"I feel a bit bad for him," George said they stood to the side, watching Gran scold Neville.
"She can go even longer than mum," Fred said, scratching his neck.
Mrs. Weasley was finding a place for lunch with Ginny and was supposed to be back soon. Percy appeared very briefly, only to say that he didn't need any lunch, and he would meet up with everyone else at the bookstore later. Lily found it very fishy and would have followed under her Cloak if the other Weasley boys hadn't been vying for her attention.
"This is worse than the howler he got last year," Ron said, scratching his nose. Lily shuddered to think of it.
"Just wait until she finds out about the dragon," Lily said, reclining on her shopping bags. They made a comfortable seat, although she had to be careful to avoid any bags containing potions ingredients.
"How would she do that?" Ron asked.
"Neville always cracks under pressure," Lily said, "and Gran's determined to find out what he did."
"I'm surprised you didn't give it away," Ron grunted.
"Mine didn't last long enough," Lily said.
"So you would have ratted him out, then?" George asked.
"How could you, Lily?" Fred asked, tutting.
"You try keeping a secret during a Gran interrogation, see how you do."
"Remind us not to tell you a thing," Fred and George said as one.
Lily sniffed. "You can trust me."
"I certainly hope so," Fred said.
"Otherwise our gift will be wasted," George said.
"You two didn't have to get me anything," Lily said.
"We didn't," the twins said together.
"Now I'm confused," Ron said.
"That's nothing new," Fred said. Ron punched his brother on the arm, which earned him a couple blows of his own.
"We already had the gift," George explained, scooting closer to circumvent his tussling brothers.
"And you'll get it later on tonight," Fred said, pulling Ron into a headlock.
"Gerroff," Ron said, trying to twist out of the hold.
"What is it?" Lily asked.
"Never you mind," George said, wagging a finger at her.
"You'll find out soon enough," Fred said, pinning Ron to the ground.
"I don't have to do anything for it, do I?" Lily asked, feeling suspicious at the generosity.
"It's a gift, Lily," George said with a confused smile. "Consider it our way of making up for the Scabbers thing."
"That, and you seem to need it more than we do, with the amount of detentions you got last year," Fred said.
"You two had more!" Ron said, brushing himself off.
"She might not have beaten our third years selves, but she did beat our first year records," George said.
"And if we don't do something soon, she'll be busting all of them," Fred said.
"And we can't have that, can we?" George said.
"Just make sure you keep it secret, and don't let McGonagall find out about it," Fred said, trying his best to look stern. It, quite frankly, looked ridiculous.
"Don't worry, Lils," Fred said.
"We know how to keep our mouths shut," George said, smiling.
"Don't call me Lils," Lily said crossing her arms.
"If you say so, Lilykins," Fred said, winking.
"Wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable, would we, Lilypad?" George said.
"That's even better," Fred said, smiling more broadly.
"That's even worse," Lily said, frowning more deeply.
"You shouldn't frown so much," Fred and George said together.
"Why does everybody keep saying that?" Lily asked, throwing her hands into the air.
"Mum's coming back," Ron said, pointing down the street.
Lily stood up. She'd have to stop Gran herself, or the scolding would never stop. She stepped up, placing a hand on Gran's shoulder.
Gran turned sharply. "What?" she roared.
"Mrs. Weasley is back," Lily said, shrinking back.
Gran took a look around, throwing a smile on her face as if she hadn't just been exceedingly angry. "Well, shall we eat, then?"
Neville hurried away, looking relieved it was over. Lily followed closely behind, not wanting Gran to turn on her instead.
"Did you mention the forbidden corridor?" she whispered once they were alone with Ron.
"No," Neville answered, "But I did let the dragon slip."
Ron sniggered, and Lily gave him a punch on the arm to silence him. Gran turned just in time to see it, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"The Hopping Pot is rather crowded right now," Mrs. Weasley said, "but the Leaky Cauldron has plenty of space." Lily noticed Mrs. Weasley looking at her strangely again. She wished she'd stop that.
"That sorry excuse for a pub?" Gran said, turning her attention back to the only other adult. "No, we'll be going to Clutterbucke's, I think. Much better food, really satisfies."
"Well, yes," Mrs. Weasley said, "but there's an awful lot of us, the Leaky Cauldron won't run as high a tab." She flushed slightly, the truth behind her words staying silent.
