Prologue

Part II of II

"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." - Albus Dumbledore berating Cornelius Fudge, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The day this 'Dumbledore' was set to arrive, John and his family awoke quite early. He was excited but also sceptical of what the letter had said, and could not help but feel a sense of apprehension. Nothing was said over breakfast. It was a summer holiday, a Saturday, and his parents had closed the shop for the day, citing personal issues. He'd know, Mum had tasked him to tape the message to the door.

His parents put on the television, and watched it to distract themselves, as the waiting began. But it did not do so to John, who settled into a meditative position instead. He closed his eyes, and reached for what he had deemed was the Force. Surely he would sense that person coming?

Finally, he did. A blindingly bright presence suddenly appeared close by, seemingly out of nowhere. It had not been there, and suddenly had. John spent a moment in awe at the sheer power of the presence, and looked further. The man, for he could tell, moved with a swift pace to their door. He was...apprehensive? Worried? More he could not tell. He retracted himself somewhat and opened his eyes.

''He's coming. I sensed him. He will be at our door just about….. now.''

And the bell rang, twice.

His mother went downstairs, and greeted the man, who began to be more defined as he drew closer. Even John's power's had limits. But it was not until the door to the living room opened again that John was met with Albus Dumbledore for the first time.

The man was...eccentric.

He was tall, to begin with, with long graying auburn hair, and an equally long graying auburn beard, with half-moon glasses on a crooked nose. His eyes were a bright blue, seeming distant and ancient, somehow. Those were already uncommon, but his clothing was what truly made the man strange. It was a flashy crimson red, bold and audacious, robes of some sort, like a wizard out of a fairy tale, or like Ben Kenobi had worn in Star Wars.

Albus Dumbledore saw him staring, and smiled.

''And you must be John.''

''Headmaster Dumbledore, then? '' John asked, already knowing the answer. He could feel this was him, the Force told him so.

''The same. Now, Mrs. Gardner, could I trouble you for some refreshments? It has been quite the journey.''

His mother mumbled something akin to of course, and went to the kitchen.

Dumbledore sat down in the only other empty chair, and looked at John.

''I assume you know why I am here? I hope the letter was clear?'' he queried.

His dad was the one that spoke, as his mum returned and supplied everyone with tea and biscuits.

''We have known about John's powers for a while now. It was a surprise, just not how we have been expecting. We didn't think it made John a...witch?'' looking for the right word.

''The proper term would be wizard, as young John here is a boy. A girl with his powers would be a witch.'' Dumbledore clarified.

''A wizard then,'' his father continued. ''We didn't think he was that. He hasn't turned anyone into a toad, or conjured anything. He can well...Show him, John.''

And show him John did. He levitated Dumbledore's glasses from his head, twirled them around, and then placed them back on the man's head, all with the Force.

''The mind of a child is always delightful'' Dumbledore chuckled, as he stroked his beard thoughtfully.

''It is not often that you see young witches and wizards of your age use their magic without a wand, and intentionally. Magic, as we know it, is wild and unrefined at your age. At the school I am headmaster of, Hogwarts, you learn to control it, and use it in many ways.''

Dumbledore sipped his hot tea.

''Such as that wonderful wandless and wordless demonstration of the Levitation Charm. Quite outstanding, especially at your age. Professor Flitwick will teach it to your peers again soon enough. Charms is one of your courses this year, after all.''

He looked intrigued.

''Now, if you would humor me before we get into more practical matters, such as where you would be able to get the supplies listed on your Hogwarts letter, I would ask you a question.''

John looked at his parents and nodded.

''Excellent," Dumbledore continued. ''Magic is a most wonderful thing, and I have always sought other perspectives on even its very existence, what it exactly is. Those with a muggle, that being a non-magical, upbringing like yourself often hold quite interesting views.

''What did you think it was, before I arrived today?'' He finished.

''The Force. I can do what Luke Skywalker did. I sensed you...coming ? Before you even rang the door. I nearly died two years ago, when I used The Force on instinct, and froze a car before it could impact me. It just made sense to me.'' John elaborated.

Dumbledore had a calculating expression on his face.

