Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

All original characters and the following content belong to me.
Full summary available on my profile.


Remarks: Finally. Here's chapter 3. Re-read chapters 1 and 2 if you picked this up back in 2011 (four years, I know, I'm sorry).


Jackie Smith and the Wolfsbane Curse


Three

~ To Diagon Alley! ~


"Potions!"

"No, Transfiguration!"

"But we get to make things using weird ingredients that can do really cool things!"

"Trans-figur-ation. You can transform matter from one shape to another!"

"What on earth is going on, you two?" Mrs. Smith stood in the doorway, ink on her hands and apron. She was cleaning her collection of vintage fountain pens, a task that consumed so much of her attention that Jackie's and Hayley's quiet debate had irritated her, except times eleven. Jackie felt somewhat terrified that his mother now loomed at their only escape, with a syringe (filled with water) in one hand, and a pen (barrel) in the other. The pair gulpled.

"Sorry, Mum, got carried away."

"We were arg—ahem, debating which class would be more beneficial." They both sat perfectly still, back straight with hands on their lap. It felt very childish to act like a stern teacher was on the verge of announcing detention, unless they really proved themselves, but when it was fountain pen maintenance day, they had to take extreme measures to stay on Mrs Smith's good side.

"Well, that's just silly. They're all core classes, are they not?" Mrs. Smith signalled for the list, which Jackie readily handed to her. She read it over quickly, her rectangle glasses set right over the tip of her nose. "Nonsense. Defense Against the Dark Arts is clearly the most useful subject you can learn. I expect top grades in that one, dear." She handed the list back and stormed off.

"Urgh, Defense Against Dark Arts? That sounds like gym class." Jackie fell onto his back, his legs still crossed. His body already felt sore at the thought.

"Ah, but it's gym class with lots of theory! And then practice!" Hayley said excitedly. "Oh, your mum's right. This would be the most intriguing one. Think of all the Dark spells you'll be learning about and how to counter them! You can stop curses and hexes and jinxes and whatever other bit of nasty some nut has thought of."

"Hayley, are you hearing yourself?" Jackie propped himself up on his elbows, glaring at her. "It almost sounds as though you want me to get killed."

"Oh don't be ridiculous, you won't die."

They continued on, as quietly as possible, to argue with each other about Jackie's new, unusual subjects. The midsummer was slowly waning, and the appointed date slowly arriving. But soon, Jackie's room would be filled with all sorts of supernatural objects that would make his attending Hogwarts even more real. He would think about the kinds of gifts he would charm for his parents for Christmas, and Mr. Dursley too, for being nice to him. He wondered about what he could smuggle out to Hayley, because a 'cheap ornament' wouldn't be enough to satisfy her. He'd already asked as much as he could from Carter, who admitted he knew little about the wizarding world, only that it existed because his cousin Angelina told his family over dinner back in '98, when there was a huge battle that happened at the school with some weirdly named evil wizard. Mouldywart or whatever.

And, as it turned out, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley had a lot to do with that fight too, and since it seemed impolite to ask Mr. Dursley and Carter knew next to nothing about it, and with the pair being too busy to stop by or answer letters (by owl!), Jackie was going to have to look forward to History of Magic to learn more about it (to this Hayley rolled her eyes. For a girl who enjoyed her complicated equations and long scientific lectures, history was a bore to her for some bizarre reason). All that was left between then and now was the shopping. Professor McGonagall explained how Jackie was to receive funding and where to get it, and they decided on a date for when it was best for Jackie to pick up all of his school things.

Finally that day had arrived. It was the first week of August, and at that point debating the finer points of Charms with the ever so practical-minded Hayley wasn't doing it for Jackie's patience. So that morning he threw on whatever clothes he could find (and then went back to put on what his mother told him to wear), hastily ate his breakfast and ran outside to wait for the car sent by the Ministry. Jackie didn't need to ask how one small car could fit at least four people in the backseat. The minute he opened the door, Hayley was inside with the biggest grin on her face. "Bigger on the inside!" They both cried at the same time.

"Thank you, sir," said Jackie's mother once she and his father had settled in. "Are you sure you don't need a tip?"

"Courtesy of the Ministry, ma'am," said the driver with a slight nod. And they were off.

They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, which at first confused Jackie. Hayley theorized that possibly there was some secret access to get to Diagon Alley, "You can't just have a whole wizard market in the middle of London without anyone noticing. I mean, think about how hard it was for your parents to spot the pub."

"Well now, Hayley, surely it would have been a little challenging for you?" asked Mrs. Smith. Hayley shrugged.

"No, not really."

"You could pretend," said Mr. Smith, his eyebrow turned upwards in that disapproving way, though the rest of his face was complacent. "There's no merit in bragging about your skills. It makes you look… pigheaded." Jackie and Hayley giggled at his father's use of the word 'pigheaded'. As a man who normally worked with busybody business lawyers negotiating terms, it happened quite frequently that Jackie's father would stop himself and realize the sort of people he was talking too. He wasn't the emotional type, though Jackie appreciated the gesture.

"Sorry, Mr. Smith. Won't happen again," said Hayley, saluting Mr. Smith.

Inside the Leaky Cauldron, Jackie saw Mr. Potter waiting for them. He was talking with a woman, blonde hair tied tightly in a ponytail. She smiled, waving at Jackie.

"Hello," she greeted. "Fancy any snacks before heading out?"

