Standard disclaimer applies.
Harry Potter and the Dragon's
Fire 2: At the Wand Shop
"That letter is still giving me the creeps." Meiling told Syaoran that night after dinner. They were staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Eriol had decided that maybe they should buy their school materials tomorrow – seeing that Meiling was visibly shaken with the letter. It was too late to do any more shopping anyway. When they emerged from the bank, the sky was darkening and most of the shops were closing.
Sakura managed to buy a pet cat though – to the displeasure of Kero ("What about me!"). It was black and slender with sly, light green eyes. Sakura gave out a small squeal when she saw it and bought it immediately. Kero spent most of his time sulking and glaring at Sakura's back.
"It was probably a prank, Meiling. Don't think much about it, okay?" Syaoran gave his cousin a pat on the back and a smile. "Get some sleep; it's late."
Meiling sighed. "All right." But she didn't sleep.
"Ohayouuu!" Sakura exclaimed happily when Meiling emerged from her room to have some breakfast.
"Morning Sakura," Meiling replied, smiling. After looking around, she asked, "Where's Tomoyo?"
"She left just before you woke up. Urgent business, she said. She promised she'd write though," Sakura said.
"So what's on the list for today?" Syaoran asked when Meiling heaved a tall pile of pancakes into her plate and proceeded to eat it.
"First, we go to Madame Malkin's for your robes, then to Flourish and Blotts—that's the bookstore, Sakura—and then Ollivander's to buy your wands." Eriol replied, his eyes taking on an amused twinkle when he mentioned the last part.
"Mhmnrhm hmmrhrggh," Kero said conversationally through a mouthful of pancake. Spinel Sun gave him a look and translated: "I know that look in your eyes, Hiiragizawa. What's going on?"
"You think too much, dear Keroberos," Eriol replied, smiling. "I'm not planning anything. It's just a fun thing to watch when young wizards and witches try out new wands."
"Grmhrmmh."
"Kero-chan," Sakura's voice took on a reprimanding tone. "don't speak with your mouth full."
"Mrgrhm… fine, but this better not mean trouble."
"Anything with Hiiragizawa spells trouble," Syaoran interjected.
"Now, now my dear descendant," Eriol said smoothly. "No need to get all heated up. I promise to be no trouble."
To which Kero and Syaoran replied with a disbelieving look.
"Let's see now," Sakura mumbled. She clasped a piece of parchment in her right hand while the other held Selene, her newly christened cat. "First year students will require three sets of plain work robes—black; one plain pointed hat (black) for day wear; one pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar); one winter cloak—black, silver fastenings."
She looked up from her list and found that she was alone in a crowd of wizards and witches. Sakura immediately panicked. "Oh my God! I'm lost! I'm looooooost! Where are they!"
"Over here, Sakura-chan!" Syaoran's called, sticking his head out from a nearby shop.
Sakura sighed with relief and pushed her way through the crowd. Syaoran pulled her inside the shop.
"Hogwarts, dears?" asked a short, smiling witch whom they all assumed to be Madam Malkin. Eriol nodded. "Well, we'll have you fitted. Come along dears."
They all followed her to the back of the shop where Madam Malkin let them all stand on stools. She waved her wand and four long black robes from the closet floated to her. A flick and they were all dressed in the robes. Madam Malkin pocketed her wand and manually pinned the robes to the right length.
Sakura, Syaoran and Meiling all stared at her. Eriol just smiled.
"Well, that's that." The elderly witch said. Another flick of her wand and all their robes were neatly folded and placed in a bag.
Flourish and Blotts was an uneventful affair. Eriol did most of the purchasing. Syaoran and the others were still talking about the wand display in Madam Malkins.
"Just like that!" Meiling said incredulously, imitating Madam Malkin's flick. "She didn't even have to say any words!"
"She must be really powerful!" Sakura agreed.
"It just takes practice," Eriol said calmly behind the three. "After so many years, the wand doesn't need any words to perform spells that the witch or wizard has performed so many times before. It knows."
"When did you become so knowledgeable on wands, Hiiragizawa?" Syaoran asked.
"Oh look, we're at Ollivanders' already!" Eriol said, not replying to the brown-haired boy's question.
The shop door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. Syaoran pushed the door open and entered. The others followed. A bell rang softly once they were all inside.
It was a small shop, with a counter and layer upon dusty layer of boxes behind it. There was no one inside, except the four of them.
