Chapter 2
Blurred faces surrounded him, laughing as they came closer. Their slytherin green ties slowly turning into an acid green and morphing into angry snakes coiled around their necks. The whispering started small, quiet enough Harry couldn't understand what was being said. As The group got closer so did the whispering. "Freak. Freak. Freak! Freak! FREAK!" the whispering soon became a chant as the ones laughing joined the cadence.
The leader of the chanting group stepped forward and pointed a finger at Harry.
"You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head" the figure to the right of the leader stepped up and pointed its finger towards harry "there is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it" a third figure points his finger towards Harry "How is it a baby with no magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time?" The entire groop lifted their hands and pointed fingers. Right before Harry's eyes the fingers warped into wands. Acting as fast as he could Harry reached for his own holy wand only to find it wasn't there.
The chanting came to a sudden stop. As one the blurred faces lifted their wands, the tips glowing an erie green. The entire group spoke the first words Harry could ever remember.
"Avada.."
MA
Harry awoke with a jolt, eyes wide, covered in sweat, but he made no sound. The Dursleys had beaten that habit out of him at an early age. Vernon didn't like any sounds at all from Harry, less it led to more beatings. If ever Harry ever had nightmares he had to train himself to wake up silent, no matter how terrifying the dream. It had been a hard lesson at an early age, waking up from a nightmare screaming only to have his cupboard door rip open and the enraged face of Vernon Dursley enter. Vernons large meaty hand reached towards Harry while yelling "Boy! What have I told you about waking us up in the night? I'll make sure you remember this time you freak!"
Due to Harry's injuries he didn't leave the cupboard for a week from that beating, even with his magic trying to heal him and keep him alive. He shuddered at the memory.
Taking a deep breath to center himself Harry focused on his senses. Stale air, semi comfy bed,terribly basic blankets. This could only be one place.
The hospital wing, probably in his usual bed in the far corner.
Muffled voices reached Harry's ears, he strained trying to hear what was being said.
"But Albus! This wasn't some prank. This was meant to cause harm, possibly even attempted murder. You can't just expect us to sit back and do nothing!" the voice of professor McGonagall came though quite clear.
The next voice was also very familiar to Harry. "It doesn't matter who it is, if someone comes through the doors of this medical ward I'll do anything I can to help. Be it tears, wounds, gods or demons, I'll do anything in my power for them." The stern matron of the medical ward Madame Pomfrey, easily recognizable anywhere Harry went for how much time he had spent in her company.
Professor McGonagall? Madame Pomfrey? Does this mean they care? Dumbledor wasn't allowing them to do anything? Why? What else was he doing? Were there others who were stopped by him as well? Does this mean I'm not alone? Thoughts raced through Harry's brain and a small warm hope manifested in his gut. But he crushed it down before he let it grow. No! Don't waste your time on false hopes. Harry told himself and forced his ears back in on the conversation.
".. no I've told you before, Harry is to be left alone. Madame Pomfrey will patch him up and he will be fine" this time it was the voice of Dumbledor calmly but firmly ended the discussion.
Madame Pomfrey harrumphed and footsteps came towards Harry's bed. "Yes, well I need to check on my patient so if you'd kindly leave me to do my job in my domain" the footsteps of professors Dumbledor and McGonagall lead to the door and the sound of it closing came just before the curtain around his bed was pulled back.
"I know you're up Harry" she spoke softly.
How did she know? Some kind of ward? A charm maybe? Something that tells her when her patient is awake probably.
Harry sat up slowly and reached for the end table grabbing his glasses before sliding them onto his face. "You took a nasty fall, fractured skull, broken arm, and a few broken ribs. You've been out for 5 days, you should be healed but I figured I'd let you wake naturally instead of forcing it. How are you feeling Mr Potter? Any pain?" before Harry could even reply the matron of the hospital ward started waving her wand in complicated patterns that meant nothing to him. "I'm fine" Harry replied as her want gave off a soft blue and she slid it away.
"well i don't see anything wrong, however I'm going to keep you here till morning Mr potter"
Harry nodded in response. The medical matron normally kept her charges overnight so it was no surprise, especially considering how many times Harry had been in her care.
There was a pause, an almost eerie silence as Madame Pomfrey got a look that Harry didn't recognize.
Was it pity? No something else.
The thought didn't quite finish in Harry's head before Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat and took a breath.
"Harry.. There is.. Something else" She spoke in a soft voice that wavered slightly.
Did she just use my first name? She's never done that before. What could be worse then my stay here?