"Oh, we just got here," said Mrs. Smith. "And we've had breakfast."

"And no means to pay. I believe you don't take pounds?" said Mr. Smith.

"Not to worry, on the house—"

"Nonsense, Hannah, I'll pay," said Mr. Potter. Mrs. Smith blushed, and Mr. Smith looked ready to bring out his grade-A lawyering skills.

"Absolutely not, Harry," said the woman. "It's my pub, and little heroes like these two deserves a baggie of sandwiches on their first trip to Diagon Alley! Hannah Abbott, owner of the Leaky Cauldron." She shook hands with Jackie's parents, giving him and Hayley a high five in turn. She pulled out her wand and summoned a brown bag, opened it, and charmed four six-inch sandwiches into it. With an energetic swipe, she closed the bag and handed it to Jackie.

"Have fun you two! And remember, stick to the list. Don't want to give your mum and dad too much trouble!"

"I expect as much," said Jackie's father. Hayley rolled her eyes while Jackie sighed.

"Aw, c'mon Dad! Can't we come away with some souvenirs?" he begged. Mr. Potter laughed as he led them towards the back of the pub.

"I think you mean 'can't I get Hayley something to play with when she gets home?', to which I say no. I think Carter's got enough trouble on his hands, thank you. No offense, Hayley."

"Nah, just expected of your ilk, Mr. Smith." Hayley smiled cooly at Mr. Potter, "He thinks I'm destined for delinquency. All upstanding types do." Mr. Potter looked to Jackie's mother, baffled.

"Don't misunderstand. Hayley has great respect for Richard. In fact, I think he's the only one who has it," said Mrs. Smith.

"No, it's fine, really," said Mr. Potter. Hayley made a contemplative sound.

"You say that, but I think you've got a troublesome streak to you too," said Hayley. They arrived at a brick wall at the very back of the pub, with Mr. Weasley waiting for them. Jackie was beginning to wonder if Mr. Potter was pulling their leg. 'Psyche! Now get out.' And then Hayley would probably beat him up.

"Honestly," said Mr. Weasley, greeting Jackie's parents with a nod. "Does she not weird you out?

"Kind of reminds you of someone," said Mr. Potter suggestively, a troublesome grin crossing his face. "Doesn't she?"

"Harry," warned Mr. Weasley, shooting a wary glance at the Smiths and Hayley. "Not now."

"Right!" cried Jackie, unable to take it anymore. "Because we're supposed to be here for me—I mean, here to see the Alley! Because I can't take it anymore!" His parents both looked at him, amused but still obviously very disapproving. Jackie looked away, feeling his cheeks burn red. "Sorry, but I've been waiting for so long already!" Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley laughed.

"Alright, alright," said Mr. Potter. He took out his wand with a flourish and, with a cheeky grin said, "Watch closely; I'm only doing this once."

He tapped the bricks in a specific pattern: three times up, twice across. The bricks shook, the wall splitting open like a flower in bloom—or the sea ripping apart—or like a supergiant star going supernova. Jackie and Hayley's mouths were nearly to the floor, and their eyeballs almost jumping out of their sockets, because beyond that wall lay the most amazing sight to behold.

Men and women dressed in all sorts of robes and funny hats strolled the shop windows in the wide yet crammed cobbled path straight down the Alley. Children ran about, waving toy wands that would transform into rubber chickens, sometimes even tossing smokebombs that plastered their victim in funny colours. Someone let off a firecracker that cried out, "Come to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for your daily dose of fun!", which scared a cat out of a young witch's arms, causing a group of people to topple over when it jumped on a man's head, making him drop a crate of potions. The potions mixing created an assortment of interesting reactions, lighting robes on fire, making spots and fur grow on peoples' skin, or in one case making a woman fall asleep in an instant. To Jackie's pleasure, Hayley mumbled interest in how those potions were able to do that. He shot her a smug grin.

"Ooh," cringed Mr. Potter. "St. Mungo's is going to have a busy morning if they aren't already. Sorry about this," he said to Jackie's parents. "It usually isn't this chaotic, except maybe this time of year, but only because students would be buying their supplies." He led them to the side that had the least amount of potion puddling in-between the stones, though it became much more crowded as more sensible people went that way.

"Oh, it's quite alright, Mr. Potter," said Mrs. Smith.

"Oh, please, just Harry's fine," he said. He looked at Jackie and Hayley too, extending the sentiment to them as well. Mrs. Smith looked embarassed, but nodded anyway.

"And Ron for me," said Mr. Weasley. He sighed. "I'm gonna get an earful from Drake when he gets wind of this. Like I can actually tell George what to do with his products."

"Did he have a special going on today?" asked Harry.

"It's 'peak season', Harry, of course George has got a special going on today."

"Is the owner of the joke shop a relative of yours, Mr. Weasley?" Of course, Jackie's father wasn't one to drop formalities unless he was really familiar with them. He felt embarassed, as he noticed how his father came off as more intimidating than he usually was. Understandably, Ron felt a little defensive.

"Well, yeah, he is. He and Fred set up the shop all on their own, right from their own bedroom when they were still attending Hogwarts," said Ron. Harry looked to Ron and Mr. Smith nervously; Jackie had the strongest sense that the topic was fairly sensitive to Ron. Fortunately, Jackie's father was both a lawyer and a businessman, and was one Carter happily described as "honest and compassionate, unlike the no-good, corrupt, fat cats who stole and got away with it because of technicalities and money."

