Note: If you have already read the first chapter before this update, please read it again as it has been updated. In addition, I would be grateful if someone could volunteer to help me proofread the work. Thank you.
I remained quiet as Professor McGonagall led me through the dingy pub. Strangely enough, my mind was not filled with questions or reasons, as I was simply observing everything, trying to act bravely and uninterested. Not that I noticed myself doing that. It was an automatic response from my conscious, honed in my teenage years, to ward off strangers. I saw how the Leaky Cauldron became deathly silent upon the professor's arrival. How people nodded from various age groups. Their were-what looked like goblins sitting on the far right, discussing heatedly just before they saw who entered. Wizards with pointed heads greeted the Professor jovially, a young boy who had hardly entered his 20s asking about Hogwarts staff, pair of twin teenage girls nervously listening to the professor's admonishing; and a bald, old, and slightly hunched back man offering the professor a beverage, which she denied, explaining that she was in a haste.
Experiencing a second of teleportation and seeing a wall slowly transform into an archway is very different indeed. I stood there, eyes dazed, the feeling of euphoria passing throughout my body, not a single shred of doubt left about my situation. I could not explain how I felt at the moment. It was heavenly. Something inside me opened in joy, but I did not notice.
The archway opened to a beautiful cobbled street. Colourful shops were lined on each side that looked as if they were made a century ago. The sound of bricks moving made me look back at the archway that was closing itself, and in a few seconds, no one could tell that it was a magnificent archway that opened a doorway to the magical world just a moment ago.
The professor ushered me through the alleyway, nodding to a few people as she passed by. Even from what I could recall seeing in the movies, it was packed with individuals dressed in flamboyant fashion. Children were rushing to buy items, while a few adults were dragging their young children with them to shops to make necessary purchases. There were towers of cauldrons stacked on each other, strange devices shining through the window, quills zooming overhead, books fluttering, mannequins dressed in old style waving and posing, and what seemed to be a collection of flying broomsticks encased in a glass shelf. My mask of disinterest occasionally slipped down as I was so spellbound by the magic I witnessed everywhere. I walked inside a shop behind Professor as the clank of the bell informed of our arrival.
"In a minute, de-Oh Minerva! How delighted. I did not expect to see you on the last day, just before the school's start of the term."
"Believe me, I was not hoping to rush here at this time when I've got work to finish at school." Margaret, dear, would you be so kind as to fit Mr Kumar with a traditional school robe set? It would be good if you could just take measurements first and make the rest while I help Mr Kumar purchase his other school supplies."
"Oh surely. Just give me a minute."
Madam Malkin was busy waving her wand around a young teen. I saw how his sleeves got shorter to suit his arm's length. He appeared to be quite red in the face and was desperately trying not to look behind him. There were two girls sitting on the couch in front of the counter, whispering and giggling. I couldn't tell their age, as children here in Britain look more mature than their counterparts in India. If I had to guess, the girls should be between the ages of 13 and 14, and the boy should be around 16 at the very most. They hurriedly greeted the professor when she entered and received a curt nod in return.
My gaze stopped over a large, ornate mirror, but it was not the mirror that took my attention but what was reflected back on it. A boy was staring back. A skinny boy wearing a blue short and white t-shirt with dark brown horizontal strips. There were two small but distinctive moles visible on the face. Once under the eye and another below the chin, both on the right side of his face. There was no question about his identity. The trouble was that I hadn't looked like this in a very long time—it had been a very long time
"That's you done, my dear. Now, come here, Mr., and let me take your measurements." I glanced over. The boy whose robes were being fitted hurriedly took his packed robes and went out the door, still blushing red.
After a moment of hesitation, I turned around and whispered, "I don't have the money to buy all of this."
"You should not be concerned, Mr. Kumar. Hogwarts will provide for your fundamental needs. Now, hurry along, we have much to shop for after this."
"Thank you," I replied dazedly. Madam Malkin was a short but plump woman. She noted down my measurements on her parchment as a magical tape kept hovering around me, measuring length randomly. Then she raised her hand, waved the brown wand, and a black robe came zooming from a room inside. It hovers above me.
"Dear, raise your hand and try to get your hand in the sleeves."
Feeling quite ashamed, of being lectured, I raised my hand, and the robes slid onto me. Madam Malkin pointed her wand once, and the robe that was too big for me shrank to a size that can be best described with the word "M." She pointed to several spots on the robe, and it shrank to my size as if it were made of rubber.
