Chapter 9: "My own wand!"
Charlotte and Katherine both walked out of Madam Malkin's and, with Katherine's mother behind them, walked down the seemingly endless street.
"So," Charlotte asked, "Where is Ollivanders?"
"That's easy. We're almost there. Look!" Katherine said, pointing to her right. Surely enough, there was a small shop with a sign hanging above the door that said in peeling gold letters, "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C."
"Wait, 382 B.C.?!" Charlotte cried in surprise.
"Yeah, they're that good. Why do you ask?" questioned Katherine.
"N-nothing... it's just a little weird. That's a very long time..."
Katherine raised one eyebrow at Charlotte, and shrugged it off. For someone so used to magic, that sort of thing didn't shock her at all.
The two walked into the shop, after Katherine's mother said that she would meet back with her at Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Katherine's sister had gone earlier.
"Good afternoon," called a soft voice from the back of the shop. An elderly man with large, shining eyes appeared from out of the dark.
"Miss Varady, will you be purchasing your own wand this year?" he asked.
"Yes, finally," Katherine sighed.
"And where is Jenna today?"
"Down at Eeylops, Mr. Ollivander."
"Aah. Now, who is this friend of yours?" he asked, looking over at Charlotte. His eyes would not blink, and this made her nervous. Tugging at a piece of her red hair, she smiled, and looked over at one of the many shelves.
"This is Charlotte Talon. She'll be needing a wand, too." Katherine said.
"Hello," Charlotte said quietly.
"Good afternoon, Charlotte," Mr. Ollivander said with his unblinking eyes. Charlotte shuddered as he continued. "Now, let's get started, shall we? Katherine, you will be first."
"Alright!" Katherine cried.
Suddenly, a long tape measure appeared, landing in Mr. Ollivander's bony hands.
"Wand hand, Miss Varady?"
"Right."
The tape measure came to life at once. Instantly, it began to measure Katherine in some very odd places. Including the area between her eyebrows! When it had finished, it landed in Mr. Ollivander's hand once more.
"Wait one moment," he said.
Katherine squealed with delight. "I'm getting my wand! I've been waiting forever for this!" she said.
Mr. Ollivander returned carrying four thin boxes. He set them down on his counter, all but one. Taking the cover off the box at hand, he held it out for Katherine.
She took out what appeared to be a long, slender piece of wood.
"Ebony and Phoenix feather. Seven and-a-half inches. Give it a whirl," he told her.
Katherine flicked the wand, but nothing happened.
"Try this one," Mr. Ollivander said, taking out another wand. "Yew and Unicorn hair. Eight inches, very springy."
Again, Katherine gave it a wave, but achieved different results than before. She was showered with gold and red sparks.
"Wonderful!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed, taking her wand and placing it back in it's box. Katherine already seemed to know the price, as she took out seven golden galleons, and placed the box in her bag.
"And now for you, Miss Talon," Mr. Ollivander began, taking out his tape measure. "Wand hand?" he asked.
"Well, I'm right-handed, if that's what you mean," responded Charlotte.
The measuring tape sprung to life once more, and began its strange measurements. This made Charlotte wonder why Mr. Ollivander would need to know how far apart her eyes were.
Mr. Ollivander opened one of the two remaining boxes that Katherine had not tested. Now holding a new wand, he held it out for Charlotte.
"Holly and Unicorn hair. Nine inches, quite supple. Try it out a bit." he said.
Charlotte took the wand and waved it around a few times. After nothing happened, she began to feel very stupid, waving a piece of wood in the air. Mr. Ollivander quickly snatched it back, and took out another one.
"Try this one," he said, handing it to her, "Ash and phoenix feather. Eleven and-a-half inches, whippy."
She flicked it twice, but was surprised with the results. Just as Charlotte waved the wand for the second time, a jet of green light came out of the tip, hitting Mr. Ollivander in the stomach. He was lifted above the ground briefly, and landed on the floor of the shop with a nervous look on his face. He grabbed the edge of his counter to pull himself up, and brushed himself off. Still shocked over what had just happened, he immediately took the wand away from Charlotte, and put it back in its box.
"No, this is definitely not the one," said poor Mr. Ollivander, walking towards the back of the shop. He returned a few moments later with three more boxes.
"We might have more luck with one of these," he said, placing them on the counter. Mr. Ollivander removed a wand from its box, and mumbled something under his breath that Charlotte couldn't understand. Handing her the next wand, he described, "Cedar and Dragon heartstring. Thirteen inches, a very interesting combination. Just take it and give it a wave."
With the new wand at hand, Charlotte hoped for better results. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in this shop all day, being stared at by an old man who hardly spoke.
She held up the wand and gave it a swish. Just as a stream of red and gold sparks emerged from the tip, Katherine clapped, and Charlotte's father walked inside. She looked over at him, and could not hold back her smile.
"See, Dad?" she exclaimed, "My own wand!"