"Really?" said Mr. Smith, very impressed. "Well that's good on them."

"Erm, thank you," said Ron, not expecting the genuine sincerity in Mr. Smith.

"Well! If you'll follow me," said Harry. "We'll head to Gringotts now. That's the white building right down over there," he pointed out the white marble building with a wonky shape, several columns holding it up. Despite the fact that it looked mishapened, it stood out against the small and cramp shop buildings, with a host of wizards and witches entering in and out of its doors. A sign hung at the very top; once Jackie got closer, he felt his lungs tighten at its message. Hayley whistled.

"I would not want to be the idiot who tries to rob this place," said Hayley.

"You think they're still mad about the dragon?" Ron asked Harry, voices at near-whisper.

"Nah, I think Hermione's smoothed it over… right?"

"Yeah. Sure thing, mate."

Jackie and Hayley locked eyes. A dragon? Hayley mouthed. Jackie looked at Harry and saw, once again, that people were staring at him. He'd realized that many people were staring at him wherever they went the first time they met, and at the Leaky Cauldron again when they had arrived. Who was this man, really?

A human teller greeted them, who stood out against the hook-nosed goblins that were everywhere. The human teller seemed necessary, then, as Jackie's parents looked ready to have an attack. Their shock subsiding, they got busy talking about how the loan services worked and how soon Jackie would have to start paying it off after finishing at Hogwarts. It was dull, so Jackie barely paid attention. He and Hayley were busy staring at the high ceiling, the glass dome beaming the sunlight onto them. Carts of gold were being moved around behind the booths, along with wagons of old, expensive trinkets being taken to the far back—and that far back went way back. Jackie's neck was beginning to cramp from the craning when he nearly headbutted a blond haired wizard passing by. It knocked him off his feet, making him feel slightly dizzy.

"Oh! Jackie," Hayley was at his side in an instant. The blond-haired wizard looked down with a scrutinizing gaze. He looked sharp in his robes, almost like he was wearing a tailored suit. Like the wealthy businessmen Jackie had seen his father speak with when work followed him home from time to time, this man oozed prestige and old money, and looked and acted because he knew it. The man noticed Harry and Ron and gave a small start.

"Oh. Potter. Weasley." Unless Jackie was mistaken, it sounded as though the man tried to say their names without any contempt and just came short of succeeding. Ron looked a little miffed, though Harry thought nothing of it.

"Draco," said Harry, looking courteous, but Jackie could see in his eyes the same look Hayley had when she was pretending to be nice but really meant to be the complete opposite.

"Hm, no," said the man. "Still can't quite hear myself referring to you by your given names. I didn't realize you were in charge of orienting Muggleborns. Here I thought you were actually making use of yourself at the Auror Office."

"Still am, Draco. It's my day off. I volunteered to take Jackie and his family shopping for his school things. Anyway, I heard you helped crack a case last month concerning a murder with a Dark artefact."

"It was nothing. And congratulations to you, I believe. On your newborn son."

"Thank you."

They all stood in silence; the teller had just finished speaking with Jackie's parents and a goblin was waiting to take them to Jackie's new vault. Jackie and Hayley looked to Harry and the man, wondering what on earth was going on. Noticing their audience, the man nodded to Harry and Ron. He gave Jackie a nod, noticed Hayley, and curtly nodded towards her too. Jackie saw Ron raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"I see I'm holding you up. Farewell." He turned, his robes swishing along his wide strides. Jackie noted the package held tightly under his arm.

"Who was that?" said Hayley, a little peeved.

"That was Draco Malfoy. We were in the same year," explained Harry. "He's… coming round." He gave Ron a look, "I was surprised he nodded at Hayley."

"Same here. Wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself," said Ron. "And I still can't get used to him and you talking like that. It's bizarre."

"Hang on, why was it weird that he nodded at me?" asked Hayley. "What have I done?"

A cough caught their attention: the goblin looked ready to ditch them, as he had been waiting impatiently for them to hurry along after him. He turned and started walking, with which Harry and Ron responded by following. Jackie, Hayley, and his parents kept up as best as they could.

Two wild rollercoaster rides and a couple bagful of coin inbetween later, they were back on the streets of Diagon Alley. Hayley was still pressuring Harry and Ron for the reason Mr. Malfoy nodding at her seemed odd. Every time they found something to distract her and Jackie with, like a shop that sold one of the items Jackie needed from his list, or another shop that they didn't particularly need but might be of interest and of use at a later time. It was obvious they were dodging, and even Jackie's father had taken notice that Harry and Ron were not telling them something. It was at Madam Malkin's when Hayley decided to give up on asking, which was so unlike her that Jackie was worried she had become upset.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said, helping a charmed tape-measure free itself from the weight of a sewing basket. It tapped her affectionately on the shoulder, as if to console her. She sighed dejectedly.

"It's probably because Mr. Malfoy was once the sort of person like Drake" said Jackie. "Unfairly rude towards people without magic." He was very bothered by Drake's behaviour. The following day, Jackie had a long discussion with his father about why men like Julius Drake acted the way they did. Their conclusion had made Jackie angry. "From the way Harry and Ron talked about it, Mr. Malfoy seems to have changed from that kind of a person."

"So you're saying that I shouldn't take it personally?" asked Hayley, not liking the sound of that.

"No. What I'm saying is, you shouldn't bother to care. You're a remarkable person, Hayley. Anyone who decides to judge you for what you are before knowing who you are can go stuff it."

