Chapter VII: We get our own magic wands. Can I have a blue one?
The man, Ollivander, stared at them in a way that creeped Percy out. "Funny…." He whispered, tilting his head.
Annabeth frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Your names, miss and mister?"
"I'm Percy, Percy Jackson, and this is Annabeth Chase. Why?" He asked.
The old man rapped his fingers against the counter. "It is just so that I remember every single wand I have sold, Mister Jackson. Every single one of them. Yet, I do not remember selling wands to any Jacksons that might have been related to you, nor to a Chase. And your tongue…. It's different from the ones used here in Britain. Yet here you are…. Within my shop, most likely going to attend Hogwarts…. Curious, indeed…."
The creepy voice made the hairs on his arms stand up. He didn't like this man that much; he was creepy and observant, which was a freaky combination. He shifted uncomfortably under the stare. Percy was pretty sure he would soon be scanned form head to toe soon, and he really wanted to escape the gaze. He turned around desperately to seek for help.
Luckily, Annabeth was ready and on the job. "Well, it hasn't been long since we have moved here due to some…. Family issues. So that is why our tongue is different, and we're enrolling in Hogwarts. And for that, we really need to get our wands. We came here to buy one and not in America because we heard you were the very best. Could you now show us some?"
She was good. Not a single verse was impolite, every word dripping with sincerity, a clever mix of truth and lies, even her acts carefully calculated to seem genuine. He would have fell for it too if he hadn't known the truth. He applauded in his head.
Ollivander let his curious stare linger on them for moments before finally nodding. "My apologies. It has been long since I have met such peculiar customers. Now, please, which one of you would like to be fitted first?"
They looked at each other. Percy shrugged to show he didn't mind whichever. Annabeth smirked and turned back to Ollivander. "Since I came in the shop first, I think I'll go."
"Excellent choice," said Ollivander. "Which arm is your wand arm?"
"My… my wand arm? I usually use my right hand for doing things, is that supposed to be it?"
Ollivander curtly nodded. "Whichever arm you use the most is your wand arm, Miss Chase. Please stand still while I work on your measurements." He flicked his wand, and something flew towards her. Both of them grew stiff, only to relax moments later realizing it was simply a tape measure. Percy watched in interest as the tape measure hovered in the air and began to measure Annabeth's arm length by itself.
"Interesting. Simply interesting." Ollivander muttered to himself, before flicking his wnad once more and setting the tape down on the counter. "Now, let us see which wand will suit you best, Miss Chase." At the swish of the man's wand, a box flew out of the shelves and gently landed before them. He opened the box and took a wand out of it.
"Here, try this. Walnut, Dragon Heartstring, 8 and a half inches, Strong and enduring." Annabeth took the wand in her hands, only for it to be snatched away by Ollivander.
"No, that won't do. How about this one? Apple, Unicorn hair, 9 inches, dreadful to dark magic but excellent to those with a good heart-"He forced another wand into her hands. She once again tried to examine it, but it too was snatched away soon.
Oddly, Ollivander's eyes were gleaming brighter seeing that none of the wands fit his standards. Percy kinda thought the man had lost it at this point. But he knew nothing about wand work or whatsoever, so the best choice was to leave him be and let him do his work. He did get a little more on his toes though, just in case a quick interruption was needed.
"Cypress with Phoenix feather, 11 inches, a wand fit for a hero," he said, as he handed her another. The wood trembled a little as she grabbed it. Ollivander watched it closely, before smiling wider and- you guessed it, taking the wand back.
"Just as I thought. A tricky customer! Not to worry, not to worry. We'll find the perfect wand for you. Now try this one, Miss Chase, Pine, Unicorn Hair, 9 inches and of extreme flexibility…."
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She had tried about eighty wands. No, she wasn't kidding. Literally eighty or more wands had passed her hand, and nothing seemed to be the one. In contrast to her, who was tired, Ollivander seemed to have found more energy. True to that, he was now serving two customers at once. He took 7 galleons from the brunette girl and bowed as she exited the stop.
"How odd! Let's try more, shall we?" He said cheerfully, turning back to her. It was hard to believe that this energetic man and the dreary man they had first seen when coming into the shop were the same person.
Now she was nearly scared of his enthusiasm, for he seemed to grow happier as more wands rejected her. He was just sprouting out information of random wands now, not even bothering to hand them to her, but simply marking it as a no and levitating it down to the counter.
Ollivander kept searching through the shelves, frowning slightly in concentration. "No, maple won't do…. Dragon Heartstring is just dreadful…. 16 inches? Hardly fitting…." He lowered several boxes from the shelves onto the floor.
