Wands
The weekend at the Potter-Snape's house had passed in a blur for Dudley and his family. By the time they came home Max was beside himself with excitement. Dudley had found he got on well with Evan after their chat and Max and Violet had chatted and played with the other children constantly. They had watched in amazement as the head of the headmistress appeared in the flames of the big fireplace and chatted to Harriet and Evan. The headmistress had sounded intrigued with Max's flight on the training broom and recommended that they journey to Diagon Alley soon for school supplies and to speak to a Mr Ollivander about a wand.
Max had talked about nothing else since and now, in the first week of August, they were being taken to wizarding London to get the items on Max's list and to meet up with some other parents of Hogwarts students. Dudley was feeling overwhelmed, but he was grateful that Harriet and Evan had made them all feel so welcome, despite how he had treated her in the past. The closer that September the first came the more Dudley put off talking to his parents about Max's new school. What if they treated Max the same way they had treated Harriet?
Dudley sat at his kitchen table and stared at the phone. He picked it up and started to dial his parents number, then he cancelled the call and put it back on the table. He tried to run through the conversation in his head. 'Hi mum, you know Max starts secondary school next month? Well guess what, he got a letter from Harriet's old school and he's going to be a wizard.' His mum and dad would freak out. What if they called Max names? Dudley pushed his chair away from the table and stood up, leaving the phone where it was. He would call them later, once he had figured out what to say. He checked his watch. It was almost time to leave. They were meeting Harriet and her family in London, outside a place called The Leaky Cauldon.
"Max, Vi!" he called up the stairs, "it's time to leave."
He pulled on his coat as their feet thundered down the stairs. Dianne walked into the hallway and smiled at him.
"Not calling them today?" she asked, noticing the tension on his face.
"No," he shrugged, "let's just enjoy today before I tell them."
"Can I have a broom Dad?" asked Max, for about the hundredth time.
"We'll have a look at them," said Dudley, "but you won't be able to use it at home."
"That's okay," said Max, bouncing on the stairs, "I can go to Al's in the holidays to use it. They have a house in London too and I can fly at school."
"Come on!" shouted Violet from outside. "Let's go already."
Max ran out to the car. Dudley and Dianne smiled at each other and then followed.
XXXXXX
Dudley parked the car on the street Harriet had told him and they all climbed out. He looked up and down the street and then scratched his head and frowned.
"Maybe she gave me the wrong road." he said, looking confused. "I can't see any pubs, especially called The Leaky Cauldron."
"But it's right there Dad." said Max, pointing across the road where an empty tatty shop stood, between a bookshop and a record store.
"It's just an empty shop Max." Dudley said.
"No, it's a grubby looking pub Dad, can't you see it? It's glowing though," said Max, "like Al's house did.
"All I can see is a shop," Dudley said, "you'll have to lead the way Max."
Max grinned and grabbed hold of his dad's hand leading him across the road. He looked up at the creaking sign of a cauldron as he pushed the door open. The inside was gloomy and poorly lit, with wooden floors and candles burning in brackets on the walls. An elderly looking barman looked up from the glass he was cleaning and nodded as they entered. The pub was busy, filled with men and women in cloaks drinking strange looking drinks. Max looked around at the colours and glow of magic that covered everything, it was beautiful but overwhelming. He turned around to see his parents and Violet huddled behind him looking out of place.
"Muggles?" asked a gravelly voice behind him. Max spun round to see a short creature with long thin fingers, pointy ears and jagged teeth. He was grinning at them.
"Erm," said Max, "well, they are, but I'm going to be going to Hogwarts next month. They're my parents and my sister."
"It can be unwise for muggle-borns and muggles to wander unprotected in Diagon Alley." said the creature moving closer.
"They're not unprotected Gardunk, they're my family and they're with me." Harriet had just stepped out of the fireplace and was glaring at the creature.
"Mrs Potter-Snape," said the creature, bowing and backing away hurriedly, "an honour. I was just about to ask the newcomers if they needed any assistance."
"I think they have all the assistance they require, don't you?" said Evan emerging from the fireplace and brushing off his black robes.
"Mr Snape," the creature said, "my apologies. I must get back to Gringotts." He backed through a door on the other side of the room and was gone.
"What was that?" Max asked.
"That was a goblin." said Evan. "They run Gringotts bank. They have a tricky relationship with wizards. Just be careful in your dealings with them. Although I'm not sure what Gardunk thought he was doing, trying to intimidate muggles, I shall be speaking to Hermione about this."
"Aunt Hermione is the Minister of Magic." said Albus from Evan's side. "Hey Max, hey Vi, ready to go shopping?"
"I saved all my birthday money." Max said.
"Wait till you try the ice-cream," said Albus, "Fortescue's does the most amazing flavours."
"How do we get there though?" asked Dudley, "There were just normal shops outside. Nowhere you could buy any...wizarding things."
"That side maybe." grinned Harriet. "Follow me."
She walked over to the door that the goblin had gone through and opened it to reveal a grubby looking back yard. Pulling out her wand she tapped one of the bricks and the wall disappeared to reveal a bustling street. They all followed her through into the noisey street. Max could see cauldons stacked in front of a shop window, strange ingredients in baskets outside another. Everywhere he looked was gleaming with magic. It made his eyes ache.
"You will need to change some muggle money at Gringotts," said Evan, "but first we must meet the headmistress at Ollivanders. We will buy your wand while we are there."
Evan strode ahead, with Dudley and his family following close behind. When they reached Ollivanders, Albus and the other children waited outside, while Max and the adults went inside.
