REUNITED
"There it is!" Lorenzo announced, pointing towards a shop just ahead of them.
Not much further along the cobbled street stood a bright violet shop which displayed robes of all kinds and colours in its windows. It was by far the most colourful shop down the whole street, and by the looks of it, sold everything from school robes, to some of the most fashionable garments money could buy.
Mira smiled as they approached the shop, and glanced up at the bold and busy sign hanging above the doors, with the words 'Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions' engraved smartly into the wood.
Miss Ali and Dimitri ushered them inside while Shin stood guard at the door. The minute they stepped through the threshold of the shop, the smell of fresh linen and lavender overpowered their senses. Mira took a deep, content breath before glancing around. It was as bright on the inside as it looked from the outside; Bright violet covered every wall, and grey furniture was strategically placed around the space. Dozens of robe-covered mannequins lined the walls, and Mira was immediately taken by the beautiful patterns on display.
Her eyes travelled over the many colours and designs, and was particularly interested in a sapphire blue cloak which stood out amongst them all. It fell gracefully from the mannequin, the fabric one she couldn't quite place, but it as she reached out, it was certainly soft to the touch, almost like silk. It slipped through her fingers like water, shimmering in the light of the shop. Mira immediately thought that her Mother would look lovely in it, and wondered what she would think if she gifted it to her.
Before she could think on it any further, a shrill cry shocked them all as a squat witch appeared from the door which seemed to lead off to a back room. She was an older woman, and stylishly dressed in a lovely mauve-coloured dress, no doubt having been made in that very shop. "My goodness!" she squeaked, her pale eyes widening as she looked between Mira, Lorenzo, and their Dracanis'. Behind them, Miss Ali sighed. "It cannot be! Your Highnesses!" The woman immediately hurried forward and curtseyed to the two of them.
The two royals smiled at the woman, greeting her politely before Miss Ali took over, sensing their unease at the situation. They weren't as versed in speaking to members of the public as their elder Brothers were. Miss Ali took the woman to one side and began speaking to her quietly while the rest of them looked over curiously. Koda perched himself on Mira's shoulders as they waited to see what would happen.
Eventually, Miss Ali returned to their side, with the beaming witch beside her. "Your Highnesses." she uttered, gleefully. "I am Madam Malkin. I am honoured to receive your patronage. If you follow me, we'll get you measured up for your robes."
Madam Malkin focused her gaze on Mira as she gestured towards the door she had appeared from and held it open for them. Mira thanked her as they stepped through the door. It led to a large, stylish room which looked out onto Diagon Alley. It was furnished with plush sofas, and seats, and several stools in the center where two boys were already being fitted for their robes judging by the enchanted sewing kit fluttering around the two of them, cutting and stitching where it was necessary.
The boys had their backs to them, but she instantly noticed how different they appeared. The taller of the two had platinum blond hair which was neatly slicked back with so much gel it shone under the light. The other boy, however, had pure black hair which was unkempt and stuck out in every direction. He stood awkwardly on the stool, flinching a little everytime one of the objects moved to alter his robes.
"I hope this stool will do, Your Highness?" Madam Malkin said as she gestured over to the last one available.
"Yes," said Mira, nodding to Madam Malkin before she noticed the two boys looking at her. "It will do just fi-"
As though she'd been punched in the stomach, all of the air seemed to be sucked from her lungs as she locked eyes with the blond boy.
She'd know that face anywhere.
"Draco."
As though it was one of her dreams, Draco Malfoy stood before her, almost identical to how he had looked years ago. He was taller now, of course, and his hair was slicked back, and his skin seemingly paler than it had ever been, but he looked much the same. His eyes still looked like a brewing storm. Had he twisted into an awful nightmare, or disappeared from sight, she would've been sure she was dreaming. But he remained, staring back at her in shock, and she knew he was real.
Draco, too, thought that he might be dreaming, because while he knew exactly who he was looking at, he couldn't believe that that was Mirella Vandeviere. This girl was just as short as he'd remembered, but she resembled nothing of the wild Princess he'd once known, she was far more refined and collected than he could recall. There was only a single time that he'd seen her look presentable, and that hadn't lasted longer than an hour, but this girl was the picture of perfection; Her lemon-coloured dress fell neatly to her knees, without a single stain or smudge upon it. Her hair, while seeming to have retained its defined curls, had been styled into an elegant ponytail with plaited strands and a yellow bow to keep it all in place.
