This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.
Reposted on 3 March to correct a couple typos.
It is the middle of September, and the delayed start of the school year approaches so Felicity takes Harry to Ollivander's shop to get his wand. Ollivander forgets that the wand chooses the wizard. Hedwig makes her appearance in a forceful way. (Love the owl!) Finally, the week before time to head to Hogwarts, Professor Sprout comes to take Harry to get his school robes and they encounter another professor and future classmate in the alley.
Chapter 10: The Wand Chooses the WizardIt was the first week in September before Felicity took Harry to get his wand at Ollivander's shop. The old wand maker was known across Britain and Europe for making very stable wands that helped young witches and wizards to grow comfortable with their magic. Once they were grown, many of his customers returned for a new wand or acquired one during their travels to other nations but Ollivander's first wands were always treasured mementos of their childhood.
This arrangement also allowed the ministry to have the 'trace' charm placed on every wand. Though many purebloods had the charm removed before Hogwarts, sensible parents left the trace on the wand until their child began their third or fourth year.
The door creaked loudly and there was a bell over the door to summon the old wizard from the back of his shop. He was stooped but smiled at the woman and boy.
"Ah, Felicity Grossman, pear wood with a hair from the mane of unicorn mare; very good for healing I believe."
"Well, I believe the symbol on my uniform identifies me as a healer, Mr. Ollivander," the healer replied smartly. "The charm on the door tells you the name of every witch or wizard who enters…"
His face turning sour for only a moment, the wand maker adjusted his glasses and looked at the boy with some surprize on his face.
"Harry Potter?" he asked, peering closely at the boy.
"Yes sir," the boy replied. "I'm Harry Potter."
"Are you certain?" Frowning for a moment the shopkeeper said, "I thought I'd be seeing you months ago. It seems you have your mother's eyes. Her wand was willow; that would and very good for working with charms."
"Now, James Potter always preferred a mahogany wand to perform transfiguration." The old man smiled, "But it is always the wand that chooses the wizard, don't you know."
Ollivander stepped closer to the boy, reaching out a hand to brush the boy's hair from his forehead, but stopped when he noticed the wand slide into the healer's hand.
"You would draw on me in own shop?" he asked the healer. "What could you possibly do…"
"The charm to remove body hair before surgery is most painful with magnification and focused on the entire body," Felicity replied. "The charm to clear the penis of mucus is most effective against men when it is not proceeded by numbing or lubricating charms."
The old wizard froze in his steps; none of his wards prevented medical charms.
"I mean the boy no harm," Ollivander replied. "I need to take his measurements."
As instructed earlier when asked to lift his arm, Harry held out his left arm and the wand maker measured the length of his forearm and then his upper arm before turning to his stock of wands. Thirty minutes and a stack of discarded wands later, he paused, "I wonder… Just a moment."
He disappeared into the back and returned with a box that he opened and without touching the wand, offered it to the boy. Harry lifted the wand with his left hand to give it a swish with a colourful waterfall of sparks shooting across the room.
"That is an unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Mr. Ollivander nodded, "Very good but very curious too."
"How is Harry's wand curious, Mr. Ollivander?" asked Felicity motioning Harry to return the wand to the counter; the boy's discarding the stick caught the wandmaker's attention.
"You should hold the wand closely for at least two days Mr. Potter. You need to bond with each other…"
Echoing his guardian, Harry asked, "What's curious about this wand?"
The old man noticed immediately that the boy had not said, 'my wand'.
He sighed before he explained, "I remember all the wands that leave my shop."
Motioning toward the wand lying discarded on the counter, he explained, "The core of this wand is a phoenix feather and there's only one other wand with a core feather from the same phoenix; the wand that gave you…"
The wandmaker stared at the boy's forehead, "The scar. Dumbledore said…"
"What about that other wand, sir?" Harry insisted.
"It was the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He gave you the scar on your forehead with a spell from that wand."
Felicity lowered her wand for the first time and said, "Mr. Ollivander, Harry doesn't have a scar on his forehead."
"No, he doesn't…"
"And I am right handed sir," Harry said. "Might we start over."
"Right handed?" the old man asked with some acidity. "Playing games with me, are you?"
