Author's Note: All right, here's chapter five! Sorry it took practically forever, but I just started this summer school, and it's pretty much been hectic.
Also, for the people who have been commenting on the typos, I recently got Microsoft Word, so that should definitely help.
Chapter Five: Mr. Ollivander
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. He looked over his shoulder to see Cordelia looking around in awe, completely aware of the magic surrounding them.
Cordelia was afraid that Hagrid might knock over some of the boxes, but surprisingly he didn't. A soft bell chimed in the distance.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair. Cordelia hid a snigger behind her hand, but the man whose eyes lighted up in amusement caught her.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes.
"Er- yes? Have you been expecting us or something?" Cordelia asked curiously.
"I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter," said the man, ignoring Cordelia's question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.
Cordelia was awkwardly standing to the side. She wasn't quite used to being ignored, but she didn't really want to be put in the spotlight like Harry was. He looked like a deer in the headlights, while Mr. Ollivander looked completely at ease. It's almost as if he does this on a regular basis, She thought, giggling. She touched her forearm, happy that the little black snake had fallen asleep, nesting on her warmth. Cordelia would be utterly embarrassed if it bit Mr. Ollivander while he was talking to her.
"And that's where…"
Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.
Cordelia's ears perked up at the mention of Harry's scar. She wanted to know more about this Dark Lord. Hagrid seemed awfully tightlipped about him.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"
He failed to notice Harry and Cordelia raptly listening to the information and hoping he would tell more.
"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.
Cordelia groaned, they were this close to getting more information about the Dark Lord, and Hagrid ruined it again, though this time unconsciously. She saw Harry with a similar face of irritation and she made a face behind Mr. Ollivander's back.
"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.
"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.
"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.
"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. Sure he doesn't, thoughtCordelia sarcastically, but what had Hagrid done to get himself expelled?
"Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
Cordelai giggled at Harry's surprised expression. Unfortunately, he caught her and mouthed, you're next, which promptly shut her up. Dang it, she thought.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."
Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"
Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.
"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."
Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"Er- excuse me? What exactly are you looking for?" Cordelia asked quietly, voicing Harry's thoughts.
Mr. Ollivander turned sharply, "We are looking for the right combination, and you'll know it when you see it. You see, wands choose your magical core. So far, none of these wands seem to like your core, but that's all right!"
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers.
He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. "Woah," Cordelia breathed.
Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"
He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"
"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."
"So Harry's wand is Vodemort's brother wand? What does it mean?" Cordelia asked in awe.
"It means we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great," Mr. Ollivander said solemnly, getting the tape measure out for Cordelia.
His mood suddenly lightened when he saw Cordelia sitting on the chair looking blankly ahead. "Miss Vixen! I remember your parents very well. Your mother had madrona with a veela hair for the core. I never liked veela hair, but that wand worked out fine for her. Defined her personality well, too: madrona is beautiful but rare, and veelas temperamental, but very powerful when controlled. I must admit that that was the only veela wand I made. Your father, in contrast, had a dragon heartstring laced with erumpent hide, ebony. Extremely powerful. You see, dragon heartstrings are used by powerful wizards, but laced with an erumpent hide, can be very destructive. Add the ebony for some fireworks, and you have a very deadly wand. I yearn to see what type of wand you have, Miss Vixen," Mr. Olivander whispered excitedly.
"Er- all right." Cordelia said nervously as the tape measure began to measure every inch of her, as it did with Harry. On the inside, she was very nervous. Her parents seemed like very powerful wizards, and what if she didn't live up to their legacy?
"Hornbeam, twelve inches, unicorn hair, quite sturdy," he said, giving her a wand.
The minute she touched it, the wand emitted a dark cloud that smelled awful.
"Oh? This is very interesting. It seems your talent is not very subtle, no not at all. That means no unicorn hairs for you!" Mr. Ollivander squealed excitedly.
Cordelia lost track of how many wands she went through, but it was much more than Harry's. Maybe she wasn't a witch after all. Hagrid had fallen asleep, while Harry was looking at the large pile of wands in awe.
"Ah, just like your parents! They had an unusual core that's why. Auguery tail feather, twelve inches, willow, ah, no that won't do!" He said, snatching another wand away.
Twelve wands later, Mr. Ollivander brought out a very old box with dust piled all over it. "I believe we must try this wand. It is the most unique wand I have here, try it, give it a little swish. Siren feather laced with a basilisk heartstring. Fir, nine inches."
The minute Cordelia touched it, she felt rightness, then wrongness immediately after. The wand fired away from her and flew back into its box. She almost growled in annoyance, being rejected that badly by a wand was kind of embarrassing.
Mr. Ollivander looked at her thoughtfully. "Hm, perhaps we took the wrong steps somewhere along there. Maybe you aren't destined for an unusual core. But the other wands weren't reacting very well either…" he seemed to be muttering to himself.
Cordelia looked like she was about to cry. So she wouldn't live up to her parents after all. Did that mean she was weaker than them? Maybe she wasn't even her parents' daughter?
