Chapter Six
THE WAND
On Saturday morning, early as usual, Peter, Lily and Margaret left home in the direction of the train station. Petunia was still angry, so she wouldn't listen to any reason and remained home.
The train journey was, for Lily, even more unbereable than the first time because no uncertainties were now occupying her mind. She felt like a child who has received a very beautiful present but isn't allowed to open it immediately. The hours passed very slowly as she continuosly asked, "How long does it take?"
Finally, they got to London. Lily rushed into a taxi without waiting her parents. Peter gave the name of the book shop near the Leaky Cauldron, in order to avoid questions form the driver.
Once arrived at destination, Peter had to grab firmly his daughter till he paid the taxi. He had been explained by Professor McGonagall that Muggles can't usually SEE the Leaky Cauldron, so he thought it was better to prevent Lily from entering it with the driver watching.
When they got inside the pub, they felt a bit uneasy under the disapproving look of some witches, but after Lily gave the admittance sheet to the bartender, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.
Tom, the bartender's son, guided them to the small court behind the pub and opened the wall for them, teaching Lily how to do it when they had to come back.
Margaret was astonished as they walked through the main street of Diagon Alley. Lily run around the whole time, passing from a shop to another and asking if they could buy her an acting doll or a flying rabbit. Even if he hiself would have liked to take many of those things, Peter was firm: first the school books. So, after a quick trip to the Gringott's, they went on looking for school material.
* * *
"Oh, my... where is that shop? We must've walked this street at least four times till now!" they had bought almost everything was written in Hogwarts' letter, plus some extras, and the only thing left was a wand.
"I'm sure Professor McGonagall showed us were to buy it. It was a particular shop... Olli-something..." Peter looked dejected the crowded street.
"Come on, it must be somewhere here," said Margaret. "Lily, where are you going?" her daughter was running towards a black-dressed boy who was watching a window with his parents.
"I'm gonna ask!" shouted Lily to her mother. Margaret quickly followed her, a bit worried. You never know, expecially in a wizards' street...
"Excuse me, do you know where I can buy a wand?" asked Lily smiling. The three turned to her. The two parents looked closely at her, while the boy returned her smile.
"Lily! That isn't the way! Please, excuse her. She's a bit excited." Margaret had reached her daughter "Come on, Lily, first you should present yourself"
"Oh, right... er... sorry. I'm Lily Evans, nice to meet you. Do you know where I can buy a wand?" Margaret shot a look to kill at the her, the boy smiled.
"You're... Muggles, aren't you?" the man asked, not very politely.
"Yes. Our daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts," said Peter, coming closer. He was as gentle as possible, but he felt a bit harsh towards the two. The young boy, instead, seemed to like them.
"Of course I know where to buy a wand!"
"She's been well-mannerd by presenting herself. Don't you think you should do the same?" said the witch.
"Ehm... my name's Severus Snipe. Nice to meet you too. If you need a wand, then you gotta go to Ollivander's."
"Ollivander's! That's the name I was looking for! Thank you, Severus" said Peter smiling "Could you please show us where is it? If it isn't a problem for you, of course." Lily's father looked at the average wizard in the eyes, smiling.
"I can take you there! Can I, mum?" The witch looked at her son, then to the Muggles, then to her son again.
"Yes, of course," she said in a whisper, "but come back here at once, then!"
"Thank you very much. It was a pleasure to meet you," said Peter, following the young wizard.
The four moved through the crowd, Severus and Lily first.
"Are you really a wizard?" asked the little girl.
"Of course! My family is all wizard for generations!"
"And can you already make some magic?" asked Lily, amazed.
"Yep! But what I'm best in is making potions!"
"Potions?"
"Yeah, you know... you take two or three ingredients, you mix 'em up, boil and you got it. The possibilities are almost infinite, much more than wand- made magics! Oh, here we are. This is Ollivander."
The group stopped in front of a narrow and dirty shop. Only a single wand was displayed in the dusty window. 'Ollivander's maker of fine wands since 382 b.C.' was the sign.
"Oh, it's... dusty," cryed Lily with disgust
"It's ancient," replied Severus. "I have to go, now. Mum's waiting. I hope to meet you at school!"
"Me too! Bye!" shouted Lily as Severus walked away.
"Well, I think we'd better hurry, otherwise we'll miss the train," said Margaret. The three entered the shop. The local was very small and empty. No one was behind the desk, so they started looking around.
"Er, hello? Anybody there?" called Peter hopefully
The air inside was heavy, as if it was full of a secret magic.
Suddendly, a man appeared in front of them. He was a very old man, but his faded eyes had a kind of inner light that enlighted the space around him.