"Where the hell is the person in charge of this!" Meiling asked furiously. The others looked around.
"Ah, good afternoon," came a soft voice. Mr Ollivander emerged from behind a towering column of boxes.
"Mr Ollivander, how wonderful to see you again!" Eriol said, shaking the old man's hand. The elderly wizard scrutinized him.
"How strange. I do not forget a face, yet I do not recognize you, Mister…"
"Hiiragizawa." Eriol replied. "No matter. We're here to purchase our wands."
"Ah, yes, of course. Which of you is first?"
"Er, I'll go first," Sakura volunteered. Mr Ollivander got a couple of boxes from the pile beside him. He opened the first and handed the wand to the black-haired girl. "Mahogany, eleven inches. Quite supple."
"So how much is this?" she asked after a pause. He looked at her.
"Don't be silly! Give it a wave, child."
Sakura waved at her wand. Nothing. "Is something supposed to happen, Mr Ollivander?"
"No, no, child. You wave it, not wave at it."
Sakura's cheeks became slightly pink. She waved it around a bit feeling rather foolish. When she felt nothing happening, she looked up. He immediately snatched it back and gave her another wand, this time saying, "Holly, ten inches, with a phoenix core."
This time, Sakura felt a slight tingling in her fingers. Giving it a wave, the wand shot out pink sparks to Sakura's delight. Selene, frightened by the sudden sparks, jumped out of the girl's arms. Sakura spent the next minutes cooing Selene from the shadows.
"Who's next?"
Syaoran stepped forward. Mr Ollivander gave him one long look then declared, "I've got just the wand you need—well, I shouldn't say that. It's the wand that chooses the wizard after all."
He disappeared into another pile of boxes after that cryptic message only to reappear a moment later clutching a box. He opened the box and gave the wand to Syaoran. "Nine inches, yew and phoenix feather. Very nice for Charms."
A bunch of peonies sprung from the wand tip. Syaoran grinned.
The door suddenly opened to reveal a lanky, red-haired boy of around fifteen. Behind him was another boy of the same age with green eyes ("Just like mine," Sakura thought pensively.) and messy black hair.
"Ah, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." Mr Ollivander said. "Please take a seat. I'm almost done." He magicked two seats from behind the shop.
"Thanks, Mr Ollivander," the redhead said as he reclined into the seat. The black-haired boy just looked curiously at Sakura and the others.
"Well then, that leaves you, dear," he motioned for Meiling to come forward. "Hmm, yes. I think I've got it."
With that, he walked over to the farthest pile near the end of the wand shop and took a box. "Thirteen inches, holly with dragon heartstring. Very flexible."
Wary of its effects, Meiling waved it around, and felt warmth enter her body. She sighed gratefully. She was afraid nothing would happen, as she didn't quite believe Eriol when he said she had magical abilities.
"You'll be going to Hogwarts then?" the black-haired boy asked.
"Yeah." Syaoran answered.
"Cool!" The redhead replied. "I'm Ron Weasley and this is Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you, mate!"
"Likewise," Eriol replied smiling. "I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, and these are my companions, Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran Li and Meiling Li. We're exchange students from Japan."
"Weird surnames you got there," Ron said. "Exchange students, you say? Hope you're all sorted into Gryffindor!"
This got a blank reply. "Er, well, we have to get going," Meiling said. "We'll see you when we get to Hogwarts then."
"Sure!" Harry and Ron called out as the group exited the shop.
"What's Gryffindor?" Sakura asked.
AN: Wow. I actually posted a new chapter, after all these years. oo; I never thought I'd go back to writing for this fandom. Much less this story. Good god, I even forgot the whole plot—except for a few tidbits here and there. XD
To those who are wondering where the hell I've been all these years: well, I've somehow tired of this fandom—none of my favorite authors write for it anymore and all I see nowadays are a bunch of fics whose plots have been proliferated so many times over. (Not that this one seems to be any different. :) School's been taking up much of my time too, as did Ragnarok Online on which I was hooked on for nearly a year—unhealthy, I tell you. I was also too lazy to continue any of my stories.
As for those questioning Eriol's wand explanation—it isn't really explained in the HP series and I've been wondering for quite a time why the wands still work when there's no incantation (ie. Hagrid giving Dudley a pig's tail). Consider that my self-invented explanation.