She looked every bit the Princess she was supposed to be, but looked nothing like his Mira.
As the thought crossed his mind, his expression soured, and as though he was stood right there with him, his Father's words filled his head.
'You were nothing to her, Draco. You'll never be anything to her! She didn't care about you.'
'You were nothing more than a distraction for them. You'd have been tossed to the side before the year was out.'
His Father's words, the faded sting he recalled on his cheek, and the pure, unbridled fear he'd felt the very last time he'd seen Mira was all that was running through his mind. He could still remember the sheer size of Aeris as she'd stood over him, he remembered the way her canines had been bared to him, the way they dripped with saliva and snapped at his face, and the wildness that'd been in her eyes. He'd had nightmares of that moment for weeks, always waking to his Mother cradling him and promising he was safe.
He'd never forgotten how frightening Aeris had been, or the cruel words that the King had spat at him, and he hadn't forgotten the look in Mira's eyes as Dimitri had led him out the castle doors. It had cursed him for so long, and the wonderful memories of their friendship had soon become painful.
Mira had wanted to run straight up to him and hug him so tight to make up for the past four years. She wanted to tell him how much she'd missed him, how she was sorry for how her Father had treated him, but that didn't change a thing about him in her mind. She wanted to tell him about the palace and how much she missed the castle and everyone who lived there. She wanted to say everything that she'd wanted to tell him for years, but his expression ensured she kept her mouth tightly sealed.
Draco's face was like thunder. His lip curled a little in a sneer before he appeared to catch himself and swiftly dropped to one knee, crossed his arm over his chest and bowed his head respectfully.
"Your Highnesses." he said cooly.
Mira tried to conjure up anything to say, but her mind repeatedly drew blanks, leaving her staring at him like a deer in headlights. Beside her, Lorenzo was looking between his Sister and Draco in confusion, unsure of who the boy was and why he warranted such a reaction from her. The Dracanis' were eyeing Draco curiously. And behind all of them was Dimitri and Miss Ali, who looked to be cringing at the sight of the boy.
"I-"
"Right up here, Your Highness..." Madam Malkin gleefully interrupted, gesturing to the stool.
Mira barely heard the older witch, her mind still swirling and her heart still pounding at the sight of Draco. She was just staring at the boy who simply cocked an eyebrow at her until Miss Ali stepped up to Mira and tapped her sharply on the shoulder.
She looked up at her, and she nodded to Madam Malkin who was eagerly waiting for Mira to step up. She cleared her throat quietly before smiling at the woman and stepping onto the stool as requested while the others went to sit on the chairs.
Mira was silent for a few moments as Madam Malkin slipped a plain, black robe over her head and began pinning it to the correct length. She could feel the gaze of the two boys burning into the side of her skull. She took a shaky breath before looking over, and found both boys watching her, Draco looking rather sick while the other boy looked as though she'd grown a second head. As she opened her mouth to speak, Draco looked away suddenly, making her falter.
How strange, she thought, he doesn't seem very happy to see me.
"Hello," Mira said to the dark-haired boy, finding some shred of courage to speak. "You must be going to Hogwarts too?"
Neither boy responded to her, and Mira felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She looked over to Koda, her eyes wide with panic, but the Dracanis wagged his tail slightly and nodded to the boys, giving her an encouraging look.
"A-Are you looking forward to it? Koda, Tala, and I are." she said, gesturing over to the two Dracanis' who were curled up at Miss Ali's feed, both of them watching with great interest.
"Are they your pets?" The messy-haired boy wondered. Mira giggled a little and went to reply, but Koda beat her to it.
"I am no one's pet!" snapped the Dracanis, sending the boy a scathing look, making him pale even more.
"Koda!" Mira scolded, sending him a sharp look before she glanced back at the other boy who looked as though he were about to pass out. "Don't mind him, he's a little sensitive."
The boy didn't reply, nor did he look back at her, as he kept his wide, frightened eyes on Koda. Mira glared at her Dracanis, pointedly nodding to the frightened boy.
Koda huffed but reluctantly sat up to speak with the boy. "Sorry," he muttered, holding in a snort as the boy's eyes appeared to widen even further. "Do you play Quidditch at all?"