''You are referring then to the muggle works of fiction by the hands of one George Lucas?'' He chuckled. ''You are not the first, and will not be the last to think so, though I must say that magic can do so much more than Star Wars has yet to think up. Perhaps magic is the Force, and I will not stop you from exploring it in this fashion. Your discoveries may spur a new approach to magic, and I will not hinder innovation.''

''But, as is obvious, magic is not commonly known about. The Wizarding World has been in hiding for a very long time, and I must insist such experimentation takes place under the supervision of a teacher at Hogwarts. Using magic while underage before you reach seventeen is actually breaking the law. Although it is rare to get in serious trouble for it, if you are not a repeat offender. Secrecy must be kept, after all.'' Dumbledore stressed this part, with a serious expression on his face.

The older man drank the last of his tea, and put the cup back down.

''Now, it is only right we go over the basics, of what you should know, and where to go. I will then take you there personally, as it helps to have a ...guide, of sorts, on your first visit? ''

''Before we go however, we should go over what we will be getting for you today. Now, aside from the books mentioned on your list, you should probably get...''

With that, Dumbledore went into an extended explanation of everything he thought a young wizard should know before heading to Hogwarts, recommending several additional books that would benefit his schooling, like a copy of Hogwarts: a History, and a lookup guide on ingredient reaction and proper safety when brewing potions, something he stressed would be important for his Potions class. Finally, he handed them a small booklet detailing how the Wizarding World worked, and for example, who governed it.

An hour and a half later, they were just about ready to go.

Dumbledore pulled a piece of rope from somewhere within his robes.

''This is what is known as a Portkey. It will allow us to travel to Diagon Alley swiftly, and without needless delay from going in a more...conventional method, like you would normally use. Simply hold on tightly, and do not let go until we are there. Be warned, you might feel slightly nauseous after we arrive. Sadly, that is perfectly normal. It is not the most comfortable way of travelling magically, but most certainly one of the faster ones.''

''Grasp the rope, and I shall activate it.''

His parents, John, and Dumbledore all held on, and the older man touched the rope with the tip of his wand. He quickly pocketed it.

''It should activate just about...now!''

With a strange tug somewhere behind his navel, they were whisked away.

They reappeared in a dimly lit side alley, and John doubled over with nausea, only barely keeping his breakfast inside him as he struggled to get up. Dumbledore stood tall and seemingly unfazed, but his parents looked equally green. He flicked his wand, and glasses of water appeared out of thin air.

''Drink. It will help settle your stomach.''

They gladly accepted the offered glasses seemingly disappeared into nothing when they had finished, and Dumbledore motioned for them to move out onto the street. John could hear it was bustling with activity. The sight he was met with was awe inspiring. A street full of people dressed in long robes, with the occasional pointy hat, though most of them seemed far less striking than the blazing red Dumbledore was wearing. The buildings were often crooked and bulged in strange directions no building he had ever seen before would, and owls flitted above as the Alley continued its bustle.

''Quite a sight, is it not?'' Dumbledore asked rhetorically.

''The alley to your far left ends at Gringotts, the most commonly used Wizarding Bank, while to your far right, there the alley leads into the Leaky Cauldron, a pub that serves as a gateway into the muggle world. We will end there, for lunch. Their toast is quite excellent. It will also allow me to show you how to get in and out of the alley in a more conventional way.''

''First though, is Gringotts. As I have said before, the Wizarding World uses its own currency, and that is where most people exchange their muggle money. Afterwards, we will go down the alley and get John everything he needs. Though I may leave from time to time, as I do have some errands of my own to run here, and you should be relatively fine.''

He led them to the left, through the masses of people going about their day. The building they arrived at towered above the rest of the alley. It was a stark white, in contrast to the mess of colour that they had just passed, and looked quite grand. They moved up the stairs, towards great bronze doors that looked strong enough to withstand even a siege, and that was when John noticed it. At the top were two figures garbed in scarlet and gold armour, with spears and shields at their sides, un-moving. They were quite small, even to him.

Dumbledore noticed him staring.

''Those would be goblins. Some would call them creatures, though they are as smart as you and I. Be respectful and swift when you talk to them. They are perfectly civil, but lack the patience for idiots and fools. Kindly do not stare at them. They are only doing their job.''

Gringotts itself was lavishly decorated within, and his mum mentioned it looked much like an 18th century home she had once been with a friend of hers. A great amount of wealth and power was on display here.