Inside was dimly lit, with shelves full of long, thin, dusty boxes. A dusty velvet cushion sat on a glass cabinet, displaying a single wand. The shop appeared to be deserted. Harriet reached out and rang the bell on the counter. From behind the counter a nobbly baldy head, with whisps of white hair, appeared. An ancient looking man peered at Max over his spectacles.
"Oh my," he croaked, "another young wizard come for his wand. Let me see what I can find for you young man." he turned to shuffle towards a shelf and caught sight of Harriet. "Miss Potter! How wonderful to see you again. Does this mean that this is the young man Minerva told me about?"
"He is, Sir." Harriet said. "If Minerva isn't here yet can we find Max a wand?"
The shop door opened and McGonagall walked in.
"I think we need to wait Harriet." she said. "We need to run some tests on Max's powers before we look for a wand."
"Why?" asked Dudley, "Is there something wrong?"
"We think Max may be extraordinarily powerful." said McGonagall. "He flew a broom with powerful limiting charms higher than should have been possible, he can detect wards by sight. We need to know what else he can do to make sure the wand he gets works best for him."
"I wonder if perhaps he has something called mage sight." said Ollivander excitedly. "Unusual in one so young, but not unheard of. Indeed, the last one in England was Albus Dumbledore."
"Albus?" said Max.
"That's who our Al was named after," said Harriet, "he was headmaster at Hogwarts."
"And a good friend." added Evan.
"Yes, he was." McGonagall said sadly. "The matter in hand is young Mr Dursley. Can you tell me if there is anything else unusual you can do please Max?"
"Well," Max said, nervously, "I see these glows around magical people and things. I don't know if anyone else does that."
"What does it look like?" asked Ollivander.
"Everything here is glowing in different colours." he explained. "There are little threads of other colours on things, like that wand and the broomstick, and people's glows change shape and colour. And lots of places have bubbles around them. It sort of hurts my eyes here."
"It definitely sounds like mage sight." nodded McGonagall. "We can help you switch it on and off Max, then you won't get overwhelmed."
"But what is it?" asked Dianne.
"All magic leaves a trace," said McGonagall, "some wizards and witches can visually see this trace. It is a skill that can be learned, but only through years of study. A natural Mageseer is rare indeed, and often indicates significantly strong magic. As you are aware Harriet, powerful magic attracts both followers and enemies. In one so young as Max it is wise to keep this strength hidden until he is better trained or of age. Otherwise he could find himself a target for dark wizards."
"Is he in danger?" said Dudley, placing a protective hand on Max's shoulder.
"No," said McGonagall, "but he could be if we don't find a wand that will help him control his power. He will be quite difficult to match I'm sure."
"I do love a challenge." smiled Ollivander, rubbing his hands with glee. He waved his wand and summoned a number of the dusty boxes. "Now let me see..."
Ollivander pressed wand after wand into Max's hand and muttered to himself quite happily, despite the fact that none of them seemed particularly special to Max. He watched the different coloured glows as the wands were handed to him, only slightly distracted by the wand waving and murmuring from McGonagall.
"As I thought," she muttered, "Mr Ollivander, do you have any wands with a Thunderbird tail feather core?"
"Strangely I do have a few." he smiled, and summoned three cobweb covered boxes. "I wonder if one of these may be the one."
Max looked at the boxes and noticed that the one on the right was pulsating with deep purple glow and little golden sparks swirled towards him. He stretched his hand towards it, without even realising it, and the sparks tickled as they travelled up his arm.
"What do you see Max?" McGonagall asked, as all the adults leant forward in anticipation.
"Purple, and gold sparks." Max said, stopping just short of touching the wand. "can I touch it?"
"That would be a good idea." said Mr Ollivander.
Max touched the wand and felt a tingle in his finger. He picked it up and smiled as the purple glow engulfed him and the sparks travelled across his body. There was a warm feeling all over and the wand grew warm in his hand. Max looked up and Dudley and Dianne took a step back.
"Max," said Dianne, breathlessly, "your eyes!"
"What about my eyes?" Max asked, with a content smile, feeling comforted by the wood in his hand.
"They just glowed purple," said Dudley in disbelief, "and now it's faded, but they seem to be twinkling like stars."
"I don't see the coloured glows anymore, not unless I want to." said Max, calmly. "Is that normal?"
"It's what we wanted to happen," smiled McGonagall, "nothing in this situation is normal though."
"Am I safe now I have this wand?" asked Max seriously.
"Yes, provided you exercise caution." said Evan. "It would be wise to keep your unusual abilities quiet at school. You don't need any unwanted attention when you are working to control your gifts."
"You're telling me." muttered Harriet.
"I can tell Al though?" Max said.
"Albus and the twins will be aware of the situation," said Evan, "but be careful who you discuss it in front of. Not all wizards are good and outdated views still exist, particularly around muggle-borns."
"What's so special about that wand?" asked Dudley, keen to understand his son's new world.
"It's nine and a quarter inches of larch wood," said Ollivander, "which makes wands of great power, often with hidden and extraordinary effects. It has a thunderbird tail feather core. Thunderbird's are highly sensitive magical creatures, related to the phoenix, that can detect danger. The tail feather core will react the same way, often casting spells on its own to protect its master. This is why you have stopped seeing the magical traces. The wand is automatically making you feel more at ease. It will develop a close bond with you and warn and protect you when you are threatened. Now it has chosen you, you will grow together. I'm sure we can expect great things from your son in the future Mr Dursley. I only hope I live to see them."