The black-haired boy swallowed a little, still looking at Koda as though he were dreaming. "No...No, I don't. I'd never heard of it."
Mira's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't heard of it? How strange. Perhaps he was a Muggleborn, or even a Half-blood brought up in the Muggle world? She was incredibly curious, to say the least. She'd never met a Muggleborn before, and most of those who worked at the palace had been born into Wizarding families on Vanderlia, so she knew little of the world of those without magic.
She looked a little closer at the boy, her head cocking slightly with curiosity; He was smaller than Draco in nearly every way; He was shorter than Draco, but taller than her, and appeared to be tragically thin. His hair was as black as hers, but was messy and unkempt. As much as she was ashamed to think, all of him appeared rather unkempt. He wore baggy, dusty rags for clothes, which seemed to swallow his small frame, and possessed more holes than she'd ever seen clothes have.
She knew nothing of the boy, but he seemed nice enough, albeit a little shy if his frequent fidgeting and inability to hold eye contact with her was anything to go by.
"But, erm...Draco?" The boy suddenly said, glancing over at the boy in question. "Yes, Draco was saying he plays."
"I'm glad to see you still play." Mira spoke softly, her lips twitching upwards a little as she looked at her old friend. Draco hummed, sending a disgusted look at the black-haired boy. He was far more concerned about the boys blood than the topic of Quidditch, his statement alone told him that he had to be a mudblood, or a filthy half-blood at the very least. He clearly had no clue about the Vandevieres or what they represented, nor what Dracanis' were, and he'd never heard of Quidditch. It all lined up, and it made him sick to his stomach.
Mira's heart sank a little at Draco's dark expression, and his refusal to look her in the eye. "It's a wonderful sport, it really is." Mira gushed to the boy, suddenly smirking a little. "The Chudley Cannons are the best team."
Mira flicked her eyes over to Draco, and just as expected, he tensed and sneered at the comment. The sight made her smirk a little, as he seemed to itch to disagree with her.
"How do you play?" wondered the boy, and Mira seemed to immediately get her spark back. She and Koda began gleefully explaining the game and its rules, and the boy listened with great interest.
Draco, on the other hand, was watching the two in disgust, hardly able to believe that she was giving the boy the time of day. Her bloodline was the most pure and important one in the wizarding world, and he had filthy muggle blood. She should've known better than to mix with someone like him.
Then again, he was reminded of how she'd treated her inferiors when he'd visited the castle. She was kind to all the servants and staff, and even the House Elves. She never cared about who they were, or what they were, let alone what their blood status was. He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd extend the same courtesy to this strange boy.
"Will you be trying out for the team next year?" The smaller boy wondered, quietly. When both Draco and Mira looked at him, he seemed to shrink under their gaze. "I-it's just you said that you couldn't play this year...I didn't know whether you'd want to try out next year?"
Mira beamed at his question and nodded eagerly. "Absolutely!" she stated. "It'll be a little difficult to convince Mother to let me, but I'm sure she'll come around."
Mira and the black-haired boy beamed at one another, earning an eye roll from Draco as he turned away from them, his attention suddenly caught by the giant figure standing in the window. "I say, look at that man!" he said, suddenly.
Everyone looked to the front window, and Mira's eyes near popped from their sockets when she spotted a giant of a man standing there, waving frantically at the boy beside her while holding two massive ice creams, no doubt bought from the parlour down the street.
"Oh, that's Hagrid." said the black-haired boy, an air of pride to his words. "He works at Hogwarts."
"Wow." Mira whispered, finally able to put a face to the gamekeeper Theron and Xander had told her so much about. "My Brothers say he's part giant!"
"I've heard of him." said Draco, turning his nose up with realisation. "He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
"No. He's the gamekeeper. Our Brothers say he's brilliant." Lorenzo sat straighter in his seat, a look of wonder on his face as he smiled over at Hagrid.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's sort of savage; Lives in a hut in the school grounds. Every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed." Draco snickered, though there was no humour to his voice, only malice.
Mira could barely control her expression, looking over at Draco in utter bafflement. What had happened to her friend? She'd only known him for a few months, but he'd never shown even a hint of the cruelty he was displaying now. He was almost unrecognisable. He almost seemed like the very person she'd spent years trying to convince her Father that he wasn't.
"Well, that's you done, my Dear."
