I own nothing
-Crow
"It's been quite some time, hasn't it Slenderman?"
It was like the air in the room was sucked out or became as thick and heavy as the choking amounts of dust. Slender straightened his back, making him seem even taller than his original glamour appeared. The wards around him shifted defensively.
"Oh, do put that knife away, boy, it's rather rude to do that during a greeting." Ollivander chided.
Jeff, stunned at being singled out, slowly put the large kitchen knife he'd been gradually sneaking out back in the holster hidden in his hoodie pocket. The others tensed, ready for anything to come from this old man.
Mr. Ollivander merely chuckled good-naturedly.
They were caught off guard. His pale eyes were shining with some hidden joke and he shook his head as though humoring someone's actions. "Please follow me to the back room." He said.
He opened the small door to the counter and led them through the tall cases of wands to a discrete door towards the back. Opening it revealed a small living room with a simple table and three chairs, a sofa in the corner, a few rugs, a tall grandfather clock, and a curtained window. Aside from that, were shelves upon shelves of books and papers with stacks piling higher than the man himself precariously resting around the room. "Please have a seat." He offered.
He took out his own wand and swished it, causing several more chairs to appear from nowhere around the table and the table to expand to accommodate the visitor numbers. The group slowly sat down at the offered chairs, still confused by this man's genial hospitality.
"Tea?"
Ollivander broke the silence by bringing over a cast-iron tea kettle from a small kitchenette just in the next room, small wisps of steam puffed from the spout. They all politely declined and the old man shrugged and poured the amber drink in his own mug, "Please don't mind if I have some. It's rather stuffy in the shop and it makes me rather thirsty at times."
He sat down at the head of the table, just next to Slender, who was still eying the calm wandmaker suspiciously. After a minute of tense silence and Ollivander sipping his drink, he spoke to the point. "Mr. Ollivander, how did you know my name?"
The wandmaker chuckled, "All in good time. Perhaps some introductions are in order, then?" He looked across the table to the number of wards.
They introduced themselves with their alias names and Ollivander simply smiled and nodded, like humoring a children's game of make-believe. After the introductions were complete (with a surprised wide-eyed glance at Harry Potter when re-introduced), he spoke again, "Well, then, my name is Garrick Ollivander. Premier wandmaker in all of Great Britain and a researcher in the ancient art of wandlore.
"Now, perhaps some background information may help." He said calmly. "I am primarily a researcher. I study the universe in all of its complexity and glory. The very basis of existence and the very essence of the stars. In my long life, I've seen many things, seen many strange creatures, and of course experienced much. However, I have come across something that has captivated me; magic!
"Now, it's a bit unfair to just blanket-term it 'magic' as it implies many untrue assumptions and rather unscientific circumstances, but that's the term that's associated with it. I study how the mortal soul interacts with wands and foci to produce and direct magical energy. How this energy alters the very fabric of space, time, and physics. How it adjusts the odds of Quantum existence and calls up one in ten billion odds upon command." He let out a wheezy laugh as Jack's mouth literally dropped open at the mention of physics here of all places.
"Oh, yes, though don't get too excited, young man. I doubt you will ever find another magical soul who's even heard of the photon, aside from an occasional muggleborn. I am a very unique person, you'll find.
"This magical energy is at the core of every marvel in the universe. And as such, I have spent the last 2000 years exploring it."
He smiled pleasantly at the faces around him incredulously trying to comprehend that the man in front of them was at least two millennia.
"Do all wizards live that long? Will Harry?" She asked innocently.
Ollivander chuckled, "No, my dear, most don't live beyond 200 at most." Still awe-filled faces. "Not to sound arrogant, but as I said, I am rather unique.
"I was already somewhat old by the time I first began wandmaking. But I've kept at it, making fine wands ever since."
Adrian's eyes narrowed, "Wait. That sign outside. It said 'Maker's of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.'"
The wandmaker nodded, eyes gleaming, "Of course. I personally find it hilarious that not even the quote/unquote 'Great Albus Dumbledore' thought about how his own grandfather got a wand from Garrick Ollivander, he, himself, got a wand from Garrick Ollivander, and every single child he's ever taught in the last 80 years at Hogwarts has received a wand from Garrick Ollivander."
"Wow," Sally whispered, "You must be, like, a million years old!"
Ollivander smiled. "Well, as an entity as old as Creation, more or less, I'll take the compliment." He said cheerfully.
"How can something be older than Creation?" Adrian asked curiously. Ollivander merely winked and continued.