The tape measures returned to their baskets. Madam Malkin brushed off Jackie's robes and showed him off to his parents.

"How's he look, Mum?" she asked.

"Oh he looks lovely!" said Mrs. Smith. Mr. Smith nodded in agreement, "And looking very smart. Wear those robes proudly, son." Jackie felt embarassed. Madam Malkin beamed and then looked to Hayley, awaiting her opinion.

"Heh," she started. "You look like a prep."

"No I don't," said Jackie defensively. "I need to gel my hair back first and pinch my face in like this." He sucked in his cheeks, making his lips puff out like a fish. He crossed his eyes as he made kissy noises at Hayley. She started laughing, thankfully, and Madam Malkin took that as her cue to sew up Jackie's new robes.

Having finished their sandwiches (which survived the Gringotts rollercoaster experience thanks to Harry's charming the bag to endure the ride), they took a break at the Florean Fortescue Cafe, which according to Harry was named as such in honour of the original owner, and renovated the ruined ice cream parlour after '96. This got to talking about the Second Wizarding War, and through the vested intrigue of both Jackie's parents, Harry and Ron got to talking a little more about it. Once more, Jackie noticed the stares, but this time the people in the cafe were really beginning to pay attention, likely because Harry was talking about a time that likely affected them all.

"There was a Dark wizard who tried to take over the whole wizarding world back in the mid-90s. It was his second attempt, but in '98 he was stopped during the Battle of Hogwarts," explained Harry. "Mr. Fortescue was just one of the many casualties of the war."

"Fascinating," said Mrs. Smith, breathless. "I doubt it was contained to just your world, though."

"I doubt it," said Mr. Smith. "I recall hearing disturbing news about random deaths around the time. Nice to know of a reason."

"Now, I want to assure you," said Harry. "Nothing like that is happening now. We're at peace. The Auror office isn't as busy as it was at the time, so your son will definitely be safe—especially at Hogwarts."

"Even though the decisive battle happened there?" asked Mr. Smith.

"Well, think about it, dear. Hogwarts is the magical school of all of Great Britain! I can imagine a megalomaniac dictator wanting to make the school his own base. Think Hitler!" Mrs. Smith exclaimed.

"Right, yeah," said Harry. "That's mostly why it happened there. There was, er, another reason why, but it's a little complicated."

Jackie and Hayley shared a look and turned to Harry, knowing all too well the why. Ron laughed.

"And they've done it again!" he cried.

"So exactly how famous are you, then?" asked Jackie.

"Is that how you got your scar?" asked Hayley.

"Because if you think about it, that would be when you were still at school there. Seven years, right? Carter says Mr. Dursley's your age, from what he remembered the boys at Smelting's talking about. Means that in '98, you were seventeen."

"So you had to have been there. You and Ron—I mean, Mr. Weasley—"

"Ron is just fine, thank you, Hayley," interjected Ron.

"—Because what's a teenager to do when some Dark wizard calling himself Mouldywart—" Ron and Harry both laughed, as well as a few of the witches and wizards around them. "—comes kicking down your doors when you're trying to study for your exams? I mean, Carter remembered his cousin Angelina getting in a fight with her parents about it over Christmas or something."

"Wait, your guardian is related to Angelina?" asked Ron. Harry gave him a look. "What? There's a lot of Johnsons! They can't all be related!"

"What of it?" asked Hayley.

"She's married to my brother, George. She helps out at the shop from time to time during the off season."

"Carter never mentioned that!" cried Jackie, looking to Hayley. She shrugged, "His family had a row that Christmas dinner, remember? Since then Carter hasn't seen or heard from cousin Angie in forever." This gave Jackie a horrifying thought.

"What if Auntie Kelly and Auntie Kat won't like me anymore? And Uncle Karl! Mum, Dad, are they going to hate me?" Hayley shot Jackie a look of shock; he must have sounded absurd, but he couldn't ignore his fears.

"Nonsense, Jackie!" said Mrs. Smith, surprised. "They wouldn't do such a thing!"

"If they are even allowed to know," added Mr. Smith. "And son, you're underestimating your aunts and uncle. Remember that they're you mother's siblings, and all four of them have the most unusual set of brains ever born on this earth."

Jackie was thankful for their comfort, but he still didn't feel relieved, thought it was true that neither of his aunts or uncle stopped coming by when the bad things started happening, and they were furious when the court mandated that Jackie be sent to a reform school.

Still, the idea of keeping secrets and what his whole life would be like living as a wizard in the Muggle world whenever school was out made him nervous. He was stabbing into his ice cream, contemplating this thought when a shadow passed over him, and a wizard had slapped Harry and Ron on the backs, grinning handsomely.

"Harry, Ron, what are you doing? You're scaring one of my future students! And here at the new Fortescue Cafe—Hannah's not gonna like hearing this!"

"Neville!" Harry and Ron greeted the man with friendliness and warmth. Jackie caught Hayley staring at him funny.

"Jackie, this here is gonna be one of your teachers at Hogwarts! Neville Longbottom!" introduced Ron. "And the Cauldron's on the other side of the Alley; Jackie still needs his wand!" Their friend nodded sarcastically in response.

"Ah, and you two must be his parents." Mr.—or rather, Professor Longbottom reached out to shake hands with Jackie's parents.

"Yes. Richard, and my wife Kristine," said his father. "What subject do you teach?"

