Chapter Eight! Only two away from the ten chapter mark! RR and enjoy!

Previously on "Into the Pages"...

-o-o-

Victoria and Willow Ostler — yes, we know who you are. You have been chosen to save us and save our world from its impending doom. Now, you don't have much time. This portal will only stay open for sixty minutes, never to open again. Please, save us. You are our only hope.

-H

-o-o-

Hagrid's face crinkled itself into a wrinkled smile. "Of course yeh can come along."

-o-o-

...the words "Kevin Entwhistle" and "Justin Finch-Fletchley" parted and in between, carefully scripted in neat letters, were the names "Willow Ostler" and "Victoria Ostler".

-o-o-

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."

-o-o-

...a cat cage dangling from my wrist.

I decided to call her Mocha.

-o-o-

… "just Ollivanders left now…"

-o-o-

"We don't have magic."

-o-o-

Eventually (after Mr. Ollivander's lengthy explanations about parents' wands' properties, how it suited them, and multiple mentions of "The wand chooses the wizard"), we started with the wand selection.

The people selection?

"Beechwood and dragon heartstring," said Mr. Ollivander, handing a wand to Harry. "Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

But he snatched it away just as quickly as he had given it.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy."

And after a rather large selection of wands, he finally found it.

"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

And as he waved it around, a shower of multi-colored sparks shot out from it and landed like sparkly rain.

"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh very good. Well, well, well, how curious…"

And then, it was my turn.

I gulped.

"Now, Miss Ostler, try this on for size. Aspen, dragon heartstring, ten inches. Solid."

I took it and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of my hands so fast that my hand stung a bit where it had scraped past.

"No, no. How about this one? Chestnut, unicorn hair, nine inches, quite supple."

But he took this one away just as quickly.

"Ah — here we go. Cedar, unicorn tail core, exactly eleven inches. Very flexible."

I took this one, and immediately I knew this was it. A warm, tingly feeling filled me, and I waved it in a swirl, causing a shower of roses to come blossoming out of the end.

"Marvelous," said Mr. Ollivander. "Splendid. Here."

He handed my boxed wand to me.

"Thank you," I said as he vanished the roses. "But wait — may I keep one?"

"Of course," he replied, and I picked a rose off the floor.

"Next, if you please."

I joined Hagrid and Harry at the back of the room, thinking.

How had I managed to do that? I was a Muggle. I wasn't supposed to have magic.

If I had just considered, it would have saved me a lot of trouble.

But I didn't, instead brushing away the thought.

After all, what was the worst that could happen?

As I zoned back in, Mr. Ollivander was saying, "...Dogwood, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches. Rather pliant."

She waved it in the air, and with a bang, a shower of confetti exploded from the wand. Wil grinned and stared at the wand in delight.

"Bravo!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "Bravo." With a flick of his wand, he Vanished the confetti.

We paid (twenty-one Galleons in all) for our wands and left the shop.

We traveled back through the Leaky Cauldron and said our goodbyes, and then Harry and Hagrid departed.

"Excuse me," said Wil, approaching the counter. "We need a place to stay, but the Hogwarts grant only covered our supplies. Any chance you could…?"

"Say no more," said Tom.

I potted my rose, and we lay down in our beds, ready for another day.