"You're done, dear. Hop along and come pick up your school set in about a quarter of an hour." She waved her wand one last time as the robe removed itself from me and zoomed out of sight into the back room.
"I'll see you later, Margaret."
"Oh yes, tell me all about your house 'star' in the next meeting at Three Broomsticks."
"Bones, Midgen, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the feast tomorrow. I hope that both of you have not forgotten the fundamentals of transfiguration, as this year you'll need quite a bit of proficiency in order to earn grades that are considered satisfactory." As I followed the professor outdoors, both of the girls' features became unnaturally pale.
'Was that necessary?' I find myself wondering.
We did not stop at any of the shops, as I sent a longing look at the second-hand book shop. Despite this, the professor took the time to brief me on the numerous stores in the area as well as the locations where I could get necessary school supplies. After walking for a bit, we finally came to a stop in front of a shop with the sign "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.". The shop seemed old, dusty, and filled with something grand, as though it were a fortress housing legendary weaponry. A really pleasant hum could be heard coming from a location very, very far away. I get the sense that something is there—something massive, towering, and all-encompassing. It seemed as though all of my senses were being pulled out to infinity and beyond. My eyes were focused on the shop, I may be imagining it, but I thought I saw a towering light. So bright that my eyes couldn't handle it. Then there was this hum that kept drawing my attention to itself over and over again. I tried to concentrate on-
"mar, Mr Kumar, Are you alright?" and it was gone in a moment.
"What?" Who is she? "Sorry, professor, I was lost there for a second. Please forgive me."
"It's alright. You can't be blamed; you had quite a day."
"Thank you."
"Now listen carefully, Mr Kumar. You'll go inside this shop and get yourself fitted with a wand from Mr Ollivander. Is that clear?" I nodded my head.
"In the meantime, I will retrieve the remaining school supplies. I will see you here in an hour. Stay inside Mr Ollivander's shop and wait for me to pay for the wand. Please do not wander off anywhere, Mr Kumar, as we might only find you for next year's term." Said the stern witch.
"Yes, professor," I replied, smiling. She turned around and marched towards the adjacent shop filled with various coloured liquids, some bubbling, some smoking, and the strangest were those that seemed to glitter with stars as if the Milkyway were hovering over them."
'Those must be potions.' I thought. I focus my gaze on the dusty shop of Ollivander again. This time, I did not hear the hum or see the blinding light, but I had a strange sensation that, if I tried, I might be able to perceive something beyond my five senses. As I slowly approached the door, each step filled with anticipation or exhilaration, I was unable to identify the emotion. As I opened the door to Ollivander's and stepped inside, my senses were filled with a terrible buzz. My head was disoriented, but not to the point that I would lose my balance. I was able to make out the sound of a bell ringing in the distance. Just a few more moments, and I'd be fine.
"- a new student? First-year?" I heard an old voice somewhere. It was coming from my right. The speaker of the voice had eyes that were unlike any others I'd ever seen before. I had seen the most beautiful grey eyes in one of my distant cousins. But thi..s person's eyes may not be classified into this category. He was different. His eyes were pure silver. They give off the impression of being woven with threads of magic. It was a bit unsettling to be stared down by someone as if he were of a higher plane.
"Strange. Who are you?" He asked curiously.
"Mau- Kumar, Ravi Kumar sir. I'm new to all this." I said, almost slipping my original name.
"That you are, aren't you? but you're different. Not from this place, are you, Mr Kumar?" I didn't know if he was talking about my body's origin or the soul's. I did not reply.
"Hmmm. Well now, - Mr Kumar, which one is your wand arm?"
I presented him with my right hand, still trying to get more glimpses of those silvery eyes.
"That's it. Keep your arm as it is. A wand Mr Kumar is an object through which a witch or wizard channels his or her magic. 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. Of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Similar to Madam Malkin's shop, a measuring tape was hovering around me, taking random measurements of my eyes, my fingers, and down to my foot.
"That will do," and the tap swooped above my head and laid down on the counter table. Mr Ollivander has gone ahead and was murmuring to himself. He shuffled around the shop, going from place to place, searching very seriously.
"Yes, this is it. Right then, Mr Kumar. Try this one. Black walnut and Unicorn hair. 12 and three-quarters. Hard. Take hold of it and give it a wave." Mr Ollivander presented me with a simple looking
I took hold of the wand, and suddenly there was nothing, and then I saw. I saw the most complex and vast network of strands of lines, encompassing something immense, whose size I couldn't know. And as suddenly as I had seen this, I woke up the next moment sitting on the floor, still clutching the beautifully crafted long wood, and confused.