John reached out with the Force while his parents filled in some paperwork and exchanged money. These goblins felt.. off, somehow. Not even remotely like a human, or something like it. No, there was an innate darkness to their very being, to their very existence, but it did not rule them.

He tried to centre himself when he brushed over Dumbledore's presence in the Force, and was shocked. A blazing light was there, as he had seen before. But deep down, there was a darkness too, and it was not tied to his very being like it had been with the goblins. No, it was coiled and cold and rigid, hidden well away under lock and key. Whatever their guide had gone through, what he had faced, it had left scars on his very soul. But he stood within the light of the Force, nevertheless.

Facing the darkness, as Luke had done, was perhaps a necessary part of the path, to wield the Force. How would John do when the time came ?

Money exchanged, they began visiting the various shops down the alley. Dumbledore separated from them as he moved to do some shopping of his own, though he rejoined them at times. When he did, he did something he called 'banishing' to the packages as they accumulated, and said they would find them in their home when they returned, so they would not have to carry a heavy load. This included a large trunk, which had been enchanted to be lighter than it ought to be, even when fully loaded, and slightly expanded with compartments, allowing more organized storage of everything they were buying.

This prodded a lot of questions from John, whose mind began spiralling with ideas after seeing that. Dumbledore told them that Hogwarts taught the basics of enchanting from the third year forwards, primarily through the courses known as Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

''But that is still quite a while away. You will learn more when the time comes.'' He reminded him.

More significant was when they arrived at Madam Malkin's, where they bought John robes for school. Madam Malkin, a sturdy but friendly witch, fitted him with robes with magical measuring equipment, which floated and measured all by itself. Not much later, he was the proud owner of four new black robes.

''Those will grow with you for a bit too, though not too much. I do have a business to keep, after all. But they should remain good while at Hogwarts, for the year.'' She added.

Dumbledore insisted he look around a bit, as wizarding wear was quite a bit different from muggle wear. He said he did not care much either way, though it would probably help him make friends when at Hogwarts. He also mentioned how frigid Scotland could be in the middle of winter. With his mum's prompting, a wizarding outfit for John under his robes started to materialise. He summed mentally up what they had gotten as they walked out.

A sleeveless undertunic he would wear any time, covered by a thicker tunic reaching to his hips that would mostly keep him warm, and finally a leather tabard, that would protect most of the clothing underneath and help keep the layers together. Around his waist, a cloth piece to keep it together, with a more conventional but slightly wider leather belt to attach things to. Relatively normal brown-ish pants, though not jeans, and sturdy boots reaching to his knee finished his outfit. Gloves for his hands, with attached bracers that he could tuck his sleeve in to keep himself warm.

His mum said it looked quite dapper, and he took her word for it. It was relatively easy to put on, and he could already feel they were warm. He would not be cold in Scotland now.

''That will do. It is not my personal taste, and far too dark a colour palette, but it will most certainly do.''

They were quite surprised though, when a year's worth of clothing cost just over five galleons.

''Charms take away quite a lot of the hard labour in making clothes, and have allowed prices to drop significantly, especially over the last fifty years or so. I should know. I helped Professor Flitwick to publicise quite a few new discoveries.'' Dumbledore mentioned offhandedly.

Finally, only one thing remained to be bought. A wand. John was still quite excited for this, naturally. That is what Dumbledore said wizards would be able to do magic with, quite like he had demonstrated several times today already.

From the outside, Ollivanders was quite an unassuming building for being supposedly The place where any wizard ever bought their wand. The golden lettering reading Ollivanders was peeling, and the paint faded. It looked ill-kept.

The inside was tiny, and stacked to the roof with boxes, presumably containing wands. Even with the four of them, it already felt quite packed, and no employee was to be seen. John sat down on the rickety chair in the corner, and relaxed. He opened himself up to the Force, and gasped in shock. All around him, he felt presences. As if thousands of beings were in the room with him right now, and they sang. The wands. They felt alive!

And they communicated with him. Some were curious. Some were haughty, who saw him and dismissed him. Many did this. Others expressed their joy at a potential owner, excited to do great magic. All of them connected to him, but they were not created equally. Some tried, then removed themselves again, finding him in particular unsuitable.

It was not his fault, the less haughty ones communicated. They were meant for another.

