Part Eight: At Diagon Alley
The boys gaped in awe at the golden streets (they weren't really golden. Just their overactive, awestruck imaginations), and the sparkling storefronts (again their imaginations), and the beautiful and interesting inhabitants (do I really need to tell you?). The first to break from their stupor was, predictably, Ginny (who wasn't even awestruck to begin with. She was just tired of watching everyone stare. (What was this, a manga?). Ginny moved into the deceptively non-golden streets and toward a surprising non-sparkling storefront. It read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. A faded plush pillow with an even older looking brown stick sat in the display window.
A moment later, Wufei shook himself out of the stupor he would never admit was awe-induced, and asked the question on all the clear minds at the moment. "What now?"
Before Harry or any of the others could say anything, Duo's happy voice jumped in.
"I want a wand," he said, turning to grin at the gathered teenagers.
Harry looked indecisive, then firm. "Shouldn't we go get our school books first? We can place our order and come back for them later?" he said.
"That would be the best thing to do first," Hermione seconded.
"I want a wand," Duo argued.
"Duo, we have more important things to do than--" Heero began. He was surprised when Duo interrupted him with a loud whine.
"I want a wand!" he said, stomping his foot angrily. All gathered would have thought it was cute if Duo hadn't been annoying them.
"Duo, please--" Quatre started.
"I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!!!!" Duo cried loudly, drawing the attention of a few passerbys and a man entering the Leaky Cauldron. Trowa, ever the brave lion tamer (completely forgetting that Duo was a snake now) stepped forward, hands raised before him.
"We'll go get your wand Duo," he began, almost smiling when Duo immediately calmed down. "...after--"
"NO! I WANT MY WAND NOW!!!" Duo said forcefully, waving a fist for good measure. There was a collective frustrated sigh, then everyone just nodded. Their new spokesperson, Heero, stepped forward.
"Fine," he said. "Let's get your wand." He looked Duo straight in the eye. "But you will pay for this display later." Duo actually switched from angry to wary in two seconds flat, then straight on to pleading and cute.
"I'm sowwy, Heewo. Pwease fowgive me?" he asked in an absolutely adorably irrefusable voice. Heero, the Perfect Soldier, Pilot of Gundam Wing Zero, looked Duo straight in the eye, adorable face and all, and said...
***THE END***
(J/K) ^_^
"No." He turned away and headed in the direction he had seen Ginny go. "Now stop acting childish long enough to acquire supplies for the mission." Stunned, Duo watched as all the other teens trailed off in twos and threes after Heero. Soon he was deserted aside from his partner for the day, Harry.
"This happen alot?" he asked, eyeing the braided boy through his peripheral vision.
"Yeah," said Duo, sighing. "And I have yet to get my way." Harry laughed, and Duo soon joined in. They started down the ungolden road, heading for Ollivander's Wands.
***
(Little break to type up the important stuff.)
Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry
UNIFORM Sixth Years Will Require: 1. Three sets of plain work robes (black) 2. Two plain pointed hats (black) for day wear 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragonhide or similar) 4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) 5. One animal handling robe (dragonhide or similar) 6. One loose fitting tunic (black) for trips into the forest 7. One vest (brown, dragonhide or similar) 8. One pair of loose breeches or skirt (black) 9. One pair of lace-up boots (dragonhide or similar)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 wand 1 wand polish 1 cauldron, (silver, standard size 6) 1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set of silver scales 1 set of dress robes (house colors required) 1 Advanced Potions Kit
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad OR a rat. Special permission required from a certified wizard awarded atleast an Order of Merlin: Second Class for a pheonix OR a baby dragon (no full grown) OR a falcon/eagle OR any other mythical creature that isn't an immediate danger to Hogwarts and its inhabitants. Please, no dogs.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED A BROOMSTICK OWLED TO THEM IN THE EVENT THAT THEY ARE SELECTED FOR THEIR HOUSE QUIDDITCH TEAM. PREFERABLY A: Firebolt Nimbus Lightning prototype Cumulonimbus Rocket Sonic Static or Windseeker Edition
COURSE BOOKS (DEPENDING ON SELECTED CLASSES) All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6) by Miranda Goshawk A History of Magic (Special and Updated Version 5) by Bathilda Bagshot Advanced Magic Theory* by Adalbert Waffling A Guide To Transfiguration Used By People With Five Years Of Subjection to Transfiguration Classes Under Their Belt by Emeric Switch Jr. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi Plus A Bit More by Phyllida Spore Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger Fantastic Beasts Amd Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection Volume 6 by Quentin Trimble Potions, Pickles and Eye of Newt (N.E.W.T. level Potions) by Dodley Mixer Unfogging the Future* by Cassandra Vablatsky Charmed, I'm Sure by Happigo Lukey Dragons, And Other Fire-Breathing Ravenous Beasts* by Cruella Psiko Constant Vigilance* (Recently Released) by Mad-Eye Moody Looking to the Stars* by Vacante Gazirus The Magic Before Magic (Beginner's Alchemy)* by Paracelsus
* indicate optional class
(Okay, I'm done.)
