"There you are got all your books," Erin jumped at the sound of her aunt's
voice.
"Um yeah."
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," snapped Erin defensively.
"All right, sorry do you want to go get your wand," offer her aunt, Erin
nodded. They crossed the street and a few shops down was a small shop it
had Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382.B.C scrolled on the door
and a single wand on a red velvet cushion in the window. It was one of
those shops that are so fancy and exclusive that it does need a flashy sign
or an eye catching display.
"Are you sure this is the shop for us," asked Erin staring warily at the
gold writing.
"Of course," snapped her aunt gripping her hand and pulling her in. The
inside was tiny and dusty with an air of oppressive silence; the walls were
covered with shelves pack with thin narrow boxes.
"What do I need a wand for anyway?" asked Erin peering around the
nervously.
"Wizards and Witches use wand to channel there magic," explained her aunt.
"But if my um accidents at school were caused by magic does it mean I've
used magic without a wand," queried Erin.
"Yes, but you had no control wands give us control some spells and magic
can be done without wands but most can't," explained her aunt who was
peering around also as if looking around for the shop keeper.
"Did my mother buy her wand from here.?"
"Mahogany 10 inches unicorn horn that was mother's combination if my memory
serves me and it usually does," came a soft voice from behind Erin an old
man had appeared from behind a shelve of boxes he was a pretty non-script
not some Erin would have noticed in the street except for his eyes they
were large and glowed with a faint pale white light.
"This is Mr Ollivander Erin," Aunt Megan told her.
"Oh right hi," mumbled Erin.
"Indeed," he answered looking down his nose at her "I sold your mother her
first wand Ms Tailor'Conner and your aunt over there. You look very like
your mother who's lose the wizarding world still feels."
"Thankyou am I suppose to choose a wand," Erin asked desperate to change to
subject.
"No, the wand chooses the wizard not the other way around now what shall we
start with," he rubbed his chin as he peered around the shelves "Ah eleven
inches unicorn hair Beechwood very flexible almost whippy." Erin examined
the long wooden rod he had placed in her hand.
"What do you want me to do with it," queried Erin.
"Just give it a wave my dear," answered her aunt they both watched Erin
without blinking, Erin shrugged and gave the wand a slight wave a bell
sitting on the counter exploded.
"That's not the wand for you I think," said Mr Ollivander snatched the wand
from her Erin let him take it the remains of the bell were still
smouldering on the table.
"Let's try this oak nine inches phoenix tail," he handed another wand to
her which was a bit shorter. Erin cautious gave it a wave a chair at the
back of the jump and landed in a heap of splinters.
"Not quite what were looking for," he told her snatching the wand. This
process went on for what felt like hours every time Erin pick up a wand
something disastrous happened.
"I don't quite remember ever having such a difficult customer but no matter
will find a wand for you," muttered Mr Ollivander as he began to shift
through another pile of wands. Erin signed then something caught her eye it
was only a glitter on the edge of her vision but as she looked up she saw a
wand box shoved aside on the top of the shelve it seemed to glow with a
golden light.
"Can I try that wand?" asked Erin pointing at the wand box on top of the
shelve.
"That one Ebony and dragon heartstrings 12 inches, I don't think you want
that one it's a contrary wand only preforms when it wants to a bad mixture
of wood and magical element," he explained.
"Can I try it anyway," insisted Erin.
"Very well but I'm telling you it won't work and I've been selling wands
all my life," he grumbled as he scaled a small step ladder to retrieve the
wand. He took it out of its box with a shiver and handed it to Erin. As so
as she touched it a warm feeling rushed through her, she waved it and
bright purple and pink sparks flew.
"Well that has never happened before I was about ready to put that wand on
the scrap heap well well."he stopped he seemed to be at a loss for words.
Erin's aunt payed 10 galleons for the wand and then they left the shop.
"Well that's it isn't it we have everything on the list," asked Erin.
"Yes, do you want a pet," asked her aunt.
"Do witches have pets," asked Erin doubtfully.
"Yes, we keep all kinds of magical animals as well as rats, owls, cats and
toads," her aunt informed her.
"And if I have an owl can I also use it to carry my mail too," added Erin.