"As you can imagine, I've travelled far into the cosmos, experiencing the Universe as it came to me," His moon-like eyes shimmered with memories, "It was absolutely fantastic! The creation of nebulae, the formation of planets, the development of species from slimy remnants of the sea to a powerful dominant species, the ice rings of Perxion 6, the diamond valleys of Arcadia, the ominous Medusa Cascade, the rivers of liquified sapphire on Andromeda 61452, the sideways glass hailstorms on HD 189733b, oh that was not a day to forget your umbrella," He let out another wheezy laugh before composing himself.
"I travelled far, observing the universe as I went. Seeing all of the wonder of that cosmic dance around us… and the pain…"
His voice trailed off as the smile slid downwards and his pale eyes turned somewhat glassy and lost their glow. "Entire planets have crumbled to dust. Entire species… obliterated in milliseconds. Men, women, children, all gone. An entire planet… a once-great race… gone in a blink… lost to time itself."
The man stared into his mug, lost in the ripples on the surface of the liquid. Suddenly, he seemed almost as if he looked every second of that eternity he'd existed. Almost too quietly, he whispered to himself, "No more."
The wards were enraptured in silence. No one dared to break the silence even as the clock ticked away, muffled by the rugs and books.
Finally, Slender spoke, "Who are you?"
The old wandmaker looked back and a glimmer reappeared in his eyes. "Have you forgotten, Slender? It seems like only last millennia that I was telling off a tiny, 2-foot-tall Slenderman and Offenderman for playing in my laboratory."
He leaned in conspiratorially and loudly 'whispered' to the others, "He added some stardust to an orchid and accidentally created the first vanilla plant. I had to tell them off, Creator knows I didn't need another toxic mugwort situation on my hand, but it was a magnificent achievement."
Slender was sitting in his chair, too stunned to say anything as the old man sat back in his chair, sipping his tea with a smile. He whispered, "The Researcher?"
"Yes." Ollivander confirmed calmly. "It's good to see you again."
Slenderman couldn't seem to make a coherent speech. His mental projection instead choosing to sputter fragments and fractions of long-dead languages with occasional Gaelic or Latin mixed in. Ollivander merely chuckled as the mental projection fell out-of-sync with the glamour's 'mouth' appearance to create said words.
"Slow down, man, before you work yourself up into a froth." He chided, smriking.
Slender took a breath and finally managed to sputter out, "How- h-how are you here?!"
Ollivander shrugged, "Oh, the Council knows how to contact me in an emergency. It hardly matters to me. It's rather nice to get away from the pressures of joining them on that awful panel. Even if I'm surrounded by these unimaginative wizards." He only briefly made a hint of a scowl before retaining composure.
"It's good money," He admitted, "And I have almost unlimited research time for my craft and it really is a remarkable branch of study."
EJ seemed to perk up, "You've been researching magic?" He asked excitedly.
The wandmaker nodded, pleased at the young man's enthusiasm, "Of course, 'Mr. MacNeacail', of course. I have some research notes if you're interested."
At Jack's eager nod, he got up from his seat and searched the stacks before removing one, large, brown leather book from the very center (somehow without upsetting the others) and giving it to the eyeless doctor. As he handed it to the young man, he said, "Oh, do take off those sunglasses. It's so dim in here, it must be terrible eye strain."
The doctor nodded eagerly, completely forgetting his glamoured 'blindness' act, and opened the book and began reading through the milky film over his 'eyes'.
Ollivander clapped his hands, causing Jack to jerk his head upward, "I'll lend it to you. Right now I need to teach you a little about wands."
The three Hogwarts-students-to-be straightened to attention as the old man addressed them specifically, "Now, magic is an integral part of yourselves already. The wand is merely a focus point for it. For instance, think of it like a muggle lamp and flashlight. A lamp emits radially and sporadically, like with accidental magic. It's more generally emitted from around the subject or source and simply affects whatever it can reach. Sometimes having a stronger reaction with the focal point of distress."
"So, like when he gets angry?" BEN interjected. Ollivander motioned for him to continue, smiling, "Whenever Harry gets angry or upset, everything around him gets affected. Lights, radios, TVs, it's like an EMP wave."
The old man nodded happily, "Exactly so! Unfocused magic emits outward like a lamp or wave and affects everything it touches while magic through a wand is like a flashlight. It's refracted in one beam in a single direction. Focused and directed with the wielder's intention and will. That is how magical energy becomes more controlled, more stable, and most importantly more functional for the wizard's purposes. Magic is powerful."
