Title:Legacy
Author: Shutsumon
Pairings: None yet. We'll see in the sequels.
Summary: How would Harry's life have been different if Petunia had acted like a Human being, if Dudley had been a wizard too and if Lily had left a legacy for her beloved son? How would it have been the same? Just another AU of book 1.

A/N: Betaread by Shippo. Thanks Shippo. Yes, I know that it's a lot like the original in place. There will be some fairly strong plot differences but equally being a Book One AU there will be quite a few points of concurrence. I have, however, tried to avoid taking whole blocks of text wholesale. Sorry this took so long. Initially I was considering certain things in HBP and revising my planned plot and then it just took forever to type in.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

LEGACY

Chapter Three

Mysterious Box

If the next few days were pretty tense for Harry they were downright miserable for Dudley. Uncle Vernon remained in a foul mood about what he perceived as his son's betrayal and had responded by basically ignoring his existence. For a spoiled brat like his cousin being ignored was the ultimate torture. Harry on the other hand was the target of every bit of his ire because he still blamed him for some reason even though he now knew Dudley had had magic before Harry was on the doorstep. Fortunately he didn't dare to lay a hand on Harry because the one time he had tried to, the day after the letter came, Aunt Petunia had responded in kind with her frying pan. He did, however, use any excuse to roar at Harry even more than usual. Harry didn't really care. He just made an effort to avoid his Uncle as much as humanly possible and counted down the days to the school things buying trip impatiently. He was really beginning to look forward to it. Though truth be told he was a little concerned about Aunt Petunia's claim that he was famous in the Wizarding World. He didn't even recall the events in question after all. He wasn't even sure how they could be so sure that he was the one who had defeated this Voldemort person just because he had survived. He had only been a baby at the time … it seemed inconceivable to him that he could have done what they thought he had. He rather thought that it must have been one of his parents who was really responsible even if they had died in the process.

Professor McGonagall hadn't seemed that impressed to meet him of course. But then she didn't seem the type to be overly excited by celebrity. She had seemed rather staid and stern but Harry had decided he liked her … primarily because she made Dudley nervous.

In spite of Uncle Vernon's continuing attempts to make him miserable the few days before Harry's birthday seemed to fly by. Mainly because Dudley was having trouble explaining why he wasn't going to Smeltings after all to his gang and so was not available to chase Harry. Dudley's best friend Piers was going to Smeltings and was especially put out and was currently not talking to Dudley at all.

The cover story Aunt Petunia and Professor McGonagall had come up with was especially amusing in Harry's opinion. They were claiming that Harry and Dudley had both been accepted at an exclusive academy for Gifted Children. Given that Harry was only an average student and Dudley was – to be blunt – stupid. He wasn't really sure why the neighbours bought this tale but they did.

The night before his birthday Harry lay awake wondering where on earth they were going to get the strange books and even stranger equipment listed in his letter. It certainly wasn't the kind of stuff you'd find in a normal high street. That must be why they needed someone to take them to buy it. This magical world was in hiding so it was logical that their shops were as well.

Excitement was still growing in his chest and stomach as he turned over to watch his clock slowly count down to midnight. The last 60 seconds before his eleventh birthday seemed to take an age to pass … and as the last ten seconds clicked away he found himself holding his breath as if expecting something to happen.

Rap!

All the same the gentle tapping on his bedroom door made him jump. The door then opened a crack and Aunt Petunia's head appeared round it. She beamed when she saw that he was awake and disappeared back onto the landing for a moment before quickly entering the room fully. There was a fairly large, ornately carved wooden box in her hands.

"This is for you." She told him. "Lily left it for you in her will with instructions to give to you on your eleventh birthday. I don't know what's in it. She used some sort of spell so that no one but you could open it." She laid it on the bed. "Happy Birthday, I'll give your present in the morning." She smiled at him again.

"Thanks, Aunt Petunia." He stared at the box thoughtfully.