"It would appear I did… My apologies, Mr. Ollivander," Harry replied.
The old man's lips quivered, "It's been many a year since anyone turned my charms around. Yes, let's start again."
The wandmaker pointed toward his shelves, "Run your hand over the shelves and see if anything reacts to your magic. And don't be surprized if you come back to this yew…"
"Oi!" Harry called out as he bent down and pulled a box from the bottom shelf. "What's in here?"
"Do you feel it call to you?"
"It vibrates or glows… I'm not sure which…"
Ollivander took the box and frowned again, "This is a wand I made in from wood that my son brought back from Australia when the continent was newly discovered. He said the wood is called buloke and it is too hard to work with our usual tools. I had to enchant the wood to accept a magical core but I don't remember what I used."
"Can you tell now?" asked Felicity.
Ollivander drew his wand and cast a spell on the hard, black wood. "This is the hardest wood in the world! I remember now it as midsummer's eve and the planets were aligned properly…"
"He's going to gouge us on the price after this long tale," Harry whispered to Felicity who shrugged.
"We insulted him in his shop, we owe him some galleons for that."
Ignoring them, Ollivander continued with his spell and said, "Most curious indeed… there are unicorn hair, dragon heart strings, and… well, it appears that part of the core is niffler hair."
"Nifflers? The little burrowers?" Harry asked excitedly. "I saw some in the new tunnels the other day. They were very cute."
"Give this one a try," Ollivander said offering the box to the boy again. Harry lifted the black wood from the box and ran the fingers of his left hand down the length of the wand.
"It is happy!" he announced as he lifted the wand and with a wave, golden glitter flew out of the end and coated the walls and windows of the shop.
"Oh dear," Ollivander said. "I believe the wand has chosen you Mr. Potter."
"How much?" asked Felicity.
"Twenty… no thirty galleons."
"Can I get a wrist thingie?" Harry asked.
"Not today but we'll get one before you leave for school."
*(+++++)*
As they left the wandmaker's shop, with Harry's wand in his hand, Felicity grumbled, "Thirty galleons for a wand… it better be the wand to beat all other wands for that price! And Mr. Ollivander was very strange."
Harry grinned, "I won't tell anyone. It's be more important how well it works in charms and DADA."
"And transfiguration," Felicity reminded him. "Wizards need to master all their classes."
"I will!"
*(+++++)*
Suddenly from a shop across the alley, came loud noises as a man shouted, "Stop! Stop you stupid bird!"
Harry read the name of the shop over the door, Eeylops Owl Emporium. Now the door opened, and woman fled shouting, "That owl is crazy! Someone call the Aurors!"
A large white owl flew from through the doorway and sped straight to Harry. She circled him once before he lifted his left arm and she settled on it, churring and puffing at him without stop for almost a full minute. Felicity dealt with owls daily at Gringotts and knew that the only time they became agitated was when someone set out to aggravate them.
From the store, a wizard stumbled looked about the street and when he saw the owl on the boy's arm, he charged forward.
"That bloody owl is a menace! Two years she's sat in my store and ignored everyone. Then this morning she hops about and hoots like she's excited and wants out of the store!"
Felicity watched Harry; the heads of the boy and the owl were perfectly synchronized as they turned toward the approaching wizard. He drew his wand but then froze as something in the glare of the boy and the bird caught his attention.
"Sir, I believe my young friend here is very taken with your troublesome bird," Felicity said. "Shall we return to your shop to pay for the bird and purchase a stand and owl treats?"
The proprietor of the shop stepped back, noted the emblems of Gringotts and healing on her robes, and returned his wand to his sleeve. Felicity pointed to the ice cream shop as she walked back into Eeylops Owl Emporium. Harry made his way to the patio of the ice cream shop and enjoyed a dish of Screaming Vanilla while his own sat on a nearby tree branch and kept watch. When she exited the shop with a shrunken stand, feeder, owl treats, and a travel cage in her pockets, Felicity made her way to the ice cream shop and found Harry engrossed in conversation with his new postal owl.
"I'm sorry Hedwig. I didn't know you were there waiting for me in July."
