Wand Pt.2
[Diagon Alley, London.]
[I's POV]
"Welcome to Diagon Alley-Britain's commercial hot spot."
Diagon Alley was a bustling and vibrant place, filled with shops selling all manner of magical items. The streets were lined with colorful storefronts, each one showcasing unique and intriguing items. Some sold potions and ingredients, while others sold books and spell components. There were even shops selling magical creatures, such as owls and rats. The shops were all different sizes, some were tall and narrow, while others were wide and sprawling, but all of them had a unique charm and character.
As I walked down the alley, I couldn't help but gawk at all the sights and sounds around her. I saw wizards and witches of all ages going about their business, some hurrying along with their heads down, while others stopped to chat and catch up with friends.
The buildings themselves were also a sight to behold. Some were made of old brick, with crooked chimneys and rickety shutters, while others were sleek and modern, with large windows and intricate carvings. It was clear that a lot of care and attention had gone into making each building special and unique.
Near the visible end stood a building carved out of complete white marble while the name of the building was clearly written in golden letters, Gringrotts. It was perhaps the most important building here, politically speaking.
Grandfather lightly nudged me and when I looked up at him, he grinned commenting, "This is the first time you have left the manor grounds. How do you like it?"
"Well the magical world has not disappointed me yet, and I hope it does not."
"Well follow along then let us get your wand."
We walked to a shop that was named ' Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.
The windows are adorned with dusty old wands of various shapes and sizes. Grandfather pushes open the door and the bell above jingles to announce our arrival .The interior of the shop is dimly lit and cramped, with shelves upon shelves of wand boxes lining the walls. The musty smell of old wood fills my nose. I can feel multiple wards and enchantments around us that feel stifling if not suffocating.
I hear scraping of wood akin to a chair sliding and see an thin, elderly man with white hair and piercing blue eyes looking at us in recognition from his place on top of a ladder. His hair ,unlike mine, were not natural but rather an effect of old age. His eyes were brighter than mine , thankfully he did not look nearly as good as me or I would have been worried.
He began while looking at grandfather,"Ah! William Grey- Ebony, Dragon heartstring, 101/3 inches long, unyielding. It was a good wand. You still have it don't you?" the man questioned curiously and a bit alarmed.
"Yes I have it still Mr. Ollivander, it has served me well for such a long time. We are here for a new wand for Nate here."
I flashed Ollivander a smile at that.
"Come on then!" shouted a suddenly excited Ollivander.
I went upto the counter where he handed me a wand saying ," Blackthorne, Phoenix Wing feather,127/8 inches, unyielding."
Before I even had my fingers wrapped around it, he snatched it away. And just like that he had me try thirty-two wands before taking out an old box.
"Perhaps this one." the old wandmaker muttered.
As soon as I touched the wand, a pulse emanated around me knocking over the counter, Mr. Ollivander and grandfather.
I couldn't help ask as I was wrapped in this incredible feeling,"What is it made of ?"
"That wand is something I made up a few years after taking up the family profession. It is made up of Aspen and beech wood that were twisted together while the core is one of the two horns of a Swedish short-snout dragon. It will be an excellent wand for charm work and elemental magic especially fire and water. The length is 142/3 inches, thus preferring more flamboyant pieces of magic. Finally this wand will only ever work for you, too loyal, she is." The man happily chattered away.
My grandfather coughed and said,"How much without the Hogwarts Allowance?"
I added,"Add a standard holster."
"Thirty-one galleons." said Ollivander nonchalantly while looking at Nate curiously.
Grandfather handed him the galleons after taking the gold out of his blazer's expanded pocket.
I was handed the box containing his wand and a smaller box containing the wrist holster for his wand which for now would be too long for his arms.
We exited the shop and were moving to the entrance of the alley when grandfather asked,"Excited to use it?"
"Who wouldn't be?" I asked genuinely confused.
"Yeah that makes sense."
We were back to the familiar wall leading into the Leaky Cauldron.
[Grey Manor, Scotland.]
[Nate's POV]
I twisted the handle of my room's door and pulled it to enter my room. I put my newly acquired wand on the desk along with the box for the holster. Grandfather and I had returned from Diagon, a few minutes prior and I could say confidently that I enjoyed my first time being out of the manor grounds. I promptly moved into the bathroom and took a nice lukewarm long shower. I moved out of the bathroom and then dried myself of all the water by separating the water from my body while also leaving enough moisture for the skin. It was an exercise used to train my control aspect of magical strength.
I then moved into the wardrobe where I dressed in a simple muggle T-shirt and shorts which I remember father bought me as an apology gift for not letting me out of the manor grounds on my own.
'It is time'. I walked upto my desk and looked at the innocent looking box lying at it. I picked it up delicately and removed the cover of the box and looked at the wand resting in it, my wand.
'Let us get this going' and I wrapped my hand around the twisted wood. A pulse expanded from myself- smaller than the one in the shop. I could almost hear the roar of a dragon, the warmth that spread from my chest to the wand was exhilarating and I could feel the blood rushing through my head.
I had always thought my first spell would be Lumos but in that moment I knew which one I wanted to use and thus I spoke the incantation while high on the feelings the wand gave me.
" Illusio." The whole room immediately darkened around me, I could not see the desk in front of me which I knew was definitely there only hidden by the illusion of utter darkness I had cast around myself, the only things I could see was myself and my wand. There were no sounds, no light, nothing. I could hear the beating of my heart. It was a fairly disconcerting illusion I had cast upon myself and my room. Fairly pleased with the performance I changed the illusion.
The room was immediately turned into what I assumed would look like the top of a mountain like Everest would look like. From the winds to the small lack of air I was feeling was perfect. The only thing I was missing was the cold since I couldn't yet replicate the temperature aspect of reality into my illusions. I had good control over illusions without a wand but my wand pushed whatever magic I could perform to limits beyond what I could imagine. The power of I had felt when casting the illusion from my wand was something I had not even comprehended without a wand. This also put any thoughts about pulling one over a wizard with a wand without a wand myself out. The power,control and area of a wand compared to wandless magic was like an arrow vs a bullet from anti-material rifle. I tested my wand for various things and realized, how powerful I was in comparison to average wizards. I was a fucking monster in terms of magical control. I was at the high end in terms of magical power. And I was above average in magical area or field.
What I have understood from my exploration into magical theory in the past year is that I have a knack for more instinctive magic which requires calibration while having far less aptitude for magic that utilizes emotions or calculations. Thus I am better at Illusions and elemental magic that have to be perfected with time and require control and power but am a dunce at transfiguration and curses which utilize calculations and emotions respectively. Charms also require repeated practise and nothing else and thus are one of the easier but more rigid branches of magic. Any charm does what it is made or designed to do, nothing less or more. A charm will either get performed or it will fail. It can still be performed with varying degree of success.'Well transfiguration is stupid anyways.'
My pondering was interrupted by a knock on the door followed by the muffled voice of mum calling me for supper. I put my wand in the case disappointed by the warmth of it disappearing and moved my legs towards the dining area.