"Goodnight, Harry." She said quietly before slipping out and closing the door leaving him alone with the box. Harry regarded it a moment longer before reaching out to try and open it. As soon as his fingers brushed the lid it popped open. He leant over and glanced inside. Almost immediately he figured out that it was 'a box of memories' from his parents. He'd seen enough of those sappy films Aunt Petunia watched in the afternoons to recognise the typical sorts of things that would be in it. Right on top were two thick parchment envelopes which turned out to contain letters from his parents. Underneath those were two thick books – a photo album and a baby scrapbook. He flicked through them absently and was surprised to see that the pictures moved. It was nice to finally have pictures of his parents. At the bottom were a set of diaries written in the same neat, feminine hand as the letter from his mother which turned out to chronicle her time at Hogwarts. He looked at them and realised that it would take some time for him to read through them all so he put them aside for now and opened the small jewellery box he found in one corner. It contained nothing but a wedding ring and an unusual looking engagement ring on a fine chain. He lifted them up and looked at them as the hung there glinting before picking up the last item in the box, a wand with a note – once more in his mother's hand – attached. "A spare is always useful. He ran one finger along the length and jumped as it sparked. He blinked briefly before unfolding the letter from his mother and reading them.

"My dearest Harry,

If you are reading this it means that your father and I died in the war against Voldemort. It's not unexpected and I am as prepared for it as I can be. We've seen too many of our friends die to be surprised. Especially since he has decided that he wants you dead due to some prophecy that Professor Dumbledore refuses to tell us the details of.

In preparation for what seems like an inevitable confrontation your father and I have made certain plans and prepared this box and I've charmed my wand, wedding and engagement rings to port inside if I die as seems increasingly likely. If all goes according to my plan and you survive this box will have reached on your eleventh birthday. Please keep them with you from now on as a memento of me.

Now you're probably thinking 'but jewellery is for girls, mum' or something like that. That's why they are on a chain … so you can keep them hidden. But please wear them … it is a mother's dying wish."

After that the letter continued for several pages telling him about what a sweet baby he was and how much like his father he looked as a baby and how much she loved him before ending with.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you grow up.

All my love,

Your Mother Lily"

Harry stared at the letter for a while after he'd read it before fastening the chain round his neck and tucking it underneath his pyjama top. He skimmed through his father's letter which was much the same of his mother's in tone and he was getting tired. He pulled one of the moving photographs of his mother rocking him to sleep as an infant out of the baby book and fell asleep holding it. So it probably wasn't surprising that he dreamed of a woman's voice singing a lullaby to him.

---

It was probably a good thing that the knock at the door came just after Vernon had left for work that morning. Harry went and opened it and found himself facing the largest man he'd ever seen. He was also the wildest looking man he'd ever seen with a mane of hair and a bushy beard that were both so wild and tangled that all Harry could see of his face was a pair of smiling black eyes.

"Mornin', Harry." He said by way of greeting. "Las' time I saw yeh, yeh was only a baby." He looked at Harry appraisingly. "Yeh look a lot like yeh dad, yeh know, but yeh've got yeh mum's eyes."

"You're the person who's going to take Dudley and me to buy our school stuff?" Harry asked once he'd recovered from his shock.

The giant nodded. "I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He began fishing around in his overcoat as if looking for something. "Anyway, a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat for yeh here." He produced a slightly squashed box from one pocket. "I mighta sat on it at one point but it'll taste alright." He handed the box to Harry who opened it and found a large, sticky chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday, Harry' sloppily iced on it.

"Thank you, Mr Hagrid." He said politely. Then added "Won't you come in?" as he realised that he had left their visitor standing on the doorstep.

"Jus' call me Hagrid." The giant said as he bent down and squeezed through the doorway. "Everyone does."

Harry led Hagrid into the kitchen and tried to suppress a grin when Dudley made a scared squeaking noise and fled behind his mother. Aunt Petunia also seemed a little taken back but greeted Hagrid politely and made a cup of tea for him and they all shared Harry's cake – he even let Dudley have a slice – before heading out to buy the supplies. A trip which it turned out involved going to London. Hagrid had some 'muggle money' as he called it but he gave it to Aunt Petunia to purchase the tickets because he didn't understand how it worked.

A lot of people on the platform turned to look at Hagrid… probably because he was twice as tall as a normal person. On the train he took up two seats and sat knitting a canary-yellow something or other… Harry wasn't sure what.

"Got yeh letters with yeh boys?" Hagrid looked up briefly. Harry nodded and pulled his out of his pocket while Aunt Petunia produced Dudley's from her bag. "Good. There's a list of everything yeh need in there."

Dudley opened his envelope and pulled his list out as Harry nodded. "I read it." He told Hagrid. "I was a bit disappointed that we're not allowed out own broomsticks." He'd really hoped to buy one. Flying sound wonderful."

