Ollivander's Toughest Customer
Gloria, what type of wand do you have?" Mr Ollivander asked while getting the tape measure going again. He began to look through the endless supply of boxes.
"Mahogany and veela hair. Fifteen inches," said Mrs Ollivander.
"Mine's a cedar and phoenix feather. Around Thirteen inches. So, let's try this." He picked out a box.
The process did take about an hour. Wand after wand after wand was given to Terry and wand after wand after wand was taken away from him. This was his father's job.
His mother wrote back to Hogwarts to tell them Terry would be attending and then went to grab some of Terry's school stuff. As she bought things, she drew a line through it on Terry's supply list. After about an hour of searching for wands, and his mother shopping an checking off items as she bought them, Terry's supply list looked like this:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
uniform
First Year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
1.One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
2.One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
course books
All students should have a copy of each of the following
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
other equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size two)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
"Try this, Terry," said Mr Ollivander, handing him another wand. Nothing happened. Terry was soon tired of the "whole wand thing" as Travis put it. He liked looking at all the different wand combinations, but soon they all looked like long strips of wood.
"Or maybe this will work," said his father. It didn't. So they tried another. Then one more. The next one didn't work either. And neither did the one that followed or even the one after that.
"Good gracious, Terry! You've just about gone through the entire store!" said his father, with a look of half amusement and half perplexity on his face. "Give this a chance." He held out another wand. Terry took it in his hand and suddenly felt warmth in his fingers. The same blue and silver sparks that had sprouted from Travis's wand issued from Terry's. Every one in the room looked pleased (especially Mr Ollivander who sat heavily in a little spindly chair).
"I never thought it would end," he said, massaging the back of his neck. "Terry, you were in fact the toughest customer I've ever had to sell a wand to. Vine wood and phoenix feather. Fifteen inches. Excellent in charms and defensive spells. You have a very well rounded wand. Consider yourself lucky."
"Very good, Terry!" said his mother who embraced him tightly from behind. "I spoke to Madam Malkin. She can't just sell me a robe. You need to go in personally and get measured. You head off and do that, Terry."
"Alright. I'll take my wand with me. I really like having it." He picked up his wand and went out the door into the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. He looked left and right at all the witches and wizards doing their shopping. He had to live in Muggle clothes because he had yet to get his school robes and had nothing to wear otherwise. So, he loved looking at all the different garments grown wizards and witches wore. They came in all sorts of colors, shapes, lengths, and different large pieces of jewelry to top it all off nicely.
He looked to the left of him. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was eight doors down, just between him and the back entrance to the Lucky Cauldron. He headed for it and saw other children around his age in long black robes and looking at all the interesting items in the different shops.
Terry had to weave his way though the mobs of people to get to the robe shop. Twice he bumped into things (one of them a person), had his feet stepped on, and once almost tripped over an old witch's cane. He finally got to the door virtually unharmed (but a bit shaken) and opened it.
Madam Malkin was there looking through Witch Weekly magazine. She was squat and wearing purple. Her hair had streaks of gray to show her old age.
"Hello, Madam Malkin," said Terry casually, closing the door behind him.
Madam Malkin looked up. "Oh, Terry, dear. I've been expecting you." She put her magazine down. "Your mother told me about you getting into Hogwarts. Well done. One of the finest schools in Britain, it is." She smiled warmly.
"Well, let's get you measured," she said. She led him to the back of the shop, made him stand on a foot stool, and slipped a long black robe over his head.
"Today's been busy. It's the end of summer," said Madam Malkin through a mouth full of pins. "In all the forty Years I've been working here, I have never had it this crowded. It looks like you'll have a lot of classmates at school." She began to hem up the bottom of the robe.
The two of them chatted. Madam Malkin did most of the talking. She told Terry of her days at Hogwarts. She told him she was in Hufflepuff. And that she met her husband at Hogwarts. She was going to tell him about O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s but she had finished with the sleeves and was done with the entire robe. Leaving Terry at the stool, Madam Malkin went and retrieved a black pointed hat. She also used a Coupling Charm to make three exact copies to the robe she had just made, used another charm to thicken the fabric on one, and attached some silver fastenings to it.
"Thanks, Madam Malkin," said Terry. He reached in his pocket to pay her. He felt nothing. No gold or silver or bronze. "Uh—this is embarrassing. I don't have any money with me. I spent the last of my allowance at Weasley Wizard Wheezes."
"Not to worry, dear. Your mother prepaid. You're free to go."
Terry left the store with a wave "good-bye" to Madam Malkin, who in turn blew him a kiss, and Terry headed back for the tiny wand shop. He was much happier than he had been this morning. Earlier, the air reeked of melancholy. But now, Terry had a grin on his face, robes under his arm and a bounce in his step.
It was beginning to get dark. The sky was no longer the pale blue it used to be. It was now a large open sky of orange, rose, and mauve. As he walked back to the wand shop he thought, "I think I'm going to like Hogwarts."