Disclaimer: John Lennon once said, "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can." Unfortunately, Harry Potter and his universe are the possessions of J.K. Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Lost Library
Chapter 10: The Secret Strongbox
Ollivanders was just as tiny and oppressive as Harry remembered. The bell above the door tolled like a solemn church bell through the vacant shop. The room was empty except for a sales counter, thousands of wand boxes, and a single spindly chair.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped, as did some of the others, to find Mr. Ollivander standing behind them.
"Ginny needs a new wand," Harry said quickly.
"Ahhh, Miss Weasley," the old man sighed. He drew Ginny forward in a gentlemanly fashion. The gesture was just shy of creepy. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure before."
Ginny ducked her head to hide the redness of her cheeks. Harry watched with confusion as several of the other Weasleys followed suit.
Mr. Ollivander pulled out the silver tape measure from his pocket. "Your wand arm?" he asked. Ginny extended her right hand and the tape began measuring the width of her fingernails. "Now the wand you were using previously?"
"It was my grandmother's," Ginny replied quietly. Harry now understood the Weasley's embarrassment. He should have realized it earlier. Ginny had used a hand-me-down wand, just like Ron had owned before it broke during their second year.
"Wand inheritance," Mr. Ollivander said sharply, "not a wise practice. Mrs. Alice Prewett, correct? 12 ¾ inches, oak and unicorn hair...rather rigid but powerful. Did it work well for you?"
"Wonderfully," Ginny uttered defiantly. The silver tape was now measuring the circumference of her left ankle.
Mr. Ollivander raised an eyebrow at her. "What may I ask happened to that wand?"
"I broke it," Ginny replied tersely.
The news of the demise of one of his precious wands seemed to cause the old craftsman physical pain. "How?" he demanded.
"Trying to escape," she muttered rapidly.
"From where?" Mr. Ollivander pressed. Harry didn't think that Mr. Ollivander was normally so noisy, but perhaps the old man just kept detailed records of the fate of each of his wands. Regardless of his intentions, all ears strained for Ginny's reply.
Ginny merely smiled vaguely as if she hadn't heard. Meanwhile, the silver tape was now measuring length of her neck.
"Hmmm, that will do," Mr. Ollivander ordered the tape. As the silver measuring tape sunk to the floor, he walked over to a tall stack of small boxes and nimbly slid one from the middle. He extracted the wand and held it towards Ginny. "13 inches, dragon heart string and holly, quite whippy."
Ginny waved the wand with no result. Mr. Ollivander quickly snatched the wand away and handed another to her. This wand wasn't any more successful. As wand after wand proved useless in Ginny's hand, the shopkeeper became more excited.
While Mr. Ollivander might have enjoyed a challenge, after an hour and a mountain of wands, even he was discouraged. "All right Miss Weasley," the old man said determinedly, "I want you to use a summoning charm to bring the correct wand to you."
A collective grown was issued from the sagging Weasleys. "If she could just summon a new wand, why did you waste our time with this mess?" Fred demanded pointing at the pile of wands.
Mr. Ollivander just scowled in answer. While Harry agreed with Fred, he suspected a simple summoning charm took all the drama out of the wand selection process. It certainly made Mr. Ollivander seem rather useless.
Ginny ignored the angry looks of disbelief her family were shooting at the shopkeeper and said, "Accio wand!"
Everyone looked around expectantly. Harry whirled around rather quickly when he had the sudden vision of a wand box striking him in the back of his head, but it was for nothing. No wands were pelting toward them.
"Accio wand!" Ginny repeated more forcefully.
This time Harry heard it. From somewhere deep in the shop came a rattling sound. It reminded Harry of the sounds Buckbeak made while trying to pull out of his chains. "It can't be," Mr. Ollivander whispered to himself. "Summon it again," he ordered.
"ACCIO WAND," Ginny shouted.
The rattling was unmistakable. Something large was trying desperately to reach them. "I'll be right back," Mr. Ollivander murmured politely.
The family exchanged confused looks. Ollivander returned dragging a very large trunk. The twins rushed forward and helped the old man set the trunk before Ginny. Carefully, the shopkeeper withdrew his own wand and tapped the large lock. The trunk sprung open to reveal another trunk within it. Mr. Ollivander had to mutter a password to open this trunk. The group pushed forward only to see yet another trunk inside. This one had to be stroked in just the right manner to open. Several minutes and trunks later, the old man extracted a wooden strongbox about the size of a brief case. He tapped the case with his wand and it sprouted four legs creating a small table. Finally from deep within his robes, Mr. Ollivander produced a gold key.
