They bought the twins' schoolbooks in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with all kinds of books, ones incredibly small, ones incredibly big, ones with weird symbols and even books that looked like they had nothing in them. Dudley might even be impressed by this. Hagrid had to push the twins away from 'Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much More!)' by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"We were trying to find out how to curse Dudley," Harry argued.
"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not to use magic in the muggle world except in very special circumstances," Hagrid said. "An' anyway, neither of yer could work any of them curses yet, you'll need a lot more study before you get to that level."
They bought their cauldrons (unfortanately, not one out of solid gold), and then they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and two collapsible brass telescopes. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of rotten cabbage and bad eggs. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for the twins, they themselves examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each, and miniscule, glittery black-beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).
Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked the twins' list again.
"Just yer wands left," Hagrid said. "Oh yeah, an' I still haven' bought either of yer birthday presents."
Harry and Nicole looked at each other weirdly.
"You don't have to," Harry said.
"I know I don't have to," Hagrid said. "Tell yer what, I'll get yer both an animal each. Not a toad, toads went out of fashion years ago, you'd both be laughed at – an' I don't like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get both of yer owls. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail and everythin'."
Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Nicole on the other hand held a slightly larger cage containing a firm-looking tawny owl, which was wide awake, and his wings were nicely folded. Harry couldn't stammer his thanks, and Nicole was still happy with what she got.
"Don' mention it," Hagrid said. "Don't expect you've had a lotta presents from the Dursleys."
"We always get cards for each other though," Nicole said.
"With the Dursleys' pocket money, we could barely get anything," Harry agreed.
"An'way, just Ollivander's left now," Hagrid said. "Just Ollivander's left now – only place for wands, Ollivander's, and you gotta have the best wands."
Nicole couldn't wait to see her magic wand. Ollivander's was narrow and shabby. The sign read: 'Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Nicole felt like she was in a sort of weird-looking library. She noticed thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The very dust in silence here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. The twins jumped. Hagrid must have jumped too, because there was a loud noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.
"Hello," Harry said.
"Ah yes," said the man. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes, seems like 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."
Nicole stood there waiting for Mr. Ollivander to notice her.
"Your father on the other hand," he continued. "Favoured a mahogany wand. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration – it's really the wand that chooses the witch or wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander came so close to Harry. And yes, like everyone in the Leaky Cauldron, he didn't even take a glance at Nicole, who was standing right next to him.
"And that's where…"
Mr. Ollivander was touching Harry's scar.
"Hey!" Nicole said. "Why are you touching my brother without his permission?" She stood right in front of him, going far enough.
"No, Nicole, it's fine," Harry said. "I really don't mind it."
"You're his sister?" Mr. Ollivander questioned. "I always knew that James and Lily had twins, but I didn't hear much about you after you were born."
"Seems nobody did."
"Well, I'm sorry for doing that, Harry," said Mr. Ollivander. "I'm also sorry that I sold the wand that did it. 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 in the world to do…"
He shook his head and to Nicole's relief, noticed Hagrid. "Rubeus Hagrid! So nice to see you again. Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes," Hagrid said.
"Good wand, that one," said Mr. Ollivander. "But I suppose they snapped it in half when they were expelled."
"Yes, they did, sir, yes," Hagrid said. "Still got the pieces though?"
"But you don't use them?"
"Oh no, sir," Hagrid lied, quickly. He gripped his pink umbrella as he spoke.
"Well, Miss Potter," said Mr. Ollivander. "Why don't we do you first?" He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings on it out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Well, I'm right-handed," Nicole said, trying her best to answer the question.
"Hold out your arm, that's it," said Mr. Ollivander. He measured Nicole from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, and then round her head. He said as he measured, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magic substance, Miss Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are the same. And of course you would never get such results from another witch or wizard's wand."
Nicole soon realized that the tape measure was doing all of it on its own, Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled up into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss Potter, try this one, aspen and unicorn hair. Eight and a half inches, a little bendy."
Nicole took the wand, gave it a wave, and then Ollivander took it right off her.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try it."
Nicole took this wand too, tried to wave it, but stopped, as Ollivander snatched this one back too. She tried a few more, but none of them got the result.
"Hazel and dragon heartstring. Twelve and a half inches. Reasonably supple," he said, as Nicole took the wand, raised it above her head, and a few sparks flew out, which seemed a little like fireworks.
Hagrid and Harry both smiled.
"That's a good wand," said Mr. Ollivander. "Take care of it." He put the wand back in its box, and gave it to Nic
"Right, Harry, onto you." He got the tape measure back out, and it started measuring Harry in the same way.
"That will do," he eventually said. "Beachwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Harry took the wand, waved it around, and Ollivander snatched the wand back like he did to Nicole's, that made Nicole think this was going to take as long as it took to get her's.
But it didn't.
It took even longer.
The amount of tried wands all sat on the the spindly chair, and it kept getting higher and higher. Nicole felt like they were in there for hours.
"Tricky customer, eh?" said Mr. Ollivander. "Not to worry – we'll find the perfect match here somewhere – I wonder now, yes – yes, why not – unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Harry took the wand, raised it above his head, brought it swishing down and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped, as Nicole did the same, and they high-fived.
"Oh, bravo!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "Yes indeed, oh very good. Well well well… how curious, how very curious."
He put Harry's wand back into his box, still muttering the word 'curious'.
"I'm sorry," Harry said. "But what's curious?"
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter," explained Mr. Ollivander, "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 it's brother – why its brother, gave you that scar."
Harry and Nicole both stared.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches," said Mr. Ollivander. "Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. 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."
Hagrid and the twins made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the Leaky Cauldron, which was now empty.
"Thank goodness for that," Nicole said. Harry stayed silent the entire trip back, a load of people were gawing at him at the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep on Harry's lap. They were heading up another escelator into Paddington Station. Nicole was curious to why her brother was being this quiet.
"Got time fer a bite before yer train leaves?" Hagrid asked the twins.
"Sure," Nicole said. "I can go for some food. Harry?"
Harry nodded. He bought both of them hamburgers as they sat on nice plastic seats to eat them.
"Yer all right, Harry?" Hagrid asked. "You've been quiet."
"Yeah," Nicole said. "What's wrong?"
"Everyone thinks I'm special," Harry said. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander, but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol- I mean You-Know-Who killed my parents. Nicole knows just about as much magic as I do, and people take a glimpse and look right past her."
"I have been trying my best not to feel jealous," Nicole said. "All the attention in there. Must be hard. I didn't know what to say to anyone there. You're special, I'm a nobody. Is this how it works out?"
"Don' neither of you worry," said Hagrid. "You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll both be just fine. Just be yourselves. Harry, you've been singled out, an' that's always hard. And Nicole, you felt like you weren't even there. But yeh both have a great time at Hogwarts! I did – still do, actually."
The three got on the train that would take them back to the Dursleys. Hagrid then handed the twins an envelope.
"Yer tickets fer Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "First o' September – King's Cross – it's all on your tickets. Any problem with the Dursleys, send me a letter with either of your owls, they'll know where to find me. See yeh soon, Harry & Nicole."
The train pulled out of the station. Harry looked back to see if Hagrid was still there, but he blinked and Hagrid was gone.
"Hopefully this month won't be too bad," Nicole said.