. He didn't look mean, so Neville tried to smile. The boy returned his smile. "Then we have something in common"
He stretched his hand out. "I'm Harry. You're Neville, right? Nice to meet you"
Neville hesitatingly took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too, Harry. But how did you know my name?" he asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Oh, er, I heard the exchange when you came in," Harry scratched the back of his head uneasily as if he had been eavesdropping.
"Would you, please, stand still? I'm trying to fit this robe for you!" said the shop assistant a bit annoyed. "Oh, sorry, ma'am", he apologized.
'Amazing,' he thought with fascination as he listened the boys chat. It was simply amazing how Harry brought the shy Neville to talk just like that. He remembered Neville being very shy and insecure in his first year.
"What do you think about snakes?" asked Harry suddenly. 'Duke' chocked. 'What was that?'
"Um, well… they're… dangerous?" answered Neville unsure.
"Oh… never mind, so what's…"
'…whatever. I'll just ask later.'
He certainly didn't expect to meet him just because they came to Diagon Alley one day earlier and he certainly didn't expect his counterpart to have such an impact on him. Though the question before worried him.
"… and my birthday is tomorrow, so…"
"My birthday is tomorrow too"
Sudden silence fell over the room. 'The blasted prophecy' he thought darkly.
It stopped however when Harry saw Hagrid waving and at him and then pointed at two large ice creams to show him that he couldn't enter.
"Who's that?" asked Neville.
"That's Hagrid. He's gamekeeper at Hogwarts"
"Oh, how do you know him?" Neville wondered.
"He picked me up. You know to get to Diagon Alley and explain stuff about magical world"
Neville looked like he bit another question away.
"That's you done, my dear" said the assistant finally. Harry hopped down the stool.
"Well, I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts, Neville."
The ice cream Hagrid bought was chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts. He decided that he liked this ice cream better than the one he was lucky enough to get on Dudley's birthday in London.
"Say, Hagrid…" he started.
"Yes, Harry?"
"…what do you think about snakes?" he gulped. He found it more difficult to ask the giant.
"Why d' ye ask?" Hagrid looked at him in wonder.
"Oh, uh, nothing, never mind…" he corrected himself. Somewhere underneath his collar Duke hissed in irritation.
"Well, I had an ashwinder once" started the gamekeeper thoughtfully.
"Really?" asked Harry with sudden interest. "er…. What kind of snakes are ashwinders?"
"They are born from dying fire. I had one, but… I had ter give 'im away" ended Hagrid sobbing sadly.
"Oh. Sorry" he looked away and went back to eating his ice cream.
"Don't be, It's not yer fault."
They finally reached Flourish and Blotts, the book store. He had been looking forward to going here. He excused himself from Hagrid and went to look at the bookshelves while the said person talked to the clerk.
"So, mind telling me what's up?" whispered Duke as he took 'Magical Theory' off the shelf and run over its pages.
"I thought I wasn't supposed to talk," he grumbled. "What do you mean what's up?"
"There is no one close enough to hear right now," answered the serpent and shifted. Harry assumed that he peeked over the collar to see whether anyone was close by. "What's up with the question earlier?"
"Nothing, I just wondered…" Harry closed the book.
"Don't tell me you intend to judge people by that question…Harry, not all..." Duke already wanted to start the lecture as he was interrupted.
"I know! I know that not everyone who likes snakes is a good person," he said disturbed. "An understatement," mumbled the serpent. "It's just… I don't want you to get hurt, so I want to know how people will react if they see you… You're my best friend!" He said heading further into the shop with a sad but determined expression.
The eleven-year-old sounded worried. It was very touching how much Harry worried about his safety. He sighed. "Thank you. Really. But you see if they see me with you, then you should worry about their reaction towards you not me. And if you go on like this someone will get suspicious," he pointed out. "As for myself, don't worry. I can take care of myself, I won't die just like that,but let's just make sure no one sees me, okay?," he laughed at the end. Harry sighed in defeat: "All right, I won't ask anymore."
"So, mind pointing me some books out?" he smiled.
"Why, 'A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions' sounds nice," he laughed in return.
The shopping tour continued rather uneventful. But that was only a question of time and now it was only the wand left to buy. That's what he has been looking forward to the most. Hagrid offered to buy him a pet as a present, but he protested with all his might. He really couldn't afford an owl. They were useful, true, but snakes belonged to its food specter and then there was the issue with his relatives. He was happy that the friendly gamekeeper gave up and they entered the wand shop. It had peeling gold letters over the door that read: 'Ollivanders: Maker's of Fine Wands since 384. B.C.'
The shop was tiny and empty except for a chair. It somehow gave off the feeling of a library. Maybe it was because of thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly up to the ceiling. Somewhere in the depth of the shop ringed a bell as they entered.
