Chapter 9
As they waited in the Transfiguration classroom with the Hufflepuffs, they all speculated about the wands they would receive. After what seemed an age, Mr. Ollivander himself walked in to the room, followed by a tiny, silvery-gray Shetland pony pulling a cart with hundreds of long, skinny boxes. The chatter immediately descended into a tense silence.
"I am Mr. Ollivander," he began. "Today, as you well know, I will be helping you find your wand. The wand chooses the wizard, you know. You will each step outside one at a time. For those of you who already possess wands-" his eyes settled on Harry, Ron, and Hermione-" I will simply be checking to make sure they are functioning in proper working order." Ron looked nervously at his wand, which was covered in scuffmarks and fingerprints, and began rubbing at it furiously with the hem of his sleeve.
"Don't bother, I've already tried that one. It doesn't work." Harry muttered. Ron stopped, looking disappointed.
"Hannah Baldwin." Called Mr. Ollivander. A young girl of about 12 walked slowly towards him, playing nervously with her short blonde hair. She came back in a few minutes later, looking very relieved and holding her new wand.
"How'd it go?" Haylie asked. Hannah was her cousin.
"8 1/2 ash wood, dragon heartstring." She said proudly.
"Jeremy Guskin." He stepped forward, breathing deeply. As he passed, Lexie heard him muttering, "Audition breathing, audition breathing." She grabbed his hand and whispered, "Break a leg," and winked. He came back with a supple mahogany, 10 inches, with a powdered horn from a quagga. "Whatever the hell that is," he said afterwards.
Next it was Chris' turn. As he got up, J.T. punched him playfully and whispered.
"Go get 'em, Tiger." Jeremy looked at him and mouthed, "Tiger?" J.T. shrugged, smiling helplessly. The wand that favored Chris was an 11 1/2 inch solid oak wand with a thestral wing bone.
As Lexie got up to take her turn, Haylie hugged her and muttered, "Don't die on me yet. I'm too young."
"I'll try not too," she answered, as she stumbled and landed directly across Chris's, Jeremy's, and JT's lap.
She smiled sheepishly from her spot on Jeremy's lap. "Hi. Having a nice day?"
(Now I am,) he said to J.T.
(Not bad, I get the middle,) replied J.T. happily. He snuck a glance at Chris. (Lucky bastard. He got her butt.)
(Damn.)
"Sheesh, Chris, stop drooling on her!" Jeremy said, eyes gleaming maliciously. Chris blushed.
"The robes are black anyway, it wouldn't show." Said Haylie.
(I don't mind, so long as he wipes it off. It's the thought that counts.) Lexie said. Chris went even redder, if that was possible.
(D'you think Haylie'll do this, too?) JT asked Jeremy. Haylie leaned over to him.
"Don't plan on that anytime soon, JT." He stared at her in embarrassed shock as Lexie rolled to the floor, laughing with the rest of the class, before popping back up, shaking out her long hair and making a beeline for the door.
Stepping outside, she leaned against the doorframe, catching her breath. She looked down as a velvety muzzle poked her hand and smiled, reaching out to pet the little silver pony.
"He doesn't take a liking to everyone."
Turning in surprise, she remembered what she was outside for.
"He liked your friends too; Jeremy and Chris. But he's really taken a shine to you." He added. "Wand hand, please."
She extended her left hand and he nodded, rummaging through the boxes. He settled on two and pulled from them, two wands. Handing her the shorter of the two, he said.
"Yew. 8 1/2. Unicorn hair."
She lifted the wand, causing a stream of acid green sparks off, causing the pony to snort in alarm and almost setting a nearby tapestry alight.
"No…no not that one. It's, not the one for you." He said, snatching it and handing her the darker one. "Maple. 10. Dragon heartstring."
She nodded and shifted the wand in her grasp, sending a mop flying in the air, where it struck the hovering Peeves, who zoomed off cursing about 'ickle firsties'.
"I don't think…."He said. Turning back to the cart, he searched through the boxes, muttering to himself. Quietly, the silver pony nosed to a small box and nipped Mr. Ollivander's sleeve. He turned. "Really?"
The pony whickered. Mr. Ollivander picked up the box and removed a slender wand.
"Rowan wood. Nine inches. And…hippogriff feather." He said, placing it in her hand. She lifted it, and a small breeze stirred the hallway as a cascade of silver blue light shimmered from the tip. Mr. Ollivander smiled.
"I think we have a match."
"How was it?" asked JT and Haylie as Lexie came back inside.
"Rowan, 9 inches, hippogriff feather. It was OK, you know…he gave me wands, and I tried them, and I almost lit a tapestry on fire…" she sat down. "I hit Peeves with a mop, too," She said as an afterthought.
"You what?"
"Haylie Lovett."
"Ok…wish me luck."
"Good luck," said JT and Chris.
"Break a leg," Said Jeremy.
"Crash and burn," said Lexie.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
(Oh, I'm not done yet. MAC-B! Muahahahahahaha! Love ya, girl!)
(Yeah, I know…)
She walked out of the room, not really knowing what to expect. Turning, she saw Mr. Ollivander looking through the many boxes on the cart and muttering to himself. Not wanting to disturb him, she turned her attention to the pony.
"You're a pretty thing, aren't you?" She said softly, petting him.
"He is, isn't he?" said Mr. Ollivander, looking up. "You're not the first one he's taking a liking to. Your friends Alexis, and Jeremy and Chris. Wand hand, please."
As she held out her left hand, he stopped and stared.
"Curious…how very curious."
"Excuse me?"
"You're the second left-handed person I've had in a row."
"You mean Lexie? Oh, yeah, we're both lefties."
"Hmmm…" he said, and picked up a box. "Holly. Phoenix feather. 10 inches."
As she picked it up, she immediately sensed that this was not the right wand. The wand itself confirmed this feeling by lifting a nearby table to hang on the chandelier.
Mr. Ollivander coughed loudly. "No, I don't think that's it. Try this one. Birch. 10 inches. Unicorn hair."
This wand was no better. A ball of light came shooting out of the tip like a comet, bouncing off the walls and eventually fitting itself through the keyhole of a broom closet, where they could hear it rattling around madly inside.
"I imagine that will keep Mr. Filch quite busy when he next opens that door." He said. "Aspen. 10 1/2 inches. Hair from the mane of a winged horse. Go on, try it." he urged. The pony's ears flicked forward with interest.
From the wand tip came a blast of wind like a tornado, spinning around the three of them for a couple seconds, before disappearing with a warm touch.
"I think we've found it." Mr. Ollivander said. Giving one last final pat to the pony, she went inside and sat down.
"So?" They all asked.
"Aspen, 10 1/2, hair from the mane of a winged horse."
"Kewlie." Said JT.
"Carrie-Ann Pishnak."
The girl in the pigtails that had laughed during Dumbledore's speech came forward. A little while later she came out holding a willow wand.
"John Thomas Treadwell."
JT gulped audibly. "Oh, damn."
"Have fun," said Lexie, smiling.
"Tiger," Jeremy added.
He returned shortly afterward with a beech wand.
"11 inches with a hippocampus scale."
"Hey, you got my reject!" said Chris.
(Sorry, he got you that time, JT.) Said Jeremy, laughing.