A sudden dread filled him, like a cold hand gripping his gutt and slowly tightening.
"It's your wand."
"My wand?" what could be wrong with it? Is it missing? Did one of slytherin take it? Did they hide it?
Madame Pomfrey placed a small wrapped cloth on Harry's lap.
What's this? This couldn't be my want, it's much too small. Slowly opening the bundle time seemed to slow down. A gasp was let out. Harry hadn't even realized he had done it, he was totally focused on the now unwrapped cloth.
Shards.
Splinters.
Small bits of wood no longer than a couple inches.
In the center half buried under the shards and chunks of wood laid a single feather, or at least what remained of it. Crumpled with little wisps sticking out at odd ends, the single feather once given to ollivander by Fawkes to be used in a wand now lay looking like it was about to disintegrate.
Even though Harry's throat felt dry, he still managed to ask with a raspy voice. "How.. did this happen?"
Madame Pomfrey stood still for a second before replying. "I don't know. The remains of your wand were sprinkled on you, by my guess that means it was entirely intentional"
Shock overcame Harry's face as his eyes widened looking to meet the matron's eyes. "It was on me? What do i do now? Can it be repaired?"
"No."
Such a simple word. One syllable, shot and to the point. Even though Harry had asked multiple questions he knew the one it referred to.
Crestfallen Harry looked back at the remains of his holy and phoenix feather wand. This was once his proof he belonged here, the thing that said he didn't belong at number 4 Privet drive.
The bundle of scraps is all that remained of the key to his prison that was the small cupboard under the stairs. However now that key was in tiny pieces.
Can I not do magic anymore? Would they send me back? I've never heard of a wand being broken. What happens now?
Interrupting Harry's thoughts the medical expert spoke softly "I'm sorry to say but you'll need a new wand."
"A new wand? How..?"
"Well the same way you got your first one. You can buy one premade if it is compatible with you, or you can have one made, though it's much more expensive"
"From Ollivander?" Harry asked
"Yes I believe he is still the best in England. You may use my floo as long as you're back before nightfall"
"Why are you letting me use your floo for a wand? Don't you need to keep me here to monitor me?"
Madame Pomfrey gave another smile. "I'm sure you were listening when I said I'll help anyone the moment they step through those doors. Right now you need a wand and this is the help i can provide." There was a moment of pause before she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and ignored the flinch that came with it. Meeting him eye to eye in a serious voice she spoke "You'll always have a safe place here. Now it's time for you to get up and get a wand before anyone notices you're gone and I get in trouble. Your clothes are by the bed and the floo is in my office, powder is on the shelf" with that Madame Pomfrey disappeared behind the curtain surrounding the bed.
Harry sat up in a daze throwing on his robes and reaching for the cloth with the remains of his wand. On the same table sat one lily flower and 3 small chocolates. One of the chocolates had a French label.
A lily flower? And chocolates? Who sent them? Why? French? Did someone from the Beauxbatons like or care about him? Or probably a crush on the boy-who-lived?
Maybe I've got four people in my corner? Maybe they're just afraid to speak up?
In a daze Harry managed to get to Madame Pomfrey's office and get through the floo to the leaky cauldron landing on his behind as his usual for floo travel. Shaking off the soot from his robes Harry left the tavern and headed for Ollivanders. Opening the door to the shop Harry was greeted with the same weird feeling as his first time here.
A dry musky smell, tall towers of long thin boxes containing wands, rows apaun rows of shelves containing even more wand boxes, not a single label in sight. How does he know where anything is?
Breaking the silence from what seemed like nowhere Mr Ollivander spoke "Goodevening Mr Potter, eleven inches, holly, phoenix feather core, nice and supple. I can't say I was expecting you, is there something I can help you with?"
Steeling his nerves from the odd old man, Harry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry sir, it's.. Not exactly supple anymore." Harry removed the bundle of cloth in his robe pocket and placed it on the counter. Ollivander opened the bundle expecting a broken wand but seeing it smashed to tiny pieces hurt. This was his creation, to see it in this state..
"I see. It was placed on your body I'm assuming?"
"Yes sir.. What does that mean?"
Garrick ollivander pushed a few splinters out of the way and picked up the crumpled feather and stared at it with a look of sadness in his eyes. "Whoever has done it has claimed that you Mr Potter are unworthy of magic" He placed the feather back in the bundle "well Mr Potter. It seems there is only one thing for us to do" the aged wand expert walked over to the door and turned the sign to say closed to the outside.