As it turned out, Professor Longbottom was the new Herbology teacher, having taken the spot after Professor Sprout decided to retire. Jackie and Hayley quietly kept out of the conversation, but listened, as Herbology was one of the classes that they looked over as not quite useful, unless it had something to do with Potions. To their suprise, Professor Longbottom was an Auror before he became a teacher. This intrigued Hayley, who suddenly found her voice again (though once in a while Jackie could hear her voice crack whenever her tone would go up) and started asking him all sorts of questions. Neville was telling her the story of one of the cases he, Harry, and Ron ran together shortly before he quit being an Auror when Harry got up and tapped Jackie on the shoulder, motioning him to follow along.

They went outside the cafe. Jackie watched as several young witches and wizards, all Hogwarts students, walked around greeting each other, arms full of new school supplies, and other first years with wide eyes and high energy. He could recognize a few Muggle parents among them. Several who walked by noticed Harry and stared.

"Does that not ever get old for you, Harry? The staring?" he asked

"I've grown quite used to it, actually. But it was a little unsettling when I was your age; you see, until I was eleven years old, I didn't know I was a wizard."

This surprised Jackie. As they sat at one of the outdoor patio tables Harry told Jackie about the day he found out he was a wizard. He toldhim about the strangely addressed letter and his uncle's very startling response, and how his aunt and uncle tried their hardest to keep the letters from coming, but they always found their way—even through store-bought eggs! Soon they had run, and when a hotel couldn't 'hide' them, they ended up on a hut in the middle of an islet during a stormy night at sea. Still, a man called Hagrid arrived, intimidated Harry's aunt and uncle, and gave Harry his letter and a cake to celebrate his birthday.

Jackie was shocked to learn that Harry's relatives, even Mr. Dursley, had been mean to Harry about his magic. But then later Harry learned that his aunt was just resentful because of how wonderful having magic was for her sister, his mother. It probably didn't help matters that the First Wizarding War had killed Harry's parents, and removed any possibility for the two sisters reconciling. But the point was that people changed. It took a while and effort on both Harry's and his aunt's part, but it finally happened. Apparently even Mr. Malfoy wasn't so friendly towards Harry, if you could call their earlier exchange 'friendly'. His stories awed Jackie, and also brought assurance. However, the worry was still there, as he worried that Hayley might resent hm for magic. But she was smarter than he was and was bound for her own destiny, which he shared with Harry was something the teachers kept getting mad at her about. She kept making too much trouble, and it would get in the way of how successful she could be, but that didn't stop her. So, maybe—maybe Jackie wasn't meant to stop either. Having magic shouldn't hold him back.

"Thanks, Mr. Potter."

"Please, Harry's just fine. And come on, we'd better go get your wand and the rest of your school things. Ron and I'll try and convince your parents to let you have an owl, since I'm sure you'd love to keep in contact with Hayley during the school year."

"What, the school doesn't let you make phone calls?"

"Jackie, does it look like we use phones to communicate?"

Jackie made a face, shaking his head. "Man, you wizards need to get with the times."

They bid farewell to Professor Longbottom, who turns out lived with Ms. Abbott over the pub. Hayley seemed to have returned from her cloud, shooting Jackie a very terrifying warning glare not to say a word about it. He smiled and acted like he had no idea what she meant.

As they went to the famous Ollivanders Wand Shop Jackie learned that Mr. Ollivander was the most celebrated wandmaker in the wizarding world, as his methods were revolutionary, and the quality of his products guaranteed the right wand for every unique witch and wizard. Hayley held her tongue for once, probably waiting to ask the great Ollivander himself. Jackie just wondered what kind of wand he would be receiving.

When they arrived Jackie felt his legs stop working. He stood, trapped, unable to make himself move. His heart beat even faster and he noticed that he had worked up a sweat. Jackie gulped, staring up at the intimidating shop's foggy glass windows and old stylized lettering written over the shop windows. Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Jackie became even more intimidated, a whole new list of worries coming to his mind. But before Jackie could even think these worrying thoughts, Hayley planted her hands onto his back and pushed him into the shop. Jackie's stubborn feet tripped over the ledge, sending the two of them tumbling onto the floor.

There was a yelp of a young girl and the laugh of an elderly man as Jackie and Hayley were disentangled and brought to their feet. Feeling red in the face, Jackie looked up to see an old wizard with white hair tied back, some strands sticking up from his receding forehead, smiling at him. "Mr. Smith," he said. "You'll have to wait your turn. Let me finish here with Miss Chaudhri before we begin."

"Right, sorry." He glared at Hayley, muttering, "Way to go, Hayls."

"Can we look around?" she asked suddenly. Jackie's breath caught in horror. "We promise we won't touch anything, sir."

Mr. Ollivander saw Hayley and looked at her funny. His eyes went from warm to distant, and somewhat afraid. Jackie grew concerned, seeing Mr. Ollivander look like he was about to collapse. He managed to stay upright, however, and found himself again when he saw Harry standing behind Jackie and Hayley.

"Harry Potter, welcome back. I hear a new Potter will be gracing my shop one day," he greeted. Jackie turned and saw, sitting on a spindly chair, the mother of the girl, and standing next to her the girl's fahter. They looked at Harry, the girl's mother in awe. She began adjusting her robes, which to Jackie looked inspired by traditional Indian wear, making herself look proper (which he felt wasn't necessary as she appeared even more proper-looking than Jackie's own father did in his suits). Jackie noticed that her husband wore normal, smart-looking Muggle clothes. They nodded at Harry, the wife at a loss for words.