"Not in yer Firs' Year." Hagrid told him. "They used ter but there were too many accidents because kids would try an' fly on their own before they'd had lessons."

"Oh." Harry said, put that way the rule made more sense. "Can we really get all this stuff in London?"

"If you know where to go." Hagrid replied and returned his attention to his knitting.

-----

Hagrid did seem to know where he was going but clearly he usually didn't get there by mundane means from the way he complained about the Underground being too slow. Aunt Petunia just chuckled and told him that he should try being in London traffic in a car or bus. Hagrid's rather odd reply was that that would depend on the bus.

Eventually they arrived in a street full of shops none of which looked like a likely purveyor of magical supplies. Hagrid, however, led them straight to a shabby looking pub called the Leaky Cauldron which Harry would have sworn wasn't there a moment before. Apparently everyone knew Hagrid because they smiled and waved before looking curiously at Aunt Petunia in a way that told Harry that non-magical people didn't come in here often. Then the barman recognised Harry and pandemonium broke loose.

"Good Lord!" He said as he peered at Harry for a moment and then hurried out from behind the bar. "Bless my soul. Harry Potter … what an honour." He rushed over to Harry with tears in his eyes and began pumping his hand. "Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."

Harry didn't quite know how to react to this so he looked around the suddenly silent pub. Everyone was staring at him. A moment later it seemed that the customers rose as one and he was surrounded by people who wanted to shake his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Dudley standing not far away with wide eyes and open mouth. He looked shocked … or possibly horrified.

"And who is this young man?" Doris Crockford, one of the women shaking Harry's hand, asked as she noticed Dudley.

"Ah, this is Dudley Dursley." Hagrid told her. "He's Harry's cousin on his mum's side. He going to be startin' at Hogwart's as well … and this is Lily's sister Petunia. She's Harry's guardian."

Doris Crockford promptly started shaking Dudley's hand. "You're so lucky, Mr Dursley, to be the cousin of such a powerful wizard." She told him. Dudley just gaped at her. Apparently he couldn't think of anything to say.

Meanwhile a nervous looking, pale young man approached Harry. He was actually twitching as he walked over.

"Fancy seein' you here, Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid said in surprise. "Lads, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," Professor Quirrell stammered as he shook Harry's hand briefly. "C-can't tell you how pleased I am to finally meet you."

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"Defence Against the D-Dark Arts." He sounded terrified of his own subject. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, Potter." Even his laughter at his feeble attempt at a joke sounded nervous. Harry caught sight of Aunt Petunia watching the young Professor with a dubious expression on her face.

"Hadn't we better get going?" She asked Hagrid, perhaps a touch too loudly, interrupting whatever Professor Quirrell had been about to say.

In the end it took another ten minutes to extricate themselves from the crowd who wanted to meet Harry. Once they had Hagrid led them out of the back door of the pub into a small, weedy courtyard.

"That teacher…" Aunt Petunia said in a disapproving tone. "How will his students learn Defence from him if he's scared of his own shadow?"

"Ah, well, yes. Poor bloke." Hagrid explained. "Brilliant mind but he's had some bad experiences. He took a year off ter get some first hand experience … They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag… he's not been the same since." He pulled a pink Umbrella from under his coat. "Dumbledore says that he'll get his confidence back in time." He started counting bricks above the dustbin.

"I see…" Aunt Petunia still sounded dubious. "Oh!" This last was because Hagrid had tapped a brick three times with his umbrella and it had started visibly quivering. A small hole appeared in the brick and started growing. A mere moment later there was an archway there. It was large enough for even Hagrid to fit through and led on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight. "Oh!" Aunt Petunia repeated. Harry glanced at her and saw that her eyes were wide. He couldn't blame her though since he was no less amazed himself. Hagrid grinned down at them.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." He said as he ushered them through the archway. Harry glanced back in time to see the archway shrink back into a solid wall. As he turned back a glint caught his eye and he looked over at the closest shop. There was a sign outside which declared it to sell Cauldrons of all types – a claim backed up by the piles of cauldrons that were stacked up outside glinting in the sunlight.

"Yeah, you'll both be needin' one." Hagrid said as he followed Harry's eyes, "But we've gotta get yer money first and yer Aunt needs to change some of her muggle money into real money. So first stop'll be Gringotts." With that he led them off down the fascinating street and Harry found himself turning his head from side to side trying not to miss anything because everything was so fascinating and extraordinary.