The group of teens entered the musty and shadowed interior of Ollivanders Wand Shoppe. Harry, Duo and Hermione moved to the front, while the others melted from sight, into various dusty corners and near shadowy walls.
" Ah, Harry Potter. Holly, eleven inches, pheonix feather core. I never forget a wand. No need to hide, my friends. I've been expecting you," said a voice suddenly. All of them, even Heero, jumped slightly as an old man slipped from a shadow they hadn't occupied and stood before them. "I am Ollivander. A pleasure to meet you."
Predictably, Quatre stepped forward and bowed intricately since Ollivander offered no hand to shake. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Ollivander. I am-- "
"--a Winner, for sure. That blond hair, those blue eyes, the aura that just screams empathy," Ollivander interrupted. Suddenly he looked very excited and rushed to the back of the store to rummage through some dusty boxes. He cheered softly when he found his prize and returned to the front of the store. "I could feel which wand was yours from the moment I laid eyes on you, Winner. Cherrywood, seven and a half inches, slightly whippy, unicorn horn piece core." He removed the nicely carved, red tinged stick from the thin, dusty box it came in and handed it to Quatre. "Well, go on. Give it a wave."
Quatre stared at the stick in his hand, a warm, tingling feeling inching up his arm in a comforting way. Without thinking, Quatre knew what the wand wanted. To be free. And it told him how. "Reveal to me your true form. Revelius!" When he said the words, a blue-tinted mist flowed from the wand and pooled at Quatre's feet. After a few moments the mist solidified, then cleared, revealing...the cute fairy from Quatre's letter. She stood, her short blonde hair and big blue eyes glittering. They could just barely see a set of shimmering wings sprouting from her teal blue tunic. She curtsied deeply.
"Good morning, my Master. How may I serve you today?" she asked in a high, squeaky, incredibly expected voice. Quatre smiled.
"You could tell me your name, then come perch on my shoulders," Quatre said. The fairy woman nodded and bowed, then flew up to Quatre's shoulder as she talked. They learned her name was Alecea Greenleaf, a fairy chosen to leave Middle Earth (not the Lord of the Rings one) so that she could bond with a wizard.
"Very nice to meet you, Alecea," Quatre said respectfully. Alecea just nodded her little head. Quatre grinned, closely followed by a now hyper Duo.
"My turn! My turn!" he cried, hopping up and down excitedly.
Ollivander smiled apologetically at Duo. "I'm sorry, young Cassell, but the wands tell me that Bloom is next. Please wait patiently," he explained. He turned to Trowa. "Another Bloom. Those people have children like they have money, I'm afraid. Hold out your wand arm, boy." Trowa obeyed, and an enchanted tape measure started measuring the unibanged boy by itself.
"Hm," Ollivander murmured. He stared at Trowa a good minute before he went in the back and returned with a fairly new wand. "Give this a wave. Hazelwood, ten inches, sturdy, lacewing core." Trowa took the wand and waved it. A gout of flame erupted from it and went straight for Blaise.
"Shite!" the Slytherin cried, tumbling to the side. Ollivander looked mildly embarassed.