"Hello, Ollivander. Sorry about this. Didn't realize you had clients already. Perhaps—"

"Oh, not to worry, Miss Chaudhri is a very particular customer, though I believe we're almost close!" Mr. Ollivander turned and saw Jackie and Hayley again, and nodded. Taking him by his hand, Hayley hauled Jackie along the long isles of shelves where row upon row boxes were stacked on top of each other, many having been caked over entirely by cobwebs. A lonely feather duster lazily swished around at a corner, barely batting away the cobwebs. A spider clung to a shaky string, probably irritated that the feather duster won't stop disturbing its rest.

Jackie lored over the walls of boxed wands around him. Somewhere, hidden inside one of those dusty boxes, was a wand just for him. It was odd, to fixate on a material object like such. He was reminded of how some of the kids at school would argue about which gun was the best to use in Halo or which was their favourite starter Pokémon that they would always pick when starting a fresh game, or other silly stuff like which bat to use during a game of baseball, what brand to buy for clothes, always wearing the same shirt under their uniform before a match. He never quite understood why people were so attached to something, believing that it was "the best", even though one person's best differed from someone else's. It was all silly superstition.

But now Jackie was magical. He was a wizard, so superstition shouldn't seem so silly, right? He reached out and tapped a box, the dust catching onto his finger. He brushed it off against his pantleg, seeing the words Cedar, unicorn tail inscribed on it. He turned and saw Hayley staring at the wand inside of a box.

"Hayley!" Jackie whispered. "You promised!"

"I wonder if you get to pick," said Hayley. "But judging how that Chaudhri girl just went through her third wand since we got here, I don't think it has anything to do with what the customer thinks is nice. I mean, this wand is nice looking, right? So why hasn't anyone got it yet?"

"Probably because Mr. Ollivander only just got it," said Jackie cagely. He urged Hayley to put it back.

"No, look, the box is really dusty, and I found a sac of dead spider eggs inside. This wand is old. It's been here for forever. So, clearly, the wand picks its magician."

"I don't think they use magician, Hayley."

"Jackie!" called his mother. "Mr. Ollivander would like to see you now!"

Jackie returned to find Harry and Ron had gone, apparently to deliver some of Jackie's parcels back to the Leaky Cauldron, so that they weren't as overencumbered. They had everything except Jackie's wand, his books, and possibly a pet. The Chaudhris nodded curtly at Jackie's parents and the girl eyed Jackie suspciously, clutching her new wand. He wondered if she was upset that Jackie had interrupted her wand shopping and probably blamed him for breaking her concentration or something.

"Now, John Smith! Though I believe you go by Jack?" said Mr. Ollivander.

"Yeah. John's a bit dull. No offense to my gramps."

Mr. Ollivander laughed heartily, looking Jackie over. "Now," he said, "which is your wand arm?"

"I'm a lefty, but I hurt my hand last month. A Healer at St. Mungo's fixed it up nice, but sometimes it feels a bit stiff when I flex it. Is that going to be okay? I mean I'm ambidextrous, so…"

"Yes, yes, not to worry, just lift it up." A tape measure came to life from the table and flew to Jackie's side, tretching along his outstretched arm. He turned to dig around a few dishelved boxes from the stack behind the desk. "Though it's nice of you to mention your ambidextrocity. Saved me the trouble of having to go through the more stubborn ones I thought might have matched with you."

"Stubborn?" asked Hayley. "You mean they've got a personality?"

"It's the wand property, dear. Ah! Here we are," Mr. Ollivander found a white box with a few cobwebs on it. "Terribly sorry for the mess, I'm sure your folks are used to better managed shops than this. I understand Muggles like to keep things very clean." Jackie's parents laughed in response.

"Only in the sense that you want to look 'professional' and perfectly capable to your many customers, though it's mostly true for mainstream markets. You should come by Kris's shop; she manages a used book store. How anyone finds anything in there is beyond me, and yet the store hasn't gone under," explained Mr. Smith. Mrs. Smith playfully smacked him.

"Richie! It's not just a used book store." She turned to Mr. Ollivander and went on, "It's a rare books shop, with the occasional dumping of old, unloved pop culture novels thrown in, but many scholars and collectors come by knowing that somewhere among all of those stacks are old works from our past, some we might not even heard of, waiting to be discovered. You know, now that I think about it, I could have sworn someone had dropped off an old, mysterious tome once. A kind young lady purchased it for her ailing grandfather, though I could never identify it's time period or what language it was written in."

"That sounds rather fascinating." Mr. Ollivander handed the wand he'd picked to Jackie, "Try this: English Oak and dragon heartstring, ten inches, quite sturdy," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Jackie the wand and, just as quickly, snatching it up as soon as he'd held it. Jackie was startled, but his parents seemed to have become accustomed to the gesture. Leaning against the shelf leading into the hall they were browsing through, Hayley smiled at Jackie smugly. He rolled his eyes.

"I guess I don't pick my wand then," said Jackie. "Just as Hayley said. You've got nice wands, but I barely felt that one in my hand, so I can't even tell how it feels in my hand, which is how someone'd normally purchase a tool."

"Quite right, young Mr. Smith, though a wand is more than a tool. You ought to remember it!" He turned to browse around for another selection, his eyes falling on Hayley, "You're a clever one. What's your name, my dear?"