He was broken out of it by his parent's concerned glances, Dumbledore's inquisitive look, and the appearance of a middle-aged man, with strange silvery eyes and pale skin. He calmly stood behind the counter, and his eyes fell on John.

''Unexpected, but not unwelcome. How can I help you, Albus, and I assume...Mister Riddle?''

''How?'' John tried, but the man, presumably Ollivander, cut him off.

''I remember every wand I have ever sold, including your father's. And you are his spitting image. And how could I forget that particular wand, when it…''

Strangely enough, he looked at John's parents, and then to Dumbledore, who raised an eyebrow.

''But that is not my place to tell you, and certainly not now. You are here for a wand, I assume?''

''Yes. I...could….sense them? As if they were alive!'' John exclaimed.

''Curious, most curious!'' Ollivander replied. ''It is rare that someone of your age can sense them. Few are of the mind to reach without, not within.''

''But yes, in their own way, all wands here are alive.'' He confirmed.

''Come closer then. Let's find you a wand.''

With that, Ollivander swished his own wand, and a measuring tape appeared.

''And which is your wand arm?'' he asked. John stuck out his right arm. He wrote with that arm.''

''Ah.''

Some quick measurements later, Ollivander disappeared into the back, and he came back with several boxes, some quite dusty.

''These should be a good start.''

First was a pale wand, which was quite short. He clasped it firmly, and gave it a wave, but little happened. A small red spark flew out. John felt the wand, and it sang, but it was with sadness. They were not a match.

''Most certainly not. You know as much too, I assume?''

John nodded, and laid it back down in its box.

Several other wands followed, and none were a match. He could however feel one, which felt partially right. As if part of it was his, but something else was not.

Had John paid attention, he would have seen Ollivander's eyes widen.

''Close, but not quite. Then it must be….''

He swiped away the boxes, and hurried to the back. Soon, he returned to the front of the store, and moved away various boxes. Finally,he put aside one box, just one, that had been buried deep within a stack.

''This should be what we are looking for, then.''

Within this box laid a long wand, made of a pitch-black wood, with a simply carved but distinct patterned handle.

''This would be Ebony and Dragon Heartstring, 14 inches long. Quite an unusual combination. Flexible.''

He took it, and a feeling of elation rushed him. He and the wand connected. This felt right. This was supposed to be his. As if he had been missing something all his life, and now he was complete.

Ollivander motioned for him to wave it, and he did.

Several boxes in front of him floated as he connected with the wand in wonder. With some concentration, they settled back into place.

''Magnificent, truly magnificent. May it serve you well Mister Riddle. That is one of my greatest works. Mightily tricky to have been made, but well worth the effort. The Dragon Heartstring was most feisty, and only reluctantly bonded with the wood, at first. So it often is with dragons. Its donor was quite mighty when she lived.''

He paused. ''So could you be as well, but that remains to be seen, does it not?''

Shortly after that, they paid and left. Today had been quite the experience. The day ended with a quick lunch at the dingy pub that served as the gateway to Diagon Alley. Dumbledore showed John's family how to enter into the pub but cautioned that only John would be able to open the entrance. This was due to the magic protecting the pub from the prying eyes of any muggles.

When he took them back home at last, with another Portkey, which went much better this time. Dumbledore gave them some final instructions and a leaflet, detailing how they would be able to get John to Hogwarts, and with that, left them alone. John and his parents had much to think about, after all they had seen and done today.

Hello there !

And that is chapter two. The obligatory shopping trip, though I think I did much to change it, and give it a very different perspective. As for wandlore, there are some interesting concepts here that are left unsaid, and I will leave you to figure it out. People on Tendra's discord might have read it when I proposed it.

Next chapter will be the Hogwarts Express, where more new things will be introduced and we will be getting to Hogwarts proper, along with the Sorting Ceremony. I won't be reciting the Sorting Hat's song verbatim in this work, or write my own. Next chapter onwards, big changes and such will really make us diverge from the Philosopher's Stone. More subtle ones have already been present since the start, and will continue being present along the way.

Finally, I once again thank 1saaa, TendraelUmbra and Xgenje for being diligent beta-readers. As for my update schedule ? Whenever I feel like it and have motivation. I am totally Martin-ing it.

Cheers,

Foadar