Hagrid sat down on the chair, but jumped as a soft voice greeted:" Good afternoon"
An old man was standing before them. His wide, pale eyes shining through like moons through the gloom of the shop. Harry had nearly jumped too.
"Good afternoon, sir," he greeted awkwardly.
"Ah, yes," said the man as he moved closer, "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." He was quite sure that wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr. Ollivander, as Harry assumed, stared at him without blinking. He himself wished that he could blink, but he couldn't. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
He had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. He heard Duke gulp.
"And that's where…" Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead and Harry fought the urge to flinch away.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.
"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known that wand was going out into the world to do…"
He shook his head and then spotted Hagrid. Harry and Duke both breath out in relief being released from Mr. Ollivander's attention.
"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid, who apparently felt nervous under the stare of the wand maker too.
"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.
"Er --- yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.
"But you don't use them?" asked Mr. Ollivander rather sharply. Somehow Harry felt that Hagrid used them as he saw him grip his pink umbrella tightly as he said: "Oh, no, sir,"
The creepy wand maker 'hm'ed and after giving Hagrid another look, turned back to Harry. "Well, now – Mr. Potter. Let me see," he said as he pulled a long tape measure out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
Oh how happy he was in that moment that his serpentine friend had moved to his neck: "I'm right-handed."
Mr. Ollivander told him to hold out his arm and started measuring and as he measured he said: "Every Ollivander wand had a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Harry's eyes darted from the tape measure, who now measured him on its own, and Mr. Ollivander, who was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said and the tape measure crumbled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Harry complied, but before long the wand was snatched out of hid hand by Mr. Ollivander who handed him another wand explaining what it was made of. This process repeated itself quite a lot.
Harry didn't exactly know what they were looking for. Duke said that he would just know which wand was the right one, but that didn't exactly explain it. He didn't ask further because he new that it was silly to ask a snake how the 'right wand' felt like.
The pile of tried wands was piling, but unexpectedly Mr. Ollivander only grew happier with every failed attempt.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere…" he suddenly broke off as if he realized something. "I wonder, now – yes, why not, it could just as well be…" he took a dusty box from one of the shelves further inside of the shop. "Unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple"
He took the wand and the moment his fingers touched it he knew what Duke had meant by 'the right wand'. The wand felt warm in his fingers. It felt as if he stood in the center of a hurricane.
He waved the wand and the box was holding floated in the air. Harry smiled: 'This is so much more easier than doing it without a wand.' He was extremely temped to use one of the spells Duke told him about, however the wand maker and Hagrid brought his attention back. The giant clapped and Mr. Ollivander said smiling: "Yes, indeed, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"
He took the floating box and put Harry's wand back inside, then wrapped it in brown paper. "Curious… curious…"
"Excuse me, sir," said Harry, "but what's so curious?"
The wand maker fixed him with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, ," he started in his soft voice.
"That I'm sure of," whispered his serpentine friend. "Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."
Harry swallowed.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yes. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."
Harry shivered. Despite the stare Mr. Ollivander was giving him during that speech, the wand maker was smiling. He paid for his wand and was just about to leave as Mr. Ollivander spoke up again, still smiling: "Good luck to you, Mr. Potter. To both of you."
Harry returned an uncertain smile. "Thank you, sir"
It was already late afternoon. As Harry skipped out of the shop he whispered: "I think he knew you were there."
"Ollivander will always be creepy," muttered his friend.
"But he seemed alright with you," he grinned and hurried after Hagrid who was towering some distance ahead already.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Special thanks for reviewing the last chapter goes to: Meany, nxkris, Sylkie, Lefie and The Lime-Wielding Ninja.
nxkris: It would be nice, wouldn't it? I hope you'll keep reading to the point where I actually will start dropping more than vague clues on 'how's and 'why's. Yes, I'm talking about the infamous chapter which no one wanted to have spoilers of.
Sylkie: got that right XD
Lefie: about the answer I got from you: you see I wanted to do that with my previous story, but it didn't work out. I'll try it with this one.
The Lime-Wielding Ninja: Thanks for understanding. I tried my best not to quote it all, but it was really difficult. Because if I quote a lot I feel like it would be better just to hand the book over to the readers.
Here we go! I introduced a Neville POV or sort of… I know some of you guys don't like when POV changes and repeats the same thing, but I liked it this way, because I think this gives you a good explanation about Neville's behavior last chapter as he most likely won't talk to anyone else about it.
And once again loads of quotes. But for once I'm not annoyed. I liked the Ollivander part, even though the end was a bit…crappy? Meh, tired, the longest chapter so far. Took me long enough to write.
READ&REVIEW PLZ