Madam Malkin's cheery voice broke the tense silence. She flicked her wand, and the robes the boy had ordered were neatly packed into a box, with a perfect purple bow to tie it all together.
Finally tearing her eyes away from Draco, Mira smiled brightly at the small boy. "See you at Hogwarts!"
"Bye." he replied, waving back to her as he disappeared through the door to pay for his robes.
Once the boy left, the room returned to its awkward atmosphere. Mira stared at the side of Draco's head with a deep frown, Draco was looking at a particularly interesting part of the wall, Lorenzo was glaring at Draco, Miss Ali and Dimitri were glancing between the two, anxiously waiting for someones robes to be done, and Koda, Tala, and Juniper were content in resting at Lorenzo's feet.
Something was very wrong, Mira was sure of it. During their time as friends, Mira came to know Draco very well, or at least she thought she did. He could be a little rude at times, especially to the staff, but those time were few and far between. The rest of the time, he was perfectly fine. He was kind, and silly, and caring.
Her Father had argued relentlessly that he was as bad of a person as his parents, not at all to be trusted, and she'd disagreed until she could speak no more. She knew him better than anyone else, and he wasn't a bad person, and she was sure that even over the years they'd been apart that he hadn't become bad. She'd hoped he hadn't, but she couldn't understand his behaviour now.
"How have you been?" she said, suddenly.
Draco seemed surprised that she spoke to him. She wasn't sure why. She'd always enjoyed talking to him. "Fine." he replied, shrugging.
He turned away from her without another word, and it felt as though someone had squeezed her heart. She didn't understand. She didn't understand one bit. She'd though he'd be just as happy to see her, she'd thought he'd have been eager to know how she'd been, to be just as excited at the idea of them attending Hogwarts together, just as they'd always dreamed. But clearly she'd been wrong.
Sighing quietly, Mira's shoulders drooped in defeat. Draco had no desire to speak to her, that much was evident, whether it was because he was still hurt from what had transpired so many years ago, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that the two of them were feeling slightly different about seeing one another again, and she wouldn't push him to respond in the way she'd hoped, no matter how much it pained her to see him ignore her.
While Mira was desperately trying to keep her tears at bay, beside her, Draco was clenching his fists so hard he thought his fingers might break.
Merlin, he was angry with her. He was so, so angry with her. Why did she have to make it so difficult? He'd gone years without having to see her or think about her, and she just had to walk in when he was getting his robes done. She just had to smile at him and talk to him and ask him how he was. Why couldn't she just- just stay away?
He silently fumed beside her, avoiding making eye contact with anyone else in the room, and decided that the wall was far easier to look at.
Since the day the King had banished him from the castle, Draco's Father had told him exactly who and what the Vandevieres were. Blood traitors undeserving of their power, he'd say one day. Liars and cowards, he'd say the next. For four years, he'd heard terrible things about Mira and her family, and he'd become bitter towards her. He hated her. He hated her so much.
So he couldn't understand why her disappointed silence made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He shouldn't care - he didn't care - especially when she probably didn't care about him. His Father had told him that countless times, that Mira didn't ever, and wouldn't ever, care about him, and had likely forgotten about him the moment he was off the castle grounds. He'd believed him, of course, but there was something in the back of his mind telling him that wasn't quite true.
She'd said his name without him even having to remind her, and she remembered that he played Quidditch. He smiled despite himself at the memory of the two of them flying around the castle grounds on toy brooms playing the most tame version of the sport that Miss Ali could imagine. He could still hear the encouraging shouts from the Dracanis', and his and Mira's giggles as they zoomed past one another.
And above all of that, the moment they saw one another again, it was not confusion or disinterest in her eyes, it was complete and utter shock and recognition. She knew him immediately. How could he have ever imagined that she'd forget about him?
Glancing over at the smaller girl, Draco's heart thrummed painfully in his chest, especially seeing the frown on her features, and the small pout in her lips. She was disappointed...sad even. Of course she was, he'd acted as though she were the plague since the moment that they'd seen one another. How could she not feel even a little put out by that?
He wanted to apologise immediately, tell her that he hadn't meant to be so cruel, but his Father had- His Father. The boy sucked in a sharp breath at the thought of the man; He'd be furious if he found out that he'd reunited with Mira, even more so if he discovered that he'd been eager to speak with her. No, no...He couldn't face his Father's wrath.