The owl responded with several long chuffing noises, and Harry added, "I knew you were my friend the instant I saw you. I heard you call…"
The owl chuffed and churled, rubbing her head against his own.
"Harry, how did you come up with that name for the owl so quickly?"
Looking at Felicity with a perplexed face, Harry said, "She told me her name when I introduced myself to her."
"She 'told' you?"
The owl – Hedwig apparently – chuffed a long sentence and Harry grinned at the bird before he turned to Felicity and translated, "Hedwig says she will help you and make me mind my manners at Hogwarts. You can't watch me all the time."
"No, that is very true." Felicity shook her head and said, "Hedwig, can you find the owl stalls above Gringotts? That's where you will sleep…"
"No, she'll sleep in my room and fly out every morning when I have to go to lessons. She's very determined…"
"Alright but you have to keep her area clean!"
*(+++++)*
That evening, Ollivander wrote a promised letter to Albus Dumbledore. He spent only a few minutes on the words he committed to parchment and then closed his shop to make his way to a shop where he could rent an owl to deliver a letter.
The next morning in Hogwarts as Dumbledore and the professors continued their preparations for the delayed start of the school year, he received Ollivander's note.
Albus
The boy came into my shop yesterday for a wand. It was not the wand you predicted and charmed. He is not what you are expecting; and I advise you not to mess with him or the wand.
*(+++++)*
When Harry and Felicity stopped to let Ironstream know they had returned from Ollivander's shop, the goblin asked to examine his young charge's new wand.
The boy handed his new wand over without hesitation and the goblin grinned, "Now young Harry, I want you to promise me that if anyone else asks to examine your wand, you tell them 'No'. None of your professors or friends should hold your wand. The only time you might is if an Auror he is questioning you about a crime. I hope before you are an adult, you will have a second wand in case that ever happens."
Harry frowned as he concentrated on the goblin's words but nodded his head in understanding.
"Once a wizard gives up his wand, he has fewer options to defend himself. That is why your lessons will include spells to summon your wand from someone else's hands and why…" Ironstream paused as he pulled a leather contraption from his desk drawer, "I have procured a wrist holster for your wand."
"Thank you, sir! I've seen the curse-breakers use them and know they make drawing the wand much faster!"
While Harry fastened the straps around his arm, and loaded his wand, released it, and pushed back inside several times, Felicity asked, "And did you remove the trace?"
Ironstream said, "I couldn't find the trace on the wand. It didn't want to be 'watched' and refused to let the ministry's magic take hold."
"Only Harry…"
*(+++++)*
Getting RobesIt was another week before Harry ventured very far in Diagon Alley. Professor Sprout came to Gringotts to collect the boy and take him to get his robes from Madam Malkin.
"Why is this professor coming to take me to get my school robes?" Harry asked that morning in Felicity's apartment in the bank's quarters for human employees.
"You need a muggleborn orientation for Hogwarts," she replied. "All students meet with a professor before leaving for school."
"But I thought Hagrid…"
Felicity stopped, her tea cup half way to her mouth and replied, "You're right. That is odd. Perhaps you can ask him today when you slip down into the lower vaults…"
"You know I been down there?"
"Harry, Ironstream knows everything you do and everywhere you go inside the bank and when we venture outside, there is usually at least one wizard sent to watch over us."
The boy frowned, "He won't send one to Hogwarts, will he?"
Hedwig barked from her perch and Harry's frown grew darker.
"What did she say?" asked the healer though she could imagine the owl's comments already.
"Hedwig wants two wizards to go with me to Hogwarts. She says I'll be in trouble every day…"
Felicity laughed and hugged Harry – something he was getting used to, "You'll like Professor Sprout. She is head of Hufflepuff and a very kind person."
*(+++++)*
On their way back to Gringotts from Madam Malkin's shop where Harry purchased his school robes, Professor Sprout and the young wizard were surprized to meet Professor McGonagall with a young girl who were on their way to the book store, Flourish and Blotts.
"Harry, let me introduce you to another of your professors at Hogwarts," Professor Sprout said after exchanging greetings with her fellow professor. "This is Minerva McGonagall, she will be your transfiguration professor."
"You'll probably be in my house too, just like your parents," the taller witch said immediately. "You look just like James with your mother's eyes. Gryffindor has all the brave wizards and witches."