"Oh my, not that one. No, no, no. Definitely not." He replaced the wand in the box and scurried off again. He returned with a slightly older box. He removed a short brown wand. "Pine, six inches, flaky. Bat claw core. Give it a wave." Trowa did. Nothing happened. It was out of his hand in a flash. "Oh, this will not do. Not at all." Over the next hour and a half Trowa tried wand after wand until there was a pile of boxes and what they now called 'Trowa's Kindle wood' on the counter. Finally, a dusty Ollivander came out bearing a shiny green box. It had entricate leaves scrawled all over it.
"Just came in from my brother yesterday. Yew, thirteen inches, smooth, elf dust core. Was made for the King of the Forest actually, but what can I say, the wand choses the wizard." The babbling man handed the wand to Trowa, who, after so many tries, knew exactly what to do. With a swish and a flick, sparks emitted from the wand. Ollivander leaned forward to take it when a dense cloud flowed slowly out of the wand. After the cloud was fully formed, it grew darker and began to rain mistily. The mist thickened until it formed a shape. The shape stretched it's graceful neck before it let out a silent cry. The mist solidified to the point where the boys could see what it was. It was a gryphon. A large, ferocious animal with the head of a bird and the body of a lion, and two massive feathered wings. The cousin to the hippogriff and the griffin of myth.
"Wow," Duo breathed.
"Lord Akllyniley will not like this. Not at all," Ollivander muttered. He went on about something involving making a new wand or sacrificing a small child, then straightened.
The gryphon gave a keening cry, then turned to Trowa and cried again.
~Hello, Master. I am Kiaarah, daughter of Linaara of the Gryphons. I am now your familiar. I will serve you until the end of your days, and die when you take your last breath. Have you no words for me?~
"Hello, Kiaarah," Trowa said softly, his green eye glowing. The other pilots and their escorts stared in awe as the gryphon bowed low.
~I am yours to command, Master~
"I don't feel like I'm the master of anyone, Kiaarah. But I do wish something of you," Trowa said. Kiaarah let out another keening cry.
~Anything, Master.~
"Is there a way to make yourself smaller so you may curl around my neck?" Kiaarah bowed. "Do so." Before their eyes, the rather large gryphon shrunk to the size of a house cat, folded her wings to her back and leaped gracefully to Trowa's shoulders, where she curled up and closed her eyes. After the gryphon went to sleep, the others stared openly at Trowa. Trowa stared calmly back. Shrugging, Duo stepped forward.
"Now?" he pleaded.
"After that young warrior over there," Ollivander said, pointing to a scowling Wufei. When the Chinese Boy stepped forward, Ollivander handed him three wands. "Give them a wave," he said. He was obviously tired from the whole Trowa thing. Wufei lifted a long black one and waved it. Nothing. He tried a short brown one. The pile of wand boxes was now burning merrily. He raised the last one, a medium sized dull red wand. Swish and flick. Nothing. Ollivander sighed. "Oh well," he began, reaching for the wands. He managed to grab the black and brown one before the red wand emitted a slightly squeaky roar. Suddenly, a ball of flame shot from the wand and flitted around the room. Blaise was wailing like a pansy in the corner of the shop while the ball of flame wandered aimlessly. Finally, it came to an abrupt stop right in front of Wufei and immediately went out. Under the flames was the form of a deep red lizard vaguely reminiscent of a dragon, with a similar structure aside from the poison tipped tail and the hands that were attached to the wings much like a flying dinosaur. The deep red scales gleamed as the animal circled Wufei once before landing at the boy's feet.
"Redwood, eight and one half inches, stiff, dragon heartstring core," Ollivander mumbled. "Interesting."
"A firedrake," Quatre breathed, fascinated.
"What, Q?" Duo asked.
Quatre looked up to address all of them. "Alecea says that it is called a firedrake, the children of the lesser dragons of this time. Their tails contain poison barbs much like the armless wyvern, but aside from that, firedrakes are, for all intents and purposes, mini dragons," he said. "She also says that the firedrake claims his name is Akha-banakh, but we may call him Akha of Akaba."
"Noble Akha-banakh," Wufei whispered. "I will call you nothing else."
^Please, Master. Call me Akha^ the firedrake said in Chinese. Wufei nodded and bowed.