"Hayley Sparrow. You only know the names of your potential customers?"

"I remember every name who I've sold a wand to, for starters. When their children come along, and their siblings and so on, I tend to identify them straight away. For children like young Mr. Smith, I get a notice from Hogwarts explaining who they are and generally when to expect them. Muggleborn witches and wizards have so much to learn about the wizarding world, and I hope to supply them their most trustworthy partner as they explore it. Now, you seem to be burning with questions, Miss Sparrow."

"Indeed I am. You're a very perceptive wizard for someone your age, and with a good memory, I presume? Because you're the only one here and I'm sure you keep a catalogue of exactly which wands you still have in stock?"

"I remember every wand I've made and which witch or wizard they have chosen! And each wand is unique, Miss Sparrow. I use three of the most powerful cores available: dragon heartstring, phoenix tail feather, and unicorn hair. I pair them with a wide selection of wand woods, carefully harvested from the right kind of tree, all of varying lengths. The final product results in a very unique wand and, as these are all unused wands awaiting a new master to accompany, it has yet to finish. It is up to Mr. Smith how his wand will grow, and how he learns to use it will make his wand unique from any other."

"That's quite impressive," said Hayley, still searching. "What's Harry's wand?"

"Holly, eleven inches, with a phoenix tail feather core. Nice and supple."

"Ron Weasley?"

"He initally had his elder brother Charlie's wand: ash, twelve inches, unicorn hair. It was damaged during a misadventure in his second year, and got a new one made of willow, also unicorn hair, and fourteen inches."

"Alright, you've impressed me."

She let Mr. Ollivander continue his work. He didn't say anything about the box in her hand, although Jackie had the strongest suspicion that he didn't even notice it. He was busy unearthing old boxes, handing each wand to Jackie and taking it away when they didn't quite work. The longest Jackie held onto one was a maple and unicorn hair wand, ten inches long, but even that wand didn't feel right. They were at their eighth wand when Mr. Ollivander gave pause and wondered aloud whether Jackie ought to try one of those stubborn wands after all. But then Hayley rased her hand and asked if what she held seemed right enough. It was the same box she'd pulled from the shelf earlier, her hands almost dirtied black because of the dust.

Mr. Ollivander gently took the box from her, bewilderment in his expression. "Why this… it's one of the first wands I'd made. It fell into a bucket of paint before I could place it into its box. I must confess, I felt that the wand might have been considered damaged and left it there, almost forgotten. My daughter, however, managed to make the most beautiful pattern out of that blue paint before it dried completely." He observed the red-brown wand, which was nearly straight except for the slight bump whera twig may have grown. The detailing Mr. Ollivander's daughter created out of the paint was beautiful. "Perhaps I just felt a little attached to this one. Regardless, anyone whom I felt may have found its match in this wand found theirs already, long before I could think to try this. The paint won't do anything to affect its wand quality, Mr. Smith, though the pattern may respond to the magic being used. I present you this rowan and dragon heartstring wand, ten and a half inches, and very rigid."

Jackie felt warmth coarse through his body the minute his fingers closed around the wand. The circular, swirling pattern of the blue paint moved in response and, to Jackie's delight, reminded him of a very blue police box and the indecipherable writing system of an ancient race of time-travelling aliens. It blended well with the deep red-brown of the wood. Everyone applauded. Jackie wiggled his eyebrows at Hayley, brandishing it cooly, making her laugh a little.

"Oh yeah, you and I are going to get along very well," he said to the wand. "Rigid, though? Well. We'll just see how rigid you can be."

"Well, I hope it can handle wood better than a sonic screwdriver," quipped Hayley.

"You feel proud, Hayley? You ended up picking my wand!"

Hayley rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Oh honestly, weren't you listening? The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Smith! Never forget it!"

Mr. Ollivander took the standard seven galleons for Jackie's wand and gave him an ornate silver and brass handle piece to fit his wand onto. He didn't charge them extra, stating that it was his daughter's favourite handle to pair with the wand. It fit comfortably in Jackie's hand, and his wand didn't seem disatisfied with the fit either, judging by how the pattern shifted to accomodate the handle's own design. The silver was cut to look like scales, the curves slightly larger on the brass as though it were the belly of a great scaley beast. They bid Mr. Ollivander farewell, who proceeded to clean up the unsatisfied wands that had collected on his desk.

But before Jackie could follow his parents out the door, he noticed Hayley had stopped to asked Mr. Ollivander a startling question. Jackie almost hadn't heard her and her tentative tone made him feel guilty for being happy that he'd acquired his own wand. He pretended not to hear and decided to wait for Hayley outside. She would probably be angry if he asked, if she was so unsure about asking—and Hayley was never ashamed of asking anything before. His parents looked at him questioningly, but he didn't pay attention, pretending instead to observe his wand. He did like how the silver and brass looked on the wand, making it look almost sci-fi, not fantasy, even if the handle did sort of resemble a dragon. A space dragon. With cool ridges like the wings of a spaceship. He wondered if he could bewitch the blue paint to light in the dark.

In a few minutes Hayley walked out with a small booklet, a small smile on her face. Jackie wanted to ask, but thought best against it. Together they joined his parents, who had found the book shop all on their own. Or rather, Jackie's mother did. If there was ever an award for finding any sort of bookstore, it belonged to Kristine Smith.