But he couldn't spend the rest of his summer knowing he'd upset her, either.
"Have you thought anymore about which house you'd like to be in?" he asked, his voice steady.
The moment the words left his mouth, Mira looked over at him, her eyes wide with surprise, and a tinge of hope. She quickly glanced around to make sure that he wasn't speaking to anyone else, and when he cocked his eyebrow at her, she broke out into the brightest smile. Draco's lips twitched with the urge to smile back at her.
"I'm still not sure." she admitted, shrugging. "Xander got into Ravenclaw, and obviously Theron's in Gryffindor...I'm not sure where I belong though."
Draco hummed thoughtfully. He'd always known where he would be placed, but he couldn't say the same for Mira. There'd been a time when he was so sure that she'd be a Hufflepuff (the thought made him shudder), but many years had passed since that time, he didn't have a clue what she was like now, though she seemed to have retained her cheery nature.
"You never really know until you get sorted, I suppose."
"Not you though," Mira kindly disagreed, smiling up at him fondly. "You've always known where you'd end up."
"Slytherin." They chorused, followed by Mira's soft chuckles. Draco smiled despite himself, a slight red tinge coming to his cheeks, flattered that she'd remembered.
"Your robes are finished, Your Highness." said Madam Malkin interrupted, slipping the robe over Mira's head. She flicked her wand this way and that, making another two copies of the robes before packing them up.
Miss Ali seemed to let out a breath of relief as she encouraged Lorenzo and the Dracanis' to make their way towards the door. Dimitri, on the other hand, stood from his chair and waited for Mira to come to his side.
Mira carefully stepped down from the stool before glancing back to Draco, mischief twinkling in her emerald eyes. "I'd always seen you as a Hufflepuff, personally." she teased.
Draco's expression immediately contorted into one of complete horror, his nose crinkling at the very thought. And Mira? Well, she threw her head back and laughed like a mad woman, just as she used to whenever she played some sort of joke on him or her Brothers.
Thoroughly pleased with herself, Mira skipped over to Dimitri and held his hand before looking back at Draco, her grin still in place. "It was lovely seeing you again, Draco! See you on September 1st!"
"Well, he's aged well, hasn't he?" Koda scoffed as they made their way towards the south side of Diagon Alley to visit Ollivanders. He dodged a small group of people before leaping into Mira's arms.
She embraced him tightly, pressing a long kiss to his head as she hummed, still thinking over everything that had happened in the shop. "It is a little strange, isn't it?" she muttered.
She'd endlessly thought about what it would be like to see Draco again, but it certainly hadn't gone the way she'd imagined. And even though he'd finally acknowledged her in a way, he was still much...colder than she'd remembered.
"I don't understand." interrupted Lorenzo, looking entirely confused by the situation. "Who was that?"
"You were probably too young to remember." Mira said, smiling a little. "That's Draco Malfoy, he used to come and play with us at the castle. He was there when I broke my arm."
Mira cringed slightly at the memory. It had started out as such a lovely day, and had soon turned sour. The more she thought about it, the more she was was sure that her Father's reaction to him had likely influenced his attitude towards her. She wouldn't blame him in the slightest if it did; She couldn't imagine being on the receiving end of her Father's wrath, or at the mercy of a Dracanis the size of Aeris, especially at such a young age. It must've been so frightening.
"He's the one who helped me build my hut!" Lorenzo exclaimed, recognition flicking over his eyes before he frowned. "I thought he was nicer than that?"
"He was," Koda snorted, "He seems to have gained quite the stick up his a-"
"Koda!" Miss Ali chastised, shooting the Dracanis a frightening look while the rest of them laughed at his frightened expression. Mira giggled to herself, both outraged and amused by what was about to come out of her friend's mouth. She covered her mouth to try and mask her laughter, but her vibrating shoulders gave her away.
Distracted by Koda, Mira hadn't even realised something was ahead of her until she slammed right into what felt like a wall. She let out a yelp of surprise and stumbled back into Dimitri's chest who steadied her and moved her swiftly behind him to guard her from whatever she'd ran into.
"Yer Highness! I'm so sorry!" A loud, gruff voice exclaimed.
Mira peered around Dimitri's back and found that she hadn't run into a wall at all, it was the gigantic man from before, Hagrid, and he looked terribly afraid.
"I'm sorry, yer Highness! So sorry!" he repeated, panic filling his voice.