BEN frowned, "Yeah, and it hurts, too."
Ollivander winced in sympathy, "Ah, yes, I can see you're more energy-based in nature, so I would imagine a blast of unfocused magic to you must be painful." He frowned in thought, "Now just a moment, Diagon Alley has the highest concentration of magical energy in London. How in the Creator's Great Creation are you still functional, let alone conscious?"
Jack interjected, "It's a wave interference." Ollivander's eyes widened in eager interest. Jack picked up BEN's pendant from his chest without taking it off. "This crystal emits a wavelength similar to magic, but in an anti-wave to its natural frequency. Effectively, it cancels out the ambient magical waves around the wearer to tolerable levels."
"Ingenius!" The wandmaker exclaimed. "Taking magic's own basis and turning it against itself! Brilliant! Haha! You, my boy, are a natural researcher!"
EJ blushed faintly at the praise before the old man continued. "Now, a wand is constructed of three basic components: a handle, which is sometimes specially designed to channel energy directly from the skin of the wielder to the wand itself; a core, which is usually something from a magical creature or a body part that holds the most magical potential; and, finally, a casing which is usually wood that is magically treated, but metal has been used in the past. The wood keeps the fragile core safe, but also helps to direct the magic in a single direction.
He looked upwards in thought, "I seem to remember visiting a museum in muggle London once, many years ago. There was an exhibit on fiberglass. It caused refraction of light within the fiber itself, preventing most of it from simply emitting from the material in-between. Fascinating material, I have a toy of it here."
He eagerly opened up a chest in the corner and rummaged through it deeper than the chest appeared to be before he pulled out a small, black cylinder about the size of a roll of quarters. On the top, was a large mass of clear fibers flaying out. He smiled as he brought it over and flipped it on. Instantly, the ends of the fibers glowed brightly while the remainder was relatively dark. "As you can see, none of the light emits from the length of the strand and only emits when there is no more fiberglass material to continue refracting it inside. Similarly with the treated wood, it refracts magical energy within itself until it emits out the end, as you'd expect with a wand."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Jack exclaimed, still looking at the glowing toy, "Magic doesn't let electronics work! How did you- I mean-"
Ollivander simply smiled and pulled open the casing, "I found that filed-down quartz crystals, treated with some moonlight in a solution of lavender and sage, are capable of storing magical energy. Of course, only if you have some to spare to charge it. Then, put it in a muggle device and you have a magic-proof battery!"
He tossed a spare quartz crystal to EJ who immediately started turning it over in his hands eagerly. The quartz was glowing an electric blue and Harry noticed Jack's hair stood a bit on-end from holding it. Ollivander nodded happily, "and the best part. You don't have to be as finicky over which direction the crystal faces, like muggle batteries. I swear, I visited muggle London once and I could never figure out which way the batteries were supposed to go in those telly remote controls." He shook his head sadly, "So unnecessarily confusing."
He let Jack keep the crystal and went to put away the toy, "Mind you, those only work for simple tasks, such as weak lights or simple motors. More complex machines require a bit more than just a fancy battery, I'm afraid."
He sat back down and took a sip of tea, "Now, that's the basics of wand components. However, there is a legal aspect to wands as well. There is an enchantment on all wands sold by myself to the general public called the Trace."
Slender frowned in concern, "The Trace is a tracking spell that monitors if an underaged witch or wizard, that is to say under 17, performs magic. The Trace detects magic in the vicinity of the wand-bearer and reports that information directly to the British Ministry of Magic."
"How well does it trace?" Slenderman asked worriedly.
"Anywhere in the world." Ollivander replied solemnly, "They can trace exactly where the wand was used and have aurors, or magical police, there in an instant."
Slender shook his head firmly, "This was a mistake, then. We can't afford to have that kind of danger threatening our security." The wards frowned dejectedly.
"Not necessarily," the old man replied, "While I am legally meant to apply the Trace to all wands that are sold up front in my shop." A crafty glint entered his pale eyes. "Which just means that these wands are going to be a bit different."
He walked straight to the storefront and returned with a single, slim black box. "Now, normally I draw this out. It's the highlight of my day to see and examine reactions between individuals' magic and the wands. However, with three guests, all with special circumstances, I thought it might be good to hurry this along."
He took out a rich, deep red-brown wand from the box. "11 inches, Holly, with a Phoenix tail feather. I have it on good word that this will fit you."
He gave the instrument to Harry who instantly felt a strong connection and sudden warmth running through his very core. "Wow," He whispered.