"I really hope Harry and Ron get back," said Jackie, cringing at the sight of his mother jumping up and down excitedly. So many people were watching. "Because we'll be in trouble."

"We should have come here first! Carter will be pissed if we're late, and we definitely will be if we let your mother in there."

"Oh, but we've got to let her in! C'mon, Hayls, look at her! Flourish and Blotts is her childhood dream!"

They resolved to calm Jackie's mother down and tried to reason with her to keep her senses before they went inside. Jackie's father did his best to repeat Jackie and Hayley's instructions when Jackie heard Harry's voice over the drone of their steadily growing crowd of curious onlookers.

"… it really does sound like it, Ron. I'm worried."

"Don't be, Harry. Slughorn's probably learned how to make it by now. They'll be ready."

"But think of the trouble this would make for Professor McGonagall! And Neville! And the rest of the school! And with Skeeter back with the Daily Prophet, who knows just how much damage she could do once she gets wind of this."

"Nah, that woman won't be hearing about this. For sure."

"Are you certain, Ron? Because I'm pretty sure the main reason everyone knows Ginny and I've had our first child is because of her!"

"Oh, come off it, Harry!"

"Ron! You know how she gets her information! You remember, don't you? She was probably there at the hospital, sitting on a plant leaf listening to Ginny while she was in labour!"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember, Harry. But I also remember what Lupin said about the potion and the difference it made since his school days. Trust me, it's going to be loads better."

"I certainly hope so. I just really hope this won't reach Jackie too soon. Damn it, it nearly killed them, Ron. And if he were to find out that he'd be going to school with one? In the same year?"

"Harry, you're overthinking this."

"I'm just being practical, alright. I just, I dunno. Having a kid suddenly puts it all in perspective. In four years, Teddy's going to be going to Hogwarts, and he'll be a first year to Jackie's fifth. That's two years, Ron. Two years."

"Alright, but what if, just think about it—what if he turns out like Lupin? Like Teddy's own dad?"

Harry gave a frustrated sigh. Jackie wondered if anyone else had heard, and his father had gotten his mother to calm down, so their audience had grown disinterested. Fortunately no one had turned to stare as Harry and Ron had their conversation. They were really close now, though, enough to notice Jackie listening as the crowd disipated.

"I know I'm being unfair, and I feel terrible about it, thinking of Lupin. But Jackie's a sensitive kid. With Hayley he acts like nothing in the world could stop him, but she won't be there when term starts in September. And owl will take at least a day to reach her—"

"Oh hey, mate! Look at that!" Ron was right next to Jackie now, who had taken out his wand to observe in feigned ignorance again. He wondered if it appreciated that its use so far was as a distracting prop. "Wow, that's a really nice wand."

"Hm, yeah" said Harry absentmindedly. "Very nice."

"Rowan and dragon heartstring. Ten and a half without the handle," Jackie presented proudly. "The paint's just a bonus. Mr. Ollivander said his daughter cleaned it up nice, and gave me the handle as a gift. Though what's really got me thinking is that it's dragon heartstring. And Mr. Ollivander says you've got a phoenix feather! And you've got a unicorn one, Ron!"

"Oh, yeah, mythical creatures exist, you know!" said Ron playfully. "Wow, your mum really looks excited. Bookshop owner, right?"

"Yeah, but part-time cuz she has to take care of me."

"Probably because you're a real high maintenance kid!"

"What? Whazat mean—oi! She's also a writer, you know! A novelist! The rest of the time she's doing that!"

"Just joking! Come on, we beter get going. If it looks like your mum wants you to get a book you're not supposed to get, try and negotiate getting an owl."

"Are you mad? Did you forget my dad's a lawyer? He'll just represent her and win."

"Nah, between me, you, Hayley, and Harry here if he gets his head back on, we'll beat him."

"Sounds like a great plan!" cried Hayley, running up to them. "I already got her inside, and Mr. Smith's busy trying to keep her from grabbing so many books off the shelves. I think she's really interested in the ones about curses and Dark wizards and witches from forever ago, because that's the first thing she zeroed in on."

"Oh!" said Harry, suddenly coming to his senses. "Some of those books are actually charmed to—uh oh, Ron, we'd better stop her from getting to the Monster Book of Monsters. I wouldn't be surprised if she got one out of the cage—at the expense of letting them all out!"

They ran in first, leaving Jackie and Hayley to follow. They could hear the sound of amused laughter inside as Jackie's mother's voice reached its highest pitched, her vocabulary devolving to that of an excited teenage girl at a pop idol concert. Jackie sighed, remembering that it was his mother and that people would be learning that very shortly. He turned to exchange a look of disdain with Hayley, only to find that she was looking back with, in Jackie's opinion, the most simultaneous-panic-and-excitement-inducing expression: suspscious intrigue. Or, as she'd proudly call, her Sherlock Holmes Game Face (and Carter as her bumbling D.I. Lestrade).

"You heard them," she said cryptically. Jackie gulped, as nervous as Harry worried he'd be. But he reigned in his fretting, hand gripping his brand new wand as a newfound sense of confidence washed over him. Hand-in-hand with Hayley they entered Flourish and Blotts to a cacophany of sounds as the shop owner tried to get Mrs. Smith to put down the Monster Book of Monsters, her hand on the belt strap that kept the book from devouring everything in the store.

A werewolf was going to be attending Hogwarts, and he was going to be in Jackie's year.