The long-awaited second chapter has arrived. Here we find out that . . . well, things about Jonus. ; )
Wands are for Wizards
When Jonus woke up, the sun had long risen in the sky and the landscape had drastically changed. Instead of the rolling hills covered in corn and farms, water surrounded him in nearly every direction. But in the distance, the approach of a large island was evident. Britain. Jonus stretched his stiff arms and legs trying to recirculate the blood.
"You awake back there? It won't be much longer now," Moody said, sensing Jonus' movement.
"I can't wait to see London. I've never been outside the United States before," thought Jonus out loud. Moody grunted a response but otherwise remained quiet. Jonus didn't mind the silence. The view was amazing and the magically reduced wind soothed his anxious mind. "London," he smiled to himself. "I'm actually going to see London and live there." Jonus wasn't really sure what to expect, but he instinctively knew it was where he belonged.
Britain was approaching quickly now filling up most of the view. Jonus had no idea that this small country on the map was so large in real life. They were headed toward an extensive city that could only be London. Flying lower and lower, Moody eventually landed near the outskirts, no doubt trying to cause the smallest disturbance as possible.
As they drove through the streets, tall 3-5 story buildings passed by. These old but well kept apartments were placed right next to each other, creating a wall of houses on either side without yards or garages. Jonus took it all in, seeing as much as he could and memorizing what he saw.
Moody continued on deep into the heart of London taking turns down side streets and alleyways. He finally parked the motorcycle in an ally so small that a car couldn't possibly have driven down it. Jonus looked for a sign or important looking building, but the ally was full of the same old buildings he had seen already.
"Why are we stopping, Moody?" Jonus asked, puzzled.
"You can't go to Hogwarts without school supplies. We're here for a bit of shopping and, with any luck, we'll be ready for the train at 11:00."
"But, Moody," said Jonus, still confused. "I don't see any signs or stores."
"You don't think we'd put them out in the open, now, do yah? We don't want any old muggle stumbling into a wizard shop." Moody didn't wait for any more questions. He hobbled off down the cobblestone, Jonus following.
Opening a hidden door tucked away in the corner of a wall, Moody and Jonus entered into a smoky and poorly lit room. It was a tavern of sorts. A bartender behind the bar occupied one wall, and he appeared quite busy serving the numerous customers. Everyone was wearing cloaks, tall pointed hats, and other strange apparel. The little doubt Jonus still had was quickly snuffed out. In all his life, he had never seen an odder group of people. But instead of feeling like an intruder, he merely felt overwhelmed at the sheer number of them. How many witches and wizards were there?
"Well…I'll be!" exclaimed the bartender as Moody stepped up. "If it isn't Mad-Eye Moody. I haven't seen you in…years!"
"I've got some business over at Diagon Alley." Moody waited while the large and friendly bartender poured an amber, sweet-smelling liquid into a healthy sized goblet and passed it to an anxious customer.
"Here you are, Mildred." Charlie said handing over the goblet and picking up the strange coins that the shabby witch had placed on the counter. "What would your friend like, Moody?" Charlie looked straight at Jonus.
"Uh, nothing, thanks. I'm not thirsty." Jonus answered a little too quickly, realizing that he didn't have a penny on him, no less the strange money that seemed to be used. It occurred to him then that he couldn't possibly pay for school supplies either.
"Nonsense," Moody said dropping more coins into Charlie's big hand. "He'll have a butterbeer as well."
Charlie poured Jonus the thick drink and gave it to him. "Enjoy your drinks and come back soon. I mean it, Moody." Moody grunted a reply and sat down at an empty table. Jonus sat down across from him and carefully sipped at his drink, not knowing what to expect. Jonus was pleasantly surprised. The butterbeer tasted great and sent a warm sensation through his body. He quickly finished it, putting down the now-empty cup.
Moody took a flask from under his cloak and eyed its contents suspiciously, his large blue eye completely rolled back in his head. "Changed your mind on the drink, I see." He made a grunt-half-snort sound that almost resembled a laugh as he drowned what remained of his own drink.
"Uh, Moody?" said Jonus, seizing the moment. "How am I going to pay for all of my school supplies? They don't give them away for free, do they?"
"Free? Hell no! Nothing's free laddie, not even in the magical world. Well, almost nothing…." He seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Don't worry about the supplies. Dumbledore's taken care of it. There's not a witch or wizard I know who isn't indebted to him. Great man Dumbledore, great man."
"Will I get to meet him?" Jonus asked interestedly.
"Oh, I'm sure Dumbledore will very much want to meet you, Jonus." Jonus inwardly flinched at the way that he had said you.
"Is the magic store far from here?" Jonus changed the subject after a moment of silence.