A soft hooting drew his attention to a small, dark shop that he'd almost missed among the brighter whirl of shops selling broomsticks, books, robes and other odder things A sign declared it to be "Eeylops Owl Emporium." So involved was Harry in looking around that he nearly didn't notice when Hagrid stopped outside a tall, white building.

"Gringotts," Hagrid said. The doors were made from highly polished bronze and standing beside them in a scarlet and gold uniform was a short, not quite human creature with a swarthy, clever face, hooked nose and pointed beard. As it reached out and opened the doors for them Harry noticed that it had very long fingers.

"That's a goblin." Hagrid told them in a whisper as the goblin bowed to them. "Goblins run Gringotts." Inside there was a second set of doors, this time of silver, with words engraved on them. Harry read the threatening rhyme and then looked up at Hagrid. "Yeh'd be mad to try an' rob it." Was all the giant said.

Another pair of goblins bowed then through the silver doors and into a vast marble hall. There were over a hundred goblins sitting on high stools behind a long counter. Most of them were scribbling in ledgers or weighing coins on shiny brass scales but a few seemed to assessing the quality of gemstones and others were showing customers in and out of the countless doors that led off the hall.

"Mornin'" Hagrid had led them to a free goblin. "We've come to take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere." Hagrid emptied his pockets on the counter. The goblin and Aunt Petunia developed near identical expressions of distaste when he scattered mouldy dog biscuits everywhere. At last he produced a tiny golden key. "Got it!"

The goblin looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore." Hagrid threw out his chest importantly. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well, I will have someone take you to both vaults…"

"Oh, one more thing, Mrs Dursley here," Hagrid gestured to Aunt Petunia, "Needs to change some muggle money so she can buy her son's Hogwarts stuff."

The goblin turned his attention to Aunt Petunia. "How much do you wish to exchange, madam?"

"I'm not sure how much I'll need." Aunt Petunia held up the £500 that she had withdrawn from her savings earlier.

"At current prices and exchange rate Two Hundred muggle pounds should be enough for now but if you want to exchange the rest now we can open a vault for your son." The goblin told her.

"That's a good idea." Aunt Petunia nodded and they spent the next half hour waiting while his Aunt and Cousin filled in forms and discussed potential investments with the goblin. After that was done the Goblin called over another goblin, who's name was Griphook, to take them down to the vaults. As Griphook led them through one of the doors leading off the hall Harry turned to Hagrid.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" he asked.

"Can't tell yeh that. Hagrid replied. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth to tell yeh that."

Beyond the door was a narrow stone passageway that sloped down steeply. There were railway tracks in the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart hurtled up to them. All five of them squeezed into it which was no easy task with Dudley, let alone Hagrid, along.

The cart set off at a break neck speed through a maze of tunnels, plunging deeper and deeper into the Earth. At one point they passed an underground lake in a beautiful cavern where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew. Harry was quite enjoying the ride but Hagrid looked rather green.

"That was so cool!" Dudley said when they stopped. "Better than a rollercoaster!"

Hagrid however looked rather sick and was leaning against to wall in order to stop his knees shaking.

"This is your new vault, Mr Dursley." Griphook said before opening the door and ceremonially piling the gold, silver and bronze coins that weren't in the small pouch that Aunt Petunia was carrying. Griphook handed her the key. "You keep this until he's seventeen, madam."

They all got back into the cart and Hagrid turned to Griphook. "Mr Potter's vault next, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only." Griphook replied.

If possible Hagrid looked even greener when they reached Harry's vault. Griphook unlocked the door and green smoke came billowing out. As it cleared Harry couldn't help but gasp at the sight of piles upon piles of gold, silver and bronze coins.

"All yours." Hagrid told him. Harry turned to stare at Aunt Petunia who also looked slightly taken aback at the sight. Dudley was gawking like an idiot again.

"I knew that your father was comfortably off… but this is unexpected."

"The gold ones are Galleons." Hagrid explained as he shovelled some of it into a bag. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Bronze Knuts to a Sickle."

"And I thought that pre-decimal 'muggle' money was bad." Aunt Petunia muttered. Hagrid and Dudley looked as puzzled at this as Harry felt but Griphook chuckled.

"We've been trying to persuade the ministry to shift to a decimalised currency for many years." He told her. "But they think it's some sort of trick."