Sprout made a sour face as McGonagall said, "Why don't you come with us Mr. Potter? Miss Granger is already in need of more books and I am certain we can find a few that interest you."
"No thank you, professor. Professor Sprout is taking me back to Gringotts. I have a lesson this afternoon."
"Lessons? What kind of lessons?" asked the girl.
"I believe Mr. Potter has history lessons this afternoon," Pomona replied. "Something about goblins…"
"I am certain Mr. Potter will get enough about goblin rebellions at Hogwarts. I think he should come…"
"Stop, Minerva!" Sprout insisted, her aggravation easy to see on her face.
"Stop what? Whatever do you mean!"
As the two witches began to argue, the girl began to give Harry her opinion of Gryffindor House and Albus Dumbledore.
"It is the best house for us in Hogwarts!" she insisted. "Professor Dumbledore was in Gryffindor and you know he's the best wizard since Merlin."
"But…"
"I couldn't be in Slytherin… they are too wrapped up in the Pureblood thinking and Ravenclaw is nothing but bookworms…"
"Did you…" Harry attempted to interrupt the lecture unsuccessfully.
"And Hufflepuff is full of minions… Who has minions at Hogwarts, I wonder?"
"Miss Granger…"
"Call me Hermione. Anyway, we need to be in Gryffindor. It is the best house for us…"
The boy thought about the information he'd been given by his goblin teachers and he slipped his wand from his sleeve. The argument between Sprout and McGonagall was growing louder but a sudden exclamation from the girl stopped the 'discussion' about Dumbledore's plans.
"Eeep!" chirped the girl as Harry Potter quickly tucked his wand back up his sleeve in his wrist holder.
"What happened?" asked Professor Sprout.
The girl turned to the two professors and said in loud voice, "You cast a charm on me! You told me to convince Harry how great Gryffindor is! How wise Dumbledore is! Why did you need to cast a spell on me to do that?"
"You're distraught child… Let me take you home,"
"No. You'll just cast more spells on me! Go away!" Hermione shouted. "When I tell…"
Professor Sprout interrupted and said, "Minerva, go back to Hogwarts. You've attracted enough attention in the alley for one day."
Minerva noticed a mixed crowd watching the show of the young girl shouting at the well-known professor.
"Last chance; if we add the identity of my student to the mix, it'll be front page of the Daily Prophet tomorrow and you know Albus will not stand up for you."
"You'll see the girl home?" asked Minerva, suddenly nervous.
"Of course, and I will give her a calming draught too."
Minerva McGonagall said 'goodbye' to no one as she hurried to the apparition point and vanished.
"Now tell me what happened," Sprout instructed the two future students. The girl, Hermione Granger, explained how Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared at her home that morning to ask a favour if she would talk to Harry Potter about all the things she'd heard about Hogwarts and school.
"They said you'd been misinformed by the goblins…"
Harry smiled at the girl and explained, "Miss Granger was talking so fast, I couldn't understand her. And she kept repeating herself – things the books of charms said happened with compulsion charms. So, I cast finite incantatem on her and she was able to stop."
"You already know how to stop another spell?" Professor Sprout asked as Hermione stared, her mouth open in amazement.
"The goblins insisted that I know that before anything else; they expect Professor Dumbledore to cast them at me every day at Hogwarts."
"Do they now?"
"How can you cast spells already? The trace is supposed to tell…" the young witch asked.
"We're in Diagon Alley, dear," Professor Sprout explained. "Everyone is using magic here."
Professor Sprout escorted Harry to the steps of Gringotts where he wished Hermione well. "We can sit together on the train and talk."
"Really?" she asked.
"Sure, I'll introduce you to my owl. She's a good talker… uh… good at carrying on a conversation."
The two witches looked at the boy strangely for just a moment before he left for the interior of the bank and Professor Sprout led the girl toward the Leaky Cauldron.
"I think we'll use the underground and the buses to get you home today, dearie. You've had enough magic for an eleven-year-old."
"I'm twelve," the girl replied. "My birthday was last week. Do you think it will give me an advantage to be almost a year older than everyone else in my year?"
*(+++++)*