^Alright, Akha.^ The firedrake gave Wufei a little dragon grin, then turned his attention to the scene unfolding between Ollivander and Duo.
"Yes, this is your wand. I am sure of it. Give it a wave so we can see what monstrousity emits from yours. Ebony oak, six inches, sturdy, demon claw core," Ollivander was saying. Duo obeyed and his familiar appeared in a flash of dark light. The room grew slightly colder. It was the little guy from the grey box. Swirling blue eyes, smirk, leathery wings sprouting from back. It was somewhat like Alecea. "A dark pixie! Merlin save me, who are you people?" Ollivander said. "Next you'll have a Kappa in my shop!" And whaddya know, they did.
***
"Did you see Ollivander's face when you waved your wand (sakura, nine inches, whippy, unicorn hair core) and a blue kappa popped out!" Duo cried, laughing loudly as they strolled through Diagon Alley. Heero allowed himself a small smile. His kappa (a creature about the size of a ten year old child, with scaly skin and a goblin-like face, native to Japan), Kokatsu, was as devilish as they come. He had spoken right after he was released, something in Japanese, and Ollivander had turned bright pink. Laughing uproarously, Kokatsu then disappeared from view.
"Where's Kokatsu now?" Harry asked, intrigued by the foreign students interesting familiars. A stream of jibberish the pilots vaguely dstinguished as Japanese emitted from Heero's hair.
"Kokatsu is in my hair, shrunken down as to not attract too much attention. He says he knows that the sight of him could cause mass panic. Also, he says to call him Ko," Heero said.
"I caught that much," Duo said. "My Japanese is a bit rusty." The others shrugged and they continued on their way.
"I think we should split up now," Quatre suggested. "Ten teens wandering around Diagon Alley together is like 30 in Central Park."
"Central Park?" Ginny said.
"Muggle place. Don't mind it," Quatre said quickly. "Let's just get with our partners and go our seperate ways." Quatre stepped forward and planted a big kiss on Trowa's cheek before moving to stand next to Ginny. Duo slung and arm around Harry's shoulders and Heero stood stiffly next to Draco. Hermione and Wufei stood calmly to the side, and Trowa and Blaise were eyeing each other suspiciously.
"Ready," the pilots said simultaneously.
"Wufei and I will head to Flourish and Blotts to place the book orders. We'll leave your names at the counters so you can retrieve and pay for yours. It's 12:00pm now, so let's meet at 1:00pm at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour," Hermione said.
"Alright. Me and Harry will go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and place the robe orders. All you'll have to do is stop by to get fitted, then stop by again to pick up the order. Sound good?" Duo said. Everyone nodded. "I'll need the fabric or robe types." The other four pilots handed over a slip of paper. Duo grinned.
"Yuy and I will head to the Apothecary and collect your Potions ingredients," Draco said. "Alright with you, Yuy?"
"Hn," Heero grunted.
"I guess Quatre and I will go to the Cauldron Shoppe," Ginny said.
"That leaves collecting an owl for the five of us to use to Trowa and Zabini," Wufei said.
"I guess Blaise will be showing you around Eeylop's Owl Emporium. That is, of course, if you want to use an owl. You could always go to Magical Menagerie for a bigger selection," Draco drawled. Trowa just shrugged noncomittically.
"Well, guess it's time to fly. Come on, Harry!" Duo said, beginning to walk off.
"Wait, Duo," Heero said. Duo immediately spun around and came back to Heero. The quick reaction did not go unnoticed. The small group began to wonder. "Here is 100 galleons for each of you," Heero said, handing Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Quatre a small pouch. "Some of the money is in sickles and knuts. Spend wisely but don't worry about how much everything cost."
"Accepted," Wufei said.
"Understood," Trowa said.
"Okay, Heero," Quatre said.
"Ha~i!" Duo sang. The pilots sighed.
"Oh! And Duo, do not, under any circumstances, go to Quality Quidditch Supplies unless Heero or one of us is with you, understand?" Quatre said.
"Hai!" Duo answered. "Let's go!" Whooping happily, Duo took off down the street. The pilots and their escorts sighed. Oh well. Time to work. The group split up and wondered off in search of school supplies.