Another wild cart ride later and they finally reached Vault seven hundred and thirteen. The first thing Harry noticed was that the door had no keyhole.

"Stand back." Griphook warned them before he stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that they'd be sucked inside and trapped."

"How often do you check to see if someone's inside?" Harry asked.

"About every ten years." Griphook grinned nastily as Hagrid went into the vault. Harry and Dudley both leaned forward because they were eager to see what amazing treasure was kept in such a high security vault. In fact it looked empty until Harry saw a grubby little parcel wrapped in brown paper in the floor. Hagrid picked it up and hid it deep inside his coat. Harry was curious of course but knew that he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked. Dudley, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand that.

"What's that?" He demanded.

"Can't tell yeh." Hagrid replied. Dudley opened his mouth to protest but Aunt Petunia nudged him firmly. Harry suppressed a smirk… embarrassing her in public was the one thing that his Aunt would not let Dudley get away with.

"Dudley." She said in a tone that her son understood at once. "Be polite." Dudley fell silent at once.

"C'mon." Hagrid said. "Back in this infernal cart… and don't talk to me on the way back it's best if I keep my mouth shut."

----

"Might as well get yer uniforms first." Hagrid told them as they stood blinking in the sunlight after they exited Gringotts. He nodded towards a nearby shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and then added. "Would yeh mind if I slipped for a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."

"You do look a bit ill." Aunt Petunia said sympathetically. "I'm sure that we can manage this bit."

As they approached the door to Madam Malkin's shop a boy with a pale, pointed face exited. He took the three of them in with a withering glance that fairly dripped contempt and muttered what sounded like 'damned mudbloods' as he pushed back them.

"Charming." In spite of the fact that Harry was fairly sure they'd just been mortally insulted Aunt Petunia seemed more amused than offended.

By the time Harry and Dudley were fitted for their robes Hagrid had returned. It was a hot day and he suggested that they all stop for an ice cream before they carried on with their shopping. Aunt Petunia agreed so they stopped at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and ordered a Sundae each. Harry was about halfway through his – and Dudley had nearly finished his second – when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and found a girl about his age with short pallid blonde hair and pale grey eyes looking at him.

"Uh, hi." She said looking down shyly. "Pardon the interruption but are – uh – are you Harry Potter?"

"Um… yes." Harry braced himself for more gushing like in the Leaky Cauldron but instead she just smiled.

"I thought so. I'm Daphne Greengrass. Our mothers were friends at Hogwarts." She held out her hand. "I hope that we can continue the tradition." Harry considered for a moment and then accepted the handshake.

"I hope so too." He finally returned her smile and she glanced round the table.

"You must be Hagrid." She offered him her hand as well. "Helping Harry get his stuff?"

"Yes." Hagrid shook her hand quickly but Harry got the definite impression that he didn't like her. Daphne, however, seemed unperturbed by this and turned her attention to Aunt Petunia and Dudley.

"You're Lily's sister aren't you?" She asked. "Mum told me that Harry was being cared for by his muggle relatives."

"I am." Aunt Petunia smiled. "And this is my son Dudley. He's going to be starting at Hogwarts as welll."

"Really?" Daphne gave Dudley an appraising and mildly surprised look. "There must be a strong, submerged magical thread in the Evan's line to produce two magical children in two generations."

"Would you like to join us for the rest of our shopping?" Harry asked.

"That depends on my parents." She shrugged. "But I wouldn't mind." She glanced up the street. "Here they are now." She waved at the two adults who were approaching the table.

As it turned out Daphne's parents were amenable to the idea but she still needed to fitted for her school robes so they parted company after they finished their sundaes.

"Yer want to be careful of that girl." Hagrid said darkly once they were out of earshot. "Both her parents were in Slytherin. I don't think that she'll be any different."

"That's one of the School Houses right?" Dudley asked before Harry could. "Professor McGonagall mentioned them."

"Yeah." Hagrid paused. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

Harry was confused for a moment and then remembered what Aunt Petunia had told them about many people in the magical world not liking to say Voldemort's name. "You mean Voldemort?" He asked.

"Yeah… and don't say the name."

"So all Slytherins are bad because Voldemort was one?" Hagrid shot him a look and began shuffling nervously.