"I suppose vine wouldn't be too bad…. But it could never be a perfect fit that way."
Another box went down.
"Spruce? No. Rosewood? No. Hawthorn? Hawthorn? Unthinkable."
He rummaged through a few more shelves, before he suddenly came to a stop.
"Perhaps…. If this is the case…." He stepped down onto the floor. Annabeth observed him curiously. Why had he stepped down? Was he giving up? She watched carefully as Ollivander made his way into a small doorway in the back.
They waited for a few moments, listening to the rustling sound coming from the back room when he finally stepped out again. His eyes glittered a weird hue before he set down, with his wand, a large trunk covered in dust and cobwebs.
"This," Olivander started, "Is the last of my late father's creations." At the flick of his wand, the chest creaked open. Both Annabeth and Percy coughed at the amount of dust that the ancient chest spread through the shop. Ollivander didn't seem to be affected in the least bit.
"These wands….," he said, holding up an old box. "They are experimental, ones my father created for the sole purpose of research. Made with cores that are none of which our shop treats, this was never meant to be up for sale. But…."
He stole a glance at them. "…. I suppose peculiar customers calls for peculiar wands. Here, Miss Chase, are you willing to try this one?" Annabeth nodded. She had nothing to lose.
"Excellent. Now… How about…. This one? This box has the same color as your eyes."
Annabeth took the gray box from him. "Mr. Ollivander, what is this wand made of?"
"I'm afraid I do not know, Miss Chase. I have not thoroughly examined all of the creations, as my father was secretive of his works and did not want to share it with others. But there must be a list somewhere…. Ah, here it is." He lifted up an ancient looking scroll.
"Yes…. The gray box. Cedar, White River Monster spine, 10 and a half inches. Go on, Miss Chase, try it out." He gestured to the wand.
Carefully, Annabeth clenched her fingers around the plain, rough wand. She didn't know it was the one at first, as it did not feel any different from the ones she tried before. Disappointed, she was about to set the wand down when a sudden tingle came from the tip of her hands. Annabeth lowered her eyes to her hand and gasped at the sight of the wand.
The wand in her hand was starting to emit a ghostly gray glow. She watched in amazement as warmth spread through her fingers and the wisps of the glow began to take a form of thousands of small, fluttering owls. The transparent owls hovered in the air, circling around her in a friendly manner before diving, all at once, into the wand.
As they did, the wand began to shift in her hand. The roughly cut wood turned smooth, and the lovely amber shade it held faded of color until it turned as gray as the box it was held in. Something tickled her palm, and she opened her grasp to find out that the wand, which had no patterns just moments before, now had an owl spreading her wings in front of an olive tree draped in the back.
Annabeth stared at the wand in absolute wonder. The wand no longer looked like a chunk of cedar wood as it did before, but rather, it looked like an expensive masterpiece of artwork. She swooshed it through the air once, and sparkles rained over the shop like a thousand glittering stars. The glitters formed together once, creating a giant symbol of her mother, Athena, before bursting into nothingness.
The shop had gone silent. Percy looked at the spot where the glowing gray owl had been moments before with an expression of amazement. Ollivander was looking at the wand intently with great interest. His eyes seemed to pierce the now gray wand she held in her hand.
"Bravo, bravo…. So this indeed was the right wand for you. A very interesting combination, Cedar and White river monster spine. According to this-he flicked the parchment-, Cedar was one of the only woods that could hold the river monster's spine. Wands made with this particular core produces spells of force and elegance. And I know for a fact that Cedar wood is meant for those with strength of character and unusual loyalty, as well as those with perspicacity and perception."
He paused before continuing. "From your observant ways, I can see that this wand indeed is perfect for you. But almost too perfect…. The wand in question seems like it was simply meant for you. I have never seen such extreme magical acts being performed when the wand meets its master." He locked his eyes with her.
"Do you, by any chance, have a relation to this wand in particular? Or has your family associated with Ollivanders before? Or perhaps…. Was this wand was made for you, Miss Chase?"
Annabeth bit back her panic. This was Hecate's doing, no doubt. But she couldn't tell that to Ollivander. She decided to bend the truth. "Honestly, Mr. Ollivander, I have no idea (This was the truth). I have never gotten a wand before, nor have I been interested particularly in this field, so I really wouldn't know (Also the truth). I don't have the slightest idea what is going on (She had a general idea, but that didn't need to be told), but if you say it seems like it is meant for me, then I will gladly take it."