Mr. Ollivander came back with a dusty pillowcase with a wand that was light gray and dark brown, the two colors spiraling around each other beautifully.
"Here- try this wand. If this isn't the wand for you, I'm afraid I might have to custom make you a wand, which will take a few weeks. Don't be afraid, just take it!" Mr. Ollivander said, watching her curiously.
Cordelia hesitated, and then slowly reached for the wand. When she touched it this time, she felt like it was testing her.
Do you think you can master me? A rumbling voice asked in her mind. It hurt her head, as if the voice was never meant to speak to humans.
No, I don't, but I believe if we work together in harmony, we will master each other. She answered back mentally.
Such wise words for such a young girl, do you not know I have cursed many who were older and wiser than you are now? The voice asked mockingly.
Cordelia's eyes widened. But those were the ones who wished to control you; to have you fit their magical core. If you do not match me, I will not force you to choose me. If you wish so, I will let go of this wand right now! She thought desperately, she had no desire to be cursed on her first trip to the wizarding world.
Perhaps, perhaps, the voice said amusedly, you would make a good Priestess of Malassa, but somehow the light of Elrath shines in you too. An unusual combination, maybe you are worthy of me.
A Priestess of whom? The light of whom? Please tell me! I don't get what you're saying! Cordelia thought back, who are these people?
The voice chuckled. You have much to learn, but all in due time. You will restore the old ways, perhaps, if the old ways are meant to be restored.
What? I still don't get what you're saying… Cordelia trailed off, as the voice slowly lost its presence.
"Amazing! Amazing!" Mr. Ollivander cried, clapping his hands, "it's about time that wand's been sold!"
Cordelia was still dazed from her conversation with the- what was it?
"Mr. Ollivander, what is this wand?" she asked curiously, trying to ignore the pounding headache from the voice talking in her head.
"Well, yes, I suppose I owe you this story then. After I finished studying under my master in wandlore, I had to take a test in wandmaking. If I passed, which I did of course, I would have to go to the Council of Wandmakers in Germany to receive my certificate. Without the certificate, the ministry would have my head for being an unaccredited wandmaker, which is a serious offense. Well, also at the council, the one of the master officials took me to a room that had thousands of different, rare wand cores. I guess the tradition was that the core we received at the certification would be the first wand we made as an official wandmaker. There were so many different cores: augury heart, phoenix ashes, dementor's essence, chimera's breath, anything you could think of. However, one core drew me the most, a heartstring of some sorts. I asked the master what it was and he told me it was a dragon heartstring. I quickly moved away from it at first, surprised that such a common ingredient would be stored with such priceless cores. The master looked unsurprised at my action, so I suppose he got that all the time. When I looked closer at the heartstring though, I felt such power radiating from it, such ancient magic! I immediately picked it as my wand core, and the master smiled at me. He told me that that ingredient was usually overlooked when other wandmakers discovered it was only a dragon heartstring. He told me that it was one of the heartstrings of a very old dragon, and that they had found its heart buried a mile underneath a dragon's preserve in a wooden box. The heart was still pumping when they saw it. Unfortunately, when they started to harvest the heart, most of it was damaged in the process, so they could only get a few good cores in. I was astounded at the dragon heartstring I had in my hand, and I vowed to make the best wand I could out of it. I combined elder and yew for the wood, because most of the woods I tried were incompatible with it. I've longed for the day that I sold the wand to a formidable witch or wizard," Mr. Ollivander said, reminiscing.
"This is a very special wand, and you are a very special witch. Don't you forget that all right?" Mr. Ollivander said seriously.
"I won't," Cordelia replied smiling. She was glad that she had at least a semi-unique wand, even if it was just an old dragon heartstring. Well, her father also had a dragon heartstring, so at least she resembled one of her parents.
Harry paid for his wand (Mr. Ollivander insisted that Cordelia took the wand for free), and she, Hagrid, and Harry left the shop in high spirits.
"Well, I best get yeh home, Harry," Hagrid said, breaking the silence, "Professor Dumbledore said it was alright for you to stay there, Cordelia, so you won't have to go back home."
"But I want to go back home!" Cordelia whined, she wanted to show her parents and sister how cool her new wand looked!
"Cordelia, remember, what we talked about?" Hagrid said warningly.
"But I-" she tried again.
"I'm sure yeh could jus' send them a letter, now let's get going!" Hagrid boomed.
Harry felt bad for Cordelia, but he couldn't help but feel happy that he would have a friend to stay with for the rest of the summer. That way, Dudley wouldn't be able to pick on him as much.
Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading!
-I figured I wanted Cordelia to be more realistic, and not too super powered (she's the heir of Slytherin though, so it's kind of hard to make her "normal"). I originally had her with the siren and basilisk wand, but that seemed very unrealistic. The wands that Ollivander were referring to her parents having were acquired by them in their later years.
-Also, the stuff the dragon said with Malassa and Elrath won't be important until the end of fourth or fifth year. Anyways, they are Dragon gods found in Heroes 5 (if you've ever played that game).