***Tsuzuku of TBC***
The boys gaped in awe at the golden streets (they weren't really golden. Just their overactive, awestruck imaginations), and the sparkling storefronts (again their imaginations), and the beautiful and interesting inhabitants (do I really need to tell you?). The first to break from their stupor was, predictably, Ginny (who wasn't even awestruck to begin with. She was just tired of watching everyone stare. (What was this, a manga?). Ginny moved into the deceptively non-golden streets and toward a surprising non-sparkling storefront. It read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. A faded plush pillow with an even older looking brown stick sat in the display window.
A moment later, Wufei shook himself out of the stupor he would never admit was awe-induced, and asked the question on all the clear minds at the moment. "What now?"
Before Harry or any of the others could say anything, Duo's happy voice jumped in.
"I want a wand," he said, turning to grin at the gathered teenagers.
Harry looked indecisive, then firm. "Shouldn't we go get our school books first? We can place our order and come back for them later?" he said.
"That would be the best thing to do first," Hermione seconded.
"I want a wand," Duo argued.
"Duo, we have more important things to do than--" Heero began. He was surprised when Duo interrupted him with a loud whine.
"I want a wand!" he said, stomping his foot angrily. All gathered would have thought it was cute if Duo hadn't been annoying them.
"Duo, please--" Quatre started.
"I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!!!!" Duo cried loudly, drawing the attention of a few passerbys and a man entering the Leaky Cauldron. Trowa, ever the brave lion tamer (completely forgetting that Duo was a snake now) stepped forward, hands raised before him.
"We'll go get your wand Duo," he began, almost smiling when Duo immediately calmed down. "...after--"
"NO! I WANT MY WAND NOW!!!" Duo said forcefully, waving a fist for good measure. There was a collective frustrated sigh, then everyone just nodded. Their new spokesperson, Heero, stepped forward.
"Fine," he said. "Let's get your wand." He looked Duo straight in the eye. "But you will pay for this display later." Duo actually switched from angry to wary in two seconds flat, then straight on to pleading and cute.
"I'm sowwy, Heewo. Pwease fowgive me?" he asked in an absolutely adorably irrefusable voice. Heero, the Perfect Soldier, Pilot of Gundam Wing Zero, looked Duo straight in the eye, adorable face and all, and said...
***THE END***
(J/K) ^_^
"No." He turned away and headed in the direction he had seen Ginny go. "Now stop acting childish long enough to acquire supplies for the mission." Stunned, Duo watched as all the other teens trailed off in twos and threes after Heero. Soon he was deserted aside from his partner for the day, Harry.
"This happen alot?" he asked, eyeing the braided boy through his peripheral vision.
"Yeah," said Duo, sighing. "And I have yet to get my way." Harry laughed, and Duo soon joined in. They started down the ungolden road, heading for Ollivander's Wands.
***
(Little break to type up the important stuff.)
Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry
UNIFORM Sixth Years Will Require: 1. Three sets of plain work robes (black) 2. Two plain pointed hats (black) for day wear 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragonhide or similar) 4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) 5. One animal handling robe (dragonhide or similar) 6. One loose fitting tunic (black) for trips into the forest 7. One vest (brown, dragonhide or similar) 8. One pair of loose breeches or skirt (black) 9. One pair of lace-up boots (dragonhide or similar)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 wand 1 wand polish 1 cauldron, (silver, standard size 6) 1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set of silver scales 1 set of dress robes (house colors required) 1 Advanced Potions Kit
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad OR a rat. Special permission required from a certified wizard awarded atleast an Order of Merlin: Second Class for a pheonix OR a baby dragon (no full grown) OR a falcon/eagle OR any other mythical creature that isn't an immediate danger to Hogwarts and its inhabitants. Please, no dogs.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED A BROOMSTICK OWLED TO THEM IN THE EVENT THAT THEY ARE SELECTED FOR THEIR HOUSE QUIDDITCH TEAM. PREFERABLY A: Firebolt Nimbus Lightning prototype Cumulonimbus Rocket Sonic Static or Windseeker Edition
COURSE BOOKS (DEPENDING ON SELECTED CLASSES) All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6) by Miranda Goshawk A History of Magic (Special and Updated Version 5) by Bathilda Bagshot Advanced Magic Theory* by Adalbert Waffling A Guide To Transfiguration Used By People With Five Years Of Subjection to Transfiguration Classes Under Their Belt by Emeric Switch Jr. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi Plus A Bit More by Phyllida Spore Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger Fantastic Beasts Amd Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection Volume 6 by Quentin Trimble Potions, Pickles and Eye of Newt (N.E.W.T. level Potions) by Dodley Mixer Unfogging the Future* by Cassandra Vablatsky Charmed, I'm Sure by Happigo Lukey Dragons, And Other Fire-Breathing Ravenous Beasts* by Cruella Psiko Constant Vigilance* (Recently Released) by Mad-Eye Moody Looking to the Stars* by Vacante Gazirus The Magic Before Magic (Beginner's Alchemy)* by Paracelsus
* indicate optional class
(Okay, I'm done.)