Ollivander stared at her, as if he were trying to detect the lie in her words. But Annabeth knew a thing or two about lying-actually, she was an expert at it. Not able to see whether she was lying or not, Ollivander finally lifted his eyes off her after gazing at her for some while. When he turned around, Annabeth exhaled behind his back.
"I believe you, Miss Chase…. Alright, now, after the long wait, it is finally your turn, Mister Jackson."
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"Elm and Pheonix feather, 9 and a quarter inches, Excellent in casting attacking spells." Ollivander said, handing him a wand. He held it, and when it did not burst into sparkles like Annabeth's did, Ollivander took it back swiftly, as if he were expecting that to happen.
"Just as I thought. Mister Jackson, you do not seem to be a match for normal wands either. Try one like Miss Chase's." He gestured to the small pile of boxes encased within the trunk. As Percy looked over them, to choose which one to try, something caught his eye: the only wand that was held within a box that was a dark aqua blue hue.
On instincts, Percy reached for the box as if he were in a trance. Blue had been, and always will be, his favorite color, and it just didn't make sense for him to not try it first. Opening the case, he found a roughly cut wooden stick within. Like Annabeth's had been before its transformation, it was plain and resembled more of one of those fetch sticks used for dogs rather than a wand. But being the second to be fitted, he knew if this were the right wand, it would change like hers.
And he knew this was.
As soon as he grasped it, an icy cold feeling stung his fingertips for a brief moment. He watched as the feelings subsided and water particles started swirling around the wood. A jet of glowing blue light sprouted from the tip of the stick, and took the form of a giant horse- no, it took a form of a hippocampus swimming gracefully, its fins swishing through the air.
He watched, absolutely mesmerized as the hippocampus glided over and dived into the wand sending out a splash of sparkles overhead. The stick began to twist around, as it carved the form of a trident with a sword crossed in the back into itself. A from of a horse twirled itself around the base. He fingered it, and the wand slowly drained of its brown color and turned an awesome shade of dark blue just like its case.
He imitated the movements Ollivander had shown moments before. He flicked the wand through the air swiftly, and streams of water was emitted from its tip. The water tossed and turned in the air until forming a giant carrige of horses, before all the droplets evaporated into thin air. Silence settled inside the quiet shop.
Ollivander now looked at both him and Annabeth with immense curiosity. Percy couldn't blame him now; two customers who came in together had been selected by special wands, and they'd received the greatest effects from the wands he had ever seen. Frankly, he had every right to be suspicious.
He read out from the parchment. "That wand…. was English Oak, using Kelpie Hair as a core, 11 inches long. Kelpie hair is known as a substandard wand core, yet my father found that it is just as strong, maybe even stronger when combined with this wood."
He stopped briefly, and continued thoughtfully, "English oak is known to be loyal as the wizard or witch that carries it (Percy felt a jolt up his spine at the mention of 'loyal'), and it demands partners of courage and strength. It defies those who don't harshly, so you, Mister Jackson, must possess all those qualities…."
He looked up and darted his gaze between him and Annabeth. "I normally do not describe of wands this thoroughly, but you both seemed to be a special case…. Both kindred spirits, requiring wands that go beyond the normal cores. Odd, how odd…." Percy avoided the intense gaze sent from Ollivander. When he began to sweat under it, Annabeth once again interfered and saved the day.
"Like we said, Mr. Ollivander, we don't have the slightest idea why either. Right Percy?"
He nodded vigorously. The look never faded, but the man couldn't just keep them in here nor question them further with force. He sighed deeply before retreating to the counter and holding up a hand.
"Fine. Those wands are one of a kind, so I will need to charge each of you 12 galleons." Relieved to finally have a way out, Percy almost slammed the money into his hands and darted out saying, "Thanks, Mr. Ollivander! These wands are terrific!"
Annabeth took more time, properly saying thanks, taking the wand box which Percy had forgotten about and left in the shop, but in a fast pace nonetheless. Percy definitely did not want to go in there again; the man was too smart, and he was actually on to something. He turned his head slightly to take one last glance at the shop.
When he did, the shop master was bowing to them just as he did to all his customers. But his eerie, oddly unnerving eyes never once left from them.
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The sun was now slowly starting to fall. They had come at 11 A.M., yet the clock outside clearly pointed to 5:42 P.M. He just huffed at the amount of time they had spent within Ollivanders.
"What an intense time we had there." Huffed Annabeth. She fingered the gray box clutched in her hands, as Percy turned his gaze to the dark aqua blue held in his.