Ollivander just grimaced like a painter and a mediocre work. "Yes, yes, it's a fit. The best fit I daresay you'll find among those up front." He sighed, "But it's ultimately such a weak connection in comparison to what it could be."
He balled his fists in frustration before taking a moment to calm himself. "Dumbledore approached me ten years ago with this phoenix feather and suggested this exact combination. A mere week after the tragic deaths of Mr. Potter's parents, to be exact.
"Still," He continued, "This is the part where I say something along the effect of 'curious, curious'.
"But" He looked Slender dead in the eye, "It is rather curious how Dumbledore knew that this wand- the only wand with the same core as the wand of Voldemort himself- would choose Harry."
The silence was deafening as the suspicions ran rampant. Ollivander cleared his throat, dispelling the miasma, "Now, this particular wand does, indeed, have the Trace, but -" He interjected, seeing Slender grow agitated, "I suggest you keep it for the sake of appearances. During breaks, I suggest you lend it to me. I'll hold onto it so no one can track you to your hideout."
Slender nodded at the suggestion, "Though, I am still concerned with Harry possessing a wand attributed to those men. The fact that there's the connection between Voldemort and Dumbledore makes me uncomfortable."
Ollivander nodded, "I agree with you. It's unnerving how he knew that this combination would fit Harry so many years in advance. Even with the limited permutations of cores to woods, it's still a very slim chance."
Slender nodded. Toby frowned in confusion, "Why are cores limited? There are tons of magical monsters out there."
The ancient entity nodded, "The cores are limited to three types; Unicorn hair, Dragon heartstring, and Phoenix feathers. These are the only 'Ministry Approved' cores I am permitted to sell. As such, the cores which are the primary connection to the people can usually only get close enough."
He let out an honest snarl and wrung his hands. "Close enough! For the very essence of magical concentration! It should not simply be 'close enough', it should be in resonance with the witch or wizard's very soul!
"These wizards are utterly, profoundly lazy! They have no sense of creativity! Ingenuity! Discovery! Experimentation! Innovation! They are content to live out their dull, imagination-deprived lives without a thought in their heads!
"Even the self-proclaimed 'brainiest of them all' Ravenclaws rarely do anything but stick their noses in a book and horde information like a prize! They're walking, talking encyclopedias without a string to connect the pages together!
"These wizards have no drive for wandlore! They don't want to experiment; they have no interest in seeing alternatives, only in controlling whatever they think they can. They just enter my shop to get their wand and never come back except when they break one of my beautiful creations or need one repaired!
"The point is, they are completely boring!"
He bitterly huffed and took a sip of tea in the tense silence after his rant. Finally, he let out a sigh, "I'm sorry," He said quietly. "I suppose I've just been meaning to get that off of my chest for quite some time."
He smiled faintly, "There are the occasional patrons who make it all the worthwhile, though. They're the 'tricky ones'." He said the last gleefully. "The ones whose magic is not as cut and dry as expected. The ones who take ages, going through almost every wand in my shop before finding the one that resonates with them, personally. It's always a pleasure to see a truly unique experience to find someone who resonates only with that core and that wood."
The silence continued on for a moment before Slender spoke, "So, why simply give Harry that wand?"
The entity grinned excitedly, "Because like Hell am I allowing one of those wands in the home of an old friend. No, no, no."
He got up and walked over to a single bookshelf. He tapped his wand three times on a decoration on the side which caused a loud click to be heard as the shelf swung open. "I experiment here, on my own time, in the privacy of my own laboratory. Please follow me."
The wandmaker eagerly led them down a passageway into the cellar. The room was spectacular. All around them were jars of organs labeled for thousands of different species, powders and crystals of gems and stones, hundreds of plants and fungi dried, pickled and growing on the shelves, insects pinned in display cases, and planks of wood labeled specifically for wands.
"Welcome to my laboratory!" He exclaimed cheerfully. "And here, we make our masterpiece! I'm not allowing one of those sub-par, tracked wands to be in the possession of a ward of my old friend."
He looked Harry over sternly and nodded before running around the shop with a tray, plucking materials off of the shelves and into the display in his hands. After a while of this, he presented the tray to the Boy Who Lived. "Now, Mr. Potter, I want you to close your eyes and feel the objects in front of you. From your soul, these objects should resonate the strongest, but we're looking for the strongest connection of them all."