The group of teens entered the musty and shadowed interior of Ollivanders Wand Shoppe. Harry, Duo and Hermione moved to the front, while the others melted from sight, into various dusty corners and near shadowy walls.
" Ah, Harry Potter. Holly, eleven inches, pheonix feather core. I never forget a wand. No need to hide, my friends. I've been expecting you," said a voice suddenly. All of them, even Heero, jumped slightly as an old man slipped from a shadow they hadn't occupied and stood before them. "I am Ollivander. A pleasure to meet you."
Predictably, Quatre stepped forward and bowed intricately since Ollivander offered no hand to shake. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Ollivander. I am-- "
"--a Winner, for sure. That blond hair, those blue eyes, the aura that just screams empathy," Ollivander interrupted. Suddenly he looked very excited and rushed to the back of the store to rummage through some dusty boxes. He cheered softly when he found his prize and returned to the front of the store. "I could feel which wand was yours from the moment I laid eyes on you, Winner. Cherrywood, seven and a half inches, slightly whippy, unicorn horn piece core." He removed the nicely carved, red tinged stick from the thin, dusty box it came in and handed it to Quatre. "Well, go on. Give it a wave."
Quatre stared at the stick in his hand, a warm, tingling feeling inching up his arm in a comforting way. Without thinking, Quatre knew what the wand wanted. To be free. And it told him how. "Reveal to me your true form. Revelius!" When he said the words, a blue-tinted mist flowed from the wand and pooled at Quatre's feet. After a few moments the mist solidified, then cleared, revealing...the cute fairy from Quatre's letter. She stood, her short blonde hair and big blue eyes glittering. They could just barely see a set of shimmering wings sprouting from her teal blue tunic. She curtsied deeply.
"Good morning, my Master. How may I serve you today?" she asked in a high, squeaky, incredibly expected voice. Quatre smiled.
"You could tell me your name, then come perch on my shoulders," Quatre said. The fairy woman nodded and bowed, then flew up to Quatre's shoulder as she talked. They learned her name was Alecea Greenleaf, a fairy chosen to leave Middle Earth (not the Lord of the Rings one) so that she could bond with a wizard.
"Very nice to meet you, Alecea," Quatre said respectfully. Alecea just nodded her little head. Quatre grinned, closely followed by a now hyper Duo.
"My turn! My turn!" he cried, hopping up and down excitedly.
Ollivander smiled apologetically at Duo. "I'm sorry, young Cassell, but the wands tell me that Bloom is next. Please wait patiently," he explained. He turned to Trowa. "Another Bloom. Those people have children like they have money, I'm afraid. Hold out your wand arm, boy." Trowa obeyed, and an enchanted tape measure started measuring the unibanged boy by itself.
"Hm," Ollivander murmured. He stared at Trowa a good minute before he went in the back and returned with a fairly new wand. "Give this a wave. Hazelwood, ten inches, sturdy, lacewing core." Trowa took the wand and waved it. A gout of flame erupted from it and went straight for Blaise.
"Shite!" the Slytherin cried, tumbling to the side. Ollivander looked mildly embarassed.