"Nonsense," Gran said, waving a hand and leading the pack forward. "My pick, my treat. I'm certainly not eating at the Leaky Cauldron, no, won't be caught dead in there."
Lily followed behind the crowd with Ron and Neville. They were both taking turns ribbing on the boy for his embarrassing lecture. Lily was having fun until it was turned back on her. That was nowhere near as good, since she was almost always the butt of the joke.
Clutterbucke's was, apparently, a slightly fancier place. The host at the front seemed slightly disgruntled about the presence of so many, until Mrs. Longbottom pushed forward and slid him two galleons. Afterwards, he was far more polite. He even cleaned Lily's robes with a flick of his wand. She forgot that she was still covered in ash from her Floo misadventures.
Gran ordered for the whole table, despite Mrs. Weasleys protests, who wanted to look at the menu. Lily briefly caught a glimpse of it over Gran's shoulder, and she assumed Gran didn't want the Weasley matriarch to see how much they were all being extorted for.
They were soon feasting on massive lobsters and crispy, flaky fish, as well as hordes of fresh, crisp vegetables. Fred and George took two whole fish (which looked nothing like any fish Lily had ever seen, with grotesque spines and six antennae), and were using them to tease Ginny, who gave a small shriek every time she was forced to touch one. Lily thought it was quite funny, if only because they weren't doing it to her.
Overall, it was one of the most enjoyable meals Lily ever had. Even Gran laughed heartily when the twins tossed the fish straight into Ron's bowl of soup, although Mrs. Weasley had certainly been upset.
"What's next?" Lily asked Gran as they left the restaurant. She was getting tired of Neville and Ron making fun of her and was craving other companionship. She wanted to talk with Ginny but couldn't stand the sad smiles Mrs. Weasley kept giving her.
"Flourish and Blotts," Gran said. "After that, the others have to make their stop at the Apothecary, and then Flourish & Blott's before Molly takes you back to the Burrow."
"The Burrow?" Lily asked.
"It's where they live," Gran said, thumbing back towards the trailing Weasleys. Percy seemed to have mysteriously joined the group again, and Mrs. Weasley was currently grilling him on what he'd been up to, while Fred and George pretended not to be interested in the answer.
"Do you think Ginny is going to ignore me the whole summer?" Lily asked.
"How would I know?" Gran said. "I didn't even realize she was ignoring you now. The rest of us could only be so lucky."
Lily ignored that. "She wrote to me while we were at school, but she hasn't said a word to me all day, not even so much as a 'happy birthday.' I don't get it."
"None of them wished you a happy birthday," Gran pointed out. "You didn't get upset at the rest of them."
"Well, Ron won't say anything until he has to, and I don't think the twins would either. But I've been told Ginny was excited to meet me, and she hasn't so much as left her mum's side."
"You must make her nervous," Gran said.
"Why would she be nervous?"
"Probably because you're likely to blow up at the slightest issue."
"That's not true," Lily huffed. "You just push all my buttons, is all."
"What's that mean?" Gran asked, eyebrow raised.
"What does what mean?" Lily asked.
"Push all my buttons, what is that?"
"It's an expression," Lily said. "It means you know how to annoy me."
Gran snorted. "As if you don't push all mine. Must be a Muggle thing."
"Well, what do wizards say, then?"
"That you're being rather annoying, and it would be very pleasant if you were to stop talking."
"That just seems rude."
"Well, they wouldn't get the hint otherwise, would they?" Gran said.
Lily took the hint and stopped talking.
"Oh, lighten up," Gran said. "I don't need you sulking, too."
"Neville might be happier if you'd stop screaming at him."
"Oh, is that right?" Gran said, eyeing Lily. "I think somebody might have gotten off a little easy, myself. Perhaps they wouldn't be so quick to complain if they had gotten what was due, hmm?"
Lily slowed her pace to fall in beside Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Mrs. Weasley insisted on holding Ginny's hand, even though the younger girl clearly did not care for it. Lily found herself staring at it, wondering why it made her feel so lonely.
"You start Hogwarts this year, right, Ginny?" she asked, trying to initiate a conversation.
Ginny nodded, blushing, not making eye contact.
"She does, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, nodding as well. "Do keep an eye on her, will you? Fred and George can get her riled up sometimes, and she's prone to doing something stupid when they do."
Ginny grew a deeper red. "Mum," she said.
"I'll try, Mrs. Weasley," Lily said. "But I can't stop them."
Mrs. Weasley let out a sigh. "Don't I know it. I'll have to have another talk with them before you all go off, for all the good it'll do."