"Yes we'll go to Magical Menagerie they have all kinds of magical animals
you can take your pick," her aunt said decidedly as she began to push her
way through the crowds of wizards and witches. The Magical Menagerie was
like a very crowded pet shop full of very strange animals, the noise level
was appalling a constant orchestra of squeaks, whistles and hisses. Every
imaginable animal was in the shop in a tank there was a giant turtle with a
jewel encrusted shell, a cage was full with small clever looking black rats
that kept appearing and disappearing, there was a small glass container
with a toad in it who kept changing colours one minute it was dark purple
next it was emerald green. There was a counter at the back of the shop
manned by a witch who wore bright red robes with the words Magical
Menagerie glittering at the front.
"Hello how may I help you," asked the witch who wore a huge smile which
looked slightly strained around the edges.
"Good morning my niece is going to Hogwarts soon and she was looking for an
appropriate pet," her aunt told the shopkeeper witch.
"Are in that case I would recommend an owl, they carry mail require very
little expert care and live a relatively long time," the witch told them
pointing to a stack of cages fully of owl of all sizes and shapes.
"Okay I wouldn't. aaahhhahahah," pain seared through Erin's left arm, a
feathered fluttering creature seemed to be digging something sharp into
Erin's arm. Erin tried to get a grip on the feathered object but failed it
continued to dig what Erin though were it's talons deeper into Erin's arm,
when it seemed to have done the maximum damaged it removed it's talons and
gave a dignified screech and returned to a perch on a window. Of course
this all happened in a matter of seconds.
"What the hell was that," yelled Erin as blood began to make her sweater
slick.
"Oh, how wonderful," declared the shopkeeper witch at the same time.
"Was that a Zenith Hawk?" Erin's aunt asked the shopkeeper.
"Indeed it was, your niece is very fortunate," the shopkeeper replied.
"Would someone explain how having that thing claw me, makes me fortunate,"
demanded Erin she could see the thing that had attacked her now it was a
hawk with golden feathers and talons now stained red with her blood in had
a sharp curved beak and deep golden eyes.
"I though Zenith Hawks were rare, how did you come across one who had not
yet bonded with a wizard or witch," asked Erin's aunt completely ignoring
Erin's demand.
"It's egg just appeared on my shop doorstep and he's been here ever since,
all he ever does is screech at people I'll be happy to be rid of him,"
explained the shopkeeper.
"Can someone please explain to me what is going on," demanded Erin.
"What oh yes my dear it's a Zenith Hawk there a cross breed of phoenixes
and normal hawks they have what I suppose you call a sixth sense, when
there in the adolescent stage of growth they bond with a human and stay
with it for life protecting it," explained her aunt.
"But it didn't bond with me it attack me," argued Erin.
"Yes exactly to take the blood of the one it wishes to bond with is it's
way of bonding, he'll stay with you for life now," the shopkeeper told her.
"But I don't want it, I'm not taking it," argued Erin as she wiped the blood off her arm with a handkerchief The shopkeeper signed "Please explain it to her." "Erin your very lucky only one in a million get chose by a Zenith Hawk," she turned to the shopkeeper "how much." "He's free I'm just glad he's leaving," insisted the shopkeeper. Erin settled into a grumpy sulk it was clear that nothing she could say would change her aunt's mind. While the shopkeeper let the Zenith Hawk go for free she charged top dollar for the leather handler's gloves and the perch.
"Now darling I'm just going to drop you off at The Leaky Cauldron and then I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow to take you to King Cross I've just got to go to a meeting," Erin's aunt told her as they hurried down the street, to Erin's disgust the Zenith Hawk had settled on her shoulder.
"But I don't want it, I'm not taking it," argued Erin as she wiped the blood off her arm with a handkerchief The shopkeeper signed "Please explain it to her." "Erin your very lucky only one in a million get chose by a Zenith Hawk," she turned to the shopkeeper "how much." "He's free I'm just glad he's leaving," insisted the shopkeeper. Erin settled into a grumpy sulk it was clear that nothing she could say would change her aunt's mind. While the shopkeeper let the Zenith Hawk go for free she charged top dollar for the leather handler's gloves and the perch.
"Now darling I'm just going to drop you off at The Leaky Cauldron and then I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow to take you to King Cross I've just got to go to a meeting," Erin's aunt told her as they hurried down the street, to Erin's disgust the Zenith Hawk had settled on her shoulder.