"What do you think happened in there?" He wondered. None of the normal wizard cores seemed to fit them, and according to that creepy man, the sparks of magic their wands had shown as they chose them were the strongest signs they had ever shown within his shop. It was all too strange to consider it as a coincidence.
"Obviously, it has something to do with our stupid little quest. Everything here is associated with the quest. If Ollivander had just been a bit more inquiring, he might have found out that we aren't normal like the others. We gotta be more careful. Absolutely unbelievable, if Hecate had just warned us-"
"Woah, woah! Slow down. We can't raise our voices here, that'll get the other people suspicious." He motioned the people who were giving them odd looks as they passed by. Annabeth blushed slightly and nodded. They started to walk and talked in hushed voices.
"Right, if she had warned us, then we could have had an explanation ready! But the parcel said 'you must finish school' and that was it. The other parcels won't even open! What's the point then, giving us those?"
"I know right? I seriously want to strangle her. But hey, wise girl, look on the bright side. At least we have our wands now, and we didn't get caught. Good enough?"
"Fine, but still-"
"Wait!" He exclaimed, cutting her off. "You promised to go to…. Honeydukes, was it? I wanna try the frog!"
He changed the subject purposefully, to get Annabeth to focus on something else-and she took the bait.
"PERCY! We said we'd go there after we're done shopping for everything! And we still have robes, school books, and-"
"LALALALA! Can't hear you! Come on, let's go!"
"PERCY!"
Percy congratulated himself for this brilliant plan. Not only had he managed to turn her attention from the frustrating matter at hand, but he'd also succeed in making her feel better. Nothing like a good round of bickering to get Annabeth up and running.
'You truly are a genius, Percy.' thought Percy.
'Why, thank you!' replied Percy.
He smiled as he darted through the crowd, trying to avoid his girlfriend, who was swearing in Greek and making vows to kill him, chasing from behind.
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So sorry for the short chapter, and late uploads! I tried to write as much as possible, but I just couldn't make the time with a very important interview happening on Monday- which is I had to put a lot of time into preparations. Plus, I really tried to make the wand part up to all of your standards, but well, you know how it turned out. Sorry, I tried :(
I used wand cores that are different from the normal ones, so I could develop my own wand related tales. I didn't go too over the top though, like using op wands or having Hecate give them, because I thought it defeats the purpose of them ever coming to Ollivanders. I used cores that actually exists, but doesn't have much stories. If you are curious to learn more, search these cores up! But be warned: I will probably go off script on purpose, the cores playing different roles at different times. Just be warned!
The descriptions of wood types used there are ones I searched up. I thought the meanings behind Cedar and English oak fits them perfectly, don't you agree? The length was just randomly decided, a length I didn't think was way too long nor way too short. Not much was gone into considering this, but I'm happy about how it turned out.
Now, to respond to your reviews:
-Callum Runchman: Now the wait is finally over! I'm curious to see what you think. A bit overdone? A bit bland? Let me know what you think about this chapter. I uploaded this at the worst time possible, but I hope you see it whenever you're ready. Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter- I knew if I added the wand scene on top of everything else last chapter, I was sure it would be too long. In truth, I was planning to upload this sooner, but me being the lazy and busy idiot I am, had this uploaded only now. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you always for your reviews!
-Just Me: I hope your answers were given! I am kinda disappointed with this chapter, but still do hope you'd like it. Yay, you noticed! I did plan this so that they would be the same age, and you spotted it right away as I hoped my readers would. And sorry to Percy, but I gotta agree. Seaweed brain is Seaweed brain and always will be Seaweed brain no matter the age. Thank you for the wonderful review, and here's a thumbs up for noticing b.
-Yeee68: You'll have to read more, and I'll have to write more to properly find out! Newbie author I am, I'm still making up the plots as it goes. In the meantime, you'll have to just wonder what they would look like to the people of the future. Sorry! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story as it goes- and find out the answer to your question yourself.
-Bandgeek2015: I took your advice to heart. Especially because that was a thing I was considering doing, but dropped it so paragraphs looked full. But spacing it out as you advised, I realized that doing so makes the story length full. Now all chapters are updated so it's spaced out, and let me know if it makes it easier to read! Thank you for your advice and compliment, and I do hope you're satisfied with the changes made.
Like I said, all chapters are now edited to be spaced out and easy to read, so go have a read and let me know what you think of the changes.
Next chapter is going to Kingscross Station! Stay tuned!
P.S. I have an important interview tomorrow, so please wish me luck!
-Claire-