"What House do you think you'll get, Ginny?" Lily asked, trying to fish for another response.
"I'm sure she'll make Gryffindor," Mrs. Weasley said, taking over the conversation. "The rest of us were, I don't see why she'd be any different."
"I thought I was going to make Ravenclaw, myself," Lily said. "Gryffindor has been nice, but there's so many stairs to climb just to get back to the common room."
"Ravenclaw wouldn't be much better for that," Mrs. Weasley said. "They're on the fifth floor."
"That's two less, though," Lily said. "It'd still be much easier."
"So, you don't like being a Gryffindor, then?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
Lily tried to backpedal. "No, not at all," she said, then realized that didn't mean what she wanted it to mean.
Mrs. Weasley sniffed, and Lily stared down at her feet, wondering why she always messed everything up.
"It's all right, dear, I know you didn't mean anything by it," Mrs. Weasley said warmly.
Lily nodded quietly, not quite believing it, and they reached Flourish & Blotts. She could see through the storefront window that the shelves were absolutely packed with textbooks. She wondered what it looked like when term wasn't about to begin.
The store itself was packed with people of all ages, and Lily could see several nervous little children standing by their parent's sides. She wondered if she had been that small just last year. She was surprised by how much she loomed over them now, although she still felt like the same nervous girl.
Everyone was busy searching for their books when Lily finally entered, and she beelined straight for the Lockhart books, deciding to get the most expensive ones out of the way first. They were also the most packed section, with all sorts of middle-aged women fawning over each one. Lily didn't know why they'd all be so interested in textbooks for school children.
There were far too many books and each one was adorned with a rather large, smiling picture of Gilderoy Lockhart himself. He had wavy blonde hair, baby-blue eyes, and looked like he was trying far too hard to be handsome. Lily scratched her chin, wondering if she actually didn't like Lockhart or if she was just copying Gran's opinion. She glanced over her school list again, trying to figure out which ones she needed, only to discover that she needed all of the dozen. That was certainly going to make a dent in her purse.
"Anything I can help you with?" a nearby store clerk asked, making Lily jump. She hadn't noticed anybody paying attention to her.
"I need two of each book," Lily said, pointing at the Lockhart catalogue. She didn't want help, but she wouldn't be able to hold it all by herself. She really hoped Gran wouldn't make her carry all this, too, or she'd really be hurting later.
"Two?" the clerk repeated for confirmation as she took out her wand.
"One set's a gift," she said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Two it is," the clerk finished, waving her wand at the shelves. The books flew themselves over to the counter, waiting for Lily to come purchase them.
"I also need Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2," Lily said, doublechecking her list. "A Novice's Guide to Potion-Making, and Secondary Charms: Not Quite a Beginner."
"Right away," the clerk said, waving her wand at a different section of the storefront. "Will that be all?"
"I think so," Lily said, biting her lip. She hated talking to strangers.
"Right this way," the clerk said, leading the way to the register. Lily followed, taking her place on the customer's side.
"That'll be 75 Galleons," the clerk side, beginning to pile the books together.
Lily's hand wavered halfway to her purse, face crinkling in surprise.
"75?" she repeated in a high-pitched tone. She grabbed well over a hundred galleons, but that'd still drain most of it. She was hoping she'd have enough left over to buy a slightly better broom.
"The Lockhart books are 5 Galleons each, and you've grabbed two copies of them," the clerk said, plastering on a fake smile. "I can return the extras, if you'd like?"
"No," Lily said, wrenching the bag out of her robe, feeling rather grumpy at Gran now.
Lily piled the galleons down in front of her. Her purse felt rather empty now, with only a few coins left jingling inside. She decided to save the rest of it for the train to Hogwarts so she could buy some snacks from the trolley.
"Do you need a trolley?" The clerk asked after she counted the money herself, then piled them into the register.
Lily looked at the pile of books. It was taller than she was. She was about to answer, when the twins appeared from behind, scooping them all up, George taking one half while Fred took the other.
"Not a bother, miss," Fred said, rearranging the books in his arms so they'd be more comfortable to carry.
"We've got them," George said, doing the same for his own.
"Come along, Lilypad," Fred said.
Lily groaned, face towards the ceiling, but followed along. She wasn't about to argue; she absolutely was not going to carry them herself.
"Have a nice day," the clerk called from behind, satisfied with her commission.