"Oh, other Muggles. Hogwart's having many this year! So, what's your name, little lady?" he said, smiling to Lily
"Lily. Lily Evans"
"You're left-handed?"
"No."
"Very well. Let's see..." he took a tape measure from a pocket and started measuring her right arm, then the hand, the fingers, the bust and everything could be measured in an eleven year old girl.
"Ehm, excuse me. Could you please make it a little faster? We have a train to take, you know..."
Mr. Ollivander turned to Peter, while the tape measure continued on with the work by its self.
"You'd better know that choosing a wand is not something to be taken lightly. Using the wrong wand could be very dangerous and, after all, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, not the opposite." Peter swallowed.
Mr. Ollivander went toward the shelves and started shuffling boxes. After a while, he turned with several packs in his hands
"That's enough" said, and the tape measure flied to his pocket.
"Try this. Mahogany, twelve inches, good for Levitation." Lily took it in her hand. After a moment, the old man grabbed it again, giving her another one.
"No, no. Try this one... no, maybe this one." He went on handing her wands and taking them away for awhile.
"You're a difficult case, you know? Alright, I like challenges!" exclaimed Mr. Ollivander, and he went to take another group of wands.
"Let's see," he said, and the game began again.
After the third time Ollivander went back to get other wands, Margaret impatiently asked, "What is it that you are looking for?"
The old wizard looked her in the eye. She looked away.
"You'll see when we find the right one," he said firmly, and then he turned, looking at the shelves, muttering. "And what if..." He took a really old dusty package from the shelf.
"Try with this" he handed her an old wand. Just as Lily took it, she felt an incredible heat inside her fingers. She moved the wand around and it lightened the room in a flash of green sparks.
Lily was very happy to get her wand, for everyone had realized it was HER wand, and her parents were happy, too--happy to go. Ollivander was the only one serious. Margaret saw his look and asked:
"Anything wrong?" she asked, worried of having to remain there longer.
"No. No, it's just strange."
"What's strange?" asked Peter
"I made that wand about a thousand years ago, with gryphon's hair. I had two hairs, and with the other I made a second wand. Mahogany. Eleven inches. Flexible. Good for Transfiguration. It had passed so much time that I thought that they did not work, since nobody had taken them before. Then, in just one week, I sold them both."
"Who took the other?" asked Margaret
"A young wizard. Same age as your daughter. His name was Potter. James Potter."
THE WAND
On Saturday morning, early as usual, Peter, Lily and Margaret left home in the direction of the train station. Petunia was still angry, so she wouldn't listen to any reason and remained home.
The train journey was, for Lily, even more unbereable than the first time because no uncertainties were now occupying her mind. She felt like a child who has received a very beautiful present but isn't allowed to open it immediately. The hours passed very slowly as she continuosly asked, "How long does it take?"
Finally, they got to London. Lily rushed into a taxi without waiting her parents. Peter gave the name of the book shop near the Leaky Cauldron, in order to avoid questions form the driver.
Once arrived at destination, Peter had to grab firmly his daughter till he paid the taxi. He had been explained by Professor McGonagall that Muggles can't usually SEE the Leaky Cauldron, so he thought it was better to prevent Lily from entering it with the driver watching.
When they got inside the pub, they felt a bit uneasy under the disapproving look of some witches, but after Lily gave the admittance sheet to the bartender, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.
Tom, the bartender's son, guided them to the small court behind the pub and opened the wall for them, teaching Lily how to do it when they had to come back.
Margaret was astonished as they walked through the main street of Diagon Alley. Lily run around the whole time, passing from a shop to another and asking if they could buy her an acting doll or a flying rabbit. Even if he hiself would have liked to take many of those things, Peter was firm: first the school books. So, after a quick trip to the Gringott's, they went on looking for school material.
* * *
"Oh, my... where is that shop? We must've walked this street at least four times till now!" they had bought almost everything was written in Hogwarts' letter, plus some extras, and the only thing left was a wand.
"I'm sure Professor McGonagall showed us were to buy it. It was a particular shop... Olli-something..." Peter looked dejected the crowded street.
"Come on, it must be somewhere here," said Margaret. "Lily, where are you going?" her daughter was running towards a black-dressed boy who was watching a window with his parents.
"I'm gonna ask!" shouted Lily to her mother. Margaret quickly followed her, a bit worried. You never know, expecially in a wizards' street...
"Excuse me, do you know where I can buy a wand?" asked Lily smiling. The three turned to her. The two parents looked closely at her, while the boy returned her smile.
"Lily! That isn't the way! Please, excuse her. She's a bit excited." Margaret had reached her daughter "Come on, Lily, first you should present yourself"
"Oh, right... er... sorry. I'm Lily Evans, nice to meet you. Do you know where I can buy a wand?" Margaret shot a look to kill at the her, the boy smiled.