Harry nodded and held his hand over the tray. Immediately, he felt a response to each one. Stronger than his phoenix wand. Ollivander was right, the connection he'd felt was immensely weak compared to the connection just from the cores alone. Still, he held out his hand and felt the pull of the strongest reagent. Interestingly, he felt two.
He drew his energy, trying to pull the materials into his palm. Ollivander gasped and rushed forward with some tweezers to pluck the two from the air as they hovered towards Harry's outstretched hand. He was smiling manically, "Remarkable! Simply Remarkable! Two wand cores! Both in complete sync, but polar opposites! Oh, my boy, you have so much to look forward to!"
He put the two cores on a sheet of gray paper. Against the backdrop, the two cores were shown to be a shiny, white strand of hair and a dark, black strand of hair. "A hair from the mane of a unicorn, a symbol of life and an absolute prevention from death, itself. Its blood will forcibly keep someone alive even inches from death. Then, a hair from the mane of a thestral, a symbol of death and it's affect on life. They can only be seen by those who have witnessed the death of a fellow human or being with a soul depart from this world."
He was giddy as he observed them, "Polar opposites, but in complete Balance." He looked up, bemusedly at Slenderman, "I don't suppose your philosophy had anything to do with that, hm?"
He then chose several blocks of wood and repeated the process of presenting the display to Harry for him to choose. The strongest wood connection was a particular block of wood with rich, brown-red streaks through it. The wandmaker breathed in amazement.
"That wood, Mr. Potter, is Elder." He said softly, "Its symbolism revolves around Judgment, Fate, Life in Death, and Death in Life. Yours is truly a remarkable destiny."
He took the three chosen objects and, in front of them, fashioned an empty wand from the Elder wood chosen. He walked to the worktable where what he did was obscured from view. A minute later, the entire workbench glowed a solid gold until it faded, leaving the room dim.
The ancient wandmaker reverently picked up the wand and turned back to the group solemnly. "This is, by far, one of the more remarkable creations I've ever made. And it gives me such pleasure to know it will be used properly. This isn't just an experiment. This will be a tool wielded by a powerful individual with a strong hand in the turning of time."
He held the wand out to Harry, who slowly reached out for it. Even from afar, he could feel the pull and connection between him and the instrument. He grasped the handle-
It felt like light liquefied was coursing through his veins. His magic latched onto the wand like it was more than just an instrument, like it was a second heart that had been missing for his entire life. It was exhilarating, terrifying, and more than a little awe-inspiring. The connection was forged and felt like, for once, he could feel the very essence of the magic inside of him.
It was… incredible…
"Harry?"
He looked up at his foster family, seeing growing concern. He blinked and realized that he had tears streamed on his cheeks. He scrubbed furiously at them, blushing. "I'm fine, Slendy."
Ollivander smiled contentedly. "And that," he said softly, "is a properly matched wand."
He turned to Adrian and Nikolaus and looked at both intently. After a few uncomfortable moments, he seemed to start in realization, "Oh, my! A binding between life and death! How exciting!"
Nick's eyes widened, "You can tell that?"
"My boy," he said bemusedly, "I just looked at your friend's very soul to match a wand to him. Naturally, I should think if someone were dead I'd notice immediately."
Nick conceded with a head bob before letting the man continue. "Now, because of your… condition, there are some complications. Normal wands or foci aren't as well in-tune with your souls because your souls are no longer considered 'living', rather undead, reanimated, or Returned.
"In short, you two are technically, clinically, legally, and by all religious standards… deceased." He stated simply. "But, that shouldn't be an issue… yes, yes, a good link between worlds should suffice. Yes, a resonance between both worlds for both aspects of the soul to channel its energy through!"
He grinned widely and began rushing about the lab space, gathering knarled bits and bobs of various materials and plants with blocks of wood to present to the pair. He gave Adrian the first tray and explained how to focus on the cores.
Adrian closed his eyes and held out his hand, focusing on the connections. After a few moments, three objects seemed to vibrate slightly. Ollivander picked one up with tweezers and noted how the air around the materials rippled slightly with heat. "Ah, curious."
He repeated it with the wood blocks and selected a pale white block of wood. Ollivander nodded in thought as he picked that up as well.
He placed the three on a metal pan and showed the core materials. "Now, Mr. Thresher, you have selected three objects; one representing Life and the realm of the Living, one representing Death and the realm of the Afterlife, and one representing a creature related in-between."
The wards stared at the pan, showing a black feather, a single black hair, and a red string of cartilage.