"Not really." Moody stood up and led Jonus to a strange room in the back. Jonus watched intently as Moody withdrew his wand. Gently, he tapped the bricks with the wand's end in a simple pattern, and then stepped back. The ground started to tremble, and Jonus had to catch himself from falling. Then, with a moan, the wall crumbled away, revealing a crowded street filled young witches and wizards dragging their parents from store to store. Jonus stood there, mouth open, gazing at the assortment of stores for wand, potions, cauldrons, broomsticks, pointed hat and cloaks, animals, and a store for books that looked particularly inviting.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, plenty of places to spend money here," Moody added.
"What do I need first?" asked Jonus, overwhelmed.
"Dumbledore gave me a list …." mumbled Moody, pulling out a wrinkled piece of parchment. "Let's start with the school robes."
As they strolled down the cobbled walk, Moody's false leg clicking against the walkway, Jonus couldn't help but notice the quick glances and sometimes long stares that they were drawing from the mob of shoppers. If anything, more of the looks were aimed at Moody, even though Jonus stood out in his layered second-hand clothing. I guess Moody is beyond the explanation of even the magical world, thought Jonus. Imagine that.
After finding some robes that fit reasonably well — the clerk nervously helping under the ever-watchful eyes, or eye, of Moody — they went to a store called Ollivander's to find a wand.
Jonus stepped into the small store, a musky sent hanging in the air. An elderly man with energetic eyes and a warm expression stood at the desk. His eyes never left the young wizard as Jonus approached. "Welcome to Ollivander's," he said, immediately turning around and searching through the thousands of long thin boxes that littered the small shop. "I've seen a great many wizards in my day. Some were good. Some were quite ordinary, and some," – he looked in Jonus' eyes – "were the greatest wizards that the world has ever seen."
The old man continued searching until he pulled out an unremarkable box and set it on the table. "I know wands like the back of my hand. Why don't you try this one, hmm?"
Jonus reached out toward the now-opened box and withdrew the slender stick. So this was where wizards got their magic. It was so ordinary-looking that he almost didn't believe it could possibly be magical. He held it for some time giving it a closer inspection. But for all his efforts, it could have been a twig recently torn off a tree.
"Give it a wave now," the man whispered. His attention was so solely focused on the wand that he wasn't even blinking. Jonus flicked his hand, expecting something magical. What he didn't expect was the short burst of light followed by a sizzling sound and smoke.
"Well now, I guess that wasn't the right wand after all," the shopkeeper stated with a frown, but a twinkle in his eye and a twitch in his lips that could have been the start of a smile. Jonus handed the wand back and waited, while the man searched some more. "These things mustn't be rushed you know. The wand must be carefully chosen to match its owner." The white haired man stooped over and picked up a green colored box and opened it. Inside was a slender stick of ivory wood. Its smooth glossy finish caught Jonus' eye immediately. The wand was exactly what he would have expected from a wand of high quality and was most likely one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. The connoisseur of wands also gazed admiringly giving credence to Jonus' untrained eye.
Jonus picked up the wand reverently, knowing that this was the wand he was looking for. He didn't care what other versions the old man might show him. He would refuse any other offers. The wand fit in his hand like a tailored glove, resting in his hand lightless enough to be carried indefinitely but heavy enough to affirm its presence. Jonus, remembering his previous orders gave the wand a gentle wave.
And nothing happened. No light, no smoke, no noise. No nothing. It just sat there in his hand like a lump of dead wood. The brightness and excitement that had been in the old man's eyes had deadened, and his shoulders now hung slack in disappointment. The man grasped for the smooth wand as if to find a more suitable one, but Jonus yanked it away in defiance.
"No," he said clutching the wand like some precious treasure. "I want this wand. This wand." His voice was firm and in control. One would have never guessed that he was close to tears.
The aged man let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Jonus, but the wizard doesn't choose the wand; the wand chooses the wizard. It will do nothing for you," he continued, seeing Jonus grasping the wooden instrument closer to his chest. "You can't do magic with a wand that doesn't match." He waited letting the full force of his words to sink in. Gently and tenderly, he untwined the wand from Jonus' grip and returned it to its box. "I had hoped…." He muttered returning the box to its previous location.
The next three hours, Jonus tested wands, trying to find a wand that would produce more of a response than sizzling, snapping, smoking, and spitting. The wand wizard searched hard and long, earnestly trying to find the match until the point of near exhaustion. All this happened under the gaze of Moody, who didn't say a word. When the wizard had reached his end, sweat dripping down his cheek, he gave Moody a quick look. "Are you sure the boy's …." The look from the still silent monolith cut his question short. "Well then, I guess this will be your wand then." He handed Jonus the box to a crooked and gnarled wand that had manage to make a flash without the excess smoke and sizzling.
"But that wand only worked marginally better than the rest. Don't you have any others?" Jonus knew that he must have tried almost every wand in the store, but he couldn't help hoping that there had been some mistake, that the perfect wand was laying in the next box.
"You are sure that this is the best wand you can find?" Moody finally spoke up, sounding irritated. The man nodded. "All right, Jonus, let's go. It's almost 11:00 now and we have a train to catch." Moody practically dragged Jonus out of the shop and down the alleyway.
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