Knowing the man meant no harm, Mira stepped around Dimitri and smiled up at him. "It's not problem! I wasn't looking where I was going."
Hagrid's entire frame seemed to relax at her words as he muttered a thank you and frantically wiped away the beads of sweat upon his brow. It was then that Mira noticed that the black-haired boy from earlier was there too.
"Oh hello! Fancy seeing you again." The boy waved shyly before Mira gasped suddenly. "Merlin, I'm awfully rude! I never asked your name!"
The boy looked almost nervous about the prospect of telling her his name, but when he looked to Hagrid and received a nod of encouragement, he finally introduced himself.
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
As though the air had suddenly been sucked out of their lungs, the entire group sucked in a sharp, shocked breath, and stared at the boy with astonished expressions.
"Well, that's certainly...unexpected." admitted Lorenzo, shamelessly scanning his eyes over Harry's thin frame. He wasn't what he expected the 'Chosen One' to look like.
Mira cleared her throat, her shocked expression twisting into her usual cheery one. "Well, um, I'm Mira Vandeviere, and this is my Brother, Lorenzo. That's Koda, Tala, and Juniper. And this is Miss Ali, Dimitri, and Shin."
Mira gestured to each individual, and Harry truly looked like he was trying to remember every name. "It's nice to meet you all." he said, waving awkwardly, before he looked back to Lorenzo. "But, um, why didn't you expect it?"
Rather than responding, Lorenzo merely nodded to Mira, who had turned her head in a way which revealed the lightning-shaped scar which marred the skin of her neck. "I suppose I'm your counterpart." she joked.
A flicker of shocked passed Harry's face. "You mean to say...You survived Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who?" he stuttered.
"I did."
"Your parents...Are they?"
Mira sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head. "I was with my Grandparents that night." Harry could only nod in understanding, sadness filling his eyes.
It was strange finally meeting Harry Potter. She'd heard so much about him, of course, from both her Father, and those around her. He was the son of her Father's cousin, and was, therefore, her cousin too. They were blood related, but had never come across one another until now. It had been said that he was hidden away for his own safety, so she hadn't prodded any further.
Despite all that, though, she and Harry were linked by far more than blood; They had both faced one of the darkest wizards to live, and they had both survived with nothing more than a scar, while others, including their own loved ones, had been slain by his wand. They were linked by tragedy.
"Are you getting your wand too?" Tala wondered, nodding towards the shabby old shop before them. Harry nodded.
Mira glanced up at the building and found that they were, in fact, standing outside the very wand shop that they'd been looking for. The peeling gold letters above the door read, 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'. It looked as though it were about to come tumbling down if even one of them stepped inside, but it seemed that it had stood as a testament to time, and would likely stand many years after she'd gotten her own wand.
"Let's go in then, shall we?" Miss Ali offered, gesturing to the door.
Harry and Mira stepped up to the rickety old door and pushed it open, causing a bell to ring somewhere in the shop as they stepped inside. It was surprisingly small, completely empty apart from the thousands of neatly piled, narrow boxes which went right up to the ceiling. Thick dust had gathered on nearly every surface, and massive cobwebs covered the entire ceiling. Mira cringed a little at the sight, shuddering at the thought of the spiders which created them.
"Good day," came a soft voice, causing all of them to jump in fright. Lorenzo and Juniper immediately cowered behind Shin, while Harry and Mira gazed up at the elderly man who stood before them, assuming him to be Ollivander.
He was sort of frightening, almost ghostly. His skin was deathly pale, his wispy hair even paler, and his eyes, while as white as the moon, held a sliver of silver in them which danced with recognition as they looked over Mira and Harry. They both felt a little nervous of him, but held his gaze nonetheless.
"Hello," chorused Mira and Harry, albeit a little shakily.
"I had thought I'd be seeing the two of you soon..." stated Ollivander, bending into a respectful bow before he clasped his boney fingers together. "It seemed like only yesterday when your parents were here themselves, buying their first wands."
Mr Ollivander moved closer to the two of them, never taking his eyes off them as he spoke of their parents' wands, in that same unsettling tone. "Yes, yes," he muttered, "They each favoured wands which suited them perfectly...Well, I say they favoured it - It's really the wand that chooses the wizard, or witch."
