Wand

[1988, Grey Manor]

[TPP]

William looked at his grandson who was wearing formal white shirt and black trousers over it a white cloak with a hood. The cloak was connected with a blue thread rather than buttons and looked pretty adorable on the grey-haired and blue-eyed boy.

'At least he isn't as bad as Dumbledore.' mused William.

"So are you ready, Crusader-boy?" inquired William.

"I am. I would have been ready even earlier if mum had not started photographing me. I hate father for showing her a camera." whined the boy.

"Then why in name of Merlin are you wearing a cloak?"

"It makes use of runic magic to provide me a few small advantages." Nate replied succinctly.

"Elaborate on the type of advantages it provides." demanded a curious William.

"Blunt force resistance, stab resistance, Fire and lightening proof and it can follow a few simple commands."

"Commands like?"

" Choke."commanded a serious Nate looking at his grandfather.

The white cloak suddenly left Nate's body and leapt towards William' neck. But before it could even reach for the neck, it was stopped by a depulso charm. The cloak though pushed back again followed the previously given command but was stopped by a hand erupting from the ground the ground to grab it out of the air and pinning it it to the ground, even though the cloak was struggling.

"Amazing. This only uses runes and no enchantments?"

"Of course! Grandfather. How do you think I will get a wand to cast charms."

"So 'choke' is one command, the others?"

"' Return.'" The cloak immediately stopped struggling towards William and the hand slowly loosened its grip. The cloak flew back on Nate and slowly the blue thread readjusted itself to act as button.

" 'Cover'" The cloak immediately leapt between Nate and William and hid Nate from William.

"' Return.'"The cloak returned as if it had never left.

William was shocked and excited by this.

"So does the resistance apply to the cloak only or the wizard using it?" William asked the first question.

"Both the wizard and the cloak are protected from mundane fire and lightening. A magical or cursed one is a different matter altogether. The stab resistance is similar, I won't get damaged by shrapnel from explosions but a magical spell or curse like diffindo charm will make through easily. For blunt force resistance like banished items will not hurt as much but they will still do damage, curses and charms will make through. The blunt force resistance is similar to arresto momentum, it slows down objects coming at you, it does not make them lighter. I am basically using it to allow for me to jump from a very high location like a castle tower and live."

"Why not make it out of dragon hide or acromantula silk?"

"Too difficult to etch runes on acromantula silk and dragon hide is too hard for using as a cloak instead of armour. A simple cotton cloth is also much more easy to pass as an aesthetic choice instead of a defensive one."

"You do know that any wizard attacking you will not have problem dealing with it right?" asked William.

"It is only to buy time under an ambush or a first contact and not to fight for me." answered Nate sarcastically.

"How much time do you think it will buy?"

"Depends on the objective of the enemy?"

"Do they want to stun me? Stunners won't work. Do they want to kill me or torture me? The crucio or the avada kedavara won't work, I mean, the killing curse would immediately burn it down on contact but it will save me from one killing curse."

"Where did you even get this information on the killing curse?" demanded a stunned William.

"A family members journal on the unforgivables?"

"And how did you get to the Restricted section of the library?"

"Told Grandma I wanted to learn about our ancestors." said a smug Nate.

"So…let me get this right, you not only betrayed the trust of your grandmother but also studied magic that I have expressed a certain degree of disdain for, due to its inherent corruptive nature? Are you so arrogant as to believe that Magic like that can't affect you? And you are so smug about this? About cheating Veronica?"

"If you say it like that, it sounds bad. And I wasn't casting it! I was only studying it so I can develop countermeasures against it."

"Nate it is not about casting it, the knowledge of how to cast it is is very much an informational hazard in itself. Please tell me you did not read up on the wand movements. There may come a time where in anger or hate you may decide to make use of such knowledge and let me tell you, you have no aptitude for the dark arts, and meddling in magic you have no fundamental knowledge or foundation in is not only stupid, it was arrogant. You maybe good at the magic you practice but the dark arts are very tempting when a person is driven by their own hubris or emotions."

"I did not learn how to cast it. I was merely curious in the fact that how specific the killing curse is and trying to counter it. I know I am not suited for the dark arts. But the dark arts is one of the best counters to the Magic I practise."

"That's good, however promise me, Nate, that you won't go into the restricted section of the library and study magic that I don't say you can."

"I will not do that" answered Nate calmly.

"What?"

"I said I cannot do that."

"So you will go into the library and study anything you want?"

"Yes."

William sighed and then said,"Look I told you that I will treat you like a teenager but this getting annoying."

"I will not touch anything that I think I can't handle that is the only thing that I am willing to promise."

William sighed again,"Your behaviour shows me that you are not ready for a wand."

"You gave your word grandfather."

"And you gave yours. You don't keep your word, I will not keep mine."

"Ok, let's have a compromise."

"Define the terms, rude-boy."

"I will get my wand today, in return I will confess and apologize to grandma while also promising that I will not look to dark arts journals or books before turning eleven."

"Agreed."

"Great way to spoil my mood on my birthday, grandfather."

"You might just be thanking me for this someday boy."

William started chuckling at Nate pouting expression after saying that.

"Let us go to Diagon, shall we?"

They both moved to the living area where William opened the floo channel through the wards for two people and urged Nate to grab the floo powder.

"Speak clearly where you want to go to. And as soon as you feel the tugging, take a step forward, that way you will not stumble."

Nate moved into the fireplace and then loosened the grip he had on the floo while saying in a calm and clear voice.

"Leaky Cauldron."

[Leaky Cauldron, Muggle London]

[Nate's POV]

Nate exited the floo without stumbling. He started clearing away for his grandfather to exit the floo and as he did, there was a familiar burst of green flames. He followed his old man to the counter of the famous old dingy pub, that was famous as the non-magical entrance to Diagon Alley.

His grandfather was greeted by the bartender.

"William, something to drink ?"

To which his grandfather replied,"No Tom, cannot stop for a drink, I have to get this one here his wand."

"Ah! young Mr. Grey, name's Thomas Abbott but most people call me Tom."

"Tom a pleasure to meet you, my name is Nate Alexander-Irene Grey, but everybody calls me Nate."

Nate flashed the bartender a smile for a good impression.

"A long name that one, Nate. And happy eleventh birthday to you."

"My middle names are the first names of my parents. And it is my tenth birthday."

It surprised Nate to see the surprised expression on Tom's face.

Tom amusedly asked grandfather,"Breaking another tradition William?"

Before grandfather could answer I answered in his stead,"What can we do Tom I am sadly too special to delay my progress in magic you see." I then sighed to add extra dramatic flair.

Tom looked as if he had just won a lottery and asked quickly,"How so?"

"Well let me show you." and I started sitting and a chair flew from the dining area to set itself between the ground and Nate with perfect timing. While a glass cup flew into his hand and it started filling itself with water.

Tom's eyes bulged out seeing that I had no wand.

"Wandless-s" is all he could get out before going quite and then taking the cup from my hands and drinking the water from it and said,"Merlin, you are special boy."

I know I should not be arrogant but bloody hell I could not help but be smug about it. And then grandfather smacked my back and asked me to follow him into the walled up courtyard with a bin.

Before the wall, he asked me,"Could not help showing off, could you rude-boy?" While smirking proudly.

"Yes." was the simple and honest answer I gave.

He tapped his wand and simply said,"Welcome to……."