Charlotte and Katherine both walked out of Madam Malkin's and, with Katherine's mother behind them, walked down the seemingly endless street.
"So," Charlotte asked, "Where is Ollivanders?"
"That's easy. We're almost there. Look!" Katherine said, pointing to her right. Surely enough, there was a small shop with a sign hanging above the door that said in peeling gold letters, "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C."
"Wait, 382 B.C.?!" Charlotte cried in surprise.
"Yeah, they're that good. Why do you ask?" questioned Katherine.
"N-nothing... it's just a little weird. That's a very long time..."
Katherine raised one eyebrow at Charlotte, and shrugged it off. For someone so used to magic, that sort of thing didn't shock her at all.
The two walked into the shop, after Katherine's mother said that she would meet back with her at Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Katherine's sister had gone earlier.
"Good afternoon," called a soft voice from the back of the shop. An elderly man with large, shining eyes appeared from out of the dark.
"Miss Varady, will you be purchasing your own wand this year?" he asked.
"Yes, finally," Katherine sighed.
"And where is Jenna today?"
"Down at Eeylops, Mr. Ollivander."
"Aah. Now, who is this friend of yours?" he asked, looking over at Charlotte. His eyes would not blink, and this made her nervous. Tugging at a piece of her red hair, she smiled, and looked over at one of the many shelves.
"This is Charlotte Talon. She'll be needing a wand, too." Katherine said.
"Hello," Charlotte said quietly.
"Good afternoon, Charlotte," Mr. Ollivander said with his unblinking eyes. Charlotte shuddered as he continued. "Now, let's get started, shall we? Katherine, you will be first."
"Alright!" Katherine cried.
Suddenly, a long tape measure appeared, landing in Mr. Ollivander's bony hands.
"Wand hand, Miss Varady?"
"Right."
The tape measure came to life at once. Instantly, it began to measure Katherine in some very odd places. Including the area between her eyebrows! When it had finished, it landed in Mr. Ollivander's hand once more.
"Wait one moment," he said.
Katherine squealed with delight. "I'm getting my wand! I've been waiting forever for this!" she said.
Mr. Ollivander returned carrying four thin boxes. He set them down on his counter, all but one. Taking the cover off the box at hand, he held it out for Katherine.
She took out what appeared to be a long, slender piece of wood.
"Ebony and Phoenix feather. Seven and-a-half inches. Give it a whirl," he told her.
Katherine flicked the wand, but nothing happened.
"Try this one," Mr. Ollivander said, taking out another wand. "Yew and Unicorn hair. Eight inches, very springy."
Again, Katherine gave it a wave, but achieved different results than before. She was showered with gold and red sparks.
"Wonderful!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed, taking her wand and placing it back in it's box. Katherine already seemed to know the price, as she took out seven golden galleons, and placed the box in her bag.
"And now for you, Miss Talon," Mr. Ollivander began, taking out his tape measure. "Wand hand?" he asked.
"Well, I'm right-handed, if that's what you mean," responded Charlotte.
The measuring tape sprung to life once more, and began its strange measurements. This made Charlotte wonder why Mr. Ollivander would need to know how far apart her eyes were.
Mr. Ollivander opened one of the two remaining boxes that Katherine had not tested. Now holding a new wand, he held it out for Charlotte.
"Holly and Unicorn hair. Nine inches, quite supple. Try it out a bit." he said.
Charlotte took the wand and waved it around a few times. After nothing happened, she began to feel very stupid, waving a piece of wood in the air. Mr. Ollivander quickly snatched it back, and took out another one.
"Try this one," he said, handing it to her, "Ash and phoenix feather. Eleven and-a-half inches, whippy."
She flicked it twice, but was surprised with the results. Just as Charlotte waved the wand for the second time, a jet of green light came out of the tip, hitting Mr. Ollivander in the stomach. He was lifted above the ground briefly, and landed on the floor of the shop with a nervous look on his face. He grabbed the edge of his counter to pull himself up, and brushed himself off. Still shocked over what had just happened, he immediately took the wand away from Charlotte, and put it back in its box.
"No, this is definitely not the one," said poor Mr. Ollivander, walking towards the back of the shop. He returned a few moments later with three more boxes.
"We might have more luck with one of these," he said, placing them on the counter. Mr. Ollivander removed a wand from its box, and mumbled something under his breath that Charlotte couldn't understand. Handing her the next wand, he described, "Cedar and Dragon heartstring. Thirteen inches, a very interesting combination. Just take it and give it a wave."
With the new wand at hand, Charlotte hoped for better results. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in this shop all day, being stared at by an old man who hardly spoke.
She held up the wand and gave it a swish. Just as a stream of red and gold sparks emerged from the tip, Katherine clapped, and Charlotte's father walked inside. She looked over at him, and could not hold back her smile.
"See, Dad?" she exclaimed, "My own wand!"