"Oh my, not that one. No, no, no. Definitely not." He replaced the wand in the box and scurried off again. He returned with a slightly older box. He removed a short brown wand. "Pine, six inches, flaky. Bat claw core. Give it a wave." Trowa did. Nothing happened. It was out of his hand in a flash. "Oh, this will not do. Not at all." Over the next hour and a half Trowa tried wand after wand until there was a pile of boxes and what they now called 'Trowa's Kindle wood' on the counter. Finally, a dusty Ollivander came out bearing a shiny green box. It had entricate leaves scrawled all over it.
"Just came in from my brother yesterday. Yew, thirteen inches, smooth, elf dust core. Was made for the King of the Forest actually, but what can I say, the wand choses the wizard." The babbling man handed the wand to Trowa, who, after so many tries, knew exactly what to do. With a swish and a flick, sparks emitted from the wand. Ollivander leaned forward to take it when a dense cloud flowed slowly out of the wand. After the cloud was fully formed, it grew darker and began to rain mistily. The mist thickened until it formed a shape. The shape stretched it's graceful neck before it let out a silent cry. The mist solidified to the point where the boys could see what it was. It was a gryphon. A large, ferocious animal with the head of a bird and the body of a lion, and two massive feathered wings. The cousin to the hippogriff and the griffin of myth.
"Wow," Duo breathed.
"Lord Akllyniley will not like this. Not at all," Ollivander muttered. He went on about something involving making a new wand or sacrificing a small child, then straightened.
The gryphon gave a keening cry, then turned to Trowa and cried again.
~Hello, Master. I am Kiaarah, daughter of Linaara of the Gryphons. I am now your familiar. I will serve you until the end of your days, and die when you take your last breath. Have you no words for me?~
"Hello, Kiaarah," Trowa said softly, his green eye glowing. The other pilots and their escorts stared in awe as the gryphon bowed low.
~I am yours to command, Master~
"I don't feel like I'm the master of anyone, Kiaarah. But I do wish something of you," Trowa said. Kiaarah let out another keening cry.
~Anything, Master.~
"Is there a way to make yourself smaller so you may curl around my neck?" Kiaarah bowed. "Do so." Before their eyes, the rather large gryphon shrunk to the size of a house cat, folded her wings to her back and leaped gracefully to Trowa's shoulders, where she curled up and closed her eyes. After the gryphon went to sleep, the others stared openly at Trowa. Trowa stared calmly back. Shrugging, Duo stepped forward.
"Now?" he pleaded.
"After that young warrior over there," Ollivander said, pointing to a scowling Wufei. When the Chinese Boy stepped forward, Ollivander handed him three wands. "Give them a wave," he said. He was obviously tired from the whole Trowa thing. Wufei lifted a long black one and waved it. Nothing. He tried a short brown one. The pile of wand boxes was now burning merrily. He raised the last one, a medium sized dull red wand. Swish and flick. Nothing. Ollivander sighed. "Oh well," he began, reaching for the wands. He managed to grab the black and brown one before the red wand emitted a slightly squeaky roar. Suddenly, a ball of flame shot from the wand and flitted around the room. Blaise was wailing like a pansy in the corner of the shop while the ball of flame wandered aimlessly. Finally, it came to an abrupt stop right in front of Wufei and immediately went out. Under the flames was the form of a deep red lizard vaguely reminiscent of a dragon, with a similar structure aside from the poison tipped tail and the hands that were attached to the wings much like a flying dinosaur. The deep red scales gleamed as the animal circled Wufei once before landing at the boy's feet.
"Redwood, eight and one half inches, stiff, dragon heartstring core," Ollivander mumbled. "Interesting."
"A firedrake," Quatre breathed, fascinated.
"What, Q?" Duo asked.
Quatre looked up to address all of them. "Alecea says that it is called a firedrake, the children of the lesser dragons of this time. Their tails contain poison barbs much like the armless wyvern, but aside from that, firedrakes are, for all intents and purposes, mini dragons," he said. "She also says that the firedrake claims his name is Akha-banakh, but we may call him Akha of Akaba."
"Noble Akha-banakh," Wufei whispered. "I will call you nothing else."
^Please, Master. Call me Akha^ the firedrake said in Chinese. Wufei nodded and bowed.