"Mr. Kumar, may I ask how you are doing? A wand has never exhibited such a response before in my experience. It picked you out with quite the presentation,"I only just started to become aware of the shimmering particles and bright bursts that were scattered all over the store.
"You were chosen on your very first try. Although you did seem to receive some sort of nasty shock." He muttered the last sentence very quietly.
I got my bearings back. Requested that he keep the wand packed and told him about what the professor said.
"Wands made of Black Walnut are notoriously challenging to master Mr Kumar, although," he trailed off. I did not wait around in the shop; instead, I went out.
Sitting outside the shop on the front door's pavement, I begin to think. Thinking about everything that had happened in the last hour. From being a nobody, I suddenly became a Hogwarts student and owned a wand. Something that was only a fantasy, a story of someone's imagination, now becomes someone else's reality. What had happened to me? Did I die?
I bent my knees and put my head down. I feel like resting my eyes for a little while. I have not yet met anyone who seems to know me before leaving the small room with the professor. Neither did the professor ask for someone's permission to take me here. I might be an orphan for all I know. But then the living situation doesn't make sense.
What am I doing here? This is no place for me. But I can do wonders here. My abilities are magical and limitless, and I can accomplish things that no one else has ever done.
But, why would I do that? That doesn't make sense. I don't need recognition from a sheep wearing people's clothing. I'm fine, not being at the top, not in the limelight, away from the crowd.
Yes, I have the ability to start a new chapter in my life. Outside of the bounds of responsibility imposed by my former self. Quietly enjoying life while searching for its purpose. Whether it was really at random that a lifeform was born or if there was a bigger purpose to it. I know there are no gods in this endless multiverse. But then-
Right, the multiverse Why not travel to the multiverse? It might be possible to use magic. Like those light novels, I read.
"Wake up, Mr Kumar. This is no place to sleep. Did you get your wand?" I got a fright. The professor has come back. Has it already been an hour, or did she not buy the things for me? I did not see the professor carrying anything.
"Hello, Professor. I was chosen by a wand. I had left it with Mr Ollivander."
"Very well. Here, take these 7 galleons. Please go and get your wand. Hurry" I looked over at the shiny golden galleon. I had never seen gold that glistened so brilliantly before, as if it were sparkling with centuries-old enchantment. I weighed it in my hand. Definitely heavy. It would break my heart to give it up. I heaved a sigh.
When I opened the door, Mr Ollivander was standing there with my wand packed in the same long violet box he had pulled out.
"I expect great things from you, Mr Kumar," he said, quite mysteriously, as he handed me the wand.
"Goodbye, sir, and thank you for the wand." 'Isn't that what he said to Harry? Does he say it to every wizard who gets their wand from here?' I thought as I exited the shop.
The professor was standing at the door waiting for me to come out. There was a huge trunk positioned next to her. Obviously, I had no idea whether she had it all along or if someone else had just placed it there while I was inside. I did not inquire, and I had the strangest feeling that she wouldn't give me a straight answer.
"You'll find all your school supplies in there." She paused for a second and asked, "Is there anything you want to speak about before we go back?"
"Nothing, Professor," I replied without giving any thought, still clutching the wand box in my other hand.
"Very well. Hold my hand, Mr Kumar." Stretching one hand towards me. Seeing the hand and the trunk, I tried lifting the trunk with one hand. It lifted off from the ground without excess force and still had weight to it.
'Of course, the feather lighting charm.' I smiled lightly and looked around the alley. The street was still bustling with worried parents and overly excited children. Quite a few shopkeepers had people outside selling and advertising things. Owls of various colours could be seen fluttering, some taking couriers and other letters. One quick look told me that the sun was about to set. There were already smudges of red and orange in the sky.
I glanced over at the professor, still holding out her hand. I closed my eyes, and the moment I touched her hand, I felt it clearly this time. My body is being squeezed from all directions. I was floating and travelling like a bullet, and the next thing I knew, my back was pressed hard against soft grass. I saw the sky more clearly this time.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the fleeting colours of dusk began to fade away. Birds chirp as they return to their nest, signalling the dawn of a restful evening. This here clearly indicates the official end of my previous life and the start of a new one.
'Let me just lie down here for a little while.'