Fred and George dumped Lily's books at the feet of their mother. Lily briefly worried if they'd damaged them, but then remembered she was planning on writing inside of them and no longer cared quite as much.
"What are you two up to?' Mrs. Weasley asked, brow furrowing.
"What do you mean?" the twins asked as one, grinning.
"We were just doing Lily a favour, mum," Fred said.
"Can't see her carrying that all by herself, can you?" George said.
"Watch out, Lily," Mrs. Weasley said. "They never do anything without being told to unless they want something, you remember that."
"You hurt us, mum," Fred said, holding a hand over his heart.
"Yeah, mum, what's wrong with helping out wee little Lilypad?" George said.
Lily groaned again. She really hoped they got tired of that name soon; it wasn't even very funny.
"Where's Ron and Neville?" Lily asked.
"Looking for something," Mrs. Weasley said. "I was told to keep you here while we waited."
"What for?" Lily asked, hoping that Neville and Ron weren't trying to ignore her. She took a look around, noticing that the twins snuck off somewhere.
"Best ask them yourself," Mrs. Weasley said.
"It's for your birth-" Ginny blurted out, right before Mrs. Weasley's hand clamped over her mouth. Lily pretended not to hear but felt warm inside.
"Where's Gran?" she asked.
"At the counter," Mrs. Weasley said, pointing. Lily followed her finger, spotting Gran paying for an even larger pile of books than she had.
Lily groaned, really trying to ham it up.
"I think she might have bought my books," she said.
"What do you mean, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Lily!" Gran barked from the counter. "Get over here, girl, and give me a hand."
Lily quickly complied, hurrying through the bustling storefront. Gran quickly piled books in her arms, stack after stack, and suddenly Lily was struggling to hold it all. Gran lead the way back to the Weasleys, while Lily hobbled around behind, not able to see where she was going. It was a miracle she didn't run into anybody, and a bigger one that her arms didn't fall off.
"Gran," Lily said as she set the books down, panting. "I already got my books, you didn't need to get this many."
"What do you mean, girl?" Gran asked, spotting the pile of books that were already there. "Now, why would you go and do that?"
"You said I had to buy my own, remember? Since I mark them all up, and all." Lily wiped sweat from her forehead, briefly considering using the pile of pages as a seat.
"Why did you buy two, then?" Gran asked, scratching her head.
"I bought Neville's books, for his birthday. I couldn't think of anything else."
"Well, you should have told me first," Gran said, crossing her arms. "What are we going to do with extra books?"
Lily took the lead. "Mrs. Weasley?"
"Hmmm?" Mrs. Weasley asked, flipping through the front pages of a Lockhart book. She quickly closed it, face, for some reason, flushing.
"Do you want the extra books? I don't want them to go to waste."
Mrs. Weasley took a glance down at the pile of schoolbooks, considering her options. "I suppose the second-year books could go to Ron, and the Lockhart books are needed for every year, but it's just too-"
"It's settled, then," Gran interrupted, clapping her hands together. "You'll fix Lily's mistake for her, and everyone's happy."
"Well, we couldn't possibly-" Mrs. Weasley began.
"Here you go, Ginny," Lily said, dumping a set of Lockhart books into the younger girl's cauldron. She picked up the Potions, Charms, and the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2, balancing them in her sore arms.
"I'll go give these to Ron," she said, hurrying off before Mrs. Weasley could muster up another refusal.
Ron and Neville had, thankfully, finished up whatever purchase they were trying to make, and Neville hid the bag behind his back as Lily approached.
"Here you go, Ron," Lily said, dumping the books into his arms.
"What are you making me carry all this for?" Ron grumbled.
"They're yours," Lily said. "Gran bought too many. She forgot I was supposed to buy my own."
"So you're just pawning them off on me, then?" Ron asked. "Why not Neville?"
"Well, of course she was going to buy his. Why wouldn't she?"
"I still don't see why I have to carry them," Ron said, shifting the weight in his arms. "I already have enough to lug around as is."
"You and me both, Ron," Lily said as they made it back to the rest of the family. She gestured at all the books waiting on the floor. "I have to carry all these."
"I can take them all of to the Post," Mrs. Weasley offered. "Ship it all off to the Burrow. It'd make the rest of the day much easier."
"Here's a few Galleons, then," Gran said, handing over a few gold coins. "That should cover it all."
"I think we can manage-" Mrs. Weasley began, trying to hand the coins back over.