"We must prove them wrong. Come, let us make a master creation just for you" An almost evil grin overcame the wand master and he led Harry to the back.
Shelves of woods of all kinds, jars of all kinks, hairs, strings, fibers, and liquids of all sorts. Some blue, green, black, others that glowed or vibrated. Was that blood? A bright red one shone on a top shelf.
This is like a mad scientist's lab. Harry thought while suppressing chills that threatened to crawl up his spine.
"Now Mr Potter, I want you to walk around and bring me anything that calls to you" Ollivander gestured with one arm before sitting down at the work table on an old three legged stool.
"How will it call to me sir?" Harry asked unsure what he needs to be done to make the ingredients call.
Ollivander rubbed his chin. "Well that's difficult to say. Every witch or wizard is different so it could be anything. You just need to feel it Mr Potter"
Though he was unsure, Harry took a step forward and started looking at the woods laid out along shelves. Picking them up and rolling them in his hands.
It's wood. What am I supposed to feel?
Nothing seemed to happen, light woods, dark ones, swirled ones Harry had no idea even existed. Still they all just felt like regular old wood.
A few minutes later he grabbed one and it felt dangerously hot, like it was already on fire. Harry immediately put it back. The next couple felt like regular wood, then grabbing a dark one with veins of red it felt.. Strong, like picking up a sword or a shield.
Was this what he meant? It feels.. Good? Right?
Harry pocketed the wood and kept looking at materials moving onto the jars of weird substances. Just like the wood it was mostly unresponsive, the odd one gave a negative response. Though it all Harry managed to find a total of three things that gave any sort of positive response. Once he was sure everything had been looked at Harry brought the items in question and placed them on the table for Ollivander.
"Ahh curious. Very curious indeed. Your last wand was holly and phoenix, this will be much different. The holly meant protection and phoenix feather said much about power, but the combination said you were bound. To what or for? I have no idea.. However, it seems your bonds have broken. Or at least are breaking if this new combination is any indication."
Ollivander picked up the block of wood "cocobolo wood. This wood can only be used if taken from the heart of the tree, meaning you have much strength inside Mr Potter" Placing it down her grabbed the next item, a long white whisker. "The whisker of a white tiger, a magcial one at that. She was quite reluctant to part with it, she said only one and she would know when its chosen."
"She? She spoke to you?" Harry asked inquisitively
Mr Ollivander placed the whisker on the table "Yes, even the trees talk if you simply listen Mr Potter" picking up the final ingredient the aged wand master smiled "Pure untainted silver. Also rare and very difficult to produce. This means protection, not quite like a shield or armor. Offence and defence are quite similar even though opposite. You can both attack or defend with a sword just as we do with our wands. We use silver against all manor of things. Vampires, werewolves, demons, monsters, and plenty others. Even people when the occasion calls."
Ollivandor didn't give Harry any chance to process the information he had just dropped on the boy. Producing a vial and small knife from under the counter and offering it to Harry. "These ingredients will probably put up a fuss so I'll need your blood as a conduit"
Harry grabbed the vial and knife. Making a cut on his wrist and waiting till the small vial was nearly full to the brim, Harry offered them back and before he could ask for a tissue or cloth the cut healed on its own. Ollivander acted like he didn't even notice, taking the vial and looking at the other ingredients he sounded excited as he spoke "I'll have to ask you to give us space Mr Potter" indicating to himself and the items soon to become a wand "Every wandmaker needs his own secrets, so i'll ask you to return in an hour to claim your newly created wand"
Ollivander didn't even look up from the table and pointed to the door.
Unwilling to become a intruder in the wandmakers craft Harry left the shop, heading towards
Gringotts.
M.A.
Walking up the marble steps to the large doors intending to grab gold to pay for the new wand Harry had been lost in thought. Woods, cores, and other lore pertaining wans swam through his head. A small excitement had been building in him.
A new wand. How would it look? How would it feel?
"Next!" the harsh call of a goblin teller broke him of his thoughts.
"Name?"
"Uh Harry Potter sir" Harry replied nervously. It was a large goblin with scars down his face and the tip of one ear missing. Rather intimidating for a bank teller.
"Come with me" the goblin commanded. Getting from the bench and walking to a nearby hall turn after turn through the maze like corridors that surely only a goblin would know. Eventually after passing a great many doors that all with the same design, thy reached a door no different then any other.
The goblin knocked.
"Enter!" A deep goblin voice spoke
What do they want? Did I offend them? Why did they take me here? Is something wrong?
Steeling his nerves Harry pushed the doors open.