As the case sprung open, the group gasped. Harry pushed forward slightly to see five wands he had never imagined to exist. "You can't make wands out of metal," Ron gasped suddenly breaking the silence.
"Of course you can," Mr. Ollivander snapped, "However, most wizards cannot handle such a wand." He withdrew a dark blackish-gray wand and handed it to Ginny. "Iron from a meteorite with a core of topaz. Sturdy and good for manifesting the hidden."
With considerably more effort, Ginny gave the iron wand a wave. Nothing happen. Mr. Ollivander returned it to its spot on the red velvet cushion. He handed her the next one. "Copper with emerald. Smooth and can create powerful love spells." When that didn't work, there was, "Brass with garnet. Bold and has amazing healing powers." Next was, "Silver with diamond, pliable and channels power and strength." They had come to the last of the amazing wands. "24 karat gold from a single nugget with a core of amethyst. Subtle and good for protection."
When Ginny waved the golden wand, the entire room filled with a beautiful, warm light. For a moment, Harry felt as if he was being embraced.
"Ahhh," Mr. Ollivander sighed, "An excellent wand."
Ginny was staring with amazement at the wand in her hand. She closed her eyes and sighed contently with a small smile on her lips. Then she carefully laid the golden wand back onto the velvet cushion. "I can't use a wand like that," she declared.
Mr. Ollivander released what could only be called a shriek. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Of course you can! You must!" His tone was almost desperate. He picked up the golden wand and thrust it at Ginny. "It is one of my finest works," Mr. Ollivander murmured zealously. He pushed the wand into Ginny's hand, but she tried to refuse it. A reverse sort of tug-of-war was going on between them. "You must take it. If a wand such as this has chosen you, than none other will work," Mr. Ollivander insisted.
"I don't need a wand," Ginny claimed, "Especially one made out of gold."
"You'd stick out like a sore thumb walking around with that wand," Ron called over Ginny's shoulder, "and someone might try and nick it. Hell, I'd even be tempted."
Mr. Ollivander shot Ron a look so cold that Harry feared his friend would get frostbite on the end of his rather long nose. The old man soon relented and directed a much more kindly gaze on Ginny. "Wands like these in the strongbox are very rare and precious indeed, and they only belong in the hands of the greatest of witches and wizards. Obviously it is not wise to parade the fact that you posses such a spectacular and powerful wand. Luckily there is a simple spell you can use to disguise it. Muto Virgra." At the shopkeeper's spell, the golden sheen faded and the wand soon appeared to be made out of fine mahogany. Even disguised the wand was magnificent.
"We'll take it," Harry said determinedly. The shopkeeper beamed at him and hurried away to wrap the wand before Ginny could offer further protest.
"Harry, no," Ginny pleaded touching her hand lightly to his arm. "It's too expensive."
Harry just smiled down at her and strolled over to the counter where Mr. Ollivander was waiting.
The old man was holding the carefully wrapped wand box absently in his hand. His eyes had a vacant look to them. "The last time I sold a metallic wand was over a hundred years ago," he murmured more to himself than Harry. "I never thought I would live to see another day like this."
Harry's stomach stirred uneasily. "How much?" he asked pulling a pouch of coins from inside his robes.
"This wand is a work of art," the shopkeeper uttered. "It is priceless."
Harry had to consciously stop his eyes from rolling. "How much?" he repeated.
Mr. Ollivander slid a small piece of parchment across the table. Harry took a deep breath before picking the slip of parchment up. His eyebrows rose at the price. It was almost ten times what he had paid for his own wand years ago, yet he got the feeling that the sum written on parchment was a fraction of the actual cost of the wand. He shot a questioning look at the shopkeeper.
"It is a great honor to make and sell such a wand," Mr. Ollivander said solemnly. "I should almost be paying you for the distinction."
"Almost, but not quite," Harry smirked looking again to the slip of parchment in his hand. "I'll have the funds transferred from my vault as soon as possible."
Mr. Ollivander escorted Harry and the Weasleys to exit. He bent low over Ginny's hand and murmured, "Miss Weasley it has been a great privilege to serve you."
Ginny blushed and escaped quickly through the shop door. It had barely shut behind them when Will exclaimed loudly, "That old Ollivander is CREEPY."
"No," Ron said taking his nephew's hand, "He's just nutters."