Ollivander pointed to each, "This is a feather of a raven, representing the aspect of Death. Ravens being commonly associated with death and, in some cultures, representing the spirits of the deceased or murdered."
He picked up the red piece of flesh, ignoring the gross, squishiness and red fluids, "This is a heartstring. And not a dragon heartstring, such as those up front, but a human hearstring."
Adrian looked slightly nauseated. Ollivander waved it away, "No, no, it's not 'dark' as you'd imagine… well, not in this particular case. It's actually a very good sign. The heartstring represents life, the heartbeat, and, most of all, love."
Nick and Harry choked on their tongues, suppressing the laughing fit. The others were, likewise, trying to suppress incredulous laughter. Jeff managed to cough out, "Love? I'm pretty sure Ay is as far away from love as you can get."
Ollivander shrugged, "Perhaps he only appears that cold and holds love in his heart," More snickers ", or perhaps it was during his life."
Adrian stopped his embarrassed scowling and his eyes bored into the wandmaker's, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's entirely possible that because this particular core resonated with yourself, more particularly your aspect of Life, is because during life you held a more romantic love for someone."
The amnesiac stepped closer, "What else does it say? Where was it? Who was it?"
"I'm afraid it doesn't go into specifics. Even then, it's just speculation." Ollivander frowned. "Still, this is your Life core." He set the gross stringy bit of heart on the pan and picked up the hair with tweezers.
"This is the Binding agent." He looked it over letting it gleam in the light, "A single hair from the tail of a Grimm. A remarkable spectral dog that haunts graveyards and shepherds the spirits of the dead to the Beyond. It's considered bad luck to see one, as wizards believe it's an omen of impending death. Perhaps so, perhaps the Grimm decides to 'shepherd' their soul a little early. Either way, these creatures are a solid binding between Life and Death."
He picked up the wood block, "This wood is rowan. It's a remarkable wood in that it's associated with working for spirits of the dead. Though, I suppose it is rather sensible. Your form is largely incorporeal in the proper sense so you qualify as a spirit, whereas your friend, Mr. Brahms, is actually corporeal with a reanimated body. Now," He clapped his hands together excitedly, "let's work a little magic, shall we?"
He took the pan to a small workbench, this time facing the group so they could see what happened.
He took out an odd-looking instrument that resembled three hooks twirled together. He placed the feather on one hook, the heartstring on the other hook, and the hair on the final hook. He set the other ends of the materials into a similar device mirroring the first. Then, in one fluid motion, he pulled the two further apart, making the hooks twirl the cores together quickly. The feather, hair, and heartstring melded together and glowed red as they elongated into one, single, long thread of crimson.
The wandmaker removed the thread from the instrument and snipped a length about a foot long. He then took an empty casing of rowan wood and snaked the thread through the wood expertly. He took out a different metal pan and a bottle. He poured the deep, red liquid into the pan and set the wand in the solution.
The scent of alcohol made their noses scrunch. Ollivander laughed, "Yes, it's wine. It's just some vintage, hand-pressed wine from the Isles of Greece, crafted by the ancient Winemakers of the Gods hidden among the mountains of Olympus." He waved away the looks of incredulity on the group's faces. "Oh, don't worry, it's a sickle a bottle in the Alley. It's the same as common brand-name wine at a muggle store. Though, it's pure and holds certain magical properties."
He watched the wine soak into the wand, "In the ancient times, wine was offered as a sacrifice to the dead. This will serve as a congealing agent between the cores, helping to form an accepting bond between them. Ah!" He exclaimed as the wand glowed an ember-like orange. "It's done."
He picked up the wand from the solution and wiped it off with a cloth before presenting it to Adrian. The boy looked at it with skepticism before reaching out and touching it. Instantly, a small wisp of orange flame flew out and circled his him like a fiery canary bird before flaring and disappearing. He stared at the wand in amazement, breathing in awe. Ollivander smiled happily, "Another truly bonded wand."
He turned to Nikolaus, "And now, for you Mr. Brahms. Again, you will need a binding between Life and Death, but with something more associated with corporeal death, I see." He seemed to peer right through the undead corpse, before nodding thoughtfully, "Yes, yes, I see you have an affinity with insects. Naturally, I suppose worms, beetles, and larvae are strongly associated with a corpse, though not necessarily in the friendliest way."
He wandered around the room a bit more slowly, seeming to pick out several and place some back, muttering 'no, no, too incorporeal' before he finally decided on several and placed them on a tray before the young man. Nikolaus repeated the action his friends demonstrated, holding his hand out and feeling the connections. Finally, three objects on the tray seemed to glow in response; a flower, a bottle of powder, and a smaller vial of white dust.