"Nonsense," Gran said, using her favourite word. "Lily's stuff alone is going to cost a fortune to ship off, with how much she's purchased."
"I haven't bought that much," Lily said, ignoring the dozen bags she was lugging around all day.
"I'll take her and Ginny off to Ollivander's while the boys help you," Gran said, dragging the youngest redhead off her mother's side. "Get their wands all settled."
"Well, let me at least give you the money for-"
Gran waved it off. "You can pay me back later, you never know the price of an Ollivander wand until he hands it over."
"If you're sure, then," Mrs. Weasley said, hand hesitating over her purse.
"Oh, I'm sure," Gran said, herding Lily and Ginny out the door by their collars. Lily thought it interesting that the younger girl wasn't even trying to argue, but perhaps she was just taking Lily's lead. There was, after all, no point in trying to argue with Gran. She always got her way in the end.
"We'll meet you over by Florean's after you grab the rest of your books, I'll treat us all to some ice cream."
Gran let the door swing firmly closed behind them, hurrying off before Mrs. Weasley could find the will to argue some more.
She let the two girls go as they turned a corner, slowing her pace considerably. Lily rubbed her neck, trying to get rid of some of the soreness.
"I thought you laid it on a little thick," Gran said.
"Me?' Lily said, shocked. "You wouldn't let Mrs. Weasley get a word in, you were the one giving it all away."
"Oh, please," Gran said, waving a hand. "'I don't want them to go to waste.' You don't talk like that."
Lily blushed. "Well, it worked, didn't it?"
"I suppose," Gran said, chuckling. "Just ignore us, Ginny, it's a little inside joke."
Ginny stayed silent, face as red as her hair.
They made it to Ollivander's quickly enough, and Gran herded the two girls inside, determined to wait outside.
"You can handle the bill, Lily," she said. "As punishment for breaking your wand."
"Gran, I don't have much left," she said in protest. If she covered the wands, she'd have almost nothing left at all.
"You have enough," Gran said, waving it off as she closed the door behind her.
Lily huffed as she turned, noticing that Ginny was standing in the middle of the room, nervous, unsure what to do. She put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.
Lily felt bad. "It's all right, Ginny, Ollivander isn't too bad."
Ginny mumbled something that Lily couldn't quite make out.
"Good afternoon," Ollivander said as he walked around the corner, coming from between the shelves. He looked just as ancient as he had last time. In fact, he looked exactly the same, the ghost white hair frizzling out. He was even wearing the same robes as last time, the faded green that made him look even older.
He eyed the two girls, smiling. His smile was just as unsettling as last time, and despite her promises, Lily felt slightly nervous.
"Taking young Miss Weasley for her first wand, Hazel?" Ollivander said, bowing.
"Actually," Lily said, blushing. "I need a wand, too." She briefly wondered how Ollivander knew who Ginny was, but he always seemed to know everything, so there was really no point in asking.
Ollivander looked up, frowning. "Eleven and a half inches, hazel wood, unicorn hair, springy, yet firm. What happened to it?"
Lily tried to avoid looking into his eyes. She instinctually grabbed onto Ginny's hand, unsure if it was for her comfort or Ginny's.
"I- err- broke it," she said, voice cracking. She cleared her throat but couldn't muster up the nerve to repeat herself. If anybody was likely to be angry over the broken wand, it was definitely the one who made it.
"I see," Ollivander said, straightening out. He seemed displeased with Lily's answer, which was completely understandable.
"I am not in the habit of selling replacement wands," Ollivander said, creeping back into the shelves. "But as hazel came easily to you the last time, I think we shall try that again. With any luck, we shall finish even faster than we did the last time."
Lily gave Ginny's hand a little squeeze, then let go, choosing to take a seat. Ollivander had a few comfy, red chairs sitting next to the counter that she completely ignored the first time. She decided to not make that same mistake this time around.
Ginny took a seat as well, as far from Lily as she could get. Lily felt slightly hurt.
"Here you are," Ollivander said, reappearing with a dozen boxes in his arms. "The last of the hazel wands, I'm afraid. The only others are the ones that rejected you last year, and they aren't likely to change their minds. I had more, but they've been sold off. Hazel is a popular wood this year."
Lily took the top box, and Ollivander scooped it up before she could even get it open.
"No, that one is right off," he said, placing it far away from Lily.
Lily blushed. "Did it hate me that much?"
"It was downright murderous," Ollivander said. "Picking it up could have destroyed you both."