He was so close to them now that the hairs on the backs of their necks began to prickle. "And that's where-" Mr Ollivander cautiously reached out to touch Harry's scar, tracing it ever so carefully. His eyes then flicked to the matching scar upon Mira's neck which she quickly covered with her hair. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it."
He quickly retracted his hand and moved away from them, giving both Harry and Mira a moment to let out the breaths they'd been holding. "Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands...Well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do-" Mr Ollivander trailed off, and to Mira and Harry's relief, he briefly disappeared from sight.
Harry glanced over at her, looking just as confused and anxious as she did. She merely shot him a small smile and a shrug before Mr Ollivander appeared in front of them once more, and pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Well, now - Your Highness, Mr Potter, which are your wand arms?"
"It's my right." Mira told him, surely. Harry, on the other hand, looked lost.
"Er - well, I'm right-handed." he said.
"Hold out your arms them. That's it!" He measured them both from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and then around their heads. As he measured, he began to introduce them to the world of wands. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two magical creatures are quite the same. And, of course, you will never get such good results with another's wand."
Mr Ollivander glided around the shelves, taking down boxes of wands that he thought would suit them best. The first few times, they had only just taken the wand from him before he snatched them away again. Wand after wand was tried, but none seemed to work for the two of them and, oddly enough, the more wands the two of them tried, the more thrilled Mr Ollivander seemed to be. The other eventually grew bored with watching the two of them try wands and were idly chatting by the door, but Tala and Koda had perched themselves on their shoulders, watching closely.
"Tricky customers, eh? Not to worry, we'll fine the perfect match here somewhere." His voice was muffled as it came from somewhere deep within the shop. "I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combinations." he said, coming out from the shelves, two boxes in hand. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple for you, Mr Potter. And for you, Your Highness; Ebony and phoenix feather, ten and three quarter inches. It will suit you, I believe."
He handed the wands to the two of them, and the moment the handle touched Mira's fingers, she felt a sudden spark run up her arm. Her entire body felt as though it was vibrating with power, and as she waved her wand, bright flares of reds and greens and purples came bursting from the tip.
Lorenzo and the Dracanis' cheered for them both, as the same seemed to have also happened to Harry. Mira was beside herself with happiness as she admired the wand which was now hers; It was pitch black, sleek and heavy, yet comfortable to hold. She looked closer and found that there appeared to be dragon scales carved into handle.
Ironic, she thought.
Before she could admire it any longer, Ollivander whipped their wands from their hands, placed them into their boxes, and began wrapping them in brown paper while muttering, "Curious...curious..."
Mira and Harry glanced at one another, before Harry chose to ask what they were both wondering. "Sorry, Sir, what's curious?"
Mr Ollivander looked over his shoulder at them before turning and staring at them, his pale eyes flashing. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand. It just so happens, that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave two other feathers. One of those others, resides in your wand, Your Highness. It is curious indeed that you two should be destined for those wands when its Brother...Well, it's Brother gave you those scars."
Mira's fingers impulsively traced her scar. "You don't meant to say that it was in Voldemort's wand, too?" she queries, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"Oh yes. Thirteen and a half inches. yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. I think we much expect great things from the two of you...After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."
Mira shuddered a little at his words, and was thankful when Miss Ali stepped in to bring their visit to a swift end. Both she and Harry paid seven Galleons each for their wands, and Mr Ollivander bowed deeply, a knowing expression on his face as he watched Miss Ali usher them from the shop.
The moment they stepped back into the bustling street, Mira felt as though she could breathe again. She was glad to have finally gotten her wand, but Mr Ollivander was just as scary as her Brothers had made him out to be, and she was in no rush to reenter his shop anytime soon.
"He was a little creepy, wasn't he?" Lorenzo muttered, holding Juniper closer to his chest for some semblance of comfort after their time in the mans presence.
"Just a little bit," Harry agreed, shuddering at the recollection.
"Well, I think we'd better get going, Your Highnesses. You need to get ready for the parade." Dimitri said, giving Mira and Lorenzo a short nod.
Mira gasped excitedly, remembering that her visit to Diagon Alley was only one of many things happening that day. She rounded on Harry and beamed. "It was so lovely meeting you, Harry. And you, Hagrid!"
"It was nice meeting you too." Harry agreed, smiling back just as brightly.
"I hope you can come to the parade! If not, I'll see you at Hogwarts."
"Bye!"