"You're... Muggles, aren't you?" the man asked, not very politely.
"Yes. Our daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts," said Peter, coming closer. He was as gentle as possible, but he felt a bit harsh towards the two. The young boy, instead, seemed to like them.
"Of course I know where to buy a wand!"
"She's been well-mannerd by presenting herself. Don't you think you should do the same?" said the witch.
"Ehm... my name's Severus Snipe. Nice to meet you too. If you need a wand, then you gotta go to Ollivander's."
"Ollivander's! That's the name I was looking for! Thank you, Severus" said Peter smiling "Could you please show us where is it? If it isn't a problem for you, of course." Lily's father looked at the average wizard in the eyes, smiling.
"I can take you there! Can I, mum?" The witch looked at her son, then to the Muggles, then to her son again.
"Yes, of course," she said in a whisper, "but come back here at once, then!"
"Thank you very much. It was a pleasure to meet you," said Peter, following the young wizard.
The four moved through the crowd, Severus and Lily first.
"Are you really a wizard?" asked the little girl.
"Of course! My family is all wizard for generations!"
"And can you already make some magic?" asked Lily, amazed.
"Yep! But what I'm best in is making potions!"
"Potions?"
"Yeah, you know... you take two or three ingredients, you mix 'em up, boil and you got it. The possibilities are almost infinite, much more than wand- made magics! Oh, here we are. This is Ollivander."
The group stopped in front of a narrow and dirty shop. Only a single wand was displayed in the dusty window. 'Ollivander's maker of fine wands since 382 b.C.' was the sign.
"Oh, it's... dusty," cryed Lily with disgust
"It's ancient," replied Severus. "I have to go, now. Mum's waiting. I hope to meet you at school!"
"Me too! Bye!" shouted Lily as Severus walked away.
"Well, I think we'd better hurry, otherwise we'll miss the train," said Margaret. The three entered the shop. The local was very small and empty. No one was behind the desk, so they started looking around.
"Er, hello? Anybody there?" called Peter hopefully
The air inside was heavy, as if it was full of a secret magic.
Suddendly, a man appeared in front of them. He was a very old man, but his faded eyes had a kind of inner light that enlighted the space around him.
"Oh, other Muggles. Hogwart's having many this year! So, what's your name, little lady?" he said, smiling to Lily
"Lily. Lily Evans"
"You're left-handed?"
"No."
"Very well. Let's see..." he took a tape measure from a pocket and started measuring her right arm, then the hand, the fingers, the bust and everything could be measured in an eleven year old girl.
"Ehm, excuse me. Could you please make it a little faster? We have a train to take, you know..."
Mr. Ollivander turned to Peter, while the tape measure continued on with the work by its self.
"You'd better know that choosing a wand is not something to be taken lightly. Using the wrong wand could be very dangerous and, after all, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, not the opposite." Peter swallowed.
Mr. Ollivander went toward the shelves and started shuffling boxes. After a while, he turned with several packs in his hands
"That's enough" said, and the tape measure flied to his pocket.
"Try this. Mahogany, twelve inches, good for Levitation." Lily took it in her hand. After a moment, the old man grabbed it again, giving her another one.
"No, no. Try this one... no, maybe this one." He went on handing her wands and taking them away for awhile.
"You're a difficult case, you know? Alright, I like challenges!" exclaimed Mr. Ollivander, and he went to take another group of wands.
"Let's see," he said, and the game began again.
After the third time Ollivander went back to get other wands, Margaret impatiently asked, "What is it that you are looking for?"
The old wizard looked her in the eye. She looked away.
"You'll see when we find the right one," he said firmly, and then he turned, looking at the shelves, muttering. "And what if..." He took a really old dusty package from the shelf.
"Try with this" he handed her an old wand. Just as Lily took it, she felt an incredible heat inside her fingers. She moved the wand around and it lightened the room in a flash of green sparks.
Lily was very happy to get her wand, for everyone had realized it was HER wand, and her parents were happy, too--happy to go. Ollivander was the only one serious. Margaret saw his look and asked:
"Anything wrong?" she asked, worried of having to remain there longer.
"No. No, it's just strange."
"What's strange?" asked Peter
"I made that wand about a thousand years ago, with gryphon's hair. I had two hairs, and with the other I made a second wand. Mahogany. Eleven inches. Flexible. Good for Transfiguration. It had passed so much time that I thought that they did not work, since nobody had taken them before. Then, in just one week, I sold them both."
"Who took the other?" asked Margaret
"A young wizard. Same age as your daughter. His name was Potter. James Potter."