Ollivander looked on in keen interest, "Excellent, excellent! Now, a wood."
He placed several blocks in front of the faux 11-year-old. Another moment allowed him to pick out a block of pale yellow wood. Ollivander nodded excitedly as he picked up that block, "Oh, wonderful!"
He presented the three cores and the wood on the tray before turning and looking up to Nick happily, "Yours are perhaps the most cohesive blend so far! Everything symbolically harmonizes."
He adjusted the tray in front of him and pointed out each, "The flower is a narcissus, or commonly called a daffodil. It's the Life core, associated with rebirth and new beginnings."
He picked up the jar of coarse, gray-white powder. "Now, this is the crushed powder of dried coffin fly larvae. This is most definitely your Death core. Coffin flies are tiny insects, capable of burrowing into the ground to reach the corpse and lay its eggs, hence the name 'coffin fly'."
He picked up the vial of fine, pure-white powder. "This is the dust from white moths' wings. This is your binding agent. Moths have been associated with death omens across thousands of cultures. However, in the Christian motifs, the pupae or cocoon state of a moth represents death. Meaning the moth that emerges represents the soul emerging from the confines of the mortal, or larval, state."
The old man finally picked up the block of wood, "And finally, the wood you have is yew. Yew is somewhat associated with darker aspects of death, but also rebirth and restoration."
He smiled, "As you can see, your motifs are largely correlated together in aspects of your rebirth and the insect's affects on the mortal remains of an individual after death."
He took the daffodil and cut off the shriveled flower head before splitting it vertically down the middle with a gleaming, silver knife like a vanilla bean pod. He shook out a handful of the gray powdered larvae and carefully poured it into the slit of the bean. He closed the stalk and then lightly coated it in the pearly, iridescent white dust.
Taking a different instrument, he crafted the prepared stalk into a single, light blue thread which he snaked through the yew wand casing. He poured another pan of wine and allowed the wand to soak before it glowed a vibrant, cobalt blue.
At last, the old man picked up the wand and presented it to Nick. As soon as he touched it, a smoky white image of a butterfly blossomed from the tip before fluttering its wings once and fading into wisps. Nick stared at the wand as he felt the connection, "Amazing," He whispered.
Ollivander beamed happily at the three magnificent creations he'd seen used and loved. "These wands are much more powerful than the wands you'll find in the front of my shop, so don't be startled by weaker responses from other students and, perhaps, try to play it off so you don't come off as overpowered."
He turned towards the large group, who watched the display avidly. "I'm afraid that's all. Let us return to the living area. Would anyone like some tea? I believe I have some of these delicious raspberry biscuits I bought from the wife of the trunk store owner."
Sally eagerly nodded and he chuckled as he led them back up to the magically enlarged table and brought out a tin of cookies with red jam in the middle and set the cast iron kettle on a stand in the center. This time, everyone was much more at ease and some took Slendy's lead and tried a cookie and the tea, which Ollivander stated was a calming blend of fennel and chamomile flower.
The three Hogwarts students showed everyone their wands up-close, Harry even experimentally waving it and accidentally upsetting a stack of books. Ollivander reassured him it was fine and simply fixed the stack with a wave of his own wand. "Though, I do recommend you not try any spells until you get to Hogwarts." He warned, seriously.
Harry nodded along with Nick and Adrian. At length Adrian asked something that had been burning in his mind. "Mr. Ollivander?" The man looked up from his tea, "When you said I loved someone, is there anything you could tell me about it?"
The wandmaker set down his tea and peered at the boy with his moon-like eyes. He hummed thoughtfully. "I can't say for certain. Love is tricky, especially at your age."
"I'm actually around 15 or so." Adrian corrected, motioning to his altered appearance.
Ollivander smiled, "Yes, I know." Adrian started to speak, but the wandmaker held up a hand, "No, I do not know your exact age. I'm sorry. I'd tell you all that I can, but all that I see is what you already know. You are dead and cannot move on for an unknown reason, you have an affinity with fire, and you had some form of life you can't seem to remember. Aside from that, I'm afraid I can't help you much."
The corporeal wraith leaned back in his chair, dejectedly, and mumbled a 'thanks' to the old man. Ollivander sighed in sympathy. "Now, now, don't feel down about it. Love and life is about discovery and finding meaning with others. While I can't guarantee you will find it, just know that it does exist and may help."