"Did I say that'? I've known some perfectly decent Slytherins in my time… but most of 'em are bad…. And don't say the name!" He repeated. Harry just rolled his eyes. He was about to say more but they'd reached Flourish and Blotts which, apparently, was where they'd get their school books. Even Dudley, who hated reading, seemed somewhat impressed with them. Of course mundane books didn't tell you how to do magic so that probably explained it.

After getting their books they bought their cauldrons, scales and telescopes before heading to the apothecary's, where Aunt Petunia waited outside because she couldn't stomach the smell, to buy basic potions ingredients. Then there were only their wands left to buy… except that Hagrid suddenly stopped…

"Oh yeah, I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Harry blinked and stared at him. "You don't have to…" He began.

"I know I don't have ter." Hagrid replied. "I want ter. Tell yeh what, I'll get you an owl. They're dead useful, carry your post an' everythin'."

When they emerged from Eeylops Owl Emporium twenty minutes later Harry was holding a large cage which held a beautiful Snowy Owl, Aunt Petunia was looking stressed and Dudley was still sulking because she wouldn't buy him an owl even after he had a tantrum. As she had pointed out he had a proven track record of not looking after pets so it just wouldn't be right. Harry in the meantime was stammering his thanks to Hagrid.

"Don't mention it. Just Ollivanders left now – only place for wands."

If Ollivanders really was the place to buy a wand it didn't look it. It was narrow and shabby and not at all impressive. Inside the shop was quiet and felt a lot like a strict library. The atmosphere even got to Dudley who began to fidget nervously. There was only a single chair which Hagrid chivalrously let Aunt Petunia take. Harry looked around at the thousands of narrow boxes and wondered where the shopkeeper was.

"Good afternoon." A soft voice answered his unspoken question and Harry turned to look at the speaker.

"Hello." He replied politely.

"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. You have your mother's eyes. Why it seems only yesterday that she bought her first wand here. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. A definite charms wand." Mr Ollivander seemed almost to glide closer and Harry was torn between shivering at his creepiness and laughing at his bizarre behaviour. "Your father favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches, pliable. Excellent for Transfiguration. Well I say that he favoured it but really it's the other way round. The wand chooses the wizard." He walked closer to Harry and laid a finger on his scar. "I'm afraid that I sold the wand that did this. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. A very powerful wand… and in the wrong hands… if I had known what that wand would do out in the world I would have broken it myself."

"It's not your fault." Harry interrupted him. "I mean you had no way to know and it wasn't the wand that made Voldemort evil was it?" He rolled his eyes again as Mr Ollivander jumped at the name and Hagrid said.

"Don't say the name!"

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid!" Mr Ollivander seemed only to notice Hagrid when he spoke. "How nice to see you again … Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes."

"Good wand, that was. I suppose that they snapped it when you got expelled?"

"Er… yes, they did, yes … but I've still got the pieces."

"Why were you expelled?" Dudley asked as Mr Ollivander opened his mouth to say something else.

"Better get on with business." Hagrid said loudly, obviously ignoring Dudley's question. "Harry and his cousin need their wands."

Mr Ollivander proceeded to measure Harry for his wand as he explained about the three magical cores.

"So it's the combination of wood, core, flexibility and length that determines the wand's nature?" He asked.

"Very good." Mr Ollivander murmured. "Very good indeed." Before giving Harry a wand to try. Nothing happened with that wand, or the next one or the one after that… indeed dozens of wands were rejected before Mr Ollivander handed him the 11" Holly and Phoenix feather wand that produced a stream of red and gold sparks when he waved it.

Mr Ollivander wrapped the wand up muttering about it being curious the whole time. Eventually Harry could not contain himself.

"I'm sorry, but what's curious?"

"This wand… I remember every wand that I've ever sold, Mr Potter… and it so happens that the phoenix who's tail feather is in your wand donated one other feather. Just one. It's curious that this wand should choose you when its brother gave you that scare… yes it's curious how these things happen." He stared at Harry a moment longer before turning his attention to Dudley. Finding Dudley's wand proved much quicker and he was soon aired with a wand that Mr Ollivander described as "Sycamore and Unicorn tail hair, ten and a half inches, perhaps a little rigid. A decent all round wand… if lacking in any specific strengths."

They each paid the seven Galleons for their wands and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

Aunt Petunia bought them dinner in a smart restaurant before they headed home with their tickets and Hagrid's instruction not to miss the train ringing in their ears.

---

Please R&R