Lily glanced over at Ginny, who grew paler in the face. Lily laughed, trying to play it off, to make the other girl feel better.
"It is not a joking matter," Ollivander said sternly. "A good wandmaker must always be in tune with the feelings of his wands, lest disaster strike."
Lily bit her lip, reaching for the second box. Ollivander quickly scooped the whole lot up, carrying them over to the lone box.
"No, no," he said, "hazel is clearly right out. You've offended them, I'm afraid."
"Can't we just fix the old one?" Lily asked.
"Most certainly not," Ollivander said, wandering back into the shelves.
They waited ten minutes before Ollivander came back out, carrying dozens of boxes. Lily sat up, expecting him to place them near her, but he walked straight on past, stopping next to Ginny.
"We shall do you first," Ollivander said, taking a seat across from Ginny. "I have a faint idea of what to give you, based on the results from your family members. Miss Potter will take a bit of experimenting."
Lily grumbled, leaning back into her seat, crossing her arms. She tried to get comfortable, hoping desperately that they'd be able to find Weasley later; she missed his warmth in her lap.
It took half an hour to find Ginny's wand, with Lily trying each leftover one at Ollivander's insistence, just in case they favoured her instead. None of them did, of course. Not even a single shred of power was felt between Lily's fingertips.
"Yew, twelve inches and firm, phoenix feather," Ollivander said, quickly wrapping the wand and box in brown paper, then setting it aside. He glanced over at Lily, staring at her for a few moments.
Lily shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. She got the vague feeling that Ollivander was considering something. She felt like his eyes were seeing straight through her fringe, locked onto her scar. She felt her hand rise, instinctually trying to hide the disfigurement. Finally, Ollivander turned, heading back into the shelves.
"Curious," she heard him mutter. "I wonder, I wonder indeed."
Ollivander came out of the shelves, carrying a single box with him. He opened it, then presented the wand for Lily to take. "11 inches, holly, phoenix feather. Go on, give it a wave."
Lily took it into her hands, quickly twirling it around. She felt no strength, no warmth, coming from the wand. She placed it back down, feeling disappointed.
"Curious," Ollivander said, placing the cover back over the box. "I had thought- but never mind. Perhaps another phoenix feather, though, that was close."
"What's curious?" Lily asked as he disappeared between the shelves again.
"It matters not," Ollivander called back. "We shall try another. Perhaps someday we shall try that one again, but it is not ready, no, not yet."
Lily almost took offense to that; she hoped she'd never need to return here at all.
Ollivander came back ten minutes later, carrying yet another single box. Lily didn't know what took him so long if he was just going to pick a single wand. His eye briefly flickered to Ginny, then he handed the box over to Lily.
"One more, than we shall have to get back to experimenting. It is my last idea, for the moment."
Lily bit her lip, then took the cover off the box. The wand inside was light coloured, and Lily felt it was slightly familiar, as if she'd seen the light wood before.
"Vinewood, 10 ¾ inches, phoenix feather," Ollivander said. He motioned for Lily to pick it up, and she did so.
She felt a familiar warmth flow from her fingertips, and her face involuntarily lit up, just as the wand in her fingertips did so.
"Excellent," Ollivander said, clapping his hands together. "Most excellent. I hoped these two would sell together, and it seems I was right."
Lily looked up, still smiling despite her confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Your wand, as well as Miss Weasley's," Ollivander said, nodding towards Ginny, "Have similar cores, in more ways than one. They come from two different phoenixes, to be sure, but those two phoenixes just happen to be siblings."
Lily looked over to Ginny, noticing the other girl was managing to smile through her own nervousness.
"Isn't that great, Ginny?" Lily said, digging her coin purse back out to pay Ollivander.
"I don't know if it was simply a coincidence, that the two wands simply wanted to be sold at the same time, or if there is something greater going on," Ollivander said, "but I believe the wands will work better in tandem, if the two of you are side-by-side."
"Good thing we're in separate years, then," Lily said, sliding the old man coins.
"Yes, that is where the worry comes in," Ollivander said, hand not reaching for the coins yet. "If you were the same year, I'd be able to give you a more definitive warning. As it is, you'll simply have to watch out for each other."
Ollivander accepted the payment, bowed, and then walked into the back room, leaving the two girls alone.
Lily turned, watching Ginny smile down at her own wand. She felt quite the same, although she'd never say it aloud. It almost felt like they were family.