^Alright, Akha.^ The firedrake gave Wufei a little dragon grin, then turned his attention to the scene unfolding between Ollivander and Duo.
"Yes, this is your wand. I am sure of it. Give it a wave so we can see what monstrousity emits from yours. Ebony oak, six inches, sturdy, demon claw core," Ollivander was saying. Duo obeyed and his familiar appeared in a flash of dark light. The room grew slightly colder. It was the little guy from the grey box. Swirling blue eyes, smirk, leathery wings sprouting from back. It was somewhat like Alecea. "A dark pixie! Merlin save me, who are you people?" Ollivander said. "Next you'll have a Kappa in my shop!" And whaddya know, they did.
***
"Did you see Ollivander's face when you waved your wand (sakura, nine inches, whippy, unicorn hair core) and a blue kappa popped out!" Duo cried, laughing loudly as they strolled through Diagon Alley. Heero allowed himself a small smile. His kappa (a creature about the size of a ten year old child, with scaly skin and a goblin-like face, native to Japan), Kokatsu, was as devilish as they come. He had spoken right after he was released, something in Japanese, and Ollivander had turned bright pink. Laughing uproarously, Kokatsu then disappeared from view.
"Where's Kokatsu now?" Harry asked, intrigued by the foreign students interesting familiars. A stream of jibberish the pilots vaguely dstinguished as Japanese emitted from Heero's hair.
"Kokatsu is in my hair, shrunken down as to not attract too much attention. He says he knows that the sight of him could cause mass panic. Also, he says to call him Ko," Heero said.
"I caught that much," Duo said. "My Japanese is a bit rusty." The others shrugged and they continued on their way.
"I think we should split up now," Quatre suggested. "Ten teens wandering around Diagon Alley together is like 30 in Central Park."
"Central Park?" Ginny said.
"Muggle place. Don't mind it," Quatre said quickly. "Let's just get with our partners and go our seperate ways." Quatre stepped forward and planted a big kiss on Trowa's cheek before moving to stand next to Ginny. Duo slung and arm around Harry's shoulders and Heero stood stiffly next to Draco. Hermione and Wufei stood calmly to the side, and Trowa and Blaise were eyeing each other suspiciously.
"Ready," the pilots said simultaneously.
"Wufei and I will head to Flourish and Blotts to place the book orders. We'll leave your names at the counters so you can retrieve and pay for yours. It's 12:00pm now, so let's meet at 1:00pm at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour," Hermione said.
"Alright. Me and Harry will go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and place the robe orders. All you'll have to do is stop by to get fitted, then stop by again to pick up the order. Sound good?" Duo said. Everyone nodded. "I'll need the fabric or robe types." The other four pilots handed over a slip of paper. Duo grinned.
"Yuy and I will head to the Apothecary and collect your Potions ingredients," Draco said. "Alright with you, Yuy?"
"Hn," Heero grunted.
"I guess Quatre and I will go to the Cauldron Shoppe," Ginny said.
"That leaves collecting an owl for the five of us to use to Trowa and Zabini," Wufei said.
"I guess Blaise will be showing you around Eeylop's Owl Emporium. That is, of course, if you want to use an owl. You could always go to Magical Menagerie for a bigger selection," Draco drawled. Trowa just shrugged noncomittically.
"Well, guess it's time to fly. Come on, Harry!" Duo said, beginning to walk off.
"Wait, Duo," Heero said. Duo immediately spun around and came back to Heero. The quick reaction did not go unnoticed. The small group began to wonder. "Here is 100 galleons for each of you," Heero said, handing Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Quatre a small pouch. "Some of the money is in sickles and knuts. Spend wisely but don't worry about how much everything cost."
"Accepted," Wufei said.
"Understood," Trowa said.
"Okay, Heero," Quatre said.
"Ha~i!" Duo sang. The pilots sighed.
"Oh! And Duo, do not, under any circumstances, go to Quality Quidditch Supplies unless Heero or one of us is with you, understand?" Quatre said.
"Hai!" Duo answered. "Let's go!" Whooping happily, Duo took off down the street. The pilots and their escorts sighed. Oh well. Time to work. The group split up and wondered off in search of school supplies.
***Tsuzuku of TBC***