"Any experience?" Jeff asked, grinning.
The old man surprised him, by returning the wily grin, "Now, young man, don't forget that even if I am ancient by all standards, I was young once, too."
He sat back, reflecting on an unseen memory, "The Sinastrias were a beautiful race. Completely made of stardust itself, drifting peacefully through time, space, and the cosmos… They're gone now… I loved one of them, her name is Anwen. I'm not sure where she is now…"
He trailed off, misty-eyed. After a minute, he loudly cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, a trip down memory lane is a rather long journey for me."
Slender spoke through the silence, "Researcher-"
"Oh, please no, just call me Garrick or Ollivander," the old entity requested.
"Very well, Mr. Ollivander, about your payment-?"
The wandmaker waved his hand dismissively, "No payment for a friend. The opportunity to craft a true wand is more than reward enough. Though, I would appreciate a visit on occasion to see how well the wands hold up.
"It's not often you see a working combination between life and death. I'm interested to see how it turns out." He extracted a promise from them to visit or owl every so often.
He gave Eyeless Jack one last book, a thin blue book on the basics of wands and wandlore. EJ was excitedly skimming through it when Slender reminded him to put it away for appearances. The eyeless doctor blushed in embarrassment, before putting away the book, antsy to get an opportunity to start researching the books and the crystal.
Ollivander followed them to the door and before they opened it, returning to Diagon Alley, he addressed their guardian, "Slenderman, I need to tell you that I'm expected to contact Dumbledore to report the wand sold to Mr. Potter and the other two wards. Now-" He held up a hand, silencing the protest. "what I will tell him, is that the Phoenix wand was accepted by Mr. Potter. I never said he'd use it." He winked, putting the taller entity at ease.
"Now, for Mr. Thresher and Mr. Brahms, you should refer to your wands as just 'heartstring' for Adrian, and 'feather' for Nikolaus, even if 'feather' is a bit of a stretch from moth wings. Just let people assume, you'll find that rather dreadfully common in the magical world." He sighed, "Still, it will work to our advantage this time. Now, goodbye, my friend."
He waved goodbye to them as they made their way through the droves of people in the Alley. He went swiftly to a fireplace in the corner and threw in some floo dust. "Albus Dumbledore's Office!" He called.
A moment later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire. "Ah, Garrick, good news, I presume?"
"The Phoenix combination made a connection with Mr. Potter." Ollivander assured him. Internally, he smiled. It was technically true.
Dumbledore nodded happily, "Excellent, excellent, and the other two?"
"Their names are Nikolaus Brahms and Adrian Thresher and they received feather with yew and heartstring with rowan, respectively."
"Yew?" Dumbledore's voice wavered.
Ollivander resisted the urge to sigh, "Yes, Dumbledore, but might I remind you that plenty of wands I've sold have been yew wood and yielded great, powerful, and good witches and wizards."
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore nodded acceptingly. "And how was Mr. Lindermann?"
The wandmaker acted puzzled, "Well, he seemed like a perfectly capable guardian to me. Why?"
"No reason, no reason," Dumbledore evaded, his eyes narrowing in thought. He returned his attention to the entity, "Thank you for telling me, Garrick."
"Of course, Albus."
The Headmaster frowned just a tad at the informal name before the floo was cut off and he disappeared from the fireplace.
Ollivander dusted his knees off and walked to the window at the head of the shop. He saw his old friend's tall form make its way through the crowded street back to the Cauldron. Many smaller forms sticking close and gliding through the masses.
"Good Luck," He said to the empty shop.
He flipped the small sign at the door from "Closed" to "Open" and stepped away.
He returned to the shadows and his form melted into them, waiting for the next patron to walk in to the silent, seemingly empty wand shop of Diagon Alley.
AN: Those slightly confused on the references… know that John Hurt played Ollivander.
And even though he only had one episode in the entire series… that episode was glorious.
I wanted to at least say congratulations to Mr. Hurt for his successful pancreatic cancer treatment and we wish him and his wife, Anwen Rees-Myers, well.
The smoky butterfly was inspired by the Nightmare Before Christmas
An interesting science fact, the whole wave/anti-wave canceling each other out is an actual phenomenon with sound, light, and any kind of wave. It's how noise-cancelling headphones work. Look up "Wave Interference Water" for cool examples of water ripples doing this, also called "The Double Slit Experiment".
YouTube channel Veritasium uploaded a pretty popular video on this called "The Original Double Slit Experiment". (Not endorsing)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
-Crow